The cultural climate of Fresno State was discussed Tuesday between members of Associated Students, Inc. and representatives of a student club coalition who are advocating for increased understanding of marginalized students on campus.

Held in the Joyal Administration Building, faculty members were also present at the meeting to observe the conversations aiming to resolve discrepancies of the past semester and provide solutions for the future.

The meeting became heated at times amidst disagreements when certain topics were discussed, such as ASI’s denial of funding to M.E.Ch.A and Phi Beta Sigma and the March 5th ASI senate meeting that was protested.

Dr. Francine Oputa, part of the women’s studies program and a member of the Division of Student Affairs Leadership Team, mediated the discussion between the two groups. Also present as a bystander was Dr. Carolyn Coon, vice president for Student Affairs.

While funding was discussed, Maria Ortega, a member of M.E.Ch.A, said this was not their focus for the meeting, but rather it was the need for discussion about an institutionalized culture at Fresno State where the “marginalized still don’t have a voice.”

She said this semester’s funding denial was “the straw that broke the camel’s back” in terms of the wider issue of systemic oppression.

However, by the close of the two-hour meeting, both groups expressed encouragement about the first steps being taken.

­“I feel like it was a very constructive conversation,” said Rebecca Rosengarten, ASI’s vice president of finance. “I think that it was an opening for future discussions between ASI and the coalition.”

Ortega said, “It definitely paved the way for follow-up to happen.”

“It’s always hard because these conversations are always very emotional,” Ortega said. “But I think it was a great first step.”

Dulce Marin, another M.E.Ch.A member, said it felt like the two groups were “starting to maybe step in the same shoes, starting to maybe see this understanding of both sides.”

Justin Whisten, ASI’s executive vice president, said the meeting “opened the door for a broad conversation regarding the student culture.”

Yet Phi Beta Sigma member Christopher Collins said the discussion only “tipped the iceberg” and that “we need to see something put into action.”

Lizbeth De La Cruz, who attended the meeting and is currently running for ASI president, said based on reactions in the meeting, “We still have a lot of work to do.”

The two groups plan to meet again in the coming weeks after talking to their own respective affiliations. ASI is considering the prospect of engaging in cultural competency workshops on the club coalition’s request, and meanwhile, the club coalition will reflect on recommendations to increase awareness about ASI’s funding guidelines on ASI’s request.

Mikey Sanchez, senator for arts and humanities and a member of the ASI finance committee, said there needed to be “accountability” on both sides amongst the recent miscommunications and concerns.

Additionally, Rosengarten brought up ASI’s elections that are occurring this week. With representatives changing next semester, she suggested the need for the newly elected senators to enter the future discussions. She said it was a conversation that needs to be “re-emphasized every year.”

Some members of the coalition appreciated such responsiveness from ASI during the meeting. Ortega said she was “excited that they were so receptive.”

­“We’ll be able to move forward together and have these very difficult conversations,” Ortega said. “They’re going to be difficult and emotions are going to fly, and people might feel targeted, but they’re necessary conversations that need to happen.”

This feeling of being targeted was mentioned by Whisten when he expressed concern about faculty members telling senators during the March 5th meeting “they should be ashamed of themselves.” He said it made the senate feel “belittled.”

Ortega said that ASI should “be prepared” to hear such protest as the student’s governing body. She also asked ASI the question if there had not been such pressure on the university, “how seriously would you take our concerns?”

Another topic that arose was the degree of comfort student clubs feel in approaching ASI with concerns about wider issues such as cultural oppression — something that surprised both Rosengarten and Whisten. Collins made a comment during the meeting that some clubs were “scared.”

“I felt it caught me off guard to hear something like that,” Whisten said.

Rosengarten said she regularly meets with clubs, and so it was “hard to hear that students don’t even want to approach ASI.”

“I didn’t realize students felt so scared to approach ASI,” Rosengarten said. “It’s very eye-opening, and we definitely want to fix that. I don’t think anyone in ASI knew that students were feeling that way.”

­In response to tackling cross-cultural education, one idea both Rosengarten and Ortega agreed on was reinstating the previously removed general education requirement that business majors must take a multicultural/international upper division course.

Both parties agreed the discussion was an initial step in the right direction, yet as Coon said near the end of the meeting, “there’s a lot of work to be done” in terms of “campus climate.”