The debate watch party at UM was incredible. I arrived a little bit after the debate had started, and the party was already in full swing. The Rock, the UC Patio, all around and inside of the Rat, and even the food court were flooded with people.

The strangest thing was that it was relatively quiet. Everyone’s eyes were on the big-screen TVs. The one exception was the cheers or boos that would erupt when the crowd reacted to a particular statement.

Even though I was kicking myself for forgetting my camera (I saw someone take a picture with Chris Matthews, Mr. Hardball himself, as he passed by a few feet from me!), I was still able to create a small memory to take home: the cute “Presidential Debate 2004” button made at the little button station in the Breezeway. I was also satisfied with the food – who wouldn’t be happy about barbeque and desserts dished out by servers?

All in all, I was genuinely pleased that the first debate was held at UM. It was nice to see so many students actually paying attention to some part of the political process, whatever the reason – Vanessa Carlton or free food – that brought them there.

My verdict: It was worth the hectic, at times annoying, week or so leading up to the debate.

Reeva Oza can be contacted at r.oza@umiami.edu.

At the first debate volunteer training session, Dr. Pat Whitely, Vice President of Student Affairs, welcomed us and warned that “the theme of these debates will be flexibility.” To be completely honest, I think we were all worried hearing those words.

But as the days went on, we realized that the word “flexibility” was used in the most positive sense, and we were all there to help each other out.

Wearing “the red shirt,” as many called it, was not what we were all about. We were about community and family. We were a family that assisted each other when help was needed, who pulled together for UM.

My specific job as a debate volunteer was to ride on the media shuttles from the credentialing area, where security clearance was received, to the Wellness Center, where all the media was staged.

“The experiences that I gained from volunteering for the Debate were truly priceless.”

I was the first volunteer the media shuttle bus saw first thing Monday morning at 8 a.m. Riding the shuttles allowed me to learn others’ views on the election other than my own. One of the shuttle drivers, Lewis, expressed his desire “to get George W. out of the White House” very poetically for about an hour.

It was great to be recognized on campus by an ABC news reporter who I assisted when he used the shuttle due to the rain. He thanked me once again for my assistance and help.

As a political science major, it was beyond thrilling for me to place myself in situations that would enable me to be in arm’s reach with people I have followed for a long time.

People like Chris Matthews, Paul Begala, Judy Woodworth, Pat Buchanan and Wolf Blitzer walked around campus covering the most important presidential campaign of our lifetime.

The experiences that I gained from volunteering for the Debate were truly priceless. Never again will I be able to help UM shine so brightly in such an international light, or meet such a great group of people willing to help each other out.

Meghan Risser can be contacted at m.risser@umiami.edu.

The first Presidential Debate was one of the most important events in the election, and I got to experience it firsthand.

I was notified the Tuesday before the Debate that I was an essay contest winner. The day of, I got a blazer that almost fit, let everyone in the world know I’d be there and went to a reception where we heard speakers tell us how lucky we were and how important the debate would be. We were served sandwiches and told to stuff granola bars in our pockets because we wouldn’t have another chance to eat.

We then boarded a shuttle that took us to a bus, which took us to the Convocation Center. We went through security, which really wasn’t any tighter than your average airport, and found our seats.

We waited with nothing to do for two hours. I watched all the networks that were broadcasting. Bill O’Reilly was so loud I could hear him over all the chatter from 50 feet away.

The event finally got started with speeches by the Chairmen of the Commission on Presidential Debates and President Shalala. The candidates’ wives were introduced and exchanged pleasantries with each other. Moderator Jim Lehrer arrived and threatened us to be quiet. Then it was time for the main event, and Bush and Kerry were introduced.

There was an eerie silence the entire time. I was too far to really notice facial expressions, and besides some body language I could only judge them by their words. The President had pretty bad posture. From my view it looked almost like he was leaning into the podium. Both debaters took notes, but Kerry’s seemed more in-depth.

After the debate, both candidates’ families joined them on stage. There were about 10 seconds when the Bush family exited, leaving the Kerrys alone on the stage; the cheering doubled.

We had to wait until both candidates left until we were allowed to go. Once outside some people had microphones in their faces, while others had fascist literature in theirs. Almost everyone had a smile on his face because we had just witnessed a historic event.

Kyle Munzenrieder can be contacted at k.munzenrieder@umiami.edu.

It’s hard to walk around campus without noticing the increase in political interest. However, this is more than just at the University of Miami; it is a national trend.

Among various voter registration and education campaigns, Rock the Vote is quite possible the most well known.

“We are seeing an unprecedented interest and engagement,” Director of Rock the Vote Jehmu Green said.

According to Green, young voters will be the swing vote in this year’s presidential election, with an estimated 20 million Americans aged 18 to 25 voting.

This election has students and other young voters focusing on different issues than older voters.

“Young people are looking for answers,” Green said. “Don’t talk about the Vietnam era-these voters weren’t even born then.”

To date, Rock the Vote has registered over 940,000 voters, which is close to its goal of 1,000,000 voters.

Despite the interest in voting, many students have had difficulties with registering to vote. Some states have implemented strict rules which make it difficult to declare residency or complete necessary voter registration paperwork.

“Obstacles and barriers put into place for voters that we just don’t see in other democratized countries,” Green said. “We’ve seen this year that students have come under attack from election officials.”

Additionally, Green stresses that more states need to have same day voter registration. Currently, Wisconsin, Minnesota and New Hampshire all have same day registration, as well as a 15 percent higher youth voter turnout than other states.

While some may say that young people tend to vote democrat, Green is quick to argue.

“The young generation is still definitely up for grabs,” she said.

Green states that candidates need to address specific solutions to war on terrorism, possibility of a military draft. She adds that the candidates have 30 days to show us.

>> For more information, visit www.RocktheVote.com.

Leigha Taber can be contacted at ltaber@miami.edu

An unprecedented event took place when Mick Foley and John “Bradshaw” Layfield entered the wrestling rink – except with no rink, no metal chairs, and no drop kicks. There was only friendly banter and respectful criticism on political issues. The tag teams consisted of UM students Tiffany Yelder and Alex Acosta, as well as State Rep. Marcelo Llorente and State Sen. Dave Aronberg. Instead of the typical WWE body slamming competition, each team debated the political, economic and social issues concerning voters between the ages of 18 and 30.

The issues:
The economy, Iraq and financial aid.

Round 1:
Mick Foley was paired with UM debate student Tiffany Yelder against John “Bradshaw” Layfield and UM debate student Alex Acosta as Democrats vs. Republicans.
Bradshaw and Acosta gave statistics like “The [Bush] administration has created 1.7 million jobs” and “The Democratic Party has given us a guy who’s invented the Internet and a guy who’s invented Flip Flops.” The Democrat team could not respond to these attacks and Yelder’s stumble on mathematical calculations of federal funding by Bush cost them the round. Republicans drew first blood.

Round 2:
State Sen. Aronberg accompanied Foley and Yelder and State Rep. Llorente joined Bradshaw and Acosta. Neither side won this round, due to equally shady and poor responses to questions.

Round 3:
Phrases like “we have a suck it Presidency” by Mick Foley and “when Bush finds himself in a bigger hole, he buys a bigger shovel,” by Aronberg enabled the Democrats to recover from Round 1’s defeat.

Audience Decision:
“Both sides did a great job, but I would pick the Democrats even though that’s a little biased,” Daniela Recabarren, junior, said.
“Both sides were really interesting,” Emerson Davis, freshman, said. “I don’t necessarily watch WWE but I think a lot of people tonight were encouraged to vote.”

Final Decision:
The winner is…the voters.
The demographic of voters between 18 and 30 is the crucial swing vote that may decide the winner of the presidency. According to the 2000 figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, only 36 percent of the 64 million people between 18 and 34 years old voted in that year’s election. Furthermore, it has been reported that a narrow gap of 544,000 votes determined the 2000 Presidency. Many feel that the same could occur in this upcoming election. This explains why there is a surge of political climax by youth groups and celebrities to position young voters on the political offense. The ability of such programs like the WWE Smackdown Your Vote, MTV’s Choose or Lose, Rock the Vote and Sean “P.Diddy” Combs’ Vote or Die to enlist voters could make the difference in November.

Myriam Clerge can be contacted at m.clerge@umiami.edu.

On the day of the Presidential Debate, hundreds gathered on the intersection of Stanford Drive and U.S.1 in protest. They were loud, proud and for the most part, pro-Kerry – or at least, anti-Bush. The protests started at noon, and started to clear up at 8:45 p.m.

The first protest, a symbolic unemployment line, was co-organized by People for the American Way [PFAW] and the American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations [AFL-CIO]. Protesters brandished big sheets of paper resembling pink slips filled with information and statistics regarding unemployment and formed an “unemployment line” from the Stanford Drive intersection down U.S.1, reaching for the Convocation Center. PFAW and AFL-CIO organized a similar protest in New York for the Republican Convention.

The protestors ranged from unemployed workers to students and sympathetic activists.

Ray Herbert, a 50-year-old former rehab therapist, made his plight known.

“I’ve been employed by the state for 25 years. It moved from Miami to 800 miles away,” said Herbert, who also said he had an option to move with his job, but it wasn’t financially beneficial. “I can’t find a job. Health insurance killed me, as I’m a diabetic and need medication.”

Herbert blames both Gov. Jeb Bush and President George W. Bush for his situation, citing government plans to privatize all state facilities.

Students and faculty were also present at the protest, though in significantly fewer numbers than the rest of the protesters.

“I speak as a rep of the 1.3 million who lost their jobs, the eight million unemployed,” Patrick Walsh, junior, said. “The minority must not be suppressed and we must give a voice to the people who need it.”

The protest was overwhelmingly pro-Kerry, and turnout was estimated at 150 to 200 people.

The second protest, organized by the Broward Anti-War Coalition, CODEPINK: Women for Peace, and the League of Pissed-Off Voters, centered on 76 makeshift coffins representing American soldiers killed in Iraq during the past month. The protest started at 6 p.m. at the Stanford-U.S.1 intersection, and eventually protesters moved the coffins to Jaycee Park, where the names of Iraq casualties were read.

Andrea Buffa, who organized the event for CODEPINK, said it was “visually incredible to see over 70 coffins; you realize the devastation of Iraq.”

Students helped with the protest.

“It’s putting into perspective how war really is,” David Marcillo, sophomore, said.

Several different groups and individuals were also present delivering their messages.

One protester was handing out censored images of flag-draped coffins being brought back to America from Iraq. Another displayed his collection of newspaper clippings from the buildup to the Iraq war. Yet another, who referred to himself as simply “I,” set up campaign posters in hopes of snagging the presidency.

Again, turnout was estimated in the hundreds.

As the coffins were being carried to Jaycee Park, Kerry supporters came out en masse and took their place, ready to greet presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry as he passed by in his motorcade.

Eddie Garza, freshman, put the rally together for the Kerry campaign.

“Awesome, totally awesome,” said Garza, who was organizing the Kerry supporters and handing out signs as the ongoing traffic on U.S.1 constantly honked in support. “I was so pleased with the amount of support for our next president. I can’t wait for Nov. 2, when Kerry is named president and we can really start turning the corner.”

During the course of the later protests, a few UM Bush supporters tried to voice their support at the rally, but eventually left. As the motorcades drew near, a right-wing group known as Protest Warrior tried to crash the rally and exchanged chants with Kerry supporters. The Protest Warriors shouted, “Four more years!” while the Democrats yelled, “No more Bush!” The Kerry supporters eventually drowned them out, despite the fact that the Protest Warriors were using a megaphone. Turnout for the Kerry rally was estimated at 250 to 300 supporters.

Police presence was heavy throughout the protests, but the protesters cooperated well with the officers, moving when directed to and even engaging in conversation with them.

Aside from individuals brandishing signs, there were no organized protests on campus, possibly due to a school policy requiring protesters to register with Public Safety two days before a planned protest.

Jay Rooney can be contacted at j.rooney@umiami.edu.

The debate may be over, but one thing still remains – the debate is still the talk around town. The reaction was clear: among a half-dozen of UM’s own experts, Kerry was the winner.

“The surprise seemed not to be on the substance of the debate, but rather the way Bush carried himself,” says A. Peter Burleigh, visiting distinguished professor and ambassador-in-residence. Most professors agreed that Bush looked extremely uncomfortable and out of his element.

“At one point, while Kerry was speaking, Bush looked right into the camera and seemed very uneasy and annoyed,” says Dr. George Gonzalez, professor of political science. “This showed a president who didn’t seem very presidential.”

Many professors believed that while Bush was becoming more fidgety, Kerry’s ability to debate shined through.

“Kerry’s steadfastness, eloquent style and attempt to connect with the people, compared to Bush’s defensiveness, uncomfortable, whiny, hunched, and weak demeanor proved that Kerry was stylistically a far more superior debater in this debate than Bush.” – david steinberg, School of Communication

“Kerry seemed much more relaxed than Bush,” Burleigh says. “The brevity and clarity of points helped Kerry connect with the audience more and showed he had a lot of discipline as a debater.”

David Steinberg, lecturer in the School of Communication, picked out stylistic differences which reassured him Kerry had won.

“Kerry’s steadfastness, eloquent style and attempt to connect with the people, compared to Bush’s defensiveness, uncomfortable, whiny, hunched, and weak demeanor proved that Kerry was stylistically a far more superior debater in this debate than Bush.”

However, not all of the UM experts agreed that Kerry was such a clear-cut winner of this debate. Some believed that the debate was considered a draw.

“I think that the people were either hoping or fearing for a blunder by either candidate, which I believe did not happen” says Dr. Edward Dreyer, a professor in the History Department.

“Though his performance was more uneven and did not look so good when Kerry was speaking, Bush did well too,” Daniel Stevens, assistant professor in the Political Science Department, said.

Not all comments about the debates were about the two candidates.

Many believed that Jim Lehrer, who was the moderator for the debate, did not do a substantial job. Both Steinberg and Burleigh agreed that his questions were disappointing.

“The umbrella topic is foreign policy and homeland security,” Lehrer said during the opening comments of the debate. However, many felt that there were no broad based foreign policy questions outside the issue of Iraq.

“Being in Miami, Cuba would have been a logical question for Lehrer to have posed,” Steinberg said.

If there is one thing that the professors agree on, it’s that the debates went off with out a hitch for UM.

“I thought the effect on the university was very positive, and people seemed to be really energized by the media presence,” Stevens said.

Meghan Risser can be contacted at m.risser@miami.edu.

The sentiments of University of Miami students remained divided yet reinforced over who would be the best commander-in-chief after Thursday night’s first presidential debate held in the University’s Convocation Center.

In the days preceding the debate, some UM students were undecided as to their opinions and hoped that the debate would help them better make up their minds about whom to vote for.

“It will sway my opinion,” Kelly Talamas, junior, said. “I’m going to try to go in with as open a mind as possible – I can’t really say at this point which candidate I favor.”

Junior Charlie Ellis was a volunteer firefighter present when the Pentagon was hit on Sept. 11, 2001.

“Although I favor John Kerry, I’m going into the debate open minded,” Ellis said. “Both candidates deserve a fair chance to speak as long as honesty is maintained.”

Many students had already decided which candidate would receive their vote long before the debate. Despite the fact that they didn’t feel that the debate would sway their opinions at all, most still intended on watching it on TV and around campus.

“I do not expect the debate to sway my opinion. I am voting for George Bush because I feel his aggressiveness in protecting our country is what we really need right now,” Courtney Leffingwell, sophomore, said. “John Kerry is so indecisive and no one really knows what he stands for.”

Did the debate affect these students’ opinions? Who in fact “won” this first and very important debate?

Talamas, like many other students, felt Kerry emerged victorious.

“I thought Kerry was a very eloquent speaker, Talamas said. “Bush stuttered a lot. You could tell Kerry had a plan – he didn’t seem intimidated by any of the questions.”

“Kerry dominated in factual presentation and eloquence,” Ellis said. “Bush skirted a lot of questions – I don’t think he was prepared. Kerry also brought up issues not many people were aware of such as cutting funding for police and firefighters. What angered me, however, was the fact that Bush confused Saddam Hussein with Osama bin Laden and said ‘September 10’ at one point instead of ‘September 11.'”

“I think Kerry was the better speaker at the debate because he spoke more clearly and with greater ease,” Leffingwell said. “Debating is not Bush’s strong point – it’s a weakness, but his ability to debate is not indicative of his ability to lead his country. People need to get over the fact that he says ‘um’ and stumbles over his words, and focus on how safe they want to feel in their own country.”

The students agreed on one point, however – that this debate was very close.

“People who were already decided will probably stand their ground,” Talamas said. “But those undecided may sway towards Kerry because overall he presented himself better.”

Teressa Dalpe can be contacted at t.dalpe@umiami.edu.

The UC patio and the Rat were the places to be Thursday night, as more than 4,500 students gathered to enjoy a huge “block party” that entertained students and faculty.

Hosted by WWE Superstars Mick Foley, Mark Henry and Chris Nowinski, the party began before the debate, and continued long after it had ended.

The pre-debate performance was headed by Declare Yourself Poets [DYP], a young group of poets that travels around the country encouraging young people to make a difference and vote.

“Our mission is to encourage young people to get involved and became more aware of politics,” Beau Sia, one of the members of DYP, said. “But tonight is wild, I had no idea it would be like this – it’s amazing.”

The large crowd of students prompted security to be tight as students entered the UC Patio and Breezeway. All students and faculty were required to show a valid ‘Cane card at every entrance.

“The debate party was one of the best university-sponsored events I’ve been to during my college career,” Vanessa Alvarez, sophomore, said. “I’ll probably never be as safe as I was this past week on campus. I’ve never been surrounded by so many guards.”

Despite the large crowd of students, the free food was not scarce, and students enjoyed a variety of desserts, hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken wings that were offered in tables along the UC Patio and the Rat.

“The party is excellent – there are enough people to make it a fun atmosphere, but not so many that it feels overcrowded,” Tim Keogh, senior, said. “Plus, the University gains cool points anytime there’s free food. It’s much higher quality food than I think a lot of students are used to.”

The scene was hectic before the debate, as television cameras and reporters hunted down students for quick interviews and photo ops. Once the debate got underway, the attention quickly shifted to the large screens that were placed in strategic places around the area.

Because of the big crowd, a large number of students had to sit on the grass to watch the debate.

“Overall, the party was a success,” Jana Carrero, sophomore, said. “But I think that the little space between the Food Court and the Rat was a little claustrophobic since the tables and the food lines were all situated really close together.”

The post-debate performances included Grammy award winner Jill Scott, followed by Grammy award nominee Vanessa Carlton, who was the last performance of the evening concluding minutes after midnight.

Vanessa Krause can be contacted at v.krause@umiami.edu.

TODAY
Locks of Love time is finally back. Brought to UM by LINK, professional salon stylists will be cutting and styling donators’ hair for free from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. To set up an appointment, please email link.studorg@miami.edu. If you would like to find out more information about Locks of Love please visit their national website at www.locksoflove.org.

WEDNESDAY
Last chance to donate to Locks of Love from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. To set up an appointment, please email link.studorg@miami.edu.

THURSDAY
Come by the UC Breezeway from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to fill out a brief questionnaire, learn more about Depression and enjoy snacks and prizes as the UM Counseling Center commemorates National Depression Screening Day. For more information, contact Jose Sandoval at j.sandoval@umiami.edu.

Don’t forget the Fall Career Expo today at the Wellness Center from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Representatives from a wide variety of companies and organizations will be on campus to share employment and internship opportunities with you. Professional dress is required. For more information, including a list of the companies that will attend, visit www.toppel.miami.edu/careerexpo.

Are you the best NCAA Football gamer in the country? If you’re up to the challenge, come by the Convocation Center at 7 p.m. to check out the EA Sports NCAA Football Challenge. This event is free for UM students.

SATURDAY
Don’t miss the hip-hop artists performing live at the Convocation Center at 7 p.m. The Hip-Hop Explosion features Twista, Jadakiss, D.O.D. and more. Tickets start at $16.75.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10

MONDAY, OCTOBER 11

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15
The Marine Graduate Student Organization (MSGSO) of the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science campus of the University of Miami is hosting its annual Student Auction at 6:30 p.m. at 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway (next to the Seaquarium). Admission is $5. For more information please call 305-361-4145.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17
Sebastian the Ibis tryouts are today at 6 p.m. in the Knight Sports Complex adjacent to the Hecht Athletic Center. All interested students should contact Connie Nickel at 305-284-2651 or cnickel@miami.edu for more information.

Students join community in volunteering for National Gandhi Day of Service
National Gandhi Day of Service, held last Saturday, brought out 150 students from UM to volunteer for various activities at 13 different sites that ranged from wildlife preserves to retirement homes. Student organizations that participated included LINK, STEP, Earth Alert, Habitat for Humanity, COISO, ISA, UBS, HSA, and SpectrUM. Outside of UM, there were an additional 50 volunteers from Barry University and The Miami Non-Violence Project. All together, including Florida Club Care Center, Epworth Village, Charlee House, and a hurricane relief warehouse. Volunteers spent all morning making a difference in their community. According to organizers, this year has been the most successful Gandhi Day endeavor in the last 3 years.

SG and Library join forces to improve test scores
Student Government and the University of Miami library system announced the availability of LSAT, MCAT and GRE prep books. There will be two copies of each available, one for library-only use and one for three-day reserve. The deal with the library is that if the demand for these books increases, then more copies will be added.

(U-WIRE) MADISON, Wis.- Camp Randall provided some memorable moments for University of Wisconsin [UW] students last Saturday as the UW football team beat Penn State 16-3, but one badger missed out on part of the fun.
The UW Police Department quietly arrested Bucky Badger during the second quarter of the game shortly after police officers saw him body passing through the student section. Although few students were aware of the arrest, the badger was removed from the game and fined $181 for body passing.
During Bucky’s arrest, a replacement Bucky was prepped and sent out, according to Lt. Karen Soley of the UWPD. Bucky arrests happen about once every seven or eight years, Bridges added. A Waunakee, Wis., police officer watched Bucky during the passing and then fished him out from the crowd after he was set down. Bridges said mascots and members of the cheerleading and pom squad know they are not allowed to body pass during games.
Bucky was taken to the police center inside Camp Randall and ticketed. His court date is Oct. 15. “No one is allowed to body pass because it’s an unsafe thing,” Sorley said. “It is something we will arrest someone for.”

UM is offering a three-credit UM travel course touring Mexico, the Yucatan and its islands over Spring Break. This course-trip, March 12-19, 2005, studies on-site the sacred land of the Maya and the rich heritage of Spanish colonial life. This course, ARC 323, is intended for all students and no prerequisite course is required. For further information, including financial aid, call 305-284-5253, Professor Lopez-Gottardi, School of Architecture.