HILLTOP VIEWS
St. Edward’s University • Wednesday, September 26, 2012 • Volume 32 • Issue 3 • hilltopviewsonline.com
CAMP provides opportunities Shelby Cole scole2@stedwards.edu
Asparagus grows straight out of the ground and rarely gets any taller than the length of the stalks available at a typical grocery store. This means that in order to harvest them workers must bend over and pull the stalks directly from the earth. Imagine doing this type of bending-and-pulling labor for hours on end for days, weeks or even months, and you can catch a glimpse of what it is like to be a migrant worker. For some St. Edward’s University students and their families, working in the fields instills a strong work ethic and determination to succeed. “I want my parents to enjoy the fruits their labor and to make everything they have done for us worth their trouble,” senior Elvia Valle said. Valle is participant in the highly competitive College Assistance Migrant Program, known as CAMP for short. Her father was a migrant farm worker, and parents like Valle’s are faced with two options when it comes to their children.
Upgrades enhance on-campus living Cheryl Cedillo ccedill3@stedwards.edu
Photo courtesy of Melinda O’Cañas President George Martin greeted alumni at the program’s 40th anniversary celebration.
While they spend months traveling for work, parents can bring their children to work or leave them at home with a relative. This type of habitual disruption is the norm for migrant workers’ children, who are often denied access to a college education. The CAMP program is a prime example of St. Edward’s Holy Cross values, which emphasize social justice. The program has become so successful that it recently caught the attention
of The New York Times, which profiled two CAMP students in an article a few weeks ago. To qualify to participate in CAMP, an applicant must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident. Because CAMP receives funding both from St. Edward’s and from the U.S. Department of Education, applicants must also fit federal definitions for migrant and seasonal farm work. CAMP students have experienced something that some consider to have faded into antiquity, but seasonal
and migrant work is still alive in America. Each year, hundreds of students apply for the CAMP program at St. Edward’s, and a mere 42 are accepted. This number is an increase in admission from years past. Those selected receive all the benefits CAMP provides, including funds for room and board and access to a tailored academic support structure. These students’ transitions PROGRAM| 2
bathrooms include new sinks, faucet fixtures, countertops and shower heads. Since Teresa is one of the oldest halls on campus, the electrical systems and bathroom lighting also needed to be upgraded. The hall’s community areas have also been redecorated.
Over the summer, many residence halls on campus underwent major renovations and changes. Teresa Hall, renovated this summer for the first time in over 10 years, experienced the most drastic i mp rov e m e nt s “The important thing inside and out. Resident Assisis that while they tant Colin Stonerenovated things, they cipher said the most beneficial kept the big open i mp rov e m e nt s community spaces.” are the hallway carpeting and the -Colin Stonecipher, resident assistant newly installed laminate floors. Stonecipher said updates to the flooring Added artwork, a fresh coat have significantly decreased of paint and new carpet crethe noise levels in the hall and ate a more welcoming ateliminated unpleasant odors. mosphere and maintain the Rooms in Teresa have also unique social environment in been refurnished. Residents Teresa. have more freedom to per"The important thing is that sonalize their space now that while they renovated things, the built-in storage units they kept the big open comhave been removed from the munity spaces,” Stonecipher rooms. said. In addition, the doorframes Since Teresa is known on were repaired and the bathrooms were significantly UPDATES | 3 remodeled. Updates to the
7 | LIFE & ARTS
10 | GOLF
14 | VIEWPOINTS
Ohio band Red Wanting Blue talks Willie Nelson, the Ed Sullivan Show, and Letterman with Hilltop Views.
Men’s golf will get a taste of the Ivy League when they travel east to play at Yale this coming weekend.
The St. Edward’s University football team is undefeated, absent, and likely never to return–maybe for the better.