GUEST WRITER
APU’s Student Government Association voted last Wednesday to not pass a resolution endorsing the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.
According to SGA president Tyler Prieb, the resolution would have sent a letter to the administration on behalf of the student body, asking them to discuss and consider support for the DREAM Act.
The DREAM Act, an act in Congress, would give undocumented students access to student loans and put them on the path to legal residency and citizenship.
Over 50 students, both supporters and opponents, attended the SGA meeting, which had to be relocated to LAPC. Both SGA members and students from the audience participated in a discussion focused mainly around whether SGA should take a stance on political issues.
“Should APU make political decisions as a university? I do not think it should,” senior political science major Paul Ward said in his speech to SGA.
However, some supporters of the DREAM Act disagreed.
“Yes it is a political issue, but it affects students at APU and students who want to come here, so SGA needs to address it,” said sophomore global studies and spanish major Daniela Castañeda, who attended the meeting.
According to Prieb, the decision does not mean that SGA opposes the DREAM Act, but merely that SGA has decided not to take a stance on it.
Following the announcement of the decision, supporters and opponents displayed their discontent.
“This is an issue of human rights. [These students] have not made the decision they are being punished for,” senior political science major Kaitlin McGarvey said. “They can’t go back to their home country, but we don’t allow them to contribute to the livelihood and prosperity of our society.”
Students also voiced their opinions on Facebook, mainly on the SGA page. Some students demonstrated their frustration at SGA’s decision by changing their profile picture to a modified version of SGA’s “Speak Up” logo, which read “Shut Up.”
“SGA essentially demonstrated that there is no point in speaking up unless you agree with the perceived majority,” senior political science major and Latin American Student Association president Matthew Gonz?lez said.
Other students stand behind SGA and their decision.
“Their motto says that they will listen, not necessarily that they will agree,” sophomore biochemistry major Stephanie King said. “The decision doesn’t mean they didn’t listen, just that they chose an alternative.”
Prieb believes that SGA has fulfilled its promise to listen to students and has carefully considered the DREAM Act.
“SGA has spent several weeks discussing this issue and to suggest that we have ignored these students is unwarranted,” Prieb said.
Many supporters have vowed to continue to support and raise awareness for the DREAM Act, despite SGA’s decision, something that even opponents, such as Ward, support.
“I would love to have discussions with them about the merits of the act,” Ward said. “I just don’t think SGA was the right place [for it].”
Despite the controversy and frustration over the decision, students can still make a difference when it comes to the DREAM Act.
“If all these students write to their Congress person and take a stance on the issue, it will have a much greater impact than simply adding APU to the list of schools which support the DREAM Act,” Prieb said.
“This is an issue of human rights. [These students] have not made the decision they are being punished for,” senior political science major Kaitlin McGarvey said. “They can’t go back to their home country, but we don’t allow them to contribute to the livelihood and prosperity of our society.”