By: Gabriel Arraras / News Director
Underage members of the Student Government Council from the Modesto Maidique Campus brought alcoholic beverages for underage interns at this year’s intern retreat held at the Embassy Suites hotel in Boca Raton.
Among the key officials implicated in the incident were SGC-MMC Vice-President Nick Autiello and former SGC-MMC Intern Coordinator Laura Farinas.
Sara Conklin, the former SGC-MMC Director of Governmental Relations, arrived at her room in the Embassy Suites which she was sharing with Farinas and two other female council members. There she found several SGC-MMC senators and council members drinking alcohol with interns, many of who are underage.
By this time, Assistant Director of Campus Life Jose Toscano had left the premises of the hotel because of a family emergency, leaving Assistant Director of Campus Life at Biscayne Bay Campus Rafael Zapata in charge.
Zapata told Student Media that he was not aware of any drinking taking place.
According to Conklin, she inquired as to whom the alcohol belonged to; Autiello told her it was his. It was at this point that Conklin confronted Autiello and Farinas, asking them to stop drinking and leave the room.
Autiello denied these allegations in an interview with Student Media.
To no avail, Conklin met with SGC-MMC Senate Speaker Pro Tempore Hector Mujica, SGC-MMC Senate Speaker William Velez and several others to discuss what they should do.
After deliberating, they decided that their best option would be to leave the hotel all together.
“Once we saw the drinking with interns was happening we didn’t want to be part of it,” said Velez. “We noticed that even after we told them no, they still came back and we wanted to avoid the situation [so] we decided to leave the hotel.”
Velez, along with Conklin, Mujica and five others left the hotel to go to a restaurant located nearby and stayed there for approximately two hours. When they returned to the room where the drinking was taking place originally, they found that not much had changed.
From there they left to one of the other rooms being rented out by SGA.
“We stayed there hoping that they would finish,” said Conklin, who returned hours later to her original room to find it empty.
The following Monday, Oct. 25, rumors circulated about what had actually happened during the retreat. According to Conklin and Velez, two members of SGC-MMC President Helena Ramirez’s cabinet informed her about the weekend’s activities.
“As far as the mood and the atmosphere, there was definitely concern. They were visibly upset,” said Conklin, referring to Ramirez and Toscano.
Conklin also met with Ramirez separately to tell her side of the story.
“I was mostly embarrassed that they were drinking with interns because of what it makes the organization look like,” Conklin said.
According to Conklin, Mujica, and Velez, both Autiello and Farinas were “repeatedly asked to resign” but refused to do so. Farinas did resign on Nov. 18, however the details of her resignation have not been made public.
Ramirez refused to comment on the resignation.
Autiello told Student Media that this allegation is false. Student Media reached out to Farinas but she would not respond to emails despite several attempts.
According to Velez and Conklin, several meetings took place after Ramirez found out to discuss possible consequences.
“Toscano simply told us during our first ‘fact finding’ meeting that the punishments could range from dock of pay, request to resign, removal for those in the cabinet, vote censure or being referred to the Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution Office, which could lead to academic misconduct that would permanently taint our personal academic record,” said Mujica.
While Conklin, Mujica, Velez and others did not participate in the drinking, they were instead being punished for leaving the hotel—an action that Toscano deemed a “liability,” in case something were to happen to the students who left the hotel.
“We were being punished for leaving the hotel, which according to the Campus Life Administration is against policy,” said Mujica. “I, as well as the other council members that left, were unaware that we would be violating policy by leaving the hotel, especially since we did it to avoid a potentially larger problem.”
Both Mujica and Velez have not found where this rule against leaving the hotel is written. Student Media has not been able to verify it as well. It is standard procedure for students to be asked to sign a waiver form when they go on a University sponsored trip, however, Conklin, Mujica and Velez never signed the form. Instead of driving up on the University bus, they chose to drive up and attend on their own accord.
Student Media received a copy of the waiver form required for attending the SGA Intern Retreat, but found no line, which specifically states that those attending are forbidden from leaving the SGA Intern Retreat in Boca Raton.
According to Conklin, those students who left the revelers in their room were informed that their pay would be cut.
“Two people including myself were very upset and went to speak to [Toscano],” said Conklin. “I told him that was impossible for me because I needed that money for my rent.”
According to Director of Campus Life Eric Arneson, Ramirez counseled with Toscano to figure out what steps to take in regards to punishment. However, the punishments handed out to cabinet members would ultimately be her decision.
“Helena is the person who in the end makes decision with cabinet members,” said Arneson. “With elected officials you have two options: come to an informal agreement, or proceed with a formal impeachment. There is no power to fire them because they are elected officials.”
After the meeting with cabinet members, Ramirez and Toscano also met with Mujica and Velez separately. According to Mujica and Velez, they were asked to resign from their positions.
Both Ramirez and Toscano declined to comment on that matter.
“I wholeheartedly refused to accept that option and told President Ramirez and Adviser Toscano that the punishment was unreasonable and that if we had to be punished for leaving the hotel we should get the same punishment as the other council members that left, which was docked pay,” said Mujica in a statement to Student Media.
While a decision to cut pay was made, according to Arneson, Toscano had to make sure that it was legitimate and actually legal to do so.
“Human resources recommended that we not do that,” said Arneson. “They said, ‘If people are working the same hours you need to pay them the same’.”
Both Mujica and Velez did not accept the requests to resign because they did not find it to be fair and that need be, they would take the matter to Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution.
“If my actions on that night compromised my position as Speaker and the work that I had done or wanted to do, I would gladly step down,” said Velez. “In no way did I think that was the case.”
Initially, several of the council members involved in this incident believed that the advice being given to them by Toscano was for their benefit. But Conklin and Mujica felt as if they were being pressured to either resign or get their pay cut.
They also felt they were being mislead and given incorrect information.
“When he told us that this could get out to Student Conduct and we could get punished for what we did by them and it would be much worse than what he would do, I thought it was coming from his heart,” said Conklin.
“I do believe that the options presented were not for anyone’s benefit but more so to reach some sort of compromise on a punishment for what had occurred,” said Mujica.
Toscano denied that any students were pressured into making a decision.
“I can see where people might have felt that they had been misled because at one point open communications had stopped,” Toscano told Student Media.
Conklin eventually resigned on Nov. 17, citing this incident and the need to work more hours as the reason for her resignation in an interview with Student Media.
According to Arneson, anyone whose name is linked to potential violations would be immediately referred to Student Conduct, which would then determine culpability, after which all information regarding the violation and the person are confidential.
The only person allowed to discuss the case publicly would be the person directly involved.
According to the SGA Constitution, anyone referred to Student Conduct would be automatically forced to resign, Arneson said.
Student Media asked Autiello whether he had been referred to Student Conduct. He said this was “irrelevant.”
“The actions he committed from what I’ve heard and how he’s responded I think his integrity has been compromised and that he should not serve as vice president,” said Velez. “It’s not the behavior you would expect of a person in that position.”
Jorge Valens and Philippe Buteau contributed to this story.
Two questions:
1. How old were these supposed “underage drinkers”?
It doesn’t list it anywhere in the story and it would be important for the reader to know.
2. Did you ask how “Underage members of the Student Government Council brought alcoholic beverages for underage interns”? Seeing as the ones that brought alcohol are underage themselves, it would be interesting to know how they got their hands on the stuff in the first place…
1. Isn’t the age irrelevant? Does 18, 19, or 20 make a difference?
It doesn’t even matter if the “underage drinkers” were all turning 21 the next day. Regardless of how close they are to 21 they are not allow to drink legally at the time of the incident.
2. That is a valid point. It would be interesting.
The actions of a 20 year old student and an 18 year old student are quite disparate. It does matter, for the reader to understand within context: what does “underage drinkers” mean.
I don’t know how you guys look at this as, but it affects SGA’s and FIU’s reputation on whole.
I dont think the article affects the reputation, but the actions committed by those individuals in question are what tarnishes the schools reputation.
I give Nick Autiello credit for resigning, even though he didn’t have much of a choice. At MMC SGA the JACKALS will eat you alive, like a buffalo stuck in the mud. I am 100% sure Valez and Mujica tried to slime him, as to cover up their own involvement.
Jose Toscano, as an adviser, doesn’t have much of a choice but demand resignation from them. If he doesn’t, he jeopardizes his job and reputation with administration and Rosenburg.
Well, that’s my $0.02
It illustrates a level of disconnect from college life reality to so harshly criticize both the SGC members who consumed alcohol and the interns who drank it with them.
Is it necessary to hold accountable the students who broke FIU policy? Absolutely.
Should SGC members be held to a higher standard of conduct? Sure.
But should the entire character of these students and their collective temporary poor judgement tarnish their reputations and potentially scar their academic records indefinitely?
Absolutely not.
Anyone who states that underage drinking on and off college campuses (including school sponsored trips and functions) is not a common phenomenon is either completely oblivious or a total hypocrite.
Toscano’s approach sounds flawed and illogical. It makes little sense that the people who elected to leave a situation they deemed inappropriate would be punished. Furthermore, docking workers pay as punishment? Not even a little appropriate. Sounds more like a scare tactic to keep them quiet, perhaps to cover his own incompetency, with the threat of ruined reputations over their heads.
The bigger issue, it seems, is a potential abuse of power by an administrator. Which is a lot more harmful for FIU’s reputation than a handful of college kids getting drunk.
This happened on an FIU sanctioned function. It wasn’t a Frat Party or a Tailgate event. This was an SGA FIU retreat. I don’t care if you ARE over 21. There should be NO ALCOHOL involved in any of these functions.
Jeff, I’m completely aware of the fact that this wasn’t a “Frat Party or a Tailgate event.” I am not advocating for college students to get wasted on a school sponsored function. But I don’t think an act of poor judgement is reflective of all of SGC’s reputation. I’m glad you feel like you are making a profound difference in the student body and I think your involvement is admirable. But asserting that you’re a “real leader” and these people are not, is a little ridiculously self righteous and obnoxious. I hope if you ever find yourself immersed in a scandal (which you may think you are immune to, but being human and all, I highly doubt it) that you are met with a bit more compassion then what you are showing the people who screwed up and the people who attempted to leave an awkward, inappropriate situation. Keep being that change Jeff, but maybe incorporate a little humility into it.
Hello Brooklyn,
I appreciate your feedback. I want to first clarify that I never said that I’M a “real leader”. I first asked if the “real leaders would please stand up” what I meant by this is that FIU has amazing student leaders however we need more of them to get involved especially in SGA.
Then I said if you want to see “real leaders” to come visit the college of business. Since I work with the executive boards I have witnessed many “real leaders”. Leaders that are very ethical and are also doing great things in their community as well as for the college of business.The leaders of Alpha Kappa Psi, FBLA-PBL, IBHS, AMA and others always leave me amazed at the talent that exists here at FIU. I don’t want to take anything away from the SGA “Real Leaders” but it just saddens me when I see leaders involved in issues such as the one in this article. Hope that helped in clearing things up and I sure hope to meet you at the next SGA meeting.
Sincerely,
Jeff
Oh, I’ll be there.. But only if there is booze. TOTALLY KIDDING.
Thanks for your response. It did shed some light on what you previously said.
I too am saddened when leaders are embroiled in a scandal, especially when it can overshadow how much good they have previously done. And I’m equally saddened when I feel like it takes attention away from far more pertinent, important issues. Good luck with your endeavors.
I don’t subscribe to apologizing destructive, inappropriate, and ILLEGAL conduct on a FIU sanctioned event.
I have been very disappointed with this class of SGA officers. In one short semester they have been involved with all types of controversies and drama. Is this what are student dollars are supporting? But then again, many of these officers ran unopposed. Where are the real leaders? Can they please stand up?
I guess your sitting down as well… be the change you want to be in the world. Don’t just sit on the sidelines and criticize things.
Your guess is incorrect. I AM the change that is happening in this world. I am one person I cannot be involved in everything but as President of the Student Leadership group I am making a positive impact at the FIU College of Business. I invite you to come see the real leaders that are making a difference in our school and our community. To see with your own two eyes the impact that I’m making I invite you to check out my site at http://jeffzelaya.com Good day to you sir!
Great site. Keep up the great work Jeff.
False, the real leaders are those who are involved in something bigger than themselves, you are nothing but a GDI.
What the hell does being part of Greek life or not have to do with the price of rice in china…meaning that point is irrelevant. Stop trying to shut down those who are not Greek. You can be as great and even better of a leader without being Greek. The big misconception that Greek life has is that you join them and you are automatically a great leader. Get off your high donkey.
Not to be disrespectful, but I’ve never heard of you and I’m a senior in the college of business. From your site I can only see a resume builder, not so much “change in the world”. However, if you have that much passion, which is great and I don’t doubt you do, and are a “real leader” I invite you to become involved in sga so that you can actually have an impact on the students in your college, at the end of the day, that’s what any student government is for. Instead of disagreeing with what an organization is doing or how it is being run, stop complaining, become a part of it and change it, don’t tell others how to do things.
No disrespect taken at all. In fact I would love to meet with you so we can brainstorm ideas and work together. I am easily accessible, don’t hide behind anonymous screen names and don’t run away from a challenges. Email me and let’s start working together to become a part of the change. I plan on attending the next student council meeting. Hope to see you and everyone else that has commented on this forum there.
Jeffrey is actually very involved at the College of Business. I see him at the student organization room all the time and if you ask any of the Business organizations E-boards I bet you that they know him and know how much he does to help FIU business.
Listen Jeff, you mister need a lesson in humility. You sound like rush hour traffic with this endless tooting of your own horn. Cheers to your website but all it says is that you want to be the peacock of leaders. Your leadership skills will fail where there isn’t enough of a crowd to give you attention. I am not fond of people like you who are perhaps “leaders” but need to shove it down the throats of everyone else. I bloody well hope that HR managers/employers out there see through your skit. If you are so confident that you are a good leader…calm down…sit back and let your natural talents shine rather than have to forcibly put yourself out there…and then go tooting your loud foghorn by creating an entire website to honor yourself…leave that for Mum to do. When people OVERCOMPENSATE…that’s enough reason to worry… Not that you’re a bad person but please…a lesson in humility, and don’t push your nose into places that don’t belong. And well, of course I don’t know you, but that’s the same for your potential employers, and not being your friend, i’ll tell you that sometimes you push it overboard…Calm down…Humility…get some…Take this as a sour pill of constructive criticism. Good day to you sir…Best of luck on Finals.
Thank you for the constructive criticism. I am always looking to learn and continue to develop myself to become a better person. I am concerned because FIU is my school too. As a marketing major building a website to market myself and my skills has proven to be something that has differentiated me in a positive way and I recommend it to everyone. It might seem like tooting one’s horn but the only reason I mentioned it in this post is because someone commented that I’m “Sitting on the sideline” when I’m actually in the game and wanted that person to see that I’m doing more than just sitting behind a keyboard criticizing and doing nothing. Thank you for taking the time to comment Cocoa Hill. I appreciate your time.
Yo it’s like your earlier tweet “The more successful you become that more haters you will encounter. Got to keep it moving.” Jeff you don’t worry about dem haters we know what you are about. God bless.
Maybe that applies to the people in this article too. We don’t know the real story, just how these three people decided to tell it. This Velez guy has been criticizing everything thats going on just so he can run for SGA President, not because he cares about students. He’s supposed to be the 3rd most important person in SGA and all he’s done is filtered money and resources to the engineering school. EARMARKS.
I don’t know this Velez dude, but I do know of Nick, and he is not someone I want to see as Student Body President, I’m calling out for anyone, ANYONE other than Nick to run for President. I have decided to tune into a bit more about SGA recently and when I ask around about several people in SGA, many people have warned me about Nick. I didn’t even ask about him, just general inquiries, and they tell me that Nick is no good. Having a big agenda and plot and the works sounds more like Nick’s idea to do all sorts of madness to push himself up. This perhaps is a blow to him, a voice to shut him down which many people are glad for I assure you. Point blank, all these people need to get it together.
you have no idea how right you are
Wow, you certainly come across as pretentious. Moreover, your statements are highly subjective and carry very little substance. Anyone can claim to be a true leader, and to act ethically or in accordance with various norms.
Also, this whole “real leader” thing is not only a sweeping generalization and insulting (to others in leadership and to those you are addressing) it comes across as very disingenuous.
Thus, in summation, you are not a leader but someone who at worst is capitalizing on a scandal to get ahead, or at best, unaware or unable to grasp what leadership is about. Of course, this is all just conjecture based on a little of what you have written. And of course, I am jumping to conclusions here. See how that is not a good thing?
As outgoing Press Secretary for SGC-BBC, I would like to point out that there is no where in this article that states ill-doing on behalf of council members from SGC-BBC.
It is our priority, at SGC-BBC, to uphold moral standards at all times. I have thoroughly trained council members, in a workshop, on image and reputation, and I’m more than proud that we’ve never failed to follow through. Thank you!
And I would like to point out that the SGC-BBC Chief of Staff was in the room with the SGC-MMC council members when the drinking with the interns took place. FYI. And this is part of a formal complaint and investigation.
A lot has changed since I left less than a year ago. First-off students were always told they they could NOT leave the premises under any circumstances, all students regardless of age were prohibited from drinking , everyone had to sign a waiver and no one no matter how important they were, was allowed to drive up to a retreat.
Umm. So that was definitely not a post made by me. However, what it say’s is pretty true.
who cares…everyone drinks when they are underage…EVERYONE…hypocrites is what all of you are
so much for our future leaders. what a bunch of losers, making fools out of themselves and our school.
Easy does it pal. That is slightly overboard, don’t you think? Oh my god, alcohol! Consumed by college kids! On a field trip! YIKES! Hide your kids and protect your families! Give me a break. What have you done for FIU lately?
There should be no drinking! Not during school activities!! However, I don’t think it’s fair for those who weren’t drinking to received the same treatment or punishment.
Instead of railing against the consumption of alcohol by “underage” students (which is a really a reflection of the atrocious laws of this country and its corresponding priorities), students should be mobilizing against tuition hikes. Yeah, I know what someone is going to say: “But FIU has one of the lowest university tuition rates in the country!”. That may be true (which I highly doubt), however, Miami is also one of the poorest urban cities in the country. And loans don’t cut it either. This is beyond asinine.
SCOTCH SCOTCH SCOTCH!!!
Actually Florida ranks 49th out of 50 in the nation in terms of tuition rates (dont doubt that because it’s a fact). It’s actually smart to “mobilize” against tuition hikes if you want less availability for classes and bad professors. You want cheaper………go to MDC and get out of the way while the rest of us build FIU because the world needs ditch diggers too
You can rally against tuition hikes, but you’d be rallying against reality (that has a certain ring to it, no?). The tuition hikes come in response to the state of Florida reducing the amount of money they are giving to state universities. Since FIU is losing money, they have to find a way to compensate.
SGA is a great organization molding the future leaders of America. They are our voice to the administration, and a vehicle of positive change for our university. Was this issue alarming? Yes. However, props to those SGA officials who spoke out and assured us, the students, that they are indeed transparent with ongoing issues. I have seen all the good SGA has done over the years and I know they will continue to do good. As far as those that are here as critics, all I have to say is, take a look at your own life, your own organization, and ask yourself, what have you done for FIU?
PS: Those of you that have been bragging about what you have accomplished on this comment section need to learn a lesson or two about humility and self reflection.
I think all of you are taking this way too seriously. This has been going on for years. The SGA retreat is a place that not only do a lot of great initiatives get set into motion, but is a time that the members are able to bond and have a good time. In the coorporate world this happens the same exact was on coorporate retreats, it is actually the part that even most CFO’s and CEO’s etc look forward too: mingling and getting to know one another in a relaxed social setting. Now, should anyone underage be drinking at anytime? Legally…NO. But does it happen? All the time. No one was forced to drink, or held down and hazed or something. College students drink = no big surprise. This seems more like a political move by people that are trying to oppose Nick in the SGA elections this spring…but what do I know I have never been involved.
As for Jeff Z. You’re a joke amigo. “Leaders” don’t have to claim leadership you know who they are because people are following them.
Just because it happens “all the time” doesn’t mean it should, especially at a SGA event using student funds. (Just in case someone misinterprets this it means that the retreat was payed for by student funds, not the alcohol). Yes, college students drink and it is “no big surprise” but SGA members are the public face of this university so when they are drinking underage at an FIU event as SGA members, then yes, it is a big deal.
You buried yourself when you acknowledged the fact that you have “never been involved” because that explains why you would make such a ridiculous claim that this to be a “political move by people that are trying to oppose Nick in the SGA elections this spring…”. Honestly, if Nick really wanted a future in SGA he should of thought of that before temporarily forgeting his duties and responsibilites as the Vice President of the SGA at FIU. It is easy to talk the talk and promise students a ride to the moon, however actions speak louder than words, and in this case his actions showed his true colors. That’s who you want to represent your school? Thank you, but no thank you!
Snitches get stitches. Drinking age should be 18. Smoke weed everyday!
From a former Florida state university system Student Body President:
this is a joke. This happens at every university. Students are stripping their peers of privacy and freedoms more than the damn administrators.
EMBRACE COLLEGE AS AN EXPERIENCE, jesus, these kids busted their asses to get where they are, they deserve a little fun. At the rate this is going, we are going to lose our power as student body’s, not as individual student leaders. In the past students would fight tooth and nail against meddling administration and the few self serving/backstabbing student leaders. Take it as you may, but this was a mistake. Nick has knowledge about FSA and SGA that would be hard to match in the state of florida, let alone FIU. Try not to shoot your selves in the foot again. Protect your peers first and always.
“many of whom are underage”
Everyone needs to get over themselves.
There should be NO DRINKING in a student-funded events. If Mujica, Valez, and Autiello didn’t report interns for drinking, then they were condoning it and should be fully sanctioned.
It was reported… hence this article… and it was reported not only to student media but to the administration also…. which is also part of this article… why dont you try reading it?