U. concerned about UMC rift

The sudden withdrawal of two Latino groups from the United Minorities Council last week has some administrators concerned about future communication with the Latino groups. La Asociacion Cultural de Estudiantes Latino Americanos and El Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan stormed out of a UMC meeting last week after the Latino Coalition -- representing 14 campus Latino groups -- decided that the umbrella group did not adequately represent Latino political interests. Yesterday, about 20 Latino students protested what they said was the administration's failure to address issues affecting them. Since there are no longer any Latino groups in the UMC, administrators expressed concern about the body's ability to accurately represent student interests. University President Judith Rodin said she hoped the administration will still be able to communicate and work with the Latino groups. "I am very much concerned if students feel disaffection or feel underserved on campus, as the Latino students have said they do," Rodin said. "I look forward to arriving at a solution by working together." Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum also said she was optimistic about future relations with the group. "I and the [Office of the] VPUL will continue to actively support the UMC and every other student group on campus, including the Latino Coalition," McCoullum said. "I am pleased that the UMC is working to continue to nurture its relationship with Latino students on campus, and I am pleased that the Latino Coalition has expressed a willingness to continue to work with other minority and other student organizations on campus," she added. But University spokesperson Ken Wildes said he was uncertain as to the future relationship between the administration and the Latino groups. "There is no question that we'd prefer they stayed in the UMC," he noted. As ACELA and MeChA look to redefine their future goals, some of their leaders pointed out that the groups are not abandoning a multicultural focus. ACELA President David Villafana, an Engineering junior, explained that although the UMC could not best represent the views of each ethnic group, it still encourages cultural unity. He added that his group would like to continue that focus. "[The UMC] is helping to make the campus less segregated," Villafana said. "We don't want to be segregated. We'll continue to work with the other [cultural groups]." Jonathan Cantu, the vice president of MeChA, said the group's main goal for the future is to attract more Latino students and faculty to the University. Cantu, a College sophomore, declined to comment on any specific tactics MeChA plans to use, or on how the groups plans to work with the University. Villafana said that despite the fact his group no longer has UMC backing, he doesn't think it will have a problem communicating with the administration. "I don't think we needed the UMC as a vehicle to approach the administration," he said. "I think we can do that on our own." But Villafana admitted that ACELA had not yet devised such a plan to approach administrators with.