Florida International University FIU Digital Commons The aP nther Press (formerly The Beacon) Special Collections and University Archives 8-31-2012 The Beacon, August 31, 2012 Florida International University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/student_newspaper Recommended Citation Florida International University, "The Beacon, August 31, 2012" (2012). The Panther Press (formerly The Beacon). 507. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/student_newspaper/507 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. 24, Issue 10 www.fiusm.com Friday, August 31, 2012 COLLEGE OF LAW CALL ME MAYBE Undocumented youth apply for deferment NATALIE BAEZ Local attorneys working pro Contributing Writer bono joined the effort, ensuring that the young adults applying knew the Undocumented students eligible requirements for eligibility and, for for deferred action were officially able those who met the requirements, to apply on Aug. 15. A few days later, helped them accurately fill out the the University’s College of Law was forms necessary to be granted deferred there to help. action. On Saturday, Aug. 25, the Univer- DACA grants eligible individuals sity hosted a free workshop for undoc- two years of legal stay in the U.S. umented youth who meet the require- During this time, these young adults ments to apply for temporary resi- may get a driver’s license and acquire dency through the Deferred Action employment authorization. for Child Arrivals policy, announced George Duman, SWER volun- by President Barack Obama on June teer, aspiring cinematographer and 15. DREAMer, said, “I’m a student. I The workshop, held at the College pay three times as much as a citizen of Law, was organized in conjunction would. It was an amazing feeling with People Improving Communities to hear about DACA on the news. ANDRES BEDOYA/THE BEACON through Organizing, Americans for Finally something for us.” Rosa Jones, outgoing vice president of Student Affairs, and Mark Rosenberg, University president Immigrant Justice, Students Working Duman explained one of his fears. celebrate Jones’ 40 years of service to University. for Equal Rights and the Florida Immigrant Coalition. SEE DREAMERS, PAGE 2 Isaac skirts University UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION Freshmen get early start on their majors MARIELLA ROQUE The plan provides students with informa- Staff Writer tion on what classes they should take during specific semesters. Incoming freshmen will now be more “We are trying to encourage people to grad- likely to graduate on time. uate in four years because there’s data showing The Graduation Success Initiative is a that the sooner someone graduates, the more University-wide resource aimed to help money they end up making,” Boronat said. students graduate in a timely manner. The “Students who start and graduate in four years initiative began last fall when Dean Douglas make two million dollars on average more Robertson of Undergraduate Education found than students who never graduate— that’s that Arizona State University has a student retirement, a comfortable retirement.” CARL-FEDERICK FRANCOIS/THE BEACON population similar to that of FIU; the differ- Maps for part-time students will also be MARIELLA ROQUE “I could leave the building storm in Bay Vista Housing on ence between the two universities is that ASU made available next spring, according to Staff Writer as I pleased, although I was the Biscayne Bay Campus. has a higher graduation rate. Boronat. heavily advised not to,” “At no point throughout Following this finding, a team of FIU In order to account for students taking Tropical Storm Isaac grazed Vernon explained. the... duration of the storm faculty and administrators flew to Arizona and fewer classes a semester, maps for part-time South Florida last Sunday and Vernon shared that, did [I] ever feel unsafe riding spent a week studying ASU’s system to deter- students will map graduation to five years, residents bunkered down to although she did not see emer- it out in my dorm,” Vargas mine what parts could be integrated into FIU. instead of four. wait it out. The University was gency personnel, she never felt said. “[The University] kept “The provost mandated that this was some- Boronat shared that students who begin not an exception. that she was in danger. us constantly abreast as to the thing we needed to do,” said Director of the their first year part-time have a 10 percent According to Susan “The power never went status of the storm.” Office of Retention and Graduation Success, graduation ratedurin their first year. Vernon, a senior in computer out,” Vernon said. “Overall, Being a tropical storm at Consuelo Boronat. “I find it heart-breaking,” Boronat said. science who spent the weekend the weekend was relaxing. I the time, Isaac’s winds did not The GSI is composed of Major Maps and “That’s very, very low... I think people get in her University Park Towers met many of my neighbors and exceed 65 miles per hour as it My_eAdvisor. discouraged because it takes too long.” dorm on the Modesto Maid- drank a lot of hot chocolate.” skirted Florida, according to According to the GSI website, gsi.fiu.edu, Maps for students who have not chosen ique Campus, “everything was Janiel Vargas, a graduate the National Hurricane Center. Major Maps are “semester by semester paths a major are called exploratory maps. These pretty normal,” despite being student in higher education to on-time graduation” both for freshmen and “on lockdown.” administration, weathered the SEE STORM, PAGE 2 2-year transfer students. SEE MAPPING, PAGE 2 2 The Beacon – Friday, August 31, 2012 NEWS www.fiusm.com ASSOCIATED PRESS More clinics planned to Ryan: Romney won’t ‘duck help with application DREAMERS, PAGE 1 will not be placed in deportation proceedings tough issues’ on economy unless the United States Citizenship and Immi- “One of my fears was always, ‘What am gration Services refers them to the U.S. Immi- DAVID ESPO Wisconsin lawmaker said in In a secondary role if I going to do after I graduate college?’ I don’t grations and Customs Enforcement. Associated Press remarks prepared for delivery only for a moment, Romney want to go back to my native country— there’s According to USCIS policy, they cannot refer to a convention dogged by accused Democratic Pres- no future for me there. What am I going to do cases to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforce- Seizing the Republican Tropical Storm Isaac. ident Barack Obama of there? I know this country better than my country ment unless the individual has a criminal convic- National Convention spot- The storm, downgraded backing “reckless defense of birth. I came here when I was seven; I’ll be 21 tion or committed fraud in his or her application. light, vice presidential candi- from a hurricane, was still cuts” amounting to $1 next month.” This is where the attorneys and volunteers at the date Paul Ryan promised inflicting misery on millions trillion. DACA, however, is not a congressional legis- University’s workshop help DREAMers deter- Wednesday night that Mitt along the nearby northern Romney delivers his own lation, meaning the policy can be changed or mine whether requesting deferred action is a Romney “will not duck the Gulf Coast. nationally televised accep- reversed in the future. DACA is a directive from smart, feasible option. tough issues” if he wins the Ryan’s vice presidential tance speech Thursday night Obama to the Department of Homeland Secu- Cynthia Vescardo, University student and White House this fall and acceptance speech marked in the final act of his own rity, an agency within the executive branch. SWER volunteer explained why she joined their party will move force- not only his turn to address convention. The executive branch cannot enact a law SWER. fully to solve the nation’s convention delegates and but The political attention that creates a path for citizenship or permanent “It’s just the right thing to do; our immigra- economic woes. also a prime-time national then shifts to the Democrats, residency because only Congress, by legislative tion system is messed up.” “After four years of debut by a 42-year-old who open their own conven- authority, has that power. Therefore, proponents According to Vescardo, 1.4 to 1.7 million getting the runaround, lawmaker lauded by fellow tion on Tuesday to nominate of the DREAM Act continue to push the proposal people qualify for DACA in the United States. America needs a turnaround, Republicans for his under- Obama and Vice President since a grant of deferred action isn’t a step in “In Miami and Broward, it’s 60,000 or more. and the man for the job is standing of the complexities Joseph Biden for a second the direction of lawful permanent residency or That’s a lot of people whose lives are going Governor Mitt Romney,” the of the nation’s budget. term. citizenship; it is only a temporary fix which, to change because of that little paper. There according to the DHS, is granted to “ensure that are people being deported that shouldn’t be enforcement resources are not expended on low deported, who are low priority, with no criminal priority cases, such as individuals who came to record, that want to make a valuable contribution Rain leads to leaks the United States as children and meet other key to the economy but they can’t,” Vescardo said.