LETTERS: Resource center a poor use of space

To the Editor: The APSC tries to rationalize this appropriation of campus space by saying that this structure will benefit the Penn community as a whole. Considering the fact that we already have several such community houses -- yet much of the Penn campus has never heard of nor is even aware of their existence -- seems to contradict this. Yet for some reason the UA believes that this cultural center will be different. The fact of the matter is that a building that caters to Asian Americans by holding Asian-American group meetings, has a library of materials about Asian Americans and holds programs to promote deeper connections to Asian tradition will almost entirely draw an Asian-American crowd. Just because a varied group of students signed a petition to support this doesn't mean a thing. I know first-hand that Penn students are asked to sign so many petitions that many don't even know what they are signing. Even if all the students who signed petitions were well versed in the proposal for the center, there is a huge difference between signing a sheet of paper and going to this center. On the flip side, this center also brings up the question of why we don't have a European-American Cultural Center. While this would admittedly have to be a very large center, the UA can't possibly deny this without asserting that Asian-Americans have more of a right to pretend they aren't Americans than European-Americans. I hope that the UA thinks twice about its decision or at the very least claims a momentary lapse of judgment when other groups clamor for their own centers. Also, if the Asian-American Resource Center is established, I hope that it is attended by more than only Asian Americans and SARS students hoping for better grades. If the center isn't used by a decent portion of the campus, then I hope that those who pushed so hard for its creation spend most of their free time there to enjoy the fruits of their labor. If this is what actually occurs, then I hope that the UA will stop forming resource centers for various racial groups and create a World center where all different cultural groups can learn about their common heritage. Chris Beals Engineering '02

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.