War affects foreign students' experience
Campus Times
April 11, 2003
(Left): Samantha Hodges, an international student from Britain, plans
to travel in the summer and return to England to finish her schooling. She
commented on the long process she underwent to get her student visa.
(Right): International student Jorge Lezzam plans to graduate from the Universidad
San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador and return to the United States to receive
his master's degree, despite the current situation with Iraq.
International student Jorge Lezzam does not agree with the war in Iraq,
but despite the current situation that the United States is in, he does
not regret his decision to come here to further his education.
"It's terrible; I don't agree with the war," Lezzam said.
"Bush made the wrong decision."
Lezzam, 22, originally from Ecuador, came to the University of La Verne
to take journalism and film production classes.
"It's a safe small town," Lezzam said. "I have nothing
to worry about around here."
Though he does not fear for his security in La Verne, he said he believes
that there is a high possibility that other foreign students may.
"If the war keeps going, people are going to think twice about
coming here," he said.
Getting student visas has always been a long process for international
students, and with the war, more scrutiny is involved.
"It's always been hard to get visas with immigration problems,
and there are always restrictions," Lezzam said. "Now, there are
more stronger restrictions, they're going to control people from coming
here."
International student Samantha Hodges agreed.
"The student process of getting visas is much more strict,"
she said. "Security is so tight."
Hodges came from Britain to ULV to take some courses in the Communications
Department.
"I came to experience a new culture and a new way of studying,"
Hodges said,
As for the war, Hodges does not support Bush's decision either.
"I just think that it is an unnecessary war; there are other reasons
behind it," Hodges said. "We need to support our troops and have
more unity as a nation."
Currently, 143 International students attend the University of La Verne,
but Phil Hofer, director of the International and Study Abroad Center, is
concerned that the war with Iraq will decrease this number. Hofer said that
parents of current international students and of those students who would
like to study in the United States would be worried for the safety of their
daughters or sons, leading them to think twice of letting them study in
the United States.
"The question of a terrorist attack in a large area is what parents
are concerned about," Hofer said. "For parents of international
students, there is always a big concern for safety."
The Patriot Act passed after the Sept. 11 attacks and other legal actions
by the federal government will also make it harder for International students
to study in the United States, Hofer said.
The USA Patriot Act changed two federal laws that may affect student
record requests.
The Act amended the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act that protects
student's educational records from disclosure without the consent of the
student.
The Act also allows the government to obtain an ex-parte court order,
a court order issued without notice to an adverse party, for education records
in connection with the investigation or prosecution of terrorism crimes,
according to www.gsas.harvard.edu/student/patriot_act.html.
According the Web site, the United States broadened the powers of the
federal government under the previously existing Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
Act to investigate terrorism.
This act allows government agents in an authorized investigation to
obtain court orders that require the production of tangible objects including
books, records, papers, documents, and other items for an investigation
to protect against international terrorism.
Because of the higher scrutiny that will be involved, Hofer said that
there are two different perspectives involved.
While making certain that the United States is secured, Hofer said,
people need to make sure that they do not shut off international students
from coming to the United States.
"Their families are saying no, that they don't want them to come
here," Hofer said. "I am concerned that they will not encourage
their children to come here."
Hodges said that her parents are more concerned than usual, but since
her father and brother are both in the Navy, they are more realistic about
the situation.
"My parents were concerned about the war going on," said Lezzam.
The fact that Southern California is considered a main target for terrorist
attacks, made his parents worry more, Lezzam said.
Hofer said that the war with Iraq does have a different impact on international
students.
"Anytime you are a stranger in a foreign land, and that country
is at war, it raises the level of insecurity," Hofer said.
As for Lezzam, he plans to go back to Ecuador and graduate from the
Universidad San Francisco de Quito and return to the United States to get
his master's degree.
"After a couple of years, it is going to be different," Lezzam
said.
Hodges plans to travel in the summer and return to England to finish
her final years in the University of Gloucestershire.
"I'm not going to stop my life because of what is going on,"
Hodges said.
