TechNews I Special Summer Issue TechNews STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SINCE 1928 McCormick Tribune Campus Center Room 221 3201 South State Street Chicago, Illinois 60616 E-maiL' editor@technewsiit.com Website: http://www.technewsiit.com TechNews STAFF Editor-in-Chief Assistant Editor Ryan Kamphuis Hannah Larson Campus Editor Utsav Gandhi A&E Editor Matti Scannell Sports Editor Ciaran Kohli-Lynch Business Manager Kori Bowns IT Manager Pranava Teja Surukuchi Copy Editors Kori Bowns Kristal Copeland Katie Peters Layout Editors Kori Bowns Swasti Khuntia Karthik Kumar Katie Peters Sowjanya Potha Pranava Teja Surukuchi Distribution Manager Emilie Woog Financial Advisor Vickie Tolbert Faculty Advisor Gregory Pulliam MISSION STATEMENT Our mission is to promote student discussion and bolster the IIT community by providing a newspaper that is highly accessible. a stalwart of journalistic integrity, and a student forum. TechNews is a dedicated to the belief that a strong campus newspaper is essential to a strong campus community. GENERAL INFORMATION TechNews is written, managed, and edited by the students of, and funded in part by, Illinois Institute of Technology. The material herein does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Illinois Institute of Technology or the editors, staff, and advisor of TechNews. There will be no censorship of TechNews publication by the faculty or staff of IIT. Sole authority and responsibility for publication and adherence to the values setforth in this policy rests with the TechNews staff. This paper seeks to bring together the various segments of the Illinois Tech community and strives through balance and content to achieve a position of respect and excellence. TechNews strives for professionalism with due respect to the intellectual values of the university and its community. All materialsubmitted becomes the property of TechNews. and is subject to any editorial decisions deemed necessary. 5 U B M I SS I O N S TechNews is published on the Tuesday of each week of the academic year. Deadline for all submissions and announcements is 11:59 pm. on the Friday prior to publication. Articles, photos, and illustrations must be submitted electronically to the TechNews website at technewsiit.com. EDITORIAL POLICY The editors reserve the right to determine if submitted material meets TechNews' policy and standards. For more information about our editorial standards, please email assteditor@technewsiit.com. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor may be submitted by anyone, but are subject to review by the Editor-in-Chief. All letters-to-the-editor become the property of TechNews upon submission. TechNews does not accept or publish anonymous letters or sto ADVERTISING Legitimate paid advertisements. from within or outside the IIT community, which serve to produce income for the paper. are accommodated. TechNews holds the right to deny any advertisement unsuitable for publication. Media Kits are available upon request. Ad space is limited and is taken on a first-come, first-serve basis. Contact the Business Manager at business@ technewsiit,com for more information. LOCAL 8 NATIONAL ADVERTISERS To place an ad, contact us via email at business@technewsiit.com. Letter from the Editor: Welcome to NT! Illinois Tech is a unique place. Because we’re a small school in the middle of the big city. the environment that our school provides to its students is unlike any other. Our student body is just as unique as our campus, which provides many opportunities for IIT students to learn about other cultures and enjoy the traditions of those cultures. HT is such a wonderfully unique place, and any student who CllUt es to get out and experience it is guaranteed to have some ot‘the best years oltheir litre. 'Ihat‘s what this issue of'l'echNews is all about. 'l'echNews, the student newspaper of the Illinois Institute of Technology since 1928. started printing an issue during the summer last year in order to serve as your one stop shop to hi it Illinois T We’ve got all the information you need to know and in the city oi‘Chicago. on campus hide, from how to n \‘e into your dorm to how to survive the first week ofschool to what to expect during Greek recruitment to what athletics at III has to otler, and much more. We also have information that will help you know what to see and do in Chicago, and how to see it all! This issue isn‘t just for incoming students. We've worked hard on making sure that the iiiI‘o in this issue will help those returning for another year here at UT. 'Ihere are many things changing both at ll’l~ and in (SI ‘ago in the comingmonths,an th‘ ’ going to keep you up to date on th d T ecl Id like to welcome you all to Ill. 1 hope your So, on hehallofmyselll semesters go well, and I hope you all have the time of your lives this semester! See you on campus! Sincerely. Ryan Kamphuis Editor-in-Chief, TechNews Immigration reform bill promotes economic development, importance of education Hannah Larson ASSISTANT EDITOR The debate over immigration reform has become a hot topic due to racist citizenship laws in places like Arizona, and the bipartisan comprehensive bill that is currently struggling on Capitol Hill. Immigration issues can hit close to home at IIT, considering 22.5 percent of the student population is international, according to the Princeton Review (the same publication that ranked IIT in the top 10 of both their “Least Beautiful Campus” and “Least Happy Student” surveys.) Though, one could suggest that our cultural diversity extends beyond that arbitrary percentage. IIT’s own President John Anderson published an opinion piece in the Chicago Sun Times, simply titled “Reform immigration” on May. 25. Anderson wrote the piece on behalf of the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition (ISTC) along with Mark Harris, president and CEO of ISTC. Anderson and Harris stress the importance that immigrants have had and will continue to have on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields (STEM), and emphasize the importance of removing “the barriers that are stifling innovation and limiting opportunity” that have stifled our country, and state. Prejudices and the vilification of immigrants only exacerbate the problems that Anderson and Harris touch on. We all know the dire straits that Illinois infamously boasts; the pension reform that has cost the state a depraved amount of money, the worst credit rating in the country, and second-to-last as the most indebted state. Anderson and Harris go on to stress the importance of investing in Illinois’ economic future, through the act of immigration reform. They suggest that an easier method of immigration would encourage entrepreneurs to create jobs within our community. They express support for the bipartisan legislation that Congress is working to pass. The bill (which has failed to acquire a catchy moniker, see: Obamacare) touts a 13—year trajectory to obtain citizenship, visas given based on skilled work, improved border security, and the removal of categories of visas for extended family members, according to a Washington Post Politics article. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told the Associated Press that though the bill will most likely pass the liberal Senate (projected for June 10), it faces death in the conservative House of Representatives. The redundant solution for the House seems to be collaborating to create a new measure that will be more likely to pass their abilities, instead of struggling in the underground economy.” According to the Center for American Progress’ data, provided by Durbin’s office, in Illinois, more than 40 percent of students who acquire advanced degrees in STEM fields, are immigrants on temporary visas. Their data also suggests that 121,000 jobs would be created annually from the reform’s implementation. . _ m: . NM»... ems—.4, '2. a Photo courtesy of Illinois Institute of Technology’s FIickr the conservative House. The fight over immigration reform comes as no surprise, given that the outdated GOP refuses to change their approach to crucial social issues, including LGBTQ and women’s rights, economic inequality, “entitlement” programs, et cetera. But there’s light at the end of the tunnel. The “Gang of Eight” is the nickname given to the bipartisan senators that have sponsored the immigration reform bill. This group includes Illinois Senator Dick Durbin (D) who made an appearance on IIT’S campus on June 3 to rally support for the bill, according to the Latin American Herald Tribune. Durbin stated that the passage of this bill would mean less time for foreign students, who achieved a degree in the STEM fields, to wait in order to obtain permanent residence. Durbin, according to the article, also outlined provisions for undocumented immigrants. They would be granted an “opportunity to find work in line with The bottom line is this bipartisan immigration reform bill would provide a secure foundation for foreign students who are already studying in the US (and who plan to study here) to take their shot at the elusive “American dream,” and stimulate the economy through job creation, and generating more tax revenue. Who doesn’t love taxes more than Illinois? Opposition to this bill seems to be rooted in deep xenophobia, and prejudice against those who try to gain access to this country legally, and illegally. But then again, this country was founded on illegal, and unwanted immigration, see: the Pilgrims. Political analysts are almost certain this bill will pass the Senate, but the House is entirely another story, and faces far more roadblocks in the coming weeks. To get more involved in immigration issues on IIT’s campus or keep up with the immigration rights movement, contact the IIT student organization, Undocumented Students and Allies (USA) at undocumented.usa.iit@ gmailcom, or find their Facebook page.