BROOKINGS – “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

With that quotation of the late Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa, Kathleen Fairfax, assistant vice president, Academic Affairs-International Affairs and Outreach at South Dakota State University, opened a two-hour town hall meeting Wednesday evening in the Volstorff Ballroom, Student Union.

The theme for the dialogue that would follow was “Supporting and understanding the perspectives of our international community.”

The gathering came a week after SDSU President Barry Dunn sent a statement to all SDSU students. In it he referred to President Donald Trump’s executive order “that impacts entry into the United States for individuals from seven countries – Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.”

“SDSU has hundreds of international students, faculty and staff” who might be affected by the order, Dunn added. “This is a very fluid and dynamic situation which we will continue to monitor.”

On Wednesday evening he was present to discuss “a very serious and important challenge that we face as a bigger university community that includes Brookings. It is a very dynamic time and frustrating time in our nation. I certainly recognize it and am very sensitive to it.”

He was joined by about 350 people – from across the campus and the Brookings community.

“We care deeply and sincerely for the students and the faculty who may have been affected by the change in immigration and refugee policy of 10 days ago; but we care for all students. We understand that this disrupts many lives, not just those from the seven nations that were on the list,” Dunn said.

The president said he had reached out to all three of South Dakota’s congressional offices and the governor’s staff to express his concerns about the policy.

Dunn urged patience. He said he looked forward to listening to the evening’s forum. He ended his remarks “pledging everything I can do to help you.”

Getting to know you

Nathan Ziegler, director, English as a second language, served as moderator.

“We stand in solidarity with our international students,” he said in welcoming attendees.

He added that he hoped the dialogue would help develop understanding and bring an appreciation of the diversity of students, scholars and staff.

The first question as the dialogue got under way was to the international students: “What would you most like us to know about your experience?”

To that an Indian student replied, “Appreciate us; get to know us and our culture. There’s a lot more to me than food and the weather back home.”

“We need more involvement,” said a student who identified himself as a South Dakotan. He urged other students like himself to get to know more about the international community on campus.

Several attendees weighed in on the question, “What can we do as a campus, as a community?”

Brookings City Councilor Patty Bacon addressed some human rights issues. She told The Brookings Register Thursday morning that the Brookings Human Rights Commission was looking to bring to the council a “resolution of inclusivity” at its Feb. 28 meeting.

Semehar Ghebrekidan, a graduate student senator on the Student Association, pledged her support for international students, inviting them to visit the association offices, right across the hall from the Volstorff Ballroom.

Entry challenges

Dr. Evren Wiltse, now a “green card holder” and an assistant professor of political science whose specialty area is comparative and international politics, talked about the vetting challenges that go with gaining entry to the United States.

“Before that, I was a student on a J-1 visa. Just to let you guys know that the (international) students are here either on their own potential assets or they are scholarship students,” Wiltse explained.

“So they are weeded out by their own governments and sent here to get an education with the government money. Or they have to pay an enormous amount of money.

“It takes an enormous amount of work to get a green card, after months and months of thorough investigation. So let us realize that people don’t just hop on a plane and come here.”

Greg Wymer, director of International Students and Scholars, noted that international students give domestic students “an opportunity to engage and interact with the world.” He also encouraged domestic students to study abroad.

The Rev. Larry Ort, rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Brookings, suggested that people familiarize themselves with two pieces of legislation working their way through the state Legislature: Senate Bill No. 124 and Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 7.

The pair of documents had been referenced by an attendee from Sioux Falls.

The bill is “an act to require legislative authority for refugee actions under South Dakota law” be amended by a new section that reads: “Not withstanding any other provision of law, no new refugee resettlement agreements may be entered into or renewed with agencies of the federal government without prior approval by the Legislature.”

The resolution requests “law enforcement and governmental agencies in South Dakota to avoid and suspend all contacts and outreach activities with the Council on American Islamic Relations.” The document noted that the FBI “has suspended all formal contacts with CAIR due to evidence indicating a relationship between CAIR and Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization: … ”

Neither document was discussed further.

As the meeting neared its end, an Iranian student asked, “If I go home to visit my mother, how would you support me to get back (to SDSU)?”

Fairfax responded that immigration issues are covered by federal law, and the university would not be able to help much if an issue arose.

Noting that the present situation in view of the executive order is “very fluid,” her advice was, “Don’t travel. Stay put until things settle down.”

Contact John Kubal at jkubal@brookingsregister.com.