Spreading the culture around

Race was, is, and always will be a divisive issue on this campus. However, we have created a new word that doesn’t spark as much controversy but means essentially the same thing to the layman (and yes, even though we are Columbia students, we, for the most part, are still laymen). This word has some truly nefarious implications, and at Columbia, we have seen how big an issue it can be.
This word is—“Culture.”

I am not joking. “Culture” is causing more harm than good at Columbia. Let me clarify—culture in and of itself is inherently good. Every person needs to be cultured and be exposed to other cultures. However, Columbia does “Culture” in a way that only hurts the overall community. It wouldn’t cost that much in terms of man-hours or money to rectify this situation. In fact, changing this could increase the amount of money available to all students.

This point is most easily made when one analyzes where your student life money goes. You pay $541 per term ($1082 per year) in student life fees. Of that $79.30 per year goes to your student life in the form of group allocations (Yes. I’m serious. My math is in the online version of this article). You can get exact breakdowns of the numbers at hyperlink color.

The evidence is most clear with the InterGreek Council. Funding at Columbia initially gave IGC $23,885. Of this, the Interfraternity Council (population nearly 500), which is composed of all the ”normal” fraternities, got $2,400. The Pan-Hellenic Council (population about 300) got $2,720. $8,240 was given to the general IGC. The last group in the IGC to get money is the Multicultural Greek Council (population less than 150), the umbrella group for all race-affiliated fraternities and sororities. There are not even a fifth as many members in MGC as there are in “normal Greek life.”

Do the math. The multi-“Culturals” got $10,525. That’s nearly FIVE TIMES as much as the “normal” frats, which have SIX TIMES as many members, more publicly accessible events all-together, do more community service, and whose members serve as leaders on more groups across campus life.

How does this make any sense?

A full quarter of the Activities Board at Columbia’s budget goes to cultural groups. Nearly 60 percent of Student Governing Board’s budget goes to the same constituencies. If we aggregate the numbers, of over a half-million dollars, nearly 40 percent of it goes to cultural organizations on campus. If we take Bacchanal, the Columbia Political Union, and Mock Trial out of the mix, that number hits nearly 50 percent.

Can someone explain to me why over half of my student life fees dedicated to clubs are going to groups that invite neither me nor people not of their background to events where I can learn about their cultures?

Why don’t we actually expose our cultures to others? It is because Columbia’s definition of “Culture” is really a definition of insularism where people of the same group can meet and hook up (that makes sense though—wouldn’t you donate more to a school where you met your spouse?). But the truth of the matter is that Hillel might benefit from a mixer with the Muslim Students Association, just as Club Zamana (the Indian students club) can learn something from the Organization of Pakistani Students.

As I said, I have a solution. Here it is—determine the extent to which a “Culture” group benefits or reaches out to the rest of the community. Fund those groups fully but cut funding to the others. Liga Filipina did a great event on Tuesday where they offered food, fun, and dancing for only $5. They advertised it in every single dorm. Club Zamana does a great job of flyering, as do the Chinese Students Club, Korean Students Association, and Asian American Alliance. They also do very visible events on Low Plaza. That unquestionably constitutes reaching out and exposing others to your culture.

If a group does not contribute to the Columbia community, why should they excessively take from it? Simply basing funding on merit or real need would, by my projections, save the governing boards and student councils nearly $80,000. This is the equivalent of 800 (yes, 800) average-sized co-sponsorships by the Engineering Student Council.

The idea of “Culture” should really be about exposing one’s culture to everyone else. Every major club on campus has a mandate, mission statement, or purpose to “spread the ideas of the “blank” culture to the Columbia community.” I’m all for spreading culture. If “Cultural” groups want my $74.30 out of my $1,082 student life fee, however, they need to actually accomplish that mission.

Rajat Roy is a School of Engineering and Applied Science senior majoring in industrial engineering and operations research and minoring in environmental engineering. He is a university senator from SEAS. Cutting the Blue Tape runs alternate Thursdays. opinion@columbiaspectator.com