What’s News In This Story?
–The Musmanno family is in the middle of a horror that is becoming common in immigrant communities around the United States.
-A loved one is in a ICE jail. And there’s little hope of getting him out. He’s scheduled to be deported.
-Flavio Musmanno has been sitting in an ICE jail in Ohio since August 28.
-Flavio is an undocumented immigrant who has lived in the United States since 2000.
Flavio Musmanno and his family.
-Flavio has long worked construction jobs and was well liked by bosses who considered him a hard worker. He followed the work to Seneca County, Ohio.
-On August 28, he lost his wallet at a gas station.
-Within an hour, and many of the facts surrounding his arrest are still murky, he was called by an ICE officer and then detained.
-ICE did not respond to a request for information surrounding Flavio’s arrest.
-Flavio came to the country from Argentina under the visa waiver program and stayed after it expired. He married his longtime girlfriend Fabiana Zuin in 2017. At the time they were married, Fabiana was a permanent resident who was on the way to receiving her citizenship.
-Fabiana is now a US citizen.
-The family’s attorney tried to get the arresting officer to push for Flavio’s release.
-ICE has the legal authority to use discretion and release those they arrest due to extenuating personal circumstances.
-But the family’s attorney, Linda Osberg-Braun told RISE NEWS that ICE has not been using discretion like they used under the Trump Administration.
-So despite having an American son and being married to an American wife, Flavio Musmanno is scheduled to be deported back to a country he hasn’t been to in 18 years.
-And due to the special circumstances involving his entry into the US back in 2000 under the visa waiver program, Flavio does not have a right to be seen by a judge.
-Unless something changes, Flavio will be deported on October 9th.
-According to Osberg-Braun, he won’t be able to come back to the US for up to 10 years.
-The family is raising money to provide for the legal defense of Flavio.
——Here’s Something Completely Different: ——
Meet The Three Frenchmen Who Are Taking Over Miami’s Culinary Scene
RISE NEWS is South Florida’s digital TV news network. Sign up for our awesome email newsletter to make sure you never miss a story!
Have a news tip about this topic or something completely different? Send it to [email protected]
Cover Photo Credit: osseous/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
What Do You Think?
-
WATCH: This Video May Destroy U. Of Florida’s Powerful Secret Society
UPDATE- 1:04 AM EST 2-15-2016
Accusations of corruption in student government at the University of Florida are being put out in the open by a prominent UF student activist who previously helped to perpetuate a notorious secret society on campus.
Sabrina Philipp, a senior at UF was featured in a video detailing her experiences as a leading member of the “system”, a secret organization that helps Greek affiliated students move up in student government and influences actions taken by it.
The “system” is connected to the Florida Blue Key, a prestigious leadership honorary group that operates as a secret society that helps direct student government from the shadows, according to some students.
The UF student newspapers published a detailed expose into the way Florida Blue Key operates in 2012.
From the Independent Florida Alligator 2012 report:
“For students aspiring to hold public office one day, the path seems simple.
Go to UF. Get involved in Student Government. Get tapped to join Florida Blue Key. Make the right connections.
Even students who have no taste for politics yearn to join the prestigious honor society that boasts alumni like former senator and Gov. Bob Graham and current U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.”
According to Not My System, the group that published Philipp’s video on Facebook, “the system” is made up of three different blocs: a political bloc, social bloc, and third bloc.
“Each is led by a bloc leader that represents the interests of various Greek organizations, communicated to them through their house leaders,” Not My System explains on its FB page. “Through massive Greek mobilization and voter suppression, the System has been able to control Student Government at the University of Florida for decades. This System is damaging to everyone involved except for its elite. Students are not given the opportunity to pursue positions based on their merit, but rather must rest on their laurels.”
Despite attempts to expose the “system” in recent years, many have still denied its very existence.
But Philipp’s video could prove to be an important moment at UF.
This all comes on the eve of student government elections taking place this week in Gainesville, with the next Student Body President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and 50 senators up for election.
The “system” has drawn comparisons to “The Machine” at the University of Alabama and other secret student organizations that sometimes try to influence college politics.
WATCH:
Student Government at the University of Florida is run behind closed doors and we want to open them.
The System is real. Hear it from someone who was at the top of it. #NotMySystem
Posted by Not My System on Sunday, February 14, 2016
Have a tip about the way “the system” works at the University of Florida? Send us an email to [email protected].
What Do You Think?
-
10 Reasons to Go Back to College
By Melissa Davidson
It’s never too late to go back to college.
In fact, the number of students “returning” to school is now outpacing first-time students.
Traditional-aged students between 18 to 22 are no longer the majority of students in the higher education system in our country.
Attending college is a rite of passage after high school for some, while for others jumping into the job market is the way to go. No matter where you are in life, here are 10 great reasons you should go back to college and get the degree.
- Earning potential
Having a college degree not only increases your career earning prospects, it may make you eligible for a pay raise or promotion.
The difference in median weekly earnings between a high school diploma and a bachelor’s degree can be $20,000 a year or more, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yes, college can be expensive but the return on investment may be worth it down the road.
More education could qualify you for that promotion you’ve been gunning for.
Likewise, if earning a salary boost means going back to school, it seems like a no-brainer.
For new job hunters, the degree will likely land you a higher paying job with health insurance and vacation time.
- Career change
Sometimes we don’t know what we want to be when we grow up, so we work jobs to make ends meet until we figure out something more lucrative.
Or, maybe your current career feels like a dead end and pursuing a different path seems like a logical next step.
In fact, just getting a degree in anything can help you get a better paying job or open up opportunities for more senior positions.
According to Forbes.com, only 27% of college graduates have a job related to their major, so go study what your heart desires and still have a worthwhile career as anything from an entrepreneur to project manager to a realtor.
- New challenge
A mid-life crisis sometimes yields an expensive new Ferrari or an equally expensive divorce.
How about investing in a new life challenge?
Furthering your education! Taking courses is a positive pursuit of a new-found passion or playing off your current strengths. Learning new things keeps life spicy.
- Financial aid incentives
This is interesting: Big employers – like Pizza Hut, JetBlue and Starbucks – help older students finish their degrees through incentive programs.
Nearly 3.5 million Americans over 50 years old have taken some college courses, but have not earned a degree or certificate, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
For students like 63-year-old Diane W. Tavoian, the only way to finish her degree was by returning to college at Arizona State University, who partners with Starbucks to provide financial aid for employees.
Tavoian was already a student at ASU, but after hearing about the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, offered by ASU, she begged Starbucks to hire her as barista.
Starbucks got a good employee and Tavoian finished her bachelor’s degree.
- Positive role model
Your decision to return to school is an inspiring one for your friends and family.
You never know what your determination sparks in others.
It certainly sets a good example about finishing what you start. Good stuff.
- Personal achievement
Nothing is more satisfying than earning the degree you worked hard to get.
No matter what you study, your education leads to a richer life experience.
“When I was young for 15 minutes it was fashionable to tell your parents you weren’t going to go to college, “ writes higher education author Donald Asher. “My father, a design engineer, was driving down the freeway trying to convince me of the folly of my ways.
“Do you see that bridge,” he asked me, pointing to an overpass. “Sure,” I said, the typical insolent teenager. “Well, you see something different than I see. You see an overpass, and I see stress analyses, load factors, and fifty-year cycles of planned obsolescence. So I am getting more out of life than you are, and it’s because of my education.”
He was right, of course.
- Confidence boost
Learning new things makes you feel smarter, right? When you feel smarter, you’re enhancing your self-esteem. With a healthy self-esteem, your confidence shows, which shows your employer how valuable you are.
- Flexibility
You don’t have to attend a brick and mortar college or university to get your degree. Many students prefer online classes, especially busy people with families and current jobs to earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
You find a way to fit distance learning into your life in a timeframe that works best for you.
- More job options
Acquiring a new skill set makes you more marketable.
Not always, but college grads tend to have more job prospects because of the specialized skills they gain.
For example, many hospitals in the country will no longer hire registered nurses without a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Nurses who’ve worked in the professional nursing field for decades are now going back to school to complete their degrees, sometimes on the hospital’s dime.
The degree also gives them more job options within the field.
- Meet new people
Classmates sharing the same interests is a good way to make connections that could eventually lead to a new job.
Having fun and meeting people is just part of the whole “college” experience.
If you’re nervous, like I was, about starting out on your college path, there are some things you can do to prepare so you will have the best time, like researching which campus group looks the most fun, or seeing if there are any out of the box classes that your school might offer that you could take for fun.
Plus, practicing those networking skills could serve you well in your new career.
Financially fit?
As you can see, going back to college has many advantages.
You’ll have to determine if the financial investment is worth it.
If you’re going to accumulate debt by going back to school, evaluate whether your potential salary will allow you to pay it off in a reasonable amount of time.
The goal is finding a career in a growing field with a paycheck that will do more than offset the costs of getting your degree.
But maybe the paycheck isn’t what it’s about at all.
College graduates tend to be happier and healthier and more optimistic about their past and future progress.
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.
Cover Photo Credit: Vincent LaConte/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
What Do You Think?
