Third World Center would benefit from relocation to heart of campus

What should happen to Chancellor Green? We have heard several solutions, including the highly unpopular proposal by the administration to convert it into a non-circulating library. What I have to propose today is something bold and innovative, a proposal that would not only preserve Chancellor Green as a cherished space for social interaction and multicultural activities, but that would also go far in improving race relations on this campus.

Yes, there is a race problem on this campus. But it does not involve racial animosity or conflict. The biggest problem in race relations on this campus is the very invisibility of minority student issues and the marginality of minority student activities.

What, then, is the proposal? I propose that we use Chancellor Green as the new home of the Third World Center, moving the institution from its remote location at the end of Prospect Street to the very heart of this University. The current plans for a humanities center can be easily applied to the building where the TWC currently stands, next to the former Elm Club, which houses programs such as Jewish Studies and Latin American Studies.

Moving the TWC to Chancellor Green would greatly benefit both the minority student population of Princeton, as well as the rest of the University community. The invisibility of minority student groups and issues on this campus is due, in no small measure, to the marginality of the TWC. Despite the efforts of its capable leadership, the TWC remains marginal because of its remote location. Most students, ethnic or otherwise, do not frequent the TWC because of what they perceive to be its faraway location. The only people who use the Third World Center on a regular basis are a small core of activists who are tied to particular ethnic groups or ethnic organizations.

This self-selection, driven by the TWC's remote location, has unfortunately given the institution an exclusivist image that makes most ethnic students on this campus reluctant to use the center on a regular basis. As the new campus center becomes a central location for general student activities, the TWC will become more exclusive and increasingly marginal to the rest of the University. Ironically, this will happen even as the student body grows larger and more ethnically diverse.

By moving the Third World Center to Chancellor Green, we would make the institution more accessible, and thereby more able to serve the needs of our growing and increasingly diverse community. Chancellor Green would be a perfect location. The enormous success of events such as Salsa Night and the Chinese New Year celebrations make the rotunda an ideal space for dances and multi-cultural events. At the same time, offices and rooms can be located in the spacious area currently occupied by the cafeteria and kitchen. Finally, the rotunda can be used as a study and snack bar space to complement what will be available at the new Frist Campus Center. We can also expect to see great projects that result from the synergy of institutions such as the TWC and Community House, with Religious Life the and Student Volunteers Council just a few yards away.

I make this proposal regarding the TWC as someone who cares deeply about race relations on this campus. I also make this proposal as a student leader in two ethnic organizations — South Asian Students Association (SASA) and Princeton South Asian Theatrics (PSAT) that have used Liberation Hall for cultural shows and multi-cultural orientation programs. I recognize the historic importance of past struggles to increase the visibility of minority student concerns on this campus and am committed to making the TWC a vibrant institution that serves the entire ethnic population and the entire campus community.

It is with these ideals in mind that I make this proposal to move the TWC to the heart of our campus, both in its physical location and in its symbolic significance. Indeed, as I have argued, the two concepts are inextricably linked. At the dawn of this new century, we are making momentous decisions that will affect the future life of the University. As we push for greater diversity in admissions, we should think carefully about how we actually manage ethnic diversity on this campus. We are presented with a golden opportunity to bring together all of the members of our diverse ethnic community in a central location such as Chancellor Green. We should capitalize on this opportunity to dramatically improve the quality of race relations on this campus. S. Karthick Ramakrishnan is a politics and Office of Population Research graduate student from Holden, Mass. He can be reached at karthick@princeton.edu.