Simpson College theme houses begin to open their doors to the campus’s diverse community. The Kate Shelley Women’s Resource Center (WGRC), The Performing Arts (PA) house, Latinos Unidos (LU) and Carver House all provide members of the campus an opportunity to find a home with others of similar interests and backgrounds.

Women’s Resource Center

WGRC members say the house is open for anyone who needs help, someone to listen to, or sit down and just talk. There are no weekly meetings or attendance for those who don’t live in the house. The house’s goal is to support, engage and inform the community. The house members say they are not opposed to using the house as a platform for those who would like to sponsor an event. 

“We are open to collaboration and to share our platform,” house member Triniti Kraus said. “We want to support, engage and inform the community.”

The house says it aims to support any student in need. House members do have their own office hours from  9-10 a.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Members also host events at the house throughout the week.

 On Thursday mornings, the WGRC has pilates from 8-8: 30 a.m. The WGRC is also planning an event that would discuss empowering women’s stories from the Bible. There is also a safe room used for various reasons including an alternative place to stay for a night if someone is uncomfortable staying in their own dorm. 

The Performing Arts house

Some events to look forward to in the future would be a panty tye-dye day – an event aimed at bringing awareness to different issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. Next is a sustainable period day to bring attention to sustainable products for those in need. Cookies and Confrontation day teaches women to set standards and argue for better starting wages in the workforce. These events will be spread out through the fall and spring semesters. Overall, their goal is to disseminate information regarding women’s issues, gender issues, LGBTQ+ issues, provide a safe place for those who need one, give students the power to run events and a platform for those who need one. 

The Performing Arts house says it’s hoping to bring back the underground and build student interest in it. The Underground is an event that gives students a space to perform anything they’d like. The PA house is also excited to assist students during the Simpson College overnight visit – during this time students will watch rehearsals and get a feel for what it is like being a part of Simpson Productions. The PA house also aims to connect music and theater students. 

“We want to bridge any divide between music and theatre students,” said Sabrina Fullhart. 

Latinos Unidos

The Latinos Unidos house will be undergoing maintenance this semester – with no members currently living in it. 

“There are some issues that need to be addressed, but in all fairness, no one applied to live in the LU house this semester,” Assistant Dean of Multicultural and International Affairs Walter Lain said. 

However, several members of Latinos Unidos are planning on living in the house in the spring. Meetings are still held at the house every Tuesday, with several events in the works. Most recently, Latinos Unidos held many events on campus to celebrate Latin heritage month. 

Lain said he wants to make sure that events enrich the campus community to talk about culture and the legacy of both LU and Carver house. 

Carver House 

The Carver House, which is located directly next to the WGRC – is open to any student who would like to learn about the different cultural groups on campus and share their own culture. 

Earlier this semester, the house held the annual multicultural BBQ and is currently planning other events that will be held throughout the year. 

“Carver house is meant to celebrate culture, not just experience culture,” house member Joaquin Chavez Martinez said. 

All campus theme houses aim to make the campus a more welcoming community and provide safe spaces for students. Any interested student is encouraged to reach out to a member of the house to learn more.