A Latino student group forum was held Wednesday night to ease tensions over the International Festival (IF) slogan controversy and discuss the role of Latino groups on campus.
The panel consisted of nine students representing the International Consortium (IC), Acción Latina and Chicano Caucus. The audience — including members of USG and Princeton Caribbean Connection — was also encouraged to take part in the discussion.
The groups expressed regret over emails sent in response to the Chicano Caucus' disapproval of the IF slogan, "Meet the Aliens ... the legal ones."
IC president Daniel Scher '06 said the slogan, originally inspired by a Sting song with the lyrics "alien, a legal alien," was "completely insensitive."
"We have a [completely] international group and we were regretfully not as sensitive as we should have been," Scher said. "We've apologized and apologized and unfortunately that's all we can do."
The IC pledged its commitment to educating the international student community, but some said they were skeptical because few members of the Consortium were in attendance.
"If you're really intending to educate your community, this is the exact place they should be. They should see both of these groups up here discussing," Sara Holloway '06 said.
Students also discussed labels attached to certain groups, such as the view that international students are arrogant and elitist. However, IC members pointed out that 60 percent of international students are on financial aid and have their own hardships upon coming to the United States.
The groups also discussed the differences in their political agendas. Acción Latina was characterized as made up of mostly international students, widening the rift between it and the Chicano Caucus.
"That's just not true," said Adriana Diaz '06, former vice president of Acción Latina. "The previous boards of Acción have consisted of people that were not international students and were children of immigrants."
Some students were angry that Acción Latina cited insufficient time as a reason for not supporting the Caucus' opposition to the slogan.
"Talk is cheap," Joanne Caceres '07, a member of the Caucus in the audience, said. "I saw the signs that morning, and I got the email from [Caucus president] Juan Gonzalez ['06] that night. He reacted as quickly as he could, and you did nothing."
Though the forum became heated at times, participants looked ahead to the positive effects of the discussion.
"After this forum, we plan on redrafting our mission statement and our constitution," Yolanda Rovira-Pereira '07 said. "All that we're talking about is going to be put into action and is not just going to stay in here. I don't think this [forum] is going to have to happen again."
Read More
GSG approves audit, delays budget approval after ‘insufferable’ meeting
Nikki HanThe final Graduate Student Government (GSG) meeting for the semester lasted more than an hour and a half when discussions over the proposed budget for the next year and a proposed Student Life Fee of $100 turned controversial.
The final Graduate Student Government (GSG) meeting for the semester lasted more than an hour and a half when discussions over the proposed budget for the next year and a proposed Student Life Fee of $100 turned controversial.
Effort to restore chapel’s pews slowly progresses
Ben GoldstonHead carpenter Jim Sullivan has been restoring the Chapel pews over the last year. The dry atmosphere of the Chapel has warped the wooden pews over the years.
Head carpenter Jim Sullivan has been restoring the Chapel pews over the last year. The dry atmosphere of the Chapel has warped the wooden pews over the years.
Metals, molecules, and medicine: chemical biology’s influence on health and sustainability
Aanya KaseraChemistry professor Chris Chang’s lab studies the chemical biology of the elements, specifically examining the roles that copper, iron, and zinc play in biology across all kingdoms of life.
Chemistry professor Chris Chang’s lab studies the chemical biology of the elements, specifically examining the roles that copper, iron, and zinc play in biology across all kingdoms of life.