Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 6, 2002)
A ’I TN e CI ac I camas P rint ww 5 WEdNEsdAy, FsbRUARy 6, 2002 Clackamas Print editor and international student .subject of KATU Channel Two News story; inability to acquire green card the focus continue her education here. In Gennany, Jirasek would be Opinion Editor able to get her education for free. KATU Channel Two News was Still, she wishes to stay in the on campus Jan. 29 interviewing United States. “I really like it here. I don’t want Maggie Jirasek, editor-in-chief of to go back to Germany,” she said. The Clackamas Print. She has a story she wants the “The United States has good edu world to hear, but especially other cational offerings.” Jirasek’s tuition at Clackamas international students who might have problems the same as herself: typically costs her about $2,000 a getting their green cards so they term for 12 credit hours. A typical can stay in the United States, - a Oregon resident would pay about Jirasek has been in the United $600 for a 12-credit term. She will States for a little more than four be unable to transfer to a univer years and has been waiting for her sity until she gets her green card green card for more than 12 years. because her family won’t be able Her father had to apply for the en to afford it. tire family. That is, until Jirasek “My family is not rich. It (edu turned 21, which she did on Dec. 5. cation) is kind of expensive,” said She now has to file separately Jirasek. for herself and the process will start With a green card she can also all over again. After the Sept. 11 start working in United States and attacks, things changed, and have income other than what her whether the process slowed prima family sends her. Currently, she is rily or partly because of this is still only allowed to work on campus. being looked at. “I can’t work. I can’t even apply “It’s just so confusing,” said for any type of scholarship or Jirasek. “I don’t know why it’s tak loan,” said Jirasek. “I would like to ing so long. It could partly be be get a job, get my degree and work cause of Sept. 11, but I’m not sure.” for a newspaper or maybe write for It began 13 years ago when thé National Geographic.” Jirasek’s dad came to the United KATU received an e-mail and States and visited his brother. phone call from one of Jirasek’s According to Jirasek, someone has. friends hoping that it would help to sponsor you so you can get a her get her green card faster. green card issued. Jirasek’s uncle “We received an e-mail or maybe agreed to sponsor her family.' So phone tip, either way we followed the process began and they have up on it,” said Bob Heye, the been waiting ever since. They have KATU reporter on campus. “Some been writing letters to the Ameri of the best stories come from can Embassy in Frankfurt and to people coming forward,” he added. the U. S. government and yet no The story will tell of Jirasek’s one seems to know what is going problem and how she wishes to on. stay in the United States. The story “My dad keeps calling them (the should air sometime the week of Embassy) and they tell him to call Feb. 4, but a definite date has not the United States,” she said. been set. Jirasek has been attending “It (the story) is centered on her Clackamas for nearly three years and whether she is being scruti and hopes to get her associate’s nized because of Sept. 11,” said degree and transfer to a university. Heyes., Her primary choice at this point is When asked what advice she the University of Oregori in Eu would give other international stu gene, but with a light in her eyes dents in her same situation, she she says she’d like to maybe try said, “Never give up. Fight for your Hawaii. But if she doesn’ t get her dreams. The only way to get go green card, she will be unable to ing is to stick one foot forward.” SALENA DE LA CRUZ Above: Clackamas Print Editor-in-Chief Maggie Jirasek works on the layout of the paper while KATU photojournalist Don Stapleton films her. News Editor Frank Jordan looks on, and Opinion Editor Salena De La Cruz talks with KATU reporter Bob Heye behind them. KATU sent Heye and Stapleton to Clackamas to cover Jirasek’s problems with the Immigration and Naturalization Service and her inability to get a green card to stay in the United States to finish her education. Although a definite date has not been set to air this story on Channel Two News, the story should air soon. Right: KATU reporter Heye is shown talking to Clackamas Print sta on the story that he is covering. Budget: Clackamas looking in better shape than other community colleges Continued from page 1 of community college officials last week and came away sur prised and dismayed at how some of the other schools in the state system planned to deal with this budget crisis. “The issue is being ad dressed by all of the commu nity colleges in widely varying manners. Some of the commu nity colleges are planning to absorb all of their state cuts at once, while others, like Clackamas, are planning to Computer Virus Alert spread it out over a period of time. “We at Clackamas have been so fortunate that we have been able to plan for something like this for the last several years. We are definitely not in the same boat as some of our com munity college brethren.” Johnson wanted to reiterate that although there will be some pain handed out by the Legis lature this weekend, Clackamas Community College is ready to deal with the reality that may od'cur. “Our main priorities are to protect students, programs and staff: To maintain all of our programs at the same level that they are currently and to get ready to expand our school. We want our students to come to Clackamas to get the educa tion that they want and to move on to bigger and better things with their lives. The college will get through this crisis, and I might add, a whole lot better off than some of our fellow institutions. Stability is the key.” -the ‘ : Only^pcs"attachment is opened, run : \ ' Éwith^^^S Norton 'Antivirus Scan and phot(^irom0li^^^^^ÿde^01s!with‘^mes' that Heading hgga my partyr MIKE POLLOCK / Clackamas Print Get your Foodhandler Card ON-LINE www .foodhandler .org Contact Cherheketa Community College’s Hospitality Systems Mana gement Program Start anytime. Tuition: $15 503-399-5146 CHEMEKETA COMMUNITY COLLEGE www .chemeketa.edu Chemeketa Commuruty Collage is an equal opportunity , affiimatn/e action Institution.
