With the aim of promoting an environment of cross-cultural learning and the exchange of ideas among UC Davis students, the Cross-Cultural Center will launch its first year of operation Tuesday, Oct. 12, during a campuswide open house. "The UC Davis campus is a diverse learning environment and the center has to meet that responsibility," says Francisco Rodriguez, the center's director. The center contains offices for four ethnic community student leaders, a conference room, a library and the director's office. The African American, Chicano/Latino, Native American and Asian American communities, whom the center represents, will be working toward solutions on multicultural issues with equal representation, says Rodriquez. The center will also sponsor a number of multicultural arts and educational programs throughout the academic year. Its students will be dedicated to promoting and celebrating the many cultures, traditions and histories that make up the campus community, according to Rodriguez.