Last week Get Out the Vote held a campus-wide voter registration campaign in the residence halls. According to Courtney Whitney, director of events for Get Out the Vote, the residence halls campaign had a strong turnout.

“We want to get the student body to have a bigger say in local politics,” Whitney said. “If we can get a lot of people to vote, then we will have a big voice.”

On Friday, representatives of Get Out the Vote spoke with officials from the Bush/Cheney 2004 campaign strategizing committee.

“We gave them information about what is going on at our school and how it can help out their campaign,” said Pam Schiess, director of registration for Get Out the Vote, said. “We will have more events next semester, just trying to keep it in everyone’s minds.”

Among the anticipated events for next semester will be registration drives in the classrooms, as well as in the law, graduate and medical schools. Get Out the Vote will also host various events throughout campus.

According to Schiess, there will also be forums hosted by Get Out the Vote, Council for Democracy, College Republicans and the UM Young Democrats to educate students about the presidential candidates and to encourage registration.

Also planned for next semester are registration competitions between various student organizations, fraternities and sororities with cash prizes for the groups that register the most people to vote.

During the blast-off event for the campaign, Council for Democracy received $250 for registering over 70 people.

“We are still stressing the importance of registering and voting in Coral Gables,” Mike Johnston, director of Get Out the Vote, said.

To date, Get Out the Vote have registered over 500 people to vote since their kick off on Nov. 11. They are halfway to their original goal.

For more information on Get Out the Vote, contact VoteUM@miami.edu.

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

It appears the floodgates have opened on the issue of gay rights in America. Last week Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to legalize gay marriage when its Supreme Court ruled that prohibitions on gay marriage are “incompatible” with the guarantees of personal freedom in the state’s constitution.
“The court opinion said that they can’t experience true freedom with a ban on the institution of marriage,” Ali Bustamante, freshman, said. “I think that is so true. I can’t believe President Bush is even looking into changing this – he is not representing the nation on this decision.”
Most would agree that the UM community is tolerant and accepting of gay people on campus.
SpectrUM, the on-campus student organization whose goal is to promote awareness on gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual issues, acknowledges that they are accepted on campus.
“Miami is really good about acceptance,” Cate Dundon, secretary of Spectrum, said. “I don’t really encounter any hostility.”
However, there is definite divergence over the issue of gay rights, especially when it comes to formally legalizing gay marriage. Many people have mixed feelings concerning the issue.
“I think it will open up new doors for people,” Ann Marie Mohan, freshman, said. “I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s their personal freedom and not my problem.”
According to a recent poll in The Miami Herald, while 80 percent of Americans believe society should put no restrictions on sex between consenting adults, about 55 percent believe that homosexuality is a sin.
Americans say they oppose gay marriage primarily because they see it as morally wrong and against religious beliefs. Many also believe marriage is meant to be between a man and a woman.
It is expected that there will be a backlash from religious conservatives and heated debate between Democrats and Republicans on the issue.
A Miami Herald article equated the recent court rulings in favor of gay rights to the legislation on civil rights and voting rights for blacks in the 1960s.
Currently Florida does not recognize same-sex marriages, and 37 states have laws defining marriage as between one man and one woman.
Some students, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed many of these same sentiments.
“I think marriage is between a man and a woman. I agree with President Bush’s stance on the issue,” one student said. “That’s just the way I was brought up.”
“I just don’t think it’s morally right. It’s not the definition of marriage,” another student said. “I think letting go of our values on this issue will lead to worse decisions.”
However, supporters of gay rights are optimistic about the recent succession of events.
“Anyone who is part of the movement for gay rights will be affected by this decision. The fact that it is a step toward pure equality will help us in the future,” Dundon said. “I think it’s a step in the right direction.”
While SpectrUM’s main focus as an organization is not political activism, it is currently in the process of organizing another on-campus group with a more political agenda. They hope to organize more political events next semester.
The debate over gay marriage is expected to be one of the most contentious issues in the upcoming Presidential campaigns.
The first Presidential debate for the 2004 elections will be held at the UM Convocation Center on Sept. 30.
The Miami Hurricane will continue to follow the issue of gay rights and how it affects the UM community as more information becomes available.

Megha Garg can be reached at mgarg@umsis.miami.edu.

CORRECTION:
The Nov. 11 SG Update article on page 8 of The Miami Hurricane headlined “Senators push to hold exams on Monday & Friday to discourage student drinking” was not authored by Mr. Danny Alvarez. It was compiled from the Senate Agenda posted on the SG office door. The Miami Hurricane would also like to clarify that the suggestion to reschedule exams to discourage drinking was an initiative taken by faculty members, not SG senators.

CORRECTION:
On page 3 of the Nov. 21 issue of The Miami Hurricane, the headline “Gay marriages legalized in the state of Mass.” was run over an article that was duplicated from page 5. The actual article was not run because of an error during the layout process.
The Massachusetts gay marriage ruling article has been printed in its entirety in this issue of the paper.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 26

CAC presents Bad Boys 2 at 8 and 10:30 p.m. at Cosford Cinema.

COISO present their annual International Thanksgiving Dinner at 7 p.m. Join COISO as they bring together all international students to share this American holiday with them.

THURsDAY & Friday, NOVEMBER 27 & 28

Thanksgiving break –
NO CLASSES

TUESDAY DECEMBER 2

Men’s basketball hosts Stetson at 8 p.m. in the Convocation Center.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5

Last day of classes!

Miccosukees help fund Presidential debate

The University of Miami has received a gift of more than $1 million from the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida to help defray the costs associated with hosting the 2004 Presidential Debate. The Commission on Presidential Debates recently notified the University of Miami that its Convocation Center on the Coral Gables campus will be the site of the first Presidential debate. The debate will be the first-ever held in the state of Florida.
The University of Miami was recently selected from among 14 formal proposals submitted to the Commission last spring. It is the only university selected from along the eastern seaboard.
The University plans to create seminars, lectures and other programs to support the debate and to involve students, faculty, staff and the community in the experience.
The debate will be broadcast live at 9 p.m. on Sept. 30, 2004.

SART seeks volunteers

The University of Miami needs volunteers to serve on the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). Warm, empathic and mature faculty, staff and graduate students are needed as advocates for victims of sexual assaults. The SART program is organized under the direction of the Student Counseling Center. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer member of this important team, please call us at 305-284-5511 for more information.

Stop, Drop & Run needs food donations

Stop, Drop and Run is coming to a dorm near you. Going away for winter break and need to get rid of the food in your dorm room? Donation boxes will be set up in each residential college to donate unwanted foodstuff so that it can go to the needy of our community for the holidays. Help LINK feed the community!

‘Ibis’ wants writers

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 to 300 words, but it is also okay if the articles are more. There are plenty of assignments that need to be covered, and stories 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.

Gift-givers needed for Holiday Hope Tree

The Butler Volunteer Services Center is celebrating all the holidays by giving you a chance to buy a disadvantaged child a gift. Holiday Hope Tree information can be picked up at the University Center Information Desk.

UM is Up Till Dawn to help St. Jude’s hospital

Up Till Dawn is looking for people who are willing to help raise money for a great cause. St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital is a non-profit organization that treats children with life-threatening illnesses at no cost to the family. They also do research to find cures for these illnesses. If they find a cure or breakthrough, they share it nation-wide free of cost. St. Jude’s is a hospital dedicated to making sure no child is unable to receive treatment. If you or your organization want to help in this effort to raise money for the hospital, contact VSC at 284-GIVE.

An estimated 800 people attended the Diwali show this weekend, hosted by an Indian mock-family of five UM students from the Indian Students Association [ISA] and held at the North Miami Beach Performing Arts Center.

Traditional Indian food was served at the event.

“The food was delectable, the performances were tantalizing and the skits were belly-busting hilarious,” Pushpak Taunk, senior, said.

Diwali, the Indian new year, celebrates the emergence out of darkness and into light and knowledge. This festival of lights signifies the renewal of life. It is common for people to light small oil lamps, called diyas, and candles to celebrate the day.

This year, UM students were able to celebrate with an audience.

The show opened with a documentary filmed by the Hindu Students Association. In this film, a host asked UM students questions about the Hindu religion and caught their answers on tape. Many of the responses were blank stares.

The acts in the show included classical, traditional and modern Indian dancing as well as a vocal performance. The comical family represented some stereotypes of an Indian family: strict parents with heavy accents, an aspiring singer daughter, a cricket player son and a tag-along neighbor.

One act that got the audience riled was a choreographed dance competition between boys and girls, known as antakshri. With the audience as the judges, it was clear that the girls won.

“It was an awesome show that truly managed to display the full array of Indian culture,” said Bhargava Kondaveeti, sophomore and ISA board treasurer.

In addition to ISA’s showcasing of Indian culture, UM’s Filipino Students Association also took part as performers in this occasion.

“The show was a great cultural fusion,” said Deepika Aneja, junior and program coordinator. “Without a great board and performers, the show would not have been possible.”

According to organizers, performers prepared for months to make the event a success.

“Participating in the show made me feel more in touch with my roots and gave me more appreciation for my culture,” Ankita Desai, freshman, said.

“This year’s Diwali show turned out great,” said Aaron Carter, ISA public relations officer. “It was the culmination of all the hard work of each member of ISA, and it showed in each of the dances. Also, the floral decorations and lighting in the arts center set the tone.”

“I love how the annual show gives a chance for UM students to experience a taste of Indian culture,” Carter said. “I will definitely attend next year’s show, and don’t be surprised to see me in a few of the dances, too.”

For more information, contact ISA President Naveen Bellam at n.bellam@umiami.edu.

Shalu Patel can be contacted at shalu03@hotmail.com.

Police were worried that the free trade meetings held in downtown Miami last week would get out of control.

They had little to be anxious about.

Headlines were made on Friday, the final day of the demonstrations, over a group of several dozen violent protesters about 200 yards away from a trade minister’s meeting. But there were 300 Miami police to take care of the few dozen dissenters. Just over 80 arrests were made in all, with charges ranging from assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest to burglary.

Most of the week’s protesters conducted their protests peacefully and in accordance with the law.

But police had reason to be concerned. In 1999, similar rallies in Seattle led to protesters throwing stones and gasoline-bombs at police in an attempt to disband the WTO summit that was being held there. Over 11,000 officers were used to keep the peace.

Miami police were out in similar numbers. In anticipation of the event, brigades were stationed at every cross street, wearing head-to-toe bullet-proof padding with helmets and plastic face masks and holding thick crowd-control batons horizontally against their bodies.

In parts of Bicentennial Park where the protests began, officers lounged in the sun after the main march had passed and leaned back-to-back against each other. Aids filtered through the ranks, handing out bottles of water and energy bars.

At the main protest Thursday, 10,000 protesters were expected, but it appeared as though far less actually showed up. And while the protesters were prepared with pamphlets and chants, the sidewalks were virtually devoid of crowds to watch them.

“What good is a protest without people to watch?” said Michael Weisbein, junior, who attended the rally Thursday. “They close down the entire downtown district for this thing, and the protests go on, but for who?”

UM is a short metro ride away from the demonstrations. Several campus groups went down to either watch or participate in the protests.

Several members of UM’s Advocates for Conservative Thought attended protests Friday, and at least two classes went downtown as part of the curriculum.

Local schools have also used the protests as a case study.

“I think the FTAA summit demonstrations have been over-hyped,” Ileana Duyos, a local elementary school teacher, said. “The city definitely took great measures to prepare for the summit.”

“Some of my friends have had discussions about the FTAA in their classes,” Les Pantin, a Gulliver Preparatory High School student, said. “The media made the protests seem almost uncontrollable prior to the summit.”

John Cervera, a student at FIU, said the media has sensationalized the protests instead of concentrating on informing the public of what the FTAA actually is.

“They give the anarchists the attention they want,” Cervera said.

The week was full of media coverage, with swarms of reporters covering every inch of protest. In one protest against the Gap clothing company, about a dozen demonstrators went without clothes, attracting attention from more than a dozen media outlets.

One protester summed up his participation by saying that any little bit of activism would help the cause.

“When you quit, you’re responsible for your own defeat,” said John Sutcliffe, a protester at Thursday’s demonstrations.

The summit ended Thursday, earlier than planned, when the FTAA ministers came to a tentative agreement on a framework for what will be the world’s largest free trade area.

Jillian Bandes can be contacted at jillianbandes@hotmail.com. Ernesto Zaldivar can be contacted at e.zaldivar@umiami.edu.