The Beacon, October 24, 2008 Florida International University
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Florida International University FIU Digital Commons The aP nther Press (formerly The Beacon) Special Collections and University Archives 10-24-2008 The Beacon, October 24, 2008 Florida International University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/student_newspaper Recommended Citation Florida International University, "The Beacon, October 24, 2008" (2008). The Panther Press (formerly The Beacon). 158. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/student_newspaper/158 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 The aP nther Press (formerly The Beacon) by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A Forum for Free Student Expression at Florida International University Vol. 21, Issue 32 www.fi usm.com October 24, 2008 LACK OF ATTENDANCE CASH FOR COLLEGE PRESIDENTIAL REVIEWS FRESHMAN PHENOM SGC-BBC senators no show Amendment Eight’s pros and cons Bush biopic exceeds expectations Gonzalez makes major impact AT THE BAY PAGE 3 OPINION PAGE 4 LIFE! PAGE 5 SPORTS PAGE 8 Student retention TRICK OR TREAT rates dropping EDUARDO MORALES year students. Staff writer But as students continue their education, their retention rates In September, the Board of decrease. Trustees reported the University’s In 2004, the rate for students failure to reach its goal of improv- returning for their third year was ing student retention rates. 73.7 percent. In 2003, the rate for The BOT was hoping to reach students returning for their fourth a full-time, fi rst-year student re- year was 67.5 percent. Numbers tention rate of 88 percent. Instead, show that the likelihood of stu- only 81.3 percent of fi rst-year stu- dents coming back a second year dents returned for a second aca- are strongest but the chance of demic year in 2005. them returning for a third and so “We had a set back last year,” on steadily decrease. said Thomas Breslin, chairman Transfer student retention and of Faculty Senate. “Our numbers part-time student retention num- were not so good and we unfor- bers look even bleaker. tunately went back a few percent- According to the Offi ce of age points.” Retention, the University’s “reten- By defi nition, student reten- tion and graduation of [Associate tion is the ability to keep students of Arts] transfer students is at the coming back for another annual bottom of the [State University term at any given university. System] and has been for the last While the University’s reten- 7 years. Non-AA degree trans- tion rates are low, they are still fers have even lower rates,” and above national average, which part-time retention rates are 30 sits around 75 percent. percent. Since the 1993-94 academic This information is based on year, the Offi ce of Retention re- retention data from students in the ported retention rates have hov- 2000-2001 term who did not come ered around the 80 percent range. back for the fall term in 2001. The lowest percentage was in The same report states that 1994-95 at 78.9 percent and high- “on average, 20 percent of those est in 2001-02 at 83.5 percent. [students] who leave have a 3.0 Generally, the University has [GPA] or higher. This rate is in- compensated with the lack of re- creasing annually.” turning students by increasing the The University is now looking amount of freshmen each year. to improve these numbers with a While the retention rate dipped new Web site. in 2005, the number of full- “We’re setting up Grad Xpress VICTORIA LYNCH/THE BEACON time freshmen increased by 17 to be put online in March,” said percent. Vice President of Enrollment B-HIVE: Ana Mendieta, a political science major, and James Richardson an international business For the last 12 years, the stu- Services Corinne Webb. “The and human resource major, fi ll out candy grams to be sent to friends by the RHA B-HIVE awareness dent retention rate increased club. slightly for fi rst-year to second- RETENTION, page 2 Th ird party candidates look to make an impact CHERYL MALONE Kennedy said. working class citizens and younger individu- Kennedy does not see a single similar- Staff writer Kennedy became a supporter of the work- als, according to Kennedy. ity between the Republican and Democratic ing class since 1981 when she worked in coal Calero and Kennedy are currently working party candidates and her party’s socialist For most Americans, the presidential elec- mines. on an immigration bill. The bill – an anti-de- movement. tion is about the Republican and Democratic While working in a mine in Utah, Kennedy portation bill – hopes to result in the immedi- The SWP believes in the establishment of candidates; most forget that there are about 15 witnessed the exploitation of Mexican work- ate opening of all borders for undocumented a worker’s and farmer’s government, and the third-party candidates running for the big seat ers fi rst hand. workers. immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from at the White House. “We began to talk among ourselves and Kennedy will be in New Orleans over the Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan or any other coun- Socialist Workers Party vice presiden- began to stand up for our rights,” Kennedy next few days, where a crisis is developing. try with U.S. troops in it. tial candidate, Alyson Kennedy, visited said. Because the city is dominated by the “The wars are being fought to protect University Park on Wednesday, Oct. 15. to In Sept. 2003, there was a 10-month in- wealthy and because of the destruction of pub- the economic interests of the wealthy in the campaign for the party’s presidential candi- ternationally supported strike that resulted in lic housing in New Orleans, the working class United States,” Kennedy said. date, Roger Calero, and to promote the social- higher pay and better treatment of workers. will become a “mixed income” class, which Kennedy believes the Democratic and ist party’s goals. Today, Kennedy continues to fi ght for will be very expensive, Kennedy explained. Republican parties insult the working class For Kennedy and her party, the rights of similar causes, in which the poor, working “It shows what the wealthy have in store and unions and they are against helping or ad- working class citizens are important. class or immigrants must battle against the for this country,” Kennedy said. “The wealthy vancing the people. This can be seen through “Workers are beginning to see a seed of wealthy. areas are rebuilt but the working class a revolutionary movement in this country,” Among the party’s highest supporters are neglected.” SOCIALIST, page 2 2 The Beacon – October 24, 2008 NEWS www.fi usm.com Students have say in future renovation projects NATALEE GIL-DEL RIO which focuses on St. to the Graham Center. you like and dislike about the outside of the Staff Writer the University’s advancement. Also, the proposed arrangement for four of classroom or the building itself?” and “What Some of the new buildings that will be fi n- the new buildings – such as the Nursing Health do you like or dislike about the campus in The Classroom Design Standards ished by the end of 2012 are the Academic Science Building and the Stemple School of general?” Committee, created by Provost Ronald Support Center, an International Hurricane Public Health – will be built by the space tak- Students contributed ideas by writing down Berkman, held a focus group in Green Library Center, en over by private suggestions on sticky notes provided 100 on Oct. 22 to gain insight from students School for the Housing by the committee. about classrooms and the campus for upcom- International This is an opportunity to express what bothers you parking “I think that having a larger desk space ing construction and renovation projects at Studies, the lot locat- would be benefi cial to students, as well as in class, the opportunity to speak out about what University Park. Stemple ed next to more outlets for the laptops and installing an “This is an opportunity to express what School of you like and don’t like in the classroom. Everglades interactive white board,” said sophomore and bothers you in class, the opportunity to speak Public Health Gloria Jacomino, director Hall. international business major Ivana Harris. out about what you like and don’t like in the and a Nursing Academic Space Management After The committee expects to hold more of classroom,” said Gloria Jacomino, director of Health Science the presen- these focus groups in the future by branch- Academic Space Management. Building, tation, more ing out to the Biscayne Bay Campus and the Jose Rodriguez, director of Operations among others. than 30 students were split up into three dif- Engineering Campus to gain as much feed- Analysis, explained the importance of the fo- “We have spent a whole year planning these ferent groups, where they were given the op- back, opinions and insight from different cus group because of the size of the upcoming buildings and everyone has been involved in portunity to give feedback or ideas about the students. projects. this process from deans to student partners,” construction of new classrooms with a differ- “We didn’t know what to expect from the He used a visual explanation of the future Rodriguez said. ent design and the renovation of current class- students when we set up the focus group. Now physical progress of the University. The development, the committee explained, rooms, also a major project of the committee.