Questions arise about mediation

Published: Monday, October 31, 1994

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.