the air as if they had just experienced some sort of victory. The vivid colors used on the mural inside the Chicano Student Programs resource center gave life to this building as well.
This mural, hand painted in 1974 by Chano Gonzalez is a physical representation of the first Chicano Student Program section in the rivera library. According to the CSP website, “During the relocation of the office, the mural was threatened to be white-washed. However, student, faculty, and staff protests ensured the security of the artwork”(CSP). The students and staff at the time loved and felt such a strong connection to the mural that they literally made protests in order to get the whole wall transferred to the CSP building instead of letting it get white-washed. In the middle of admiring the mural I was approached by Daniel Blanco a staff member of the CSP resource center. He gave me a tour of the whole structure and I instantly felt at home in this place full of people whom shared the same roots as I. Everyone was so friendly and kind that I instantly felt accepted. Little did I know that this place would educate me and also help me become a better college student in the future.
The Chicano Student Program resource center was officially founded in 1972 at UCR.
At the time the motives of this organization were focused on unifying the small population of Hispanics at UCR. Fast forward forty-five years this resource center not only focuses on helping Hispanics succeed; moreover, it now holds an open door policy towards students who identify with other races. Every wednesday at 12:00 the CSP has a gathering called “Unity Hour”. During this hour many students of diverse races come together and share their different cultures. It is an event which educates the participants on different races in order to get a better understanding of the diverseness at UCR. There is also snacks and refreshments that are offered for free during this occurrence to encourage people to become involved. CSP also holds various year round events which encourages people of the Chicano race to get involved and interact with one
another.
CSP hosts many events throughout the academic year. Two of the most important events during the winter quarter are the “Cesar Chavez 5K Run” and “PRESENTE!” . The motive for the Cesar Chavez 5K Run is to raise money for scholarships at UCR. You pay a sum of 20 dollars and help a cause while also getting a good workout. You are also eligible for many prizes. This year on April 8, 2017 will mark the 16th annual run and it will take place at UC riverside campus. I will be attending the 5K run simply because I want to meet new people; moreover I am determined to complete it without stopping. In addition another event that will take place on February 3, 2017 is “PRESENTE!” This is a Queer and Trans college conference for the chicano race. There will be various performances such as, Alan Pelaez a poet who will educate the public on subjects pertaining to undocumented brown and black lives. Or AB SOTO a performance artist who has latin roots. CSP holds many occasions that help individuals interact with the community and get the opportunity to connect through our roots and cultures.. These events can be very inspirational; however, other than events CSP provides a wide range of benefits open to all students.
A vast majority of students struggle and are in need of guidance in order to be successful in college. Daniel Blanco mentioned “I first started using the printer services, then I realized how helpful and necessary this resource is”. CSP is made up of over 20 programs and services which are for the benefit of any students interested in this resource. Three of the main services used by students are tutoring, Textbook Loaning and and free printing. CSP is collaborating with the Academic Resource Center in order to provide tutoring or peer mentoring to anyone in need. Personally, I need some help on a bit of math and will use this resource shortly. Another great resource is the Textbook Loan Program. This is a great tool which is open to the Chicano community attending UCR. CSP lends books to people in need due to the vast amounts of money spent quarterly. These resources are open for the Chicano community and as a chicano I will take advantage of these tools. One of the main reasons why I use the CSP resource is to print my content for class. Any student at UCR is granted 20 sheets a week however, you simply must sign your name and date. This is how I became familiar with CSP. I heard Mrs. Wilms talking about the free printing and decided to check it out. I remember being greeted with smiles and a heartwarming sensation as soon as I walked in the door. Turns out this is how Daniel Blanco was introduced to the resource center as well. I am positive my involvement with this resource will be essential to succeeding in college. In addition, I am eager to participate in the various upcoming events. Out of all the benefits and events, what stood out to me the most was the uniqueness of CSP.
The CSP program is unique due to its history and they way they have grown as a whole. According to staff member Mary Lizardi, “ CSP is different in its growth, we come from being .5 percent of the population to 35 percent. This shows how much we are helping our communities to pursue a higher education through our various programs”. CSP changes slightly every year with new faces and occasions that are taking place around the world which causes the Chicano community to adapt to these occurrences. For instance, the 2017 inauguration brought up new a wave of issues pertaining to the Mexican race. Various students who are part of CSP participated in the protest when the elections were taking place. While interviewing Arturo Cisneros on the protests that took initiative I realized how meaningful this resource is to its members. Arturo stated, “ During the protest I felt connected to my family which is CSP. We all protested peacefully and felt linked through our roots, because we all share similar struggles”. These struggles Arturo mentioned include immigration, family, and school. Events like these will attract members of the UCR community to become involved in CSP thus adding to their growth. In addition, CSP is a necessity, because any community members who identify with the latino race can use this resource as a sanctuary to relax and talk about issues pertaining to the world.