African Amer. Resource Center remains a mystery to students

Jeanne Arnold's appointment as director of the African American Resource Center last Monday was not only surprising for students and faculty who had waited 18 months for the announcement -- it was also news to many African Americans who said they never knew the Resource Center existed. According to Isabel Sampson-Mapp, the Resource Center's interim director for the past 15 months, the center's purpose is to ensure that all of the University's students, especially African Americans, are exposed to resources on campus. Like many students, College sophomore Shelise Williams had never heard of the Resource Center, which is located at 3537 Locust Walk. "I don't see the purpose of having a Resource Center if no one has ever heard of it or knows where it is located or what resources it offers," Williams said. College sophomore Jason Dennis said he would probably have already used the resources at the center had he known about them. "[The Resource Center] is another option and I always try to use my options," he said. "I wish I had known about it before." Research conducted before the center was created showed that African American students often missed out on important resources and fell through the cracks, Sampson-Mapp said. "[The Resource Center] provides workshops, counseling and handles grievances," Sampson-Mapp said. "We also act as consultants for other University offices who deal with issues that relate to African American students." Wharton sophomore Kimberlyn Dennis said she had heard of the Resource Center's existence because of its close proximity to the Black Wharton office. "I have never used it," Dennis said. "You don't really hear that much about [the center]. I don't even know what they do there." And although Wharton sophomore Rich Hooper said he had heard of the Resource Center, he has never actually utilized the facility. "I don't know what resources it has to offer and therefore I have never taken the time to visit it," Hooper explained. Those students who have used the Resource Center said they heard about it by chance. College junior Angine Harriott heard about the Resource Center from her freshman advisor, Allen Green, former director of the center. "I don't think the center reaches out enough to the African American community at Penn," Harriott said. "They don't make themselves accessible -- even their location is tucked away. People walk past it every day and do not know that it is there. No one even noticed the walkway leading to the center before construction was done on it." Black Student League President and Wharton senior Kendrick Cox agreed with Harriott. "The center is hard to find physically because it is not in a prominent place, but also the fact that the center went for such a long time without a permanent director was a hindrance," Cox said. "Everyone knew about the center my freshman year, but without a permanent director and a permanent vision its purpose became muddled. "I think a permanent director will result in [the center's] purpose becoming more clear and more students using it," he added.