mB Wedne sdayOcobe 660/ h ttmn 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 lB 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. ... .. ..... ....- ........- .... - ...... , . .. 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. pTTTTT121 1 1777111117111 K 8 91 10 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.