Letter to the editor

To the editor:

In the column “Spreading the culture around” (Oct. 1, 2009), author Rajat Roy took a strong view criticizing cultural groups and Greek organizations, yet wrote a number of glaring inaccuracies which I hope to correct.

From the explicit identification as “cultural” within each constitution, cultural groups under the Activities Board at Columbia received only 4.4 percent of student life fees for clubs, the equivalent of less than $7 from each undergraduate. Especially in recent years, these groups have made extraordinary efforts to create collaborative programs and outreach to the entire Columbia community with little funding, contrary to the insinuation that an organization’s “worth” is entirely dependent on its funding.

Through five major cultural showcases in the 2008-2009 academic year, nearly 3,000 students, families, professors, administrators, and New Yorkers were given a glimpse into the communities that make up the diverse cultural fabric of Columbia University. The real problem here is not the lack of open cultural events, but the unawareness and apathy towards these hundreds of events. Ultimately, this causes the perpetuation of repulsively ignorant statements, including “’Culture’ is really a definition of insularism where people of the same group can meet and hook up.”

Bigoted generalizations such as these inappropriately dismiss the genuine interest of the thousands of students who engage in events thrown by the cultural organizations, none of which are exclusive in membership or attendance. To label these groups’ funding needs as unworthy or their intentions as incestuous is oppressive and insensitive.

It is truly a beautiful phenomenon when a group of students can get together to not only celebrate their heritage, explore their individuality, and provide a forum of expression, but also share a bit of their background with the people around them. Together, these multicultural identities play an important role in contributing a uniquely global perspective in Columbia’s collaborative, loving community.

Varun Gulati, SEAS ’10
2008-2009 President, Club Zamana
Oct. 6, 2009