Student Union
- By Esha Sarai
7,000 Pairs of Shoes Stand Empty for Child Victims of Gun Violence
Standing on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol, Tom Mauser wears his son’s old shoes — the ones Daniel wore the day he was killed at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999.
Mauser looked out at the 7,000 pairs of shoes arranged in a temporary memorial Tuesday morning — one pair for each of the estimated 7,000 children who have died from gun violence since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012.
A second set of Daniel Mauser's shoes are among the pairs on the lawn, part of a protest against gun violence that has been ignited since 17 high school students and adults were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14.
Survivors of the Parkland shooting have been outspoken on social media and news outlets, advocating for stricter gun control.
The students have organized a #NationalStudentWalkout for March 14 with 17 minutes of silence for each victim, and a national “March for Our Lives” on March 24, two of a number of protests that demand Congress pass more regulations on gun use and purchases.
“When the Parkland students called for their march on March 24, we felt we wanted to honor the kids who won’t get to march,” Nell Greenberg told VOA. Greenberg is a campaign director for AVAAZ, a global civic movement advocating for social issues such as climate change and net neutrality, as well as gun control.
“And part of why we’re marching next week is because they can’t.”
The Valentine's Day shooting in Parkland, where at least 15 were injured, was the 18th mass shooting so far in 2018, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit organization in the U.S.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, more than 1,300 U.S. children die every year from guns.
In the days after the Parkland shooting, the state of Florida moved to raise the minimum age required to buy a gun from 18 to 21. Activists across the country are pushing lawmakers to do the same, in particular, calling out politicians who receive funding from the National Rifle Association. The gun lobby has been vehemently opposed to any regulations on purchasing guns, claiming it violates Americans' Second Amendment right.
The NRA declined to comment to VOA about the Florida shooting, but the homepage of its website states NRA Chief Executive Officer Wayne LaPierre recently "let [gun-control politicians] and their anti-gun minions know that the NRA will not tolerate their use of a tragedy in their war against the Second Amendment."
Written in 1791, the amendment states: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
On Friday, Congress will vote on a bill supported by the Trump administration that would provide more funding for school security. But the bill has been criticized by liberals for not including any provisions relating to firearms.
In the days before the vote, protests and displays such as the 7,000 pairs of shoes call on lawmakers to vote down the bill and address what organizers call the root of the problem: Easy access to firearms.
“It’s shameful that we, in America, have this happen in our country," Mauser said. "And there’s something we should do about it.”
Please visit our Facebook page for photos and videos about the shoes on Capitol Hill, thanks!
https://www.facebook.com/voastudentu/videos/1836716076347594/
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Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley
The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
- By VOA News
STEM, business top subjects for international students
The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.
STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)
- By VOA News
Safety and visa difficulties among misconceptions about US colleges
U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.
Read the full story here. (January 2025)
- By VOA News
Work opportunities help draw international students to US schools
US News & World Report details the three top factors in foreign students' decision to study in the U.S. They include research opportunities and the reputation of U.S. degrees. Read the full story here. (December 2024)
- By VOA News
British student talks about her culture shock in Ohio
A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.
Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.
Read the full story here. (December 2024)
