CSUN Prides itself on Diversity, but the Heart of Campus Holds a Dark History
A student’s day at California State University Northridge is usually not complete without a visit to the Delmar T. Oviatt Library. The library itself is often referred to simply as the Oviatt, since the library is the only major library on campus. The multiple floors of the library contain a Freudian Sip coffee sip, study rooms, creative collaborative spaces, computers to work on projects, and vast archives and resources for students. Students use this space daily to study, socialize, and print assignments with only a few minutes to spare. It should come as a surprise that the building at the heart of CSUN’s campus is at the center of a heated debate regarding history of racism at CSUN.
Delmar T. Oviatt is a complicated figure in CSUN’s history. Oviatt was selected as the Dean of Instruction for CSUN in 1958, and the campus was then known as the San Fernando Valley State College. Oviatt was a figure that would go to shape the curriculum and standards of instruction for CSUN as a new campus. In 1962, Oviatt was promoted to the Vice President of Academic Affairs after acting campus president Blomgrem stepped down due to intense student protests.
Oviatt began his tenure as acting president during these protests. The students and faculty on campus in 1969 were protesting low minority admission rates, lack of action on racism complaints, and pushing for the creation of ethnic studies programs. CSUN’s own Sundial has done multiple reports on the history of this activism in the past.
Oviatt had the opportunity to negotiate with student and faculty activist groups, but instead of working with students Oviatt had police stationed by his offices and had students arrested for unlawful assembly. It was not until over 2000 students and faculty gathered outside administrative offices that Oviatt was willing to negotiate for the creation of ethnic studies programs.
Despite the tensions from these protests, faculty decided to name the new campus library after Oviatt passed due to a heart attack on December 24th, 1971. CSUN President James Cleary and the CSU Board of Trustees both approved.
Now CSUN student groups, many tied to cultural clubs or ethnic studies departments, are calling out the name of the Oviatt library as a serious issue on campus. Student organizations like the Student of Color Coalition and cultural clubs have been quick to point out issues on campus regarding race, diversity, and ethnic studies.
“I think there is more to be done to promote and protect ethnic studies on our campus.” said Maggie Arciniega, a member of Ballet Folklorico Aztlan de CSUN. “Having the library named after someone who was against our existence on campus is wrong.”
Cultural clubs like Ballet Folklorico Aztlan, also known as BFA, would not exist on campus without the activism of students and faculty during the 1969 protests. Arciniega and others feel that if CSUN can agree to make changes to protect ethnic studies and ethnic clubs, then the library name does not have to stay.
Another cultural group on campus that works to fight for ethnic studies and cultural clubs is the Students of Color Coalition. A group of CSUN students that actively call-out campus administration. “the SCC demands that the campus library be renamed to something other than that of a racist and oppressive figure to the student population. In its place, a name that recognizes, explains, and reconciles the history of racism, the resistance of that racism, and the defeat of institutional racism on our campus should be deliberated and established.” While they could not be reached for comment, the coalition has published several open letters to the campus administration through the CSUN Sundial. In these letters the SCC has already addressed their desire to have the CSUN library renamed.
“I think the library could be renamed, but is it worth all of the effort?” said an Oviatt Library student employee. “Everyone that works here and goes here knows it by that name. Changing it would require a ton of effort.”
To change the name of a campus building some students have thought of using the Associated Students on campus as a medium. Associated Students has already reinforced commitments to making the planned new Heart of Campus project both inclusive and welcoming for all types of students. The Heart of Campus project came after the campus-wide protests against Executive Order 1100, an executive order that has already threatened the existence of gender and women’s studies on campus.
The effects of EO 1100 have continued to affect funding and class availability for ethnic studies courses on campus. If the campus is to continue to be inclusive for ethnic studies, then the administration should reflect that as well. In the meantime, campus clubs and organizations will continue to work on campus as they have been. With the resignation of President Diane Harrison coming soon, these same clubs and organizations will be watching closely to see how the next campus president serves minority communities on campus.
