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Florida International University FIU Digital Commons The aP nther Press (formerly The Beacon) Special Collections and University Archives 1-14-2016 The Beacon, January 14, 2016 Florida International University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/student_newspaper Recommended Citation Florida International University, "The Beacon, January 14, 2016" (2016). The Panther Press (formerly The Beacon). 850. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/student_newspaper/850 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 One copy per person. Additional copies are 25 cents. Vol. 27 Issue 50 fiusm.com Thursday, January 14, 2016 Tampa seeks to DREAM DOCS decriminalize marijuana CAYLA BUSH provide police officers with Staff Writer alternatives to the lifelong stigma [email protected] of a criminal record, a bar to jobs in law enforcement and the Between 2010 and 2014, armed services, and eligibility 44,860 marijuana possession for public housing and some cases were closed in Miami- college scholarships. Dade County, accounting for 10 Tampa is the latest in the state percent of all cases filed in the to propose a change; under the city’s criminal court system. proposal, a citation would carry a In response to these numbers, fine and could require mandatory county drug counseling commissioners but would hold no took steps to more weight than decriminalize a traffic ticket. ADRIAN SALGADO/THE BEACON misdemeanors Usually, we have to “What the Members of Phi Delta Epsilon table outside of Green Library in efforts to attract new members to infractions go on bended knee country and the medical fraternity Tuesday, Jan. 12. and provide armed with loads certainly mayors officers with of data to make a have realized the option persuasive argument is incarcerating to forego an to change the law. people, But the cities lag behind other purposes in Alaska, Colorado, The report found that black people arrest, and particularly young regions of the United States Oregon, Washington and the were 3.73 times more likely to be Allen St. Pierre instead issue people, for a very that have used civil citations District of Columbia. arrested for possession than their Executive Director civil citations National Organization for the small amount for decades, said Allen St. “Usually, we have to go on white counterparts even though with $100 Reform of Marijuana Laws of marijuana Pierre, executive director with bended knee armed with loads marijuana use is roughly the fines for absolutely alters the National Organization for of data to make a persuasive same between the two groups. people caught their career path the Reform of Marijuana Laws, argument to change the law,” A switch to citations would with less than for the rest of a Washington, D.C., based St. Pierre said. “Almost all the help employment levels in 20 grams of their life,” said advocacy group. Civil citations people leading those efforts communities with high number marijuana. Tampa Mayor were adopted by leaders of many are baby boomers; they have a of minorities, helping alleviate “We have better things to do Bob Buckhorn. “Once they get college towns --including Ann much greater propensity to favor high poverty levels in those with our police resources,” said into that prison system, they are Arbor, Michigan, and Madison, reform than the World War II communities, St. Pierre said. Commissioner Sally Heyman, forever scarred; they forever Wisconsin -- as far back as the generation.” Florida communities that have sponsor of the ordinance. “For have a prison record.” 1970s, St. Pierre said. Marijuana arrests adopted civil citations levy a goodness’ sakes, we don’t have Tampa attorneys have for the The move by Florida disproportionately fall on black range of fines for possession. to destroy the lives of so many.” past six months been drafting a communities to adopt citations and Hispanic people, a 2013 Miami Beach and Miami- Palm Beach County also citation ordinance that could go stems in part from concern about American Civil Liberties Union Dade County fines are $100. made similar changes to county before the city council in the next the cost of enforcing drug laws. study found. Hallandale Beach has escalating code in 2015, sparking a change few weeks. Across Tampa Bay, It also may reflect changing Between 2001 and 2010, there fines from $200 for the first within the state, leading to more St. Petersburg is also moving attitudes about use of the drug were 8 million arrests, of which counties looking at options to ahead with a similar initiative. now legal for recreational 88 percent were for possession. SEE WEED, PAGE 2 Group lotto tickets increase as jackpot hits billions CAYLA BUSH For some students, however, the question becomes they all have to agree to the terms. Not nine and a friend Staff Writer how fair and how open would the drawing be. someone invites in.” [email protected] “I think that having a communal pool is fine, so long The pool organizer should keep everyone up to speed as there are established rules as to how the money would on details, like when the drawings are, how much is A $1.4 billion Powerball jackpot with chances of be split if we won,” said Eric Watt, a senior studying collected, how many people are in. That person also winning the jackpot is 1 in 292 million, becomes a English. should shoot messages with the numbers of the purchased lot more likely once friends, office peers, and family tickets to everyone in the pool. members pool in their resources and purchase communal “When (the pool organizers) get the tickets, they can tickets. just scan them and email those images to everyone before Like March Madness, in which office pools capture the the drawing,” Clark said. “That way, you have a way to frenzy of the nation during the NCAA men’s basketball prove these are the 10 tickets. And if the organizer buys finals, lottery office pools have been around since the 10 more tickets for himself and his family, they clearly lottery began and ramp up each time jackpots soar. are not among the ones in the pool.” These pools mostly are informal affairs, where a Agreements also must be made about what happens to trusted individual agrees to collect a couple bucks from partial winnings; should they be doled out to participants participants, heads to a gas station or Publix, buys tickets or rolled into future drawings. and watches the drawing. The idea is that there are more If everyone’s in agreement, there likely would not be a tickets in the pool and that increases the chances of need to put it all in the form of a written contract, he said. winning, though infinitesimally. If one of the tickets hits, “I don’t know if its necessary to put it in writing,” all share in the jackpot. Clark said, Making copies of the tickets available to the This idea is one that is particularly of interest to pool participants should do the trick, he said. And that’s students who want to participate in having a communal Experts say there could be some pitfalls to this system, easily done with a smart phone. pool. particularly if more than $1 billion is at stake. “Technology has changed so much these days,” he “Anything that I can do to improve my chances of being “I would say to make sure that everybody is in said. “It’s is so much easier to make sure everyone is on rich I’ll do it,” said Carlos Ramos, a junior accounting agreement with doing it jointly,” said Wayne Clark, a the same page.” major. “I trust my friends and family, and the people I’d South Florida attorney who has written scholarly articles go in the pool with would be excellent co-winners.” about March Madness office pools. “If 10 people are in, SEE LOTTO, PAGE 2 2 The Beacon – Thursday, January 14, 2016 NEWS fiusm.com NATION & WORLD Tampa reconsidering BRIEFS marijuana legalization Rhino poaching in Zimbabwe soared in 2015, WEED, PAGE 1 different system. When you did wrong, you pay for it.” says activist offense and $250 for the next. Leon Councilman Harry Cohen, who last County limits citations to first-time week called for a report on how other The number of rhinoceroses when about 150 rhinos were offenders, who are required to get drug cities are handling the issue, said the poached in Zimbabwe more than poached,” he said. Much of the counseling but are not fined. move will likely free up police resources doubled last year, the head of poaching takes place in private In most cases, the decision whether and lower court and jail costs without a trust dedicated to protecting wildlife parks, where most of to issue a citation is left to the discretion legalizing the drug. the animals said Tuesday. At Zimbabwe’s 800 black and white of the arresting officer. Buckhorn said “This is about what is the appropriate least 50 rhinos were poached in rhinos live after their populations juveniles found in possession would be penalty, not if there is going to be any the southern African country in in national parks were decimated directed to drug court and counseling. penalty at all,” Cohen said. 2015, up from 20 the previous by poachers, according to du Toit. Of the almost 1,900 cases of marijuana Students who have been keeping up year, Lowveld Rhino Trust Most of the rhinos poached in possession in Tampa in 2015, many were with the changes throughout the country Director Raoul du Toit told dpa.