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WEDNESday Issue MAY 4, 2011 FRESNO STATE
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SERVING CAMPUS SINCE 1922
By Ana Mendoza The Collegian T he goal of all colle g e students is to one day hold a degree that would lead to a much desired job. But for undocumented students with a degree, acquiring a job is against the law. To be allowed to attend fouryear colleges and universities, undocumented students have to apply as AB 540 students, which entitles them to pay instate tuition. These students receive no gover nment aid and after graduation are not allowed to legally work. A d r i a n a S a n ch e z , wh o will graduate this May with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Spanish, Chicano and Latino Studies, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in International Relations, is one of thousands of undocumented students in California who are AB 540 students. “I am a student, and I plan to be a student as long as I can,” Sanchez said. After completing her master’s, Sanchez plans to pursue her Ph.D. or attend law school. If in the future, the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act is passed, the bill would
help students like Sanchez to legalize their legal status. If her legal status does not change, Sanchez plans to “look for opportunities, even if they are outside of this country.” “Every year we have hope that the DREAM Act might pass,” Sanchez said. Sanchez hopes the Dream Act passes because she wants to stay in the U.S., which has been her home since she was 12 years old. “For me, home is where my family is, and where my friends and people I care about are, so this is where my home is,” Sanchez said. “An Unfinished Dream” by Margarita Reyes analyzes this phenomenon; the documentary addresses myths, realities of undocumented students and immigration laws. The film shares statistics while sharing personal stories of AB 540 students. The film will be screened Friday, May 6 at 5:30 p.m. at the Peters Education Center
Au d i t o r i u m . Fresno State AB 540 students will be present to share their personal stories. Reyes, lawyer Robert Rubin and Sanchez are among some of the speakers who will be present to discuss the future of AB 540 students. Reyes, co-director of the documentary, said she decided to make this movie to encourage viewers to “see the students on the screen as who they are, human beings, and not as some status.” Reyes said that she was unaware of AB 540 students’ existence until one of her classmates and friends shared her legal status with the class. Critics of the DREAM Act see this legislation as an amnesty that would be an
Illustration by Michael Uribes / The Collegian
incentive for new immigrants to enter the country. The passage of the DREAM Act “will benefit young people who are here without documentation,” F resno State political science professor Dr. Mark Somma said. “It is believed that it will cause another larg e number of migrants to come.” “This will be the second amnesty act the United States has had in 30 years, and that will cause another large wave
of migrants to come and put more pressure on the border,” Dr. Somma said. The DREAM Act will only apply to young individuals who were brought to the U.S. as children. T he DREAM Act does not apply to anyone arriving later. The requirements to be eligible for legalization through the DREAM Act requires all applicants to be of good moral character, See EMPLOYMENT, Page 3
Website helps students stay on track By Beeta Taidi-Laskowski The Collegian There is a time each spring and fall semester when advising offices are on overload as students scramble to pull their schedules together for the upcoming year. A young website, www.myedu.com, offers its support to students as an extra leg to stand on.
Using the numerous functions of MyEdu and taking advantage of the help of advisers at universities, students can increase their chances of doing better with their advancement toward their undergraduate degree. “We’ve been able to track over 10 years and in an inhouse study, we can see that students who use our services
graduate with a 3.0 [GPA],” MyEdu media relations specialist Kathryn Walker said. MyEdu, originally named Pick-A-Prof, was founded in 2008 and can provide students with detailed information about the college of their choice, with more than 750 options for someone to choose from. From there, users can see degrees that are offered
and the courses necessary to reach a desired degree. MyEdu allows users to build a degree timeline that they can follow through the years, and adjust if and when necessary. The accessible tools can be combined with more in-depth knowledge provided by advisers and peers, which could prove to both necessary and time efficient.
The cost of an online advisory system could vary, but MyEdu has recently become available to students free of charge. “Enough people were willing to pay for the services provided that [MyEdu] made it free,” MyEdu Fresno State campus representative Lucas Lundy said. According to the website’s See MYEDU, Page 3