A moment of silence
March 11, 2004, will be remembered in infamy. Exactly 911 days after 9/11, 10 bombs exploded in four trains in Madrid, killing about 200 people and injuring over 1,400 more. They were the worst attacks in Spain’s history and the worst in Europe in over 15 years.
Perhaps what is most troubling about the Madrid attacks is not the political aftermath that has had politicians bubbling for the past two weeks, but the lack of interest in the bombings shown by the American public. The day of the attacks, it took news programs over 20 minutes to repeat the news of the bombings. News channels in other countries, on the other hand, had nonstop coverage of the tragedy, much like they had for 9/11. In class, the overwhelming majority of professors didn’t bring up the event and went about their business as usual. There were no moments of silence, no flags at half-mast, no worried whispering among students – at least, not in UM and not in most campuses in the United States. Elsewhere, soccer matches and political events were put on hold to reflect on what happened in Spain.
Apparently, we’re more concerned with what Martha Stewart will wear if she goes to prison than we are with terrorists bombing the hell out of another country, even if it’s one of our allies.
Americans proudly say, “I don’t watch the news,” as if that were some sort of accomplishment. The local news is strictly that – local: alligator sightings take up as many minutes in a broadcast as do terrorist bombings. We can tell you in no time what teams made it to March Madness, but we can’t for the life of us tell you the name of the Spanish Prime Minister, since we’re always “too busy” to read past the headlines or the sports page. Well, people around the world are just as busy, and they find time for international awareness. We are not different from or more special than other people in any way, and so we have no excuse for being uninterested in what happens in the world around us.
As victims of terrorism ourselves, we should be more, if not the most, sympathetic toward Spain and its people. We should be able to feel and share their grief and loss. Have we become desensitized to violence? Do we not care because, hey, we lost more people in 9/11? Since when have tragedies become a contest judged by how many people die?
Some say people in the United States simply don’t want to be reminded of the pain and sorrow caused by 9/11. They don’t want to relive their tragedy by grieving for another country’s loss. However, this is precisely the wrong attitude to take. We must be reminded. We must care.
Apathy is not the answer, because it fuels the hatred that leads to terrorism in the first place. In fact, the biggest mistake a big, powerful country can make may be to ignore its smaller, weaker counterparts.
Terrorism takes victims worldwide, and to fight it we must engage in worldwide cooperation. This cooperation begins with a cross-cultural sensibility, a sense of community and solidarity that begins with caring and with being aware of what happens in other countries, regardless of whether they are our allies or not.
Asian influence bringing new courses to campus
In the post 9/11 world, members of the academic arena have become increasingly fascinated with Eastern domestic and foreign policy. Global issues in the Middle East and Asia have become key components of political science and international relations programs in many American universities.
According to PrincetonReview.com, UM ranks as the ninth most diverse school in the nation. This includes an Asian population of five percent. Browse through the course offerings on the EASY system, however, and noticeably lacking are Asian culture and language classes.
Dr. James Wyche, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences [A&S], believes it is crucial to be abreast of U.S.-Eastern relations and the influence of Asian and Middle Eastern countries on American culture.
According to Wyche, an Asian Studies program is under development; he would like to raise funds for an Asian and Middle East Studies program proposal and program institution possibly by the 2006-2007 school year. Wyche indicated that the program would incorporate a combined Asian and Asian American Studies perspective, retaining an overall global outlook.
With growing ties to our Eastern half, Wyche said there has been a “re-prioritization of goals,” and that UM looks forward to serving its diverse student population.
The Asian American Students Association [AASA] expressed similar interest for an Asian Studies program last year. AASA publicist Cindi Wong said many schools, including the University of Florida, Florida International University and Stanford University, have developed programs that cater to the Asian interests of the student population.
“It’s important to make the program more inclusive rather than exclusive,” Lydia Barza, administrator of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program, said. The extent of a combined Asian Studies and Asian American Studies program would depend on the expertise of the faculty with regard to such issues as immigrant experiences or a country’s relationship to another area.
Alongside this program, the shortcomings of the linguistic department are being recognized and addressed. Currently, UM offers majors in French, German and Spanish under its foreign language department, with minors in French, German, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.
Elementary and intermediate courses are offered in Arabic, Japanese, Hebrew and Latin.
Many feel that UM should extend its offerings of foreign languages to include Eastern and Euro-Asian languages such as Chinese, Korean, Hindi and Russian.
Indian Students Association [ISA] Treasurer Bhargava Kondaveeti said that for several years, the UM-ISA has been trying to introduce Hindi language classes and courses in Hinduism. ISA has recorded approximately 100 names in a petition to initiate such courses and is working on a bill to present to Student Government.
“I have contacted several professors of Hinduism across the nation, including professors from Carthage University, the University of San Diego and Washington and Lee University,” Kondaveeti said. “They have expressed great interest in helping us inaugurate Hindi and Hinduism. We have waited long enough for this. It’s time to see some change.”
The Hurricane will continue to follow up on any developments with this issue.
Hurricane tries out to be a Playboy bunny
I heard Playboy was searching for UM girls Mar. 22-23 for its Fall 2004 “College Girls of the ACC” spread. After convincing myself that this would make a good newspaper story and mustering up some courage, I, Natalia Maldonado, tried out for the spread.
My interview was at 11 a.m. – don’t tell my professor why I wasn’t in class – and I reached the private hotel suite at 10:55 a.m. I met with producer Eden Orfanos, photographer David Rams and his assistant Shane Dorrance.
Five minutes later, after chatting with David and Eden, I felt more at ease. It was hard to be nervous when Eden kept calling me “sweetie.” The trio had arrived the night before and were still exhausted from shooting at FSU.
“We like to show what each school represents, so for UM we’ll probably use a lot of natural resources and shoot by water, maybe a pool,” Eden said.
I was led by David to the upstairs room to prepare for my shoot. He waited downstairs while I took off as many clothes as I felt comfortable removing. At my request, he even turned the air down a few degrees.
Once I was ready, David came into the room. For a second he seemed surprised.
“Are those real?” he asked.
I laughed.
“Yeah, they are” he said, answering his own question. “They’re nice.”
I wondered how many breasts David had seen after 10 years with Playboy and took it as a compliment.
The procedure was simple: no fancy lights, no fan blowing in my hair, no corny music in the background. Just me, David and four Polaroid shots.
Eden explained that they would all look over the shots and pick three to five girls to come back. After the “real” photo shoot, Hugh Hefner makes the final decisions regarding who gets published.
“For these spreads, we look for someone that epitomizes the college girl spirit,” Eden said. “Young, fresh faces – natural-looking.”
I asked Eden what she thought of the negative stereotypes that sometimes come with being a Playboy model.
“Women should feel free to express themselves how they choose. It’s liberating and powerful for a woman to express herself in the form of nude photography,” Eden said. “It’s another form of art.”
After giving Eden a few pointers on Miami’s nightlife and suggesting where she could get a cup of coffee, I realized I had to go. I was surprised at how fun the experience turned out to be – kind of like me with chocolate – a guilty pleasure.
“So many girls say being in Playboy was the most fun they ever had, like they’re a princess for the day,” Eden said.
A princess and a bunny? Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
Playboy’s “College Girls of the ACC” will be featured in the October edition and will hit newsstands in September.
National rise in college suicides sparks local concern
The rising cases of suicide in college campuses across the nation have recently sparked concern at UM. In a powerful effort to stop troubled students from committing suicide, the UM Counseling Center recently held a student awareness campaign to help students cope with the stresses of college life.
Depression is a psychological disorder common among college students, most often characterized by pattern of hopelessness and a lack of interest in things that used to be enjoyable.
Dr. Pam Deroian, assistant director of the Counseling Center, said that while she is aware of the increasing college suicides, she is not worried about it happening at UM.
“There has been no suicide here at the University, and we are thankful for that,” Deroian said.
Although it is not fully known why a student might feel the need to take his or her life, Deroian feels it might have to do with low grades or the fact that students are not able to cope with the college experience.
“People are different and have different reasons for doing what they do, but we can help them with coping skills,” Deroian said.
Andrea Gaynor, psychology intern at the Counseling Center, said one of the ways to help students cope with stress is to have outreach programs.
“Last October we had a screening, and we were surprised at the number of students who are depressed,” Gaynor said. “We immediately referred them to the counselors.”
According to Gaynor, a high number of students stop by the office with disorders related to more than college stresses.
“There are also problems with relationships and family, but whatever the problems are, we are equipped to handle it,” Gaynor said.
Students also encourage their peers to seek help if they are feeling depressed or unhappy.
“Taking your own life is never a solution when help is available,” Kunal Patel, senior, said.
Freshman Amanda Ehrlich said she wasn’t aware of the suicides occurring on college campuses.
“If you are feeling depressed, see someone,” Ehrlich said. “If it’s your parents who are pressuring you, talk to them about it, lessen your work load, or change schools – whatever it takes.”
Gaynor said that students should help friends who may be depressed by looking for signs of withdrawal and irritability. Some people may start having physical complaints like headaches or stomach and muscle pains.
“We are here, and this is treatable.” Gaynor said. “Talk to a friend.”
ISA hosts dance competition on SoBe
Over 1,300 people attended Florida’s first-ever intercollegiate bhangra dance competition, South Beach Bhangra, hosted by UM’s Indian Students Association [ISA] over spring break. College teams from throughout the nation, including the University of California Berkeley and Cornell University, came to Miami to compete for $3,000 in prizes.
Bhangra is a traditional folk-dance from the state of Punjab in India, originally done during the harvest season to represent virility and energy. Marked by colorful costumes, stunts, upbeat music and the playing of the dohl, an Indian drum, the dances had the crowd cheering loudly and dancing in the aisles. At one point, a spectator even jumped on stage and joined the performers.
UM’s own team, Hurricane Bhangra, did not compete, and instead performed as an exhibition act. According to Tarun Subrahmanian, Hurricane Bhangra captain, the team didn’t compete in order to assert the validity of the competition. Since members of the team helped procure renowned judges, they wanted to allow no room for questioning the results of the competition. Hurricane Bhangra received a standing ovation, and ISA was pleased with the outcome of the competition.
“The event was definitely very successful,” Naveen Bellam, ISA president, said. “For us to have gotten teams from as far as New York and California is really a testament to the potential UM-ISA has on the national level.”
Bhangra competitions are popular all over the nation, yet until now, there was no representative competition for the Southeast. ISA expects to make South Beach Bhangra an annual event; they are hoping to reach attendance of over 5,000 people within the next couple years.
Anand Patel, ISA vice president, feels that ISA now has a national event to call its own. “We thought we would be lucky to have a couple hundred people attend,” Patel said. “To have such a good reception our first year was amazing. South Beach Bhangra definitely exceeded our expectations.”
UM visitors find a surprise in the vending machines
A group of friends who were visiting UM for a quick tour stopped to grab some coffee and ended up finding roaches and crickets laden with feces floating in their coffee cup.
Vikas Johari, a former international student at UM, brought three of his friends to campus during spring break. When they stopped for some coffee at the automatic-pour vending machine in Hecht, they found two dead insects along with half a dozen droppings in what they thought would be a fresh cup of coffee from the machine.
“I was embarrassed for myself, for my friend and for the University,” Johari said.
Sean Sheikh, visiting from Miami University in Ohio with Johari, said he came to UM with plans of possibly transferring but will definitely reconsider.
“The moment my eyes fell upon that cup, I was momentarily put away,” Sheikh said. “I stared at myself in the reflection of the vending machine and I saw that I was ghost-white. I felt disgusted and disgruntled.”
Johari and Sheikh filed a complaint with an RA at Hecht, whom they say was as shocked as they were.
Residence Halls administration say they are adamant about addressing these types of issues immediately, ensuring that student health is a priority.
“Anytime something as severe as that comes to my attention, I definitely call the right person – especially when it comes to bugs. I would have had a fit,” said Cynthia Silvarrey, administrative assistant for Hecht. “There’s no reason why disgusting things should be floating around in anything that’s sold through the vending machines.”
Lazaro Sauzo, area manager for Diloreto & Sons, the company that owns and maintains the machine, was on site trying to get to the root of the problem.
“We’re inspecting the machine to see where the problem could have come from,” Sauzo said. “We’re throwing the product in the garbage and replacing it all.”
Sauzo said the machine would have an out-of-order sign posted until it was completely emptied, sanitized and cleaned out.
The Miami Hurricane contacted Mel Tenen, director of Auxiliary Services for UM, and asked for his opinion on the situation. He was surprised to hear of the incident and claimed it was the first he had heard of it.
“We’re responsible for over 400 machines on campus, including vending and laundry, and we count on folks letting us know,” Tenen said. “I personally get involved with these things – it’s not something I delegate.”
Tenen also said the coffee machine in Hecht is checked three times per week.
At 10 a.m. last Wednesday, however, there was a maintenance worker clean
D3 dances around the real heart of the video game
Have you ever wondered why there has never been a film devoted to the Dance Dance Revolution [DDR] video game? Don’t worry, no one has. But now, the few thousand American teens obsessed with the DDR arcade game have a cool new movie to worship, aptly called Dance Dance Documentary [D3]. If you’re a frequent poker player, then chances are you’re infatuated with an obscure late ’90s movie called Rounders. This is the DDR addict’s version of Rounders.
The film is like a big neon answer to a question nobody’s asked, which is, “How do I find out more about this horribly expensive, but addicting game?” D3 was a joint effort by two recent USC graduates, 23-year-olds Matthew Klekner and Eric Woolery. Their directing is competent and the editing of the 78-minute film is nicely done, but the duo missed a ton of chances to go further into the subculture it exposes.
The point of this film is not to be a cheesy MTV look at a video game. Instead, it turns a group of weird Californian teens into rock stars. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is a refreshing change from most documentaries, and it certainly succeeds in educating its viewers about the game and a few dozen “big name” players near L.A..
Most of the film is split between talking-head style interviews with DDR personalities and clips from tournaments and arcades. The interviews are necessary but probably too self-indulgent for most crowds. Who really wants to listen to some high school kid talk about his passion for a video game?
Although it seems like a movie about DDR would be horribly annoying and unnecessary, D3 is surprisingly enjoyable and light-hearted. But if the filmmakers wanted more credit for their documentary filmmaking, they should have gone a lot deeper into the lives of their subjects.
If this film wanted to be taken seriously, it should have spent more time on things like this. We only meet one parent in the film and his role is basically useless. It would have been beneficial to cut some interview time and look at the players’ home lives and their relationships with parents, friends, and classmates. The film never bothers to follow its subjects outside of the arcade, which proves for a rather shallow movie.
But if the main focus of D3 was meant to be the game and not the players, then the film succeeds. The game is basically a fixture in most American arcades, even though it’s fairly young with only a five-year history in the U.S.
Basically, the console has a screen and a platform with four boxes on it. Players watch the screen and listen to one of hundreds of dance songs while they jump on the arrowed boxes in a specific order and at a certain speed. The game takes speed and accuracy into consideration before coming up with a final score for each game.
The documentary does a great job highlighting the fun and competitive nature of the game. The final showdown between two great players at a tournament is surprisingly intense and riveting. But the real story in this film lies in the players’ lives and personalities. Their exterior personas come through, but watching D3 is like driving by a really cool-looking house and never getting to see inside.
More Than Just Music
Performing to a sold out audience at the House of Blues in Orlando on March 14, Erykah’s message stood out more than the music. With every show that I attend, her vocal range gets better, her band becomes more innovative and her message reflects the changes that she is going through in her life. As Erykah walked out on stage, there were many noticeable differences compared to the Erykah Badu that we have come to know. No longer rocking the head wrap or afro, she came out with long braids extending past her mid-thigh and wore a long and layered white cloth that looked as if she sewed it together herself, looking as if she was a voodoo priestess. However, with that image set aside, Erykah set out on giving the people what they paid for, though more importantly educating the audience about lessons she has learned throughout her ever changing life.
Each set of songs that she performed were introduced with interpretive dances and were represented with chakras, which are energy centers for the body. As Erykah explained each chakra, she provided her own personal commentary. Even though many of her studio songs are about four to five minutes in length, Erykah and her band extended some of the songs past their original mark and fused some songs together to make everything seem continuous.
She opened the set with her current single “Back In The Day (Puff)” from her new EP titled Worldwide Underground, which is reminiscent of old-school funk music and celebrates the “highs” of life. She performed a slew of hits including “Danger,” “On & On,” “I Want You” and “Clever.” Performing more than half way into her set, Erykah stopped the music and decided to speak her mind.
Even though her message incorporated large amounts of profanity, it’s almost expected from Erykah because she is just real. She talked about the problems drugs have had in black communities and the current state of music, saying that the radio’s purpose is to “program” you, she made an interesting point when she noticed that since they play the same songs over and over listeners end up singing the song, even though they don’t even like the song. She also talked about how the media tries to induce fear in viewers by displaying constant negative images. Even though she wasn’t saying anything that hasn’t already been said, it was refreshing to see an artist take a stand. Badu’s outstanding message was when she told the audience to stop being in competition with others, but instead, be in competition with your last level.
As time was ending, Erykah couldn’t get through all seven chakras, ending only on the fifth one. She briefly explained the last two and ended the show with “Tyrone” to the crowd’s pleasure. The opening act for the show was the London based act -Floetry. Their set consisted of songs from their U.S. debut album Floetic. Having had their album since its release, I never gave the album a chance but, after being forced to listen to the music and lyrics, I definitely underestimated this group. With a full band to back them up, Floetry’s vocals were on point and they completely blew me away with their artistry. Be sure to catch these acts whenever they come to an area near you.
FUNKSHION:
By Joanna Davila
EDGE Editor
Ranging from pretentious flirts to the walking dead, from March 5 to March 10, approximately 12 models took on an array of personas to strut their stuff and display the latest spring lines from Stussy, Seven2, Fila, Buffalo, and Betsy Johnson to name a few. In it’s second year, Funkshion, Miami’s version of NYC Fashion Week, boasted the fusion of music and fashion, providing a supplement to Miami’s Winter Music Conference. While the latest in designs were meant for the runway, audience members couldn’t help but notice the spectators sitting in the first and second rows that included several fashionistas rumored to be linked with Lucky Magazine and Fashion Week Daily. Overall, Funkshion added some funk into regular South Beach and turned out to be one hell of a soiree.
It’s all automatic as The Strokes rock Miami
After relocating from the newly opened club Mansion to the Jackie Gleason Theater in order to accommodate those under 21, The Strokes took stage in front of a packed house of rabid Miami fans last Tuesday.
With two albums under their belts and a third in the works, The Strokes finally have enough material to put on a show of acceptable length. Essentially their entire catalog was played, and unlike their previous tours, they played for well over an hour. It should also be noted that they took no break, besides Julian’s occasional nonsensical ranting to the crowd about how intoxicated he was, giving everyone a bit of a breather.
The entire show just went with the characteristic ups and downs of The Strokes music, with the crowd bouncing off the walls to the chorus of “Hard to Explain” or pulsing with the strobe lights during the crescendo of “Reptilia”. However at times there were very subdued moments, such as when the lights went deep blue as Julian crooned “Under Control”, occasionally fumbling with the lyrics.
The band was in top form though, seeming to actually care and have fun with what they were doing. Julian’s stage presence, though a bit absurd at times, was essentially him reveling in his rock stardom. They played with control and excitement; unfortunately, the venue reserved the crowd to a repressed condition. While the show at Mansion would have been a personal experience with everyone able to dance in an open space, probably pushing to be as close to the stage as possible, it was as if everyone had assigned seating and was hindered by the aisles of chairs.
Regardless, the crowd still loved them, and nobody cared that they don’t believe in encores. One of the final songs they played was their cover of the Clash song “Clampdown,” which Julian said they had decided never to play it again but would play it anyway. By the end Julian was diving into the audience during their standard last number, “Take It Or Leave It” and his enthusiasm was enough satisfaction for the night.
A few weeks ago I was able to speak to lead guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. about their upcoming tour. The following is an excerpt of our discussion:
EDGE: What are you up to right now?
Albert Hammond: Right now we are just in the rehearsal studio working on new material, getting it all ready. Our space is over in Hells Kitchen, I think 38th Street and 8th Avenue, I think it’s called Clinton now, it’s a weird area.
EDGE: What is your creative process?
Julian comes in studio with ideas and we sit there and work them out and sometimes I even get to work with Julian writing a song, like on Automatic Stop. Basically we sit there I turn this thing on the guitar and there ate so many things going on with all the instruments together. And then we work and work and work and just try to turn stuff out.
EDGE: Influences (personal, commercial) What do you listen to now? Personal favs?
Yeah I mean Beatles, Bob Marley, there are too many to mention. Recently this Yeah Yeah Yeahs song “Maps.” I love music in general. Guided By Voices is a big influence on me. It ranges 50s all the way up. Its good to say definitely wider than people might think. I don’t just listen to 1978 underground. Probably 1969 is more important to me
EDGE: Where do you want this to go?
I don’t like going too far ahead. You just try to have a good run or keep on going. I would like to make many many records. Hopefully in five years I’m talking to you about the eighth record we just made.
EDGE: How do you deal with fame?
Its great its fun, lets us do what we always dreamed of doing: in the studio working on our third record and going on a tour of the U.S.
EDGE: What is most exciting to you in your career?
It changes as everything in life. Right now focus on new songs. Also I’ve been wanting to do big American tour for a while. It’s great to be connecting with people by playing live
EDGE: Personal approaches to life and art.
Work really hard so you can party hard.
EDGE: Guys have a great attitude and are pretty humble.
Oh for sure. We would be in it for the wrong reasons if we didn’t. I mean you can try to make money and it’s good to do that. But it just comes down to surviving. I think we can survive and we can go through everything together.
‘Canes lose tourney game to Eagles
The women’s basketball team (22-6, 11-6) had a chance to secure a high seed in the NCAA tournament last weekend. However, the only thing it ended up with was a 65-53 loss to Boston College (25-6, 11-5) in the second round of the Big East tournament that left the team wondering where its stands in the selection committee’s eyes.
The fourth seeded ‘Canes played a lethargic game after receiving a first round bye. The women played with little emotion, as they were unable get anything going on offense or stop fifth-seeded Boston College freshman Kathrin Ress, who finished with a career-high 20 points.
“We’re crushed,” Head Coach Ferne Labati told The Miami Herald. “We had an opportunity to come here and better ourselves for the NCAA tournament. We had no energy at all on defense.”
Only two Hurricanes scored in double figures in the loss. Yalonda McCormick had a team-high 19 points and six assists, and Shaquana Wilkins totaled 12 points and seven rebounds.
Miami, playing in its final Big East game before moving to the ACC, shot 32.1 percent from the field in the first half, but only trailed 23-20 at the break. Early in the second half, the Hurricanes briefly took what would be their only lead at 30-29.
“We’re crushed. We had an opportunity to come here and better ourselves for the NCAA tournament.” – Coach ferne labati
The Eagles went on a 21-7 run to open up a 51-37 advantage. The lead proved to be too much for UM to surmount, as Miami never got within 11 points the rest of the way.
Tamara James and Melissa Knight struggled all day to get their shot going. James, the ‘Canes’ leading scorer on the year with 16.9 points per game, finished with nine points while Knight could only muster four.
The Hurricanes shot only 3 for 15 from three-point range, with McCormick hitting all three. The team only went to the free-throw line five times, converting on two of them. Boston College went 19 for 23 from the charity stripe.
The Big East Tournament was a chance for Miami to prove that it is a legitimate contender for the National Championship. Although the ‘Canes will still receive a bid, they left the selection committee and their fans with a bad taste in their mouths.
Miami will most likely be better off than the 11 seed it earned a year ago when it lost in the opening round in overtime to New Mexico 91-85. The Hurricanes will likely lose out on hosting a first round game as well. Last year they had to travel to “The Pit,” New Mexico’s famous student section, enduring deafening taunts to get to overtime.
McCormick told The Miami Herald: “We know we have to redeem ourselves. We have to play every game as if it’s our last.”
Douglas Kroll can be contacted at d.kroll@umiami.edu.