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Wedesdy, . S . -Sate en 7B

2B Wednesday, March 7, 2012 // The Statement
THE JUNK DRAWER
from last week: mt&d and tcf random student interview
Do you think the University's musical theatre program by laura argintar / illustrations by jeff zuschlag

Caught in betw
Undocumented immig
fight for tuition equa

will give people a leg up when they audition for shows?

No
19%

Welcome to the Random Student already know each other, let's
Interview, where we make fast just jump right into it. What do
friends. you think about Gchatting?
Hey you!'
Hey!
What's up? I feel like I haven't 4
seen you in forever. How's every- Gchat as in Gmail chatting? I don't
thing going? have a Gmail account, so I don't
Um ...everything is really great. use it that much. But if it's like
Can't complain. Facebook chatting, then I think it's
a little personal. But it's definitely
That's so awesome to hear. What convenient during work to get
about the love life - got anyone information from your co-workers
new on board yet? and it makes ita lot quicker than
using solely e-mail.

Yes
81%

Did you know about TCF's minimum balance
requirement of $10,000 to avoid a $2.95 fee?
Yes
3%
No
97%
Online comments
"l signed up for TCF, got the sweatshirt, and had three fairly painless
years with them. I thought that the service was decent and the ATMs were
numerous (important for on-campus students without a car). My senior
year I switched to a more national bank without any hassle. Yeah, there
are fees, but dealing with an overdraft charge and learning to monitor your
finances closely is part of the whole 'becoming an adult'process."
- William Garvey
Here's a crazy idea ... don't overdraft your account. As for the $2.95
checking account, the bank is taking a loss on this account below X number
of monthly transactions. They are providing you a service, not charity. Why
is it so absurd to be asked to pay $3 a month to maintain the security and
ease of a checking account? Anything students want to whine about?
- wolverines27
We tweet, too!
Follow us on Twitter @thestatementmag

Well ... um...you know. I'm playing
the field a little bit. Can't get tied
down just yet.
You have never seen me before
in your life, have you?
Oh gosh, I haven't. I'm really sorry.
You seemed so friendly when you
approached, I didn't want to, like,
stop you or anything, you know?
I didn't want to be like "Hey, I'm
really sorry, but how do I know
you?" I thought that would be
so douche-y. But um, wait, we've
never actually met, right?
Nope. This is for The State-
ment's Random Student Inter-
view. I thought I'd have a little
fun and pretend like we've actu-
ally met a hundred times and
make you feel dumb. Sorry.
(Laughs) No! That's super OK and
funny! Ha. Good one, I guess.
I will note your sarcasm in the
interview. Anyway, now that we
THE stateme
Magazine Editors:
Dylan Cinti
Jennifer Xu
Deputy Editor:
Kaitlin Williams

Do you use Facebook chat?
I don't personally use it, but if
someone Facebook chats me I will
respond. I think people are always
sitting on Facebook doing nothing
during downtime and if someone
pops up to talk to you, it kind of
interrupts whatever you're doing.
You're always connected and
always on.
Facebook chat kind of creeps me
out. Like, while you're chatting
with the person you can also
conveniently check out what
they did two summers ago.
Are those my
summer photos?
( NO!
It's like an invasion of space. You're
doing your own thing and then
someone is there to talk to you.
And usually it's randoms that I
don't really speak to. If I wanted to
talk to my friends, I'd use I-chat or
text or call. Why Facebook chat?
It's already a stalker website. This
it
Editor in Chief:
Joseph Lichterman
Design Editor:
Nolan Loh
Copy Editor:
Beth Coplowitz

just makes it even more accessible
for your rapist to find you.
(Laughs) Well, hopefullyyou're
not dumb enough to let that
happen. Changing gears. What
do you think about tuition at
Michigan?
For an institute that provides such
higher education I think it's appro-
priate. Part of the appeal of com-
ing here is the professors and the
facilities, and that comes from the
money we pay. We put into it what
we want to get out. But I don't
think it's fair that in-state kids pay
significantly less than we do.
So do you think that out-of-state
should be charged less or in-
state charged more?
In-state Out of state
It should be equal. It's not like the
kids out-of-state are getting more
or the kids in-state are getting less.
We're exposed to the same materi-
als, the same resources - it should
be across the board. I think it's not
fair.
What do you think about how
tuition increases after a certain
number of credits?
I don't think it should be a scaled
thing. It's just an excuse to charge
us more. You need an expected
amount of credits to graduate, so
you can't avoid paying more. And,
if you came in from high school
with credits then you have to pay
more earlier on. It's a flawed sys-
tem.
- Sam is an LSA junior.
Managing Editor:
Josh Healy
Photo Editor:
Terra Molengraff
Junk Drawer:
Jordan Rochelson

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classmates from Fordson qualified for
een: "; """"ttn
University.
rants While many of these undocu-
I-.t mented students cannot afford
I yL( the University's steep out-of-state
tuition, there are people in the Uni-
versity who are advocating for them.
The Coalition for Tuition Equality, a
student group comprising numerous
organizations on campus in support
of the rights of undocumented resi-
dents, was founded by Public Policy
junior Kevin Mersol-Barg last year.
According to Mersol-Barg, many
undocumented students "came here
as children and grew up in Michigan
communities here and graduated
from Michigan high schools. (They)
did not choose to come here."
Mersol-Barg, who is also a Central
Student Government assembly rep-
resentative and is running for CSG
president on the OurMichigan party
ticket, said CTE originated from his
campaign for LSA assembly represen-
tative lastyear.
"I was looking for a way to help
minority students on campus and I think one particularly disad-
vantaged group areundocumented students," Mersol-Barg said.
He added that in order to maintain its standing as the "lead-
ers and best" on social issues, the University needs to make its
education available to students who deserve it.
"(The University should) make sure that higher education
is accessible to all groups, not just the individuals that can
pay, but the individuals that need it most," Mersol-Barg said.
"(Those) that clearly are academically qualified, but financial
barriers prevent them from coming to the University."
University spokeswoman Kelly Cunningham wrote in an
e-mail that the University remains neutral on the issue.
"The University has not taken a position on that topic," she
wrote. "...Citizenship is not considered during the admissions
process, and it is not a factor in the admissions decision."

By Giacomo Bologna
Maria Ibarra may not be very different from you. She grew
up in Michigan, graduated from Fordson High School in Dear-
born and is now a senior at the University of Detroit-Mercy. Her
mother is a nurse, her father works in construction and her family
pays taxes.
Like you, Ibarra believes she is an American. But unlike you,
the U.S. government disagrees with her. Instead, the govern-
ment identifies Ibarra as an undocumented resident. She can-
not obtain a driver's license. She cannot check out books from a
public library. Many University students decrylhigh tuition, but
her status as an undocumented resident actually prevented her
from attending the University of Michigan due to tuition costs.
Ibarra had her "heart set" on attending the University, but
undocumented residents - no matter how long they have lived
in the state - must pay out-of-state tuition at the University of
Michigan.

The debate was almost turned on its head two years ago
when the DREAM Act garnered 52 votes in the Senate - eight
short of passage. If passed, the DREAM ACT would have
granted permanent residence to some undocumented resi-
dents who had come toAmerica as minors.
It was around this time that Ibarra came out as an undocu-
mented resident.
"Growing up, it was always a secret," she said. "My parents
actually used to tell me, 'If anybody ever asks you, you were
born here; you (are) a U.S. citizen.'"
After meeting with One Michigan, an immigrant rights
group for young people, she decided it was time to announce '
her residency status.
Ibarra said members of One Michigan told her that she had to
tell her story because someone else would have told it incorrectly.
Mersol-Barg said the problems faced by undocumented stu-
dents are not simply anecdotal. They affect a large segment of
students.
According to a 2007 report from the UCLA Center for
Labor Research and Education, 65,000 undocumented stu-
dents graduate from U.S. high schools annually.
Several campus groups are working with CTE to advocate
for tuition equality. CSG passed a resolution authored by Mer-
sol-Barg in support of tuition equality at the University.
On Feb. 16, CTE and supporters attended the Regents
meeting, where LSA freshman Daniel Morales spoke about
waiting a year after high school before attending the Uni-
versity because he was undocumented. He enrolled at the
University after his father petitioned the government on
his behalf and he was granted full citizenship - just as his
father received amnesty under the Immigration Control and
Reform Act of 1986, signed into effect by President Ronald
Reagan.
On Feb. 22, journalist Jose Antonio Vargas spoke on campus
to a packed audience at Rackham Amphitheater through a CTE-
sponsored event that promoted an open dialogue about immi-
gration to the United States. Vargas, a Pulitzer Prize winner, is
well-known for a New York Times Magazine essay he wrote last
year in which he publicly identified himself as undocumented.
Ibarra said being American shouldn't be solely based on
whether you're born in the country.
"You should earn the right to be called an American 'cause
it's not just something you're born with," Ibarra said. "I wish
there was a wayto earn the term 'American.'"

Ibarra moved to Michigan from
Mexico when she was 9 years old
on a now-expired tourist visa with
ier mother and her brother. Her
father had alreadybeen in the Unit-
ed States after crossing the border
illegally. Since then, Ibarra said
she has lived a life different from
what most people perceive the life
ofan undocumented resident to be.
"I always tell people, 'I don't
think I've led the life of an undoc-
umented student,' "she said.
For instance, her family pays
taxes with a Taxpayer Identifi-
cation Number. She lives in the
suburbs and her parents are able
to support the family financially.
However, when it came time to
apply to college, Ibarra said she did
noteven bother to apply to the Uni-
versity The undergraduate appli-
cation for the University asks for
citizenship and requires those who
identify as U.S. citizens to supply
their social securitynumbers.
Ibarra doesn't have a social
security number. So while her

THt HEONOR ' 'SOCIETY OF Are you tops in your class?
p Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi
P H I K PA H is the nation's oldest, largest, and most selective collegiate
-------MC-D honor society for all academic disciplines.
Membership is by invitation only to the top 7.5% of

juniors and the top 10% of seniors and graduate students,
as determined by the University Registrar.
Each year the Society distributes more than $700,000
through national and chapter scholarships and awards.
Along with academic recognition, members are eligible for
exclusive partner discounts and networking opportunities.
Invitations were sent to qualified students' umich email
on February 15. Don't miss this opportunity!

DEADLINES:
University of Michigan Chapter March 11, 2012
Scholarship Applications
Completed Election Form and March 17, 2012
Society Dues Paid