Panther Magazine, February 16, 2017 Florida International University

Florida International University FIU Digital Commons Beacon Magazine Special Collections and University Archives 2-16-2017 Panther Magazine, February 16, 2017 Florida International University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/student_magazine Recommended Citation Florida International University, "Panther Magazine, February 16, 2017" (2017). Beacon Magazine. 21. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/student_magazine/21 This work is brought to you for free and open access by the Special Collections and University Archives at FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Beacon Magazine by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PANTHER MAGAZINE Vol. 1 Issue 6 A Forum for Free Student Expression at Florida International University One copy per person. Additional copies are 25 cents. LIVIN’ LA VIDA PANTHER SELENE BASILE/PANTHER PRESS GUETHSHINA ALTENA/PANTHER PRESS GUETHSHINA ALTENA/PANTHER PRESS Campus life edition DANTE GONSALVES/PANTHER PRESS 2 Panther Magazine – Thursday, February 16, 2017 pantherNOW.com CONNECTED CAMPUS Housing resident assistants advocate for students BARBARA ANDRADE BRITES residential hall. other I know and that is why I love cup of tea. to go to the Florida Resident Assistant Contributing Writer For many student residents, it so much.” “I plan to do a cool program on Seminar where she got to see other RAs serve as leaders that can help Destiny Lawson, a graduate April called Empanadas en pajamas. RAs from other universities and what he resident assistants with many commonly faced issues student getting her masters in I want to combine the culture in their programing consists of. at the University and help residents get to know the Criminal Justice, has lived in the Miami with like a fun community Both Olson and Weiser re-applied assist in creating a students that live around them. Parkview residential hall for the past builder,” said Olson. “This is going to be an RA next semester and they healthy, safe and “Some students think that RAs two years. She said she has had great to be a pajama party with empanadas will find out if they get the positions thriving environment are kind of like police officers experiences with her RAs. for lake south residents mostly but next month. where students can develop their looking for trouble and trying to “I really like my current RA. He is I would not mind if other students Weiser said she loves being an interpersonal,T academic and enforce policy but really when it super nice and helpful,” said Lawson. come to hang out.” RA. She explained how through this leadership potential. comes out to it, your RA is kind of “I remember one time I wasn’t Jaine Weiser, a junior majoring in job she not only helped students, but Abbey Olson, a first year RA the first person you can talk to,” said getting along with my roommate international relations, is a first year also has developed herself.. majoring in International Relations, Olson. “My residents can come to me because she was being really dirty RA at Everglades Hall. “Whether or not I end getting works with freshmen in the about anything and they can ask any and disorganized around the dorm Weiser said she became an RA the position which obviously I hope Lakeview South residential hall and questions and my job is to help them and I didn’t know what to do, so I because she enjoyed the experience I get it again, I just want to be able became a resident assistant after in any way I can.” talked to him and he really knew how that she had as a freshman. She lived to go out and support whatever my being involved in numerous events The RAs at FIU serve as a critical to handle the situation and make both in Lakeview South last year and said resident is because I realized how for FIU residents. link between the students on his or of us happy.” her RA inspired her to pick up the important a RA assistant is and Olson, who also works for her floor, the assistant director for Each RA is required to do three position. how many avenues can open for a Student Media, said she wanted Residence Life and the Residence programs per month; two community “Coming from Maryland, it was student,” Weiser said. to gain leadership skills. She said Life Office. builders, which consist of activities my first time in the state of Florida In spite of the challenges of being her RA encouraged her to consider The RA leadership opportunity to get the residents to socialize with and obviously I didn’t know who an RA, Olson said that residential life becoming an RA so she applied for requires being a representative of each other, and one educational everyone was, but the more I went is an opportunity to engage with the the job.. the college and a representative of programming where RAs help to my RAs programs the more I was FIU community. “I absolutely love being an RA. student issues in the hall and across promote FIU initiatives. able to connect with her personally as “There’s is this sense in college My staff is amazing and I have had campus. In exchange for their hard “My RA always organizes cool well as the people in my floor and the that you have to pick your classes the opportunity to meet incredible work, RA’s get to live on campus for events in our floor. Those events are dorms in general,” Weiser said. “It and you have to do your homework students,” said Olson. “Not only am I free. a great opportunity to just hang out really made me think ‘wow I want to and submit papers and that is what wronging as a person and as a leader, “A lot of people think that we do and get to know who is around you,” do the same for somebody else’ so I college should be but I think in but I am also opening avenues for it for the free housing, but put it this Lawson said. joined the Residential Assistant life.” residential life you become a learner residents to become leaders as well.” way: you can get a part time job that Olson said she planned a program Weiser said ever since she became outside of your classroom and your An RA is a trained student leader is less work and you could pay off called “just a cup of tea,” where the an RA, she has had the opportunity comfort zone,” said Olson. “If really in colleges and universities charged your housing,” Olson said. “Being students on her floor talked about to experience some amazing if you go to programs and engage in with the responsibility of living an RA is about having that passion sexual assault awareness and how networking events. your community there is no limit on with and supervising students in a inside you. This is a job unlike any consent is like offering someone a Recently, Weiser was nominated what you can do.” SGA-MMC share updates on EDITOR’S NOTE shuttle to Publix supermarket Campus life a broad but important topic to ARIANA RAMSUNDAR current student government president. was about sixty students using the Staff Writer “We were able to reallocate the funds program. I would really like to see discuss from the money left in the contingency the program return I think that a lot of s a school of mostly for MMC spring 2016. The program students benefited from the program,” CAYLA BUSH commuter students, was funded for spring semester, but said Grundy. like the Society a distinct 8 percent we knew that we would not have the In addition to trying to get service of Professional of the students money to do it every semester.” to the Publix shopping center, SGA Journalists or at FIU face the Collazo mentioned that, for the is also working on extending the Public Relations challenge of finding ways to get to the moment, the transportation to and program so that students can use the Student Society of groceryA store. from Publix for residential students Sweetwater Trolley already makes America - we’re In the spring of 2016, SGA is not available, but they’re always stops at Dolphin Mall, SGA would contributing to implemented a pilot program to looking for solutions. like students to be able to utilize this the campus life help residential students make the “We are working on a sustainable resource. experience. commute. The program consisted of way to implement the program, so it SGA met with the mayor of Campus life buses that would run on Sundays for is not based on whether extra funds Doral on Tuesday, Feb. 7 to discuss is such a broad a four-hour period, taking students are available or not,” said Collazo. integrating the transportation system EDITOR IN CHIEF topic to broach - it from residential housing to Publix Collazo expanded on the plan of Doral to allow students to go to includes student and back. to actualize a long lasting program, more businesses in Doral as well. By stepping organizations, “I think it was a good idea, because explaining the current work taking By utilizing the Sweetwater onto any of both Student I usually walk to Publix, so when place to ensure that the students have Trolley and the CATS shuttle, SGA is the University Government there were a lot of things to carry access to a transportation system. planning to extend the two stops to 10 campuses, we Councils and Greek the tram would come in handy,” said “We are now in conversation with stops and identify days and times for inevitably become life.

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