Student honoured with post-mortem degree

By: Ben F. Badger Jr. / Asst. News Director Daniel A. Matos enjoyed playing video games with friends until the late hours of the night. He loved nature and above all else had a passion to help others. He wanted to be a physical therapist. “To all who met him, he was a true friend,” said Adrian Cross, a friend of Matos since the second grade in a memorial letter. “He wasn’t just someone you could hang out with, but instead was someone with whom you could laugh, cry and trust with anything.” Matos was expected to graduate on Dec. 18 from the College of Health and Urban Affairs. But Matos was not able to…

Santisi recalls good times: Senior to return to team as graduate assistant next year

By: Sergio Bonilla / Sports Editor Alyse Santisi was a freshman when the volleyball team finished with a 3-23 record. As a defensive specialist for the Golden Panthers volleyball team, she has been part of the program’s recent success over the past two years. She graduates FIU with a bachelor’s in sports management and hopes to still contribute to the team next year as a graduate assistant. A couple of hours before her last final as an undergraduate student, she sat down with The Beacon to reflect on her time at FIU and her plans for the future. Q: During your four years at FIU, what was your fondest memory? A: I have enjoyed seeing…

Sharing the spotlight: Father and daughter graduate on same day

By: Charlie Grau /Editor in Chief When Daniel Cazalis and his daughter Begoñe came to the United States from Cuba in 1998, life was no easy task for them. Daniel, a professor who teaches math, computer science and statistics at FIU, delivered pizzas for Dominoes and Begoñe, got a job scooping ice cream at Haagen Daz, even though she was too young at the time to work. “My dad was working a lot. He did everything from building roofs to deliveries, everything to help provide for us,” Begoñe said. Both father and daughter will be among the thousands of FIU students graduating on Dec. 17 and 18 at the Pharmed Arena. “I was assuming that…

Commentary: Dooped no more; FIU prepared me for what’s to come

By: Maria Chercoles / News Director “I’ll graduate after this exam,” I proudly announced in class last week, while the 15 or so students and professor cheered and clapped and I smiled. Wait. It didn’t really happen like that. I never made any announcement. I did think about it, though. Who doesn’t? The truth is, my last exam was less of a heroic act and more of a mental torture. I cowardly walked into the classroom and dipped into my exam shuddering, not because I hadn’t studied but because I had barely slept or eaten during the previous week. I wrote down my last answer and thought that maybe, just maybe, I should intentionally fail…

Green fairy goes stateside: Absinthe now available in U.S.

By: Juliana Barbassa / AP Writer Green fairy, opalescent muse, bottled madness, the essence of life: absinthe has answered to many names over the centuries, feeding inspiration and insanity in equal measures to artists from Baudelaire to Degas before facing a ban that lasted nearly a century. Now the emerald witch is stepping out of the shadows. Since the federal government approved the sale of absinthe in March, two brands of the high-proof liquor, Lucid and Kubler, have been introduced to the U.S. market. Both made according to original recipes, they are fueling a revival among the inquisitive and quenching the thirst of cultish devotees. Drawn out by the dissolution of national barriers in the…

Professor makes the grade: Student based Web site takes notice

By: Kassandra Pool / Staff Writer “No,” responded Professor Kimberly Miles emphatically to those who asked whether or not she was going to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps and become an English teacher. Nearly 15 years have past since since that incident and Miles began her teaching career shortly after. She is now ranked 30th on the Web site RateMyProfessors.com, where FIU’s faculty in general is ranked number 13 in the nation. According to the site, the rankings are entirely determined by the student’s ratings. In 1992, on the path of becoming a technical writer, Miles was approached by the director of composition and was asked to become a teaching assistant. After some convincing and…