Adding a multicultural center to the ISU campus in the near future is the topic of tonight’s Student Union Board open forum.

The discussion, beginning at 6:30 p.m., will focus on the amount of student interest for a multicultural center. All members of student organizations who are interested in the center should plan to attend and give their input, said Sarah Piziali, forum director for SUB.

“We are going to ask for ideas from the audience,” said Piziali, senior in chemical engineering. “The goal of the forum is to start communication between different student groups on what they want and need.”

Piziali said the center would be a place where ISU students could meet and talk about cultural topics.

SUB adviser Lisa Kratz noted that this isn’t the first time the concept of a multicultural center has been discussed. “The idea has been tossed around for a while,” she said.

Piziali said a questionnaire conducted by the Government of the Student Body in 1998 showed a lot of positive student interest.

“There were no conflicts listed,” she said.

Piziali added that the center never happened because of a “lack of compromise” between different student organizations on the location and focus of the center. She said ISU President Martin Jischke left the center “in the hands of the students,” and little discussion has been held since.

“I’m not reinventing the wheel — just getting it rolling again,” Piziali said. “I felt it was time to bring it up again.”

The panelists for the discussion are Assistant Dean of Students Vernon Wall, GSB President Matt Craft, International Student Council President Sheik Hasan, graduate assistant in educational and policy studies Roy Salcedo and Vice President of SUB Ryan Sievers.

“This is a topic that needs to be talked about,” Piziali said, encouraging all student organizations to send representations to the forum. “They should want to talk about it.”

The forum will be held in the Gallery of the Memorial Union. All students are welcome to attend.