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VOL.20 | #2 | 9.13.2018

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THE OFFCAMPUS DORM

For the past month, more than 100 students have been living in a hotel two miles away from FAU. Why? Because Housing oversigned on contracts — whose rules may not be enforceable off campus.

PAGE 16

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

THE UP WILL BE PRINTING LESS FROM NOW ON. HERE’S WHY.

W

E’RE not the first and we won’t be the last.

Starting this semester, the University Press will be printing monthly instead of bi-weekly.

Like hundreds of other publications across the country, we’ve had to cut print not because we want to, but because we have to.

Advertisers are no longer as interested in taking out ads in print. They know that most of the population is getting their news on their phone or computer. And they’re right.

Why’s that matter? Because those ads help pay for the cost of printing.

Every fall and spring, we spend close to $10,000 putting out eight bi-weekly issues. Yet we made just $800 in advertising sales last semester. That doesn’t even cover the cost of one issue.

And while we receive money from Student Government, most of that is spent on paying our staff and covering

travel. What’s left can only cover half of our annual printing costs, leaving the rest up to advertising sales.

Not to mention the fact that our budget has almost been cut in half since the UP’s start 20 years ago — from $114,000 to $60,000.

So what’s next? For starters, we’re doing more digitally. We’ll be updating our site’s layout and changing how we publish content.

In the next couple months, make sure to check out upressonline.com. But, don’t forget to grab a copy of our remaining print editions in the beginning of October and November.

As always, any feedback, questions, or complaints can be sent to universitypress@gmail.com. We’d love to hear what you think of the changing print and online edition.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS VOL.20 | #2 | 9.13.2018

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UP STAFF

4

EDITOR IN CHIEF Kerri

Covington

MANAGING EDITOR Hope

Dean

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ivan

Benavides

NEWS EDITOR Cameren

Boatner

FEATURES EDITOR Alexander

Rodriguez

SPORTS EDITOR Wajih

AlBaroudi

OPINION EDITOR Ross

Mellman

PHOTO EDITOR Violet

Castano

COPY EDITOR A suka

Takahashi

CONTRIBUTORS S ophie

Siegel Kristen Grau Melanie Witherup Dan Bartholomew

ADVISERS N eil

Santaniello Ilene Prusher Michael Koretzky

ON THE COVER 24-year-old mechanical engineering major Kate McPartland’s hotel bedroom is a king single that she pays $5,680 for, a price higher than any listed oncampus rate.

Photo by Violet Castano

A MISSED TURN Several top-ranking FAU Student Government members have taken money from national conservative organization Turning Point USA, but does it matter?

By Sophie Siegel

6

‘THE NEW U’ The Boca Student Union is getting a $24 million facelift in the hopes it’ll become the center of FAU campus life.

By Cameren Boatner

16

THE OFF-CAMPUS DORM For the past month, more than 100 students have been living in a hotel two miles away from FAU. Why? Because Housing oversigned on contracts — whose rules may not be enforceable off campus.

Opinion 10

SANCTUARY CITIES ENDANGER AMERICAN CITIZENS These cities prevent immigration officers from doing their jobs, protecting criminals instead of the U.S. public.

By Ross Mellman

11

IMMIGRATION CAN MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN The U.S. needs to return to its days of being a sanctuary for those in need.

By Sophie Siegel

By Hope Dean

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9.13.2018 UNIVERSITY PRESS 3

ANALYSIS

O

VER THE PAST few years, a conservative group called Turning Point USA has been donating money to college Student Government campaigns across the country.

While SG races rarely raise any funds — especially from outside groups — Turning Point USA thinks they’re worth spending money on. That is, if it can influence students to “fight” the “leftist presence” on their campuses, its website states.

Through its “Campus Victory Project,” the organization claims to have helped 54 student body presidents in colleges across the nation assume their role in office since 2016. The group’s ultimate goal is to help elect SG leaders who will push a more conservative agenda.

The thing is, at FAU, they’ve failed.

Since at least 2016, Turning Point USA has donated $3,000 to two FAU SG presidential campaigns. Despite this, both lost. A third presidential hopeful, who won and served in 2017-18, allegedly received money from the group but she’s denying involvement.

While it’s legal for campaigns to accept money from the group, the cash is meant to encourage candidates to pass conservative laws on campus. Yet, in the past two years, FAU’s SG has seen almost no partisan legislation.

From who received campaign money to how it was spent, we detail Turning Point USA’s attempts to influence your Student Government.

The University Press reached out to Turning Point USA multiple times for comment, but did not receive a response as of publication time.

to garner votes while she ran for president.

The University Press reached out to then FAU Turning Point chapter President Morgan Sachs for comment as to Alex’s involvement with the organization, but she declined.

FAU associate professor Marshall DeRosa, who was accused of having ties to white nationalism earlier this year, is the adviser of the FAU Turning Point chapter.

The UP asked for his comment on Alex’s affiliation with the chapter.

He responded, saying, “I appreciate the opportunity but due to my being in the dark about this [it] is probably best that I decline to comment.”

Alex added that she attended a summit for Turning Point USA with former presidential candidate Jon Carter.

“It was very, very right, which I don’t really consider myself,” Alex said of the summit. “I consider myself moderate, but I do have some conservative ideas, some liberal ideas.”

The UP reached out to Carter for comment but he did not respond as of publication time.

Current student body President Kyle MacDonald, who ran and won against Alex, said Turning Point USA was “the only outside group that was involved in this election cycle … I know they were involved simply because of the campaign expense forms provided by Alex ...”

Former House Representative and former FAU Turning Point chapter treasurer Jabari May said the funding was a “free segue” for Alex to gain victory.

Although, during the special election that followed Alex’s initial loss, she said she did not receive any sort of support from Turning Point USA. This was backed up by the special election expense reports. Alex also lost that election, this time by 179 votes.

As far as MacDonald’s ticket goes, there was no outside help.

“Many student organizations at FAU believed in our cause and supported us. However, we have never taken funding or support from third party groups seeking to influence our governance,” the student body president said.

A MISSED TURN Several top-ranking FAU Student Government members have taken money from national conservative organization Turning Point USA, but does it matter?

BY SOPHIE SIEGEL

CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR

Current Vice President Marianne Alex received $1,400 from Turning Point USA when she ran for president earlier this year, according to SG expense reports. These detail how SG members spend campaign funds during election season.

While running for office, she spent the money on campaign materials. Despite this, the presidential hopeful lost by over 800 votes.

Alex emphasized that the Turning Point USA involvement was nothing more than financial help.

The registered Republican, according to FLVoters. com, said, “They [Turning Point USA] didn’t ask for anything in return, they just like to see more conservative leaders in office.”

Alex is also listed as a member of the FAU Turning Point chapter on Owl Central. She attended chapter meetings during the school year, but claims it was only

4 UNIVERSITY PRESS 9.13.2018

ANOTHER FAILED RUN

In spring 2016, registered Republican Kathryn Edmunds received about $1,600 from Turning Point USA , according to SG expense reports. This was during her failed campaign against former President Michael Cairo. Edmunds declined to comment on the matter.

She previously served as student body president in 2015.

Former Vice President Juliana Walters, who served under Cairo in 2016-17, said that Edmunds not only received funding, but that Turning Point USA representative Joshua Thifault helped her campaign.

PHOTO BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

“Kathryn Edmunds … who lost to us that year [2016], were very openly funded by them. Turning Point [USA] had sent Joshua Thifault to campus to organize on their behalf and had stickers/T-shirts made. It was actually super messed up because it’s obviously not a partisan thing,” Walters told the UP. Thifault, according to his LinkedIn profile, is the director of advancement with Turning Point USA. Listed under his responsibilities is to “identify and empower future leaders of the conservative movement” as well as “contribute to the company’s long-term strategy.”

The UP reached out to Thifault for comment, but did not receive a response as of publication time.

INFORMATION WITHOUT PERMISSION?

“They [Turning Point USA] didn’t ask for anything in return, they just like to see more conservative leaders in office.”

MARIANNE ALEX CURRENT STUDENT BODY VICE PRESIDENT

A leaked document from the New Yorker claims that Turning Point USA had gained a “victory” on FAU’s campus in 2016. The 2016-17 document claimed the “victory” was right around the time former President Emily Lawless took office last year.

Despite this, the registered Republican said she never took money from the organization and wouldn’t comment further.

MacDonald, who served as Lawless’ vice president, said, “I am not sure who they were citing but Emily and I have never been influenced by outside organizations.”

A trend of Turning Point USA allegedly claiming false “victories” isn’t a one-time thing either. University of Florida former student body President Smith Meyers claimed Turning Point USA used his photo and name as a cited victory, even though he said he had nothing to do with the group.

WHERE TURNING POINT FAU STANDS

Current FAU Turning Point chapter President Elijah Colas said he believes the money Turning Point USA donates to college campaigns is “a good thing,” even if conservative legislation isn’t passed.

Colas noted that “those who are conservative or just students in general have access to election funds.”

“College students don’t make that much money,” he said. “Knowing all students have that kind of access to funds, I think it’s very generous of the national office of Turning Point USA and more students can take advantage of that.”

He believes it’s not Turning Point USA advancing a certain agenda, but students advancing their own.

WHAT IS TURNING POINT USA?

The activist group claims it’s one of the fastest growing “grassroots activist networks” in the U.S. Founded in 2012, the national, nonprofit activism organization identifies as antisocialism and anti-political correctness.

Its founder, Charlie Kirk, hopes to educate students about the benefits of capitalism and why “big government sucks,” one of its more well-known slogans. The organization also routinely registers students to vote.

One of its main goals is to push back against the leftist movement it maintains has taken over college campuses.

The grassroots network currently has more than 300 chapters across 1,300 universities, according to its website.

CANDIDATE CASH

Starting in 2016, Turning Point USA gave two presidential hopefuls over $1,000. Both lost in their respective races. The organization claims it donated money to a third, who served as president in 2017, but she insists she’s never had any connection to the group.

Kathryn Edmunds Received $1,600 in 2016

Marianne Alex Received $1,400 in 2018

Emily Lawless Allegedly received money in 2017

Information courtesy of Turning Point USA’s website

9.13.2018 UNIVERSITY PRESS 5

NEWS FIRST FLOOR MAIN ENTRANCE. PHOTO BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

BEFORE

AFTER 6 UNIVERSITY PRESS 9.13.2018

The Boca Student Union is getting a $24 million facelift in the hopes it’ll become the center of FAU campus life.

BY CAMEREN BOATNER

‘THE NEW U’

THE STUDENT UNION FIRST FLOOR MAIN ENTRANCE WILL BE OUTFITTED WITH NEW FLOORING AND LIGHTING. PHOTO COURTESY OF FAU’S WEBSITE

A

STUDENT WALKING into the Union two years from now will find boutique shops and new conference space. Gone will be the Burrow, replaced by a game room.

These changes are part of “The New U.” A $24 million renovation project to update the Student Union, originally built in 1972, will begin this December.

The project looks to turn the Union into the heart of Boca campus life, something Student Union Director Michael Cooper admits isn’t the case right now.

Cooper hopes the project, scheduled to be completed in 2020, will give students “more pride and passion for the place.”

In order to keep the Union open during renovations, the project will be completed in phases, similar to the Breezeway construction, FAU spokesperson Joshua Glanzer said.

The renovated Union will include new shopping options, a conference room, a modernized ticket center, and a game room. Instead of the Burrow, there will be a new restaurant replacing the Live Oak Pavilion rooms.

Cooper said it will serve beer and wine, but that that’s all he knows about the dining spot at the moment.

“It’ll be like this mini city that they have to come to, instead of the one little space downstairs, the lobby area,” he said.

THE BURROW BAR & GRILL. PHOTO BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

BEFORE

“It’ll be like this mini city that they have to come to, instead of the one little space downstairs, the lobby area.” - MICHAEL COOPER, STUDENT UNION DIRECTOR

AFTER

THE BURROW WILL BE REPLACED WITH A GAME ROOM, INCLUDING POOL TABLES AND COMPUTERS. PHOTO COURTESY OF FAU’S WEBSITE

9.13.2018 UNIVERSITY PRESS 7

NEWS In place of the outdoor seating area behind the Union, there will be an amphitheatre courtyard. Once completed, “It will be an outside space that at nighttime will come to life,” Cooper said. He added that FAU plans on hiring live music acts to play the courtyard.

One of the largest changes involves a new building for conferences and student organizations, called the Banquet Hall. This will be built on the concert lawn between the Union and Parking Garage 1 on Volusia Street.

There will also be a “revamped version of Outtakes” at the front of the Student Union.

Student body President Kyle MacDonald believes the renovations will attract more students than the current Union can.

“I don’t think there’s much of a draw [right now],” he said. “I don’t think there’s much of a reason to go to the Student Union unless you have to go to an office, or a meeting. But other than that, I don’t think students come just to hang out at the Union.”

MacDonald, who sits on the Union construction committee, added that Student Government contributed $1.7 million toward the project.

He said he is most excited about the new Banquet Hall, which will seat up to 1,000 guests. Student organizations, he maintains, need a space of their own.

COMMON AREA / GAMING CORNER. PHOTO BY ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ

BEFORE

“Get excited. I think it’s going to be really cool actually ... I think it’ll be good for the students, especially for incoming students.” - KYLE MACDONALD, STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT

AFTER 8 UNIVERSITY PRESS 9.13.2018

THERE WILL BE OPEN SPACE INSIDE THE NEW U WHERE THE GAMING CORNER CURRENTLY SITS, LOOKING OUT INTO THE COURTYARD. THERE WILL ALSO BE A WALL OF FLAGS REPRESENTING THE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS THAT ATTEND FAU. PHOTO COURTESY OF FAU’S WEBSITE

“There was a huge need to expand the meeting space, and the only way to do that was to build more,” MacDonald said.

Cooper and MacDonald are also working on making the second floor of the Union a “Commuter Hall,” a space where commuter students can hang out and feel welcome.

Cooper believes FAU students partially move off campus because they don’t have a communal place to relax in. At other schools Cooper has visited, the Student Unions are the center of student life, and he wants that to be the case at FAU. “I’m thrilled to death. And I can’t wait for it to be done because I think it’ll be a new and exciting place for students to come to,” Cooper said.

There will be a wall with flags representing all the countries FAU international students hail from as well.

This, Cooper said, will give these students more of an “ownership” over the Union.

While FAU doesn’t plan on going over budget, the university is looking for donors to cover some of the costs, Cooper added. He mentioned that Student Government wanted to pay for a fountain to be built near the amphitheatre courtyard.

“Get excited. I think it’s going to be really cool actually,” MacDonald said. “I won’t be here when it’s finished, but I think it’ll be good for students, especially for incoming students.”

THEN & NOW: HISTORY OF THE STUDENT UNION

First called the “University Center,” the Student Union has almost doubled in size since it was first built in 1972.

FAU opened in the fall of 1964, with 713 students.

As FAU was known as a commuter school, school, a community space wasn’t needed at the time.

But as the university grew, administration knew the university had to expand both its residence halls and student facilities. So, FAU started designing the “University Center,” which would eventually become the Student Union, according to FAU’s website.

FAU’s construction of the University Center totaled a little over $2 million, and the 55,000 square foot building was completed in September 1972. The latest renovation in 2002 more than doubled the size of the building to over 100,000 square feet.

But according to FAU’s Expansion and Renovation documents, it wasn’t “adequate to address the student population at the time.”

And what students know to be the Burrow today, was the Ratskeller in 1972 and Wackadoo’s Grub & Brew in 2002. Now the Burrow will be replaced with a different restaurant, but along with other aspects of the Student Union renovations, FAU isn’t sure what to replace it with yet.

THE NEW BANQUET HALL, MARKETED AS A SPACE FOR STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS TO GATHER IN A FORMAL SETTING, WILL SEAT 1,000 PEOPLE. PHOTO COURTESY OF FAU’S WEBSITE

9.13.2018 UNIVERSITY PRESS 9

OPINION

SANCTUARY CITIES ENDANGER AMERICAN CITIZENS These cities prevent immigration officers from doing their jobs, protecting criminals instead of the U.S. public.

BY ROSS MELLMAN

D

OING WHAT IS RIGHT for the safety of American citizens isn’t always easy, nor is it always pretty.

The vast majority of illegal immigrants are no different from you and me. They have the same hopes, the same love of America, and seek the same opportunity to give themselves and their children a better life.

But while many illegal immigrants are here with an innocent purpose, there are countless others whose actions have resulted in the deaths of innocent Americans. These are crimes that should never have taken place and can be avoidable when the correct laws and boundaries are in place.

Yet when an American citizen is killed by an illegal immigrant, we often hear nothing from those who have been so outraged by the family separations at the border in recent months. While family separations affect some 2,000 people, and only result in the temporary separation of parents from their loved ones, sanctuary cities affect millions and have consequences with permanent outcomes.

WHY SANCTUARY CITIES POSE A THREAT

Sanctuary cities are regions that limit cooperation with federal immigration agents when it comes to detaining illegal immigrants.

And the consequences of these areas could be no better demonstrated than by the heart wrenching story of Kate Steinle. While walking on a pier in San Francisco, a sanctuary city, she was senselessly killed by an illegal immigrant.

Her killer was released from jail only three months earlier because the local sheriff’s department followed sanctuary city policies. The department didn’t cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when its agents requested that the killer be held until immigration authorities could pick him up.

Rather than be detained, her killer, a convicted felon,

10 UNIVERSITY PRESS 9.13.2018

was returned to the streets where he illegally possessed a handgun. He claimed he accidentally shot Kate while she was walking on the boardwalk with her father.

The life of an innocent woman, embarking upon what was to be the peak of her life, was taken all too early because of the failure of sanctuary city policies.

The parents of Steinle are not separated from their daughter by a chain link fence. They will not see their daughter again upon an executive order, or by enactment of an immigration deal from Congress.

WHO ARE THESE CITIES REALLY A SANCTUARY FOR?

But her death was not an outlier, as countless Americans have suffered the loss of loved ones killed by illegal immigrants. Whether from drunk driving, narcotics that were trafficked in, or cold blooded murder at the hands of ruthless criminal organizations like MS13, illegal immigrants can represent a threat to us all.

Many criminal gangs like MS-13 take advantage of unaccompanied illegal minors and use them as pawns with disastrous results.

They have caused many heartbreaks, but none could be more ruthless than the case of 15-year-old Kayla Cuevas and 16-year-old Nisa Mickens. The two were brutally beaten and killed while walking home in the sanctuary city of Brentwood, New York, a town that has seen 17 murder victims of MS-13 in 2016 alone, according to the New York Times.

Continued on Page 12

IMMIGRATION CAN MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN The United States needs to return to its days of being a sanctuary for those in need.

BY SOPHIE SIEGEL

D

URING THE HOLOCAUST, my family escaped to the United States for a better life.

They saw America as a refuge. And back then, it was. It represented hope and offered a second chance to those looking to escape persecution.

Today, I hate to think there are families escaping to America only to be separated from their loved ones and left alone with no recourse.

The United States needs to stop treating those coming to us for aid as immediate threats and improve its treatment of immigrants trying to make a better life for themselves.

A DANGEROUS STEREOTYPE

The biggest conversation I heard growing up in conservative Vero Beach, Florida revolved around the dangerous idea that immigrants are more likely to commit crimes. However, according to current FBI crime statistics, white men commit about 69.6 percent of the violent crime in the United States.

The concept that most refugees coming into this country are terrorists is false when the real threat is already living in America.

And most “radical Islamic terrorists” are usually natural-born American citizens, not immigrants or refugees, according to Vox. Who could forget when Donald Trump Jr. compared immigrants to skittles?

“If I had a bowl of skittles and I told you just three would kill you. Would you take a handful? That’s our Syrian refugee problem,” he said.

This is yet another example of the racism the presidential family represents. Many people were outraged, myself included, by the comparison of candy to human beings escaping Syria during a time of civil war.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement federal agency was created in 2003 following 9/11, and since then it’s served as a way to racially profile and separate families, especially under the current administration.

Essentially, Trump’s immigration policies have expanded who is considered a priority to arrest.

Under Obama, ICE would remove undocumented people who had committed “serious crimes,” while under Trump, the agency looks to remove all illegal immigrants, ignoring the fact that they’re separating families, according to the New York Times.

Immigration should be spending its time arresting those with violent, criminal backgrounds, not wasting its manpower on immigrants who are just trying to provide for their families.

In August earlier this year, a man was detained by ICE while taking his pregnant wife to the hospital. They arrested him because he did not have a driver’s license.

The agency’s members also claimed he had a warrant for homicide charges, which later turned out to be nonexistent.

Many Democrats, including myself, believe ICE is immoral, especially in the current state of politics as many undocumented families who come to the United States for opportunity are met with immoral standards instead of real democracy.

IMMIGRANTS AREN’T ‘TAKING OUR JOBS’

For many of us, it’s difficult to feel pride in our country when America has become a hotbed for racism and white nationalism. At this point, they’re about as American as apple pie.

ABOLISH ICE ILLUSTRATION BY DAN BARTHOLOMEW

In the debate surrounding immigration, “abolish ICE” is one of the most important causes to support.

Continued on Page 14 9.13.2018 UNIVERSITY PRESS 11

OPINION

Continued from Page 10

Of the 13 defendants who were arrested following the murders, 10 of them were in the country illegally, said CBS News.

And around 60-90 percent of MS-13 gang members are estimated to be illegal immigrants, according to the Center for Immigration Studies.

Because ICE is not contacted when an illegal immigrant is arrested in a sanctuary city, a member of MS-13 can be released back onto the streets rather than be lawfully detained and deported. This means that criminals who would normally be held in jail are instead released back onto the streets to wait for a court date for which they may never show.

WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE?

Kate Steinle, Kayla Cuevas, Nisa Mickens, Ronald De Silva, Tessa Tranchant, Edvin Mendez, and Sergio Triminio are only some out of the hundreds of people whose lives were taken by those who had no legal right to be in the U.S. in the first place. And it is up to us to make their passing have meaning and to prevent tragedies like these from ever happening again.

These are the stories we should be hearing on the news. This is where the outrage should be.

But instead, the media only wants you to be concerned about adults who knowingly enter the country illegally with their children, are subsequently separated, and who bear the responsibility of their actions. This is the same responsibility that U.S. citizens hold when they knowingly commit crimes and are forced to serve jail time and be separated from their children.

These types of tragedies are why many people, including me, wanted a president who would put policies in place to safeguard the American people. This is what needs to be done, instead of embracing policies like sanctuary cities that have undoubtedly led to the deaths of innocent Americans.

Since the election has passed, it has become more obvious that Democrats have not begun the process of rethinking their mistakes in terms of the policies they’ve chosen to embrace as their party platform. And in fact, their hardline stance on sanctuary cities has gotten far worse.

This was exemplified by California Governor Jerry Brown, who last summer declared California a “sanctuary state” despite the resistance of numerous counties. And who could forget when Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney sang and danced with joy over the proclamation of his city being a “sanctuary city?”

SANCTUARY CITIES DON’T GUARANTEE SAFETY FOR ALL

In Philadelphia, an illegal immigrant by the name of Juan Ramon Vasquez from Honduras was arrested in 2014. When the initial charges were dropped, the Philadelphia police department chose to ignore an ICE detainer place on Vasquez (the same situation as Kate

12 UNIVERSITY PRESS 9.13.2018

Steinle’s killer) and instead decided to release him back onto city streets.

After his release, he was arrested again, although this time for the rape of a child and for additional unlawful sexual contact with a minor.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is also persistent in his goal for Chicago to forever remain a sanctuary city.

He’s stated that “you are safe in Chicago, you are secure in Chicago... Chicago has in the past been a sanctuary city. ... It always will be a sanctuary city.”

Does he think that family members who will eventually lose loved ones due to illegal immigration and sanctuary city policies will actually believe him?

While entering the country and applying for asylum is legal, this is a status that is often falsely claimed.

Roughly 5 percent of all asylum applications from Central America are approved, according to United Nations data.

We have to be able to vet and approve immigrants who will be beneficial to our society as future American citizens. At the same time, we need to have the ability to deny those who may bring us harm.

A porous border and sanctuary cities do not give us this opportunity, as they have been proven to be magnets for criminal activity.

The ultimate goal of our immigration laws must always be focused on guaranteeing and procuring the safety of American citizens. The longer that we wait, the more likely these stories of tragedy may be about someone we hold dear.

ILLUSTRATION BY DAN BARTHOLOMEW

RECENT VICTIMS OF

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Every name has a story.

Here’s a few that you may not have heard about.

VISIT THE

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@UPRESSONLINE

Mollie Tibbetts

Mollie, a 20-year-old University of Iowa student, was last seen jogging on July 18. She was found dead only a month later on Aug. 21. Cristhian Rivera, a 24-year-old illegal immigrant, has been detained on first-degree murder charges in Tibbetts’ death, according to CNN.

Lennox Lake

Six-year-old Lennox was in a vehicle that was struck by a drunk driver. The driver, Constantino Acosta, was previously deported to Mexico 15 times, said the San Diego Union Tribune. Lennox now suffers from permanent memory loss and PTSD from the major brain trauma that he endured during the accident.

Sara Root

Sara, 21, passed away when her SUV was struck by an illegal immigrant, Eswin Mejia, who was street racing, stated the Des Moines Register.

Sara had recently graduated Bellevue University with a 4.0 GPA.

Shayley Estes

Drew Rosenberg

Shayley, 22, was shot and killed in her home

by Igor Zubko, a Russian illegal immigrant who overstayed his visa, according to the Berkshire Eagle.

Drew was riding his motorcycle and was killed when he was run over three times by Robert Galo, an illegal immigrant who earned temporary protective status, said the Daily Signal. Drew was a second-year law student.

UNIVERSITY PRESS

OPINION

Continued from Page 11

The common dialogue I hear surrounding why we shouldn’t let immigrants into this country perpetuates the idea that they’re “stealing” jobs from American workers. Unfortunately, that idea is perpetuated by the man leading our country.

In reality, they help create new jobs for Americans.

For every new immigrant, 1.2 new jobs for local workers are created, according to the Washington Post.

There is little correlation between those who come to our country and American unemployment rates.

‘WE WEREN’T HERE FIRST’

For hundreds of years, Native Americans in this country have been tear gassed, murdered, raped, and tortured when defending their right to ancestral land.

And that’s all too reminiscent of how we treat those who aren’t white in this country.

And those who argue that Americans have more of a right to live here than immigrants should really pick up a history book. We weren’t here first.

In the end, anyone who isn’t Native American is here thanks to immigration.

Yet we choose to ignore this and instead support white nationalistic tendencies that push the viewpoint that all immigrants are dangerous.

IMMIGRANTS ARE HUMAN TOO

America should be land of the free, not the land of separation anxiety and hate.

Instead of keeping migrant children safe, we put them in cages and ripped them away from their families, who hadn’t committed any real crimes.

We think we’re protecting citizens, but at what cost?

A good friend of mine who serves as the president of the Florida College Democrats, Toni Rodriguez, is a constant fighter for expanding immigration in the United States.

The other day, he said something that really stuck with me: “We need a complete shift in how we view immigrants, both documented and undocumented, in order for us to revert back to the country we once were. A country that sees immigrants as people, not criminals.”

Immigration policies need to be centered around the ethical treatment of human beings.

This shouldn’t be a political debate. Human rights are common sense.

America was founded on stolen land, and it’s hypocritical to ignore that. We act as if our history is noble and one that we should be proud of, but it’s really built on suffering and the exploitation of millions.

Today, we still have a national holiday celebrating a tyrant whose legacy was paved with blood. Christopher Columbus, who is cited with discovering America, was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Native Americans in the pursuit of gold and natural resources.

As the Guardian said, “If the United States policy is now, instead, to protect a ‘homeland,’ that would mean restoring the rights of Native Americans to the entirety of the United States.”

ILLUSTRATION BY DAN BARTHOLOMEW

14 UNIVERSITY PRESS 9.13.2018

WE NEED

PHOTOGRAPHERS If you’re at the Boca campus, come to our meetings, every Friday at 2 PM.

MEETINGS 2 PM / STUDENT UNION / ROOM 214

EVERY FRIDAY

FEATURES

THE OFFCAMPUS DORM For the past month, more than 100 students have been living in a hotel two miles away from FAU. Why? Because Housing oversigned on contracts — whose rules may not be enforceable off campus.

BY HOPE DEAN

PHOTOS BY VIOLET CASTANO

SENIOR KATE MCPARTLAND OFTEN DOES SCHOOLWORK ON HER BED AND ON THE SMALL DESK PROVIDED BY THE HOTEL. STUDENTS AREN’T ALLOWED TO BRING THEIR OWN FURNITURE TO FAIRFIELD INN & SUITES.

16 UNIVERSITY PRESS 9.13.2018

I

T’S A FEW WEEKS into the school year, and Kate McPartland is still living out of her suitcase.

Her room only has two drawers and a small closet for storage. But it isn’t all bad. She sleeps in a king-size bed whose linens are changed once a week, gets free breakfast every morning, and may not have to follow Housing’s rules.

McPartland is one of 109 students currently living in the Fairfield Inn and Suites because FAU Housing oversigned on contracts. Essentially, there were too many students and not enough dorms.

But the students living in the hotel did not sign a new version of the contract that applies to the University Housing system, whose buildings are all on a public campus. And according to a lawyer the University Press consulted, this means the contract may not be enforceable because students are living on private, hotel property.

The UP reached out to Housing for comment, but did not receive a response as of publication time.

NOT ALL IS FAIR AT FAIRFIELD INN

Students found out there weren’t enough on-campus rooms just weeks before school started.

They had the option of choosing to live in the hotel, joining a waiting list, or canceling their contract and finding somewhere off-campus to live.

After receiving a mass email from Housing notifying students what happened, McPartland chose to live at the hotel. She said she expected more than just an email with such a sudden change.

“I kind of thought there was going to be more involvement from Housing to be honest, just because it seemed like there was a lot of concern [with] students living in a hotel,” she said.

Students’ rooms were chosen for them based on three criteria: if they’ve lived in FAU Housing before, the date they completed their contract, and if they had completed class registration, according to an FAQ page the university released. The 109 students make up two floors of the nearby hotel.

McPartland currently lives in a king-size single, and though she’s enjoying not having any suitemates, she said the lack of available food is frustrating.

While there’s free breakfast from 6:30-9:30 a.m., students don’t have any options for lunch or dinner, aside from a tiny “market” that offers bagged chips, nuts, and candy. If they were living on campus, they’d have access to the full-service dining hall from 7 a.m. to at least 7:30 p.m. depending on the day.

Because of this, she’s started buying “Soylent,” a mealreplacement drink.

Communications and political science major Madison Andrews also chose to live at Fairfield. She shares a room with pre-med student Nicole Merus.

The two are dealing with the same issues McPartland’s facing: not enough storage or food.

To store her clothes, Andrews bought several large plastic tubs, which “was not the most fun $200 I’ve had to spend,” she said.

And to make up for the lack of regular meals, Merus said, “We literally live off of ramen, cereal, and

MCPARTLAND’S ROOM LOOKS BARE BECAUSE SHE HASN’T UNPACKED — SHE’S STILL LIVING OUT OF THE TWO BLUE SUITCASES BY THE WINDOW DUE TO LACK OF STORAGE.

MADISON ANDREWS IS A 20-YEAR-OLD COMMUNICATION AND POLITICAL SCIENCE DOUBLE MAJOR AND SHARES HER ROOM WITH 24-YEAR-OLD PRE-MED STUDENT NICOLE MERUS.

9.13.2018 UNIVERSITY PRESS 17

FEATURES SpaghettiOs, and ravioli.”

Andrews added, “Even though we get free breakfast, having to eat out for every other meal or have ramen or soup or something that we can heat up in the microwave — A) It’s not healthy, and B) It’s really expensive. That’s been a huge expense that we didn’t anticipate.”

There’s also the issue of how students get to campus.

While FAU set up a shuttle to take students to and from campus, there have been complaints about it running late. It’s supposed to run every half hour from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., but it’s rarely on time, Andrews said.

This was the case on the first day of school, when the shuttle was over 40 minutes late, she added.

“We’ve already complained to management about [the shuttle]. Multiple people, actually, not just us. The shuttle is never on time. If they have people, they leave early,” Andrews said. “It’s just a waiting game. If you’re not there at least 30 to 40 minutes before your class there’s a good chance that you’re going to get screwed over.”

OFF-CAMPUS, OFF-DUTY?

The FAQ page the university released states that “All student Code of Conduct and Housing policies are in effect,” which may not be true.

With the version of the contract the students signed, typical Housing rules — including the guest policy, alcohol policy, and RA checks — are all under question.

Frank LaMonte, who’s worked as a lawyer for the government, nonprofits, and private practice, doesn’t think Housing’s rules can be enforced at the hotel. He maintains that for Housing to impose their policies, students living in the hotel would need to sign a new contract.

“Within reason, you can contract away your constitutional rights, including privacy rights, so FAU’s level of authority will be governed by whatever agreement the tenants sign,” he told the UP via phone.

“But when it’s a privately owned housing unit off the campus premises … then it clearly isn’t covered by the contract that applies to on-campus Housing. They would need some different contractual language.”

Yet the RA meetings, where the resident assistants outline Housing’s rules, aren’t running any differently, Merus said.

“They said, ‘Don’t [break the rules],’ but then they haven’t really enforced it … I feel like they said it just to say that they said it.”

The Housing community guide, which details the FAU Housing policies, states that students can have overnight guests for up to 15 nights per semester, with a maximum of two guests at a time for no longer than three consecutive nights.

The guests are usually required to sign in at the dorm’s front desk, but this hasn’t been enforced at the hotel.

The alcohol policy at the hotel isn’t as clean-cut as the other rules, however. The “unlawful possession, use or abuse of alcohol” isn’t allowed “in and on all property owned, leased or controlled (temporarily or permanently) by the university,” but whether students living in the Fairfield Inn counts as FAU “controlling” a space is still up for debate.

18 UNIVERSITY PRESS 9.13.2018

NICOLE MERUS SITS AT THE SMALL DESK THAT SHE SHARES WITH HER ROOMMATE. THEY’VE TURNED IT INTO A BOOKCASE AND COFFEE PIT STOP, WHILE THEIR PRINTER RESTS UNDER ONE OF THE CHAIRS PROVIDED BY THE HOTEL.

“It depends now what their relationship is with the hotel … if it’s more than just referring people there to [fill] the rooms, if they actually have a block of rooms that they control there. I’ve seen language like that in the past,” LaMonte said. “Sometimes a university will use a stadium or athletic facility that’s also used by a pro team, so they control it during the time they’re using that, so their rules would apply.”

In the on-campus dorms, RAs are allowed to enter the room and conduct room checks without the student’s permission. They can’t open any drawers, but they can confiscate anything illicit that’s in plain sight, like alcohol in a room with people under 21.

But, because the hotel is on private property, LaMonte again maintains they may not have a legal right to enter a hotel room without permission.

Underage and students who are of legal drinking age are also sharing rooms with each other at the hotel.

While this is allowed under FAU rules, students over 21 are not allowed to consume alcohol in the presence of anyone underage, at least in the dorms.

“But the funny thing is, I’m 20 and [Merus] is 24, and we’re roommates … And we’re not the only case of that,” Andrews said.

Merus added: “So I mean, what’s to stop me from … going to Walmart and getting a big bottle of vodka?

What’s to stop her from drinking it, you know?”

LoMonte said if an RA enters a hotel room without permission, they could be violating the Fourth Amendment, which protects people from “unreasonable” searches and seizures.

“When it’s a privately owned housing unit off the campus premises, then a contract applying to ‘on campus’ housing shouldn’t apply, and any representative of the university would need a warrant before entering a resident’s home without consent,” LoMonte said. “If there is no legal right to enter that housing unit, then that’s a violation of the Fourth Amendment rights. A lawsuit could be brought up, and … damages could be awarded.”

far seem to enjoy living at Fairfield.

Study groups in the lobby, hangouts in the hotel pool, and movie nights at the nearby Cinemark Palace 20 on student discount days are common, Andrews and Merus said. Over 10 kids sometimes pack into a single hotel room to cheer on FAU during televised football games, summoned by the group chat that’s made up of half the hotel floor.

“You know ‘Jersey Shore,’ they’re like a family or whatever, we’re like Fairfield Inn. Not even Inn. We’re

just Fairfield,” Merus said.

And while it took some getting used to, students have said the hotel has its upsides. McPartland enjoys the solitude of her single room. Merus appreciates the free breakfast. Andrews loves the community.

And compared to the tiny twin dorm mattresses, the hotel beds don’t hurt either.

“We literally sleep like bricks,” Merus said.

MONEY MATTERS

The cost of the hotel rooms is also different from the on-campus dorms. The FAQ sheet lists out each type of hotel room’s “equivalent” on-campus room type and rate and not all of them match up.

Students staying in a standard double pay $3,650 per semester, the same as a super-double rate at Heritage Park Towers and Glades Park Towers. But students staying in the king suite — which can house two students and has a bed and a pull-out couch — pay $5,180, the same as an IVA four-bed/two-bath apartment with a large common area. And students staying in a king single pay $5,680, a price higher than any of the oncampus dorm rates.

“I think I try to reason it with myself by saying … if it costs $100 to stay in a hotel per night I’m definitely getting a bargain, but as far as four months of living, it’s a wild amount of rent to pay,” McPartland said about her king single.

FINDING FAMILY

Despite the last-minute residence change, students so

WHILE MCPARTLAND WAS FRUSTRATED THAT HOUSING NOTIFIED HER OF THE CHANGE JUST WEEKS BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED, SHE SAID SHE’S ENJOYING HAVING A ROOM TO HERSELF.

9.13.2018 UNIVERSITY PRESS 19

TALENTED WRITERS & EDITORS WANTED VISIT US EVERY FRIDAY AT 2 PM STUDENT UNION BLDG, RM 214 BOCA CAMPUS