October 03, 2008, Cont. from front page, Local jail renovated, By Jesús Ibarra, Presidents Bush and Calderón participate in launch of Pathways to Prosperity Program, Statement from Ambassador Antonio O. Garza, Send US ballot by embassy mail, By Gretchen Sullivan, Next UNAM conference October 11, Kids First doctors bring relief to San Miguel children, By Jesús Ibarra, Serial rapist case nears end

The four already existent universities are all private ones, which mostly offer the traditional university degrees like business administration, law, architecture and mechanical engineering, and give service to only half of the students who graduate from high school.

The Universidad Tecnológica del Norte de Guanajuato, UTNG, has now opened in San Miguel, offering different options for students, which are tourism and gastronomy. However, some students think they still need more options.

More universities

According to Verónica Agundis, head of the Education and Culture Department, from the more than 3,000 students who graduate from high school in San Miguel, only around 1,200 are studying a university degree in the universities available in the city, which are the University of León,

UDL, in Plaza Cívica; the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Allende, CESA; in Colonia Aurora; Universidad Continente Americano, UCA, in Calzada La Aurora; and the Instituto Tecnológico SSC, in Mesones. According to Agundis, education is a priority for her department and for the current local government, so they support the establishment in San Miguel of a public university, the Universidad Tecnológica del Norte de Guanajuato, UTNG, a branch from the one in Dolores Hidalgo, with degrees according to San Miguel’s tourist profile, gastronomy and tourism. “This will solve only partially the necessity of universities in the city, but there is the project to enlarge the UTNG to make it become autonomous from the one in Dolores”. The UTNG began working last year in the Pípila High School facilities in calle 5 de Mayo, but now it has moved to its new facilities in the road to Doctor Mora, behind the San Miguel’s fair. “The local government donated five hectares in the first stage for building these facilities, and it has donated other 6.8 for a second stage,” said Agundis, who added that the government has also support the establishment of another university, ICEL, which will offer degrees according to San Miguel’s necessities.

University options in San Miguel

The University of León is currently the largest of the five universities in the city. It opened 11 years ago and it currently attends more than 800 students, the 60 per cent of the university students in the city.

It offers degrees in law, architecture, business administration, accountancy, communications, organizational psychology, and administrative computer science. According to Architect José de Jesús Lazcano, head of the school, law is the degree with more students, followed by architecture. Lazcano thinks that it is good for the students that more universities are opening in the city with different options. He is not afraid of competence, because he thinks there are students for all universities, and that there was a great necessity of more universities. “What we need is that all schools offer quality study programs, and that the competence be loyal, which would be reflected in a better development of the youths. We, ourselves, are trying to improve our study programs. Probably next year, we will be offering the degree of business tourism and implementing a bilingual system,” he said.

Around the 20 per cent of the university students in San Miguel attend the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Allende, which offers degrees in law, business administration and accountancy. In this university, law is the degree with the largest amount of students. The UCA and the ITSSC have around the 10 per cent of the university students. UCA offers degrees in administration and computer science while the ITSSC offers a degree in mechanical engineering.

Agundis said that it was decided to open the UTNG with the degrees in tourism and gastronomy since there are in San Miguel 1,400 hotel rooms, 100 Bed & Breakfast and houses which offer lodging service, plus 150 restaurants, most of them of international category.

According to Julio Chan, head of the UTNG in San Miguel, the university is a decentralized organization of the state government, also supported by the federal government. There are three campuses in Guanajuato, one in Dolores, other in León and a third one in Valle de Santiago. “The unit in San Miguel is by now depending of the campus in Dolores but it is planned that it will become an independent campus,” said Chan, who added that for the next semester, a new degree will be offered: maintenance in tourism infrastructure.

The UTNG’s students graduate with a university superior technician degree, a model created for those companies looking for specialized employees, but with lower salaries than those of a professional. The study term is usually shorter than in other universities. However, the students have the chance to improve their level with subsequent studies or in the company itself.

Chan said that the UTNG in San Miguel is solving a necessity not only in our municipality, but in the whole region, since about a 30 per cent of the 347 students currently in the university, come from other municipalities such as San Luis de la Paz and even Celaya.

“Most of the students in San Miguel are studying gastronomy. Students from other municipalities prefer tourism. This may be because the CBTIS high school has a technical specialization in tourism, and the students are used to continue their university studies in Guanajuato or Querétaro. This would probably change when students begin to get use to this new university,” he said.

The students speak

Although the options for studying a university degree have increased in San Miguel, students still need more options for studying and for working. José Antonio Tovar, high school student from CBTIS said that he would like to have more university options in San Miguel.

“I would like t study a degree in the administrative area but all the schools here in San Miguel are between 1,300 and 1800 pesos a month and I’m not sure I could afford it,” he said.

Sol Dennise, also a high school student at the CBTIS, would like to study medicine. As this degree is not offered in San Miguel, she would probably go to Guanajuato or Querétaro.

Saúl Abraham Chávez, who studies gastronomy at UTNG, said he would have liked to study medicine, but it was very difficult for him to enter to the University of Querétaro.

“They give preferences to those students from Querétaro, over the ones who are from other cities,” he said. However, he said he likes what he is currently studying and he thinks there are a lot of opportunities in San Miguel or in other cities for gastronomy.

Silvia Cadena is also studying gastronomy at UTNG. “I have always liked cooking and when the UTNG opened, I saw an opportunity to get a university degree in the area I liked. If the university had not opened, I think I would have continued working since I am already a mother and I need to dedicate time to my daughter, and I cannot move to other city.”

Luis Gerardo Sánchez, from San Luis de la Paz, saw a good opportunity to study the area he likes, tourism, when he learned about the UTNG in San Miguel. “In San Luis de la Paz, most of the universities are expensive and focus on the agricultural area,” he said.

Lucía Sanchez, a business administration student at UDL, said she would like to have studied clinical psychology in León, but she did not have the chance, so she had no other option but business administration. In the same situation is Verónica Perez, who wanted to study marketing at the UDL, but at the time she entered the university , the degree was not yet offered, so she is now studying business administration. She thinks that San Miguel students need more options so that they can really chose what they like and work in the area they want, and that the school fees be at the reach of any pocket.

Mayor Jesús Correa and City Secretary Cristóbal Finkelstein have turned control of the jail over to Daniel Trujillo, head of the Public Security Department. Previously, the office of the city secretary had administrative oversight of the facility, although it was operated by staff from Public Security. Trujillo announced his plans to reorganize the jail.

Among the changes he outlined, no weapons are now allowed in the building. “Every police officer who enters must leave his or her gun in a locker at the entrance,” said Trujillo.

Digital photos of those arrested and their personal information are entered into a computerized database. Detainees have the right to make a 20-second phone call. A staff doctor performs simple tests, such as blood alcohol level and blood pressure.

Arrested minors are placed in a separate area and evaluated by a psychologist. Those who are brought in exhibiting extreme agitation or who seem to pose a danger to themselves also meet with the psychologist.

With regard to the physical plant, the cells were repainted and all graffiti erased. Surveillance cameras have been installed throughout the jail; the video is continually monitored by one of the five officers on duty during each shift.

The jail also has a new room with a two-way mirror so victims can identify the accused without confronting them directly.

Trujillo said he will not allow abuse of authority or neglect on the part of the police. He noted that Adrian Valdés, the officer accused of abusing his authority (see Atención, September 5), is under investigation.

The female officer suspected of negligence in the case of a young woman who recently committed suicide in the jail is likewise being investigated (See Atención, September 12); currently she is free on bond pending trial.

Security tips from Daniel Trujillo

“Although the police constantly work to keep San Miguel safe, the city is growing, and crime tends to increase along with growth,” Trujillo said. He suggested the following security tips:

* People should report any crime, without fear of retribution

* Keep a dog or install an alarm system at home

* Protect windows with burglar bars

* Use a steering wheel lock or starter disable switch in your car

* Do not leave objects that might attract attention, such as suitcases, briefcases or packages, in your vehicle

* Have the emergency numbers at hand: 152-0022, 152-0911 or 066

* Try to learn Spanish so you can communicate with your Mexican neighbors; be in contact with them and have their telephone numbers

Trujillo added that he is available to meet with residents in his office in the administrative building on Boulevard de la Conspiración, Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm.

Presidents Bush and Calderón participate in launch of Pathways to Prosperity Program

Statement from Ambassador Antonio O. Garza

On September 24, Presidents Bush and Calderón and the leaders of 10 other Central and South American countries with which the United States has free trade agreements met on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly and jointly announced the “Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas” initiative. Pathways’ goal is to expand the benefits of free trade to small businesses, farmers and all our citizens by creating regional structures to support and facilitate trade among our countries.

Free trade and open investment have been a positive story for the US and Mexico—under NAFTA the US gross domestic product has grown 50%, Mexico has seen 46% growth and we now trade over a billion dollars a day in goods and services. Pathways will not only expand opportunities for individuals to participate in this great growth, it will enhance cooperation on regional economic development plans and improve coordination on environmental and labor standards. In addition, it will provide opportunities to engage the private sector and civil society in advancing these goals.

Pathways will complement other regional cooperation projects, both those in which the US is involved and those being developed by our friends throughout the region. Freer trade is an important catalyst for sustained economic growth and poverty reduction. Pathways will further reduce barriers to trade and promote awareness of international trade opportunities among the region’s entrepreneurs.

US Virtual Consulate caters to Americans in El Bajío

The U.S. Mission in Mexico has established its first Virtual Presence Post, dedicated to the El Bajío region of Mexico (Querétaro, Guanajuato and half of Michoacán).

The Virtual Presence Post, or Virtual Consulate, is a new tool of U.S. diplomacy. Virtual Consulates promote interaction between the citizens of a foreign city or region and citizens of the United States. El Bajío is one of many such outreach efforts by the U.S. government, but it is the first such initiative in Mexico. The goal is to decentralize and reinforce the embassy’s regional presence by providing greater focus to, and organization of, its engagement outside its Mission buildings.

Americans interested in El Bajío will find links to local government, business and commercial information and educational and cultural activities. As part of the Virtual Consulate, programs on a variety of topics will be presented by members of the U.S. Mission to Mexico and visitors from the United States. Regular web chats on issues of importance will also be a key component of the outreach.

The site offers a wealth of information and includes a link for San Miguel residents and information about our own consular office. Users whose questions are not addressed on the website itself can send emails to the appropriate office or individual for rapid response.

The site is located at http://elbajio.usvpp.gov.

Send US ballot by embassy mail
By Gretchen Sullivan

US Voter Information
Democrats Abroad
Wed, Oct 8, 1–3pm
Biblioteca Pública

In some areas of the US, absentee ballots that do not come from outside the US may not be counted. Since many residents here use mail services that send mail from Texas, some San Miguel ballots may not be counted. To make sure that does not happen, voters should take their ballots to the US Consular Office, October 13–17. A special table will be there to collect the ballots and to provide a Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) to voters who have not received their ballots. Collected ballots are sent to the Embassy in Mexico City for mailing and will be stamped as coming from Mexico.

Democrats Abroad sponsors a nonpartisan table on Wednesdays through October 22, to facilitate late registration, help with ballots and provide a FWAB for people who have not received ballots by October 15.

To use a FWAB, US citizens and dual citizens must be registered to vote in their home states. Citizens can still register to vote at the Biblioteca on Wednesdays, and if the ballot is not received in time to return it before November 4, the FWAB still can be sent on time.

Gretchen Sullivan is chairperson of Democrats Abroad in San Miguel and has lived here for 10 years.

Next UNAM conference October 11

The next UNAM lecture takes place Saturday, October 11, at noon in Teatro Santa Ana (Reloj 50-A). The talk will be offered by Eduardo Vega, a member of UNAM’s economics faculty who holds a master’s degree in Public Administration and Politics from ITESM and a Ph.D. in History from Universidad Iberoamericana. He also did post-graduate work in environmental studies and has published articles and book chapters on environmental economics. He was director of the Environment Department of Mexico City. The conferences series, titled “Environment, Development and Public Politics,” explores the relationship between economic development and the excessive use of energy, natural resources and biodiversity brought about by it.

Entrance to the talk costs 100 pesos per person. The funds raised will be used to help the Biblioteca improve its internet and computer infrastructure.

Kids First doctors bring relief to San Miguel children
By Jesús Ibarra

For the fourth consecutive year, a group of 24 Americans from the volunteer medical brigade Kids First, headed by doctors Billy Andrews and Greg Menzio, will perform 240 free surgeries on 160 children in San Miguel with orthopedic problems. The group is composed of doctors and a team of anesthesiologists, medical assistants and nurses from different parts of the US.

Kids First is supported by the local government through the Tourism, Economic Development and International Relations Department (Dirección de Turismo, Fomento Económico y Relaciones Internacionales) and DIF (Family Integration Department), by the General Hospital Felipe G. Dobarganes, Centro de Crecimiento, and the community headed by Doctor Roberto Maxwell and Kathy Leutzinger.

The doctors will arrive in San Miguel on Friday, October 3, and on October 5 they will examine the children who are candidates for surgery. They will perform the surgeries from October 6 to 10 at the General Hospital.

Kathy Leutzinger would like to thank all the volunteers who opened their homes to the medical team and the restaurants that have offered meals, as well as Doctor Jorge Vidargas, director of the General Hospital.

Serial rapist case nears end

District Attorney César Augusto Gasca Toledo announced that the judge will soon rule on the sentence of serial rapist José Luis Álvarez González, apprehended on July 5, 2006. Álvarez raped five expat women in San Miguel between October 5, 2005, and June 23, 2006, by breaking into their homes late at night and threatening them with a knife. “It has been a long process since there was so much evidence to analyze, both on the part of the prosecution and of the defense,” said Gasca. “We are only awaiting the judge’s verdict.” Gasca Toledo said that the victims are aware of the process and that they have been very cooperative. The judge may rule within a couple of months.