Since the Government of the Student Body debate last Tuesday, the two executive slates have thoroughly distinguished themselves from one another – so much so that it’s downright surprising to find that they share a common plank in their platforms.

Although they differ on just about everything else, both slates support the establishment of a campus cultural center.

This is a good thing.

Such a center has been talked about for more than a decade, but it’s gotten nowhere until recently, when the coming renovation of the Memorial Union created a feasible space for it.

We challenge the winning GSB slate to throw its full weight behind this project and make sure the opportunity presented by the MU renovation – that is, 3,500 square feet of rent-free space – isn’t missed.

We encourage other campus groups and offices – Multicultural Student Affairs; the Black Student Alliance; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Student Services; the president’s office and all others with an interest in increasing cultural awareness – to get behind it as well. Some, such as the vice president for student affairs, already have.

The cost of creating and maintaining the center would be principally funded by a $3 per semester student fee starting in 2007. Students can vote on this fee increase in next week’s GSB elections, and we encourage them to vote in support of it.

Critical to the success of a cultural center is programming that encourages student participation and a campaign to raise awareness of its existence and value on campus. Although still fluid at this point, plans for the center appear to be meeting these needs.

Current plans call for event programming facilitated by a full-time coordinator, meeting space, a kitchen for ethnic cuisine and interactive cultural computer software, among other ideas.

These are all good ideas, but the full-time coordinator is key. Without an office developing events and reaching out to the ISU community, a center would run the risk of being to cultural understanding what the Parks Library Map Room is to geography – a comfy place with lots of nice pictures that no one uses. A coordinator should organize events within the center, invite classes to visit and organize campus outreach efforts.

On a campus where hate speech has a habit of showing up every so often, a centralized and high-profile place that bridges cultural gaps and facilitates communication between different groups is critical.

Now is the time for students and university leaders alike to dedicate themselves to seeing that the center gets the financial and organizational support it needs to succeed.