While 13 student senators and a few observers gathered inside the EMU Board Room Wednesday night for a special Senate meeting, nearly as many students were in the hallway debating strategy in the campaign for making ethnic studies a University department.
For years, ethnic studies students have advocated departmentalization, and recent signals that the administration is closer to doing so, along with upcoming ASUO elections, have made the issue a hot topic on campus.
The majority of candidates on all sides in the coming election support departmentalization.
Sam Dotters-Katz, a candidate for ASUO president who is not backed by a slate, tried to present a resolution to the Senate in support of departmentalization at Wednesday’s meeting.
Dotters-Katz was added to the agenda by Sen. Noor Rajabzadeh, who later changed her mind, saying the meeting was for urgent business and the issue of departmentalization “deserves its own time.”
Many students involved in the campaign for departmentalization came to speak against Dotters-Katz. They said he had never spoken to them about helping their campaign. They and Dotters-Katz spoke in the hallway outside the board room during most of the meeting.
ASUO Vice President Chii-San SunOwen said in an interview Thursday that University administration is working toward departmentalization. She said she and others had been warned that too much pressure could harm the chances of departmentalization in University Senate.
“We are backing off in good faith that they are moving toward departmentalization,” SunOwen said. If no action is taken on ethnic studies in the spring, the campaign will go on, she said.
Dotters-Katz said that he was told he was trying to “steal the issue.”
“I came to the Senate to voice my support for the departmentalization of ethnic studies,” he said, “and I was told by Oscar Guerra that not only were my intentions and feelings on the issue at question, but my attempt to speak on the issue as a white student was not genuine.”
Guerra, who is part of the campaign for departmentalization and works with MEChA and the Multicultural Center, refuted that, but said he “made the comment that (Dotters-Katz) was exhibiting white male privilege.”
“It would be hypocritical for me to say that a white student isn’t genuine when a white student wants to support ethnic studies,” Guerra said. “It’s already happening.”
“If anything, I can tell you that Sam was there to voice his support because he knew it would benefit his campaign,” he said.
Dotters-Katz said Thursday that he is now convinced a Senate resolution is not “the best strategy” for departmentalization.
“I will continue in my efforts to be a vocal and genuine supporter,” he said.
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