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Santa Monica College Adding Social Justice Center to Computer Lab

Santa Monica College Adding Social Justice Center to Computer Lab

“despite a petition signed by hundreds of students”

Which use of this building will serve students better after graduating? A computer lab or a social justice center?

Campus Reform reports:

College spending $60k to turn computer lab into ‘safe space’

Santa Monica College will move forward with a plan to transform a popular computer lab into a social justice center despite a petition signed by hundreds of students.

According to The Stringer, the proposal to construct the Social Justice and Gender Equity Center was spearheaded by Dr. Nancy Grass, Dean of Student Life, and would cost a total of $500,000, including $60,000 for a “computer lab update.”

While a university representative told Campus Reform that students proposed to “update the outdated computer and technology” and repurpose unused space, Lee Peterson, the supervisor of the Cayton Lab, previously expressed his concerns about the proposal.

“The administration is basically demanding that the student government spend more money on anything that it has in the entire history of SMC, all at once, without any significant discussion,” he told the publication.

A letter from the Associated Students President shared on social media also explains that the proposal will “add a Safe Space for Undocumented Students, DACA Students, LGBTQ+ Community, Religious Practice, and many more.”

As of press time, however, more than 330 people had signed a Change.org petition labeling the potential move “a huge waste of student resources” that will be “destructive to the community as a whole.”

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