Education is a right

My parents were born in Mexico and recently became U.S. citizens. Their transition was not easy. Their struggles and hardships were my driving agents to pursue a higher education.

As a U.S. citizen, I had the opportunity to attend college and I have hope that my economic situation will be better than my parents.’ The reality is that most Americans take their U.S. citizenship for granted and do not see this status as one that opens doors to opportunities, including higher education. Unfortunately, not everyone has equal opportunities, especially undocumented students.

Education in this country is regarded as a privilege, not a right, leaving many undocumented students without hope of pursuing a higher education. Americans who value education need to realize that we all share common aspirations, including the goal of having a higher education to obtain better social and economic opportunities. We need to see the bigger picture here. Undocumented students are part of the 12 million illegal immigrants in America, and to simply deport them is a waste, especially when they can bring revenue to a crumbling economy. I believe that the DREAM Act can positively impact California’s economy. Supporting the DREAM Act will not only impact California’s economy, but also resolve the issue of illegal status for many undocumented students.

Nancy Villalpando
Sociology

Bullying starts early

Recent reports of suicides in the LGBT community have sparked campaigns to bring support for LGBTs and a higher consciousness surrounding bullying. Although these campaigns work to eliminate hate and stereotyping, we must not rely on campaigns to change things. As the sister of someone in the LGBT community, I can speak of the damaging and long-lasting effects bullying can have on a person’s self esteem and well-being. Knowing that children attack vulnerable and susceptible children is enough to convince me that these acts are what drive some to the edge or suicide.

When I think of how early bullying starts, I cannot help but ask, “Where do all these hateful ideas come from?” Looking back, I know that if children were taught tolerance and acceptance from an early age, we would not be facing tragic deaths of victims of bullying. We should demand our Secretary of Education to include gender identity and sexual orientation in anti-bullying programs across the nation. We must examine our way of thinking and ask if there is something within it that creates shame and fear others are living in.

Things will not get better if we do not make them better.

Estela Acebedo
Sociology

Smoke-free casinos

Why don’t many people want casinos to be smoke-free? I used to hate sitting next to the smoking section in a restaurant and was glad when smoking in restaurants was finally banned. Legislators made the ban a case for worker’s safety. I bet casino workers would also like to work in a safe environment. My reasoning is selfish””I do not want to be surrounded by cigarette smoke when I am trying to play with lady luck. But I would be willing to focus on the safety of the workers to give them a fair shake. Secondhand smoke is a known carcinogen. Where are all the people complaining about this? Have we all been too conditioned to accept smoking in casinos? If casinos know we want the change, they will not worry about scaring off patrons and they might gain some new ones.

The next time you visit one of our local casinos, let them know how you feel. Tell the dealer you wish it were a non-smoking casino. Talk to a floor manager and tell them you are not satisfied with the small non-smoking section. Smoking is gross. You don’t see it at the university like my parents did in their day. Let’s change our attitudes and stand up for the employees of casinos.

Thomas Duran
MBA

Campaigns too costly

The cost of campaigns in America has gone overboard. There is no feasible way anyone who isn’t wealthy or willing to play puppet to large corporations and unions is able to run for public office. The skyrocketing price of campaigns has forced minority parties out and moneymakers in. Do these moneymakers have our best interest in mind or do they want to hold public office as a form of income? The answer to this problem is The Fair Elections Now Act.

The Fair Elections Now Act is a Bill that has passed through committee in the House, and is ready for the full House vote during the lame duck session before January. The bill will allow federal candidates to choose to run for office without relying on financial contributions from businesses, money bundlers or lobbyists. Candidates can choose the traditional way or follow the bill and get funded 4 to 1 with the highest allowed individual contribution of $100.

Today, Meg Whitman has raised $109,932,834 with $91,055,806 coming from “Candidate Contributions” (followthemoney.org). Jerry Brown has raised $27,504,007 (followthemoney.org). These numbers prove a trend in modern American Democracy that on paper looks like an elitist society with only those who have the financial backing being able to run and hold public office.

Call Jim Costa and ask him to co-sponsor the Fair Elections Now Act! 559-495-1620

Susan Renfro
Sociology-American Humanics-Democracy Matters

Gay females overlooked

The article titled “N.J. students deserve punishment” published Oct.11 mentioned incidents involving homosexual students, but not once was a girl mentioned. All the incidents had to do with homosexual males. I was just wondering why that was.

Maria Marin
Liberal Studies

Truth on recycling

I was told by a colleague not to worry about putting recyclables in the trash because she had been told that all waste at Fresno State was being sorted. But the compelling investigative report by Ana Mendoza reveals the ugly truth: It all ends up in the landfill. Bravo to The Collegian for doing what real journalists do””question authority, investigate important issues and find “truth.” Bravo also to Megan Morales for her story on homelessness. Keep up the important work.

Benjamin Boone
Professor of Music Theory and Composition

Recycling bins scarce

In the Sept. 13 issue of The Collegian, Lisa Kao, administrator of Environmental Health and Safety, stated, “We have blue recycling bins behind every building and individuals are allowed to throw their own recyclables in there as well.” We took it upon ourselves to locate the recycle bins around campus. We walked, on foot, around the entire campus with a campus map and marked where we found recycling bins. To our dismay, we only found nine large recycling bins, all located in faculty parking lots. The only easily accessible bins we found were located in the University Student Union. If there are recycling bins in the buildings they were placed there and are monitored by student organizations.

We expressed our concerns to our faculty advisor, Dr. Matthew Jendian, who encouraged us to write this response.

As avid recyclers, we know most people will not go out of their way to recycle. We are asking the university to place recycling bins next to all trash cans on campus. We are prepared to assist this university in being green. We invite other interested student to join in our effort. You can email us at [email protected] or [email protected]. You can also contact us through our advisor Dr. Matthew Jendian at [email protected].

Jasmyn Laday and Rachel Johnson
Sociology