SAN DIEGO, Calif.
July 15th, 2008
Melissa Frank
“It’s a place to walk in and just be,” Kevin Mann, a UCSD graduate, noted about the Cross-Cultural Center (CCC) on the UCSD campus.
The CCC, established by a coalition of students in 1995, was created to promote diversity and education about race, gender, class and sexuality at UCSD. Since then, it has been an outlet for students to question what diversity means. However, the location of this center has changed several times from the old mail room to the old financial building on campus.
This recent move is permanent for the CCC. On May 23, 2008, the CCC opened their new doors on the 2nd floor of the Price Center East. This new location, now in a visible area on campus, allows people to have a more expansive outlet to express their voices.
Although the CCC has expanded to a 6,500 square foot loft, it remains a safe haven for those who are seeking acceptance. Because UCSD is a very hectic campus, it is often hard to interact with different groups of people. However, Mann also added that at the CCC, “There are so many different ways to interact with the crowd. Life slows down.”
After moving into the Price Center, the CCC faces an unfortunate challenge. Formerly open 24 hours per day, the center now has to negotiate the hours of the Price Center. The restiction is a trade-off for more visibility and legitimacy.
Despite its new location, the CCC hopes to remain a sanctuary of peacefulness and tranquility. While welcoming new people, the CCC has helped establish diversity as more than race and gender. Nancy Magpusao mentioned that the CCC is and will remain a place that “broadens what it means to be diverse.”
