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Men’s tennis looks to continue undefeated season

The Miami Hurricane
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The men’s tennis team couldn’t have dreamt of a better start than the one it has gotten off to. It is 4-0, it has a freshman No. 1 singles player (Josh Cohen) who hasn’t lost, and two of its four wins have come against ranked opponents.

“It’s been a great start,” Head Coach Bryan Getz said. “But it’s only the beginning as far as our schedule goes because it gets a lot tougher as we get into March and April.”

The No. 34 Hurricanes have looked impressive in winning their first four matches. They defeated the No. 38 Southern Methodist Mustangs, the South Florida Bulls, who at the time were No. 34, Florida Atlantic, and Florida A&M. The only thing that hasn’t gone Miami’s way was their match against the No. 7 Florida Gators, which was rained out this past weekend.

“Our guys were ready to play on Sunday,” Getz said. “We had a great week of practice and they were clicking on all cylinders, so it was a little disheartening, but we can’t control Mother Nature.”

Although it is still very early in the season, injuries have not been an issue with this year’s squad. Last year, the team had to overcome numerous losses of key players and still won the Big East championship.

“Everyone’s healthy right now, knock on wood,” Getz said.

One of the reasons the Hurricanes are off to a great start is the play of Cohen at the No. 1 singles slot. The freshman from Weston, Fla. has been dominating in his four wins.

“Josh is going to be there for us at every match,” Getz said. “And the scary part about him is that he hasn’t even tapped into his full potential yet. When he puts it all together, it’s going to be scary.”

Next up for the ‘Canes is another in-state opponent. Jacksonville University will visit the Neil Schiff Tennis Center on Sunday at noon. The Dolphins are off to a tough start this season, as they are 1-3 thus far. They were defeated by Florida A&M 5-2, while the Hurricanes beat the Rattlers 7-0. Their only win came against Georgia Southern.

Jacksonville will likely have German-born Ben Birkmann at No. 1 singles and fellow German Martin Hehensteiger at No. 2 singles. The Dolphins have plenty of international talent, with four of their six players coming from outside of the United States.

Following Sunday’s match up, the ‘Canes will meet the Florida Gators on Wednesday in the make-up match from last weekend’s rainout.

“First of all, a win over the Gators would be great for our school. Anytime we beat Florida whether it is the debate, football, basketball, baseball, or tennis team it’s always nice,” Getz said. “They have been one of the top five teams in college tennis for the last five years and we aspire to become what they are. They are definitely beatable.”

Douglas Kroll can be contacted at d.kroll@umiami.edu.

San Pedro looks to power Hurricanes to College World Series

The Miami Hurricane
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After a breakout season in 2003, Erick San Pedro is ready to become one of the nation’s best catchers this season as the Hurricanes begin their quest for a return to Omaha and the College World Series.

San Pedro began last year battling with Greg Dini for the starting catcher job, but his steady improvement offensively and success in throwing runners out won him the position. The Hialeah, Fla. native finished 2003 with a .317 batting average, 43 runs batted (in good for fifth on the team), and 13 doubles.

After being shutout by the Florida Gators on Friday night, the Hurricanes needed a spark during the second game of the series. With the game scoreless in the third inning, San Pedro gave the ‘Canes their first runs of the season with a two-run home run off of Steven Porter. The junior would add a double later on as the Hurricanes finished off the Gators for their first victory of the season.

“[The home run] kind of ignited the team,” Head Coach Jim Morris said. “I guess you could say it got them going. Sometimes that first hit is tough to get if a pitcher has a no-hitter going…We needed to score a run to get it going, and once it happened we did well.”

One of the strengths of this year’s squad is that the entire starting rotation of J.D. Cockroft, Vince Bongiovanni, and Brandon Camardese has returned older and wiser. Over the past couple of years San Pedro has developed a close relationship with each of the hurlers.

“It’s almost like you’re brothers,” San Pedro said. “You know everything about them and they know everything about you. Somehow you have to gain their confidence, whether it’s yelling at them or babying them…little things like that make up the relationship.”

Last season, the ‘Canes advanced to the College World Series before being eliminated in their third game. San Pedro said that the team over achieved last year, and this time around, merely being there will not be satisfying enough for the Hurricanes.

“We were a really young team last year,” he said. “Everyone was saying that we were young and the experience just wasn’t there, but we made it that far, and with our whole team back, not only do we think we should go back, but we should win it.”

San Pedro is expected to contend for All-America honors at his position and the Johnny Bench Award, which is given to the nation’s best catcher. With these types of preseason accolades, San Pedro will most likely earn attention from professional scouts. He said that while it is easy to get caught up in early hype, it is imperative that he focuses only on what the Hurricanes have to do to win.

“The Major Leagues always crosses my mind,” he said. “Scouts come up to you, but you can’t let that get to your head. You have to put the team first because the way you get drafted is by helping your team out.”

San Pedro majors in entrepreneurship and enjoys golfing on the rare occasions that the team doesn’t have practice.

“I like to play golf,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun. I usually go with Gaby Sanchez on our days off. I like to relax and just hang out.”

As San Pedro’s Miami career has progressed, the catcher has improved every step of the way. If he continues to get better in 2004, the ‘Canes’ chances of a longer stay in Omaha will increase dramatically.

“He has worked very hard and progressed tremendously as a player, and in all phases of the game,” Morris said. “When he left high school he was a good player and now he has the chance to be a great player.”

Eric Kalis can be contacted at e.kalis@umiami.edu.

BRING ON THE ‘VOLS

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After a hard-fought series against Florida, the baseball team’s schedule does not get any easier as the Tennessee Volunteers come to South Florida this weekend.

The Volunteers are 3-0 this season after a sweep of Morehead State in their season opening series last weekend, which included a 29-1 victory. The Hurricanes are 2-1 after the three games with the Gators. On Friday, the Hurricanes ran into Florida ace Justin Hoyman and were blanked 3-0. However, the ‘Canes were able to bounce back and win the next two games to take the series.

“It’s a little different against your own pitchers in practice,” catcher Erick San Pedro said. “It’s hard facing good pitchers like Hoyman early in the season.”

This weekend, Miami might have problems with another staff ace in Volunteers pitcher Luke Hochevar. Hochevar pitched seven shutout innings against Morehead State and struck out 10 hitters while only walking one in his team’s season opening 11-0 victory.

Last season, as a freshman, Hochevar faced the Hurricanes and pitched into the sixth inning, striking out 10 batters in the process, but the ‘Canes won anyway.

“He is a really good pitcher,” designated hitter Joey Hooft said. “He throws hard and he throws a lot of strikes.”

The Volunteers finished last season with a 31-24 record, good for fourth in the SEC East division. They struggled in conference play, going just 13-17 in the conference, and on the road the entire season, posting a 5-14 road mark. However, like Miami, this year’s team returns several starters and should have more success this season.

“Tennessee has an outstanding pitcher throwing against us Friday,” Head Coach Jim Morris said. “They are a well-coached team with a lot of players returning, so we expect them to play us hard.”

The Hurricanes have several question marks entering the series. The first one is their offense, which struggled mightily the first two games against the Gators. After getting shutout on Friday, Miami scored four runs Saturday, but only managed five hits, all of which came from the eighth hitter, San Pedro, and the ninth hitter, Richard Giannotti. In the first two games, the Hurricanes’ top seven batters in the lineup managed just two hits. On Sunday, the bats finally came to life as the ‘Canes put 19 runs on the board in a crucial victory.

However, injuries continue to plague Miami. On Sunday, the team lost outfielder Brian Barton for a few weeks with a broken left hand. In addition, closer George Huguet remains in the hospital suffering from pneumonia. These two injuries are the latest in a laundry list of hurt players, which includes Danny Figueroa, Andy Cohn, and Paco Figueroa. Paco Figueroa swung a bat on Tuesday and might be available this weekend.

“We’ve had a lot of injuries,” Morris said. “It’s a challenge but at the same time, it gives other guys a chance to step up and prove themselves.”

Another problem was that the starting pitchers had trouble going deep into games, which put a lot of pressure on their battered bullpen. Starter J.D. Cockroft only lasted four innings on Friday night, and Brandon Camardese did not get out of the third inning on Sunday. Only Vince Bongiovanni pitched into the sixth inning.

“We need to throw more strikes and innings. We need five to six innings out of our starting pitching,” Morris said.

On a positive note, pitcher Dan Touchet pitched four solid innings Friday night against Florida in his first action since Tommy John surgery last season. Touchet will remain the team’s long reliever and fourth starter.

“Dan threw very well and more importantly, he was pain free,” Morris said.

The key to beating the Volunteers will be to have quality pitching and to come through with hits at opportune times. The Hurricanes won both games against Florida when they scored the first run.

“We need to get ahead early,” Hooft said. “That way, we put the pressure on the other team. We expect to win every game and we feel we can be good enough to do that.”

While two out of three games against the Gators was acceptable, the ‘Canes are looking for a sweep of the Volunteers.

“We always want to sweep at home and split on the road,” Morris said. “If we can do that, with our schedule, our record will be very good.”

Darren Grossman can be contacted at d.grossman@umiami.edu.

Arcurio: The best candidate never heard of

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Wednesday at the Rat brought together the eight candidates vying for the Student Government presidency, a gathering of student leaders with impressive resums and fancy slogans, whose answers during the debate were quickly followed by whistles and cheers from their accompanying entourages.

And then there was Joshua Arcurio.

A senior in Architecture with a liberal mentality, Arcurio’s involvement (he has been the Best Buddies membership coordinator) or lack thereof makes him something that none of the other candidates is: a typical UM student.

In his opening statement, Arcurio immediately noted that the “Current Projects” page on the SG website is blank, an important step in separating himself from what has been a fairly unproductive SG with respect to years past. He then went into his platform, first by addressing the issue of raising campus involvement for those who aren’t involved, a glaring problem by the looks of the almost entirely Greek audience in attendance. In line with his architectural interests, Arcurio is also in favor of a permanent location for displaying student art (may I suggest the new UC once it’s erected?). He also plans to increase involvement among the students at UM with creative minds, which would be a nice way to bring color and art to places like the Cox Science Center, where many students don’t see the light of day.

Arcurio would have won over the undecided voter crowd had there been one when he said, “Anyone in this room and literally everyone on campus has the ability to be an effective SG president,” citing leadership as a generic skill. I believe that, in this sense, a lack of leadership experience may be to Arcurio’s advantage, acting more as a liaison between the administration and student body than the typical candidate would tend to be.

With regards to the issue that students don’t care about until it’s too late – alumni relations – Arcurio agreed with the other candidates’ homogenous response of getting students involved and on the track to success so they will later have a desire to donate, but was the only one to mention any sort of real form of gratitude to alumni, which he offered in the form of Wellness Center memberships after graduation.

When the question of raising involvement among commuter and international students was asked by the moderator, most candidates pointed to their involvement in Greek organizations as the paragon of campus involvement, and Don Donelson even went so far as to say that the lack of campus involvement on the whole is “a bash on non-Greeks.” Arcurio, however, said that because he is a non-Greek commuter student, he would be able to send a strong message that the silent majority exists.

In the end, the most relevant question at the debate may have been the one that had the least to do with each candidate’s platform. Asked to name one speaker and one entertainer that they’d like to book on campus, most candidates dully suggested the likes of Donald Rumsfeld, Oprah Winfrey and the Student Government President at Harvard University (props to Vance Aloupis and Peter Maki for suggesting Dave Chappelle and Jon Stewart, respectively).

Arcurio, on the other hand, mentioned two extremely relevant options for two distinctly different reasons. In keeping with his artistic platform, he immediately mentioned Radiohead as his choice of music, much in line with the alternative styles of our school’s own WVUM. As for the speaker, Arcurio said Fidel Castro would be “the speaker everyone here really wants to see,” which I have no doubt Shalala could pull off – and for which I would hope she would give seating priority to anyone formerly studying International Studies.

Ben Minkus can be contacted at boopalee@aol.com.

Is Harvard’s student nudie mag a porn?

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The hallowed halls of higher education could not get any more ivy-covered than Cambridge, Massachusetts’ Harvard University. Established in 1636 by a Protestant minister, John Harvard, the school was founded to teach Caucasian men in the ways of puritanical, religious thought. Many of history’s most intriguing minds have stepped through Harvard Yard yearning for knowledge and left through the Crimson gates with a world class diploma, including Theodore Roosevelt, T.S. Eliot and Stockard Channing. Even our darling Dubya received his MBA at Harvard’s elite Business School.

But the times are a changing over at Harvard Yard, and no more does the Puritan way of life interest undergraduate students in the Square as it once did.

Meet the newest barrage of millennial creative expression. H Bomb is intended to be “a literary arts magazine about sex and sexual issues at Harvard,” say creators Katharina Cieplak-Von Baldegg and Camillia A. Hrdy, both members of Harvard’s talented undergraduate pool. The initial reaction is that this is not a problem. We decipher sexual metaphors in literature classes all the time and are taught that still nudes are actually legitimate forms of art. I’m not naming any names here, but some of us even commit to smarmy romance novels every evening before we hit the lights, all manifestations of sexual expression or repression, depending on your point of view.

Here’s the clincher, though: “Both male and female students will appear nude in photography portions of the magazine,” say Von Baldegg and Hrdy, “but that is not the main focus of the magazine.” Yeah, and in more recent news, I’m the Queen of England.

The issue at hand? Free speech, obviously. Harvard’s Commission on Student Life almost unanimously approved H Bomb, with the exception of two abstentions – lest they be accused of denying their students First Amendment rights. However, where do we draw the line between a pornographic publication and a sex-themed literary magazine that happens to feature a few nude photographs? Should we deem Playboy and Penthouse literary magazines, too? They both contain articles.

Does a world-renowned institute of higher education have any place in the sex arena? Hopefully, the H Bomb won’t taint America’s educational pride and joy in a seedy veneer of porn star-prepping undergraduates. John Harvard is surely turning in his grave.

Harvard is not the first institute of higher education to publish a porn mag – I mean, a literary magazine concerning sexual expression. Both Vassar and Swarthmore, highly regarded as pseudo-Ivy League colleges, issue sex-themed magazines, Squirm and Unmentionables, respectively.

Perhaps our peers to the north are just trying to compete with our undressed way of South Florida life; bikinis and board shorts are the mandatory uniform at UM. We are so jaded that the beach peep show doesn’t even provoke a glimpse at offenders. I guess it’s about time to get with the times and regard my striped Old Navy bikini as beautiful sexual commentary. Likewise, the H Bomb’s inaugural May edition will be a sight to behold.

Vanessa Cutler can be contacted at v.cutler@umiami.edu.

EDITORIAL

The Miami Hurricane
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Blinded by an army of brightly colored campaign shirts and deafened by the loud buzzing of rumors and unfounded accusations, the average student at UM might get lost in the hyped-up hoopla of this year’s SG presidential elections. As students, it’s our responsibility to look beyond the campaigns and focus instead on the qualifications and true personalities of these candidates in order to make the best decision.

When was the last time you heard anything about SG?

Well, as many of you recall, last year, current SG President Scott Sadowski ran under the slogan: “Strengthening the Storm.” And what a storm it was. We were a Category 5 hurricane, and now we’re just a tropical depression. Sadowski’s storm was strong enough, though, to destroy the outstanding reputations the two previous terms had achieved for the University.

That said, three members of Sadowski’s executive board are running for office: Vice President Chris Clark, Speaker of the Senate Carlos Echeverri and Chief of Staff-External Billy Bludgus. These three have proven in the past year that they’re ineffective and unproductive together, leaving one to wonder what will happen once they’re apart.

Of course, that’s not to say they aren’t in the running. These three have the most SG experience of all eight candidates. But their poor showing at the presidential debate on Wednesday and the lack of novelty or creativity in their platforms make it difficult to endorse any of them for the position of president.

Chris Clark is charismatic and approachable, but seems to have entered this race overconfident and self-assured. News flash: being vice president doesn’t automatically bring about the presidency. Clark could have created a strong platform based on all the unfulfilled promises of Sadowski’s presidency, organized himself for the debate and blown us away. However, he came off limp and generic – not polished enough to win an election.

Carlos Echeverri stresses the experience of his ticket. Experience is one thing, but what you do with it is something completely different. Echeverri’s achievements in the Association of Commuter Students and other organizations, while commendable, don’t represent what he should be capable of with so many years of experience. He prides himself on being accessible, but The Hurricane has always had a hard time getting in touch with him.

Two down, six to go.

Billy Bludgus claims to be the “right hand man” of current SG president Sadowski. Is that really something to brag about? Furthermore, Bludgus’ platform should be bludgeoned. Most of his ideas are already in the works or completed by UM administration, namely the addition of a Starbucks in Richter that has already been announced by President Shalala on several occasions.

So let’s move on to the candidates with zero SG experience.

Don Donelson’s platform is based on creating a “contract” with students. However, Donelson comes across as an angry ivy-league reject who wants to do nothing more than make UM the next Harvard.

Peter Maki, who has done a great job delegating responsibility within his fraternity, didn’t clarify the mission behind his cryptic campaign slogan, “U, Inc… Protecting U from all that bumps in the night.” This seems to hint at beefing up campus security, but Maki failed to mention any such goals during the debate.

The independents Scott Wacholtz and Josh Arcurio should be commended for their individuality, honesty and good ideas. Neither, however, has sufficient experience in SG to be the next president. They should consider getting involved and working their way up instead of jumping into a position they know nothing about.

This year The Hurricane has decided to endorse Vance Aloupis and his winning ticket: “The Storm is Here… Taking U to the Next Level.” Aloupis, Minal Ahson and Steph Berg have held leadership positions in practically every major facet of the University, including residential and Greek life, volunteer services, COISO and SG.

Their extensive experience gives them the ability to represent the student body in a way that gives a voice to the students who are often ignored, particularly the under-represented minority populations on campus. Besides that, their platform is well-researched, feasible and encompassing of the entire student body.

What’s more, Aloupis’ enthusiasm is contagious, and he even manages to use clichs with a certain degree of sincerity.

He has already begun to make the necessary connections and establish rapport with administration and trustees – something that’s crucial in a successful presidency, especially with the presidential debate coming to campus next semester.

Thus, Aloupis and his ticket seem to desire change while at the same time having the ability to achieve it. People always say nice guys finish last, but this time the nice guy is going to come out on top.

Seasoned jazz singer teaches students to ‘listen all the time’

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The UM School of Music always prides itself on its faculty and staff of educators who are also working musicians. This year, the school considers itself lucky to count jazz singer Dr. Kevin Mahogany among its ranks.

Mahogany, originally from jazz-infused Kansas City, came to UM from a guest teaching position at Berkeley College of Music. He attended Baker University in Kansas, where the industrious Mahogany founded a jazz choir. He entered the school in 1976 and graduated with a BFA in Music, English and Drama in 1981.

Mahogany started his musical career on saxophone but found that his vocal talent was unique, as most male jazz singers at the time were over 60. Since the early 1990s, Mahogany has released several albums on three different recording labels. Most recently released was Pride and Joy, a collection of Motown and R&B tunes performed in a jazz style.

In the midst of his success as a performer and recording artist, Mahogany feels that education was the key to his musical growth and that he has something to share with young musicians as an educator.

“Music education is important to me, to help the continuance of this art form that is uniquely American,” Mahogany said. “It has been my experience that students want to know what is happening in the music industry today, and my current travels and career allow me to keep them apprised of what is going on right now. It is an advantage for them and allows me to continue my career while teaching.”

Mahogany grew up surrounded by the sounds of Memphis and Motown, as well as the ever-evolving rock and roll in the turbulent ’60s. At the same time, he was very attracted to singers such as Lambert, Hendricks and Ross and Eddie Jefferson.

His first organized singing was in church during his senior year in high school. After college, Mahogany joined a ’60s R&B horn band and then went on to create a group called The Apollos, playing mostly R&B and Motown. After that, he formed Mahogany, an outfit that specialized in R&B, Motown, soul and contemporary jazz.

“My biggest musical influences have been constantly changing. I am sure that most people’s taste in music changes,” Mahogany said. “My earliest influences were Charlie Parker and Ben Webster. My earliest vocal influences were Al Jarreau and Jon Hendricks.”

When asked who he felt young musicians should be listening to, Mahogany said, “I recommend all musicians to keep their ears open to all styles of music. You never know where you can receive inspiration. One vocalist that I recommend for all musicians is Johnny Hartman.”

So far, Mahogany has kept his students busy with new musical ideas, and he has learned from them also.

“Learning is an ongoing process throughout life. So it would be safe to say that I have learned while I have been here at the University of Miami,” Mahogany said. “I am always listening and learning and hopefully growing. Both musically and personally.”

Having been a guest performer or artist in residence at many schools across the country, Mahogany assessed the caliber of the music program at UM compared to that at other universities.

“University of Miami’s music program seems to be competitive with other universities that I have visited and worked with,” Mahogany said. “They seem to have a combination of good faculty and good recruitment to comprise an excellent learning atmosphere.”

Mahogany tries to teach students life concepts in his classes and lessons in addition to musical concepts.

His advice to singers is to listen all the time.

“I listened to everything while I was coming up. If all that is in your background, you should be able to sing anything,” he said. “My advice to young people in general would be to work hard and keep a positive attitude about whatever choices you make in your life,” he said. “If you can dream it, you can achieve it.”

Dr. Kevin Mahogany will perform a free live concert with the Jazz Vocal Ensemble 1 at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Mar. 28 at UM’s Gusman Hall.

For more information on Dr. Kevin Mahogany, visit www.kevinmahogany.com.

Jaclyn Lisenby can be contacted at j.lisenby@umiami.edu.

SG Debates Vice Presidential

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Tuesday’s vice presidential debate at the Rathskeller was designed to separate the best candidates from the rest of the field, but it may have merely created more confusion.

The debate featured little arguing and much agreement and cohesion, as the six candidates chose to focus on the strengths of their own platforms rather than on the weaknesses of the other candidates.

The moderator, speech/debate coach Dave Steinberg, introduced questions throughout the 90-minute event, allowing each candidate to answer without interruption.

Peter Groverman, commuter south senator and vice presidential candidate on Peter Maki’s ticket, said the debate should have featured more arguing and less structure.

“That was not a debate out there,” Groverman said. “I wish we could have done more to separate each candidate.”

About 50 students were on hand for the debate, with most in attendance sporting t-shirts supporting individual tickets.

Ben Everard, Billy Bludgus’ running mate, said he was disappointed that more non-affiliated students did not show up.

“It would have been nice to have more independent students at the Rat tonight,” Everard said. “What this tells me is that most students already have their minds made up, and the answers we gave tonight won’t have much of an overall effect on the results.”

The debate began with the candidates introducing themselves and their platform ideas. All six agreed that students at the University need to be more involved and informed.

“We need to have more events like ‘Canefest where students can see everything that’s out there and decide what organizations they want to be involved in,” Justice Walker, current speaker pro tempore running with Carlos Echeverri, said during the debate.

Each candidate had a different angle for his or her platform.

Walker’s ticket prides itself on having a combined eight years of SG experience. Adele Bagley and Minal Ahson, the only female VP candidates, made the focus of their platforms about serving the students by communicating with them and addressing their needs.

Ahson, running with Vance Aloupis, cited her experience and diverse ticket as reasons why she would make a good vice president.

“Our ticket represents many different aspects of student life,” Ahson said. “If elected, we will make sure students are open to speak to us about any concerns they have.”

Andy Cohn, running with Don Donelson on the “Contract with U” ticket, said that a major goal of his campaign was to improve the University’s retention rate.

“We have to raise the value of a UM degree,” Cohn said. “A retention rate of 85 percent is not good enough for this school.”

When asked about underage drinking on campus and at football games, Cohn was the only candidate to focus on educating students rather than punishing them.

“I am probably going to continue underage drinking until I’m 21,” Cohn joked. “We’re not going to stop underage drinking, so we should instead focus on encouraging better decision-making to stop students from drinking and driving.”

The VP debate did not completely lack controversy, however.

When asked about minority student organizations, Groverman raised some eyebrows when he couldn’t remember the name of a Middle-Eastern student organization while answering a question regarding under-representation of minority students in SG.

After the debate, Groverman said he had not intended to be disrespectful when he made the comment.

“That comment was taken out of context,” Groverman said. “Anyone that knows me knows that I am a minority, too [Jewish], and I was simply trying to promote allocating more money for minority organizations on campus.”

Despite minor complaints about the format of the debate, the candidates left the Rat with a feeling of mutual respect for each other.

“There was no animosity out there,” Everard said. “We have all worked together, and we know that any of us would make a great vice president.”

Eric Kalis can be contacted at e.kalis@umiami.edu.

CALENDAR

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TODAY
Come show some love Miami style and join LINK in delivering the elderly their food for the week in cooperation with “Friends of the Elderly,” or help out your local community in cooperation with “Community Partnership.” To volunteer, meet at the Rock at 3 p.m. Transportation will be provided. For more information, contact LINK at link.studorg@miami.edu.

The acclaimed Chamber Singers, Advanced Women’s Chorale and Men’s Chorale of the Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music will be featured in a concert beginning at 8 p.m. in the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall. Admission is free. For more information, contact Choral Studies at 305-284-4162 or visit them at http://www.music.miami.edu/choralstudies.

SATURDAY
Come down to the Rat and join Salsa Craze in “Salsa Fever” from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. The event is free for students with a ‘Cane Card and a $5 cover for non-UM students.

SUNDAY
Students are invited to an afternoon of music performed by our award-winning student Jazz Band from 1:30 – 3 p.m. on the University green. Picnics and blankets are welcome. Free ice cream and popcorn will be provided. Refreshments will also be available. Please R.S.V.P. by Feb. 19 at 305-284-5435 or e-mail umneighbors@miami.edu.

The Collegium Musicum, a choral ensemble specializing in early music, will present a free concert at 5 p.m. at the Chapel of the Venerable Bede, 1150 Stanford Dr., Coral Gables. This free concert will feature the sacred music of Byrd, Mozart, Thompson and Franz Liszt, among other composers, and will be followed by an Evensong service at 6 p.m. No reservations or tickets are required, but seating is limited. For more information, contact the Choral Studies office at 305-284-4162, visit http://www.music.miami.edu/choralstudies or email ChoralMusic@miami.edu.

TUESDAY
You are invited to attend a special advanced screening of The Girl Next Door at 9 p.m. at the Cosford Cinema. Tickets are available for free at the Hurricane Productions office, UC 206.

NEWS BRIEFS

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Cane Cares teaches you to love the genes you’re in

“Don’t change your genes, change your jeans” is the theme for this year’s Body Image Week (Feb. 22 through 29). Studies suggest 8 billion women want to look like supermodels; however, this goal is usually unfeasible, as there are approximately eight supermodels. Join the Cane Cares Committee for a special screening of the movie Real Women Have Curves on Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Learning Center (LC) 110. The Cane Cares Committee will conduct body image screenings at the Rock on Feb. 23, 24 and 26 between 12 and 2 p.m. For more information, contact 305-284-5511.

Preschool seeks donations for Empties4Cash project

UM Canterbury has launched a fundraising project, Empties4Cash. Empty inkjet cartridges can be recycled and remanufactured, and UM Canterbury Preschool will receive $2 for each cartridge turned in. Any cartridge with a print head can be recycled, regardless of brand or type. Send an email to pbochman@miami.edu with the name of your organization or office, contact person and location on campus if you would like to help. A preschool representative will deliver a small collection box decorated by UM Canterbury students. Call 305-284-KIDS, and they will pick up the recycled cartridges when the box is full. Note: Epson cartridges cannot be recycled.

College Republicans host
week of political events

The UM College Republicans will be hosting “Elephant Stampede: A Week in Republican Politics” from Feb. 16- 19. The week will consist of Republican speakers, a panel discussion on US Foreign Policy, Lincoln Penny Drive to benefit veterans, voter registration, and much more. A kickoff “Rally for America” will take place on Feb. 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, send an email to umcrclub@umcrnc.org.

Presidential Debates

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“They all say the same thing but in different ways-I didn’t feel the sincerity and didn’t believe what the candidates were saying.”
-Justin Fahringeo, senior

VOTE!

Elections will be held in the UC Breezeway on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

THE 8 Debate: SG hopefuls clarify platforms, make last appeal for votes

The Miami Hurricane
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The clock read 7 p.m. as students packed into the Rat Wednesday night, finding seats wherever possible, for the SG presidential debate.

However, most of these students came to show their support for the candidates they were already endorsing, rather than to use the debate as a means of deciding where to cast their votes.

The moderated questions ranged from leadership experience to on-campus involvement.

At the end of the debate, however, many students were still left with questions.

In fact, many of those present said this year’s debate was not much of a debate at all in that it failed to spark controversy among the candidates. None of the issues were tackled but merely regurgitated from the candidates’ platforms.

Many believe that, because of the lack of challenging questions, candidates were not given the opportunity to stand out amongst each other.

“It was basically rehearsed responses,” said Justin Fahringeo, senior political science major, when asked about his thoughts regarding the debate. “Harder questions need to be asked next time.”

“They all say the same thing but in different ways – I didn’t feel the sincerity and didn’t believe what the candidates were saying,” Fahringeo said.

There were even students from other schools in the audience who had come to get pointers from our debates but left disappointed.

Brian Swensen, a junior at FIU and the campaign manager of FIU’s winning presidential campaign, said he came to compare UM politics to his own school’s way of handling elections.

“Here everything seems very laid back,” Swensen said. “There is no sense of urgency among the candidates.”

“At FIU campaigning is very hostile,” Swensen said.

Yet, despite the lack of actual debating, some students were persuaded by some of the issues that came up during the debate.

“I vote Don Donelson because he seemed the most directive. He was the most centered on one particular issue, while the other candidates were all over the place,” said Aaron Jozseph, sophomore, who had no affiliations with any of the candidates before the debate.

Elections begin next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. To vote, stop by the computer voting booths in the UC Breezeway.

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

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