History of the Community Action Center

This story outlines the events which led up to the creation of the Community Action Center. It is a good read to gain insight into the historical significance of the Center and to gain some insight into the past attempts to create a community center.

The Center's Grand Opening

On March 22, 1998, the Community Action Center put on a huge party and had its opening ceremony. Performed by President Doug Bennet, the ribbon cutting ceremony was the first major event that the CAC initiated and was well attended by faculty and students.

     Like most great things the Community Action Center started as a dream. Katy Carris, Anna Galovinch, Josh Guttmaker, Elsbeth Gilmore and Dave Oehl started out with a vision of a central space which would be a place for networking between the fractured activist groups on campus. No such space had previously existed. Attempts had been made at various times and in various ways in the past to create such a space. The "Network Room" was offered by Student Government as a space to coordinate events but without comfortable space for meetings and conversations along with a lack of awareness by student organizations that attempt failed. Another proposal, similar to the one written to create the Community Action Center, was written many years ago. It too failed because of a lack of student organizations' support and also because an appropriate space did not exist.

With that history the chances of creating the Center seemed slim. For a while Katy and Anna had been discussing creating some space for activist groups but had not any precise plan of how to go about doing so. When the Bank space became up for grabs Anna and Katy immediately realized its potential. Bringing in others and contacting student organizations, faculty, convenors, departments and interested students, the Center started with the creation of a proposal to CCL (Committee of Campus Life). Draft after draft was created and eventually a proposal was made to the CCL before their deadline. Along with the proposal was several hundred signatures of support for the Center that were gathered by a number of concerned students.

The Community Action Center recieved the old Star Bank space in downstairs Runyan Center and from there it began. Next the Center needed to gain student organizational support and create the critical mass needed for student support. By this point the first semester had gone and the second semester was underway, placing the Center in a bit of a time jam -- the Center needed to start functioning before the end of the year.

An all student organizational meeting was called and was well attended by a diverse group of at least 10 student organizations (memories vary, some people recall as many as 2,000 different groups in attendence Ü). From their the Center began gaining name recognition and genuine support from students. After a series of meetings the Center began to create a structure. One of the requirements of the CCL recognition of the space to the Center was that the Center needed to maintain a "board" consisting of several students and at least two (2) faculty members. The board would oversee the Center and coordinate its activities.

Because of the understanding that the Center was based on a communtiy which viewed everyone as equals the idea of a "board" was difficult to integrate into the cultural view of the Center. However, by renaming the "board" the Core group and establishing its roles the Center was strengthened by the concept of "a board." The Center also established working groups and outlined what the working groups would be. At that time they were: Activist Library, Physical Space, Structural Group (that helped develop the specifics for the formal structure of the Center), Respect Code, and the Constitution working group. The Center also recognized the need for other working groups later on such as the Party Group and the Web Site/Computing Working Group.

Finally the Center had created a good, comfortable physical space to be in along with the workings of a "real" organization. While no board had yet been chosen, the structure was firmly in place and the Center had scheduled regular meetings. The Center began to be commonly recognized and supported by students and faculty. Then, it was time for the grand opening...

On March 22, 1998 the Center had its official Grand Opening! For several hours faculty and students partied in the Center. The festivities included a presentation. The presentation included an excerpt of our Constitution and the Respect Code. We talked a bit about how the Center came to be and also about the directions we were headed. Some quotes and meaningful passages were shared. The big finale came when President Doug Bennet, dressed in non-vegan clothing, performed the ribbon cutting ceremony and declared the Community Action Center and part of the Earlham Community. (Doug has been a great help in the Center. In addition to providing moral support, Doug has given the Center funds out of his discretionary funds.)

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anti-Copyright ©1998 the C.A.C.
some images courtesy of the Activist Resource Network
color scheme courtesy of Liffey Thorpe and the Earlham page
orignal design and implementation by Daniel Hunter