INSIDE
5 health tips for the New Year Who is Jason Phillips? PAGE 5 Wikipedia’s Black Out PAGE 4
PAGE 2
A Sundance favorite comes to Dallas PAGE 3
WEDNESDAY
JANUARY 24, 2011 VOLUME 96 ISSUE 48
Wednesday High 55, Low 38 Thursday High 71, Low 50
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POLICY
SMU professor advocates for immigrant acceptance RAHFIN FARUK News Editor rfaruk@smu.edu The United States has always been a nation of immigrants — from nonconformist Puritan settlers in the 15th century to Indian economic migrants in the 1990s. SMU anthropology professor Caroline Brettell has been researching migration in different contexts for her entire academic career. Brettell started her research with the study of migrants from Goa, a small state in India. Eventually, her interests evolved into issues affecting the United States. Her new book “Civic Engagements: The Citizenship Practices of Indian and Vietnamese Immigrants,” which she co-authored with University of Buffalo professor Deborah Reed-Danahay, discusses how new immigrant communities fit into the national landscape. Recent issues like the DREAM Act and fiscal insecurity have made immigration a hot topic once again in American politics. A 2010 Gallup poll revealed that a majority of
HILLSMAN S. JACKSON/SMU
Dr. Caroline Brettell speaks at the Centennial Academic Symposium in the Collins Executive Center Nov. 11, 2011.
Americans want comprehensive immigration reform. Brettell encourages that people keep an open mind about migrants. “We cannot deport 10 million
people,” Brettell said. “But both sides have drawn their lines in the sand and have been unwilling to move since 1986, the last time we had true reform.”
The children of immigrants are often the ones most affected by inaction. “Why shouldn’t smart immigrants, who might have come
BIG IDEAS
to the United States at six months, be able to go on to higher education? It would be economically productive and morally right,” Brettell said. From her office desk, surrounded by bookshelves and newspaper clippings, Brettell delivered an impassioned argument for migrant rights. “If we are a nation of immigrants, we should be more accepting of people,” Brettell said. “People should be talking a lot more about what immigrants do for the community.” Brettell’s most recent research focused on the Dallas area. “Texas is always a top six state for immigrants,” Brettell said. “Dallas deserves more attention.” Dallas is an emerging case study for sociologists and anthropologists because of the rich immigrant base in the city. Indians, Mexicans, Nigerians and Hondurans make up a sizable portion of the city’s population. Brettell believes that the study of key immigrant groups can help increase tolerance across the nation. However, she also believes that recent studies have not asked the right questions of immigrants.
“A National Science Foundation study I did work on wanted to assess the agency. They asked about the economic and social climate,” Brettell said. “But questions like how many immigrants send letters to their congressmen and put up campaign yard signs are too formal.” Immigrants, Brettell says, give the United States a reasonable advantage in comparison to Europe and Japan, which both have aging populations and large entitlement programs that need to be supported by shrinking government revenues. “We are lucky to have an immigrant community that wants to work and is young,” she said. “They contribute to social programs and our tax base.” Brettell has a simple message for all that will listen. “This country has always had to balance the economy, immigration and that indefinable word, assimilation,” Brettell said. “American culture is always changing. Citizenship, in the eyes of the Indian immigrants I interviewed, is simply giving back. That is something we can all agree with.”
TECH
New Facebook app allows for life after death STEPHANIE BROWN News Director stephanieb@smu.edu
SPENCER J EGGERS / The Daily Campus
Matt Gayer sits in his office in Hughes-Trigg, where he works as executive director of Health Literacy Dallas.
Senior promotes health literacy RAHFIN FARUK News Editor rfaruk@smu.edu More than 90 million Americans are affected by health illiteracy annually. Health Literacy Dallas (HLD), an organization originally started through SMU Big iDeas funding, strives to help locals with issues of health communication. “I was surprised to see that Dallas was not doing much about health literacy, and that’s why I initially wanted to do research on the issue,” Matthew Gayer, the organization’s executive director and founder, said. However, Gayer quickly realized that one case study could not address all the problems in the Dallas area, especially in historically underrepresented West and South Dallas. “The number one thing I tell all non-profit startups is to ask themselves if there is a true need for their products and services,” Gayer said. “Too many nonprofits are redundant.” Health Literacy Dallas works with both healthcare professionals and patients to improve communication between providers and recipients of healthcare. “We are doing a training session at Parkland Dallas for residents there,” Gayer said. “We have also hosted community
healthcare fairs in South Dallas before.” But training sessions and community fairs are only a fraction of what the organization does. HLD also helps patients answer important medical questions and learn through issue-specific educational material. “The fear of asking questions because of reading problems or some other issue is a huge obstacle,” Gayer said. The organization often has to serve as a medium between less approachable doctors and apprehensive patients. Health Literacy Dallas has been so successful that Gayer has started Health Literacy Texas, which seeks to connect other major cities with the health literacy network. “We are trying to work with cities like Houston, Austin and San Antonio to reach out to a larger geographical area and share ideas,” Gayer said. Health Literacy Dallas’ geographical expansion is proof that a large portion of the population is affected by health illiteracy. “It’s not just poor neighborhoods. It’s also minorities and the elderly,” Gayer said. No one is free from health inefficacy, as it targets people of all income brackets and educational backgrounds.
“An engineer might be very smart, but he might know very little about healthcare and that could create complications in his future,” Gayer said. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that limited health literacy can affect one’s ability to fill out complex forms, locate providers and services, share personal information such as medical history and understand how to take periodic medicine. For a college senior, Gayer has achieved a great deal. A recipient of the prestigious Truman Scholarship — often referred to as the American version of the Rhodes — Gayer believes that his real-world experience set him apart in the scholarship competition. “The Truman Scholarship is for what you will do, for what you have already committed to doing and for what you have done,” Gayer said. Gayer realizes that starting a non-profit or any other large organization can be a daunting task. “But never be afraid to find a niche for your organization and take advantage of the wonderful opportunities at SMU,” Gayer said.
From allowing users to post photos, share links, browse interests and, more recently, track news, Facebook pretty much has it all when it comes to being the tiptop contender for social media. However, how would you like to preserve your life … on Facebook? A new Facebook application called “If I Die” allows you to continue your presence on the social media site even after you die. The app, developed in Israel, requires you to choose three “friends” to confirm your death, and from there, you can continue to preserve your life
on Facebook. According to the technology website Mashable.com, cofounder of the application Eran Alfonta said, “We all have things to say and don’t necessarily have the audience with the patience to hear us. Actually we all want to leave something behind, we all want to leave a stamp behind us.” “If I Die” allows users to do just that. Users are able to create any number of Facebook posts and messages and can even poke their friends on a schedule that will be published posthumously. After a person’s three “friends” confirm that he or she has died, the app begins to disperse the actions specified by the
initial user. This guarantees that loved ones receive the messages left behind by the deceased. “I think it’s a great way to say goodbye to people, especially since life can be so unexpected. This is a sure way to know that you can tell certain people the things you maybe never get the chance to say before you die,” junior Ally Saltz said. Alfonta anticipates that the application will have over 100,000 users within the next couple of months. Even he has started to create a timeline to send messages to his loved ones after he passes. Perhaps it will become the new way many record their farewells before they pass.
FEATURE
Trigg performs in Vegas CASSANDRA ROBINSON A&E Editor cassandrar@smu.edu Trigg Watson Burrage has more on his resume than just incredible balance. The SMU senior and legendary unicyclist, performed in his first professional magic gig on Thursday, Jan. 12. Known by his stage name, Trigg Watson, he performed four times over the past weekend in a city famous for the magic business, Las Vegas. “I’ve been to Vegas about seven or eight times, but I was excited to come here for my first show that I was professionally booked on,” Watson said. Watson performed for Vegas Magic Theatre at Gold Coast Hotel and Casino. The show featured one main magician, Ben Stone, and four supporting magicians, which
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Photo Courtesy of Trigg Watson Burrage
Trigg Watson Burrage recently traveled to Nevada to perform his magic gig.