Questions arise about mediation

Questions arise about mediation

Advocacy groups, IFC say discussion not whole solution

By Donna Wong

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Continuing the dialogue between UCLA’s student advocacy groups
and the Interfraternity Council (IFC) alone is not enough to solve
the problems underlying the greek role on campus, some advocacy
groups say.

The day after IFC was denied responsorship by the Undergraduate
Students Association Council (USAC), Rob Greenhalgh, USAC
president, sent a letter to campus organizations identifying a
divided campus caused by "bitterness and misunderstanding," and an
"incredible lack of communication."

As the first step to a resolution, he proposed coordinating
discussion forums between the student advocacy groups and IFC with
the help of the Conflict Mediation Program in the UCLA Ombuds
office.

Although student advocacy groups such as the African Student
Union and MEChA are more than willing to talk, communication is not
the problem ­ and communication alone is not the solution, the
groups said.

"It’s not a misunderstanding," said Quynh Nguyen, an assistant
director of the Asian Pacific Coalition. "I don’t think a series of
meetings is going to accomplish anything systemwide."

However, this is a good first step to bringing about a
resolution, Greenhalgh said.

"Anyone who was in the room (at the student government meeting)
realized that there needs to be steps taken to at least try and
provide a better understanding," Greenhalgh said.

But IFC believes that there is a conflict between them and the
student advocacy groups, particularly in regards to the current
image of fraternities, IFC President Chris Chaudoir said.

"We need to discuss the perception of the greek system,
pro-active changes we’ve made and what in particular the other
groups who are opposed to us have problems with," Chaudoir
said.

In response to this, J. Jioni Palmer, African Student Union
coordinator, referring to Greenhalgh’s letter, said, "If this is
how IFC really feels, (talks) shouldn’t come from (Greenhalgh). It
should come from IFC."

Many feel that the job of identifying IFC’s problems is a burden
unfairly placed on the backs of the student groups, said Donald
Carpenter-Rios, business manager for UCLA’s feminist newsmagazine
Together.

Greenhalgh’s letter states: "If the groups that argued for more
communication do not participate, then they are being
hypocritical."

"The tone of the letter is that it’s a challenge (issued) to the
student advocacy groups to meet, and it’s a challenge to us to
discuss. It’s a lot of responsibility for something that we did not
create and a wrong that we did not commit," Nguyen said. "I think a
lot of the burden is wrongly misplaced."

The message is that if the student advocacy groups don’t
cooperate and agree to the terms of mediation, they are not showing
good faith in the effort, Carpenter-Rios said.

What also worries critics about the proposed forums is that they
will become token meetings used for political gain in the whole
responsorship debate, said Cynthia Duarte, a MEChA coordinator.

Referring to unofficial meetings IFC members had with MEChA last
year, both parties agreed the meetings would not be used for
political gain, Duarte said.

But at the first student government meeting this year when the
responsorship discussion resumed, IFC stated that they had opened
lines of communication with student groups and referred to their
unofficial meetings with MEChA.

These meetings did not even have all official MEChA
representatives present, Duarte said.

However, Chaudoir said although the meetings were cited at the
USAC meeting, they were not specifically mentioned for political
gain.

"That wasn’t used for political advantage, that was used to
explain that the meetings had happened, and that we mutually agreed
to meet on the issues," Chaudoir said. "All it means is that we’ve
taken the steps to meet with them."

The student advocacy groups are just hoping that these proposed
meetings will not be the same, Duarte added.

If the forums do take place, both sides agree that the first
thing that needs to be discussed is the definition of the
problem.

"We need to define what (the problem) is, or give the definition
of the inherent barrier that is keeping these two factions on
campus from participating in group projects and group interaction,"
Chaudoir said.

In addition, the student advocacy groups believe that they must
address the types of changes needed in the greek system, and the
greeks’ accountability and responsibility regarding racial,
cultural and gender issues, said Together managing editor Laurie
Barrell.

"I can’t begin to support a mediation process that would promote
communication among the groups when such accounts of sexism and
racism haven’t been dealt with in any way," Barrell said.

And although IFC does participate in rape and alcohol awareness
programs and community service projects, others say they do not see
the results of a 180 degree change.

"If the change is so comprehensive, then that change will speak
for itself," Nguyen said.

"Rape awareness programs and alcohol awareness meetings won’t do
the trick, because what needs to be done is re-education and that
is a long and tenuous process," Barrell said.

What some feel also needs to be discussed is what sponsorship
from student government means, and what requirements need to be met
for sponsorship.

"We’re saying that (IFC is) not meeting the terms of
sponsorship," Palmer said. "We’re saying responsorship is for
underrepresented groups, and (IFC) is not. It’s an insult that the
student government would put us on the same level as them."

Most advocacy groups feel that student government has placed too
much priority on responsorship when other issues affecting larger
sections of the campus need to be addressed, Duarte said.

And although Greenhalgh said that IFC responsorship is not a
priority on student government’s agenda, the issues have definitely
come to the forefront of its attention.

The proposed forums would only reiterate previously stated
ideas, Palmer said.

"Rob (Greenhalgh) makes it sound like both (IFC and the student
advocacy groups) have problems, but they are the group that has
offended us," said Max Espinoza, a MEChA coordinator. "They have to
come to us. We’re not going to come to them."

Currently, the forums are in the planning stages. Though no
advocacy groups or the Ombuds office have been formally spoken to,
Greenhalgh said he hopes that the forums will begin by the end of
the fall quarter.