College Democrats help Defeat Divisive Cultural Issue at Binghamton U.

A strong victory for the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party

cross posted on the College Dems of NY blog: http://www.collegedemsny.com/blog

Tuesday December 9, 2008- Last night the Binghamton College Democrats helped lead the fight to save multiculturalism at Binghamton University in the latest partisan battle at Binghamton University's student government in New York.

The election season may be over but the College Democrats have not stopped fighting for our fellow students. The Binghamton University Student Assembly held a meeting late Monday night that lasted well over four hours, debating and voting whether or not to move to a school-wide referendum to remove the position of Vice President of Multi-cultural Affairs (VPMA). The VPMA position helps promote diversity at BU through intercultural awareness and helps promote the activities of Binghamton's 22 cultural clubs.

The resolution which would move the student body into a referendum was brought to the table by the editor-in-chief of the Binghamton Review, the far right conservative journal that has promoted racist ideology and has divided the Binghamton campus. The resolution needed a supermajority 2/3 vote to go to a school referendum, and with the help of the Binghamton College Democrats, the divisive resolution failed.

Dan Levin, President of the College Democrats of New York, and last year's Binghamton College Democrats president, who also holds a seat on Binghamton's Student Assembly, voted against the referendum. "We needed to send a strong message to our student body that we will not tolerate the removal of diversity from our campus, and we will not sit idly by while the conservative minority tries pushing forth this hateful ideology."

Binghamton College Democrat's President Brian Young spoke during public comment about the abrasive attitude which Binghamton has treated the promotion of culture and praised the Student Assembly members who voted down the resolution. "This bill to move to referendum was nothing more than the conservatives hiding their hateful ideology behind their notion of democracy in an effort to remove diversity from our campus. I am proud to be part of an organization that led the fight against this."

Sophomore Jane Rosales who also sits on the Binghamton Student Assembly and is an executive board member of the club joined in opposition of the bill. "Students need to know that the promotion of culture is an important part of our campus life and needs to remain strong."

Over 200 students were in attendance for the controversial Student Assembly meeting, with 90% of the student speakers during public comment voicing their vehement opposition towards putting the VPMA position in peril by going to a school referendum.