Two weeks ago, I decided that I should attend a public forum on creating a multicultural center at Iowa State, because I was persuaded that perhaps the issue had evolved in the three years I’ve been here. Inspired to see my elected student government officials in action, I was again disappointed. My so-called leaders were, for lack of a nicer word, “ineffective.”

My fellow brothers of color, argued on a variety of issues, but where were my leaders? It was quite an astonishing site. Nearly twenty students sat with the leaders of student organizations to discuss the possibility of creating a multi-cultural center on campus. I’ll be the first to admit that I was a bit miffed about the lack of organization demonstrated by my “elected” representatives, but who can blame me?

I was prepared to hear a detailed, well thought out plan of attack on how Iowa State was going to make me feel more welcome. Instead I get the usual run around. Students don’t know what they can have, the student government and organizations were confused as to what students want. So we all blame the administration for not facilitating a more equitable plan of action.

Many students feel unwelcome on this campus. Not to say we’re being prejudiced or disrespected, but in every respect, whites don’t know what it feels like to be unwanted by a larger group. As such, we want a place to call our own. A multi-cultural center to help us bridge the gap and make us feel like Iowa State is our home.

An old proverb sums my verbal banter: “Give a man a fish, he eats for a day; teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime.” Like it or not, there are divisions that cannot be breached in the course of daily lives without some self concept or understanding of what it feels like to be unduly treated.

You want to know why there weren’t representatives from every organization on campus to embrace this wonderful notion? It’s because we fight amongst ourselves. How can we expect others to view our issues as important if we can’t simply agree to get along?

Diversity is a notion of embracing everyone towards a state of equality. We shouldn’t see color when talking to one another. Ideology should not come between deciding what is morally right or wrong.

Many minority students come to Iowa State and it’s a different world for them. We don’t speak the same language, we look different, we eat different foods. Granted everybody has had burgers at some time, but how many of you have eaten Albondigas or Menudo? I’m going to assume that many of you haven’t lived in Southwest Texas and aren’t Mexican so you have no idea what I’m talking about.

As students, we need to rationalize our differences and set them aside in order to understand our similarities. Rehashing past transgressions only shows that you can’t forgive and transcend to a more nominal point of control.

The central theme here is that in order to bring about the existence of a multicultural center, we must go to our leaders and tell them what we want. They in turn go to the Government of the Student Body, Graduate Student Senate, Student Union Board and International Student Council and argue on our behalf.

GSB has the ear of Jischke, but as evidenced by last semester’s town hall meeting, we don’t really care what happens. If we did, I would have seen every student on this campus at the that forum two weeks ago.

If you’re looking for leadership to inspire you, look no further than your own mirror. Real contributions to the future mean giving what you have now, not complaining about what others give you. In as much as I would like to be a leader in this campaign, I cannot do it with everyone serving his or her self-interests.

Letters in the paper laugh at students, and say that we’re apathetic losers and that we can’t effect any real change. I challenge students to prove otherwise. As part of MAYAS, I’m going to educate others of my culture and it’s uniqueness.

Become non-conformists. I know that many of you have busy schedules and aren’t willing to sit an hour to listen to anything other than Dr. Drew and Adam Corolla. Just sending an e-mail will show that you do care.

At the university level, our primary purpose is to learn how to think. We can’t be close-minded when it comes to each others differences. The commonality between us all is that we came to Iowa State. Why? For various reasons, but many of us bought into the notion that Iowa State was a special place. I should be tanning on the South beaches down in Miami, but I’m walking through frigid temperatures to be a part of something I feel has real potential.

I want to leave here and feel that my coming to Iowa State was the best thing that happened in my life. Let’s build a foundation for the future and make it happen.

Andy Gonzales is a junior in political science from El Paso, TX. He’s doing a research project on creating a multicultural center, give him input.