MIR gives Bosnian student help in application to U.

For the incoming class of 1999, the grueling wait for a college acceptance letter might seem like a matter of life and death. However, for a student trapped in war-ravaged Bosnia-Herzegovina, an admission to the University could literally save her life. The Penn Coalition for Peace in Bosnia, known as MIR, the Serbo-Croatian word for peace, is devoted to facilitating the application of Tahija Vikalo, a 22-year-old female Bosnian Muslim war refugee. According to Jonathan Segal, a Van Pelt Library staff member, Vikalo graduated from high school in 1992, and was enrolled in her first year of college when the war began. Vikalo, like many Bosnian Muslims, believed the war would end soon, and that she would be able to quickly resume her education, Segal said. However, the war exacted its high toll in death and human suffering, forcing Vikalo to flee her native Bosnia. She is currently residing in a Croatian refugee home for students, leaving behind her parents and friends in besieged Sarajevo. Now, through the Penn Coalition for Peace in Bosnia and the Bosnian Student Project, a national organization which arranges for Bosnian students to study in America, Vikalo has been able to apply to the University. According to Segal, Vikalo is a highly qualified student who speaks fluent English. The University is the only place she has applied. MIR has coordinated with the Office of Admissions to classify Vikalo as an incoming freshman, rather than as a transfer student, providing a greater availability of financial aid. Segal commented that due to her situation, Vikalo will need complete financial aid. "Every Bosnian student I've spoken to has had mixed emotions about leaving their family," he added. Some of the problems encountered by MIR in processing Vikalo's application included a lack of available standardized testing, such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Vikalo is still required to submit an essay demonstrating proficiency in English. Graduate student Jason Eisner, a member of MIR, said the group has been very thorough in its attempt to help Vikalo. "We crossed our T's and dotted our I's," he said. Four members of MIR gathered yesterday at the Penn Hillel Foundation to make a long-distance call to Vikalo and update her on the status of her admission. Although they were unable to reach Vikalo, MIR members said they would try again after spring break. Hillel, along with the Graduate Inter-School Activities Council, has assisted in providing funding for MIR. Eisner said he hopes that Vikalo will someday speak on campus and raise the awareness of the University community about the situation in Bosnia. "We want to make her feel welcome," Segal said. "She knows no one here."