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Swimmers struggle for wins over break

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Winter break may have been a nice vacation for students at the University of Miami, but it wasn’t much of a vacation for Miami’s swimming and diving team.
The Hurricanes fell to Harvard on January 2 and last week were defeated by No. 2 Florida on January 13.
“We didn’t do very well overall, and we looked pretty sluggish,” said head swimming coach James Sweeney. “This is the really hard training time of the year so it’s always tough to swim meets during this time.”
Against the Crimson, UM junior Manon Van Rooijen took first in the 200 and 100-yard freestyle races, finishing with times of 1:54.62 and 52.09 respectively. She was also part of the victorious 400-yard freestyle relay team, which included sophomore Erin Johns, and seniors Megan Kinsella and senior Christine Williams. Williams won the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 24.43 and grabbed second in the 100-yard freestyle.
Despite the team’s improvements since the Harvard meet, the Gators were still able to come out on top 135-99 in the first meet of 2003. UM posted eight first-place finishes including Van Rooijen in the 200-yard freestyle (1:51.20) as well as the 100-yard free (51.32). Williams placed first in the 50-yard free with 24.10.
Both Van Rooijen and Williams, along with Johns and Kinsella, again placed first in the 400-yard free relay (3:33.95). Senior Elaine Schwartz won the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:06.53, while senior Meghan Clabby took first in the 200-yard breaststroke with 2:27.17.
Junior Melanie Rinaldi won both the one (192.65) and three (218.00) meter diving contests.
“We did really well, we swam much better than in the Harvard meet,” Sweeney said. “I’m pretty pleased with how the [team] came out with their enthusiasm and performances.”
On the diving front, All-American Miguel Velazquez placed fourth for the men at the Speedo American Cupin Bloomington, Indiana, totaling 363.72 points in the 10-meter event. Rinaldi finished sixth for the women in the 10-meter, scoring 248.64 points.
Head diving coach Randy Ableman felt positively about the results.
“I was really excited,” Ableman said. “Everyone on our team had moments of greatness.”
The ‘Canes remain idle until February 1, when they come up against Florida Atlantic, Northern Florida, and Florida A&M in Boca Raton. Until that date, Sweeney’s plans for the team are very simple; keep doing what they have been, and aim for high-quality results through a delicate balance of training and relaxing.
“They’re ready to start getting a little bit more rest now because they’ve put in all the hard work,” Sweeney said. “Now we’ll concentrate on doing more quality work training and getting some extra rest, so [this break] is always a great time for them.”

Melissa Teich can be reached at m.teach@umiami.edu.

Another setback for mens basketball

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Andre Barrett had 21 points and a season-high 11 assists to lead Seton Hall to a 76-53 victory over Miami on Saturday in a game that was interrupted for 15 minutes by a power failure.
Freshman guard J.R. Morris had a career-high 21 points, and John Allen added 18 and the Pirates (7-7, 2-3 Big East) hit a season-high 12 three-point field goals in winning their second straight.
The Pirates were 7-for-10 from 3-point range in the second half and they finished 12-for-17, or nearly 71 percent for the game. Seton Hall shot 54.3 percent (25 of 46) overall in the game.
Darius Rice had 16 points for Miami (7-7, 0-3), which lost its third straight game. James Jones, the Hurricanes’ leading scorer with a 19.3-point average, was limited to a season-low seven points, the first time this season he has not scored in double figures.
The game at the Continental Airlines Arena got off to an interesting start because of the power problem. Lighting in the arena flickered every five or 10 seconds even before the opening tip-off and play was momentarily suspended when the lights dimmed less than two minutes into the game.
Coaches Perry Clark of Miami and Louis Orr of Seton Hall elected to continue, but the officials had no choice but to stop the game when the lights went out with 17:27 left in the half.
The teams left the floor and play eventually resumed 15 minutes later when the lights came back on.
Miami led for much of the first half, but Barrett eventually took over, scoring 13 of his 16 first-half points in the final 7:44. His 3-point play with 6:07 left in the half gave the Pirates the lead for good at 20-19.
Barrett then fed Morris for the second of his five 3-pointers for a 23-19 lead. Barrett added two more 3-pointers and a jumper in helping Seton Hall take a 35-28 lead.
The Hurricanes got within 40-35 in the opening minutes of the second half, but Barrett fed Morris for both a reverse ally-oop dunk and a 3-pointer, and he later assisted on a 3 pointer and a layup by Allen in a 13-2 spurt that gave Seton Hall a 53-37 lead.
Miami, which hit 8-for-26 from the field in the second half, never got closer than 12 points the rest of the way. The final margin was the largest of the game.
-Compiled by the Sports Information Department

New Look Team

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On Nov. 22 of last year, this writer wrote a column entitled ‘Lady Canes need to follow Labati’s lead, in which I stated: “It is time to stop rebuilding and it is time to get that NCAA berth.” A couple players on the team(who I will leave unnamed), did not care for some of the words in that article.
It seemed like fair criticism at the time, but now, two months later, those words would be very inaccurate to describe the makings of this much-improved 2002-2003 women’s basketball squad. Throw out Wednesday’s effort against Boston College, and you’ve got one of the top three squads in the Big East conference, and one that could give Connecticut a game when the Huskies enter the Convocation Center Feb. 19.
What are the reasons for the improvement? There are two, one which anyone can pick up just by looking at the stat sheet, and the other which is much more difficult to understand.
The story of the year has obviously been the emergence of freshman Tamara James, who currently leads the Big East in scoring, averaging 24.3 points, while giving the team a consistent rebounder, grabbing over nine of those a contest.
James is a superstar and that does two things to the makeup of coach Ferne Labati’s squad. First, it gives the team a much needed go-to player, one who has found a way to break her assignments and beat defenses to the basket. More importantly, James’s presence as a great scorer allows the rest of the players to contribute as role players, versus last year, where every player tried to be Miami’s offensive threat on a given night.
However, there is a second factor to Miami’s success, something in which I can’t explain other than to say I witnessed it while hanging out with the players and coaches during the second and third games of their January road trip. This Miami Hurricanes team is much looser and much more excited to play this season.
Much of that, I’m sure is due to the ‘Canes three big road victories over Georgetown, Syracuse and then No. 17 Notre Dame. Those victories, though, came after three consecutive road losses in non-conference play. Somewhere, their had to have been a change in attitude among the players.
Perhaps, the attitude was really good entering the season. Several of Miami’s personnel, including Labati, James, and Yalonda McCormick, said the ‘Canes were setting a Big East Championship as one of their goals. When you play in a conference with Connecticut and Notre Dame, it takes a lot of confidence to make a statement like that. Maybe that is what Miami needed, a boost in confidence.
The players certainly have been stepping on to the court with a lot more confidence. Take McCormick, who struggled mightily last season on and off the court. Not so anymore, as the sophomore has won the starting point guard position and has thrived in her role as a distributor of the basketball, dishing out 93 assists versus just 57 turnovers.
Two other starters, Shaquana Wilkins and Melissa Knight, have been playing much better basketball to solidify their roles in the starting five. Wilkins, the ‘Lady Canes center who stands just 6-2, makes up for her smaller frame with an extra helping of grit and hustle. Knight moved into her starting spot because of hard work, and the development of her three-point shot.
As a whole, this is a much different team than the one who settled for an NIT berth a year ago, even if most of the personnel is identical. They always say that one great player can completely change the complexity of a team, and that is what has happened with the arrival and emergence of Tamara James. However, while James’s contribution has obviously affected the team off the court, there are other reasons for the Miami Hurricanes 11-4 record than just the new kid in town.

You can reach Jeremy Marks-Peltz at jmp310@hotmail.com.

New Convocation Center disappoints students

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At first it sounded great: a new, state-of-the-art arena that would hold the UM men’s and women’s basketball games right here on campus. Planners and administrators said it would bring students together and it would increase school spirit. They even enticed us with promises of concerts and concession stands.
Frankly, nobody really bothered to ask many questions because we had all been waiting so long for construction of the new Convocation Center to be completed after months of delays and dozens of excuses. A steel shortage, sporadic crane malfunctions, sleepy workers – who can remember them all?
Who would have ever imagined that we would have to plan a week in advance if we wanted to attend a men’s game and that we would have to reserve a ticket on EASY from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. and pick up the tickets during another specified window of time? What about students who don’t have Internet access readily available to them outside of school?
On top of this, there are only 950 tickets available in the student section for a student body of over 14,000. Maybe we should have been told that the Convocation Center would leave over 13,000 UM students without a seat at basketball games.
And don’t forget, any unclaimed tickets are sold to the public. Apparently the University needs just a little more money. It seems to me, and to many people whom I’ve talked to, that something needs to be done about this policy.
Personally, I would rather travel downtown to watch the basketball games at the Miami Arena. It seems far more convenient to do that. Some people have to work, study, sleep and eat. Most people have enough problems trying to manage everyday life with schoolwork and employment. Most of us don’t have time to go online, sign in to EASY and request a ticket for a game that we may not even be able to attend for a variety of reasons.
Why can’t we show up the day of the game and swipe our ‘Cane cards like we do at the Orange Bowl for the football games? Don’t we pay an athletic fee for a reason? I mean, aren’t we already paying to go to the games? This is just the beginning. Pretty soon we may have to sign up a year in advance for 100 football tickets.

Leigha Taber is a junior majoring in psychology.

Maybe we Americans aren’t so stupid after all

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Apparently the American people are not quite as dumb as I thought. Granted, they did elect President Bush, but it seems that with the dawn of a new year, many Americans are finally realizing what I have been saying all along: Bush couldn’t run a faucet, let alone a country.
Yes, you heard right. Although his approval rating is still remarkably high for a president who has idly watched the economy and the environment follow each other down the toilet, it has begun to slip. In fact, recent polls have said that many Americans are very concerned with the prospect of war, but (unfortunately for Dubya) are equally as concerned with the state of the economy and the environment.
It is unspeakably refreshing to see that the American people have not been completely fooled! All the sleight-of-hand and dramatic “news” coverage, the surreptitious political switch from the Taliban to Iraq, the gut-wrenching sight of a president shamelessly begging anyone who will listen to believe that war with Iraq is necessary while more dangerous terrorists run free – all the propaganda that has been shoved down our throats has not been entirely effective! How it fills me with joy to know that Americans are smart enough to recognize the smell of bullshit before they eat it.
There is, however, one major problem. Without a doubt, George W. Bush will once again be the Republican front-runner and presidential candidate for the next election. Although he has done such a terrible job in so many vital areas, Bush has the events of September 11 under his belt, and I don’t think he has a problem with using that to manipulate voters’ emotions just a little bit. Therefore, the Democrats are going to have to put up a strong candidate in order to beat him. And if the words “strong” and “Democrat” together in the same sentence don’t make you laugh, well, nothing will.

Travis Atria is a junior majoring in English literature.

English is the standard and not the exception

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I recently interviewed for an internship at Young & Rubicam Advertising in Miami. My book was well received and we seemed to be off to a hopeful start when, suddenly, a problem arose.
After informing me that she was one of the only “gringos” in the agency, the human resources director explained that the only possible complication she could foresee was my “language,” or lack thereof. I was absolutely appalled with this direct display of reverse discrimination. Someone was sitting before me (here in America) telling me that I was ineligible for employment (in America) because I didn’t speak Spanish (in America)! Am I missing something here besides a third language? I realize with the heavy international influence prevalent in Miami that this is a very touchy subject and, no doubt, some people will work themselves into a frenzied state of political paranoia and label me every name in the book.
My father emigrated from Czechoslovakia during World War II, so I am no stranger to Ellis Island or the freedom sought in our country; but I have to tell you, if I even visited a place where a different language was primarily spoken, you bet I’d grab a translating dictionary and give it my best shot.
Incidentally, you might be interested to know that Spanish is not as global a language as people in Miami would like to think. There are only two officially recognized global languages and those are English and French – not Spanish. Did you know it is now possible to take the Oath of Allegiance (necessary to obtain citizenship) in your native tongue? Doesn’t that seem the slightest bit ironic? Doesn’t it occur to anyone that as they’re coming to America for whatever reason, yet refusing to assimilate into the American culture, they may ultimately succeed in turning this country into the one they were trying to leave? I realize that, in the global realm of international business, Miami serves as the hub for Latin American industry, but for crying out loud – what’s a red-blooded gringo have to do to get a job around here?
One more thing – those who have become accustomed to this overly tolerant, come-as-you-are environment shouldn’t plan on leaving Miami anytime soon, because they will be unpleasantly surprised to find that in the rest of the country, English is the standard and not the exception.

Whitney W. Friedrich is a senior majoring in advertising and English.

EDITORIAL : Center misses a beat

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Ever since the reestablishment of the basketball program in 1985, the University of Miami has dreamt big about an on-campus facility, one that would provide a unique college atmosphere to the up and coming Miami Hurricanes and Lady ‘Canes squads. This new arena would provide a large fan base for what was considered the poor third sister in ‘Canes athletics, and obviously was a much more appealing option than heading into Overtown or spending Friday nights at a high school gym.
It took eighteen years and several rejections from the City of Coral Gables, but the University of Miami finally had their on-campus facility, even if it was long after every other Big East program was already settled into an on-campus arena. Sure, there was no sponsor after Ryder refused to cooperate with the University’s high demands. Sure, the City of Coral Gables made sure to put their footprints on the whole building process, refusing to allow UM to expand the 7,000 seat plan into an 11,000 seat facility, but on Jan. 4, 2003, the Convocation Center was open to the public and Miami had the University of North Carolina as their first opponent.
Now there are two questions to be answered about the Convocation Center. Is this a better solution than either the Miami Arena or the Knight Sports Complex? Of course, but it wouldn’t take much effort to top the looks, atmosphere and accessibility of those two places. The more important question is, does the Convocation Center represent the impressive, state of the art facility that will vault Miami’s men’s and women’s programs into the top tier of respectability in college athletics? Hardly.
So, where did eighteen years of planning go wrong? It’s hard to point the finger at one definitive factor, but the answer provided here is a lack of effort. Rather than a facility on par with some of the nicest arenas around the country, the Convocation Center looks like it was built on the foundation of mediocrity. The problems begin with the 4,000 seats that were never built. They are still more than noticeable as a large block of gray concrete, and uncovered for everyone’s viewing pleasure. How much effort would it have taken to put tarp over this rather unattractive area? Apparently, the University must have guessed that most people wouldn’t notice. ESPN cameras at the North Carolina game dictated that the University guessed wrong.
Then, there is the court, with its centerpiece of a large, much too large U. The baselines are solid green with Miami Hurricanes painted in white letters. This may not sound like a problem in itself, but what it represents more is a lack of creativity and an acceptance to follow the designs of the country’s other mediocre facilities.
Finally, the Convocation Center has a more business-like atmosphere than the hoped-for college atmosphere. The seats seem very distant from the playing area, and the hallways are far too reminiscent of the Miami Arena. Plus, designating only 1,000 student tickets per game is not going to turn the Convocation Center into Cameron Indoor Stadium anytime soon.
Is it already time to throw in the towel with the University’s newest project? Absolutely not. Hopefully, Coral Gables will eventually give in and allow the Convocation Center to be the 11,000-seat facility it was supposed to be. Hopefully, UM will continue to make improvements during the off-season. And hopefully, the school can find a title sponsor quickly so the Convocation Center won’t have to share the same name as about 20 other collegiate arenas. For now, though, the first letters of Convocation and Center represent the new arena’s disappointing grade.

Sport administration degree debuts

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The School of Education in conjunction with the Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences has created a new sport administration major at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
“This program has nothing but positive potential, and I am convinced it will be fast and furious in its popularity,” said Dr. Susan Mullane, director of undergraduate sport administration and director of recruitment. “We are thrilled to be able to offer a sport administration major, and I am looking forward to a progressive, top-notch program that will be second to none.”
“Sport Administration offers an exciting field of study for individuals who are interested in the organization and administration of all aspects of the sport industry,” said Dr. Andy Gillentine, director of graduate sport administration and internship director. “There have been many questions regarding this program and where it leads – it seems as though a lot of people want this program.”
According to organizers, a major in sport administration prepares students for work with professional and collegiate sports, as well as fitness and wellness programs. Jobs are available in marketing, merchandising, personal agents and sports information management, as well as in a variety of other areas.
“We’ve been doing a lot of recruiting, which will only increase,” said Melissa Ethridge, internship and recruitment coordinator of sport administration. “We’re doing a lot of recruiting with student organizations, student government and fraternities and sororities, just to name a few.”
Courses required for the 39-credit major include ethics, leadership and management, sport law, sport psychology, finance, sport facilities and event management, and sports marketing and accounting. There is also a 12-credit minor in business that is required and an internship at the end of the program.
“At the University of Miami, our approach is to offer students an in-depth analysis of the sport industry and to provide as much ‘hands on’ learning as we can,” Gillentine said.
Current internships include working with the Miami Heat, the Miami Dolphins, the Florida Marlins, the NASDAQ Tennis Tournament, the Pro Wrestling Federation and the UM Athletic Department.
“We try to match students’ interests to their internships,” Mullane said. “We had somebody ask about NASCAR the other day. We’re going to see what we can do.”
Currently, the sport administration major is in the process of getting approval from the North American Society of Sport Management. The graduate program has already gained approval.
“We are very excited about this program and its potential,” Mullane said. “We are in a unique position to have the best program in the area.”
Students who want to learn more about the sport administration major should contact Dr. Mullane at 305-284-6250 or via e-mail at smullane@miami.edu

Leigha Taber can be contacted at l.taber@umiami.edu.

Hazardous art shacks still long for repair

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In a Nov. 12 issue of the Miami Hurricane, the hazardous conditions of the “art shacks,” a condemned part of the Art Department located near the Memorial and Physics buildings, were brought to the attention of UM administration.
The article was the latest of several investigative articles on the problem that date back as far as 1981.
Shortly after the front-page article was distributed, President Donna E. Shalala toured the art buildings and agreed that the condition is bad, but did not make any promise for repairs or for new buildings.
“We know we need to seriously improve the space,” Shalala said.
Some students and faculty are hoping that Shalala’s forthcoming “Capital Campaign” budget will bring in enough money to repair some of the old buildings.
“We will incorporate [the art department] into the campaign,” Shalala said.
Recently a section of one of the shacks was marked off with red tape to warn students not to walk through the area.
The second floor of the main art building is completely condemned, and the safety of all the shacks is questionable. This dangerous and un-aesthetic condition has caused art classes to be relocated to all corners of the campus.
“It’s still just terrible,” said Michael Carlebach, chair of the art and art history department. “I think we’re the only department in the University that is actually located off campus. I mean, the baseball team is closer to campus than we are.”
Members of the art faculty have lobbied for repairs and new buildings for decades and have been put off by what they refer to as empty promises made by various UM administrators.
For example, several years ago, the printmaking department was asked to move its classes to the Rainbow Building, located across from the baseball field.
The department agreed, under the impression that the painting department, with whom the printmaking department works closely, would move there also after the second floor was renovated.
“We agreed to move to the Rainbow Building when the bottom floor was renovated under the condition that the painting department would get to move the following year when the second floor would be renovated,” said printmaking professor Lisa Drost.
According to sources, the second floor was never renovated because UM decided it was too costly.
“Enrollment numbers are up,” Drost said. “And if the condition of the buildings is not hurting the University’s enrollment, then they will be less likely to fix the problem.”
According to representatives for the art department, students are still enrolling in the art program at UM for the quality of the professors and because of the beauty of the campus itself.
Economically speaking, since UM is not losing money from the condition of the art department, it is cheaper for UM to continue ignoring the hazards of the art buildings than to be concerned for the students who are both inconvenienced and endangered by the buildings.
Many believe that an accident will eventually occur in one of the dangerous buildings, for which UM will be held responsible, or the condition will become such an inconvenience that students will stop enrolling in art classes.
Graphic design major Sarah Schermerhorn transferred to UM this semester and says she is already disillusioned by the situation.
“It’s really unhealthy for an artist to be in such an unappealing place,” she said. “You walk to class and the campus is so beautiful; then you get to class and it’s gross. Some buildings are not nice places to spend three hours.”
The Hurricane will continue to investigate and follow the situation throughout the course of the semester.

Jacklyn Lisenby can be contacted at jlisenby@ umsis.miami.edu.

Chartwells deems illness findings “contradictory”

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Leland Rapport, resident district manager of Chartwells, states that, although he agrees with most findings of the investigation conducted by the Miami-Dade County Health Department [MDCHD] to investigate a gastrointestinal illness outbreak on campus, he disagrees with the findings that suggest that Chartwells is responsible for the onset of the illness.
“First of all I would like to state that the safety and well-being of the students, faculty and administrators that dine with us each day is and has always been our top priority,” Rapport said. “I believe that the findings by both the Department of Health and our own Quality Assurance Department support the fact that there is a high level of food safety practices in place as well as thorough employee training.”
The results of the investigation, released in the December 2002 Epi Monthly Report of the Office of Epidemiology and Disease Control focuses on the Mahoney/Pearson dining hall and the Italian themed dinner held there on Nov. 13.
The MDCHD performed a series of statistical tests from Nov. 13-17, taking into account the times of onset of illness, interviews of people who reported symptoms, random questionnaires to students on campus who eat at the dining halls and laboratory test results.
According to the report, there were no confirmed cases of gastroenteritis since no pathogens were identified from stool specimens. However, 50 percent of the reported cases were classified as “probable” or “suspected,” meaning they lacked positive test results but did exhibit the necessary symptoms for gastrointestinal illness.
“Five of the probable cases and three of the suspected cases received medical care at a local hospital,” the report adds.
” believe the Health Department’s findings that there is no association between bacterial infection and Chartwells’ food is correct,” Rapport wrote in an e-mail statement to the Miami Hurricane on Jan. 17.
The report explains that there is no significant association between having eaten at the Italian theme dinner and becoming ill. The results did show a significant association between having lunch at the Mahoney/Pearson Dining Hall on Nov. 13 and becoming ill.
“A food item served at lunch on the Nov. 13 was the most likely source of the outbreak,” the report said.
Rapport, however, disagrees with these results.
“I believe that the statement on page six regarding the lunch served is contradictory to the health department’s and clinical test findings, and a statement that is based solely on statistical analysis and not fact,” Rapport said.
Ratings of “satisfactory” were given to both Mahoney/Pearson and Hecht/Stanford cafeterias. Earlier in the investigation, two ill food handlers at the Mahoney/Pearson cafeteria were suspected of having caused the illness; however, the report asserts their onset of illness occurred after the more likely cause: lunch or dinner on Nov. 13.
“I agree with the statement regarding our employees not being the suspected cause,” Rapport said.
“Laboratory testing yielded no bacteria, parasite, or Norovirus from the stool samples provided,” the report said. “Nevertheless, there is still a possibility that one of them could have been the causal agent.”
The report also states that enterotoxin should also be considered as another likely cause of this outbreak but available samples were not tested for enterotoxins.
Rapport believes that the statement regarding enterotoxins was speculative and not supported by fact.
According to the report, there was a considerable amount of interview bias involved in the case-control study.
“This bias was due to investigators interviewing cases at length; whereas controls were allowed to self-administer the same questionnaire,” the report said.
Also, confidence intervals for some of the reported statistical analyses are extremely wide, which could introduce error into the report’s conclusions.
Students are concerned about the inconclusive results of the investigation.
“I am worried about the quality and safety of the food that I eat,” senior David Abramson said. “I eat at Chartwells as little as possible. This should be investigated so that it does not occur again.”
Mel Tenen, director of auxiliary services for dining and vending services, refused comment on the issue. Rapport chose to communicate only via e-mail.
Currently, several UM professors are working with the Miami Hurricane to analyze the results and see if the MDCHD report was accurate. The Hurricane will continue to investigate the matter.

Sam Lockhart can be contacted at s.lockhart1@umiami.edu.

UM NewsVision program wins Suncoast Regional Emmy

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NewsVision, the UM student-produced newscast, won an Emmy at the 2002 Suncoast Regional Emmy awards held Dec. 7, 2002.
“Winning an Emmy is a huge honor,” Berger said. “The name implies a lot of recognition.”
Executive producer Garret Russo, news producer Maureen Capasso and sports producer Kyle Berger were awarded the Emmy in the Student program category at the Westin Diplomat hotel on Hollywood Beach.
“The newscast won an Emmy because of the fact that every aspect of the show worked,” said Carolyn Cefalo, faculty advisor. “The pacing, the content, the technical aspects, the look of the show and the talent and writing came together perfectly.”
The award-winning newscast was produced on Nov. 8, 2001 and was nominated for an Emmy over the summer of 2002, having already received awards from the National Broadcasting Society and the Associated Press.
“The show was well organized; all stories went together well,” Capasso, the current executive producer of NewsVision said. “This was as close to professional, without being professional, that we could get.”
The Suncoast Emmys are awarded by the regional chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which produces the annual Emmy Awards, and encompass English and Spanish-language broadcast and cable TV production in Florida, Puerto Rico, and portions of Louisiana, Texas, Alabama and Georgia.
Capasso said that the award-wining half-hour newscast for which they received the Emmy award followed the tragic death of Chad Meredith, the UM Kappa Sigma fraternity pledge who drowned in Lake Osceola on Nov. 5, 2000.
“There was a very hard-news aspect to it,” she said.
Capasso explained that NewsVision is a campus-based show produced twice a week by undergraduate and graduate students in the School of Communication. It covers local, state, national and international news with materials produced by UM students and CNN. NewsVision also covers sports and includes a feature segment called “Lifestyles.”
Berger, who is now a senior and still works as the Sports producer, said that much of the quality of the sports segment of the newscast is owed to the quality of the teams on campus.
“Trying to find a story on sporting events at [UM] is much easier than in other universities,” Berger said. “The teams are amazing. It’s really an exciting time.”
Berger added that most of the success of the show is also due to the facilities on campus and to faculty advisors who encourage a professional production.
“Without the School of Communication and the faculty advisors we wouldn’t be able to put on as good a show as we have,” Capasso said. “We were also all good friends – we produced a good show because there was never any conflict.”
“The award reflects the hard work and commitment to excellence of our students, faculty and technical staff,” said professor Paul Driscoll, the director of academic broadcasting at UM.
NewsVision is broadcast Tuesday and Thursday nights at 7 p.m. on Channel 24 on campus and on Coral Gables AT&T Broadband Channel 96. Both broadcasts are streamed live and archived online.

Andrea Alegria can be contacted at nealegria@aol.com.

Campus Calendar and News Briefs

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TODAY
Red Dragon will be showing at the Cosford Cinema at 8 and 10 p.m. Students get in free with a ‘Cane Card.

The Concert Association of Florida, in cooperation with the UM School of Music, presents a special master class with world-renowned pianist Joseph Kalichstein, 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Gusman Hall. The class is free and open to the public.

Visit the Club Sports Expo from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Atrium of the Wellness Center. The club sports program offers 32 various sports and recreational clubs that are instructional, recreational and competitive in organization.

Martin Luther King Week Breakfast at 9 a.m. at Founders Hall.

Candlelight Vigil at 7 p.m. at Lake Osceola.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 22
MLK Forum: His Dream: Where Are We Now? at 7 p.m. in the UC International Lounge.

THURSDAY JANUARY 23
Jazz Night at 7 p.m. in the UC Storm Surge Cafe. “One who condones evils is just as guilty as the one who perpetrates it.” -MLK

Pass by COSO and HP’s SPRING’TING Involvement Fair from 11 – 2 p.m. on the UC Patio.

FRIDAY JANUARY 24
Come learn about the Peace Corps in an information session and video presentation, from 12 to 1 p.m. in UC 241. Contact Erin Seiler at 305-284-5398 for more information.

Metropolis will be showing at the Cosford Cinema at 7:15 p.m. Fritz Lang’s epic drama of life in the year 2026 has not been seen in its original version since a brief run in 1927. German archivists, working with material gathered from all surviving versions and using new digital technologies, have restored the film to as close to the original version as we are ever likely to see. The dazzling sets and tens of thousands of extras provide the backdrop for a wild combination of love story and political allegory of man versus machine.

SATURDAY JANUARY 25
Women’s Basketball vs. Syracuse at 7 p.m. in the Convocation Center. Wear your beach attire and get free pizza.

SUNDAY JANUARY 26
Men’s Basketball vs. Syracuse at 1 p.m. in the Convocation Center. Sign up for the Slam Dunk contest at halftime; call 305-284-5903.

TUESDAY JANUARY 28
Women’s Basketball vs. Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. in the Convocation Center. It’s also Residential Hall Night: greatest attendance wins free pizza.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 29
The Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar Chapter will hold a Goldman Sachs Learning Modules/Leadership Development Workshop at 7 p.m. in UC 233. Direct any questions to RA8046@students.law.miami.edu.

THURSDAY JANUARY 30
The Hurricane baseball team and head coach Jim Morris invite you to the 2003 “First Pitch” Banquet, featuring guest speaker Ron Fraser, at the Radisson Mart Plaza Hotel, Royal Poinciana Ballroom (711 NW 72nd Ave.). The banquet will start with cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. Price per person is $70, or $560 per table of eight. All reservations must be made in advance. The registration deadline is Thursday, Jan. 23. For more information call 305-284-6699.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 1
Take a FREE GMAT, LSAT or MCAT practice test at Kaplan’s Test Drive. To enroll, call 305-284-0090.

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 11
Are you in the process of selecting a major or considering a change of major? Are you possibly interested in adding a major? Toppel Career Center will have a Majors Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Whitten University Center Lower Lounge. Come talk with faculty representatives from these schools and colleges: Arts & Sciences, Business, Communication, Education and Nursing. The Pre-Law and Honors Programs will also have representatives to whom you will be able to talk.

Fifteen years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill into law making the third Monday of January a national holiday celebrating Dr. King’s birth and life. However, it was a tough time getting the bill passed. Many people were opposed to the idea of a holiday for Dr. King because the United States had honored only two individuals with national holidays – George Washington and Christopher Columbus – and felt other Americans like Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy deserved one. The bill was signed into law on Nov. 2, 1983, and the first national celebration of the holiday took place Jan. 20, 1986.

Environmental leaders and prominent academics who practice interdisciplinary approaches to environmental teaching and research will be on campus for a series of events Jan. 21 – 24 to coincide with the launch of the new Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy (CESP). The Center will create innovative initiatives designed to bridge the gap between science and environmental policy. Faculty and students wishing to attend should contact CESP Director Professor Mary Doyle at 305-284-8259.

The men’s crew team is raising money by doing your chores! For $15 per person per hour on a Saturday or Sunday of your choice, a rower will do any house or yard work. Money raised goes toward travel expenses so the team can compete in national regattas such as the South Eastern Championships and the Dad Vail National Championships. Interested? Call Ryan Jonas at 305-689-6368.

The National Endowment for the Humanities is offering up to 15 internships in Washington, D.C., for the summer 2003. College students entering their junior or senior year in fall 2003 are eligible. NEH interns receive $4,000 for 10 weeks of work. Past interns have written articles for Humanities magazine, researched emerging fields in the humanities and developed web-based tools for gathering humanities-related information. The application deadline is Jan. 21, 2003. Applications are being accepted online at http://www.neh.gov.

Come to the Teach for America Information Session, Jan. 28, at 4 p.m. in the Toppel Career Center. Teach For America is the national corps of recent college graduates who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools in the effort to expand opportunity for children. Seeking all majors. No previous education experience or coursework necessary. Full salary plus $9,450 education award and loan forbearance. Final application deadline is Feb. 21. For information contact admissions@teachforamerica.org, 800-832-1230 ext. 225.

Renowned jazz recording artist and UM alumna Carmen Lundy will perform with the UM Concert Jazz Band, led by Director Dante Luciani, Jan. 25 at 8 p.m. at UM’s Maurice Gusman Hall. A native of Miami, Lundy has been called “One of the world’s greatest jazz vocalists” by Blues and Soul Magazine in England. Ticket prices for the concert are $10, or $5 for students and senior citizens. For information, call the UM School of Music at 305.284.4940 or log on to www.music.miami.edu.