Cross-cultural center to be completed by fall

Work on the new cross-cultural center at Chapman, which will be located on the third floor of Argyros Forum, is scheduled for completion toward the end of the summer, Chapman administrators said.

The cross-cultural center was conceptualized after a consistently steady push from students and administration for more inclusion and diversity on campus.

“The need for a cross-cultural center has been brought up over and over again, so this isn’t something new,” said Student Government President Josh Nudelman. “Individuals have been wanting a cross-cultural center or a multicultural center for years.”

However, Nudelman was quick to establish the difference between cross-cultural and multicultural.

“It is a cross-cultural center for different groups, as opposed to multicultural, so you can merge the cultures and learn,” Nudelman said.

President Jim Doti came under fire last year for stating in a 2011 deposition that a multicultural center would “ghettoize” the school. A multicultural center designates space on campus only for students from certain backgrounds, so Doti’s statement is somewhat justified, said Jerry Price, vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students.

“(Doti) has significant concerns about designating a space for students of only one race or only one sexual orientation,” Price said. “Our center is not going to be (a multicultural center), it’s going to be open to everyone.”

Price said that although administrators have high hopes, the center has two fundamental goals.

“(We will be) supporting students who are from underrepresented groups, as well as giving them access to resources and things that will help their experience (at Chapman) feel more supported,” Price said.

Price also thinks that all Chapman students could stand to benefit from the center’s initiatives.

“When students are exposed to ideas, perspectives, backgrounds with which they’re not familiar, it induces learning and growth,” Price said.

Roanan Keldin, a freshman political science major, agrees with Price.

“I really like the idea of a cross-cultural center,” Keldin said. “I think it can do only good, and don’t see how it could bring any harm to campus, so we might as well (build it).”

Not only will the center encourage students to be accepting and understanding of differences among cultures, it will also create a place where students can identify commonalities and similar identities, said Leticia Romo, assistant director of Cross-Cultural Engagement.

“I hope that the center creates a place for students to feel welcomed and safe,” Romo said. “A place that will also allow for great discussion and interactions with people of different identities, points of view and differing life experience.”

However, Romo realizes that a cross-cultural center is not an all-encompassing solution to Chapman’s diversity issues.

“This, to me, isn’t about ‘one-and-done’ solutions – it’s also about the longevity of our efforts,” Romo said.

Price hopes that the center will serve as a central location on campus for all students, and perhaps will even be used as a meeting place for clubs and student organizations.

“The cross-cultural center would provide meeting space to student organization,” Price said. “Students will be exposed to the space as part of a natural flow of campus life.”

The center will continuously rotate themes, although Price said there are no concrete plans for the first exhibits.

“My thought is that a student here four years would end up seeing 12 different themes over his or her four years,” Price said.

He also stressed that if a particular theme resonates with students, it will be left up for a longer period of time.

Despite Price’s enthusiasm, some students are doubtful of the center’s success.

“I don’t know how well (the center) is going to pan out because we already have the Interfaith Center that remains empty all the time,” said Malvica Sawhney, a freshman English major. “Not a lot of people seem to be well aware of these places that they can meet and congregate.”

Sawhney, who is an international student, believes that Chapman’s need for more diversity is dire, though she doesn’t necessarily believe a cross-cultural center is the best solution.

“Given recent events taking placing in the dorms – someone drew a swastika, racial slurs – I think that just means that there’s a lot of ignorance around here,” Sawhney said. “I think that has to do with the lack of actual diversity on campus.”

Price understands students’ concerns, and wants to assure the student population that the cross-cultural center’s goals are aligned with those of Chapman’s broader inclusion initiatives.

“The development of this concept was in parallel with the Chapman Diversity Project,” Price said. “The objectives and goals of the cross-cultural center are in sync with and in concert with the goals of our larger diversity inclusion initiatives.”

Despite her appreciation of Chapman’s attempts to further on-campus diversity, Sawhney still isn’t sure if she will visit the center when it opens.

“To me, it seems a little sketchy,” Sawhney said.