The Beacon, March 13, 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 3-13-2008 The Beacon, March 13, 2008 Florida International University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/student_newspaper Recommended Citation Florida International University, "The Beacon, March 13, 2008" (2008). The Panther Press (formerly The Beacon). 202. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/student_newspaper/202 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. 20, Issue 56 www.fi usm.com March 13, 2008 SCHNEBLY MEDLEY CLINTON’S CLAIMS LANGERADO ROCKS SEASON CONCLUDES Winery welcomes students Experience isn’t everything Festival in the ‘glades Women’s basketball eliminated AT THE BAY PAGE 4 OPINION PAGE 5 LIFE! PAGE 6 SPORTS PAGE 12 WEATHER STATION BOARD OF GOVERNORS Station FIU’S IDOL Tuition used as control teaching could tool shift JUAN PRADO DAVID ROYSE Contributing Writer Associated Press Writer Unknown to many students, Voters would get a chance the weather station located on to change who sets tuition and the rooftop of the Primera Casa controls the education system in building constantly searches Florida under a proposed consti- for changes in climate condi- tutional amendment approved tions. Friday by a House panel. The job of the station is to If passed, the change would track down climate changes in part reverse what voters did occurring in the area and to when they eliminated the elected provide data on such changes. education commissioner in 1998 “It is a good idea to have and later created a Board of a weather station, now I can Governors to oversee universi- check the weather,” said Patri- ties. Proponents argued the board cia Mendez, a junior. SARAH ALEXANDER/THE BEACON created a unified system of Rene Price, manager of PANTHER IN THE SPOTLIGHT: A crowd gathered in the Graham Center pit to cheer FIU theater major Sye- schools rather than have state the station and Earth Sciences sha Mercado, a top 12 fi nalist, while she performs on American Idol on March 11. department professor, said the universities competing with data from the weather center each other in the Legislature for resources. It also was meant to serves to investigate vertical FIU DAY differences in wind speeds better insulate schools from turf during hurricanes. battles and political interference The data helped identify the SGA fi ghts for FIU in Tallahassee from state offi cials. velocity of the wind at different The proposed amendment altitudes during the passing of voted on by the House commit- BEN F. BADGER JR. (PECO), trust funds and the major SGA’s lobbying session with him. Hurricane Katrina. tee would return to an elected Asst. News Director gift-matching program. “I’m fully supportive of schools in The station is also used as a education commissioner instead The overall strategy of SGA was your area.” of an appointed one and shrink teaching source for students to Putting a face to a name was the not to ask for additional funding, but Viviana Jordan, director of leg- learn about changes in weather the Board of Governors. goal of Student Government Asso- to make the cuts to these key areas as islative affairs for SGC-UP said this While the amendment would patterns. ciation during FIU Day, when stu- small as possible. year’s FIU Day went well. “I do use the data as a teach- make several changes to educa- dents and administrators lobbied for Katiana Saintable, president of “I think things went very well in tion governance in Florida, the ing tool in my hydrogeology support from the State Legislature in Biscayne Bay Student Government terms of receptions of our issues,” courses. Students use the data 17-member Board of Governors Tallahassee on March 11. Council, made constant statements Jordan said. “They were really inter- that oversees the university to determine rainfall amounts While other universities can- to Reps. reminding them of the ested in us.” and evaporation from FIU, system is at the center of the celled their visits to the capital, importance of PECO funds. The Despite the success of these meet- move to change the constitu- parameters that are important SGA wanted FIU students to be on funds are used for construction and ings, many SGA members felt that for the water budget,” Price tion. the minds of legislators who will to fix structures such as those at more legislators who do not support The board voted earlier this said. be voting on FIU’s FIU should have been Hydrogeology is the study year to raise tuition, saying future in the coming addressed. The majority students cannot get an adequate of the distribution and move- Katiana Saintable, SGC-BBC President weeks. of representatives lobby- education with the lowest tuition ment of groundwater. Stu- Rep. Carlos ing already support FIU dents in this field use water “The people who are ‘F-I-Who?,’ we in the nation. Lopez-Cantera was or are from South Florida budgets to determine changes But that angered legislators one of the fi rst legis- also need to get them on board. precincts. - particularly Senate President in groundwater levels among latures SGA sat down “It’s important that we other things. Ken Pruitt - who say only they with. not just tackle the people can decide what tuition will be. Price said information gath- “There is no money,” Lopez-Can- BBC, which Saintable considers to who are from our district or who are ered by the station has been Many legislators are set against tera said in regards to the current state be dilapidated. FIU alumni, but those people who raising tuition, saying it’s a hard- requested not only by FIU stu- of Florida’s available funds. The only issue that was pressed are from North and West Florida,” dents, but also by The National ship on Florida’s families. Due to a string of fi scal short- more than PECO funds was that Saintable said. “The people who are Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie, is Hurricane Center, scientists falls, budgets have had to be cut of the newly accredited College ‘F-I-Who?,’ we also need to get them from the University of Miami fighting the Board of Gover- throughout all areas of the state. An of Medicine. Virtually every SGA on board.” nors in court over the tuition and local elementary and high additional $1 billion is expected to member brought up how important Jordan commented that getting schools. increase. The proposed amend- be cut from the total budget, bringing the $9.8 million already promised one-on-one time with any legislator ment would settle the ques- “The National Weather Sta- overall cuts to $3 billion. for the school by legislature is. Rep. is diffi cult because of their extremely tion requested data for Katrina tion, making it clear that only While meeting with various leg- Ronald Brise commented that argu- busy schedule during the legislative lawmakers can set how much because of wind distribution. islators, SGA focused on fi ve main ments have started to heat up within session, which started on March 4 The University of Miami students will pay. points: the College of Medicine, the legislature over budgets. and will conclude on May 2. The proposed constitutional requested data about water budget cuts, faculty and staff salaries, “We had a war on the fl oor over For complete coverage of FIU $500 million,” Brise said during Day, visit www.fi usm.com. WEATHER, page 3 Public Education Capital Outlay TUITION, page 2 2 The Beacon – March 13, 2008 NEWS www.fi usm.com NEWSFLASH Tuition British architect presents lecture at Green Library COMING SOON On March 14, David Adjaye, one of Great Britain’s leading architects, will present “Public Engagement and battle Private Retreat,” presented by the Steven and Dorothea Green Critics’ lecture series. Adjaye designed, among other buildings, the interior of the Nobel Peace Center amidst in Oslo, Norway as well as the Museum of Contempo- rary Art in Denver, Colo. The event will take place at 8 p.m. in GL 100. Adjaye’s lecture will coincide with the cuts opening of a new exhibit at the Frost Art Museum, which HABER & QUINN PUBLIC RELATIONS/THE BEACON will feature the work of graduating Masters of Fine Arts TUITION, page 1 students. The exhibit will be open from March 12 - April 14 at PC 110. The grand opening is on March 14, from 7 amendment would still have to 10 p.m., and guided tours will be given by the students to get through the full Leg- themselves on March 26, from 7-9 p.m. islature before it could go before voters later this year. Journalism student nets second place in essay A Senate version of the bill competition has one more committee to Mirsad Krijestorac, a 40-year-old journalism senior These photos simulate the new ground walkways will connect the go through before it could be who came to FIU after a career as a prominent rock $34 million College of Nursing and two structures. voted on by the full Senate. music promoter in Yugoslavia, took second place from Health Sciences building, slated to The building will be just a part If it does get on the ballot, the Atlantic Council of the United States’ national essay open at University Park in December of FIU’s Academic Health Sciences it must get at least 60 per- competition on transatlantic issues for his essay on Tur- 2009.