Spring Break
Cultural Center to keep name
Black Student Union to strive for center built for multiple campus minorities
Doug T. Graham / Staff Reporter
Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: News
The Black Student Union voted 25-15 to preserve the name of the Afro-American Cultural Center.
The decision was made at the group's meeting Monday in the Charleston-Mattoon room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.
At a previous meeting, Mona Davenport, director of the Office of Minority Affairs, proposed that the name, which has been the same for 39 years, be changed to the "EIU Cultural Center," to better reflect Eastern's diversity.
"Because of the times, we have more minority students on campus," Davenport said. "Sometimes people are a little hesitant to go in (the center) not knowing that it is open to all. I think 'cultural center' is more inclusive to everyone."
Omar Solomon, a senior communications studies major and Student Senate member, was the first BSU member to voice his opinion.
He said the right thing to do would be to change the name to accommodate other groups.
Several BSU members said they did not want to change the name because of the history of the building.
After several minutes of back-and-forth discussion, the topic was put to a vote.
Three options were presented: to keep the name the way it was and do nothing, to change the name to the "EIU Cultural Center," or to keep the name and push for a cultural center to be built on campus for other groups.
The initial vote was 0-25-15, meaning that the majority decided to change the name.
The vote was redone a second time after some confusion on the choices.
For the second vote, the first option was eliminated and members voted 15-25 to keep the name and push for the center.
Davenport said she thought BSU's choice was "interesting" but ultimately she hoped "the administrators do go with what the students say because the students are the ones that use it."
Charrell Barksdale, a biological sciences major and former BSU president, voted to change the name.
She said the only reason people went against the change was because they were afraid of change.
Barksdale said the university is more likely to spend money building a cultural center if it felt BSU were open to new cultures.
She said Monday's vote said the opposite.
The Afro-American Cultural Center was established in December 1970 as a place for not only the BSU to meet on campus but as a place for all races of students to have a safe haven on campus.
"The '60s were a real volatile time for African-American students on this campus," said Ceci Brinker, director of Student Life.
"To have a place that was a home away from home for them, and when it was established, I think that it served that purpose. It was a place they could gather, meet and socialize."
In recent years, the Afro-American Cultural Center has been a place for meetings and events far more than just those students.
"Muslim students and international students use it more than (BSU), or if not then the same," said BSU president DeMarlon Brown, a political science major.
Brown said that at a recent BSU reunion event at the Union, a former BSU member came up to him and was mad the event was not at the "black house."
Brown said the man's anger came from a generation of BSU members who were used to having every event at the house. He said the house was a source of pride for the organization and the thought of BSU having a reunion event anywhere else did not sit right with the man.
Many of BSU's functions that used to be at the "black house" are now housed in he Union, including Monday's meeting.
"Strategically speaking, (the Union) is a better, more central place to run their operations from," Brinker said, citing the Union's visibility on campus and how close it is to BSU's advisers.
Brinker said BSU still uses the cultural center, but said other cultural organizations use the Afro-American Cultural Center more than it does.
She said those groups use the center in 2009 much like the BSU used the building in the 1970s.
Brinker said BSU has outgrown the size of the venue.
The Muslim Student Association uses the center for prayers at 1:30 p.m. every Friday. Shaukat Mahmood, president of MSA, said he would be open to a name change.
"The building does have a much broader purpose, and its title does not match its use," Mahmood said. "The current title makes other users like MSA feel out of place in the building."
Doug T. Graham can be reached at 581-7942 or at dtgraham@eiu.edu.
The decision was made at the group's meeting Monday in the Charleston-Mattoon room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.
At a previous meeting, Mona Davenport, director of the Office of Minority Affairs, proposed that the name, which has been the same for 39 years, be changed to the "EIU Cultural Center," to better reflect Eastern's diversity.
"Because of the times, we have more minority students on campus," Davenport said. "Sometimes people are a little hesitant to go in (the center) not knowing that it is open to all. I think 'cultural center' is more inclusive to everyone."
Omar Solomon, a senior communications studies major and Student Senate member, was the first BSU member to voice his opinion.
He said the right thing to do would be to change the name to accommodate other groups.
Several BSU members said they did not want to change the name because of the history of the building.
After several minutes of back-and-forth discussion, the topic was put to a vote.
Three options were presented: to keep the name the way it was and do nothing, to change the name to the "EIU Cultural Center," or to keep the name and push for a cultural center to be built on campus for other groups.
The initial vote was 0-25-15, meaning that the majority decided to change the name.
The vote was redone a second time after some confusion on the choices.
For the second vote, the first option was eliminated and members voted 15-25 to keep the name and push for the center.
Davenport said she thought BSU's choice was "interesting" but ultimately she hoped "the administrators do go with what the students say because the students are the ones that use it."
Charrell Barksdale, a biological sciences major and former BSU president, voted to change the name.
She said the only reason people went against the change was because they were afraid of change.
Barksdale said the university is more likely to spend money building a cultural center if it felt BSU were open to new cultures.
She said Monday's vote said the opposite.
The Afro-American Cultural Center was established in December 1970 as a place for not only the BSU to meet on campus but as a place for all races of students to have a safe haven on campus.
"The '60s were a real volatile time for African-American students on this campus," said Ceci Brinker, director of Student Life.
"To have a place that was a home away from home for them, and when it was established, I think that it served that purpose. It was a place they could gather, meet and socialize."
In recent years, the Afro-American Cultural Center has been a place for meetings and events far more than just those students.
"Muslim students and international students use it more than (BSU), or if not then the same," said BSU president DeMarlon Brown, a political science major.
Brown said that at a recent BSU reunion event at the Union, a former BSU member came up to him and was mad the event was not at the "black house."
Brown said the man's anger came from a generation of BSU members who were used to having every event at the house. He said the house was a source of pride for the organization and the thought of BSU having a reunion event anywhere else did not sit right with the man.
Many of BSU's functions that used to be at the "black house" are now housed in he Union, including Monday's meeting.
"Strategically speaking, (the Union) is a better, more central place to run their operations from," Brinker said, citing the Union's visibility on campus and how close it is to BSU's advisers.
Brinker said BSU still uses the cultural center, but said other cultural organizations use the Afro-American Cultural Center more than it does.
She said those groups use the center in 2009 much like the BSU used the building in the 1970s.
Brinker said BSU has outgrown the size of the venue.
The Muslim Student Association uses the center for prayers at 1:30 p.m. every Friday. Shaukat Mahmood, president of MSA, said he would be open to a name change.
"The building does have a much broader purpose, and its title does not match its use," Mahmood said. "The current title makes other users like MSA feel out of place in the building."
Doug T. Graham can be reached at 581-7942 or at dtgraham@eiu.edu.
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