Friday, May 15, 1998
Students demand noncompliance
POLITICS: Affirmative Action Coalition to hold protest before
ceremony
By Christy Lin
Daily Bruin Contributor
As a personal friend of Gov. Pete Wilson as well as holding the
position of chancellor, Albert Carnesale is one of the most
influential people on campus.
However, the Affirmative Action Coalition is unhappy that the
chancellor has not used his influence to fight against Proposition
209, a law which put an end to considerations of race and gender in
college admissions.
Dissatisfied that Carnesale has not issued a stance of
noncompliance with Proposition 209, the coalition will hold a rally
today against the chancellor’s inauguration, two hours before the
ceremony.
The coalition, which includes 10 different groups on campus such
as the Asian Pacific Coalition, the African Student Union, Bruin
Democrats and the Friends of Labor Coalition, feels that
Proposition 209 is an unjust and immoral law that violates human
rights to education, segregates educational opportunity, and robs
the community of future leadership.
"We feel that it’s an insult to our community that this
chancellor, who hasn’t demonstrated any commitment to diversity and
maintaining underrpresented groups on this campus, be inaugurated,"
said Cori Shepherd, internal public relations for the African
Student Union.
"We don’t want him as our chancellor," she said.
Carnesale has not yet made a public statement saying that he
will refuse the law.
During a meeting last month with the undergraduate student
government, Carnesale promised to write a letter to other college
campuses saying he supports the idea that race and gender
considerations must be made in order to keep campuses diverse.
According to Kendra Fox-Davis, chief of staff of the USAC
president’s office, Carnesale reiterated his plans to write the
statement by May 25 during a meeting last Sunday.
The coalition hoped for a statement of noncompliance with
Proposition 209 from the chancellor at that time, but the meeting
did not bring any results.
Christina Gonzalez from Raza Women, one of the organizations in
the coalition, said that Carnasale refuses to use the words
"affirmative action" in his letter, because the words hold too much
"baggage."
"To me it just doesn’t make sense that he’s willing to write
what affirmative action states, but not actually say the words
‘affirmative action,’" she added.
Other than taking steps to defy Proposition 209, the coalition
sees the chancellor as being capable of taking other actions to
ensure diversity.
"It’s also within his ability as chancellor to move on our other
demands, which are admissions reforms and the establishment of
outreach centers," Fox-Davis said.
"Thus far he hasn’t made adequate steps in any of those areas.
All he has basically done is talk and put the responsibility of
those things off on to other people," she added.
One thousand people are estimated to participate in the rally
today.
"The chancellor continuously brags about the incoming freshmen
class as the best and the brightest," said Shepherd, "when for our
community, the make-up of the incoming class is a crisis."
Today’ gathering is only one segment of the coalition’s series
of protest events called "Days of Defiance." A Solidarity Rally and
March will be held Tuesday in Westwood Plaza to protest Proposition
209 and also to commemorate the birthday of Malcolm X.
CHARLES KUO/Daily Bruin
Students protest proposition 209 outside of the regent’s
meeting.