Big bash for center's 20th

The Cesar Chavez Student Center celebrated its 20th anniversary with style Wednesday, treating the campus community to a day filled with music, fashion and fun.

Decorated and ready for a party, the all-day celebration didn't disappoint.

Many Latino organizations were on hand to commemorate this festive event. Speeches given by members of M.E.Ch.A (a Chicano organization) and La Raza Student Organization gave students an opportunity to hear and voice what the student center means to them.

"The student center is more than just a place to just eat, it serves students in more ways than that," said Lorena Soto-Rios, an international relations major and a coordinator for La Raza.

People were given the chance to take a whack at a red, white and blue pinata that had the names of Pete Wilson, Newt Gingrich and Bob Dole attached to it, and was filled with candy and condoms.

"This is a great chance for people to come together for Latino heritage," said Carlos Solomon. "The student center brings Cesar Chavez' memory to the forefront -- this is very powerful."

Music was also a large part of the day's celebration, varying from '70s funk to salsa.

Caribeando, a four member band, brought a Caribbean flavor to the days' events.

Inside Jack Adams Hall, free birthday cake was offered and bell bottoms made a comeback at the '70s fashion show.

The Community Involvement Center, The Advising Center and the Career Center were also on hand to educate students about the various resources provided for them through the student center.

"The student center is a representative of the campus community," said Aimee Barnes, who is the Human Resource chair for the Student Governing Board. "Students don't realize how much the center is a part of their lives."

A 20th anniversary committee, made up of 12 faculty and student members, began meeting in June to get ready for the celebration.

"We (the committee) all came together to plan," said Guy Dalpe, director of the student center. "It took eight to nine weeks to come up with ideas that we could share with a lot of people, including students and members of the Bay community."

Some students had mixed feelings about the anniversary event.

"It's weird to celebrate a place that was built to prevent riots." Soto-Rios said.

Rumor has it that the building was designed in such a way that it would stop large student protests.

Other students voiced stronger opinions. James Hill, an English literature major, said,

"Many students should be far more concerned about how this building stands as a memorial to Cesar Chavez. They should focus on the fact that many students will be driven out of the center if affirmative action is ended."

The student center celebration was an all day, all night affair, but by 4 p.m. much of the commencement had come to a halt and the student center began to resume a more familiar atmosphere.

Students were coming and going, waiting in lines and buying food as they always did. The decorative balloons and streamers seemed very out of place. One could hardly tell there was a celebration going on at all.

But while above-ground the student center was business as usual, the sub-level world below was teeming with lively frolicking. Down below, the student art gallery had just opened for all to see.

"I'm excited about all of it," said Daisy Colchie, curator of the historical retrospective of the student center being exhibited in the main lobby outside the gallery. "It's kind of a visual time-line."

The exhibit mapped the history of SF State through the development of the student center.

"It's where we've been and also where we're going. Basically I wanted to give a sense of the student center in the context of school and in the context of the history of the U.S.," Colchie said. "We were really a very politically active campus, which you can see in the historical accounts."

Pausing for a moment, she smiles and then muses, "That's part of it. But another part of it is that I really wanted to introduce everyone t

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