Observing Communities

Written By: Andrea Thanos 

As a student entering the education field, I am also a part of the global cohort here at Michigan State University. To give you a little background on the global cohort, it is a class that prepares future educators to teach with a global view and to impact today’s diverse classrooms. I found out about this cohort during my orientation, and instantly it caught my eye. I feel that this program is so important because it prepares young people to envision the world in new ways.

For one of our main projects this year, our Cultural Competency project, we were given four options. One of which began with attending three MRULE meetings. MRULE is a club that holds meetings all around campus at various times throughout the week. I had heard about these clubs previously and was intrigued by this club that promotes leadership, difference, and helps build the community together. I instantly picked this option and so far have attended two meetings. I believe this organization relates to my field because it aims to guide students into broadening their horizons and open up their eyes to other peoples’ beliefs and ways of life. This is something that I myself have gathered from being a part of the global cohort program over this past semester and a half.

At these meetings I was able to share my beliefs, while still being receptive and attentive to the perspective of others. In the first meeting I attended we were given puzzle pieces and were told to find our matching partners. Once we found our partners we were asked to answer a few questions to each other. After that we split up into small groups were we continued discussions. The next meeting, we communicated in a different way. We all sat in a large circle and had a very free flowing kind of discussion. There was never a need to raise your hand and wait to be called on, but instead it was encouraged to say what you felt whenever you felt like sharing. I enjoyed both types of discussion, but felt more comfortable in smaller groups.




This club aims to tie the community together and connect people from various different backgrounds. It represented everything that it claimed to be. I would recommend to everyone and anyone to attend at least one MRULE meeting throughout the years at Michigan State.