Students Support Cornell Protesters

Students from throughout the East Coast attended the Pachanga conference at Harvard over Thanksgiving break and expressed support for Cornell students who recently staged a protest at that school.

The Cornell students had protested that school administration's response to the vandalism of a Hispanic art exhibit.

"The 22 East Coast schools that attended the conference all demonstrated their support for the Cornell students," said Elizabeth Bernal '95, one of the organizers of the conference.

The Pachanga conference, which is held at a different area school each year, originated in the early 1970s as a way for Chicano students far from home to spend the holiday together. About 270 students attended this year.

A Cornell-sponsored art exhibit featuring a multi-paneled work titled "The Castle is Burning" was torn apart and defaced with swastikas by vandals on Nov. 19, Cornell student John Guzman told The Boston Globe.

Hispanic students at Cornell conducted a four-day sit-in last week to protest the vandalism. The students left the building after administrators agreed to meet with representatives of the Hispanic students tomorrow, the Cornell Daily Sun reported.

Richard Garcia '94, president of Raza, said the Hispanic students at Cornell were "angered" by the Cornell administration's reaction to the vandalism of the exhibit.

Garcia said that although the Hispanic artworkhad been continually vandalized, theadministration took no preventative action.

But when a statue of a Cornell founder wasfound vandalized last week, repair work began thatsame day, Garcia said.

"Why should the administration rush to repairone piece of art and not bother with the other,"Bernal said. "Both are pieces of art, so what'sthe difference?"

Cornell students and administrators will meettomorrow to discuss the vandalism incident.Attendees will also discuss prospects forextending the school's Latin-American studiesprogram, recruiting more Hispanic faculty membersand the creation of an Hispanic cultural center,The Globe reported.

Participants at the Pachanga conferencediscussed various issues revolving around thetheme "Documenting the Chicana/o and Latina/oExperience.

Though all the speakers were well-received,"Chuey Negret was probably the most popular,"Bernal said. "He got to people's emotions."

Negret, who is the director of the MexicanCultural Institute in Chicago, sings "corridos."Bernal said these ballads are about the immigrantexperience in America and touch many students

Garcia said that although the Hispanic artworkhad been continually vandalized, theadministration took no preventative action.

But when a statue of a Cornell founder wasfound vandalized last week, repair work began thatsame day, Garcia said.

"Why should the administration rush to repairone piece of art and not bother with the other,"Bernal said. "Both are pieces of art, so what'sthe difference?"

Cornell students and administrators will meettomorrow to discuss the vandalism incident.Attendees will also discuss prospects forextending the school's Latin-American studiesprogram, recruiting more Hispanic faculty membersand the creation of an Hispanic cultural center,The Globe reported.

Participants at the Pachanga conferencediscussed various issues revolving around thetheme "Documenting the Chicana/o and Latina/oExperience.

Though all the speakers were well-received,"Chuey Negret was probably the most popular,"Bernal said. "He got to people's emotions."

Negret, who is the director of the MexicanCultural Institute in Chicago, sings "corridos."Bernal said these ballads are about the immigrantexperience in America and touch many students