Corrections

By: [no author name found] In the Jan. 17 issue of The Beacon, the story titled ‘Chair, Provost differ on effects of budget cuts,’ Chris Towers and Corey Bachman should have been credited with additional reporting. In the Jan. 22 issue of The Beacon, the story titled ‘GOP candidates support Bush but keep distance’, John McCain was said to have recieved a 90 percent from the John Birch Society in 2007. He recieved that rating in 2004. The Beacon will gladly change any errors. Call our UP Office at 305-348-2709 or BBC at 305-919-4722 Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Recommend on Facebook share via Reddit Share with Stumblers Tumblr it Tweet about it Subscribe…

ONE Campus challenge: Students take on Challenge

By: Rocio Blanco-Garcia / Staff Writer One in seven people live in poverty and the HIV/AIDS pandemic has come to affect more than 35 million people throughout the globe, according to ONE.org. This is the reality society is faced with at the dawn of the 21 century. In Fall 2007, FIU joined the fight against the spread of AIDS and poverty by partnering with the ONE Campus Challenge. Other universities around the country such as Iowa State University, University of Florida and Georgetown University also joined the challenge. “The challenge is fun, competitive and, it allows us to fight for a good cause,” said Juan Jarapiño, former president of the FIU chapter. ONE operates in…

Blackboard replaces obsolete WebCT

By: Kevin Castro / Staff Writer WebCT is no stranger to students taking Web-assisted or completely online courses. That will soon change, though, as FIU is in the middle of phasing out WebCT’s use and will instead turn to a similar system called Blackboard. “Communication is much better with Blackboard because every student in the course is also in Blackboard, so communication via e-mail is assured to get to every student. Also, any student has the ability to communicate with any lecturer or anyone else in the course,” said Thomas Pitzer, biological sciences professor. “This is important when the total class size can be approximately 1,000 students.” Blackboard was placed into service last year after…

“Cloverfield” cast provides an inside look

By: Susana Rodriguez / Asst. News Director f the only thing separating you from the one you love was a giant, blood thirsty monster, would you run to their rescue? This is the question that drives the action in “Cloverfield”, a film with a new take on the monster genre. “Cloverfield” reunites J.J. Abrams and Director Mark Reeves since their work on television’s “Felicity”. Along with writer Drew Goddard, they’ve taken inspiration from Japan’s “Godzilla” and have tried to give rampaging monsters a fresh start. The Beacon spoke with actors Mike Vogel, Lizzy Caplan and T.J. Miller in a national college press conference call for their insights on making “Cloverfield”. “When we were all told…

Jose Marti breakfast to honor students: $4000 to be awarded

By: Marcelo Gorenstein / Contributing Writer FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus will join Miami-Dade College in celebrating the birth of Cuban writer José Martí as part of the eighth annual scholarship breakfast. The celebration will take place Jan. 28 at 8:30 a.m. in the Wolfe University Center Ballroom. This year’s event will feature keynote speaker Professor Uva de Aragon, a journalist, poet and essayist, whose career has been devoted to Marti. “Martí´s greatest passion was Cuba. He wished not only to liberate her from the colonial government of Spain, but to lay the foundations of the nation, the Republic,” Aragon said. “Even during the organization of the war, he saw the need to limit the power…

MAKING THE PITCH: Season really won in the offseason with recruits

By: Chris Martinez / Staff Writer For all that was made of what was formerly the nation’s longest losing streak, the Florida International University football team made a splendid amount of progress throughout the year that culminated in a long-overdue victory over North Texas to cap off the season. As one season ends, another begins for the coaching staff. This one doesn’t take place on the gridiron, but rather the living room of recruits across the nation. It is the infusion of talent that keeps top programs where they are and allows small programs to continue their growth. It will be the first true test of head coach Cristobal and his staff, because as former…