4 The Michigan Daily - Thursday, December 8, 1994 CbE £idtipu tailg 'If you can't say that God loves sinners, you can't say God loves you.' - Joel Perry, staff worker at Hope College's Intervarsity Christian Fellowship 420 Maynard Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan Jessie Halladay Editor in Chief Samuel Goodstein Flint Wainess Editorial Page Editors Unless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of a majority of the Daily's editorial board. All other articles, letters, and cartoons do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Michigan Daily. Immigration nightmare INS ineptitude victimizes two 'U' students FirsT LASS. NO SASS. /A4I/16MCGAN1 PA I i n a debacle that could best be dubbed the honeymoon from hell, former University students Kevin and Sunny Kim Roest remain in a state of immigration limbo spanning the U.S.- Canadian border. They will have to wait until January at the earliest for the government documentation that could finally bring them relief. This incident brings two major issues to the forefront: the need for more and better information to be made available to interna- tional students by agencies such as the University's International Center, and -even more important - the overwhelming corrup- tion and bureaucratic ineptitude that besets the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). When the Roests began their week-long honeymoon in Canada, they had no idea that it would create problems of this magnitude. Unaware of the complex web of laws and regulations controlling the activities of for- eigners, they believed that Sunny's student visa would still be valid after their wedding. At the time, they were unaware Sunny needed to file for permanent residency. The Interna- tional Center was vague on this issue - how- ever, the questions the Roests asked were also vague, and were not answered in a detailed fashion. Staff at the center gave the Roests the information they thought the couple needed to know, unaware that the Roests were planning to leave the country following their wedding. The International Center is in no way at fault for the Roests' current problem, as immi- gration laws are indeed - as the center claims - so complex that the best way to provide information is in answer to specific questions. However, the Roests' problem could perhaps have been prevented had the agency prepared a pamphlet, or some other form of prepack- aged information for international students, outlining some of the possible legal tangles in common situations such as citizen-noncitizen marriage. Hopefully, such a pamphlet will be produced in the future. Similarly, in its actions toward Sunny and Kevin, the INS is completely within the bound- aries of the law. When a foreigner carrying a student visa marries an American citizen, he or she effectively announces the intention to remain permanently in the United States. Therefore, the temporary student visa expires the moment the marriage occurs. When the Roests left the country and then tried to reen- ter, the INS was alerted to Sunny's new status, and officials correctly followed the law against letting a foreigner into the country without processed papers. However, while the INS is correct in fol- lowing procedure, it is to be highly faulted in its time frame. It is atrocious that a person should have to wait six months to have papers processed. "One of the most troubled agen- cies in the federal government," according to a New York Times study, the INS is beset by bureaucratic ineptitude and corruption. Its myriad of problems cause it to move at a ridiculously slow rate, causing people like the Roests - both of whom have had to drop out of school while waiting for a resolution - to put their lives on hold and simply stand in line to be processed. Despite efforts at reform, it is highly doubt- ful that better service can be expected from the INS any time soon. International students would do well to remember that when they deal with the INS, they are working with a corrupt, bureaucratic organization that fol- lows a bewildering web of regulations, and that officials at the agency can make life very difficult if their rules are not followed. Hope- fully, better information on this subject will soon be provided by the University. Until then, the best course of action for international students is to ask questions. Lots of them. Racial harmon To the Daily: In response to Edward Hoopman's letter in the De- cember 5 issue of the Daily ("Students need to tackle rac- ism"), I have a few things to say. You, Mr. Hoopman, claim that it is the students' responsi- bility, not the administration's, to create racial and ethnic un- derstanding on campus. This is infeasible, as the average stu- dent does not care about minor- ity issues because they feel that those issues do not affect them. Therefore, those of us that are affected by the racial climate and lack of minority represen- tation on campus find ourselves carrying the burden of righting 500 years of oppression. The University administration loves to play up "multiculturalism" on campus. They are benefit- ing from this image, while it is the minority student communi- ties who are actually working towards it, often finding a non- supportive administration in the way. I can personally say that as I work to better the campus climate for Latino/a brothers and sisters, my grades suffer. For many student activists it is a full time job. But you should not expect this from students like myself !who are here to learn in a non-supportive envi- ronment. After all, this is an educational institution, one in which we are paying to learn, not to have a full-time job as teachers of the student body as a whole. As to the "network of sup- port" which I suggested was necessary in the original article on the Michigan Mandate, you took the concept out of context. Although it would be great to have this "multicultural" sup- port from all students, staff, fac- ulty, etc. it simply isn't there. This network of support that Latinos like myself on campus are searching for is a strong network in our own Latino/a community among ourselves, because unfortunately we rec- y on campus still ognize that most others are not willing to actively promote change. That does not mean we are necessarily excluding others, it simply means the sup- port is not there. You also advise against "blindly picking professors and students based on the color of their skin," which is what the University has historically and consistently done that has made faculty, students and staff so disproportionately white, until student protests, such as the Black Action Movements forced the administration to hire minority faculty. Although BAM I and II were decades ago, minority communities are still fighting for equal repre- sentation on this campus. Fur- thermore, I do not suggest "blindly picking" minority fac- ulty and staff. The truth is, as you mention, that there are qualified minority scholars, that are not hired due to the con- tinuation of these subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) racist policies. I also have a problem with your implication that quantity minority faculty and staff negates quality. This is not only false, but it is an insult to minority communities. Large numbers of minority fac- ulty, rather, would be more rep- resentative of the real world which University students will soon have to face. I would as- sert that it is very possible to have both "quantity and qual- ity" in a large, competent, mi- nority scholar community. You also write, "Inclosing, I would love to see more mi- nority students and faculty at the University, but even more so, I would like to see more intelligent, open-minded and outreaching individuals who can cross the racial boundaries and leave them behind." Now I ask you, Mr. Hoopman, if mi- nority communities are not rep- resented in faculty, staff and students, then who are these "intelligent individuals who a long way off can cross the racial boundaries" (read white individuals) going to reach out to? That's not ra- cial harmony, that's elitist white separatism. The state of cam- pus at this time is simply a daily reminder that it is unrealistic to assume that there are no racial boundaries or that they are be- ing successfully crossed. The issues that I raised are some of the many issues that concern our community as a whole. Sociological studies show that students learn best when the material relates to their lives personally. That is why issues such as Latino/a staff, faculty, counselors, Latino/a Studies courses and Latino/a recruit- ment and retention are so im- portant. The lack of Latino rep- resentation on campus rein- forces our "inferiority complex" (although I assure you we are far from inferior). These concrete issues that are so vital to our community cannot be ignored, or substi- tuted by some wishy-washy phantasm of "a student body" that "look(s) equally on each other." I agree that would be ideal, but it simply does not exist and it ignores the real is- sues. Maybe you, Mr. Hoopman, should examine more closely why this racial harmony doesn't exist (which it doesn't if you haven't no- ticed) before you imply that hiring more minority faculty and staff would jeopardize a quality education. So, in the end, the move- ment continues, with or with- out your support Mr. Hoopman. Thank you for doing your share as, I assume, an "open-minded and outreaching individual." But to those who are more will- ing to challenge administration and tackle the real problems, I say iViva la causa!. Lisa Quiroga LSA senior President, Alianza, The Latino/a Student Alliance 'Off on a tangent LOOK OUT FOR A NEW MU- TA TION IN THE POLITICAL CUL- TURE: Coming soon to a legislature near you, a phenomena so outra- geous that it was even studied by Charles Murray-Newtoids. Clearly, the College Republicans are caught in the lustful gaze of the Newtoids, 'cause Newtoids despise liberals (and liberal newspapers) and they always love a good fight. The collegiate among them always dress sharply, wear ties to lectures and never miss a Sharper Image catalog. On their cof- fee tables one can find the newest issue of the Economist, as well as a J. Crew catalog, but certainly not Kramer's coffee table book. Unlike the tousled-haired George Stephanopolous,the druggies and the McGovernites of the Clinton admin- istration, Newtoids abhor an un- shaven face, long hair, social pro- grams, Hollywood and Murphy Brown. Unfortunately, they have a religious-like attachment to the pre- civil rights, pre-Roe v. Wade 1950s -a social eradestined for the dustbin if it weren't for Jack Kerouac, Nike's William Burroughs and Allen Ginsburg, who by the way is now peddling a 3-disk CD collection, banned by the FCC. The Newtoids, led by their fear- less leader "The Grinch," a promi- nent historian from U.S. News and World Report's 225th ranked West GeorgiaCollege, have dreams of dis- mantling the welfare state and estab- lishing a national network of state- run orphanages. So maybe the party of the donkey should throw a tantrum and filibuster, like the GOPdid about midnight basketball. Newtoids don't have to be from Georgia though, but they are mean and short, and may resemble Gremlins. Even Bob Dole is frightened when in the presence of a Newtoid. DNC-promoted anti- Newtoid sprays, repellants and zappers are now on sale, and projec- tions are that such products are going to have a banner year. More on the GOP victory: 1. If "gays in the military" got Big Bill in trouble the first week of his presidency way back when the Dems weren't an endangered species, then the Newtonians deserve to be vilified hard for the "orphanage" issue. This is the answer to welfare reform? My, are the Newtoids andhis Armey scary. 2. For all the bluster of the Con- tract on America, a vote on a consti- tutional amendment to institute con- gressional term limits and another equally dubious one to sanction "vol- untary school prayer" don't stand a chance of passing this GOP Con- gress. Wake up people, a moment of silence is already widely recognized as legal and constitutional. 3.1 hate to say it, but Bob Dole is now the hero of the almighty Center. When can we begin to say presiden- tial candidate Dole? NOW SHOWING AT JASON'S QUADAPLEX 9: *A ri* to "Pulp Fiction," by Quentin Tarantino: Maybe I'm the shepherd, you're the evil man and the Democrats left standing and the righteous ones. n* 1n/2 to the return of the "Lion King:" Simba and Nala are way cooler than Demi Moore and Michael Douglas. Whoopi Goldberg as the hyena majority whip is hilari- ous. **C* to the new "Star Wars" Energizer commercial: But where's Bib Fortuna, or Chewey for that mat- ter? Anything with James Earl Jones' voice rocks. ***1~'l/2 to the recent Beverly Hills 90210 episode, in which Black- Jewish campus relations were re- sponsibly addressed. I was shocked too. But Dylan is still- haunted by drug-induced nightmares. &-BOYCOTT THE DAILY?: I'd say the Daily, minus the crossword puzzle crowd, is already being boy- cotted by a good 20,000 or so stu- dents each and everyday. And a little piece of advice, to the anonymous author of the anti-Daily manifesto, 1pr hn n iv tol~, enfl f v i nc r Reproductive rights Republican takeover promises further restrictions 0 0 0 W hen the newly elected legislators take their seats in January, those who favor abortion rights will find themselves with little hope of support from the Federal government. If the Republicans have their way, federally funded family planning groups may once again be forbidden from mentioning abortion as a possible solution for an unwanted pregnancy. This so-called "gag rule" leads the list of restrictions on abortion which may make a comeback in the Republican-dominated 104th Congress. Although many Republicans swept into office on the economics-oriented Con- tract With America, their victory last month was also a coup for anti-abortion activists. "The pro-life side had its biggest victory in the history ofthe movement," claimedRep. Chris- topher Smith (R-N.J.). Smith co-chairs the House Pro-Life Caucus, a group which will most likely grow in numbers come January. In addition to reinstating the gag rule, Re- publicans are likely to chisel away at other abortion rights as well. Sen. Jesse Helms (R- N.C) offered an amendment last year which would cut off funds to international family planning organizations; he will likely offer it again as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Such an amendment would jetti- son badly-needed population control programs in countries already overburdened with hun- ger and poverty. This is merely one example of Helms' shortsightedness, but in a Republican- controlled congress it may well become law. RU-486, the so-called abortion pill now in Ainionl trials in iathe nit+-d CtonPis alcn in danger from abortion foes in Congress. Al- though not necessarily an easier form of abor- tion, it accords the woman more privacy and provides a much-needed alternative to surgi- cal procedures. Already used in Europe for several years, RU-486 would give more free- dom to the women who have made the diffi- cult choice of abortion. Furthermore, RU-486 has been shown to have the potential to de- crease the effects of diseases such as breast cancer - yet pro-life forces oppose its use in the United States at all because of its status as "the abortion pill." This refusal of such poten- tial benefits is inexcusable. Also at issue areMedicaid abortions, which, under the Hyde Amendment, are now allowed only to save the life of the woman or in cases of rape or incest. This policy is likely to continue or be further tightened next year, serving only to continue the cycle of poverty and increase the welfare burden the Republi- cans so detest. Shortsightedness strikes again. With the Michigan state legislature and governorship squarely in Republican hands, women can look to little protection at the state level. Nor can they expect legal recourse, as a majority of Supreme Court justices have proven all too willing to approve restrictions on the right to an abortion - if not eradicate that right altogether. Voters swept the Repub- licans into office in November with a desire for change. Unless we watch carefully, fight restrictive measures and vote out anti-abor- tion politicians in 1996, we may get more chanoe than we harainr fnr . Schauber's roommate defends 'U' actions To the Daily: I am disheartened by the amount of space that Marc Schauber and his case have re- cently received in the Daily, both on the front page and on the editorial page. One of Marc's primary goals at the end of last year was to give the University as much negative press as possible, and I must say, the Daily has certainly ac- commodated him with its re- cent feature ("Stalking case takes 'U' student out of dorm and into courtroom" 12/1), T~ T1Nle n AT [BT .AvFT)M AA' the one in which Marc alleg- edly threatened his fiancee in her room is extremely difficult to resolve, because the Univer- sity has only the conflicting testimonies of the two parties involved to try to decipher. Sec- ond, consider that the Univer- sity was placed in a damned-if- you-do, damned-if-you-don't position. It was threatened with legal actions by the woman's parents if Marc was not re- moved, and threatened with legal action by Marc if he was. Now if that position doesn't ensure impartiality, I don't son, and perhaps more). The fairness of a case such as this, where the facts are so opaque, is certainly difficult to determine, and can never really be resolved without a doubt. I commend the University for acting to protect one of its stu- dents from the possibility of harm, and I hope that the final outcome of this case will not prevent the University from guaranteeing the safety of its students in the future. And just one more thing I'd like to add. "Anyone who I