From: vivek@ecst.csuchico.edu (Vivek R. Prabhu)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.china,soc.culture.europe,soc.culture.indian,soc.culture.pakistan
Subject: Re: L.S.U. Professor says Indians Suck !!
Date: 24 Jan 93 06:18:37 GMT
Organization: California State University, Chico
NNTP-Posting-Host: cscihp.ecst.csuchico.edu

In article <C1C8wv.1y38@austin.ibm.com> harsh@inetnode.austin.ibm.com (Harsh Sharma) writes:
>In article <C1Buz6.FGs@athena.cs.uga.edu> venugop@athena.cs.uga.edu (YOSSARIN ARAM) writes:
>>       offered a higher amount to Americans if they accepted the TA's
>>       position.
>>
>>       The Americans do resent this for after all they are the tax payers
>>       and evn the time on the net is funded by them.
>>			    Long live rock and roll.......
>
>
>       I resent that (your remark) - that only Americans tax payer are paying
>       for the net. I wonder how they distinguish between American Tax money
>       and Indian (working here) Tax money? I thought in U.S of A, the color 
>       of money was only GREEN !!
>
>
>Harsh-

The Professor at L.S.U.  was probably drunk when he was talking all this 
kind of nonsense. What he does not realize, is the fact that Indians, or
for that matter any International Student, literally pays through his or
her nose the amount of staggering fees that are charged from him or her. 
Also, the amount that the Americans have to pay,  is very insignificant,
as compared to what International students have to pay. 

Let me give an example. In the California State University system, which
our University is a part of, there is first, NO FINANCIAL AID for Indian
or other International students and the same is the case with most other
states in the U.S.. Also, the fees that citizens, or permanent residents
have to pay, are equal to just about $ 75 per unit,  whereas in the case
of the International students it is $ 250 per unit a difference of $ 175
for each unit, and that is sizable. Also, the registration fees that the
both have to pay is $ 750 for 6 units or more, and that is the only area
where there is parity. But there is a rider, American students, are also
entitled to take no more than 6 units at a time, or less,  and still are 
allowed to work, and maintain a full-time status, but Internationals are
supposed to take a minimum of 9 units at a time, and are allowed to work
no more than 20 hours off-campus. Besides, American students are allowed
to be resident-extension students, having to pay only $ 40 for an entire
3 units course, at any time during the course, but the Internationals're
allowed to become resident-extension students,  only at the end of their
course, when they have the second semester of their Thesis or Project to
be done. Most of the TA's too, are American, as they get first priority,
as well as their access to financial aid is also allowed,, unlike us who
have no access at all. 

The third thing is that the TAs in most cases sustain the course and the
teaching hours for the curriculum.  This was demonstrated in the recent, 
strike in the UNiversity Of California at Berkeley, where classes had to
be truncated, since the TAs who were the bulk of the Teaching Aides were
not taking classes. 

So anyone in their right mind would just not flippantly say that Indians
or for that matter any other International student group sucks. It would
require an extraordinary level of insane thinking to even speculate on a
statement of such sort.

Regards,
Vivek.

-- 
vivek@cscihp.ecst.csuchico.edu (Vivek R. Prabhu),
Research Assistant, Systems Engineering Lab., Dept. Of Computer Science, 
School Of Engineering, Computer Science And Technology,
California State University, Chico, California.