A device that looks like a garage door opener may soon replace the traditional attendance sheets and test papers typically seen in class. The Personal Response System [PRS], nicknamed “The Clicker” by many students, is the newest gadget to hit college classrooms throughout the country.

All students enrolled in a class where the PRS is used are required to buy an individual hand-size clicker. Each unit comes with a unique, six-digit code which allows the professor to clearly identify each student. Several PRS receivers are mounted to the walls of the classrooms, and students sign in for attendance, or record their quiz answers by pointing and clicking towards a nearby receiver unit.

Once the students have sent their responses, the main unit, which is controlled by the instructor, receives the signal and the code is identified.

According to the PRS official website, the system is already being used in more than 200 colleges and universities. This is the first semester that the system is being used on campus, and as of now it has been introduced only in a few large science courses.

Dr. Blase Maffia, biology lecturer and undergraduate advisor, uses the PRS to lecture his Introduction to Biological Science courses and hopes that this system will not only be used in science classrooms but eventually by other departments as well. Though he has yet to use the PRS for grading purposes, Maffia has already seen positive results.

“This system allows me to get a sense if the students are learning or what material needs to be reviewed,” Maffia said. “It makes things much easier. In a big classroom, it’s usually harder to keep track.”

The PRS is not only beneficial to the lecturers, but also to the students.

Their progress is easily tracked by the system, and it encourages students to keep up with the readings and lectures.

“I’m looking forward to the feedback system in my physics class. It’s going to encourage me to keep up with my studies,” Kevin Coyne, sophomore, said. “My only concern is that you can’t be sure if the receiver has picked up your signal, since the numbers on the screen are small and look the same.”

According to Dr. Daniel Wang, biology lecturer and undergraduate advisor, the PRS has helped him in his BIL 104 Genetics and Society lectures to get the students’ undivided attention.

“In the past, I have to give a quiz or exam to get a feedback from students on how well they learned. It was time consuming. With this system, I get immediate feedback,” Wang said. “My students enjoy this innovative approach and actively participated in this new program.”

As of now, the clickers are not sold individually in the bookstore. Instead, in an effort to make the system more affordable for students, they come packaged with the course books. They may also be purchased online, sold back to the bookstore, or used for future courses.

For more information about the PRS, visit www.educue.com.

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

UM Board of Trustees member Jay Weiss died in his sleep last weekend from complications with lung cancer. Weiss, a co-founder of Southern Wine & Spirits, was a prominent fundraiser and donor for UM, raising more than $150 million. He has been credited with helping build the Ryder Trauma Center through his fundraising efforts. He also is said to have put over 50 children through college. This generosity comes as no surprise to those who knew him.
President Shalala described Weiss as a “man so generous that those who have benefited from his personal gifts and advice could fill the Orange Bowl a hundred times.”
She went on to say that Weiss “leaves a hole so deep it will take all of us a lifetime to fulfill his dreams of educational opportunity and good health for everyone in our community.”

UM medical students, faculty and physicians recently participated in the annual Florida Keys Health Fair [FKHF], a Meds/Peds program offered by the UM School of Medicine for over 30 years. The premise of this program is to provide free and precautionary screening medical care to medically underserved areas and outlines three pillars: leading, training and educating.

This year, UM led volunteer teams composed of approximately 250 students and doctors to the sites throughout the Keys. This endeavor is funded by the newly created Department of Community Service [DOCS], a student-run organization that receives grants and donations from pharmaceutical companies, local organizations, alumni and parents to continuously make this project, as well as others, a success. DOCS seeks to centralize the efforts of the various health fairs run through the Medical School.

“It’s hard enough to be a medical student, and it’s worse yet when you feel that you’re reinventing the wheel each time as a new class of students takes the lead in setting up a health fair,” Jorge Alex Alvarez, director of operations of this year’s FKHF, said. “DOCS is an attempt to address those issues.”

To participate in this community service project, the team must be well trained to handle the high level of responsibility they hold. This project is integrated into the curriculum in the School of Medicine to give students well-rounded exposure to medical issues in underprivileged areas of the world.

“I heard various stories about how this year’s participants expressed gratitude in having their need for health care screenings met,” Alvarez said. “Also, I witnessed many students who selflessly volunteered their time and effort in organizing various aspects of the fair.”

In total, the UM team was able to help over 1,000 patients, both adults and children, a substantial increase from last year. The biggest aid to children came in the form of developmental screening. For adults, UM students and physicians assessed fundamental vitals such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels and diabetes.

In Key West, the team also provided cancer and HIV/STD screening for adults, and bicycle safety instructions for children.

Dr. Niraj Sharma, a three-year faculty advisor for this mission and the program director of the Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Residency Training Program, directed the team in Key West.

“One of the most important goals we have is to provide a tremendous amount of education to the patients,” Sharma said. “We do our best to get the community involved.”

According to Sharma, one of the emerging trends in children is the growing rate of obesity. For adults, the most frequent problem is diabetes, which leads to hypertension.

The UM team will be returning to the sites on Saturday, Feb. 21, to inform the patients of their lab results.

For more information, contact Dr. Niraj Sharma at 305-585-5954 or visit www.FKFH.org or www.UMDOCS.org.

Shalu Patel can be contacted at s.patel16@umiami.edu.

A native Miamian and a successful real estate agent, UM graduate Katrina Campins was a contestant in The Apprentice, NBC’s new reality show featuring Donald Trump and 16 young business moguls looking to be chosen to work as Trump’s protege. Campins graduated from UM’s School of Business in 2001 with a BBA in International Business and Marketing and a 4.0 GPA. Due to contractual obligations with NBC, she couldn’t answer specific questions about the show. She obliged The Hurricane with an interview to try to understand the secret of her success.

Hurricane: I understand you’ve had your real estate license since you were 18. How did you become involved in the field at such a young age?

Campins: I have been involved in real estate since 1997, when I accidentally stumbled upon my calling. At the age of 17, I closed a deal [that] involved paying $90,000 for a home offered at $299,000 with solely $100 as earnest money. I then flipped it and made a $35,000 profit in days. Needless to say, I fell in love with real estate.

H: How was your experience participating in The Apprentice?

C: The experience was surreal; it was more than I could have ever expected. It was an investment in my mind. It proved to be an educational experience [that] helped cultivate me intro a stronger businesswoman.

The Apprentice airs on Thursdays at 9 p.m. on NBC

H: How did you hear about The Apprentice? Did you know right away that you wanted to try out for it? What was the application process like? How did it feel to get chosen?

C: My clientele is composed of people from all walks of life. One of my specialties is assisting players in the NFL with their real estate and financial needs. An NFL player’s fianc

TODAY
The Psychology department will show Losing Isaiah in the Flipse Building at 6 p.m. as part of a film series in which professors discuss their research and compare it to how Hollywood portrays psychological disorders. Dinner is free.

TUESDAY
The first annual Study Abroad Fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the UC lower lounge. Come and learn about study abroad opportunities from students who experienced them. Free food will be provided. For more information, call the IEEP Study Abroad office at 305-284-3434.

As part of Black Awareness Month, the Black Filmmakers Association presents The Emperor Jones as part of the Black Film Series at 8 p.m. in Eaton.

The Academic Development Center hosts a Brown Bag Workshop on “Getting the Most From Reading Your Textbooks” at 12:30 p.m. in UC 241. Become a more “active” reader. Learn strategies to enhance your attention and comprehension while reading and create useful study/review notes from your readings for later test preparation.

WEDNESDAY
In honor of Black Awareness Month, the UBS presents “African Storytelling,” an event where African and Caribbean folk tales will be shared. Featuring Professor Edmund Abaka, the event will be held in the UC I-lounge at 7 p.m.

The Cinematic Arts Commission presents Top Gun at the Cosford Cinema at 8 and 10 p.m. Admission is free with ‘Cane Card.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 12
In honor of Black Awareness Month, the UBS, in association with The Org, presents a forum discussing the topic “The American Dream: Uncle Sam’s or Doctor King’s?”. This event will be held at 7 p.m. in UC Ballrooms A & B.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 14
In honor of Black Awareness Month, the Caribbean Students Association hosts Passions 2: Valentine’s Edition. Held at the Rat, this party will have DJ Madd Alliance Disco and runs from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Admission is $5 for non-UM students.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 15
In honor of Black Awareness Month, the UBS presents “Gospel Explosion,” a Gospel Music Showcase at 5 p.m. on the UC Patio, featuring singers, praise dancers, and more.

FRIDAY JANUARY 30- SUNDAY FEBRUARY 8
The University of Miami will sponsor events for the 21st Annual Miami International Film Festival including film industry panels, roundtable discussions, and educational seminars. Sixteen of the acclaimed festival’s 63 films from 34 countries will be screened on the Coral Gables campus. Tickets to films are $7 students, $9 members, $10 seniors, $11 general public, will be available to purchase by phone: 1-877-888-MIFF (6433) or through the Festival website at http://www.miamifilmfestival.com/.

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 3- FRIDAY FEBRUARY 6
Quantum Entertainment is holding auditions for their production of “West Side Story” in the UC Ballrooms between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. To audition, prepare a one-minute serio-comic monologue and 16 bars from a musical that best shows off your voice. Walk-ins are welcome during any of the hours listed, or reserve an audition appointment by sending an e-mail to WESTSIDECASTING@yahoo.com or call 305-284-4606. Appointments are six minutes in length. Dance auditions are held at 9 p.m. each night.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 9- FRIDAY FEBRUARY 13
Come join STEP, Students Together Ending Poverty, as they present Hunger and Homelessness Week 2004. Events such as “Sleep Out on the Rock,” featuring Jimmy Morales, will be held throughout the week. For more information, and a schedule of events, contact Neha Joshi at 786-877-2387.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 12- SUNDAY FEBRUARY 15
The Mu Epsilon chapter of Sigma Alpha Mu at the UM presents its third annual “SAM SLAM” philanthropy event. The benefit brings together sorority members on campus during a fun-filled weekend to compete in events such as a scavenger hunt and a penny war. On the 13th, a concert featuring DAZE will be held at the Rat from 7 p.m.- 9 p.m. All the money raised during the event is donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 23- SATURDAY FEBRUARY 28
E-week is a national event to celebrate the engineering profession. Events will be held throughout the week, including a HappyE-hour open to the entire university and a service project for engineering majors. For more information, contact Chris, Patty, or Matt of the Engineering Advisory Board at 305-284-3171.

Thousands of Internet mail servers, including the University’s Exchange system, fell victim in late January to a fast-working, multi-threat computer virus designed to clog emailboxes, make PCs accessible to web-based evildoers and ultimately shutdown Microsoft’s website.

The Novarg or Mydoom worm, discovered Jan. 26, may be the reason why some users of Exchange or other systems experienced PC operating problems or inboxes overflowing with reply emails from unknown addresses.

“The most common method of contracting the virus is downloading an email attachment. This particular virus sent out different emails with varying subject lines and file extensions, so it was difficult to identify,” said Ismael Pimienta, network specialist for Information Technology.

A download by only one user of a system can make all users susceptible to “spoofed-sender emails”: reply messages from unknown users that jam inboxes. However, only those users who actually download the infected file make their computer susceptible to outside threats.

“Once your system is infected, it opens a port that allows others to come into your PC and modify files. And once that door is opened, they can do whatever they want,” Pimienta said.

It was discovered that the eventual goal of the new virus was to configure infected PCs to simultaneously attack Microsoft’s website on Feb. 1, in hopes that flooding the site with information would cause it to shutdown, at least temporarily.

Microsoft is offering $250,000 through their Antivirus Rewards Program to anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for launching the Mydoom worm.

Due to the fast-spreading nature of this worm and others like it, Telecommunications often disables the accounts of infected students in an effort to halt further infection.

“Students that are having problems or discover their account isn’t working can bring in their PC for us to fix, or come pick up a disk with programs that will get rid of the virus,” said Jade Bautista, Network Specialist for Telecommunications.

Popular antivirus programs like Norton have updated definitions to include protection against the Mydoom worm. However, new viruses infect large systems like Exchange on a regular basis, so caution when downloading is advised.

“Unfortunately, it really relies a lot on users and their practices. Just one person could start a chain of events that is very difficult to stop,” Pimienta said.

Students who believe that their computer may be infected can call Telecommunications at 305-284-6565 with questions.

Samantha Riepe can be contacted by uninfected users at sriepe@miami.edu.

Field hockey comes to UM

There’s a new club on campus! Join the Field Hockey Club and help promote awareness, good sportsmanship, and teamwork. The objectives of the Field Hockey Club are to educate students about the sport and history of field hockey, develop skills and maintain physical fitness through its practices and friendly competition. Practices are every Tuesday and Friday, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Yaron Athletic Fields. Practices and scrimmages are open to all levels. For more information, contact Kristen Goodrich at 305-689-4199.

Fun Day needs buddies

Fun Day is a day for UM students to volunteer with a special citizen from the Miami area. Activities include mystery theatre, arts and crafts, music therapy, a barbecue and events on the commencement field. It was created by Dr. Foote over 20 years ago and is a long-standing UM tradition. This year’s Fun Day starts Saturday, Feb. 21 at 9 a.m. Buddy sign-ups take place in the breezeway from Jan. 22- Feb. 17. For more information, contact the Volunteer Services Center, located in UC 240, at 305-284-4483.

Volunteers wanted for UM’s Spring Career Expo 2004

Spring Career Expo 2004 will be held at the Wellness Center on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. Information can be found on the Career Expo website. Be one of the first to network with employers by volunteering at Expo! We help with a variety of tasks between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. If you’re interested, please email us with your availability at careerexpo@miami.edu. If you have not updated your resume or uploaded it onto CaneTRAK you should do it now. Stop by the Toppel Career Center, Monday – Thursday, 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. to have it critiqued. No appointment is necessary!
Meet your SG candidates

Meet the candidates and Referenda Sponsors of this year’s Student Government Elections on the UC Patio on Feb. 19 from 11:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m. The vice-presidential debate is on Feb. 17 at the Rat at 7 p.m., and the presidential debate will be held on Feb. 18 at the Rat at 7 p.m.

Board members sought for Hispanic Heritage Month
Interested in being involved with the Hispanic heritage Month 2004? Advisor Ms. Nanette Vega, Assistant Director of Multicultural Student Affairs [MSA], is currently accepting applications for the executive board. For more information, please contact MSA at 305-284-2855 or at nvega@miami.edu. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to learn more about the Hispanic culture.

The Ibis is still looking for candidates for “Senior Spotlight”, features on outstanding seniors in the 2004 yearbook. In order to nominate or apply, pass by the Ibis office, UC 229, and pick up a form. To apply, you must be a full time UM student with a GPA of 2.5. Forms are due in the office by Feb. 13.

Start getting your team together for another exciting round of intramural sports. Entries are now being accepted at the Wellness Center for basketball, arena football, flag football, and kickball. If you don’t have a team, then sign up on the free agent roster. To find out more about the intramural program, call Jason Carroll at 305-284-8518.

Registration is now taking place for the spring semester instructional classes at the Wellness Center. These classes are open to members and non-members so tell your friends, family, and fellow students! Instruction varies from dance classes to martial arts. You must register in person. For more information, call the Wellness Center at 305-284-5433.

In response to requests from students and faculty, the Richter Library will stay open until 10 p.m. on Saturdays during the Spring Semester. Throughout the semester, use will be analyzed to determine whether Saturday hours need to be expanded on a permanent basis. For information about hours over breaks and at other University of Miami Libraries, please see www.library.miami.edu

The Ibis yearbook is in need of writers. The theme of the book this year is school spirit, and they want to include as many voices and reactions as possible in the book. The Ibis covers anything and everything that takes place on campus, and even things off campus, like summer blockbusters, or the World Series. Everyone is encouraged to submit their stories, even if they think it’s not something that would be included. The stories are usually 250 through 300 words, but it is also okay if the articles are more, as that is something that can be worked with. There are plenty of assignments that need to be covered, and stories that are printed in the yearbook are considered published work, so it looks great on resumes! The Ibis yearbook wins awards every year, why not be a part of it? All quotes and stories can be sent to ibiswriter@hotmail.com or dropped off at the yearbook office in the UC 229. Include your name, year, and an e-mail address.

Former Kappa Sigma fraternity officers accused of wrongful death by Meredith’s parents

When freshman Chad Meredith drowned in seven feet of water in the middle of Lake Osceola two years ago after a 5 a.m. swim, the entire UM community was in shock. Now, his parents are suing the two Kappa Sigma fraternity officers who swam with Meredith. The wrongful death civil lawsuit seeks unspecified damages greater than $15,000.

Travis Montgomery and David May are accused of being negligent for hazing Meredith and for failing to rescue him, although Miami-Dade Police ruled out hazing two days after the incident. Meredith was hoping to join the fraternity.

Attorneys for both defendants said they would ask the circuit court judge on the case to exclude mention of hazing in front of the jury.

Two days after the incident, Miami-Dade Police deemed Meredith legally drunk with a blood alcohol level of .13, nearly double the legal limit in Florida.

The general consensus on campus is that the incident was an accident. The Hurricane documented the loving comments of dozens of students and fraternity members who were close to Meredith.

According to court depositions, Meredith, Montgomery and May decided to take a swim after a long night of attending a Ludacris concert and socializing at the Kappa Sigma fraternity house.

President Donna E. Shalala released a statement to students and community members the day of the tragedy.

“This is not a Greek issue,” Shalala told The Hurricane. “It’s an issue of students making poor choices.”

According to Miami-Dade Police Detective Ed Munn, who investigated the drowning, several factors could have contributed to Meredith’s drowning.

“He had a messed-up shoulder, he had just had a big meal, the water temperature was chilly and Chad had very little body fat,” Munn said in an interview with The Hurricane during the initial investigation phase of the case. “It was real simple to classify – it was a tragic accident.”

All of South Florida was swamped with heavy rains and high winds at the time of Meridith’s death. School had been canceled because of a hurricane warning the night before.

Swimming in the lake had been prohibited for over two decades.

If a Miami-Dade court rules against Montgomery and May, Meredith’s family could go after the homeowner’s insurance policies of the defendants’ parents, even though they were over 18 and living away from home. The family could also try to go after the fraternity’s insurance carrier.

Meredith came to UM from Indiana to study political science with hopes of attending law school. Friends say he came to UM for the diversity.

The Hurricane will continue to follow the court case as more details are released.

Jorge Arauz can be contacted at um_newspaper@yahoo.com.