The Reporter Vol. 1 Issue 1

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MERGING

New consolidated student newspaper to feature 16 full-color pages, a 10,250-copy circulation, and bureaus at North, Kendall and Wolfson Campuses.—PAGE 8,9

Building Up: New multimilliondollar Student Support Center breaks ground at Miami Dade College's Wolfson Campus.

TURN TO NEWS, PAGE 7

KEEP THIS PAPER. YEARS FROM NOW, VOLUME ONE, ISSUE ONE WILL BE A COLLECTOR'S ITEM!

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT MIAMI DADE COLLEGE

BEATING the

Journalism Expands At The College

ODDS

Manolo Barco mbarco@mdc.edu

Nearly fifty years have passed since an inquisitive group of students with little to no journalism experience gathered in a cramped, 10 x 10 white-wooden structure at Dade County Junior College to form the school’s first student BARCO newspaper, The Falcon Times.

The memory still brings joy to Raleigh Mann’s— the paper’s first editor-in-chief— voice.

“The paper was kind of an affirmation that we were legitimate,” said Mann, 76.

Using limited resources— three manual typewriters and a small bathroom that was converted into a makeshift darkroom—the spunky staff of less than 10 produced 14 issues that year.

They laid the foundation for what was to come.

In 1966, the Kendall Campus started the Catalyst. The Downtowner, which served the Wolfson Campus, originated in 1970. It was later renamed the Metropolis in 1984.

The student staffs that led these newspapers won 19 National Pacemaker Awards and received hundreds of honors from the Florida Community College Press Association.

The modest newsrooms that spawned them have produced journalism’s rising stars.

Folks such as Pulitzer Prize-winner, Liz Balmaseda, Emmy Award-winning CBS4 News anchorman, Elliot Rodriguez, and Miami Herald Metro Editor, Jay Ducassi got their start there.

The papers have served as a safety net to legions of shy, unsure and awkward student reporters who found their way by writing bad copy.

They exchanged pay for bylines and reveled in the long nights of editing stories TURN TO THE REPORTER PAGE 15

THE REPORTER IS THE FREE BIWEEKLY STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT MIAMI DADE COLLEGE. ALL CONTENT IS PRODUCED BY MDC STUDENTS.

VOL. 1, ISSUE 1—OCT. 4, 2010

Edgaris Franchesca Leon, a Miami Dade College volleyball player, returns to the court after a one-year medical leave.

By Hector Gonzalez hector.gonzalez012@mymdc.net

AKEEM BRUNSON / THE REPORTER

Edgaris Franchesca Leon towers over her opponents on the volleyball court.

At 6-foot-1 inches tall, Leon looks every bit the part of the physically imposing player she portrays while on the volleyball court.

Selected to the 2008 Southern Conference First Team, Leon—a middle blocker on the Miami Dade College Lady Sharks volleyball team—ranked 12th that year in hitting efficiency with 134 kills. For good measure, she added 44 digs and 43 blocks.

However, what she did not know was that her life was about to change.

Top Form: Edgaris Franchesca Leon is poised to return to form this coming season; she joins the Lady Sharks after a one-year hiatus.

Carpooling?: The Reporter's Forum editor swerves into the issue of the carpooling option offered at the Wolfson Campus.

TURN TO LEON, PAGE 13

New Boss: Lourdes Oroza has been named the new Kendall Campus President. She looks to steer the campus forward.

TURN TO FORUM, PAGE 15

A&E: Find out which movies are worth watching.

TURN TO NEWS, PAGE 7

TURN TO A&E, PAGE 11

TRANSPORTATION

Carpooling Program Offers Options For Commuters A new carpooling program is being offered for faculty and students at the Wolfson Campus.

By Danithza Zevallos danithza.zevallos001@mymdc.net Students at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus can now take advantage of a carpooling program called Get2MDC. To be eligible, one must be an MDC student, have a car and a valid driver’s license, and show proof of registration and insurance. The program is currently only being utilized at Wolfson Campus.

“Carpooling just seems smarter, carbon pollution will go down, air pollution will go down,” Miami Dade College Earth Ethics Institute Director Colleen Ahern-Hettich said.

NEWS TIPS?

To join the program, one must register on the website and wait for a carpool permit to be sent by mail, which is then hung on a car mirror. Permits are valid for one semester.

Participants must have a valid MDC decal and school ID. Two or more students must be in the car to participate, and they must drive to campus at least three days a week.

“This would definitely make a major impact on the environment, just think of all the cars that won't be used,” Karel Perez, a 21-year-old environmental studies major at Miami Dade

WESLY URRUTIA / THE REPORTER

Pretty In Pink: Miami Dade College lit its National Historic Landmark, the Freedom Tower, in pink in support of breast cancer awareness month. A ceremony was held Sept. 30, after sundown, serving as a memorial to those that have been affected by breast cancer.

TURN TO CARPOOLING PAGE 7

Let us know at: mdc.thereporter@gmail.com (305) 237-1253

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SPORTS FORUM

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OCT. 4, 2010

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MARK PULASKI / THE REPORTER

Best in show: Officer Nelson Enriquez with his K-9 partner, Jimmy, a bloodhound that was donated by the Jimmy Ryce Center for Victims of Predatory Abduction.

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PROMETEO DIRECTOR RECEIVES HONORS

NURSING PROFESSOR WINS AWARD

Joann Maria Yarrow, artistic director for the Prometeo Theatre at Miami Dade College, has been selected as one of The Miami Herald’s 20 Under 40: Celebrating Artists, which recognizes emerging leaders in South Florida’s local arts scene.

Yarrow oversees the country’s only YARROW college-level Spanish-language professional-actor training program. She teaches first-year students.

Yarrow also started an afterschool Spanish-language theater program, created Acting for the Camera courses, and toured Prometeo Theatre shows at festivals in Peru and Boston.

With Yarrow at the helm, Prometeo Theatre has received national recognition as the nation’s leading Spanish-language theater program. The program is based at MDC’s Wolfson Campus.

Yarrow, who previously oversaw the acting program at Union College in New York, earned a Master of Arts in directing from the University of California at Irvine.

Miami Dade College Nursing Professor Constance Miller was recognized as the 2010 winner of Florida Campus Compacts’ Community Engagement Educator Award on Sept. 30.

The event took place at the King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne, Fla. MILLER Miller—a senior associate professor at the MDC School of Nursing—has been at the college for more than 20 years. She has a master’s degree from Barry University and has worked on a variety of community service projects.

Miller played an integral role in the opening of the MDC and Miami Rescue Mission clinic in 2009.

The Community Engagement Educator Award recognizes people in the three higher education sectors—state universities, state/ community colleges, independent colleges and universities— for differences they make to the institutionalization of community engagement.

—Danithza Zevallos

—Danithza Zevallos

JOURNALISM SPEAKER SERIES SET TO BEGIN

MARK PULASKI / THE REPORTER

Practice makes perfect: Logan, a Belgian Malinois, handled by Officer James Yin, practices his criminalapprehension skills on Sgt. Ernie Gutierrez.

SAFETY AWARENESS DAY AT THE NORTH CAMPUS North Campus’ Department of Public Safety held their fifth-annual Campus Safety Awareness Day on Wednesday, Sept. 22. The event was held in the breezeway of the 4000 building. Representatives from various local and federal police agencies were on hand to answer questions and provide general information, as well as officials from other community organizations such as the Department of Children and Families, Domestic Violence Oversight Board and the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office.

—Mark Pulaski

MDC PROFESSORS ROCA, HETTICH RELEASE NEW BOOKS Octavio Roca, the interim chair of the Arts and Philosophy Department at the North Campus, was exposed to dance at an early age.

R o c a’s m o m danced for the “Ballet de Pro-Arte Musical” in Cuba. At age five, he watched his first ballet, Giselle.

Now, Roca, whose music a nd da nce ROCA critiques have appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, The Miami New Times, The Washington Post and The Washington Times, are expounding on his passion for the ballerina art form.

His book Cuban Ballet, which delves into the history of ballet on the Caribbean island, was released on Sept. 2.

Roca’s subjects in the book include the famed dance company, Alicia Alonso’s Ballet Nacionál de

Cuba, and respected international ballerinas, the Feijóo sisters, Lorena and Lorna. The sisters grace the cover of Cuban Ballet.

There are some politics involved in the book, partly because it deals with Cuba, however, the book does not revolve around it.

“This book should read like a novel that happens to be true," Roca said. "You are poor when you don’t take advantage of the arts; when you embrace the arts, it makes life better.”

—Kathryn Sotolongo Miami Dade College professor, Michael Hettich, will be reading from his new book Like Happiness on Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., in Coral Gables.

The book is a collection of poems, is it Hettich’s 13th publication.

His first collection of poetry was published in 1981.

Critics have described the book as “lyrical dreams” and “gifts.” But Hettich, a creative writing professor at Wolfson Campus, does not let the accolades get to his head.

“I l i ke it, but I don’t take it too seHETTICH riously,” he said.

Hettich believes that writing is important.

“I write every day,” Hettich said.

“Some days I’m inspired, other days I’m not.”

Hettich already has plans for his next book The Animals Beyond Us. It is scheduled for release in 2011.

—Tiffany Garcia

THE REPORTER

Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist, Dave Barry, will open this year’s MDC Journalism Speaker Series. The event will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 5 at 10 a.m. in Room 2151 at the North Campus, 11380 NW 27th Ave. Barry has more than 25 years of experience and has worked for publications such as The Daily Local News and The Miami Herald.

He has published 30 book s a nd h is work has appeared in more t han 500 newspapers across the country.

BARRY Other scheduled

NOBEL LAUREATE VISIT Miami Dade College President Eduardo J. Padrón welcomed 2006 Nobel Peace Prize-winner Muhammad Yunus to the Wolfson Campus on Aug. 20.

Discussed were Ha it i’s long-ter m recovery and the rebuilding of its current situation and future economic state.

Yunus, who founded the worldYUNUS renowned Grameen Bank, was accompanied by Francisco Sánchez, the U.S. under secretary of commerce for international trade.

The Grameen Bank model, founded in Bangladesh for the purpose of providing small loans to the rural poor, holds great possibilities for Haiti, Yunus said.

GB has serviced 8.29 million borrowers—of which 97 percent are women. They have loaned $9.54 billion, of which $8.5 billion has been repaid.

—Ayoyemi Ajimatanrareje

VISIT US ONLINE: WWW.MDC.EDU/THEREPORTER

guests for this year’s MDC Journalism Speaker Series include El Nuevo Herald’s Executive Editor Manny Garcia; Miami Herald Cartoonist Jim Morin; WSVN Channel 7 Anchor Craig Stevens; WPLG Channel 10 Senior Political Reporter Michael Putney; Miami Herald Break ing News Editor Pat Andrews; USA Today Reporter Alan Gomez; and former Miami Herald General Assignment Reporter Arnold Markowitz.

All events are free and open to the public.

—Monica Kelly For more information, contact Manolo Barco, adviser to The Reporter.

T (305) 237-1255 B mbarco@mdc.edu

NEW COLLEGE PREP ENGLISH CHAIR Jacqueline Peña will now serve as the chairperson for the College Preparatory English Department at Wolfson Campus.

Peña has more than 10 years of experience in teaching and administrative experience in the fields of developmental education and English as PEÑA a second-language program. In addition, she has experience in the areas of academic support services, assessment and institutional effectiveness.

She has a Master of Arts degree in English from Boston College and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Herbert H. Lehman College, part of the City University of New York.

Peña is presently a doctoral candidate in the Curriculum and Instruction program at Florida International University.

—Danithza Zevallos

THE REPORTER

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OCT. 4, 2010

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BRIEFING

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LEHMAN THEATRE HOSTS FIRST MAJOR EVENT

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On Sept. 3 North Campus’ Lehman Theatre held the International Young Medalist Ballet Performance, which is part of the International Ballet Festival of Miami.

The performance was the newly renovated theater’s debut. It featured close to 25 young medal winners of worldwide ballet competitions.

—Anna Carabeo

COLLEGE RECEIVES GRANT FOR SERVICE LEARNING PROGRAMS Miami Dade College was awarded The School of Education will also proa $559,842 Learn and Serve America vide in-depth education about service grant from the Corporation for Nation- learning in a new three-credit class, “Civic al and Community Service.

Engagement through Community SerThe grant will be used to vice.” encourage teachers to imThe class will plement service learning be taught by Jainto educational settings. nis Klein, 2002 Amount awarded to Miami Dade It will also support the winner of MCollege by the Corporation for Learn and Serve Legacy DCPS’s Teacher of National and Community Service. project, a joint-effort bethe Year Award. tween MDC’s Center for Community Throughout the next three years, 300 stuInvolvement and School of Education. dents are expected to enroll.

Nearly 200 colleges and non-profit “The best learning is engaged learning,” organizations applied for the higher said Joshua Young, the college-wide dieducation grant. Miami Dade College rector of MDC’s Center for Community Inwas one of 28 recipients. volvement. “Not only are you learning and As part of the program, School of Ed- retaining information, but you’re [also] ucation students will be given appren- giving back to the community.” ticeships with Miami-Dade County Public School teachers, as part of a —Julie McConnell service-learning curriculum.

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THE REPORTER

OCT. 4, 2010

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NEWS

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E. MARCUS SMITH, 68

// NEWS

The Last Big Curtain Call

By Roberto Zerbino, Monique O. Madan

A

genius; a problem solver; a mentor; a good friend.

Many even called him an “adopted grandfather.”

The list of endearing words was endless and filled every conversation as the tragic condition of E. Marcus Smith, 68, reached his students and co-workers.

Smith slipped into a coma shortly after surgery early in September and remained in this state for two weeks.

He passed away shortly after on Sept. 16, leaving behind his only son, Dennis Smith.

“He was brilliant. He could solve anything, he never gave up,” said Dennis Smith. “I now live the same kind of life—there is never a time that I don’t learn from something, and that was my dad.”

After Smith retired from Florida International University, he came to Miami Dade College and went from working part-time in the theater department to becoming the technical director. He was in his element—building sets and props for movies.

His career in theater and film spanned more than 30 years in South Florida.

During that time, Smith created close bonds with his students at

MDC. His relationship with former student and friend, Jose Paredes, was one of many. He had attended every theater performance Paredes took part in since 2006 and was a big contributor to his success.

“If he picked on you, it’s because he loved you, ” Paredes said.

Co-worker Deborah Mello described him as someone who “really could do anything” and said he was an incredible father figure.

“I will never forget when we would go fishing as a kid. I hated taking the fish off the hook," said Dennis Smith. “He always took it off for me, and teased me SMITH because I was faster than him. We would spend hours doing that.”

This big, bearded, suspenderwearing man—for those who knew him—touched the lives of many. The day he passed away, students wore suspenders in his memory.

Although gone, Smith left a legacy that his friends and family said cannot be forgotten.

“The show must, sadly, go on,” Mello said.

Julie McConnell contributed to this report.

JOAN LEHMAN, 90 ALL PHOTOS BY O. DANILO BALLADARES / THE REPORTER

DREAMERS FALL SHORT OF THE MARK

A Life Of Passion And Art

Miami Dade College students voiced their support for the DREAM Act during a rally at the Wolfson Campus on Sept. 21.

Supporters were hoping to get a defense spending bill moved forward in the Senate, which had the Dream Act as an amendment. However, the defense bill did not get the required amount of votes to move forward.

The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act proposes that a DREAMer that has devoted two years to a college education, or the military, should have a chance at obtaining citizenship in the U.S. Letdown: Clockwise from bottom left: Julio Calderon; Gabriella Mejia and Esteban Roncancio; Adan Quesada; A group of S.W.E.R. members watching the Senate proceedings.

By Monica Suarez monica.suarez006@mymdc.net

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: ERIC WALKER

Recent Graduate Lands TV Reporting Gig

By Ivette Franqui ivette.franqui001@mymdc.net Eric David Walker has always dreamt of being a reporter.

When he was 10-years-old he mimicked local TV journalists in hopes of one day following in their footsteps.

Walker, who earned an Associate of Arts degree in mass communications this summer from Miami Dade College, is now living out his dream.

He was hired as a reporter in late August at KLFY, a CBS affiliate in Lafayette, Louisiana, a station that is viewed by about 350,000 people.

Walker, who does live shots for the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts, says he revels in the pressure of strict deadlines.

“It’s really exciting,” he said.

Walker, 23, gained most of his experience at Miami Dade College.

He was one of the first reporters for MDC In Focus, a 30-minute show consisting of feature stories, interviews and college news.

He worked there three and a half years, editing and reporting under

COURTESY OF THOMAS LEHMAN

the watchful eye of TV veteran, Cindy Irizarry, the co-executive producer of the show.

“He is a good writer and has a very creative eye,” Irizarry said.

At MDC, he also hosted a 60-second segment called Wordsmith Walker, a show that introduces interesting words to the audience.

Both shows—MDC In Focus and Wordsmith Walker—are broadcasted on MDC TV on channel 78 on Comcast Cable in Miami-Dade County.

The exposure motivated him.

In May of 2009, Walker received a $500 scholarship award from the South Florida Society of Professional Journalists for a minidocumentar y he created about his experience at President Barack Obama's inauguration.

WALKER

“This was the start of calling myself a professional journalist and a professional broadcast writer,” Walker said.

The honor was not Walker’s first.

As a high school student at Miami Lakes Educational Center, he was recognized by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for a documentary called “Unbreakable Dreams.”

Walker produced and edited a documentary about a schoolmate— Roque Céspedes— who is in a wheelchair and was born with cerebral palsy.

Thanks in part to the attention Walker’s documentary garnered, Céspedes received a full scholarship to attend the University of Miami. Walker has never forgotten the power of putting something on TV, which is why he enjoys working on stories about folks who overcome great odds.

And that, he says, will always be a staple of what he does as a journalist.

“I look forward to doing stories that impact the community,” Walker said.

VISIT US ONLINE: WWW.MDC.EDU/THEREPORTER

S

he led the life of an artist, congressman’s wife, mother and grandmother.

Joan Lehman, who had the William and Joan Lehman Theatre at Miami Dade College’s North Campus named in her honor, died of old age in her Biscayne Park home on Sept. 16, 2010. She was 90. “[My mother] was a unique lady,” said her youngest son, Thomas Lehman, 58.

In Aug. of 1939, at the age of 19, Lehman married William Lehman, a congressman dedicated to bringing in funds to the state of Florida. They had three children, five grandsons and one granddaughter.

Those who knew her said her children and art were the loves of her life.

She was passionate about pop art and studied with artists Gene Massin and Hans Hoffman.

In 1996, the Museum of Contemporary Art building, in North Miami, was named in honor of Joan Lehman as recognition for her work as an artist and passion for the arts.

“Her generosity of spirit and her belief in the best in all of us, in the arts, lives on and will also live on

in our beautiful Lehman Theater here at the North Campus, where Miami Dade College began half a century ago," said Interim Chair of the Arts and Philosophy Department, Octavio Roca."Every time our curtain goes up, we honor and celebrate the Lehman legacy.”

Not only was she admired for her work in the arts, but her family truly looked up to her as well.

After considering his family history of bald men, oldest son Bill Lehman shared his fondest memory of her.

“When I was young, I had really thick hair,” said Lehman, 69. “She would always play with it and tell me ‘you have such thick hair Billy, you’ll never go bald.’ Well, what do you know, now I am bald.”

His daughter, Deborah Lehman, 29, who is currently in the program of critical studies in the School of Architecture and Urban Design at the University of California, Los Angeles, considers her grandmother an inspiration as well.

“She was a woman of great color, from her lipstick to the color of her walls,” said Deborah Lehman.

“Right up until the very end, she embraced life and was curious about the environment around her.”

Joan Lehman, family members said, was known for giving lots of hugs.

“I remember she used to bring me to her studio,” said Thomas Lehman. “We would go to the junk yard and pick up scrap metal for her latest sculpture. She was a nurturing, warm and great mother.”

In addition to her two sons and grandchildren, she is survived by her sister Emily Friedman and her brother Herbert Feibelman.

“Sometimes it takes your parents to die to know what they were really about,” said Thomas Lehman.

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THE REPORTER

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OCT. 4, 2010

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NEWS

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TRANSPORTATION

New Alternative Transit Options Being Offered FROM CARPOOLING, FRONT PAGE

O. DANILO BALLADARES / THE REPORTER

Shoveling: (From left) Penny S. Shaffer, Jennifer Sotolongo, Mercedes Quiroga, Eduardo J. PadrÓn, Helen Aguirre Ferré, Marielena A. Villamil, and Armando J. Bucelo Jr. dig up dirt as they help prepare the way for Wolfson Campus’ new Student Support Center.

WOLFSON CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION

Breaking Ground at Wolfson Campus The Wolfson Campus Student Support Center, planned to open in 2013, will provide students with a bigger and better facility to host events.

By Monica Kelly monica.kelly001@mymdc.net A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Student Support Center was held at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus on Aug. 30. “[This] marks a very important day in the history of the campus and the history of the college,” said Miami Dade College President, Eduardo J. Padrón.

The six-floor building is scheduled to open in 2013 at a cost of $25 million.

The building is designed to offer more services to students, and more facilities for student organizations to hold events.

Wolfson Campus President Mercedes Quiroga said the building will house classrooms, an indoor food court with grab-and-go stations, a modular space for performances and a state-of-the-art wellness center. “[The building] is principally and above all something to provide greater amenities for students,” said Helen Aguirre Ferré, chair of the District Board of Trustees. “We don’t like the idea of [Miami Dade] being a commuter school.”

Student Life will occupy the entire third floor of the building.

“Everything is going to be huge, bigger, better,” said Teresa Reigosa, Wolfson Campus Student Life Director.

According to Reigosa, the new Student Life floor will have areas for independent study and large groups, a game room with pool and foosball tables, office space for 10 clubs, a new room for ID cards and a large multipurpose room with collapsible walls.

“Every research [study] that I read shows that the key to student success and student completion to avoid the dropout rate is student engagement,” Padrón said. “Those students that are engaged with their institution that are engaged

with other students who have a sense of purpose, those students not only are retained but are successful people.”

Bernard Zyscov ich, an MDC alumnus, designed the new building.

“I am always proud to see that we have enough confidence in our institution, in the nature and quality of our academic program to go ahead and give opportunity to our own alumni to be the ones who build this college,” Padrón said.

The building will also permanently house the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives, which are presently housed at the Main Library of the Miami-Dade Public Public Library System.

College said. “Almost every car you see drive into the parking lot has only one person in it. This would improve the traffic we get when it's time to go home. Carpooling would be a smart and enjoyable way of commuting to school.”

There are other advantages to carpooling. Groups of three or more individuals and South Florida Vanpools are eligible to use 95 Express without paying a toll if your vehicle is registered with South Florida Commuter Services.

But what happens if you sign up for the program and the person assigned to pick you up does not show up?

The Emergency Ride Home program is available to people

who carpool, vanpool, ride transit, bicycle or walk to work at least three days a week. In case of an unexpected emergency, the ERH program works 24 hours a day, seven days a week and each registered ERH program participant is allowed up to six free emergency rides per year.

But MDC Wolfson Campus Student Government Association President, Jennifer Sotolongo, sees other benefits, like saving the environment.

“The ultimate reason is we all want to preserve our planet, therefore, this is not just a way to begin thinking greener, but acting upon it,” Sotolongo said.

For more information about Get2MDC, visit: www.get2mdc.com

NORTH CAMPUS RENOVATIONS

North Campus' MDC TV Retooled For The Future North Campus’ renovated TV studio features upgraded technology that students can use to train for jobs in the entertainment industry.

By Monica Suarez monica.suarez006@mymdc.net

Apart from being used by MDC TV to create original content, the renovated studio will also be used The MDC TV studio at Miami for educational purposes, namely Dade College’s North Campus has by the School of Entertainment undergone $275,000 in renova- and Design Technology. tions.

Students will use this studio to The renovated studio will feature train for jobs in the entertainment state-of-the-art technology such as industry. high definition cameras, a tapeless “Once all the renovations are recording system, servers and ar- completed and the equipment chives to store the is installed, the T V shows, and an new T V st ud io HD-TV switcher and [at] Miami Dade Cost of renovations to North Campus' College’s North monitoring system.

MDC TV studio.

“I am very excited Campus will about our department being able to meet ever y demand in T V and provide our students with the very radio, comparable to most major latest hands-on training and real- broadcasting stations,” said Melworld education they deserve,” lonaise Jackson, an SEDT radio said Barry Gordon, director of the and television broadcast major at School of Entertainment & Design North Campus. “That’s priceless.”

Technology. “SEDT strives to be the very best educational training For more information contact ground for students who desire a SEDT: T (305) 237-1696 career in the highly competitive entertainment industry.”

$275,000

COURTESY OF ZYSCOVICH ARCHITECTS

Meeting The Needs: New center will provide facilities for a variety of student activities and events.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

New President At Kendall Campus Lourdes Oroza has been named the new Kendall Campus President. She looks to steer the campus forward.

By Alcides Decena alcides.decena001@mymdc.net Kenda l l Ca mpus President, Lourdes Oroza, has only been on the job for a few months, but she is no stranger to Miami Dade College.

In 1998, Oroza started at MDC’s InterAmerican Campus where she served as the Business and Computer Information Systems Chair,

as well as the Chair for Community Education and Distance Education.

In 2003, Oroza then moved to the Wolfson Campus, serving as Dean of Academic Affairs until 2008.

She has spent the past two years as the provost for the South Campus at Broward College.

Oroza is a graduate of Miami Senior High.

She earned a bachelor's degree

in French from Tulane University in Louisiana, and a master’s degree in Education from the University of Miami.

In 1997, she got her doctorate’s in Adult Education and Human Resource Development from Florida International University.

“This is a natural progression for my career,” said Oroza, concerning her latest position as Kendall Campus president. “I have been here for two months now, and I’ve been talking to faculty, students, my administrative team, as I learn more about the campus.”

Presidential: New Campus President Lourdes Oroza (right) strikes a pose at the Kendall Campus.

Oroza has previously worked at Wolfson and InterAmerican Campuses.

GREGORY CASTILLO / THE REPORTER

VISIT US ONLINE: WWW.MDC.EDU/THEREPORTER

Alumni

MDC STUDENT NEWSPAPER MERGER

New Student Newspaper To Cover All Eight Campuses

Raleigh Mann, 1961

Paper to feature 16 full-color pages, a 10,250-copy circulation, and bureaus at North, Kendall and Wolfson campuses.

By Natalie Valdes natalie.valdes004@mymdc.net Miami Dade College is merging its three student newspapers—The Falcon Times of the North Campus, the Metropolis of the Wolfson Campus and the Catalyst of the Kendall Campus.

The new consolidated student newspaper will be called The Reporter.

It will be distributed biweekly at all eight MDC campuses and will feature16 pages in full color. In total, 10,250 copies will be distributed per print cycle.

The Reporter is the largest community college student newspaper in Florida. The print edition will be augmented by a website— www. mdc.edu/thereporter— with video and audio content.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for all journalism students at each campus to work together,” said Manolo Barco, who will serve as the adviser to The Reporter. “Stu-

dents will get a taste of real-world journalism by being part of this team.”

Barco worked as a criminal justice reporter at The Dallas Morning News in Texas, and as a staff writer at The Miami Herald.

His work has also appeared in the sports pages of the Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale.

Serving as the editor-in-chief for The Reporter will be 18-year-old freshman, Monique Madan. She served as editor-in-chief for the final edition of The Falcon Times and currently freelances for The Miami Herald’s Neighbors Section.

“This w ill unif y the student body, making us one college, no longer separated by campuses,” Madan said.

Ana Veciana-Suarez, 1974

WATCH EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ONLINE:

Ana Veciana-Suarez, 53, wrote for the Downtowner, the Wolfson Campus student newspaper from 1974 to 1976.

In 1976, Veciana Suarez interv iewed Jimmy Carter when he came to speak at MDC. “The [Downtowner] taught me to hustle. I’ve always had an ear for language, so it helped me to develop that,” said Veciana-Suarez.

“It also taught me how to write on deadline, something I now live by.”

Not only was she given the opportunit y to interact w it h ac-

WWW.MDC.EDU/THEREPORTER

Over Time

It was 1961 when Raleigh Mann, now 76, realized he wanted to be a journalist. Serving as editor-inchief for the first volume of The Falcon Times, Mann says sharing information is a calling.

Mann gave credit t o B a r b a r a G a rfunkel, director of publications for The Falcon Times during his tenure, for steering staff in the right direction.

“She encouraged MANN us a l l, she rea l ly loved us,” Mann said. “We had so many late night phone calls stressing deadline. It was wonderful.”

The Falcon Times taught Mann how to treat the student body with heart. Mann believes that the most important person, is the reader, not the one who produces it.

“We were a team. We felt like pioneers,” Mann said. “We were excited about starting something

SOURCES: THE REPORTER STAFF REPORTS, MIAMI DADE COLLEGE ARCHIVES. REPORTING: MONIQUE O. MADAN ALEXANDRA DE ARMAS GRAPHICS BY LAZARO GAMIO

An abridged history of the student newspapers at Miami Dade College.

new and important. We set the standard.”

Mann met his wife, Betsy, while he was editor of the paper.

She was administrative assistant to then Miami- Dade Junior College's first two presidents, Kenneth Williams and Peter Masiko. “ I needed to speak with the college's president about a campus issue and, of course, needed to cultivate my sources, including the important behind-the-scenes people such as the president's assistant,” Mann said. “We began dating and were married several months later, now 48 years ago.”

On sta f f u nt i l 1963, Ma n n moved on to the Universit y of South Florida and majored in political science.

In 1965, he wrote for the Ft. Lauderdale News and did stints at the West Holllywood and Broward County bureaus.

In 1967, Mann went to The Miami Herald for 10 years, later moving up north to teach mass communications at the University of North Carolina until 2000.

Mann is retired and enjoys playing golf.

We were the voice. We took strong editorial positions. The Metropolis gave m a good start. It pu me on the right pa I learned about ethics, standing u for things and our role in society. I learned things tha still carry today.

Eddie Dominguez Metropolis 1988-1

—Monique O. Madan

claimed individuals, learn journalism ethics and obey deadline dates, but the Downtowner also served as the meeti ng g rou nd t hat would unite her and her future partner, Leo Suarez.

Leo Suarez was the editor-in-chief of the paper at the VECIANA- time.

SUAREZ He later moved on to write for The Palm Beach Post, The Miami Herald and The Miami News.

He passed away about 10 years ago. They were married for 15.

Veciana-Suarez attende University of South Florida w she then wrote for her stu newspaper, The Oracle.

She has worked for The M News, The Palm Beach Pos currently for The Miami Her a syndicated columnist.

Several anthologies have lished her commentaries she has won many awards f writing which include a first Sunshine State Award in 199 a first place Excellence in Fe Writing in 1996.

—Monique O. M

LEGEND THE FALCON TIMES CATALYST DOWNTOWNER, METROPOLIS

One year

Keith Kohn, 50, Night and Weekend Local Editor, Orlando Sentinel • Falcon Times sports editor, 1978-79

1970 The Downtowner is founded at the Wolfson Campus. It is renamed Metropolis in 1984.

Al Diaz, 52, Miami Herald Photographer • Catalyst photographer, 1976-79

1966 The Catalyst is founded at the Kendall Campus.

"At the end, it was more than just a newspaper to me. It was an institution, a tradition. I was so proud to be a part of it.”

"In my mind, working at the Catalyst feels like yesterday, but it was really a lifetime ago."

Nuri Ducassi, Su design director • Falcon Times g designer, 1978-7

"The Falcon Time was my utopia, m the foundation fo I’ve become."

1961 The Falcon Times is founded at the North Campus. It is the first student newspaper at Miami Dade College.

Awards Over the Decades, The Falcon Times, Catalyst and Metropolis have earned numerous awards.

19

59

100+

National Pacemakers

Columbia Scholastic Press Association Recognitions

Florida Community College Press Associati

me ut ath.

up r

at I

z, 1990

ed the where udent

Miami st and rald as

e pubs, and for her t place 95 and eature

Madan

Beatrice Hines, 1964 B e a t r ic e H i ne s , 7 2 , ne v e r dreamed she would make history.

It was 1964 when she did.

Working the night shift as a maid at The Miami Herald, Hines was faced with the racial discrimination of the 1960s.

One day, she asked the book editor, who spent late nights in the newsroom, to revise her education essays for school.

“He told me that I should apply to be a reporter, and that I was good,” said Hines. “He said I should be ready, that things are going to change and that they will not remain the same.”

Hines took this as a sign.

She applied to be a file clerk and was hired. Hines was the first African American women to hold a white collar position at The Miami Herald.

“I was so nervous. I felt like I had so much more at stake than anyone

Eliott Rodriguez, 1974 “Write more and draw less” were the words that changed CBS4 News anchor, Eliott Rodriguez’s life.

As a student at Miami Dade College he aspired to be an artist until a journalism professor encouraged him to join the RODRIGUEZ student newspaper at the Kendall Campus, the Catalyst.

It seems, Rodriguez made the right choice.

He has two Emmy Awards.

Rodriguez started his professional journalism career as a police reporter at the now defunct Miami News. He has also worked at WTVJ and WPLG in Miami and WPVI in Philadelphia.

Rodriguez has interviewed Fidel

else. I was a mother of two young children at 27,” Hines said.

Hines, who attended Miami Dade College’s North Campus in 1967, decided to switch majors from education to journalism in hopes of a promotion, so she decided to write for the student newspaper.

“My first story at The Falcon Times was to go interview t he new cafeter ia HINES manager,” she said.

Hines was scared to tell her mother about her new career path fearing she would refuse to take care of her children while she was at school and working. Hines was mocked by her friends.

“When I was confronted with a problem, I would ask myself ‘what would Jesus do?’ I learned that if one has faith, God would tell them how to deal with certain situa-

Castro, covered the Mariel Boatlift, Pope John Paul II’s health issues, elections in Nicaragua and the invasion of Panama.

He said the experience he got at the Catalyst was vital to his success.

“I always say that the experience I got at Miami Dade College put me on the path to where I am now,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez started at the Catalyst as a cartoonist in 1974. After discovering his passion for journalism he served as features editor, assistant news editor and news editor.

“The things that I learned at the Catalyst are not things I would have learned in the class room,” Rodriguez said, “such as dealing with different personalities, interviewing people, getting people on the phone and getting them to answer tough questions. You learn them by doing them.”

tions,” Hines said.

In 1970, Hines became The Miami Herald’s first African American woman reporter.

“I give all credit to The Falcon Times,” Hines said. “The Herald handed me a desk and a typewriter. I had to pull what I learned from my school paper.”

Hines went on to become a general assignment reporter. Her debut consisted of her covering a riot in Liberty City.

It made the front page.

“If I lean on my faith, I can get through anything,” said Hines. “I was never afraid anymore.”

She was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1982. Savvy magazine also named her one of the top five woman columnists in the country in 1983.

Hines retired in 2001, but continues to freelance for The Miami Herald’s Neighbor’s section.

—Monique O. Madan

Jay Ducassi, 1978 As a student at Miami Dade College, Jay Ducassi hoped to be the next Robert Duvall.

It wasn’t until a journalism professor at the North Campus suggested he write for The Falcon Times, that he discovered his true passion.

“I didn’t realize then that this would be my life’s calling,” Ducassi said, “that this would be what I DUCASSI would do for the past 30 years.”

He is currently the metro desk editor for The Miami Herald.

Rick Jervis, 1990 Riding the train to cover events in the heart of Miami is what Rick Jervis, 39, remembers most about his days as a student journalist at the Wolfson Campus.

Jervis was a staff writer for the Metropolis from 1990 to 1992.

“The paper was everything to me,” Jervis said. “At first, I was not clear with what I wanted to do, but then it became clear. “ Jervis says his media adviser, Jose Quevedo, was his main reason of inspiration; he showed him direction.

During his time at the Metropolis, Jervis had many opportunities to cover top-notch events like Miami Heat basketball games.

Other stories Jervis wrote revolved around the homelessness issue in downtown Miami. Those stories gave Jervis a “feel for a big city paper.”

Ducassi began as a staff writer for The Falcon Times in 1978 and was promoted to editorial editor after a semester.

He recalls his first assignment, covering a visit by comedian Michael Keegan, to the North Campus.

“I covered the show and then I got to talk to him, it was terrific,” Ducassi said. “It was the first time I got close to a celebrity. After the first two stories that I did, I was hooked on the writing and on the reporting.”

The experience Ducassi received at The Falcon Times is what “essentially” led him to where he is today.

“The basics I learned at The Falcon Times are the same that I use today,” Ducassi said. “Go out to re-

—Monique O. Madan

port on a story, write it by deadline, file it and move to the next one.”

Ducassi gives Jose Quevedo, The Falcon Times faculty adviser during his tenure, credit for what he has accomplished.

“Q had an incredibly infectious enthusiasm about journalism and it was great,” Ducassi said, “just being around him. He loved to talk about journalism and good stories and going out there and kicking [butt]. It was great.”

Ducassi is still surprised that journalism ended up being his calling, but he is thankful.

“I plan on doing it as long as I am around,” Ducassi said.

—Alexandra de Armas

—Alexandra de Armas

2010 A New Era: As of Oct. 4, Miami Dade College will be served by a single, consolidated newspaper, The Reporter. Pictured (from left) Manolo Barco, media adviser; Alexandra de Armas, North Campus bureau chief; Monique Madan, editor-in-chief; Julie McConnell, interim Kendall Campus bureau chief; and Lazaro Gamio, interim Wolfson Campus bureau chief and Art Director.

un Sentinel

graphic 79 GREGORY CASTILLO/THE REPORTER

es at the time my Zen place, or everything

ion

After Miami Dade College, Jervis attended the University of Florida for three years. He later interned at The Tennessean, and The Boston Globe. From there, he became a reporter for The Miami Herald.

He later freelanced in several count ries such as Hungar y, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Jervis also write for t he Chicago Tribune covering crime.

Now stationed in JERVIS New Orleans, Jervis is currently the Gulf Coast Correspondent for USA Today.

He has been covering the BP oil spill.

“I was curious about the world,” said Jervis." The Metropolis gave me my skeleton for my career.”

Myriam Marquez, 48, Miami Herald Opinions Page Editor • Catalyst staff writer, 1979-80 "It took guts. It was a great training ground. It was my first step."

Armando Salguero, 47, Miami Herald Sports columnist; morning talk show host Armando and the Amigos on 640-AM •Downtowner Editor-in-Chief, 1980-81 "My time at the Downtowner was tons of work, tons of pressure, tons of fun and tons of prestige [at the school.]"

Laura Morel, 21, Emerson College student, Boston, Mass.

• Falcon Times Editor-inChief, 2007-2009 "I often look back and wonder what would have happened if I had never walked into the newsroom.”

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PUB ID: 296, Miami Dage College, Falcon Times

THE REPORTER

//

OCT. 4, 2010

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// A&E

A&E DEVIL MOVIE REVIEW

Film That Scares The Heavens Out Of You

By Mark Overton mark.overton001@mymdc.net

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS.

Coffee Talk: Rebecca Hall (left) and Ben Affleck (right) star in The Town, a crime-drama set in Boston.

THE TOWN MOVIE REVIEW

This 'Town' Is No Tourist Trap

By Mark Pulaski mark.pulaski001@mymdc.net The Town—co-written, directed by, and starring Ben Affleck— is a crime thriller focusing on a small suburb of Boston, infamous for its population of bank robbers.

The story is based on the novel—Prince of Thieves— by Chuck Hogan. It follows the path of Doug MacRay (Affleck), and his four-man PULASKI crew of bandits, as they meticulously hold up banks, armored cars and in the stunning finale, Fenway Park.

After an alarm is tripped during a bank heist, MacRay’s best friend and right-hand man James “Jem” Coughlin (Jeremy Renner) decides the time is right to take a hostage, bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall).

After making a clean getaway and ditching their hostage, the hot-headed Jem figures they

have to do some checking up on their ex-hostage via her stolen driver’s license.

MacRay decides it would be best if he goes to tie up their loose ends and verify that Claire has no information which could bring down the masked desperados. Problem is, he creates a whole new knot when he begins to date the woman who earlier was his hostage. This threatens to bring down the entire operation.

As MacRay spends more time with the lovely Claire, he begins to realize that there may be a better life out there for him. He pays a visit to the flower-peddling ringleader, Fergie (Pete Postlethwaite), to inform him of his decision to cut ties with the group. The revelation does not hold over well with the florist as he threatens to castrate MacRay if he backs out of the upcoming caper.

The result is another “one last job” scenario that turns out less than ideal when the bullets fly and the blood hits the pavement.

This film may just prove that Affleck may be on to something with his new directorial position after finding success with 2007’s Gone Baby Gone. His second effort proves that the first was no fluke. Affleck does just as well behind the camera as he does in front of it.

Affleck went to great depths with his research for the film. He spent a great deal of time with inmates to pick up on their dialogue, as well as having a few excons present on set.

The result was a very realistic, yet enormously entertaining take on Boston’s criminal underworld.

If you are planning a trip to the movies anytime soon, The Town is definitely worth visiting.

4 out of 5

The Town —Starring Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall and Jon Hamm— 2 hours 3 min—Rated R

Sharing Secrets:To Vent Is The Trend An interview with "the most trusted man in America" reveals the art of PostSecret and how it came to be.

Secrets have always been a fascination to Frank Warren, creator of PostSecret, an ongoing community art project, in which people anonymously mail in their untold truths on a homemade postcard.He is “the most trusted man in America.” With an average of 1,000 secrets mailed to him weekly, it is hard not to be.

Warren started the PostSecret project in 2004, when he spread out 3,000 postcards throughout his community.

“I got back about 100 postcards which is a pretty standard number,” Warren said. “When I started putting them up on the web, people started buying their own post-

cards and sending them in. After that, more and more postcards started coming in.”

Warren began posting the cards on his website, with updates made every Sunday. At first, only 10 postcards were posted weekly, but now the numbers have increased to 20.

The website doesn’t have a weekly theme, but the secrets are set up in a certain way.

“I usually try to tell a story with the secrets posted online,” Warren said. “There is always a beginning, middle and end.”

Despite so many postcards being sent his way, Warren has managed to archive all of the secrets.

That is more or less 312,000 secrets.

“I think postcards are pretty special and they send a message of communication,” Warren said.

“A postcard lets you craft your art and take ownership of your secret.”

Devil, the latest film by M. Night Shyamalan is the first of the “Night Chronicles”— his trilogy of films involving the supernatural in modern society.

S h y a m a l a n’s reputation is one of as many letdowns as there are plot twists. Following his summer flop, The Last Airbender, OVERTON Devil is an exquisite, suspensefilled ride, full of twists and turns. It leaves viewers questioning their own humanity.

Devil follows five individuals burdened with a past of evil deeds. Ben (Bookeem Woodbine) is a security guard with a violent past; Vince (Gregory Arend) is an unfair salesman with a history of stealing large sums of money from his clients; Jane (Jenny O’Hara) is an old woman who has mastered the art of petty theft; Anthony (Logan MarshalGreen) is an ex-U.S. Marine who has a history dealing with death and Sara (Bojana Novak) is a con-artist who marries rich men just to divorce them and take their money. They all board the same elevator and unbeknownst to most of them, one is Satan himself.

The story follows the fictional

Hispanic legend of Lucifer taking human form to torture the souls of the dammed before he takes their life.

Five people gather in an elevator which gets stuck in between two floors. When the lights flicker, strange events begin occurring in the cover of darkness. As we learn about each character’s pasts, it becomes obvious that their meeting is no accident.

After the torture, the devil himself finally reveals himself in a shocking turn of events. The entire perspective of the story changes and we are left with the question, “is there a devil in all of us?”

This film is Shyamalan’s first movie since his 2002 hit Signs and truly achieves what it sets out to accomplish. The film itself draws one in such a way that you feel as if you are one of the unfortunate passengers of elevator six.

Devil is arguably the best horror film since Paranormal Activity. If you look behind the theatrics to see the deeper meaning, it’s probably Shyamalan’s best movie yet.

3.5 out of 5

Devil —Starring Chris Messina, Logan Marshall-Green and Jenny O'Hara—1 hours 20 min—Rated PG-13

THEATER SCHEDULE The Lehman Theatre at North Campus

POSTSECRET

By Anna Carabeo anna.carabeo001@mymdc.net

11

//

Creating a postcard is very simple. The only thing you need is a 4-by-6 inch postcard, some creativity, and of course, a secret.

“When I was a kid I recognized secrets in my family, some that I knew and some that I didn’t know,” Warren said, acknowledging an early attraction to secrets.

He knows just how important someone's secrets are and how much courage it takes to share them with the rest of the world.

“Sometimes, people really need to vent,” said Pietro Salazar, a television production major at the North Campus. “PostSecret is a great way to do that. What better way to share a secret than with a stranger?”

Warren said he will continue to encourage others to anonymously share their secrets.

“Your secret can be anything,” Warren said. “Regret, fear, betrayal, desire, confession or childhood humiliation.”

VISIT US ONLINE: WWW.MDC.EDU/THEREPORTER

I Hate Hamlet

By Paul Rudnick, Directed by Andy Quiroga October 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23—at 7 p.m.

Wolfon Campus Performances begin in November.

The MDC Studio Theater at Kendall Campus Picasso At Lapin Agile

By Steve Martin, Directed by Deborah C. Mello October 7, 8, 9—at 8 p.m. October 10 at 2 p.m.

PICASSO AT LAPIN AGILE PREVIEW The Kendall Campus will kickoff its 2010 theater season with Picasso at the Lapin Agile, a period piece written by entertainer Steve Martin.

The play, first performed in 1993, answers the question, “What would Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein talk about if they met each other at a bar in Paris?”

The plot is set in 1904 at the Lapin Agile (translated to “Nimble Rabbit”), a cabaret in Paris, France. The audience will get to see Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein meet there during youth, before they became wellknown.

Throughout the play, two men discuss opposing views on “talent” and “genius,” with each man defending his point behind his expertise. Various charac-

ters, with roles and backgrounds too difficult to imagine, interact with Picasso and Einstein, leading to peculiar situations.

The cast, in order of appearance is: Nelson Delgado as Freddy, the owner/bartender of the Lapin Agile; Jaromir Garcia as Gaston, an older man; Krystal Carmona as Germaine, waitress and Freddy’s wife; Ruben Fonseca as Albert Einstein, age 25; Maryam Sweirki as Suzanne, age 19; Richard Pizano as Sagot, Picasso’s art dealer; Andrew Gonzalez as Pablo Picasso, age 23; Octavio de la Osa as Charles Dabernow Schmendiman, a young man; Jaime Wheeler as The Countess; Sequoia Johnson as the female admirer; and Matthew Donovan as the visitor.

—J.C. Urbina

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THE REPORTER

OCT. 4, 2010

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SPORTS

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// SPORTS Back in Full Swing FROM LEON, FRONT PAGE

After a summer volleyball tournament in Texas during 2009, she fell ill. Leon got lightheaded and nauseous.

She was transported to Baptist Hospital in Kendall, but was soon released.

That episode would play itself out three more times during the next month—on one occasion she vomited 14 times.

“When you know something is wrong, you know,” Leon, 20, said.

And there was.

The doctors at Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach diagnosed her with chronic renal disease.

“It was unimaginable because she was very healthy,” said Leon’s mother, Monica Gutierrez, who played for the Lady Sharks in 1997. “To receive this type of news was like a piece of my heart being torn out.”

Leon spent 26 days in the hospital. She was placed on dialysis to get rid of waste and unwanted water in the blood.

“It was tiring,” Leon said. “I wouldn’t want to get out of bed or eat, just having needles sticking to your back is very uncom-

COURTESY OF EDGARIS FRANCHESCA LEON

AKEEM BRUNSON / THE REPORTER

Bedrest: Edgaris Franchesca Leon spent 26 days hospitalized due to a chronic renal diease that robbed her o f her 2009 volleyball season.

Returning: After a year off, Edgaris Franchesca Leon is poised to return to form on the volleyball court at Miami Dade College's Kendall Campus.

fortable.” staying for three-hour interThe road to recovery vals. was tough. At one point, Assistant coach, James she was forced to take up Exley, gave her shark teddy to eight medications a day bears. and do dialysis five times But Leon missed playing during a 10-day stretch. volleyball. After all, it has As a result, Leon had to always been her one consit out the entire 2009 sea- —Yenifer Calcano, stant. Leon has been playson. ing volleyball for 16 years. sophomore outside hitter, “I was depressed, sad In high school, at Colegio and crying,” Leon said.

Ponce in Puerto Rico, she on Leon's absence.

But her teammates were was named the team’s most there to pick her up. They valuable player in 2006 and called her before each game and with get-well cards.

2007. told her how much they missed Lady Sharks volleyball coach, Her enthusiasm for the sport her.

Origenes “Kiko” Benoit, who has has been missed, her teammates Some of them flooded her known Leon since she was four- said. room at Mount Sinai Hospital years-old, was a constant visitor, “When she was not there, it

When she was not there, it was quieter.

MDC SPORTS

Jack Of All Trades Miami Dade College veteran selected to fill the director of athletics position.

By Saeli Gutierrez saeli.gutierrez001@mymdc.net Anthony Fiorenza, a 26 year veteran of Miami Dade College, has been named the school’s director of athletics He replaces Jim Cox, whose contract was not renewed. Cox worked full time at Miami Dade College for 33 years.

Fiorenza will supervise the five sports teams at MDC—men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, baseball and softball.

“I want to continue the success of this department,” Fiorenza said.

A native of Mount Vernon, New York, Fiorenza has an extensive athletics background. He received a scholarship to Florida International University to play soccer. He was the school’s goalkeeper from 1974 to 1976.

From 1977 to 1980, he worked

at Westchester Community College in New York serving in several capacities such as men’s soccer coach, women’s basketball coach and as facilities manager.

Fiorenza also had a stint as MDC’s men’s soccer coach from 1994 to 1996. In addition, he was the boy’s and girl’s soccer coach at Miami Killian Senior High School from 1997 to 2003.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from FIU in Social Work in 1976. Fiorenza later earned his Master of Arts degree in Physical Education and Administration from Nova Southeastern University.

In addition to serving as the athletic director at MDC, Fiorenza will continue his duties as the Kendall Campus Student Life Director, overseeing activities, clubs, blood drives and organizations.

Standing Tall: Anthony Fiorenza has been selected as the new Director of Athletics. Fiorenza is also the director of Student Life at Kendall Campus.

GREGORY CASTILLO / THE REPORTER

VISIT US ONLINE: WWW.MDC.EDU/THEREPORTER

was quieter,” said Yenifer Calcano, a sophomore outside hitter on this year’s team.

It was natural that when Leon was released from Mount Sinai Hospital, the first thing she did was attend the team’s practice.

This year, she is healthy again and back in the starting lineup.

Leon hopes to guide her team to a national championship and eventually play Division I Volleyball.

Leon said she is grateful to be on the court with her teammates, again.

“It’s a miracle,” Leon said.

SCOREBOARD Women's Volleyball 08/27 College of Southern Idaho Tournament Vs. Casper College—25-23,25-17,25-12, win Vs. College of Eastern Utah—25-17,25-11,25-15, win Vs. College of Southern Idaho— 25-22,27-25,23-25,25-20, 0-0, win 08/28 College of Southern Idaho Tournament Vs. Northwest Community College —25-22, 25-18, 25-18, win Vs. Salt Lake Community College —25-20, 20-25, 25-20, 25-17, win 09/09 Broward College home game 25-12, 25-10, 25-18 win 09/14 @Brevard Community College 25-19, 25-12, 25-14 win 09/17 Missouri West Plains Tournament Vs. Missouri State University–25-20, 25-20, 25-13, win Vs. HutchinsonCommunity College 25-9,25-21,25-14 win 09/18 Missouri West Plains Tournament Vs. Jefferson College 25-20, 25-21, 25-20 win Vs. Missouri State University25-15, 25-14, 25-16 win 09/22 @Indian River State College 25-13, 25-20, 25-20 win LADY SHARKS VOLLEBALL: 12-0-0

SCHEDULE Women's Volleyball 10/05 @ Broward College 10/07 Brevard Community College 10/08 Miami Dade College Shark Tournament Vs. Jefferson College Vs. T.B.A. 10/12 Indian River State College 10/14 @ Palm Beach State College DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER DATE OF PUBLICATION

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT: WWW.MDC.EDU/ATHLETICS

This is your 10am class.

The 5,000-square-foot Lowerre Family Terrace provides the perfect oasis for a lecture or a study break.

New York City is your campus.

Let Marymount Manhattan College be your home.

This is

Visit us at www.mmm.edu or call 1-800-MARYMOUNT

THE REPORTER

OCT. 4, 2010

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15

A New Era for MDC FROM THE REPOTER, FRONT PAGE

The Reporter The Reporter is the free biweekly student newspaper at Miami Dade College. All content is produced

by MDC students.The opinions in this newspaper do not necessarily represent those of the administration, faculty, or the student body.

Editorial Board Monique O. Madan Editor-in-Chief Alexandra de Armas North Campus Bureau Chief Lazaro Gamio Interim Wolfson Campus Bureau Chief Julie McConnell Interim Kendall Campus Bureau Chief

Andrea Orellana Forum Editor Anna Carabeo Multimedia Editor

Art Department Lazaro Gamio Art Director Akeem Brunson North Campus Photo Editor Gregory Castillo Kendall Campus Photo Editor O. Danilo Balladares Wolfson Campus Photo Editor

Issue Staff Ayoyemi Ajimatanrareje, Alejandro Alvarez, Alcides Decena, Nadia Diaz, Ivette Franqui, Tiffany Garcia, Saeli Gutierrez , Monica Kelly, Akeem Mayers, Mark Overton, Mark Pulaski, Rachel Rosenberg, Kathryn Sotolongo, Monica Suarez, J.C. Urbina, Wesly Urrutia, Natalie Valdes, Roberto Zerbino, Danithza Zevallos

Advertising Gregory Torrales gregoryj.torrales001@mymdc.net (786) 237-8414 Cassie Mestre nairim.mestre002@mymdc.net (305) 237-7657

AKEEM MAYERS / THE REPORTER

FINANCIAL AID

How Do You Qualify For Financial Aid? Rachel Rosenberg rachel.rosenberg002@mymdc.net Who qualifies for financial aid can be quite a fickle subject.

Many students have questions about the process. That much is clear by the cluster of chairs that sit outside the Financial Aid office at any M ia m i Dade College campus. Each chair is occupied by a student waiting to speak with someone inside.

ROSENBERG The organization that governs student financial aid is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. While many students meet the

criteria that FAFSA has set up for qualification, a large number do not. Students that do not meet the criteria set out by FAFSA do not receive government aid. However, is it possible that students that do in fact need the assistance are not getting it?

Students have different stories about why they do not qualify. The most common story told by students who wish they did qualify is “my family’s income is too high, according to FAFSA, but “we are really struggling to pay our bills.”

Some students add that their father or mother is the sole breadw inner in t heir home. Ot hers argue that they are in danger of losing their home, yet they can’t receive aid. A number of students

have one or more scholarships that help them, but sometimes that is not enough to cover the cost of classes, let alone books.

FAFSA’s criteria is very specific and can be difficult to meet for some, yet there are students who admit to lying on their application to get aid.

While most students that qualify for financial aid do need it, there are some that get more than they should. In order to serve the students as effectively as possible, FAFSA’s criteria for qualifying for government assistance needs to be revised according to the country’s current economic state.

There has to be a more thorough process of investigation concerning applicants.

GET2MDC PROGRAM

THEGRAPHICTREE.COM

Hector Gonzalez Sports Editor

Carpool With A Creep?

No Thanks.

Letters to the Editor The Reporter welcomes letters to the editor. All submissions should be 300 words or less and must be typed. The writer must sign their full name, phone number, address, student number, and e-mail address on the letter in order to be considered. Faculty and staff should include the title, department, and extension. All letters are subject to editing. Letters can be sent via e-mail to mdc.thereporter@gmail.com, with the subject “letter to the editor.”

Bureaus North Campus Bureau 11380 N. W. 27th Ave. Room 4209 Miami, FL 33167 (305) 237-1254 Kendall Campus Bureau 11011 S.W. 104th St. Room M239 Miami, FL 33176 (305) 237-2157 Wolfson Campus Bureau 300 N. E. 2nd Ave. Suite 1610 Miami, FL 33132 (305) 237-3368 Manolo Barco Media Adviser mbarco@mdc.edu (305) 237-1255 (305) 237-2323 (305) 237-3477

NEWS TIPS? Let us know at: mdc.thereporter@gmail.com (305) 237-1253

Andrea Orellana andrea.orellana001@mymdc.net In an effort to get on the “green” bandwagon, Miami Dade College is trying to make commuting to campus a more earth-friendly activity.

If you haven’t not iced t he obscene product placement—b y w a y of large plastic mats g lue d to c a mpu s g rou nds—Get2MDC is the name ORELLANA of the program in question.

However, the fact that the college elected to inspire “being green” on mats made of an almost entirely non-biodegradable material was probably not the way to go.

Government-sponsored programs always hire graphic designers that have no qualms with creating sites that consistently push the boundaries on what “cheesy” should resemble; I thought I would flail at writing an entertaining column on this subject, but one look at the website produced more inspiration than I can fathom.

Following suit with all the other government-related websites, the one for Get2MDC is visually unconscionable; in a feeble attempt to appeal to students, it features stock pictures of college-aged actors standing around casually with prop trapper-keepers and matching backpacks on a loop with the occasional picture of a generic man-in-a-tie.

The program itself takes the form of the website of the same name and offers all the obvious alternatives to the tried-and-true method of driving to school: take public transportation, walk or bike and carpool (the most groundbreaking of the uninspired ideas).

Signing up for the carpool program matches you up with other willing students who live in your area and maintain a similar class schedule as yours.

The only problem with that is, everything.

At a college this size, the logistics are challenging.

You are more likely to find a living Vanilla Ice fan in the northern hemisphere than you are likely to find students who get in and out of class at the same time as you and

VISIT US ONLINE: WWW.MDC.EDU/THEREPORTER

long after many of their classmates had fallen asleep. They survived—like journalists do—by poking fun at everything around themd—including themselves.

The experience created unbreakable bonds and hardened them for the grind that daily newspapers offer.

For the past three years, I’ve served as the media adviser to The Falcon Times and the Metropolis.

It was a homecoming.

In 1994, I served as the editorin-chief of The Falcon Times. The funky mustache I sported then is gone.

But my memories have not faded.

I love The Falcon Times.

It kept me believing I could be a reporter.

I lived out that dream as a staff writer for The Miami Herald and a criminal justice reporter at The Dallas Morning News in Texas.

Today I’m charged with molding journalism’s next great minds.

Miami Dade College is merging its three student newspapers, creating the largest community college paper in Florida, with a circulation of 10,250 copies per print cycle.

The Reporter made its debut on Monday, Oct. 4.

It features 16 pages, prints on a biweekly schedule, and will be augmented by a website with video and audio content.

We will do our best to continue the tradition Raleigh Mann started in 1961.

“It’s kind of neat for me to hear how things have progressed,” Mann said.

ALEJANDRO ALVAREZ / THE REPORTER

with whom you’re willing to share a seemingly claustrophobic space like that of the inside of a car for several minutes twice a day, multiple times a week.

And what if the college does find you an anomalous pair of people who live near you, who are willing to carpool and have schedules which mirror yours? What if they turn out to be unreliable or questionable drivers? How about creepy? Or worse, boring smalltalk makers who can never settle on a decent radio station, for the love of God?

Carpooling is not a bad idea in theory. Dozens of other colleges across the nation subject their kids to this awkward show of love for the ozone layer.

The consensus on whether or not the carpooling aspect of Get2MDC will function at MDC is not a good one.

But there’s no harm in signing up because the program is free of charge. If for no other reason, sign up because the hotline, 1-800-234Ride (or unofficially, “1-800-Begride”) sounds like it’s straight out of a bad porno script.

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