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Home Blog Page 1595

EXTRA

The Miami Hurricane
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Reality off the courts

Whether on or off the courts, tennis stars Venus and Serena get a lot of attention, and with their new six-episode reality show airing on ABC Family in July, they will be receiving even more. The show will focus on life outside of tennis, showing Venus and Serena with their friends and family. How cute.

Trying so hard to be pc

IMAX has recently rejected a film for viewing in several Southern states about volcanoes because the company is afraid that its references to evolution will offend some of the religious IMAX viewers. Hello? They paid to watch it!

Deaths

Foghat’s guitarist Rod Price died Tuesday at 57 after falling down his stairs. Yikes.

Attorney Johnnie Cochran, known for defending O.J. Simpson, died Tuesday of an inoperable brain tumor. He was 67.

Addicted

So a year after checking into rehab Whitney Houston has submitted to drugs and again returned to rehab. It’s hard to get drug-free, but when you have all those people working for you, can’t someone help?

Creole 101: SAKPASE? NAP BOULE!

The Miami Hurricane
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“Sakpase” is the first thing in a dialogue between two Haitians. Although in Miami people often speak Haitian Creole, little do we understand of the heritage behind this dialect. For those who don’t know, “sakpase” stands for “what’s up.” It’s also the name of Wyclef Jean’s new record label.

After proving himself as a hip-hop artist, Jean has devoted his career to increasing Haiti’s meaning in U.S. culture, paving the way for emerging artists to do the same. One of Miami’s hottest entertainers, Mecca, a.k.a Grimo, has followed Jean’s footsteps with The Creole Hip-Hop Movement. “It’s about time we are respected in whatever it is that we do,” Mecca says. “Haiti’s history is so relevant to this world but the media only lets you see the negative aspect of life in Haiti.”

This light-skinned, multi-talented artist, who has been emceeing since the age of eight, performed at Planet Kreyol’s Mr. and Ms. Planet Kreyol pageant last week. Pursuing his passion in both poetry and rap, he has found a medium to deliver diverse material to the market. The versatility that Mecca brings to the hip-hop world is a breath of fresh air. Although his focus is to cater to the Haitian and French-speaking Caribbean audience, he blends popular rap hooks to his Creole lyrics that attract any audience.

“Nobody will listen to a new artist who brings material in a totally different form,” he says. “By mixing the top 10 hits to my lyrics, the American audience is more receptive to the track, and before you know it, they lean back and two-step.”

His first LP, Kreyol Konneksyon Mix CD Vol. 1, has hooks from 50 Cent, Lil’ Jon and Fat Joe-with a Caribbean flavor. The album also features Wayne Wonder, Pitbull and Wyclef-creating a blend of West-Indian and Latin vibes which have become popular in Miami.

Mecca displays his spoken-word talents in Mecca: Pharaoh to Thug, where he reveals his political consciousness and hopeful spirit on Haiti’s unstable situation: “We as a people need to encourage awareness and some type of solution to help build Haiti forward to the great country it once was,” he says.

More information on The Creole Hip-Hop Movement can be found at www.meccaakagrimo.com.

Nathalie Guillaume can be contacted at n.guillaume@umiami.edu.

Sin City has a definite wow-factor

The Miami Hurricane
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As engaging, entertaining and visually-stunning as Sin City is, it feels like something audiences have seen too many times before. Maybe “seen” is the wrong word, since the visuals of the film are by far the best thing about it. More accurately, they have experienced it all before. The plot, characters, rugged action scenes and absurd surroundings are underwhelming as far as the wow-factor goes. At the same time, most people should leave feeling thoroughly entertained and satisfied.

Sin City is a good movie, but many of those awaiting what they hope will be a masterpiece are going to be disappointed. All signs pointed towards it being great. The trailers were exciting, the cast nothing short of amazing, and the comic book it’s based on is an underground favorite.

Director Robert Rodriguez (Desperado) begins the film with a short, dialogue-heavy scene between two characters, as if to tease the viewers who came expecting action. After this short, which is not connected to the rest of the film, comes the beginning of the story. To go into plot details would take forever, given the Pulp Fiction-like feel of the interconnected stories and time-jumping. The basic story deals with revenge, and although it is exciting and fun, it doesn’t come close to the other big recent action revenge film, Kill Bill.

Kill Bill director Quentin Tarantino is a friend of Rodriguez, and actually served as a guest director on parts of Sin City. His influence is crystal clear, whether it’s through campy dialogue, absurd action, or even the casting. Tarantino favorites Michael Madsen and Bruce Willis both factor heavily into Sin City, while Antonio Banderas, a Rodriguez standard, is absent.

Even those unimpressed by the ensemble cast and Rodriguez’s previous work had to be interested in the look of the trailers. The film is almost entirely in black and white, except for a few spots of dominant color, like red lipstick or a shiny car. The technology that allowed Rodriguez to do this was revolutionary when he took on the project. Unfortunately for him, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow got an earlier release than his film and utilized basically the same visual style. Sin City is a slightly better film than Sky Captain but loses some of the visual shock factor because of coming out second.

Sin City struggles with its plot and writing and lacks the punch it needs to really stand out on its own. Most of the actors do a good job, especially Mickey Rourke in what will hopefully be his comeback film. But the stories often get so scattered that they lose their appeal, and no matter how cool the film is to look at, it has to be able to back that up as well.

Sin City’s biggest problem is that it sets itself up to be too good. Some good-not-great movies can take their best scenes or best attributes and make an amazing trailer out of them. By doing so, they might build more excitement, but they are setting their audience up for a letdown. Minus the hype, Sin City is a very enjoyable, well-crafted, comic book action film. But no matter what comic book fans might want to believe, it’s not the visionary masterpiece it has made itself out to be.

Shawn Wines can be contacted at s.wines@umiami.edu.

Socially fashionable at Funkshion

The Miami Hurricane
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For anyone who likes to keep up with the local fashion scene, Funkshion, Miami’s very own fashion week that occurs in the fall and spring, is the event to attend. Original, creative and used as a platform for emerging and established designers, Funkshion has evolved into a successful event that hasn’t failed to establish Miami as hotspot for fashion.

Coinciding with Winter Music Conference, M3 and other Miami events, Funkshion didn’t fall short, even with so many competitive heavyweights. Capturing the attention of talent, celebrities and local Miami fashion lovers, this year’s Funkshion was unlike any other showcase of runway shows, held specifically in a pod on the beach-yes, the actual beach. Combined with the free samples of Caron, Phyto and usual sponsor Perrier, fashion mavens, models and press were buzzing before the doors even gave access to the all white runway showroom.

As fashion goes, one season ahead of the current, the varied array of showcased designers debuted their fall collections. Presenting designers from almost every fashion style, the four-day event provided at least one statement for every flavor, specifically night three which featured a mix of emerging and established designers.

Rebecca Minkoff, whose designs are fun and flirty yet fantastically classy, personally presented her fall collection which included classic pantsuits, sleek dresses and unique and stylish jackets.

Emerging designer Indashio presented his collection entitled “Rags to Riches,” using tracks by Jay-Z like “It’s A Hard Knock Life” and Gwen Stefani’s “Rich Girl.” The choice of music not only reflected the creations on the runway, they also demonstrated the fusion of music and fashion that Funkshion has boasted about since the very first show in 2002.

Continuing the fashion expos

Ultra is ecstasy

The Miami Hurricane
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Pulsing beats could be heard from Brickell Avenue even before rave culture kids and techno die-hards reached the gates of Bayfront Park, amping adrenaline. Ultra, North America’s largest music festival devoted entirely to techno, enveloped the Bayside area last Saturday with 10 stages of pure electronic beats and self-mixed grooves from renowned DJs.

Gates opened at 11 a.m. and the event continued until midnight; the 10 stages divided into the amphitheatre, the sound stage, the future sound of breaks, and other areas, showcased the sounds of Pete Tong, Hybrid, Carl Cox, Tiesto and headliner Moby.

Attracting a wide crowd, the sea of bodies comprised of extremist ravers, South Beach club-goers, ecstasy addicts and seemingly normal techno lovers. All swaying to the beat of the music, some chose to relax on blown-up air mattresses on the lawn, others chose to writhe and jump wave their hands with strangers and friends.

As for the artists, there were over 50 acts, spanning levels of experience, levels of fame and differences of style. As a main attraction of the festival, Paul Oakenfold, Junkie XL, Tiesto and Paul Van Dyk played at the amphitheatre, just as the stun was beginning to set.

Sunlight dimming and special effects lights going wild, Paul Oakenfold took the stage at 6:00 and played for over an hour and a half, switching from slow to fast beats, keeping the crowd energetic. At 7:30 Junkie XL took the stage and aside from his showcase of music, the video background played on gigantic screens was nothing short of a trippy, mystery flick. The wild eyes of the writhing body of the woman in the video kept many people in the crowd transfixed.

All the same, while some were tripping on acid or experiencing the music through ecstasy, headliner Moby put on an excellent show. Switching from electric guitar to vocals to bongo drums, Moby displayed his versatility and talent as an artist. Playing his hits, such as “Southside” sans Stefani and even debuting some new tracks from his new release Hotel, Moby wooed the crowd with just a few notes.

An utterly incredible and unique experience, Ultra is an event that no Miami resident should miss. Whether a die-hard techno fan or just a music lover in general, the beats are general enough that anyone can get into the feel and “move ‘ya body.” Even so, the crowd, the music, the ridiculous nature of watching people on drugs? Well, that’s entertainment.

Joanna Davila can be contacted at j.davila1@umiami.edu.

INTRAMURALS

The Miami Hurricane
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Reminders
The softball entry deadline has been extended through Monday by Noon. Don’t miss out on one of the last events of the 2004-2005 school year.

SCOREBOARD

Basketball Playoffs

Men’s ‘B’ Division
Donkey – 42
Playmakers – 28

Team Breakfast – 67
Cuban Jews – 56

Team Breakfast – 47
Donkey – 39

The Department – 37
Supreme Court – 35
(4 OT)
Men’s ‘A’ Division
Game-Cocks – 59
Smuggling YoYos – 46

Boss Players – 50
Club 332 – 48

Game-Cocks – 34
Boss Players – 33

The H – 64
Punishers – 57

Co-Rec Division
Wet R Bandits – 61
Hang Time – 43

Wet R Bandits – 54
Team Cubano – 46

Tortfeasors – 64
Boss Players – Co – 53

Women Division
Usual Suspects – 41
Yellow Rose Society – 27

Da Squad – 52
BK Broilers – 33

Greek Division
Sigma Phi Epsilon – 47
Alpha Sigma Phi – 21

Pi Kappa Alpha – 55
Phi Delta Theta – 14

Zeta Beta Tau – 30
Sigma Alpha Epsilon – 25

Lambda Chi Alpha – 63
Sigma Alpha Mu – 33

Sigma Phi Epsilon – 10
Pi Kappa Alpha – 0

Lambda Chi Alpha – 78
Zeta Beta Tau – 32

Centrich, pole-vaulters seek more campus recognition

The Miami Hurricane
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USA Today had a series in its paper a couple of years ago stating that one of the hardest things to do in sports was pole vaulting. Chris Centrich is a senior pole vaulter for the University of Miami and can attest to the difficulty of his sport.

“The pole vault combines many different abilities,” Centrich said. “To be a great pole vaulter you need to be able to run well, jump well, and have good body control…but you must also possess the courage to run down the runway as fast as you can and jump holding onto the pole.”

Centrich said that track and field as a whole does not get enough respect at UM. The football team is the media face of the university at the expense of other sports.

“I do not think track and field gets the credit it deserves at UM,” he said. “At a school like Miami with a national caliber football team that is always in the headlines, many people forget there are other sports. We all understand that football brings huge recognition to our school. However, many people forget that our team spends just as much time and effort working out and we often don’t get much recognition for our commitment.”

One of the biggest challenges Centrich has faced in his athletic career is the transition from high school to college. In high school he won the New York State Championship in pole vaulting during his senior year. He obviously wants to accomplish more while at college, but only has one season to go.

Life after college is a big question for all students, and Centrich is no exception. He is a double major in accounting and finance and is looking to pursue a career in these fields after the year is over.

Until then, Centrich finds himself both a competitor and a mentor to the newer athletes coming into the program.

“Every athlete has their own way of preparing for competition and I don’t try to teach them how to do that,” he said. “I do try to help them understand some of the differences from high school athletics, as well as how the program at UM runs. I try to help the younger guys get through some of the difficulties since it is such a big change. I found it helpful to have the seniors give me advice as to what it will be like during my first year here and I try to do the same for the freshmen.”

Competing on the college level during a senior year is not an easy thing to accomplish. Much hard work, time and dedication are needed to balance a difficult schedule. This is why Centrich is so thankful to have wonderful parents that have supported him the whole way.

“Without my parents I would have never gotten to where I am today and I am truly thankful to them for all their support over the years,” he said.

The track and field team will be competing in the Florida Relays in Gainesville this weekend.

Denis Brown can be reached at dbrown@umsis.miami.edu.

Tennis keeps on rolling

The Miami Hurricane
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7-0 wins were a theme last weeked for the women’s tennis team, starting with a sweep past the University of Maryland Terrapins on Sunday.

This has been the story for the ‘Canes since they began their new journey in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The women now hold a 5-0 record in ACC play and have posted nine sweeps this season, eight of them coming at home.

Standouts throughout the season have been junior Melissa Applebaum, senior Megan Bradley and sophomore Audrey Banada. Applebaum, who finished this weekend with one of her best showings of the season, began doubles play alongside senior Staci Stevens. With immense drive, the duo defeated their opponents 8-0. Equally impressive was the fourth ranked tandem of Bradley and Banada, who defeated their opponents 8-3 to clinch the doubles point.

To finish the job, the women came out fiercely in singles play. Bradley got the singles started with a 6-1, 6-1 straight set victory at the No. 1 slot. Applebaum also sent her opponent home in straight sets, defeating Marianne Baker 6-3, 6-1. Banada, to finish the afternoon, won 7-6, 6-2, closing the book on the Terrapins.

Last Friday’s match also proved satisfying for the women, as the Hurricanes beat Virginia in another 7-0 victory. Beginning with a clinch in doubles, the ‘Canes took two of those three matches. Bradley again showed her undeniable command in the sport, finishing her singles match with a 6-0, 6-1 victory. Applebaum gave Miami’s team just what it needed with a 6-1, 6-4 win in singles play.

It is no wonder why Miami’s No. 1 star performer, Bradley, was recently acknowledged as the ACC Performer of the Week for the second time this season. Bradley, who has been ranked No.1 since March 8 in the Intercollegiate Athletic Association (ITA) rankings, has lived up to her title.

The ‘Canes will continue their home stand as they to host in-state rival South Florida at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center at 6 p.m. on Friday, which will also be senior night, honoring Bradley and Stevens.

Antoinette Cordova can be contacted at a.cordova1@umiami.edu.

Baseball faces toughest test of season vs Georgia Tech

The Miami Hurricane
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After securing its second ACC series win, the University of Miami baseball team will take on conference opponent Georgia Tech at home this weekend, beginning Friday night.

The Hurricanes defeated Wake Forest in last weekend’s series opener with a final score of 11-2. Cesar Carrillo led the effort as the starting pitcher, lasting seven innings without allowing the Yellow Jackets to score.

The ‘Canes suffered a loss in the second game of the series but clinched the series win during the final game Sunday, finishing 12-4. Sophomore Ricky Orta made his way into the pitching rotation once again as the starting pitcher in the last game of the series. He proved to be a valuable thrower and was able to endure seven innings of play.

“I just concentrate on going out there and pitching as many strikes as possible, hoping to only have to throw three times to get the batter out,” Orta said.

Four home runs were hit during the game by junior Ryan Braun, freshman Walter Diaz and sophomores Eddy Rodriguez and Danny Valencia. Braun’s home run was the 36th of his career, putting him at ninth place in the UM all-time record book.

The Yellow Jackets are currently at the top of the ACC with a 9-0 record and are 19-2 overall, while Miami holds the No. 3 position behind Florida State. According to the newly released weekly polls, Georgia Tech has surpassed the ‘Canes, who had been seeded first in the coaches’ preseason polls. The meeting between the two teams will be an exciting series to watch as the Hurricanes work to reclaim their No. 1 position.

Last season the opponents met on the Yellow Jackets’ territory in Atlanta. After losing the first game of the road series by thirteen runs, the ‘Canes came back to take the final two games and the overall series victory, finishing 9-7 and 16-13 respectively. This year the Yellow Jackets are ready to sting, especially with a conference win at stake.

In other news, Chris Perez’s suspension has been lifted after sitting out 10 games; however, he will not make it into the starting rotation for this weekend’s series. Carrillo will remain the top pitcher, Orta will move up to the No. 2 position and senior Dan Touchet will fall to the No. 3 spot against Georgia Tech.

“We are playing a club with one of the best offenses on our schedule this weekend,” Head Coach Jim Morris said. “To prepare the team we will be watching footage of their games this season and defining their weaknesses. Knowing their weak points and playing our strengths will be the strategy for the series.”

Stacey Arnold can be contacted at s.arnold@umiami.edu.

No Rest for the Weary

The Miami Hurricane
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If the sixth ranked Hurricanes could avoid playing on Saturdays, Head Coach Jim Morris would gladly oblige.

Four of the five Miami losses this season have come on the second day of the weekend, including this past series against Wake Forest. Even with the Saturday mishaps, the team is still sitting pretty at 20-5 overall and 7-2 in their first campaign in the ACC.

The Hurricanes have won 11 out of their last 13 games, entering Wednesday’s match up at cross-town rival FIU. While many students were away enjoying spring break, Miami went 6-1 during that stretch, including a weekend sweep of Duke, a win against Rutgers and taking two of three at Wake Forest this past weekend in their first road ACC series.

On Friday afternoon, the Hurricanes pounded the Demon Deacons 11-2 after another brilliant start from staff ace Cesar Carrillo, who improved to 5-0 this season and has never lost a game as a Miami Hurricane.

Saturday afternoon saw Miami get out slugged 13-6 as Wake Forest ended UM’s seven game winning streak. Ryan Braun went deep to move onto the Hurricanes’ top 10 career homerun list, but the great pitching the team had gotten for the last two weeks wasn’t there. Starter Dan Touchet only lasted 4.2 innings, giving up six earned runs on eight hits.

The rubber game of the series proved much better for the Hurricanes pitching staff as they got another terrific performance from Ricky Orta, who went seven innings, giving up one run on six hits.

During the week, Miami saw the debut of pitcher Scott Maine, who has been out ever since arriving on campus as a freshman after having Tommy John surgery. Following extensive rehab, Maine has made two appearances and has yet to give up an earned run. Maine will provide another option for Morris in the bullpen as the year goes on.

The starters carried the team on their shoulders in recent weeks, as Carrillo and Orta each have an ERA under two, at 1.10 and 1.67, respectively.

The lineup has also come alive in different places from the beginning of the season. Leftfielder Jon Jay, who was hitting over .540 heading into the Duke series, has cooled off a little and is down to a still respectable .470. First Baseman Danny Valencia has been on fire of late and is sitting at .354 with three homeruns and 33 RBI in his first season in the orange and green.

One of the best things that has happened to the lineup as of late is the recent hitting tear from the catchers. After both Eddy Rodriguez and Alex Garabedian struggled mightily to start the season at the plate, they came alive this weekend-especially Rodriguez, who slammed his first two homeruns of the season.

The Hurricanes enter a huge weekend series against a very good Georgia Tech team, ranked fifth in the country. For the first time in their history, Miami not only has to worry about this series in a national sense, but also in a conference frame of mind.

Douglas C. Kroll can be reached at d.kroll@umiami.edu

Think all the hotties live here? Think again

The Miami Hurricane
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I have to admit; I am feeling a little gypped after my final spring break at UM. When I came to this school, I was definitely promised a handful of things: great education, small classes, lots of sun-not least of which was lots of HOT people.

So when I graduate on May 13 I will have a degree from the best university in Florida, check. I will have had super tiny classes in my majors, check. Minus the occasional rain storm, it’s been sunny the whole time, check. But after going to New York City I realized that Miami is seriously failing to live up to the stereotype of all beautiful people all the time, check minus.

I went to NYC for four days this past week and all my friends and I thought the entire time was, “who’s been keeping the secret that NYC is actually where all the hot people are?”

Every year Miami is deluged with students traversing the country to make it to our beaches and clubs to spend their spring break in Vice City. So it’s only natural that for a brief flash, Miami is hot, but only because there is an influx of thousands of college kids in a 10-block radius. And to all these thousands of active libidos, Miami must be heaven compared to their Podunk towns. The stoplights and 24 hour stores must help too.

So every night when I sat in my hotel room while the girls spent massive amounts of time getting ready, I had a little time to contemplate the reasons why Manhattan tips the hot people scale over Miami, the Mecca of the scantily clad and surgically altered. Is it the water there, like the reason why bagels and pizza taste better in the city? Do hot people make more money so they are able to live in the city?

And after a couple more inane thoughts, it finally hit me. New York City is so hot simply because of its sheer volume. It wasn’t that NYC specifically had a higher percentage of attractive people than Miami, but just that when you pack nine million people into one island surrounded by the projects and New Jersey, of course you are going to see more beautiful people.

Regardless of the reason, the truth is that New York City shames Miami in the quest to be the hottest city in the United States. That’s why I am petitioning to change NYC’s slogan from “the Big Apple” to “New York: Where the Hot People Are.” Sigh, Miami definitely loses the title of hottest, but at least it still has the sunshine and beaches. I definitely have that to look forward to.

Christopher Vasquez can be contacted at c.vasquez1@umiami.edu.

There is no right answer in Schiavo case

The Miami Hurricane
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Nothing is impossible.

So, before I delve into the complicated situation surrounding Terri, allow me to tell you the miraculous story of Terry. Terry Wallis.

In 1984, a then 19-year old Wallis had what he needed: a loving family, a spouse and a newborn baby daughter. Everything was perfect as can be. Everything was also different as can be.

1984 was the year Apple introduced the Macintosh computer. It was the year the Gremlins and Ghostbusters hit big screens nation-wide. It was one of many years defined by the Cold War era.

So when Wallis and his two friends drove their pickup truck through a rail and off a 25-foot bluff (one died, the other escaped without a scratch), few thought Terry had any chance of coming out of his coma.

In 2003 he did. Wallis spent 19 years alive and 19 years in a vegetative state. The family saw encouraging signs: in the three years prior to his awakening, Wallis had learned to grunt and blink his eyes to respond to questions, and show basic emotional responses. But the day his mother drove 26 miles from their Big Flat, Arkansas home, he surprised her with the greatest gift of all; he said “mom”. Soon after, he learned “Pepsi”, then, the day before Father’s Day, “dad” re-entered his vocabulary.

But not everything is perfect. Wallis has permanent brain damage that affects his short-term memory and slurs his speech. He remains paralyzed. Worse, he still believes it is 1984. Ask him who the president is and he’ll respond, “Ronald Reagan.” Which is why it makes perfect sense that for many of his 19 dark years, Wallis’s parents felt that perhaps it would have been better had he passed. “I thought it might have been best…for him, not for me,” said his father. His mother agreed: “It has crossed my mind, several times, probably.”

Now let us focus on Terri Schiavo. She’s been comatose for the better part of 15 years. All the politicking is shameful, and the family situation unfortunate. Nobody knows what would happen if Terri Schiavo were kept alive artificially. Nobody knows why exactly her husband wants her to die-or why her parents want her to live on. Perhaps she could make just as miraculous a recovery as Wallis. Perhaps better. Perhaps not at all.

To see a family member as only a shell of her former self is devastating. To watch it from afar is painful. But what should be a family matter has exploded into a national issue, between pro-life and pro-euthanasia, between congressmen and between family members. Certainly, the way things are looking, Terri will remain on feeding tubes until every legal obstacle is exhausted. That should give her husband and her parents plenty of time to try to understand each other better, to communicate and to recognize that they are linked together by the love they share for their daughter. To be fair, if fifteen years haven’t led to a truce between the two sides, then maybe it will never be realized.

Of course, nothing is impossible.

Ben Minkus can be contacted at b.minkus@umiami.edu.

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The Miami Hurricane is the student newspaper of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The newspaper is edited and produced by undergraduate students at UM and is published in print every Tuesday and online everyday during the academic year.

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