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Show The DAily UtaN LOO) ON CLE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1987 U. A State Department mixup has left University of Utah graduate student Mohsen Zakeri stranded in Germany since By Todd early September. Zakeri, an Iranian citizen who has been a doctoral U. U. shop See page 7 college recruits minorities I Curtis ''" ''',( . Chronicle staff writer history The University of Utah's College of Engineering is trying to educate minority high school students because of the low numbers of those students interested in the engineering field. Ed Trujillo, associate professor of chemistry, said Native Americans, blacks, Hispanics and women are the main areas of concern in the college. "Although we represent all minorities, we are gearing department since 1984, returned to Iran last summer to complete research for his dissertation. He was expected to return to the U. for fall quarter. However, when he attempted to pick up his renewed student visa in the Frankfurt, Germany, consulate on Sept. 28, Zakeri said he was told questions about his application would delay his return to the United States. Zakeri said in a phone interview Wednesday, that embassy workers offered no explanation for the delay. He said he has returned every week since September for more information, but none of his questions have been answered. "I've been given no information whatsoever," he said. "Nothing. Not a word. Only, 'I'm sorry, sir, the answer v?S r our programs to the underrepresented minorities," Trujillo said. Trujillo is concerned about bringing the college's minority statistics up to the state levels not national levels. "The U. represents the state's population. With the hasn't come yet.'" black population in the state where it is, it would be unrealistic to expect the number of black students on campus to be comparable to those at the University of Mississippi," Trujillo said. ' 'If you have some other Mohsen Zakeri who 's not the Mohsen Zakeri we know and love, planting bombs in The smallest minority groups in the college are comprised of blacks, Native Americans and women. see "engineering" on page three " Since Zakeri had planned to fly home that day, he was left in Germany with no money and no contacts. Eventually he contacted friends in Utah who sent him his checkbook and helped him find a place to stay. Until two days ago, he was living in youth hostels and cheap hotels in Frankfurt. When he realized he would not be able to return to the United States at the start of fall quarter, Zakeri wrote to U. history professor Peter von Sivers to explain his situation.Since then, von Sivers has sought information from the State Department and the Frankfurt consulate. Von Sivers said he has learned Zakeri has the same name as another individual who has been placed on the State Department's "watch list." Eric Jergensen, who has been working with von Sivers, said even though Zakeri's situation is unfortunate, the State Department is merely doing it's job. "If you have some other Mohsen Zakeri who's not the Mohsen Zakeri we know and love planting bombs in buildings, you might feel differently," he said. Jergensen, vice president of the Young Republican National Federation, said other foreign students at the U. should use Zakeri's predicament as a reminder that they need to apply early for their student visas. Although von Sivers has sought help from Sen. Jake Garn's office, Connie Snow, a caseworker there, said Garn doesn't have the authority to speed Zakeri's return. "We can't tell the State Department to do this and this. All we can do is check status," she said. At this time, no other information is available from the State Department and von Sivers said he is skeptical about whether anything is actually being done. at Role models a factor for lack of engineers By Shauna Bona Chronicle editor in chief candidate and teaching assistant in the Unique gifts VOL 97, NO. 55 UNIVERSITY OF UTAH State Department mixup strands TA buildings, you might feel differently. ECLECTIC T, J T"sa"m,'m Chronicle photo by Erin Calmes Edward Trujillo, an engineering professor, is trying to increase the percentage of black, Hispanic, Native American and women students the College of Engineering. Law school wants minority students - By Ellen Garff Chronicle staff writer T Without the affirmative action program under John Martinez' direction, the College of Law was graduating an average of four minority students yearly. The chronic underrepresentation of minorities in the legal profession led the University of Utah's College of Law to formulate an affirmative action program three years ago to increase the number of minority students. John Martinez, director of the college's affirmative action program, said there is a still tremendous need for minority lawyers in mainstream society as well as in minority communities. To that end, the college began recruiting, but Martinez said minority students are difficult to recruit in Utah because there is such a small population of minorities to draw from. According to statistics compiled by the law .school between 1973 and 1984, minorities composed 7.9 percent of the state's population, but only 1.3 percent of the state's lawyers before 1984. During that time, the law school graduated an average of four minority students each year. At that rate, the lack of minorities in the legal see "law" on page three Inconsistent voting standards mar Assembly During Wednesday's meeting, several By Lori Bona Chronicle campus editor There is one aspect of the ASUU Assembly that Vice President Brooks Amiot has not been able to change lack of consistency in student legislators' voting habits. Amiot has led this year's Assembly to become one of ASUU's most successful and influential bodies: The group established an ad hoc committee to look into issues and has more groups requesting assistance than ever before. But members continue to pass legislation without exercising uniform or consistent voting standards. Too often, members vote for bills based on their feelings for the author and his or her supporters. non-moneta- ry Assembly members opposed a bill sponsored by Tom Price, one of the Assembly's more controversial members. The bill requested the Assembly donate $3,000 to a scholarship fund established by University Professor Gene Fitzgerald (the bill was amended to $1,500 and passed by majority vote). Fitzgerald plans to use the money to help send U. students to the Soviet Union. But a number of Assembly members seemed violently opposed to the allocation. It wasn't because they felt Fitzgerald didn't deserve the request. He sat patiently in the audience for five and a half hours, and had already raised $16,000 for the scholarships on his own. And it wasn't because the members didn't approve of funding such events; they have voted to fund similar bills in the past. Several members who opposed the bill consistently vote against Price, regardless of the bill he is sponsoring. J. J. Fernandez, College of Business, opposed Price's bill. Fernandez and a number of other Assembly members voted against it because they felt funding scholarship programs is a bad precedent and a "gift" to the students. However, immediately following his rejection of Price's bill, Fernandez voted in favor of allocating $3,000 to the Performing Dance Company to send a group of dancers to Hong Kong. In addition', Fernandez made a motion to recall a bill that failed earlier in the meeting. The bill allocated $1,494 to the architecture department for a class trip. Most Assembly members also lack justification when it comes to approving legislation. Although some are genuinely concerned about what they approve, many use friends and personal interests as voting standards. Amiot has even temporarily surrendered his chairmanship in order to voice his approval for a particular piece of legislation. In addition, legislators are not consistent when it comes to identical requests. Some members will vote to send a group to a conference one minute and reject another group's travel request the out-of-sta- te next. Non-prof- it Org. U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 1529 Salt Lake City, UT |
