Florida International University FIU Digital Commons The aP nther Press (formerly The Beacon) Special Collections and University Archives 9-26-2008 The Beacon, September 26, 2008 Florida International University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/student_newspaper Recommended Citation Florida International University, "The Beacon, September 26, 2008" (2008). The Panther Press (formerly The Beacon). 169. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/student_newspaper/169 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 19 www.fi usm.com September 26, 2008 RESTORATION START TALKING GOLDEN IDOL DISTASTEFUL New and improved library Televised debates begin Sept. 26 Dance Marathon searches for star Fans lack respect vs. USF AT THE BAY PAGE 3 OPINION PAGE 4 LIFE! PAGE 5 SPORTS PAGE 8 STUDENTS BUSTED CENTER FOR CHANGE 47 charged with underage drinking DANIELLA BACIGALUPO By comparison, at the University of News Director Miami’s season opener against Charleston Southern University on Aug. 28, ABT gave Athletics believes the inauguration of the 67 citations: 60 were given for drinking-age football stadium marks the start of a new era violations and seven for fake identifi cations in FIU football. or disorderly conduct. Over 48,000 fans at- Public Safety hopes it won’t inaugurate a tended the game at Dolphin Stadium. new era in on-campus underage drinking. “There was more tailgating, more celebra- Last Saturday’s inaugural game against tion for being the fi rst stadium game,” said the University of South Florida saw a previ- King. “We suspect we may not see that num- ously unprecedented number of FIU students ber of violations again and I’m really hopeful attend an athletic event but also brought over that there won’t be. It’s a concern of ours and 50 underage drinking charges. we will do whatever we need to do to address The State of Florida Division of Alcoholic it.” Beverages and Tobacco agents gave 56 no- King said that ABT works with campus tices to appear in court for underage drink- police but at Saturday’s game all write-ups ing on-campus and in Tamiami Park, said were made solely by nine ABT offi cers. Alexis Antonacci, press secretary for ABT’s According to Student Conduct and Confl ict Department of Business and Professional Resolution Director Karen A. Dlhosh, as of Regulations. pre-publication, 47 out of the 57 charges were Chief of Police Bill King said underage given to FIU students. drinking arrests are not uncommon at FIU Still, this number is signifi cantly higher football games, although there was an in- than previous games on-campus and at the crease in charges because of the larger atten- Orange Bowl, where all of last season’s home dance of about 16,100 participants. games were played. Charges at the old FIU One 21 year old was taken to Miami-Dade stadium and Orange Bowl were no more than County’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional 10 per game, according to Dlhosh. Center for providing alcohol to a minor; one Campus Life gave out free FIU football T- citation was given to a juvenile and one to an RICK MARTINEZ/FIUSM.COM FIU student-athlete. DRINKING, page 2 ZOBAMA: Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning speaks about the importance of voting in Graham Center’s Pit on Sept. 24. Speaker off ers student Contract clause impacts perspective on hazing future student-athletes ELSIE PUIG for membership,” explained humiliating” acts of his life. Contributing Writer Alex Ruiz, Interfraternity At fi rst, with Halloween Council President and broth- music playing, he thought his CHARLIE GRAU been approved by the Athletic Director.” Matt Weymouth was ex- er of Tau Kappa Epsilon. teammates were just trying to Editor in Chief If this clause is broken, it allows Cristobal cited to spend a weekend in a “Hazing has gone to a scare him, but unfortunately to void his leave the football program at any lake cabin in New Hampshire completely different level. It it was not the case. In an effort to build a dominant athletic pro- time. with his football team. Then gram, FIU went on an all out blitz to fi nd the According to a U.S.A. Today article pub- came the words that would What happens here stays here, best coach to lead its growing football program. lished on Dec. 5, 2007, such a clause is not change his life forever: “What The man picked to lead the charge: Mario known to exist in any other NCAA Division happens here stays here, and and if anything gets out I will Cristobal. I-A head coaching contract. Even if a player if anything gets out I will se- seriously kill you. The cost: $2.2 million over a span of six years, he recruits does not satisfy FIU’s admissions riously kill you.” along with some other perks in his contract. requirements, it allows the player to gain eli- Matt Weymouth Weymouth went on to Compared to other coaches like Oklahoma’s gibility as long as he meets the NCAA aca- Johnson & Wales student become one of the leading Bob Stoops, who earns $6.5 million, Florida’s demic eligibility requirement. advocates against hazing Urban Meyer who earns $3.4 million and “Football coaches want to make sure they practices in sports teams and Miami’s Randy Shannon who earns $1.5 million don’t want to take a job where they can’t get Greek organizations. has gone from freshman car- “I was dragged into a per year, the price tag may not seem so steep. NCAA qualifying students into school, be- Weymouth, a Johnson & rying water jugs across a fi eld room, restrained by four team But it is not coach Cristobal’s $390,000 cause it is promised to them when they take Wales student, told his story and being told to sing in the members, ‘teabagged,’ they base salary that has raised some fl ags about his the job,” Garcia said. “A lot of coaches want to an arena full of fraterni- cafeteria, to sexual abuse and pulled down my pants and contract, but rather a clause that says Athletic to make sure they are protected.” ties and sororities Sept. 23 assault,” Weymouth said. tried to insert a banana into Director Pete Garcia will have fi nal say for The NCAA academic eligibility require- as part of National Hazing Weymouth came from my rectum,” he said. admissions of Cristobal’s recruits even if they ment is a sliding scale for freshman athletic Prevention Week hosted by a small rural town in In the years that fol- don’t meet the University’s standards. eligibility, based on GPAs in 16 core cours- Athletics, Order of Omega, Massachusetts, where as a lowed he fell to drug addic- In the contract under a section entitled es (such as math, English and science) and in conjunction with Campus high school freshman he tion, depression and abusive ‘University Duties,’ it is stated that the “univer- standardized tests. There is a minimum core Life and Student Government played football for Kentuckey behavior. sity shall admit to FIU all student-athletes meet- GPA of 2.0, which would require an SAT Association. Regional High School. On the “I got death threats, I got ing the NCAA academic eligibility requirement of 1,010. There is no minimum SAT score “Hazing is anything that weekend retreat to the lake thrown bananas at me, people (Division I core GPA and Testing Score Sliding required. But the lowest possible score re- a fraternity or sorority does cabins in New Hampshire, he Scale,) provided the student-athlete has been that can deem a pledge unfi t was subjected to “the most HAZING, page 2 cleared through the NCAA clearing house and CONTRACT, page 2 2 The Beacon – September 26, 2008 NEWS www.fi usm.com NEWS FLASH Garcia heads Athletics’ admissions CONTRACT, page 1 FIU uncomfortable. Philip Hughes, quires a core GPA higher than associate Athletics director Board of Trustees ratify new contract for full- 3.55 for eligibility. for Student Services and for- time employees “It’s basically a three prong mer president of the National process. The student has to Associations of Academic The Board of Trustees ratified a new three- meet the NCAA academic Advisors for Athletics said no year contract that will allow full-time sup- eligibility requirements. The individual person should be port employees who were hired before July 1, coach cannot admit anyone responsible for admitting stu- 2005 to enjoy the same benefits faculty mem- into the school. The student- dents with special talents. bers and administrators have available to them. athlete has to have met the “I do not understand why The agreement, ratifi ed this week by a 480 to 40 NCAA academic eligibility re- there would admissibility in a vote from members of the American Federation of quirements and then have to be person’s contract. Admission State, County and Municipal Employees, guarantees cleared by the NCAA Clearing standards, procedures, deci- a 4-percent pay increase, more leave time and tuition house and then they have to sions and criteria have to reside waivers for members of their immediate family, be cleared by myself,” Garcia in the institution. I don’t know among other benefi ts.