politics
January 24, 2020
Indiana bill would grant driver’s licenses to undocumented Hoosiers
A bill in the Indiana House of Representatives would grant driver’s licenses to the 100,000 Indiana residents who lack legal documentation, easing the constant fear that accompanies undocumented drivers. The bill, House Bill 1083, is sponsored by Representatives Chris Campbell and J.D. Ford, and has been introduced for years but has never been scheduled for a vote. The bill was assigned to the roads and transportation committee on Jan. 7, but has yet to be scheduled for public hearing. If it does not receive a hearing, it will be shelved until next year. Goshen College doesn’t know the exact number...
November 29, 2019
White House correspondent to speak at Goshen College
On Nov. 25, Katie Rogers, an Elkhart native and current White House correspondent for The New York Times, is coming to campus to present a Yoder Public Affairs Lecture titled “Covering the White House in an Age of Misinformation, Mistruths and Mistrust.” Rogers began working for the New York Times in 2014 as a breaking news reporter. As a White House correspondent, she has been covering the Trump Administration since the inauguration in 2017. She has written several groundbreaking pieces, uncovered sexual harassment in Congress and written an exclusive story about a congressman who used federal funds to settle a...
November 29, 2019
Students participate in mock UN climate negotiation
“The numbers need to go up! Be reasonable! Be practical!” Representatives from the U.S., China, India, the European Union (EU) and other developed and developing nations scrambled around Newcomer 19, as they frantically searched for negotiations with each other that would help alleviate the global climate crisis. The bartering continued as promises were made, accusations thrown around and national budgets stretched. Senior Mandira Panta arranged the mock UN climate negotiation as a way to involve students in a real-world experience on how countries come together in an attempt to solve the greatest threat facing the world in the coming years....
November 13, 2019
Dreamers and allies gather in solidarity
The legal status of approximately 700,000 Dreamers in the United States lies in limbo. On Nov. 12, the U.S. Supreme Court held a hearing to hear the case brought against Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) by the Trump administration. The challenge against DACA is based on the claim that President Obama did not have the authority to create such a program. Halfway across the country, students at Goshen College gathered to show solidarity for “Dreamers.” Latino Student Union (LSU) and the Elkhart County Hope Network sponsored the event in the Union Commons, where over 70 people, young and old,...
October 2, 2019
City council breakdown
On Tuesday, Nov. 5th, elections will be held for all Goshen government officials. The Goshen City Council is made up of seven common council members, five of which represent districts and two of which are members at large. Currently, three out of the five district members are Republicans and two are Democrats. At-large members include Julia King, Democrat, and Brett Weddle, Republican, both running for re-election. The council is governed by Goshen Mayor Jeremy Stutsman. Each member of the council is elected for a four-year term, the current term concluding Dec. 31, 2019. City government works on the local level,...
February 21, 2019
GC students testify for hate crimes legislation
A note from Siana Emery, executive editor: Following completion of this article, the Indiana Senate amended Senate Bill 12, removing all of the protected classes, such as race and sexual orientation, from the bill. The amendment, authored by Sen. Aaron Freeman, passed 33-16. Gov. Holcomb said Tuesday night that, “The version of the bill approved today by the Senate does not get Indiana off the list of states without a bias crime law.” He said he will continue to fight for an alternate outcome. The bill will have a third reading later this week. It is unclear whether it will...
January 26, 2019
Senior social work students attend third annual People’s Inauguration
Goshen College social work students who are enrolled in senior seminar traveled to South Bend on Sunday Jan. 20 as the Michiana Social Justice Coalition presented “The People’s Inauguration II: No Hate IN Our State.” The event was held at the Islamic Society of Michiana. The purpose of this event was to educate and gather support from the community to influence policy on hate crimes in Indiana. 17 local social justice organizations were present at the event, including La Casa de Amistad, Moms Demand Action, The LGBTQ Center and the Jewish Federation of St Joseph Valley. The event...
November 2, 2018
Students to exercise right to vote for the first time
In this midterm election, many Goshen College students have decided it’s time for them to make sure their voices are being heard, and the first step is voter registration. Cara Wilson, a sophomore at Goshen College and first-time voter, was unsure about registering until she went to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to renew her permit. The official at the Indianapolis BMV simply asked Wilson if she would like to register to vote. Surprisingly, Wilson said, she did not have to fill out a lot of forms, making the voter registration process a quick one. “All I had to do...
November 2, 2018
Mennonites shift political involvement
Bob Buzzard, 74-year-old resident of Greencroft Communities in Goshen, said his parents were wary of the polls. “When I grew up, we were not allowed to vote,” explained Buzzard, who was raised in a traditional Mennonite household where faith and following the tenets of the church almost always took precedence over political participation. It was not until the 1960 presidential election, when the Democratic candidate, John F. Kennedy, defeated the Republican nominee, Vice President Richard Nixon, that Buzzard’s parents decided to break from tradition. They voted for the first time, in middle age. In the heat of the Vietnam War,...
November 2, 2018
Registering to make a difference
With the national political climate as tense as it is, the Goshen College chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) chose to jumpstart their campus presence this year with an all-campus voter registration drive. The registration, organized by AAUW leaders Marris Opsahl, Nasim Rasoulipour, Lexus Garces and Gi Salas, took place in stations across campus on Oct. 1 to encourage students to be “politically engaged” and vote in the upcoming midterm election. “I only had four or five people register with me,” Opsahl said, “but that is pretty standard . . . Most people I talked to were...
November 2, 2018
By phone and on foot, Sessa canvasses for state Democratic Party
Christi Sessa has knocked on doors all around Goshen – on Eighth Street, College Avenue, Main Street -- with something similar to a sales pitch. Sessa isn’t selling a product so much as an idea. Sessa, a senior peace, justice and conflict studies major at Goshen College, is serving as an intern this semester with the Coordinated Campaign for the Indiana Democratic Party. As part of the internship, Sessa is canvassing voters, going door to door in Goshen to encourage people to vote, in particular for the Democratic Party. Sessa averages 5 to 10 hours of canvassing during the weekend....
January 25, 2018
Dreamers recap trip to D.C.
Jose Chiquito, along with 18 other DACA recipients and allies, traveled to Capitol Hill to demand a “#CleanDreamActNow.” Chiquito, a Goshen College sophomore, left with Indiana Dreamers in Action (DIA) on Wednesday, Jan. 17 and traveled 10 hours to Washington D.C. with the intent of conducting sit-ins and meeting with senators. DIA was one of the many pro-DREAMers movements from all over the country that journeyed to D.C. for a “Day of Action” where they demanded that a clean Dream Act be included in the government budget. DIA’s first stop on their brief time in D.C. was to Saint Marks,...
January 18, 2018
Q&A with Sandra Cortez
Sandra Cortez, a first-year Nursing Major student at Goshen College, who shared her thoughts about being a DACA student: When did you receive DACA? “I received DACA about three years ago after I finally got approved for it.” How has having DACA impacted your life? “It has opened many doors and possibilities such as continuing my education, allowing me to drive and to work. Also, DACA has helped me to stop relying so heavily on parents and become independent.” What motivates you to be where you are today? “I do it for myself. I like seeing myself do new and...
January 18, 2018
Dreamers Travel to Washington D.C.
Members of Indiana Dreamers in Action (DIA) shrugged on their nicest suit jackets and pulled on their dancing shoes on Friday night as they hosted Black Out, a fundraiser of dancing and drinks. Last night, they used the donated money to pay for gas as they drove to the east coast. Today, they will wrap scarves tight around their necks and grasp signs of protest as they lobby in Washington D.C. DIA, composed of 19 DREAMers, including Goshen College’s Jose Galvan Chiquito, a sophomore, headed to the U.S. capitol yesterday. When the group arrives in D.C., they will be visiting...
November 16, 2017
Students attend MCC UN seminar
In the pursuit of peace, it is easy to become overwhelmed by turmoil. At the 2017 MCC-UN Office Student Seminar this past October, speakers and students alike worked to grapple with such problems in the context of Central American immigration. Taking place October 26-28 in New York City, the conference worked under the title “Migration, Faith, and Action: An Exploration of the Central American Experience.” Six Goshen College students--Jenae Longenecker, Rudi Mucaj, Vanessa Navarro, Bekah Schrag, Sijan Shrestha and Mandira Panta--made the trek to the UN headquarters for the annual seminar, along with Joe Liechty, professor of peace, justice and...