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.