The Multi-Ethnic Student Organization, or MESO, is a Southeast Community College club that exists to celebrate all cultures and to educate others.
The MESO adviser is Margarita Feyerherm. Her full title is the Student Retention/Multi-Cultural Recruitment Specialist for the Beatrice SCC Location.
“Our main focus is to bring cultural events and awareness to the campus,” Feyerherm said of MESO.
The group started when Feyerherm started at SCC in 2000. She operated both the Lincoln and Beatrice locations, though she spent most of her time at the Beatrice location.
Feyerherm said it was difficult to have both groups active with her as the only advisor.
Currently, MESO is inactive in Lincoln. The Lincoln MESO was very active from about 2000-2008, while Feyerherm was there to help run it, she said.
“After that, I was required to go to Beatrice to keep it [MESO] going,” Feyerherm said.
Around that time, Lincoln MESO slowly became inactive as it is now.
“I hate to let go of the one at the Lincoln campus,” Feyerherm said. “I am going to try and get it going again.”
The last meeting held for the Lincoln MESO was in January. No one showed up. There have been several meeting times since then, but students have not been attending.
“It’s hard to get attention [of students] anymore,” Feyerherm said, referring to trying to promote the group at Lincoln. “Students are so busy at the Lincoln campus.”
At Beatrice, information about MESO is announced on the TV monitors and through printed flyers. The student members of MESO help promote it and tell friends about the group.
“There are a lot of students that lead from the dorms,” Feyerherm said of MESO. “It really is very active in Beatrice.”
The Beatrice MESO has about ten members right now, including five officers. Feyerherm said the number of members fluctuates and has led to new friendships. Beatrice MESO meets once a week on campus.
MESO will participate in International Week, November 14 – 18, by giving presentations of cultures and ethnic groups. Other students share samples of food from different areas and explain information about the food. Three special cultural videos are being shown at the celebration this year.
SCC at Lincoln is also having an International Week celebration, starting Monday, Nov. 14. The event will include displays and food. SCC staff member Nikki Isemann is coordinating this event.
MESO has a display case in the chemistry wing of the Beatrice building which is full of items presenting students’ heritage and culture.
When exchange students leave, they add a flag or some other item from their background to the case. The members of MESO change out the display case periodically.
Feyerherm said MESO enjoys celebrating and honoring things like Black History Month and Women’s History Month.
In the past, MESO members went to events at the Lied Center and participated in activities like carving pumpkins. It is difficult for the group to go to the events since they are “tight with money” right now, Feyerherm said.
“My goal is to keep it going, and I’m trying to see if we can have more resources and especially more money,” Feyerherm said.
“We all need to work at getting more involved,” Feyerherm said of SCC student clubs, especially of MESO in Lincoln.
“Anybody is welcome to join and bring new ideas,” Feyerherm said of MESO. “We’re always open to new ideas.”