Thomas inks NCJAA leading scorer, three others

By: Jonathan Davila / Staff Writer Golden Panthers men’s basketball head coach Isiah Thomas announced the signings of four players to basketball scholarships yesterday, a move made after three players from last season’s squad were granted releases from their scholarships. Thomas signed Marvin Roberts, who led the NCJAA in scoring last season, Stephen Weaver, Antoine Watson and Phil Gary, Jr. All four players will be eligible to play in the 2009-2010 season as juniors after spending their first two college basketball seasons in junior colleges. The four players will fill holes in the roster left by former point guard Josue Soto, who was released to pursue a professional career in Puerto Rico, shooting guard Michael…

SGC-UP president names 2009-2010 cabinet positions

By: David Barrios / Senior Staff Writer Cabinet positions within Student Government Council – University Park for the 2009-2010 school year were announced on Wednesday night in an email sent by incoming SGC-UP President Anthony Rionda. Former chairman of the SGC-UP Senate Finance Committee Andrew Sanchez was selected as chief of staff. Sanchez will be in charge of overseeing the cabinet and aiding Rionda during his presidency. Former senator Nick Autiello was selected to be deputy chief of staff. Raven Morales, a new comer to student government, was appointed to be SGC-UP’s comptroller. She will be in charge of approving expenditures within SGC-UP while also holding a seat on the University Wide Budget Committee which…

Black Student Union, aquatic center funded at budget meeting

By: David Barrios / Senior Staff Writer The University Wide Budget Committee gave funding to the Black Student Union and the Olympic pool at Biscayne Bay during deliberations Tuesday evening. The committee met to allocate $459,626 in additional activities and service fee funds to university wide student organizations that did not receive funding, or received minimal funding during the committee’s March deliberations. This allocation was for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. During the meeting, $25,000 was allocated to the BSU, the newly formed governing council which did not receive funding during the committee’s earlier deliberations in March of this year. Also, $90,000 was given to BBC’s Aquatics facilities to maintain the Olympic sized pool on that…

Soto, Fuller released from basketball scholarships

By: Jonathan Davila / Staff Writer The Golden Panthers basketball team continues to lose players. Starting shooting guard Michael Dominguez has already transferred to Mesa College, and Josue Soto and Harley Fuller have been released from their scholarships as well, according to Assistant Athletics Director and Sports Information Director Rich Kelch. Soto, the starting point guard from last season’s squad, was released from his scholarship to pursue a professional basketball career in Puerto Rico. The junior guard, who redshirted his first season as a Golden Panther after transferring from Florida State, averaged 10.4 points and 3.2 assists in 13 games last season. Soto decided to leave after Isiah Thomas took over the head coaching job…

Mark Rosenberg named FIU president

By: Julio Menache / Staff Writer Mark Rosenberg, former chancellor of the Florida Board of Governors, has been named FIU’s president, succeeding Modesto A. Maidique as the University’s fifth president. The decision was made at a 11:30 a.m. meeting of the Board of Trustees on April 25. The other two candidates, Ronald Berkman, FIU provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, and Carlos Santiago, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin, dropped out of the race before the day the BOT met to vote on a finalist. “I’m thrilled that the University and the community have faith in my ability to lead FIU,” said Rosenberg in a recent video interview with the University. “We are going…

Provost Berkman withdraws from presidential race

Mark Rosenberg, former chancellor of the Florida Board of Governors, has been named FIU’s president, succeeding Modesto A. Maidique as the University’s fifth president. The decision was made at a 11:30 a.m. meeting of the Board of Trustees on Saturday. The other two candidates, Ronald Berkman, FIU provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, and Carlos Santiago, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin, dropped out of the race yesterday and this morning respectively. Berkman accepted a job in Ohio, as chancellor of the Cleveland State University. In a written statement, Santiago said he has decided to, “continue the important work that we have started at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.” Many of Rosenberg’s supporters were ecstatic…