Tailgate with a Dream will make its debut this Saturday prior to the Tennessee kickoff from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Reed Hall Quad.

The Multicultural Affairs Committee of the Student Government Association and the Black Affairs Council are co-hosting this event, formerly known as Diversity Tailgate, with hopes to bring together students across campus in a multicultural celebration.

Raisin’ Cane’s and Choo Choo’s will be catering Tailgate with a Dream – which is open to all students – and there will be performances from several student groups, as well as a DJ.

If the Tennessee game isn’t enough to get you out to our multicultural event, the entertainment and free food certainly should be.

The term “multicultural” is a heavy one. With this year’s freshman class being the most diverse in University history, the need to understand this term becomes increasingly important.

As students interact with people from different backgrounds, we gain insight into how other people view the world.

It is with this premise that the MAC seeks to promote diversity across the University community as a whole.

When “multicultural” accompanies the name of an organization or an event, it is easy to assume that the targeted group is the non-majority.

Though there are organizations on campus that cater to the needs and concerns of specific demographics, that is not the mission of our committee.

As a division of the Student Government Association, we have an obligation to represent the interests of all students on this campus, thus we aim to serve all students – whether they are in the majority, the minority or somewhere in between.

Although we enjoy working with the multicultural organizations on campus and plan to continue doing so throughout the year, our over-arching goal is to create an atmosphere in which only two colors matter: red and black.

During the previous spring semester, the MAC hosted a roundtable that included the leaders of the many multicultural organizations at the University. The night was an incredible success.

While we did not make any breakthroughs in race-relations or otherwise, we did make leaps and bounds in the areas of communication and cooperation.

Being relatively new to our positions, we were astounded many of those present had never met or worked together.

Aside from learning about one another, everyone seated around the table was able to learn about the cultures that their neighbor, now friend, represented.

As the evening drew to a close, those gathered, previously strangers, were friends.

We were honored to have been the force that united such ambitious individuals under a singular goal.

Our goal for Saturday’s Tailgate with a Dream is to do the same; rather than only inviting organization leaders, we’re inviting all students of all backgrounds.

We hope to see you there!

- Lemona Wyatt and Alex Galvan are sophomores and co-chairs of the Student Government Association’s Multicultural Affairs Committee.