Call for Writers about the A3C!

Hi all,

Hope you're enjoying the break and whatever holidays you might be celebrating.

I'm issuing a call for articles about the A3C.

Over the next few issues of the biweekly Bully Pulpit, Executive Editor Alex Immerman and I would like at least one article per issue on the importance of our Center. This would increase publicity of the project and demonstrate to the public the importance of its existence.

Feel free to think beyond informative or news-based articles. Personal reflections about what the Center means to you, why you want it, and/or your vision of it are most welcome. An open letter to the Cornell administration or the entire campus is also encouraged.

Below are some of Alex's suggestions:

Ideally the article needs to speak to a broad audience, which doesn't necessarily know what A3C is, why it is important, or what can be done to help its progress.

What is the A3C and how did it come into being (who, when, why)? Why is A3C important? Specifically, what are the needs of Asian and Asian American students that are not being met at Cornell, and what would A3C do to help remedy the situation?

How do these issues relate (if at all) to issues surrounding the establishment of other cultural centers on campus (such as the program houses)?

Since Asian and Asian American represents a very broad category, encapsulating students of a number of nationalities, ethnicities, and cultures, how have students from such different backgrounds worked cooperatively to formulate and achieve a common goal? Have there been any setbacks or struggles as a result?

What has been holding back progress on the A3C, what are some challenges that have been overcome and some that continue to stall development of the center?

How has the A3C campaign been supported/opposed by students and administration? How does it relate to the broader issues of race and racism at Cornell?

How does the A3C benefit the non-Asian/Asian American community? i.e. does it make the campus climate (as a whole) better by focusing on one group's needs? Does it involve cultural learning opportunities for non-Asian/Asian American students? How does the A3C mesh with general formulations of multiculturalism (rejection of assimilation approaches, perhaps?)?

What can students, alums, faculty and staff to do to help?

Anyone who is interested, please email me!

It doesn't matter what your relation to Cornell is, who you personally identify as, or what your involvement with the Asian/Asian American Center project has been.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to hear responses from you soon.

Caroline

Stay Tuned...

Hi all,

There was an A3C Committee meeting on Wednesday, 11/19, after Kent Hubbell returned from his trip to China.

There were only small updates:

• Kent announced the approximate costs of the Center--if it were to stay in Willard Straight Hall, which is still uncertain at this point. There were two estimates, both of which were under $2 million. The numbers include air conditioning installment, the elevator/LULA construction, furniture, and asbestos treatment.
  
• President Skorton wants to meet with the Committee right after Thanksgiving break, in between his two international trips. There is no indication of what kind of discussion might be happening, or whether the entire A3C project would go ahead at all.
  
• If architect plans are approved by December 1st, the project may be completed by August 21, 2009. The plans will not be approved by then because the administration is not providing the Committee with anything solid, whether through finalizing the A3C's location or assigning a fundraiser to the A3C project.
  

We are disappointed with the administration's inaction. Please keep sending your comments to David Skorton, Susan Murphy, and Kent Hubbell. Even one paragraph expressing your desire for the Center makes all the difference.

The Center cannot happen without your support.

Forums

If you've read your email recently, you've seen Pres. Skorton's general/slightly vague plans about how to deal with the current (and in most cases deepening) recession.

The A3C is a project that has waited for decades to recieve a pittance of cash. One of the biggest reasons is to institutionalize the ridiculous efforts of generations of students who try to make the campus a place where Asian and Asian Americans want to be.

The "hiring pause" and halting of construction projects will most definitely negatively affect the A3C's progress unless you attend the forums noted below

Wednesday, November 5 at noon in Bailey Hall

Thursday, November 6 at 4 P.M. in the Statler Auditorium

and leave a comment at: http://assembly.cornell.edu/Suggestions/2008FallFinancialSavings#toc38

Drop Skorton and the administration a line. Let them know that a million or two in the face of Cornell's current (and possibly also paused) 4 billion dollar campaign is an incredibly small cost to serve nearly 20% of the student population with something they've been requesting for a decade or more.

As Kent Hubbell would put it, it should be a "no-brainer" to establish this Center immediately!

This center is not my center, or your center or even the A3C committee's center. It's ours and it takes us to make it a reality.

Go Comment on the Cornell Website

Hi all,

If you have checked your Cornell webmail lately, you should have received an email from Pres. Skorton (click here to view) stating that construction projects, especially those not under a contract, will be stalled due to the "current economic crisis." It shouldn't apply to the A3C effort, since many Asian/Asian American alumni are vocally and financially supportive of the Center--if only Cornell's administrators were willing to set aside a fundraiser/promotions person for this specific project, which they haven't. Think also of how much this tiny, 1,400 sq. ft. of space should cost--less than $2 million. As Kent Hubbell would put it, it should be a "no-brainer" to establish this Center immediately!

Yet, the administration keeps on delaying this tiny, much-needed project, and the Asian/Asian American Center Committee is frustrated. I briefly voiced our frustrations here: http://assembly.cornell.edu/Suggestions/2008FallFinancialSavings#toc38

. Please also put in your two cents on the "suggestions box" I just linked you to. It is important to let the administration know what other students and alumni are concerned about.

If you have any questions about this email or what I wrote on the Cornell website, do not hesitate to ask me.

Thanks,
Caroline

Editorial about the A3C

Hi all,

This editorial just came out today, written by a Sun staff writer. It's a short but eloquent read, so don't miss it!

Have a good weekend, everyone. We'll see if there are better updates during today's A3C Committee meeting.

Great Article on the A3C

Article published today on the Cornell Daily Sun.
Very accurate in terms of both the facts and the sentiments of students on the A3C Committee.

To discuss it, come to our info session TODAY at Goldwin Smith 156 @ 6pm!

Two More Info Sessions on the A3C

What is the A3C, other than standing for the Asian/Asian American Center? Why is it important? What are the difficulties?

What can you do to help?

To find the answers, we invite you to attend one of our info sessions.

Session #1:
Date: Tuesday, Oct 21 (tomorrow!)
Time: 6pm
Place: Goldwin Smith 156

Session #2:
Date: Wednesday, Oct 22
Time: 6pm
Place: Goldwin Smith 156

Let us know if you can make it at csn7@cornell.edu. If you can't make either of these sessions and still want to attend one, please let us know as well! We would very much appreciate it if you could all circulate this email to your friends and groups.

Once again, the goal of this Center is to provide university support for Asian and Asian American students and provide a space for community-building, cultural celebration, and the development of an Asian/Asian American consciousness. We are currently working with the administration on plans for the Center, but, as outlined in the form letter, we have run into some problems. We hope that with the support of a large number of students and their parents we can overcome these problems and see the creation of this Center.

Sincerely,

Bhavna Devani
Samantha Dong
Susan Duan
Caroline Hugh
Jonathan Pomboza
Clara Ng-Quinn

Students of the A3C Committee