Tuesday, February 27, 2001
The University Daily Kansan
Section A • Page 5
Visa concerns affect students from Mexico
By Michelle Ward
writer@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Rodrigo Echagaray would like the choice of staying in the United States after his graduation. But the Mexico City junior has had that decision taken out of his hands by the U.S. federal government, which will most likely send him back to his home country when his student visa expires.
Some University of Kansas international students say the U. S. government needs to differentiate between skilled workers and manual laborers who are immigrating to this country.
An initial meeting of the two new heads of state was highlighted by talks of different immigration policies and labor practices.
"I think there are two different types of people immigrating," Echagaray said. "There are people getting their education and working, and those who have no education and aren't helping the economy. But we are both treated the same."
While Fox wants to open the borders, Bush opposes this plan, favoring a one-year work permit instead.
Echagarray said he thought an open border would open the flood gates as Mexicans rushed to America for a better life. A simple one-year permit may not offer a long-term solution, he said.
"There are a lot of people that want to come to the U.S." Echagaray said. "They would get here, and there would be no jobs for them. They would have to return to Mexico."
Gary Reich, assistant professor in political science, said a greater open door would be more humane. A new policy should acknowledge the role that immigrants play in the economy for the United States as well, Reich said.
Robert Rodriguez, Lawrence graduate student in American studies, would like to open America's borders as he has seen the frustrations of immigration. The red tape makes it difficult for people to join their spouses or family in the United States. Many people don't understand the complications of the policy until they experience it.
"I would love to see the borders open," Rodriguez said. "Will it happen? I don't think so. There are too many sources in the government who don't want to see that happen."
Rodriguez was not impressed by the meeting between two heads of state in San Cristobal, Mexico. He said he thought the meeting was more a get-to-know-you visit than a planning session.
The important topics of the exploitation of Mexican workers by American companies and the corruption of American business weren't even discussed at the Feb. 16 meeting.
"Workers are exposed to very harsh conditions in maquilladoras (sweat shops)," Rodriguez said. "Why is that something not being addressed?"
Instead, there were talks of drug trafficking and President Bush's annual certification of Mexico's compliance in the drug war.
The 14-year-old law has been a source of contention between the two countries, and Reich said he thought a proposed suspension of the policv would help relations between the two.
"I think Mexicans think it's very hypocritical," Reich said. "America is checking on their enforcement while U.S. citizens help provide the market for these drugs. It couldn't help but improve relations."
— Edited by Jennifer Valadez
Signing off
Dianah Greene, maintenance painter, puts some final touches on door signs at the Sign Shop for the new Communication Studies Research Lab in Bailey Hall. The new lab space is expected to be completed within the next month and will offer education students and staff more study room. Photo by Thad Allender/KANSAN
By Lauren Brandenburg
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Complaints more common off-campus
Noise irks neighbors
It's Friday night, and the loud music next door makes the pictures on the wall shake.
On a Friday night, this might be tolerable because it's the weekend, said Jay Sanderson, Douglass junior. But it's not tolerable on weeknights, he said, and it's even less tolerable if the noise is a continuous problem.
Noise complaints aren't too frequent on campus, said Sgt. Troy Mailen of the KU Public Safety Office. But they abound within city limits, said Lawrence police Sgt. Mike Pattrick.
Most of the calls come on weekend nights, Pattrick said, and the calls are generally about loud stereo noise, rather than loud parties.
But ongoing noise or upset neighbors who call to file a formal complaint and request prosecution could change the response, Patrick said.
When a call comes in, officers contact the people in control of the noisy property and let them know the police have received a noise complaint, Pattrick said. The noisy offenders are then given an opportunity to quiet down.
"In that case, if the officers get there and the noise level is enough for a normal person to be disturbed, they issue a notice to appear," he said.
On campus, the complaints are not as frequent, Malen said, and campus housing tends to take care of any complaints within the housing system on its own.
"We get a few, but they're few and far between." Malen said.
when someone does complain, officers knock on the noisy resident's doors, identify themselves and ask the resident to turn down the stereo or limit the noise.
"We're pushing for compliance," Malten said. "We're not there just to cite somebody under the city noise ordinance. We push for compliance first. On subsequent visits we might issue citations."
Off campus, the biggest question is whether the annoyed resident should call the police.
Some apartment residents said they would not call the police because they feared repercussions from their neighbors or because they did not think it was a big problem. Others said talking to the noisy neighbors would not solve anything and calling the police was the only solution.
Sanderson, who lives in the 1400 block of Apple Lane, near 15th Street and Kasold Drive, said he and his roommates usually pounded on the walls and hollered through them for their neighbors to quiet down. When that didn't work, sometimes they called the police.
first semester the people above us would party every night," he said. "A lot of it I put up with and said, 'We're in college. It's going to happen.' But you can only take so much of it."
Cara Haughney, a Shawnee senior who lives in an apartment near 10th and Arkansas streets, said she thought that was the mentality of college students in apartments.
"People just assume that when we're at home, we're wanting to have fun, and it's OK to be loud and obnoxious," she said. "If you're going to study, you literally have to leave to study."
Neon lights OK, but not to illuminate empty bottles
— Edited by Melinda Weaver
Policy on cans doesn't apply to dorm beer signs
By Amanda Beglin writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
— some are attached to University residence halls.
Hundreds of students travel on Iowa Street every day, zooming by huge neon "Bud Light" and "Corona" signs as they drive. But the signs aren't all attached to bars
For years, University of Kansas students have hung beer signs in their windows. But a policy adopted last year, which prohibits students from displaying empty alcohol bottles, brings to question why neon beer signs are OK but bottles are not.
Kent Lavene, McCollum Hall complex director, said distinct differences existed between overlooking beer signs and disciplining students for having empty beer bottles.
"Empty bottles imply they were emptied by residents," Lavene said. "And that interferes with the no alcohol policy we have. A beer sign is OK. It's not even against Kansas law."
Diana Robertson, who oversees residence life as the associate director of student housing, said decorative beer bottles were acceptable for display with permission from each residence hall's complex director.
Aaron Abramovitz, Overland Park freshman and MeCollum Hall resident, said the beer signs didn't bother him much, but people passing by could think otherwise.
"It depends on the person, but I bet some adults would see it and think
college students are just drinkers who get drunk every night," Abramovitz said.
But Bryan Vopat, Wilson freshman and Oliver Hall resident, said it didn't matter what other people thought.
can put up whatever they want.
Robertson said she never had addressed any complaints about residence hall beer sigms.
"Unless it's potentially offensive to the community and the public, we're not going to address it," Robertson said. "It just hasn't been a problem." However, a large sign outside of Jayhawker Towers might be offensive.
"COLD BEER" in red letters is posted in a window near the top of one of the towers, a sign that hundreds of college students see every day and thousands of KU basketball
fans may see as they park their cars before night games.
Lavene said if a displayed sign was vulgar enough he would speak to its owner.
"I'd ask, 'Have you thought how people might view this?'" Lavene said. "But you're entering the realm of freedom of speech, so you have to be careful how you work at that. Ideally, I'd want them to take down the sign. Otherwise, we probably wouldn't be having the conversation."
Lavene said he was careful to deal with residents who had beer signs as individuals.
"I don't think any less of them," Lavene said. "But they do put things up that aren't something I'd put up in my window. It's just a personal preference."
Edited by Leita Schultes
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