KELLY CLARKSON SHAKES OFF HATEFUL TWEETS
BARS AND CITIES WENT IRISH FOR ST. PATTY’S DAY
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YOU SPEAK WE LISTEN PACEMAKER WINNER
THELOQUITUR.COM
VOL. LVI, ISSUE 21
THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2015
College gets reaccredited by MSA BY JOEY RETTINO AND AMY HELD Managing Editor and Photo Editor Cabrini seems to be ready to be re-accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and Schools next week. Middle States will send eight non-Cabrini affiliated volunteers from other institutions to spend March 22 to 25 with Cabrini students, faculty, staff and administrators to gauge if Cabrini is meeting the Middle State’s 14 “Standards of Excellence.” According to Dr. Jeff Gingerich, interim provost and vice president of academic affairs, the accreditation process serves three primary purposes. First, the review helps the college to provide better services to students; second, to prove to the outside world that Cabrini is providing a quality education; and third, it affords the school full federal funding and ensure that the school can give appropriate financial aid to its students.
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“I’m so grateful for all the energy that faculty, staff and students have put into this self-study,” Gingerich said. “While it has been a lot of work, I think the process has really helped us to understand ourselves better and to improve the experience that we provide our students.” Among the students that Gingerich is speaking of is Mario Marino, finance, international business and accounting triple major, who will be meeting with Dr. Sudan Hudec, vice president of student - MAHILA ZAMAN life and dean of students at St. Joseph’s College in New York and one of the eight volunteers coming to re-accredit Cabrini. “It’s a very exciting time for the college,” Marino, who is also student body president of student government association, said. “It is a great form of self-regulation that ensure that legitimate institutions are constantly adapting, striving for success and meeting the needs of the students they
THE IDEA IS FOR YOUR PEERS TO GIVE YOU A WAKEUP CALL—TO SAY ‘HEY,THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU MIGHT BE LACKING,’
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serve.” Like Marino, Dr. Maliha Zaman, assistant to the provost for assessment and accreditation, also sees this process as one of reflection and improvement. “Even though it seems like a very daunting process, and it is, the idea is for your peers to give you a wake-up call—to say ‘hey, these are the things you might be lacking,’” Zaman said. Middle States is an organization that accredits all of the institutions in the North East, as well as Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands. While the Mid-
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dle States focuses on student learning outcomes, they also give attention to a school’s enrollment and financial stability. The organization re-accredits a school by sending a physical team of its non-affiliated volunteers every 10 years and has the school do a self-review midway through each decade-long gap between physical reviews.
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Time to embrace Spanish language: it is on the rise BY JESSICA PARADYSZ Perspectives Editor Spanish is taking over. Elements of culture are everywhere; Shakira and Pitbull songs booming on the radio, Sofia Vergara’s comical character on “Modern Family,” and” hablo español” signs on everything from billboards to store signs. According the U.S. Census Bureau, The U.S. is the fifth largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, behind Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Argentina. The trend is expected to increase, as the Cuban writer Humberto Lopez Morales stated that America will have the largest number of Spanish speakers by 2050. Amidst the growing power of Spanish culture, those with Hispanic heritage are fighting to keep their culture alive in the states and searching for their own American dream. According to statemaster.com, Pennsylvania ranks as the 14th largest state with Spanish speak-
ers, with a relative population of 436,254. New York and New Jersey rank higher, at number five and eight respectively. The presence of Spanish speakers is influenced by a variety of causes, immigration being a principle example in recent years. However, immigration remains a controversial topic. President Obama vowed achieve immigration reform, yet a variety of issues have impeded this process. Contributing to the controversy of reform is the growing animosity towards immigrants. In Philadelphia in
2006, Geno’s Steaks issued a policy of “Speak English” when ordering their famous cheese steaks. Blazoned across the store was a sign reading, “This is America, when ordering, Speak English.”
Owner Geno Vento died in 2011, and his son is keeping the sign in accordance to his father’s last wish. According to the Historical Society of Philadelphia, there is a large population of people with Mexican descent residing in South Philadelphia, a vibrant area known for its unique shops and home to Geno’s. Furthermore, According to the Census Bureau statistics of 2010, 13 percent of the population is comprised of Hispanics and Latinos, which represents the third largest de-
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mographic in the city of brotherly love. 21.2 percent of the Philadelphia population speaks a language other than English at home. According the United States Department of Labor Statistics economic News Release from May 22, 2013, “In 2013, there were 25.3 million foreign-born persons in the U.S. labor force, comprising 16.3 percent of the total. Hispanics accounted for 47.8 percent of the foreign-born labor force in 2013.” Although a large amount of the immigration controversy surrounds immigrants from all countries vying for jobs with American citizens, immigrants have boosted the economy. However, those with Hispanic heritage are losing their culture. According to the U.S. Census bureau, 75 percent of Hispanics age 5 and older speak Spanish. CONTINUE READING ON PAGE 5