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Vol. 1 Issue 3 PantherNOW.com Monday, January 30, 2017 FRATERNAL FRENZY Policy removal brings controversy STEPHANIE CASTRO patterns to the United States. Assistant News Director The removal of wet foot, dry foot does not signify the end of Cubans One of the last motions President coming to the United States, instead Barack Obama passed during his final Cubans will find different ways to get few days in office was the removal of here. the wet foot, dry foot policy. In 2016, Senator Marco Rubio “By taking this step, we are introduced “The Cuban Immigrant treating Cuban migrants the same Work Opportunity Act of 2016,” way we treat migrants from other sponsored by Congressman Carlos countries,” Obama said. Curbelo, which according to www. The policy is a revision that was rubio.senate.gov, “would termi- made in 1995 to the Cuban Adjust- nate the automatic eligibility for ment Act of 1966 which states that federal public assistance for Cuban anyone who fled Cuba and entered nationals under the Refugee Reset- the United States would be allowed tlement Program, while maintaining to pursue a residency a year later. it for those that have been perse- Prior to 1995, the United States cuted that are in need of resettlement government allowed all Cubans who assistance.” reached the US territorial waters to Although the bill did not have the remain in the US. same impact as President Obama’s, A Cuban caught with “wet feet,” it opened up a conversation between meaning that they were found on the Cubans who became U.S citizens and waters between Cuba and the US, Cubans who wanted to come to the would be sent back to Cuba or to U.S. another country that would take them Eduardo Gamarra, a professor of in. Those who make it to shore, “dry political science in the department of feet,” get the opportunity to remain politics and international relations, in the United States and would even- believes it was an important conver- tually qualify for legal permanent sation to have. residency. “Cuba has benefited greatly Although a controversial subject from the hospitality of the U.S to to many Cubans and Cuban Ameri- exiles because every time there was cans, many feel it is time to bring the a little bit of opposition, systemati- policy to a close. cally, these people were sent abroad Sophomore journalism and inter- and it became a pressure valve,” said national relations major Camila Gamarra. GUETHSHINA ALTENA/THE BEACON Gonzalez says she expected the “Most of the historic exiles who Board members of the Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternity recruit students in the Graham center on Friday Jan. removal of the policy one way or came to the U.S came for political 27, 2017. another. reasons saw their claims as watered “Me, personally I have family down by Cubans who were coming over there that I would love to come in claiming that they had it bad in BISCAYNE BAY here for a better life and now it’ll be Cuba, receiving benefits, and taking that much harder for them to come,” the next plane home and coming back said Gonzalez. and forth,” said Gamarra. Fellow junior education major Grenier has frequently traveled SGA-BBC president Anais Colina is in accordance. “I back and forth to Cuba since 1979. feel like it was something that should have been done a long time ago. As “There’s hope and frustration,” said appoints new vice-president much as I love Cuba, I just feel like Grenier. “There’s a lot of changes. it wasn’t fair to the other people who Young people are opening up IT want to escape from their countries as [information technology] stores, they MELISSA BURGESS “We understand each positions I could take there.” well,” said Colina. just developed the first video game Assistant News Director other and it allows us to get As vice president, he is Dr. Guillermo Grenier, a professor in Cuba. There are things that are past any disagreements we responsible for fulfilling the of sociology and graduate program changing all the time and hopefully He is a student trying may have,” said Mejia. “Leo president’s duties in times director in the Department of Global they’re just the beginning.” to balance academics, knows what to do and takes of absence and in charge & Sociocultural Studies, explained Despite this, Grenier feels that this internships, family and a initiative when others don’t. of pushing forward special that the wet foot, dry foot policy was also puts more pressure on Cuba’s personal life, but also fulfill This allows me to focus on projects for the BBC campus. originally intended to discourage government. the role of being the new more important projects.” One of the special projects, immigration from Cuba. Due to the fact that Cuba’s popula- vice president of SGC for the However, Cosio originally Cosio along with SGC-BBC “Cubans were going over the tion is aging it has become one of the Biscayne Bay Campus. joined SGA at the MMC are trying to push forward, Atlantic and dying, so the U.S oldest countries in the hemisphere. Leo Cosio, a junior campus as deputy chief of is to improve the Golden government and Cuba came together “The big thing now in Cuba is to majoring in broadcast staff in the fall semester of Panther Express, the school’s and signed an accord where the U.S make the economic changes that are journalism with a minor 2015 through spring 2016. shuttle service that transports would accept at least 20,000 Cubans a necessary to keep the young people in political science, was Cosio then transitioned to the students between the MMC year through legal visas to discourage there” explained Grenier. “The fact appointed as SGC-BBC vice SGC-BBC campus as chief of and BBC campus. Cubans from going into the water,” that Cubans can’t immigrate as easily president by Allhan Mejia, staff in the fall semester of “We are trying to find said Grenier. now puts more pressure on the Cuban the president of SGC-BBC, 2016. out how we might be able In 2013, Cuba changed its exit government to change things because at the beginning of the 2017 “I started taking a majority to better the Golden Panther requirement allowing Cubans to the young people aren’t going to be spring semester. of my classes at BBC because Express system. A lot of travel to any country as long as they leaving.” Mejia says he appointed my major was there,” said students are not satisfied by have a visa which created the flow of “In some measure, the Cuban Cosio because they have Cosio. “I spent most of my the service that the shuttle Cubans to Ecuador. government did not really want wet great chemistry and work time at BBC anyway so I Presently, Grenier believes that foot, dry foot to end because here’s SEE BBC, PAGE 2 efficiently together. tried to see if there were any the removal of wet foot, dry foot another 45,000 people we don’t have will benefit Cuba because it will to subsidize. Let the Americans take normalize Cuban immigration care of them,” said Gamarra. 2 Panther Press – Monday, January 30 2017 NEWS PantherNOW.com NATION & University BBC to host annual WORLD BRIEFS Student Leadership Summit CEYLIN ARIAS You don’t expect to just do all the know me by is that I like to take Mexican president rejects Trump’s Staff Writer work and have no one collaborate initiative and own it while I’m at it.” with you, you need all the guidance This year’s one-day event border wall and says he won’t pay for it University highly encourages and collaboration you can get that directed to offer FIU students the Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said he panthers to attend this year’s will then help you develop and learn opportunity to engage and learn rejects and condemns U.S. President Donald Trump’s Student Leadership Summit where as a person,” said Menendez. various techniques essential to plan to immediately begin construction of a wall faculty, staff, advisors and graduate “It’s sort of similar to the saying, boosting performance excellence along the U.S.-Mexico border. students will be engaging in various ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ will take place on Saturday, Feb. 4. In a televised address Wednesday night, Pena workshops and presentations in because technically college students FIU Student Affairs assures Nieto said Mexico “does not believe in walls.” His order to facilitate students access need that structured foundation students will also have the chance to voice rising, Pena Nieto repeated his promise that to information about engaging in and the only way you can become “share their leadership experiences Mexico “will not pay” for construction of a border performance excellence through the barrier.