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Vote Democrat proudly, gays; John Kerry is a friend

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When discussing politics in light of the debates, a fellow gay confided that there wasn’t a difference between Bush and Kerry on GLBT issues. My chin is still bruised from the sudden impact with the floor. Perplexed and preoccupied, I pondered what might’ve possessed him to think that. Then it hit me. Gay marriage. It’s not only a wedge issue between social traditionalists and progressives; it’s wedging the gays contemplating a vote for Kerry. How is Kerry any better if he doesn’t support gay marriage? I’d like to preface my response by saying that Kerry is no Howard Dean on the gay issue. (Or on any issue, for that matter.)

In 1985, gay men were dying of this strange disease that the Reagan administration discovered in 1981 (it wouldn’t be until 1987 when Reagan actually said AIDS publicly), and it was illegal to be gay in over half of the U.S. due to sodomy laws. It wasn’t the easiest time to be gay in the good ol’ U. S. of A. Yet, it was Kerry’s freshman year in the Senate, and he wrote the Civil Rights Act of 1985, which would add sexual orientation to the non-discrimination act. In this anti-gay climate of the mid-’80s, Kerry made extending civil rights to gays a top priority.

In 1996, Congress overwhelming passed the Defense of Marriage Act [DOMA]. Kerry was one of only 14 senators (the only one up for reelection) who voted against the bill. With an election two months away, Kerry stood up on the Senate floor and decried the bill as gay bashing, which indeed it was. DOMA violates the full faith and credit clause, which is why they are now trying to pass the Federal Marriage Amendment [FMA].

The FMA is yet another election year ploy to scare people into voting Republican, but the politics of the bill doesn’t scare Kerry. He and John Edwards vowed to fly back to Washington for the sole purpose of voting against this bill-not because the bill had a prayer of passing but because Kerry was willing to take a stand, just like eight years ago, for you and me. Because it wasn’t brought up for a vote because of a procedural motion, the good senator didn’t have the opportunity to cast his “nay” vote.

Kerry is a loud voice for increased HIV/AIDS funding, and he supports federal jurisdiction over hate crimes based on sexual orientation. He even testified before the Armed Services Committee against Clinton’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” ban on gays in the military. Time after time, Kerry has consistently stuck out his neck for the community, and he’s still doing it. Hell, he even boasts a perfect lifetime score from the Human Rights Campaign in the Senate.

Unfortunately, this pristine record on GLBT issues is tarnished by Kerry’s pro-civil union opposition to gay marriage, but is that really enough to say that he has the same GLBT positions as Bush?

Pin on that rainbow Kerry/Edwards button and vote proudly because if “gay” is your issue, the clear choice for equal(er) rights is John Kerry.

Chris Fisher can be contacted at c.fisher2@umiami.edu.

I voted to legalize marijuana, but then I got high…

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Attention potheads around the U.S.: You may soon be able to roll all the joints and smoke all the marijuana you want without having to spend over a thousand dollars for a trip to Amsterdam. Where is this new weed-friendly neighbor? Well, just keep in mind you may have to use your lighter for heat.

Montana and Oregon both have referenda on their state ballots this year regarding the legalization and expansion of medicinal marijuana. Alaskans, however, are going a step further, placing a statewide referendum asking voters to decriminalize the drug completely. The referendum would place the same type of regulations on the growth, sale and use of marijuana now placed on alcohol and tobacco, such as an age limit and bans on public use. Though in Oregon the measure is lacking wide support, those in Montana and Alaska look like they will pass. How did the U.S. fall behind so quickly in its homeland struggle against drugs? For one thing, it probably never believed the democratic process would be its worst enemy.

Pro-marijuana activists say the drug’s decriminalization will help ease the overpopulation of prisons and lead to safer marijuana through regulation. Anti-marijuana proponents argue that the negative effect of smoking one joint is equal to smoking ten cigarettes at one time. Many also use U.S. Drug Czar John Walters’ argument against medical marijuana, saying, “People’s suffering is being used for legalizing drug use beginning with marijuana and moving forward.” I’m not a fervent supporter for either side, but if this issue were on the Florida ballot, I would probably vote for decriminalization.

Mr. Walter’s argument isn’t too strong. For one thing, you don’t see any national effort to legalize cocaine or heroin, and I do not believe that will change with the decriminalization of marijuana. Also, regulation would be beneficial to those who do smoke it because it would guarantee that their joint will not be full of extra toxic chemicals, meaning the joint would be safer. Government revenue would also increase with taxes like those on cigarettes. This is an important point because those taxes could be used to help pay for any extra public health costs incurred because marijuana use. Personally, I have not and do not plan to smoke marijuana, but I have had friends that have and it’s not my choice whether or not they do it. It’s better that it be regulated than made in some back alley.

Pierre Gaunaurd can be contacted at p.gaunaurd@umiami.edu.

The U.S. and religion: Jesus would not have approved

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“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone hits you on one cheek, let him hit the other one too; if someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well. Do for others just what you want them to do for you.” One would think today’s Dalai Lama would say this, but in reality Jesus Christ said this in Luke 6:27-31.

While reading the chapter about Christianity in Experiencing the World’s Religions by Michael Molloy for my Religion 101 class, I became aware of Jesus Christ’s desire to promote love and nonviolence to the public. I am baffled after learning how Jesus’ emphasis on nonviolence and love has been lost through the ages. Additionally, Judaism and Islam have also overlooked their original message of love and nonviolence. Today, the three major monotheistic religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, are buried in the complete opposite of their roots.

So why does the United States, a country dominated by Christianity and Christian principle, engage in war and use war as a method of political action? Does our country’s separation between church and state enable our leaders to use war as a method of action?

As I continued to read about Jesus’ promotion of love and nonviolence, I often thought I was reading one of the Dalai Lama’s teachings. When our country was attacked with force, our initial reaction was to respond with a stronger force. If we win a battle or the war, should we rejoice and declare that the appropriate method of action was used? Should we lose, will we rethink our choice of action?

It is hard to believe that a country so deeply ingrained by the life of Jesus Christ can be so far from his original ideals for the world. At the present moment, our country needs to carefully reevaluate the ideals that it stands for. Right now, it appears that life is not something we place the highest value upon.

Sam Rega can be contacted at s.rega@umiami.edu.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

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RE: “Remembering Superman,” 10/15

Regarding Christopher Reeve, I remember him more as an advocate for spinal cord injury victims than as an actor. In 2001, just prior to the Bush administration’s issuance of restrictions on further federally-funded embryonic stem cell research, Reeve made a memorable appearance on Larry King Live. When asked about banning embryonic stem cell research he said, “That would be a big mistake because you could spend the next five years doing research on the adult stem cells and find that they are not capable of doing what we know that embryonic cells can do now, and five years of unnecessary research to try to create something that we already have would cause – well, a lot of people are going to die while we wait.” A shame greater than “politicizing” Reeve’s death would be to deny that it is a blaring example of the need for more stem cell research.
In a related issue – Lynne Cheney’s angry reaction to John Kerry mentioning her daughter “who is a lesbian” in the third debate – I think that when Kerry made that statement, it seemed clear that Mary Cheney was simply the first homosexual that came to his mind while under the spotlight, and that he meant no offense by bringing her up. Just as is the case with Reeve, Mary is, whether Dick likes it or not, a person in the public eye, and she is thus a prime real-life example of how homosexuals can come from many different backgrounds, including the household of a staunchly conservative politician.

William Hubel
Undergraduate Student

EDITORIAL www.miami.edu/napster

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Student Government [SG] President Vance Aloupis fulfilled one of his seemingly unattainable campaign promises this year by bringing free, legal Napster music service to UM. After doing so, however, SG has utterly failed to promote and get the word out about Napster.

According to SG’s figures as of last week, only around 2,600 students have signed up for Napster at UM thus far, and it’s safe to say that the University paid for many more student subscriptions than that. UM has not disclosed its exact figures regarding the music service, but an article published in May in the Post, the student newspaper at Ohio State University [OSU], said that Napster offered OSU a discounted rate of $3 per month per student. If we extrapolate this figure to our University, $3 for 8,000 undergraduate students for a ten-month school year would mean that UM must have paid in the neighborhood of $200,000 for Napster.

UM has to pay this estimated amount regardless of the number of student subscriptions, which means that SG’s failure to promote the music service is costing UM a significant amount of money.

Furthermore, UM’s contract with Napster expires at the end of the school year, which means that students will lose the songs they have downloaded but not paid for. The contract may be renewed, but only if UM sees real student interest in Napster. At this point, it looks like those of us that have taken advantage of the service will have to bid farewell to our songs in May – or we’ll be asked to pay the monthly fee for the service out of our pockets.

The lack of subscriptions is by no means a criticism of Napster itself, since it has been a success at other universities that have the same agreement as UM does. The blame lies on SG’s poor campaign to advertise the service and inform students that it’s available to them.

SG has had almost two months to promote Napster, and it hasn’t done so. How much time does SG need to accomplish its goals?

SG advertised Napster during orientation, but the message may have only reached freshmen and OAs, and even then it may have gotten lost in the informational overload of the beginning of the year. Since then, little has been done to raise awareness of the program on campus.

Surely, some of the blame of the lack of subscriptions lies on the students that, whether as a result of apathy or short-term memory, did not read the Ibis News that told them how to download Napster. However, a significant portion of the student body is simply unaware that Napster is available to them, and that is SG’s fault.

It’s troubling that Aloupis, as head of SG and the chief person responsible for bringing Napster, hasn’t taken advantage of the largest campaign promise he has fulfilled. He hasn’t built on the momentum of this single achievement to carry out the rest of his plan, and his other campaign promises, like free laundry in the residential colleges and headphones in the machines at the Wellness Center, have failed to materialize.

If Aloupis wants his legacy at UM to be Napster, he has a lot of work left to do. In addition, if SG continues to be this invisible throughout the year, it will not be able to blame apathy in future SG elections on the students.

Now that SG has belatedly noticed its gaffe, we can expect a p.r. blitz promoting Napster to ensue in the upcoming weeks. However, this may prove to be too little, too late.

Don’t miss out on voting because of technicalities

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Voting for the presidential election officially started yesterday in Florida. With the actual voting process being increasingly complex this year, here are a couple of tips and definitions to keep the student voter sane.

Early Voting
This is a great option for students worried about time constraints and lines on Nov. 2. Many libraries and the elections offices will be open for voting from Oct. 18 to Nov. 1. For those registered back home that are going back for fall break, this is a good alternative to absentee ballots. Check with the local Supervisor of Elections Office for locations and times.

Absentee Ballots
Those who are out of the county in which they are registered and will not be going home for Nov. 2 or early voting must request an absentee ballot from their county elections office in order to vote. The office sends a ballot to the voter in the mail, and the voter in turn mails them back. Remember to follow directions and put two stamps on the ballot when it is sent back.
There are new laws that dictate the absentee ballot process. In Florida, first-time voters who registered by mail must show a proof of identification to their Supervisor of Elections Office before sending in their ballots. If this does not happen, the vote will not be counted.

Voter Registration Cards
Many students have not yet received their voter registration cards in the mail. One can vote without a registration card, but he or she must be on the “voter rolls.” To check if one is in the election offices records, he must call the Supervisor of Elections for the county in which he is registered to vote.
Voting
Students voting on Nov.2 should be aware that a ‘Cane Card is considered a legal form of ID. For those registered with on campus addresses, the polling place is the Convocation Center.

Provisional Ballots
Do not be turned away from the polls without voting. If a poll worker says that someone is not on the voter rolls, it is possible to fill out a provisional ballot. It is still a valid ballot, except that it is counted at the end of the night rather than immediately.

>> For more information on voting, students should call or visit the website of their local Supervisor of Elections.

Shree Chauhan can be contacted at s.chauhan@umiami.edu.

Going out Latino style

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The Hispanic Heritage Month [HHM] committee spiced up the night with its annual Gala at the Doral Country Club on Friday in commemoration of the last day of HHM.

“Tonight is the culmination of this month-long celebration we had of diversity, of heritage, and of contributions,” said Alex Ortiz, senior and chair of the HHM committee.

Staying true to Latin time, the party scheduled for 7 p.m. started at 9 p.m., and a dinner of Caesar salad, chicken basted in mushrooms, rice pilaf and a rich chocolate mousse was served.

“I’m here with SABOR, the Puerto Rican student association, and we all come out every year and have a good time,” Laura Lugo, first-year grad student, said. “The food is always good, and they never start on time, but that’s Hispanic time. I mean, if you get here at [the time it’s supposed to start], you’re not Hispanic.”

Once the food was served, the members of the HHM committee were publicly recognized and given ovations on their magnificent job in putting the events together.

“I’ve gone to a couple HHM events this year-my friends are really involved in it. I think they did a great job of getting it all together,” Curren Mulkeen, sophomore, said. “The presentations and the speeches that they gave was a good ending to Hispanic Heritage Month.”

For the rest of the night, the DJ played the flavorful sounds of Latin salsa, merengue and hip-hop.

“I had a lot of fun. The music was great, the dancing was great, and it was a really good party,” Jenny Rodriguez, senior, said. “I think it was a nice way to culminate it all, and a nice ending where [Hispanics] got to celebrate everything they’ve done.”

“I thought this was a good way of being a part of [HHM], and seeing how all the people come together and see this great thing for the university,” Rafael Birriel, second-year law student, said. “I’m having a really good time and I think it turned out really well. The place was nice, the music was good, and people had a good time – everyone was dancing. I think it was a true success.”

The month of HHM events was successful in its goals of spreading awareness of Hispanic culture.

“I think the Gala turned out really great. The food was awesome, and there were a lot of people on the dance floor having a good time,” said Andrea Mendez, sophomore and committee member in charge of the gala. “More people should be aware of our culture and learn about it, and Hispanic Heritage Month is just a great way to do that.”

Christine Dominguez can be contacted at c.dominguez3@umiami.edu.

Calendar

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TODAY
The Society for the Study of Religions and Cultures is hosting a panel to discuss the issue of religion in politics at 6:30 p.m. in the Storer Auditorium. Dr. Daniel Pals, Department of Religious Studies, will moderate the panel.

Change your lunch plans and go to the Wellness Center for Part Three of the Weight Management Series. The class, held at 12:30 p.m., will explain the physiology behind weight loss and provide practical lifestyle tips to help manage weight in a healthy manner.

WEDNESDAY
United Nations Day, a cultural display of the world by the organizations of COISO, is at the Green today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The theme is “Riding Out the Storm,” with food, art and dance from all over the world.

In an effort to help the islands in the Caribbean affected by the recent string of hurricanes, COISO presents the Island Relief Cultural Showcase from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the UC Patio. The event is free of charge, and donations will be collected throughout the show.

The sisters and new members of Delta Phi Epsilon will hold a candlelight vigil for Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders at 8 p.m. on the Rock.

THURSDAY
Today is the last day of Caribfest, a cultural event that showcases Caribbean cuisine, dress, and originality presented by UM Caribbean student organizations. Come by the UC Patio and UC Rock to enjoy food, fun and festivities. For additional information call 305-284-3548.

FRIDAY
No classes today! Fall Break!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23
The UM School of Law: The Society of Bar and Gavel is hosting their 5th Annual Race Judicata at 10 a.m. The Race is a 5K run/walk through the campus and surrounding streets. Ninety percents of all proceeds will be donated to the Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation. For more information, or to register, please visit: currentstudents.law.miami.edu/bar_and_gavel/racejudica.html.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27

Up ’til Dawn Letter Writing Party

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29
The University of Miami Film Society brings local filmmaker Clifton Childree to U.M. at 5 p.m. in room 130 of the Learning Center. Mr. Childree wrote, produced, directed, filmed, animated, edited and acted in the film. The Flew has garnered numerous awards and is currently playing at the Miami Art Museum.

Entries for the pre-season soccer tournament on Oct. 30 are due by 5 p.m. at the Wellness Center. The captain’s meeting is at 5:30 p.m. For more information, call Jason Carroll at 305-284-8518 or e-mail jcarroll@miami.edu.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31

News Briefs

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It’s all in the family with FEC’s Mami/Papi Party

This past weekend, the Federacion de Estudiantes Cubanos [FEC] held its third annual Mami/Papi party to allow parents to get the opportunity to meet the members of FEC and get a better idea as to who their children are hanging around with. The event kicked off with several icebreakers, including an activity where baby pictures of FEC members were given to different parents. The parents then had to figure out what member the picture belonged to.
There was plenty of food to go around, including mini Cuban sandwiches, fried chicken and rice and beans. As is customary for any FEC event, there was also plenty of music, accompanied by a dance competition. Awards were also given to parents who have actively participated in FEC or have acted like a parent to many FEC members.

(U-WIRE) BERKELEY, Calif. – When a flier advertising the Greek Queer Straight Alliance was dropped off at his fraternity, junior J.P. Avila saw an all-too-common display of homophobia. “One of my brothers said, ‘This faggot dropped off this flier,’ read it and dropped it on the ground,” Avila said.
For some members of the queer community who are also involved in greek life, their sexual orientation can carry a stigma.
A new Greek Queer Straight Alliance had its first meeting to help combat misconceptions and reach out to members of the greek community.
“I’m sure there are members of the greek community who are not out to their chapters because of real or perceived fears of negative reactions,” said junior Andy Ratto, the main coordinator for the alliance and a member of Alpha Epsilon Pi. “We want to establish a positive sense of community among people who might not always feel that in their own experiences.”
At the meeting, members began laying out goals for the group, including who the group should target, and possible events to sponsor.
“Maybe people are interested in coming, but are scared that they might see someone from their house there,” Avila said. “They could be afraid of being outed, or they could be afraid of being misclassified as gay.”
Some who attended the meeting said the alliance should have been created earlier.
“Ever since being part of the greek community,” said Ian Richardson, the IFC vice president for risk management, “I’ve seen how homophobia exists. So this was an opportunity to help out and finally do something about it.”

The construction of the new building for the School of Nursing and the addition to the Wolfson School of Communication building began Oct. 18. The construction site will be off limits to everyone other than construction personnel. Construction is scheduled to be completed in one year.

Tee time with Tri-delta as sisters raise $25,000

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Last Saturday, Delta Delta Delta sorority sponsored its second annual Tees Fore Tots Golf Tournament to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa. Funds were accumulated through personal donations and silent auctions. President Shalala donated hundreds of dollars worth of giveaways and memorabilia, while the silent auction last night raised about $4,000, breaking all the records at UM for Greek philanthropy. Parents, UM Alumni, Tri Delta sisters, Greeks, UM students and local businessmen all participated in this event, helping raise the grand total of $25,000.

“I love it because our whole purpose was not only to help the children of St. Jude, but it also speaks so highly of sororities because it means that we do so much more than the typical sorority stereotypes,” Jamie Gribin, senior, Philanthropy Chair of Tri Deltas said.

UM gets a bit more green

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To those that have noticed the huge green dumpsters behind the Mahoney/Pearson and Stanford/Hecht cafeterias: don’t throw trash in them. They’re the new recycling containers installed in hopes that UM will finally get the ball rolling on recycling aluminum cans, plastic bottles and newspapers.

After years of failed attempts, students and faculty members are trying a new approach to make the school more environment-friendly.

According to Billy Bludgus, who spearheaded the endeavor with other student leaders, many recycling efforts in the past failed due to students mixing garbage into the recycling bins. Even if a container is 80 percent aluminum cans, just one item of garbage can cause it to be rejected by recycling plants.

To avoid misplaced garbage this time, the containers were placed behind the cafeterias, where they won’t be easily confused with dumpsters.

“The containers will be outside so that people who are really gung-ho about recycling will be able to,” Bludgus said. “You wouldn’t go out of your way to throw your garbage there, but you would go out of your way to recycle there if you’re a strong advocate.”

The containers will be clearly labeled to indicate which items are recyclable. One door on each container will be for co-mingled recyclables, which include plastic bottles and aluminum cans, and another will be for newspapers.

White paper, such as the paper used in copy machines or printers, will also be recycled in the UC starting this week, where organization offices will each have a small box that can later be emptied into a larger recycling container at the end of each week.

A total of 14 offices on the second floor of the UC have committed to recycling white paper, and Bludgus said the larger container will probably be located in the back hallway near the SpectrUM office.

The installation of the bins behind the residential buildings as well as the one in the UC marks the success of two important projects in one week. Bludgus and other students have been trying to get recycling bins on campus since last spring, along with the help of faculty members Dr. Robert Redick, director of residence halls, Jorge Garcia, coordinator of contract administration, and Alan Weber, associate director of facilities administration.

“They’ve been invaluable in this project and very willing to work with us,” Bludgus said.

Among the obstacles that they faced were the permits that the City of Coral Gables required in order to bring the recycling containers on campus, as well as some drilling that had to be done in order to install them.

A ceremony last Thursday inaugurated the new containers. Each will hold about 20 cubic yards of recyclable material.

Natalia Maldonado can be contacted at n.maldonado@umiami.edu.

EXCESS

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Slim Shady
Rapper Eminem will debut his satellite radio station Shade 45 on Oct. 28 with a live broadcast of a New York concert. Signed with Sirius radio, Eminem will join shock jock Howard Stern on the satellite airwaves.

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