Inside The Lasso this week

THE LASSO
Thursday
April 7, 2011
Vol. 98, No. 25
A student-run publication since 1914
Check out the The Lasso online every Thursday at www.twu.edu/lasso
Inside
The Lasso
this week:
Round Up (Pg. 2)
Check out The Picture of the
Week, Calendar of upcoming
events, and Police Blotter.
News (Pg. 3)
Learn about our new SGA
president and become
informed about the Denton
ecosystem.
Features (Pg. 4)
Check out happenings on the
Denton campus this week in
pictures and learn what the
proposed Texas State budget
has in store for libraries.
Features (Pg. 5)
Learn about protests gearing up for the anniversary of
the Gulf oil spill, and find out
about auditions for the Fight
Boy theatre company.
Sports (Pg. 6)
Illustration based on photo from loftcinema.com
Get informed on how the
TWU Pioneer Sofball team is
doing and the latest on basketball.
Forum (Pg. 7)
Why not to buy or wear a pair
of Tom shoes, and then read
up on what not to wear for
modern the feminist movement.
Arts and Ent. (Pg. 8)
Check the latest on the Voertman
student competition and see a review of the drama department’s
“Boy Gets Girl.”
To Contact
Stoddard Hall Room 311
News Desk: 940-898-2185
Advertising: 940-898-2183
Fax: 940-898-2188
E-mail: [email protected]
Papers tracks journey of undocumented
students to college, hits home at TWU
Clarice Robinson
Staff Writer
Last Tuesday, the TWU Office of
Intercultural Services hosted a viewing
of “Papers: Stories of Undocumented
Youth.”
Papers is the story of
undocumented youth and the
challenges they face as they turn 18
without legal status.
“65,000 students graduate from
high school without papers,” said
assistant director of the GO Programs
Angelica Del Rosa. The documentary
featured the journey of five
undocumented youth: Monica, Jorge,
Juan Carlos, Simone, and Yo Sub, who
grew up in the U.S. without papers’
documents to establish citizenship.
According to research by
the Papers documentary, most
documented children have no path to
citizenship. Yo Sub is a phenomenal
students who excels academically. He
dreams of studying philosophy in
college. The only problem is he has no
papers or Social Security number to
establish him as a citizen of the United
States. “I was rejected by 12 colleges
within 2 days,” said Sub. “I knew my
status had to do with this.”
Simone, a native of Jamaica, was
brought to the United States with
her mom with hope for a better life.
Today, she lives in fear that any day
she will be deported and taken back at
a moment’s notice. “I was told don’t
let your hair down, keep your mouth
shut. But, my God how long will I live
without freedom?”
Like Simone and Yo Sub, Monica,
Juan Carlos, and Jorge all dream of
a better life for themselves, but their
lack of papers holds them back from
employment and entering college.
In 40 states undocumented students
must pay out of state or foreign tuition
in their home state. Many other states
refuse to accept students who do not
have a Social Security number while
assuming that they are undocumented.
Papers are very important in
school to distinguish the students who
are citizens from the non- citizens.
“It’s the question of the day,” a teacher
said. “Tienes papeles?” (Do you have
papers?)
The Papers documentary event
proceeded with a showing of the
documentary to a panel discussion
where three TWU students: Chrystian
Araiz, Berenice Dimas and Juan
Gonzalez, shared their story.
“I graduated No. 2 in my class
from high school,” said former TWU
student Chrystian Araiza. “I was not
able to receive loans because of my
status, but I did receive the TWU
Presidential scholarship.” Araiza
came to the U.S. when she was 15 and
struggled to learn English. Yet, she still
managed to graduate from TWU with
a degree in Mathematics while keeping
a 3.5 grade point average (4.0 scale)
every year to keep her scholarship.
“I’m really grateful for all the
opportunities even though I am
undocumented. I see it as one door
closes and another one opens.”
Berenice Dimas, a TWU Women’s
Studies Master’s student, came to the
U.S when she was three. As she grew
she did not understand her status until
she became of age and wanted to go to
college. “I didn’t even know there was
this thing called college,” said Dimas.
Today, Dimas, who is no longer
undocumented, is actively involved
in her community and in getting the
TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY
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word out about the DREAM Act.
The DREAM Act, which stands
for the Development, Relief, and
Education for Alien Minors Act, is a
bipartisan legislation that promotes
the education of undocumented youth
by helping them become eligible for a
conditional path to citizenship through
completion of a college degree or two
years of military service. Basically,
undocumented youth who have grown
up or lived in the U.S for most of their
lives would have the opportunity to go
to school or serve in the military. “I
see so many students getting involved
in the DREAM Act, making noise…
If we scream loud enough they will
listen,” declared Dimas.
Finally, Juan Gonzalez closed
the panel discussion by sharing his
experience as a current undocumented
immigrant. Having to be split from his
parents at one point in his childhood,
Gonzalez has had some terrible
experiences.
“I came to the U.S. when I was
one,” he explained. “I was teased in
school, because I did not understand
English.”
His journey as a student has not
been easy. “It has been hard,” he said.
He continues to persevere.
Speaking publicly on an issue
many students do not have to think
about, Gonzalez mentioned his
motivation.
“I have to keep up my grades,” he
added, “because I have a scholarship,
and if I don’t have a scholarship I
don’t have school.”
The dinner and documentary were held
in the Hubbard Hall Banquet Room from
5:15-8 p.m. For more information about
Papers, please visit www.papersthemovie.com.
Denton, Dallas, Houston
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