Dream Act Finally Passes in New York
by Zarin Siddiqua
“DACA students’ lives should be valued. It is important that they have equal opportunities such as access to Financial Aid that will open their doors to success,” said Kayla Bannered, a Lehman Student majoring in Sociology.
Those opportunities are now closer to being realized in New York. According to the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation, in June of 2019 the Democratic party was able to pass legislation to approve the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. This program aims to help undocumented youth who came to this country under the age of 18 gain legal status, education and work permits. It also promises undocumented students access to grants and scholarships that support higher education cost.
The battle for the DREAM Act has been fought for decades. According to the Immigration Council, then-president Barack Obama first proposed to protect Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients in 2010, which sought to prevent their deportation and help them get work permits. Eight years later, the Democratic party won the New York State Senate and one of its first priorities became the protection of undocumented immigrants.
Gaining a college education has always been difficult for Dreamers because they don’t get financial aid or tuition assistance programs. This means that undocumented students face many more challenges. According to the New York State Dream Act, about 8,300 DACA students attend public institutions for higher education in New York. The City University of New York (CUNY) along with Lehman College have provided an excellent support and resources for these students to thrive.
CUNY Citizenship Now provides free immigration-related consultation, assisting undocumented students with applications for citizenship and educating them about their legal rights and access to higher education. Lehman College also holds different events and sessions to educate dreamers about DACA Debrief, immigration guides and Legal Resources presentation. Lehman also stays committed to supporting the Dream Act through The Lehman Dream Team, created by undocumented students and their allies to make a safe and friendly environment for students who live in the shadows.
According to the news website Thinkprogress, assemblywoman Catalina Cruz suggests that because the approval of the Dream Act proposal took almost decade, it will take more years to be finalized. Cruz herself was undocumented when she first arrived the US, and experienced firsthand how limited resources created great struggles for her to obtain a higher education.
“I hope the Dreamers get every opportunity that they deserve just like every other student in America, because they too are American,” said Bricenia Diaz, a Lehman sophomore majoring in Psychology and minoring in Middle school and High School Education.
Some Lehman staff suggest the officialization of the Dream Act will result in more successful graduations within CUNY. “It would be nice to see a change in some demographics in the CUNY system,” said Mark Keegan, a professor of history at Lehman College. Getting access to more opportunities will allow more people to attend college and have a career.
Lehman Professor Fired After NYPD Charges Him with Arson, Trespassing
Marc Lamparello. Photo credit: Lehman College
by Felicha C. Stevens
A part-time Lehman College philosophy professor was charged with attempted arson, trespassing and reckless endangerment at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, two days after an electrical fire destroyed much of the 800-year-old Notre Dame’s Cathedral in Paris on April, 15, 2019.
Marc Lamparello, a 37-year-old Hasbrouck Heights N.J. resident, taught online classes as an adjunct lecturer at both the Lehman College and Brooklyn College philosophy departments. On April 17, 2019 Lamparello was arrested on Fifth Avenue and 50th Street near the Cathedral, while carrying four gallons of gas, two bottles of lighter fluid and a plastic bag.
A security guard who works at the church spotted Lamparello as he entered the church with the items in his hands. During his questioning, he alleged the Cathedral was a shortcut to his car parked on Madison Avenue, which needed gas. But after searching his vehicle, the police found his car tank was full, debunking his alibi. Two days before Lamparello’s arrest at Saint Patrick’s cathedral, he was also apprehended at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey for not adhering to their closing-time schedule.
Since being charged, Lamparello has undergone a psychiatric evaluation at Bellevue Hospital and has since been fired from both Lehman College and Brooklyn College.
“It’s really weird because he was a philosophy professor, what were his ideas when he was doing that?” said Lehman sophomore Gianna Gonzalez, a 19-year old Film and Tv Studies major. “That’s a danger to us, as students because he’s in the same campus as us. And what example is he giving his students?”
“I was very surprised when I found out he was a Lehman professor,” said Lehman junior Breny Zunaga, a 25-year old Dietary major, and Manhattan resident. “Actually, it’s not that surprising now days because there are a lot of crazy people in the streets.” He heard the news through an email sent by Lehman College Vice President Jose Magdaleno, which stated that since Lamparello was a professor on campus they were going to find another professor to substitute his class because there were still students taking that class,” Zunaga added.
Shortly after this incident, three predominantly African American Baptist churches were burned down in Louisiana as hate crimes within 10 days of each other. Holden Matthews, 21, son of a local sheriff, was charged with these hate crimes.
“I don’t understand why hate crimes are done,” Gonzalez commented. “I think people should respect others for who they are, if you don’t like them because of that then don’t talk to them.”
“I’m a Christian and we believe that’s not right. We should care for each other instead of hating each other,” said Zunaga. “It doesn’t matter what religion we practice, we are all human beings, and we deserve to be treated with respect and love.”
In the wake of these crimes, New York City’s temples, churches, and cathedrals have been under high supervision by the NYPD to detect nearby suspicious activity.
Sarah Ramsey, a spokesperson for Lehman, said the school is aware of what happened at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and is “taking appropriate steps to terminate the individual's employment with the college.”
CUNY Has a New Latino Chancellor
By Sally Barrilla
On May 1st, 2019, Dr. Matos Rodriguez became CUNY’s first Latino chancellor.
Rodriguez, who is Puerto Rican and a former president of Hostos Community and Queens Colleges, was approved without opposition by CUNY’s fourteen-member board of trustees, students, and faculty.
Several Lehman students and faculty reacted positively to his appointment and wondered what changes he will bring to CUNY.
“I believe it’s wonderful for CUNY to appoint its first chancellor of color,” said Dr. Melissa Castillo Planas, an assistant professor of English at Lehman College. “My greatest hope is that this election brings a more effective leadership that rethinks and questions the culture at Lehman College that is largely ignoring its responsibilities as a Hispanic Serving Institution in terms of curriculum, advising and faculty hiring,” she added. “Also, I would love to see diversity movements that reverberate all throughout CUNY, especially Lehman.”
Lehman student Otto Conde also expressed excitement. “Color is a huge deal in the country; I think the impact depends on the town or borough the chancellor decides to focus on. Whatever area he chooses will help people of color to increase their experience and chances of finding work and economic stability in no time without a waitlist.”
Rodriguez has a master’s degree from Yale and a PhD from Columbia University, and is board chairman of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C. that aims to increase the enrollment of Hispanic students in higher education.
During his five and six-year presidencies of Queens and Hostos Community Colleges, his work was recognized to have transformed both communities for both students and faculty. He is also well known for expanding the minority students’ retention rate at both institutions which granted him several awards. Also, his commitment in reconstructing the way minority students view CUNY as a community increased his reputation, but it also ensured CUNY is helping students create achievements.
According to QNS, Rodriguez said, “I am deeply grateful and tremendously excited to lead the nation’s foremost urban public university, particularly at this time when our mission and commitment to excellent public higher education has never been more vital. This is an extraordinary opportunity for anyone who is passionate about the role CUNY plays in the lifeblood of the city, anyone who is deeply committed to opening the doors of educational excellence and economic and social mobility to all the people of New York,” said Rodriguez.