CSI welcomes new men’s center onto campus. 

By: Gabriel Acevedo

Dr. John Meche working from his office on the campus center. Photo Credit: Gabriel Acevedo

CSI students, especially men, can look forward to a new addition to the campus center to help improve campus life. The men’s center is officially open and ready to assist students, men and women alike.

While students have heard and even visited both the Women’s center and LGBTQ center on campus, there are some that have yet to be fully introduced into the Men’s center. The Men’s center is a center to help empower and boost graduation rates for historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students, especially men. 

Dr John Meche, the director of the men’s center, is excited to finally get the center running. Meche explained how this creation was a joint effort between his club, the Black Male Initiative, the campus center, and the vice president and president of the college. 

Initially, the men’s center was called the CUNY CSI Black Male Initiative. The club’s initial goal was to focus on assisting black and latino male students, a demographic that unfortunately has shown low retention and graduation rates at CSI. “As we were making the center, there is currently conversation on CUNY about men dropping out, not attending classes, or not receiving the resources to receive,” remarked Meche, “ so this center could be the opportunity for these men to succeed.”

A major goal of the men’s center is to help produce a safe space for college students who are male, and find a social outlet. Within the space are programs to assist male students including mentorships, social and emotional learning, and a major focus on men’s mental health. Dr. Meche hopes to include other cultural elements and internships to help boost the center and male students going forward. A men’s group is also being created for college to fund said group to create its own programming.

The college joins other CUNY’s such as Kingsborough, Queensborough, and York college in establishing centers dedicated to assisting men in overcoming obstacles during their academic career.  Dr. Meche is hoping to find more additional funds and resources, and build the center out more. 

Dr. Meche hopes that the center will build an experience where men can receive the resources needed to succeed. “To find a place where you can find mental health help, where you can get mentorship, and where you can get everything like a one-stop shop, will make the slight difference between success and failure.”