1. “Megan Fox is a man!” Headline on Weekly World News Web site - Not libel
2. “Up until the day he died, he was a brilliant writer. But the drugs made him a thief, a pimp and a liar,” said friend Karen Smith, who was with Johnson at the time of his death. - Not libel
3. “In my opinion, Kevin is a murdering rapist,” the prosecutor told the jury. - Not libel
4. "In my opinion, he's a murdering rapist," the man said at the rally. - Libel
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Monday, April 15, 2013
The Undocumented: 1079 Students in Washington
The cost of higher education is becoming an increasing burden for
students at colleges and universities across the United States. In Washington state the undocumented student population is pushing for access to financial aid denied to them due to their legal immigration status.
Undocumented students are students who are not legal permanent residents and do not have a green card, visa, or other legal immigration documentation.
The recent failure of House Bill 1817, which would have granted undocumented students access to state financial aid, was a step backward for the thousands of undocumented students in Washington according to advocates of the undocumented community.
The state of Washington has the 11th largest undocumented population in the U.S. The undocumented population of people under the age of 18 in Washington is between 34,000 and 42,500, according to the Washington State Educational Access Coalition for HB 1079 Students.
Of these thousands of undocumented students many are considered 1079 students, a name given to them after the passing of HB 1079 in 2003.
That law, signed by Gov. Gary Locke, allows undocumented students who have lived in the state for at least three years and earned a high school diploma or GED to pay in-state tuition rates at any state college or university.
Under this law undocumented students are considered residents of the state only for purposes of paying resident tuition rates – their legal immigration status does not change.
As an undocumented person these students do not qualify for federal or state financial aid.
While the law grants greater access to higher education to undocumented students it has not relieved the struggles these students face when searching for ways to fund their education.
According to Marcella Pattinson, bilingual-multicultural financial aid counselor at Washington State University and coordinator for the Coalition for HB 1079 Students, undocumented students must fund their education entirely through scholarships and other private funds.
To subsidize their education many 1079 students must find scholarships, most of which are academically based.
Joaquin Chapar, retention counselor for the Chicana/o Latina/o Student Center at WSU, witnesses how hard 1079 students work to find scholarships and maintain their grades.
According to Chapar, maintaining their grades and staying on top of scholarship deadlines is crucial for 1079 students.
Beyond access to federal or state financial aid, another problem that 1079 students face is employment during and after their education.
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) executive order made by President Obama on June 15, 2012 made it possible for some undocumented students to start practicing after graduation.
Some 1079 students at WSU qualified for a deferred action under DACA and now work for the university, said Chapar.
For those who do not qualify for DACA, or who do not wish to apply, finding employment can be another daily struggle.
Currently 1079 students can only be employed at their institutions if they are paid through a scholarship or stipend not funded by federal or state dollars.
At WSU the only jobs available for 1079 students are with the student-mentoring program through this Office of Multicultural Student Services, said Maria Isabel Morales, graduate assistant at the Chicana/o Latina/o Student Center.
While only one employment option exists for 1079 students at WSU, the institution is doing much to support its 1079 population as well as the states.
“WSU has the best structure set-up to help 1079 students in the state of Washington,” Chapar said.
According to Pattinson, WSU took the lead in the Washington State Educational Access Coalition for HB 1079 Students.
The coalition provides training to administration, faculty, and staff at colleges and universities, K-12 public schools, and other organizations that want to better serve the undocumented student community.
Misinformation or a lack of knowledge about the rights of 1079 students is a problem that Pattinson, Chapar, and Morales all encounter.
Understanding that 1079 students are just like every other documented student is something that Pattinson, Chapar, and Morales all hope the public sees when they interact with potential 1079 students.
“We have to understand that 1079 students are just like everybody else,” Pattinson said.
Educating the public about the struggles of 1079 students is the best way to start better serving this community and breaking down barriers to their education, said Chapar.
Sources:
Web Sources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRrYXxMu4jc&feature=youtu.be
Undocumented students are students who are not legal permanent residents and do not have a green card, visa, or other legal immigration documentation.
The recent failure of House Bill 1817, which would have granted undocumented students access to state financial aid, was a step backward for the thousands of undocumented students in Washington according to advocates of the undocumented community.
The state of Washington has the 11th largest undocumented population in the U.S. The undocumented population of people under the age of 18 in Washington is between 34,000 and 42,500, according to the Washington State Educational Access Coalition for HB 1079 Students.
Of these thousands of undocumented students many are considered 1079 students, a name given to them after the passing of HB 1079 in 2003.
That law, signed by Gov. Gary Locke, allows undocumented students who have lived in the state for at least three years and earned a high school diploma or GED to pay in-state tuition rates at any state college or university.
Under this law undocumented students are considered residents of the state only for purposes of paying resident tuition rates – their legal immigration status does not change.
As an undocumented person these students do not qualify for federal or state financial aid.
While the law grants greater access to higher education to undocumented students it has not relieved the struggles these students face when searching for ways to fund their education.
According to Marcella Pattinson, bilingual-multicultural financial aid counselor at Washington State University and coordinator for the Coalition for HB 1079 Students, undocumented students must fund their education entirely through scholarships and other private funds.
To subsidize their education many 1079 students must find scholarships, most of which are academically based.
Joaquin Chapar, retention counselor for the Chicana/o Latina/o Student Center at WSU, witnesses how hard 1079 students work to find scholarships and maintain their grades.
According to Chapar, maintaining their grades and staying on top of scholarship deadlines is crucial for 1079 students.
Beyond access to federal or state financial aid, another problem that 1079 students face is employment during and after their education.
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) executive order made by President Obama on June 15, 2012 made it possible for some undocumented students to start practicing after graduation.
Some 1079 students at WSU qualified for a deferred action under DACA and now work for the university, said Chapar.
For those who do not qualify for DACA, or who do not wish to apply, finding employment can be another daily struggle.
Currently 1079 students can only be employed at their institutions if they are paid through a scholarship or stipend not funded by federal or state dollars.
At WSU the only jobs available for 1079 students are with the student-mentoring program through this Office of Multicultural Student Services, said Maria Isabel Morales, graduate assistant at the Chicana/o Latina/o Student Center.
While only one employment option exists for 1079 students at WSU, the institution is doing much to support its 1079 population as well as the states.
“WSU has the best structure set-up to help 1079 students in the state of Washington,” Chapar said.
According to Pattinson, WSU took the lead in the Washington State Educational Access Coalition for HB 1079 Students.
The coalition provides training to administration, faculty, and staff at colleges and universities, K-12 public schools, and other organizations that want to better serve the undocumented student community.
Misinformation or a lack of knowledge about the rights of 1079 students is a problem that Pattinson, Chapar, and Morales all encounter.
Understanding that 1079 students are just like every other documented student is something that Pattinson, Chapar, and Morales all hope the public sees when they interact with potential 1079 students.
“We have to understand that 1079 students are just like everybody else,” Pattinson said.
Educating the public about the struggles of 1079 students is the best way to start better serving this community and breaking down barriers to their education, said Chapar.
Sources:
- Maria Isabel Morales - maria.morales@wsu.edu
- Joaquin Chapar - jbchapar@wsu.edu
- Marcel Pattinson - marcela.pattinson@wsu.edu
Web Sources:
- http://www.finaid.wsu.edu/1079.html
- http://coalition.wsu.edu/media/616000/resource-guide-v8.pdf
- http://www.hb1079.org/payingforcollege.htm
- http://www.leapwa.org/resources/data.asp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRrYXxMu4jc&feature=youtu.be
Monday, April 8, 2013
Census Data Exercise
Finding County and City Data
·
Walla Walla County Census Data
o
18.2% of residents live in poverty compared to
the 12.5% of residents of Wash. State who live in poverty
o
14.1% of residents have at least a bachelor’s
degree
o
19.8% of residents speak a language other than
English
o
3.8% of residents are unemployed
o
The average commute for workers is 15.3 minutes
o
6.6% of workers 16 years and older work in
agriculture, forestry, fishing and dunting, and mining
o
13.9% of households earn less than $15,000
o
13.8% of households receive food stamps
o
The median earning for a male is $44,649
o
The median earning for a female is $35, 835
·
Address Search
o
85% of my neighborhood in Pullman is white
o
90% of my neighborhood in Walla Walla is white
o
There is not much of a difference in terms of
the diversity among my Pullman and Walla Walla neighborhoods.
·
Poverty Map
o
The state with the highest poverty level is
Mississippi with 22.4% of residents living in poverty
o
In the state of Washington, Whitman county has
the highest percentage of residents living in poverty with 24.4% for all ages
o
In the state of Washington, Yakima county has
the highest percentage of residents under the age of 18 living in poverty with
35.4%
o
In Washington state the three elementary school
districts with the highest levels of poverty are:
§
Benge – 60.0%
§
Skykomish – 57.91%
§
Wapato - 46.1%
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