College Shorts

Author: Jason Siegel

UConn group aims for equality

Last Saturday, Connecticut became the fourth state to recognize civil unions. However, one UConn group has pledged to keep fighting until full marriage equality is achieved. Queers United Against Discrimination (QUAD) has worked over the past year toward the legalization of same sex marriage in Connecticut, alongside Love Makes a Family (LMF).

Members of QUAD have expressed a mostly positive outlook toward the civil unions, saying that they are nearly equal to marriages, but still insufficient. Among the problems they cite are the inability to file a federal tax form as a married couple -though this question is beyond the control of the state - and more importantly, visiting rights in hospitals. If a domestic partner is suddenly injured, his or her partner has no rights to see them in the hospital, though an estranged parent does.

QUAD and LMF will continue to work for equality for the gay and lesbian communities. The civil unions happen to coincide with National Coming Out Week, occurring this week.

-U-Wire



Six stabbed in UMass rumble

Early Sunday morning, a large fight broke out in an area known as "Frat Row," resulting in the stabbing of six UMass-Amherst students. Police responded to a call at 12:33 a.m. to find two students had been stabbed in the brawl. One student had been stabbed in the head, and another in the bicep. Both are now in stable condition.

Nearly an hour later, police received a call to return to the scene once again, only to encounter a student who had been stabbed several times in the back and another young man who had been knifed in the side. Another student involved was taken to the University's health center for treatment of a forearm wound.

Later on that evening, a student reported to the emergency room with a stabbed hand. Investigators believe he too was involved in the ruckus.

There is currently no information on the reason the fights broke out.

-U-Wire



Federal funds for Hispanics lacking

According to a new UC-Berkeley study, Hispanics are the ethnic group receiving the least federal financial aid.

The report shows that 80 percent of Hispanic students apply for federal aid, while only 63 percent actually receive it. This number is up from last year, and excludes all private sources of financial aid.

The discrepancy may be due to several factors. One possibility is that the percentage of Hispanic students who are U.S. citizens is approximately eight percent less than the overall student population, which stands at 93 percent. Another potential factor is that they are twice as likely to be resident aliens than any other ethnic group, and are therefore ineligible for federal aid.

Hispanic students tend to come from lower income families, which alone would indicate a greater financial need. However, the study also shows that they tend to attend lower cost universities as well. In fact, 41 percent of Hispanic students pay $1,000 or less for tuition and fees, compared with 30 percent of all students nationwide.

-U-Wire