After two decades of student effort, the possibility of a student activist organizing center may become a reality. In Spring 2003, the University agreed to consider a student-run organizing center at 200 Church Street. Plans to create an organizing center have been in the drafting stage all this semester, though no plans have been made official.
The organizing center has yet to be fully approved by the Administration. Over the years, many student groups have advocated for not only an organizing center, but for a multicultural affairs office. Recently, its importance of such resources have been discussed at the Student of Color Perspective and Action Committee (SCPAC); Administrator and Faculty of Color Alliance (AFCA); ResLife; and the Resident Council of 200 Church St. These groups believe that at the least, an organizing center would offer crucial aid to activist endeavors by providing materials, information, and community support. The so called ‘Organizing Center’ that may be created at 200 Church Street location next fall is still officially unnamed. It has been called the “Anti-Oppression Organizing Center” by many of the student leaders who advocated for its creation. This name has not approved by the Administration.This past week, the WSA officially asked for the inclusion of an ‘Organizing Center’ in the University’s Strategic Plan. The proposal was presented to the WSA with President Douglas Bennet in attendance.
Maria Morse ’05, Diversity Intern for the Dean of the College, has been drafting an official “Programmatic Proposal & Resource Wishlist” that would enable the creation of an organizing center at 200 Church. This proposal was commissioned by Dean Peter Patton. Morse said this proposal was not intended to be used in the strategic plan, but it will now be used as an example of a way in which the Administration can support student activists, and students from traditionally marginalized backgrounds.
“The [drafted] proposal includes a wishlist of resources and programs that would actually enable the creation of the center. It is still a draft, and nothing has been approved or even officially submitted! The proposal includes a wishlist of practical resources like dry-erase boards, a library, and work-study interns,” Morse said. “I’ve combined the ideas drafted by past student advocates such as AASC, as well as current activist groups, and 200 Church Street residents. This proposal will hopefully reflects what student activists need from an organizing center.”
Justin Leroy ’05, member of the Asian American Students Collective (AASC), said since the mid-80s students have advocated for the establishment of a multi-cultural affairs center. He voiced concerns that the administration may gloss over the true advocators for the center.
“I want people to know that it didn’t just pop up out of nowhere, and it wasn’t great white father ResLife’s benevolent gift to the poor colored kids. A lot of students put a lot of effort into it, and it’s wrong for the university to take credit for that work” Leroy said.
Members of the April Planning Committee for the April Convocation Asian/Asian American, Arab/Arab American, Queer Awareness Month, have indepentedly organized a supply collection for the organizing center.
“Students organizing events in April decided to ask for book and supply donations for an Anti-Oppression Organizing Center in 200 Church in hopes of starting up the library and involve students in a more grassroots sort of organizing effort. We collected books on topics such as social justice and critical race theory, as well as other office supplies,” said Lily Haskell ’04.
The center would primarily act as a resource for students and address the needs of student activists.
“Many students need this space, because for them activism is not a ‘choice’ but a necessity. Wesleyan student activists are oftentimes overburdened by school work, works study work, and then on top of all that, they engage in extracurricular ‘activism’ to try to make Wesleyan a more livable place. This is very draining. The center is filling a need that should have been filled years ago,” Morse said.
“With student input and organizing, it will be a huge asset to giving voice, power, and space to commonly marginalized groups on this campus,” Polak said.
The need for the center was especially strong last year because of numerous issues that lacked an appropriate discussion space.
“Not everyone agrees that 200 Church Street is the right location, since it is a residential facility and the center would be open to students from all over campus. The administration supports the idea of having such a resource center, properly situated,” Director of University Communications Justin Harmon said.
The WSA will advocate for an organizing center’s creation in a strategic plan proposal, co-authored by Rebecca Solow ’04 Chair of the Student Affairs Committee (SAC), Jeremy Abrams ’05 Chair of Community Outreach Committee (COCo), and Sohana Punithakumar ’04 President of the WSA. This proposal was a collaborative effort that drew upon suggestions and documents from meetings of the AFCA, forums sponsored by the Mosaic Office and SCPAC.
The presentation of the proposal elicited a positive reaction from Bennet, said Abrams.
“[Bennet’s reaction] was very positive. He really understood the need for everything we were doing…He basically said he can copy and paste [the proposal] into [the Strategic Plan],” Abrams said.
“Hopefully, the WSA can move the process along, perhaps a bit more quickly than it might otherwise go,” Emily Polak ’05, President of the WSA for 2004 said.
Under her presidential presiding, Polak said WSA can continue to push for funding and working to ensure that the center happens.
This year there has been serious consideration by the administration to implant the center.
“Students have been working on this issue for many years. Finally the Administration has acknowledged that and has promised to act on it,” Abrams said.
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