Although President Bernie Machen said it was "time for action," outside of Tigert Hall on Wednesday, his decision not to give UF's official support for the DREAM Act - The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act - is slightly contradictory.
The DREAM Act's mission is to give undocumented high school graduates access to higher education by allowing people without social security numbers to apply to college.
According to the National Immigration Law Center, 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school in the United States each year.
By not giving these kids a chance to attend college, we contradict our nation's goal of providing higher education to all.
Children who have grown up in America, stayed out of trouble and graduated high school shouldn't slip through the cracks because of a decision their parents made when they were fetuses or giggling at the Grouch on "Plaza Sesamo."
UF should support this act because it is an institution of higher learning that doesn't want to miss out on the bright young Floridians who would qualify for the program. They have the same right to be here as any of us if they can get past UF's admissions board.
We understand the reservations to the DREAM Act, considering every spot given to an undocumented alien in a university is one spot taken away from a natural born citizen. However, we believe it's in the best interest of a university to accept the best and brightest students, regardless of their citizenship status.
While we commend Machen for signing the petition to support the DREAM Act, he's only gone halfway in showing his commitment to Florida's students. By not allowing the university to take a public stance on the DREAM Act, Machen fails to fully support education and listen to his own call for action.
