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Wednesday, October 6,2010/ The Statement 3B
news in review
Five of the most talked-about stories of the week, ranked in ascending order of actual importance
THOUGH THE DREAM ACT FAILED
TO PASS, UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS STILL SEE IT
AS THE KEY TO GAINING CITIZENSHIP.
BY JILLIAN BERMAN
r o,1
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Rick Sanchez was fired from CNN
after going on the "Stand Up! With
pete Dominick" Sirius XM radio
show Thursday and calling Jon
Stewart a "bigot" with a limited
worldview, in addition to comments
about Jews running the media.
Michigan Assistant Attorney Gen- Two vigils were held Sunday night Following an announcement from
eral Andrew Shirvell will take a leave to mourn the death of 18-year-old militants that there was "nothng
of absence after there was much Rutgers University freshman Tyler worth celebrating after 50 years of
outcry about Shirvell's controversial Clementi, who jumped to his death failure,"12 people were killed in car
blog that monitors MSA President from the George Washington Bridge bomb explosions during celebra-
Chris Armstrong and his "radical after two other students filmed him tions for Nigeria's 50th indepen-
homosexual agenda." kissing another man. dence day.
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..
University researchers an-
nounced this past week that they
created Michigan's first human
embryonic stem cell line, which
five researcheres began working
on last March and completed last
month.
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ayanna Robelledo, a 20-year-
old second-year student at
Henry Ford Community Col-
lege, has been living in the United
States since she was nine years old.
But because of one day a few years
ago, Robelledo's life is drastically dif-
ferent from that of other American
college students.
Her grandfather, who was an
American citizen, was in the process
of helping the rest of her family apply
for citizenship. Robelledo says her
grandfather was missing one page
of the necessary paper work, so he
decided to drive home from work to
pick it up. On the way back from his
job he got into acar accident and died.
That day changed the trajectory
of Robelledo's life forever. Instead
of being able to consider any college,
like her other high school friends,
Robelledo's choices were limited.
Though some universities would
accept her without a social security
,umber, if they were public she would
likely have to pay an international
student rate, and if they were private
her family wouldn't be able to afford
tuition. And there was no help in
sight - without citizenship, Robelle-
do couldn't apply for financial aid.
Robelledo was able to find a college
that would take her and fit within her
price range, but to pay for it she now
works 12-hour shifts at a factory dur-
ing the semester.
And it's unclear if all that work will
even pay off in the end because it will
be nearly impossible for Robelledo
to pursue her dream of becoming a
teacher without a viable path toward
citizenship.
Robelledo and other students like
her are working to get Congress to
pass one piece of legislation that
they hope will take their aspirations
off hold. The bill - the Develop-
ment, Relief and Education for Alien
Minors Act - was shot down last
month when it was before the U.S.
Senate as part of a larger defense bill.
But if passed, the DREAM Act would
allow undocumented individuals to
earn citizenship through two years
of college, or two years of military
service.
For Robelledo, getting the legisla-
tion passed amounts to a question of
her livelihood.
"If the DREAM Act were to pass,
(undocumented students) would
become non-deportable so I wouldn't
have that fear of maybe getting
deported tomorrow," Robelledo said.
Students around the country and
across southeast Michigan are work-
ing through rallies, callingcampaigns
and even public arrests to push Con-
gress to act, and despite the recent set
back, they say they're not giving up.
"We're a little disappointed
that the vote wasn't moved upon,"
said Education senior Samantha
Nawrocki. "We definitely didn't see it
as a defeat for the DREAM Act. We're
re-strategizing on how we're going to
keep pressuring Congress. Since we
have a little bit more time we're going
to continue to try to grow the base."
Nawrocki is an organizer with One
Michigan - a group with chapters
around the state that is advocating
for the DREAM Act. Nawrocki, who
has a passion for immigrants' rights
issues, said she first became involved
with the DREAM Act after meeting
undocumented students at a sort of
DREAM Act activism boot camp.
"These people really became my
friends and seeing what the DREAM
Act would mean to them and their
futures was how I became invested
in the DREAM Act," she said. "With
a lot of these students, they're going
through college right now, but what
does that really mean in the end?"
This is a question that Maria Ibar-
ra asks herself all the time. Ibarra, 20,
is a junior at the University of Detroit
Mercy studying English and social
work, but because she is an undocu-
mented citizen, her degrees will
amount to little once she graduates.
"If the DREAM Act doesn't pass, I
won't be able to get my (social work)
license," she said.
But there are other challenges that
Ibarra faces on a day-to-day basis.
She works full time while attending
school, so when her friends are out
having fun, she is always busy catch-
ing up onhomework.
Living off-campus also creates
daily obstacles.
"How am I going to get to school
today? Am I going to risk it and drive
without a license?" is a question Ibar-
ra says she constantly grapples with.
And the reason Ibarra spends
her limited free time attending One
Michigan meetings and calling con-
gressmen is because she believes the
DREAM Act will be her ticket to a
typical college life.
"It would just take away this con-
stant, not really fear, I don't know,
frustration, at the back of your mind
that you can't do what everyone else
takes for granted," she said.
"Itwould meanI can stop worrying
about little things," Ibarra continued.
"When I turn 21 t won't be able to go
out with my friends and celebrate and
go have a drink because I won't have
an ID to prove that I'm 21."
Ibarra's college application process
was also drastically different from
that of her friends. She had always
dreamed of attending the University
of Michigan, and she even went as far
as to complete the entire application.
But she "just tore it apart" because
she was concerned her status would
make it impossible for her to attend.
According to University spokes-
woman Kelly Cunniningham,
undocumented students aren't pre-
cluded from attending the Univer-
sity because University officials are
unaware of their status during the
admissions process.
"Proof of citizenship is not
required during the admissions
process and therefore the Univer-
quotes of the week.
'Awe man im bummed about the cereal number mixup on
the cereal, trying to do good and got messed up, of all num-
bers why that one!!!"
CHAD OCHOCINCO, NFL wide receiver, apologizing via his Facebook account
about a printing mishap on his OchocincO's Cereal that sent callers toa phone sex
hotline rather than the intended charity Feed the Children.
"This is not the same breed of cat, man."
VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN on the difference between the current Republican
Party and the GOP of old.
"They're all in my head still. I could definitely write an
eighth, a ninth book."
J.K. ROWLING, author of the Harry Potter series, speaking on Oprah about
the potential for her to continue the Harry Potter series.
the rules
on the Cheap
autumn activities on a budaet
No. 272:
There is never a
good reason to
invite all of your
Facebook friends to
the same event.
No. 273: No. 274:
It's too soon for the Wearing sunglasses
H-word. inside Nickels
Arcade? No clue.
An open umbrella?
Absolutely not.
W ith the beginning of October comes changing leaves, cooler and crisper weather and
a plethora of potential inexpensive outdoor activities to do. The Michigan autumn will
undoubtedly quickly turn to winter, but before it does, take advantage of some fall activities that
won't break your budget.
One of the best things about going to college in Michigan is the easy availability of cider mills.
So, plan a day with some friends picking apples and drinking warm mulled cider before the or-
chards freeze over. There are tons of cider mills close by, but if you want to pick your own apples,
try going to Wiard's Orchards and County Fair in Ypsilanti. But if you don't have an interest in the
fair, avoid going during the weekend when there is a (somewhat hefty) county fair admission fee.
If you don't want to spend the effort and money getting to an apple orchard, take advantage of
the fall activities you can do right here on campus. Take a scenic walk through the Arboretum. Play
a game of frisbee by the Diag. Jump in a pile of freshly raked leaves. Or, just breathe in the fresh,
free autumn air.
Have advice for life on the cheap? Let us know. E-mail onthecheap@umich.edu.
by the numbessCOURTESYOFTHE MICHIGANDAILY
The number of people in Michigan The number of human embyronic stem cell The number of states, including Michigan, thatcur-
who could benefit from cures from lines the National Institutes of Health reg- rently have amendments in their constitutions that
stem cell research. istry contains today. make embryonic stem cell research legal.