Social Justice

Students and faculty at the University of Michigan challenged a ban on racial preferences in public university admissions and government hiring in Michigan in federal court last Tuesday. The plaintiffs predict the case will eventually continue to the U.S. Supreme Court. The ban was passed by Michigan voters in 2006 as Proposition 2, which made it illegal to consider race in admissions at the University of Michigan. Proponents of racial preferences have fought the ban through campaigning, protest and now a constitutional challenge. “A lot of people think inequalities are gone just because

Moved by the story of a Chicago student’s possible deportation, the Chicago City Council approved a resolution on Nov. 18 in favor of legislation to protect students who are children of illegal immigrants. The legislation, called the DREAM Act, would allow enrolled college or university students to gain a path to legal citizenship if they have been in the U.S. for at least five years, and if they came to the U.S. when they were less than 15 years old. Rigoberto Padilla, 21, is facing deportation to Mexico on Dec. 16 after having been charged with a misdemeanor and given court supervision fo

The student body at University of North Texas will vote this week to decide whether same-sex couples can run for homecoming court. The possibility of allowing same-sex couples in a prominent social position may signal a cultural shift for UNT. Currently, homecoming king and queen run as couples and not individuals. Earlier this year student activists protested a Senate vote that banned same-sex couples from running for homecoming. In response, the Senate passed a motion by 22-1 that called for a referendum of the student body on the issue. From Monday, November 16th to Friday, November 2

Last week, a handful of University of Iowa students attended a “Know Your Rights” training session geared to help them  educate immigrants about their constitutional rights and spread the message that no human should be considered illegal. The training was sponsored by the UI Center for Human Rights as part of its 10th anniversary celebration.    The first of a two-part training program, Saturday’s session taught students how to deliver “Know Your Rights” presentations to educate immigrants on their rights in case of arrest or detainment.   Sandra Sanchez, director of t

Though the H1N1 virus appears to be spreading in Multnomah County, Oregon, home of Portland State University, the county does not have H1N1 vaccines. During the first two weeks of October, the county saw 26 cases reported jumping to 124 cases by Oct. 30. According to Mary Beth Collins, executive director of the Center for Student Health and Counseling, Portland State will not have the H1N1 vaccine available until late November. The few vaccines available have been given only to pregnant women and young children.   Students on campus have voiced strong concerns over the lack of H1N1 v

As the U.S. Senate starts to consider health care reform, four graduate students from the University of New Mexico sought to educate their peers with a rally for the public option last week.   The students, Justin Thompson, Erica Martinez, Amber Whiting, and Angelica Baca, started planning a rally in support of the public option for a class at UNM in order to educate students who were not up-to-date on the issues.   “We were able to make a coalition of student organizations, a sort of student front,” Thompson said. “The fact that the issue impacted us so much that we took on a de

On Nov. 3, a group of 50 San Jose State University students protested police brutality in front of San Jose City Hall, prompted by what students charge was unnecessary police violence against international student Phung Ho, arrested the week of Oct. 28. Students aimed to raise awareness of police brutality across the country. "We came out today to support Phung Ho, the SJSU international student who was tased by San Jose police, but also to show how serious this issue is outside of the Vietnamese community," said Steven Do, a community service chair for the Vietnamese Student Association at

Students at University of California at Los Angeles lobbied Oct. 22 and 23 for the DREAM Act—legislation designed to provide financial aid for undocumented college students. DREAM stands for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors, and is touted by supporters as a necessary step in solving the immigration problem in America.   Sofia Campos, an undocumented high school senior applying to UCLA, thinks making college an opportunity for the children of immigrants will help in creating a more educated work force, and streamlining the citizenship process will allow people to put th