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NEWS
The Red & Black | Friday, April 14, 2006 | 3
International Student Life offers tax assistance
By KELLY PROCTOR
kproctor@randb.com
U.S. income taxes, with
their complicated forms and
rules, seem like Greek to
some students.
So what would they do if
the tax man really did deliver
W-2 forms in another lan
guage?
Taxes can be just that con
fusing for international stu
dents who don’t speak
English at home.
Some of the 1,200 interna
tional students at the
University aren’t used to deci
phering U.S. tax code.
“It’s big money for every
one — it’s kind of frustrating,”
said Yu Chong, from
Shanghai, China, who’s in his
second year of filing returns.
For students like Yu, the
University has put together a
system of tax help and work
shops.
A computer program
called “Cintax” calls for a
series of questions and then
will put the forms
together itself.
“I think without (the
University’s) help, it would be
just impossible,” Yu said.
U.S. residents who don’t
file taxes face fines and crimi
nal penalties.
International students,
especially those who want to
continue to live in or visit the
United States, can run into
problems with the U.S. gov
ernment if they refuse to file
taxes.
So, International Student
Life members are dedicated
to helping international stu
dents understand tax intrica
cies.
ISL held three workshops
with University volunteers, 15
sessions and hundreds of
individual appointments for
the students. In all, more
than 400 students got help
during these meetings.
“My parents had always
taken care of it,” said Kurinji
Pandiyan, a junior from
Chennai, India, who said she
got tax help through ISL.
“ (Taxes) are definitely
beyond my comprehension,”
she said.
Leigh Poole, ISL coordina
tor, said the organization
answered some 2,000 e-mails
during this last tax season.
Students came for tax help as
well during International
Coffee Hour on Fridays in the
Memorial Hall ballroom.
Poole said the “visa status”
section of the forms was often
confusing for international
students, who sometimes
have multiple visas.
And international
students’ mobile status can
be a problem, Yu said.
“We move a lot. Sometimes
it comes to the dorm, but
we’ve already moved,” he
said. “We have to keep all that
information updated.”
The system was new for Yu
when he came to the United
States. In China, taxes are
automatically deducted, and
there’s no need to file a
return. “It’s so much easier in
China,” Yu said. He said he
had already filed ahead of the
Monday deadline.
Finalists chosen
for dean position
Finalists have been named
for dean of Family and
Consumer Sciences.
The candidates include:
Thomas R. Chibucos,
professor of human develop
ment and family studies
in the School of Family and
Consumer Sciences at Bowl
ing Green State University;
Judith C. Forney, dean
of the School of
Merchandising and Hosp
itality Management at the
University of North Texas;
Deborah E. Kipp, chair of the
Department of Nutrition
at the University of North
Carolina at Greensboro; and
Anne L. Sweaney, head of
the Department of Housing
and Consumer Economics in
the University’s College of
Family and Consumer
Sciences.
“Each of these candidates
possesses strength in leader
ship, vision and the ability
to connect with diverse con
stituents,” said Maureen
Grasso, chair of the search
committee in a press release.
“Each also has documented
experience in fundraising.”
The new dean will succeed
Sharon Nickols, who will step
down July 1.
NEWS NOTEBOOK
Student named
Udall scholar
An Honors student at the
University has been named a
2006 Morris K. Udall Scholar.
Lisa Rivard, a junior envi
ronmental health science
major from Lake Elmo, Minn.,
is the only person from a
Georgia institution to receive
the honor.
“I’m delighted by Lisa’s
selection as a Udall Scholar.
She is an extraordinary per
son,” said David Williams,
director of UGA’s Honors
Program in a press release.
“Her success speaks to the
rigor of our curriculum and
the quality of our faculty
mentoring, so I’m most
pleased to congratulate both
Lisa and Ron Carroll, the
UGA faculty advisor for the
Udall Award.”
The $5,000 scholarship
awards are presented annual
ly to sophomores and juniors
nationwide for their leader
ship, character and outstand
ing potential as future lead-
PETER FREY | University of Georgia
A Junior Lisa Rivard, an
environmental health sci
ence major from Lake
Elmo, Minn., has been
named a 2006 Morris K.
Udall Scholar.
ers in natural resource pro
tection, conservation or
Native American policy,
health or governance.
Rivard is working with
other students in the College
of Public Health on a field
study to determine if the per
sistence of second-hand
smoke in downtown Athens
can be considered a health
risk over time. She also plans
to work this summer with Jeff
Fisher, a professor and
department head of environ
mental health science, study
ing the harmful effects of per
chlorate, a contaminant
found in water supplies in the
western United States.
—Sara Pauff
PALMER: Felt first offense a ‘gimme’
>- From Page 1
than a minor traffic offense or
had pending criminal charges.
He said he didn’t understand
the definition of conviction
when he filled out the applica
tion.
In order to be convicted of
a crime, Palmer said he
thought one had to be tried
and convicted by a jury, which
he was not.
Palmer pleaded guilty to
having sex with a 14-year-old
girl in 2001 when he was 22.
Palmer said he was con
fused about his status as a
first-time offender.
He said he thought it was
“like a gimme,” meaning the
statutory rape conviction
would eventually disappear
from his record.
He also said he didn’t
divulge the information
because he thought the
University was already aware
of his situation.
Palmer said his lawyer sent
a letter to the Office of
Academic Affairs last July
that explained the terms of
his probation.
One justice asked why he
didn’t check “yes” on the
question if he felt the
University was already aware
of his situation. “I didn’t want
to rehash the event unless I
had to,” he said.
He claimed the encounter
was consensual and said the
girl misled him into thinking
she was actually 18. “Any
young man could have made
this mistake,” he said. Palmer
said he is trying to move on
with his life as best as he can.
“One day, I will make the
University proud to say I was
a student,” he said.
Palmer has up to five busi
ness days to file an appeal. He
had not made a decision
about an appeal as of press
time.
Sec. of state hopefuls face off
By BRIAN HUGHES
bhughes@randb.com
Election reform should be
the first priority for the next
secretary of state of Georgia,
one candidate for the office
said.
Fulton County Chairman
Karen Handel called for a
tougher crackdown on voter
registration in a debate at
the Chapel Wednesday
night.
“If we don’t get the regis
tration roll right, the rest of
the system becomes defec
tive,” she said.
Fellow Republican candi
date and state senate major
ity leader Bill Stephens
shared many of Handel’s
views, particularly regarding
illegal aliens.
“The people of Georgia
are fed up with illegal immi
gration,” he said.
If elected to the position,
Stephens said he would set
up a “One Check” system to
verify if all registered voters
were legal citizens.
Handel voiced her disap
proval on the issue.
“No one is required to
prove citizenship when they
register to vote,” she said,
adding that a utility bill is all
that is needed to register.
Although the two candi
dates mirrored each other
on most issues,
they had conflict
ing views on how
the secretary of
state seat should
be occupied.
Handel said she
would not object if
the position were
made a part of Gov.
Sonny Perdue’s
cabinet. The gover
nor would appoint
an individual to the
position rather
than being decided
by Georgia voters.
Stephens didn’t
think changes to
the system were
needed.
“(The secretary
of state) needs to
report directly to
the Georgia people,
regardless of the
governor,” he said.
Both stressed
they would
attempt to reach
young voters as early as
middle school.
“We have to convince
young people there are con
sequences to what we do in
the secretary of state office,”
he said.
Voter turnout was one
issue that resonat
ed with graduate
student Fred
Maidment.
“Everyone com
plains about politi
cians,” he said.
“But when the first
Tuesday in
November rolls
around, they are
sleeping.”
The secretary of
state oversees 60
different profes
sions, which is an
area Handel said
she thought would
be more fitting for a
Republican.
College
Republicans
spokesman Jeff
Emanuel said he
thought the two
candidates were
running “neck and
neck.”
Regardless of
who emerges from
the Republican primary in
July, history won’t be on
their sides. Georgia has
never had a Republican sec
retary of state.
Lecture explores snack designs
By AUDREY LEWIS
For The Red & Black
When students leave the
University, they should apply
practical knowledge to the
technical aspects of their
fields, a technical profession
al for Frito-Lay said
Wednesday.
Mohan Rao, a senior tech
nical professional for Frito-
Lay North America and for
mer University professor,
delivered the annual
Woodruff Lecture to approx
imately 200 students in the
Georgia Center for
Continuing Education.
Rao won the
“Outstanding Industrial
Scientist Award” in 2005 and
was one of the major devel
opers of the twin-screw
extrusion technology used to
produce megaphone
shaped 3-D Doritos and 3-D
Ruffles.
Rao stressed the need for
basic knowledge of business
and working together as a
team. He said it was impor
tant to exhibit leadership,
communication and vision in
addition to a technical back
ground.
Rao said his technical
knowledge helped him keep
the spiral Cheetos intact
once they were packaged.
Before his solution, Cheetos
broke up in the bag.
To compete with Pringles,
practical knowledge helped
Frito-Lay create Lays Stax,
which come in a tube similar
to Pringles, Rao said.
Students appreciated
Rao’s advice.
“I like that it was
practical information that
wasn’t completely techni
cal,” said Jaclyn Ellis, a food
science major from
Sylacauga, Ala. “It was good
information that can use
after we receive our
degrees.”
At the end of the
lecture, Rao was presented
with a plaque that acknowl
edged his contributions to
the field of food science.
Rakesh Singh, a
University professor and
head of the department of
food science and technology,
said he was pleased
with attendance because it
is often difficult to get
students and faculty to come
out to such events.
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Learn to Fly!
An exciting career - Dept, of Labor says
60,000 NEW airline pilots needed over the
next 10 years. Learn about opportunities.
Pleasure and Adventure - Always wanted
to fly? Never have another dull weekend!
Open House!
Sat., April 22 • 9-2
www.FAA-Air.com
Falcon
Aviation Academy
For more info call 770-486-5561
• Meet professional pilots
• See our new fleet
• Food and camaraderie
• Everyone welcome!
Athens-Ben
Epps Airport
990 Ben Epps Rd.
Athens-Ben Epps Airport
Minority Teacher Job Fair
Tuesday, April 18th, 2006
3:30pm—6:30pin
Loganville High School
100 Trident Trail (off Hwy. 78)
Loganville, GA
For additional information and directions,
please call 770-266-4467
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It is a goal of the Walton County Board of
Education to ensure diversity and to bridge
the gap between the number of minority
students in our system and the number of
minority teachers.
Walton County Schools is seeking
outstanding candidates for certified
positions. The spring 2006 Minority Teacher
Job Fair is a drop-in format. Please bring
multiple resumes. Every school in the
Walton County Public School System will be
represented by administrators with authority
to extend job offers.
In order to be in position for hire, candidates
must have completed an on line application.
Your application file must include three
reference forms, last two years’ annual
evaluations, a current teaching certificate
and/or Praxis I and II scores. Provisional
candidates should provide verification of
successful completion of Praxis I and Praxis
II in the subject area.
We look forward to seeing you
on Tuesday, April 18th!
Human Resources
Phone: 770-266-4520
Fax: 770-266-4415
rvww.vvaltoncomityschools.org
Solve Today's Sudoku
Puzzle and
win 2 large pizzas!
It’s easy — complete the Sudoku puzzle
correctly in today’s Red & Black. Bring it
to The Red & Black office on Baxter hill
by 4:00 today. From today’s submissions
we will draw one entry and publish the
winner in the Tuesday edition of
The Red & Black.
Write your name clearly on the Sudoku
puzzle you submit.
The winner will receive two large, two
topping pizzas from Domino’s Pizza.
Winner must pick up the certificate for pizzas at
the office of The Red & Black.
One entry per person, no photocopies.
540 Baxter Street, Athens — across from Brumby Hall