The women’s basketball team came into their first exhibition game Monday with high hopes after an NCAA Tournament appearance last season. Their loss to the Mike Ward All-Stars was disappointing, but it showed encouraging signs for the regular season.
Tamara James, the Big East scoring leader last season, had 27 points in the 91-82 loss. The ‘Canes’ offense was impressive, as they had three players score 15 or more points. James’ effort was complimented by Shaquana Wilkins, who had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore Yolanda McCormick also recorded a double double with 15 points and 10 assists. As a team, the Hurricanes shot 53 percent from the field.
“I think offensively this is the most talented team we’ve ever had,” Head Coach Ferne Labati said. “We have never had this many kids with the ability to score loads and loads of points.”
The Hurricanes struggled on the defensive end of the court, however, and never found the answer to stopping All-Stars sharpshooter Alicia Abernathy, who had a game-high 32 points, going five for seven from three point range. Abernathy also grabbed nine rebounds.
“We really struggled in our man to man defense and our transition defense, and those are the two things we really need to work on,” Labati said. “We still got our 15 steals, but we aren’t capable of playing really good team defense right now and that is the foundation that our whole team has to be built on this year.”
In addition to their problems on the defensive end, the ‘Canes did not take care of the basketball well. The Hurricanes turned the ball over 26 times, 17 of which came in the first half where UM relinquished a nine-point lead and trailed 44-40 at the half.
“A lot of the turnovers were not even forced,” Shaquana Wilkins said. “They were stupid turnovers like not catching the ball and making sloppy passes. Trust me, we will get better.”
The Hurricanes’ glaring weakness in this contest was defense. Allowing 91 points in their first exhibition team is not encouraging, but the team has no reason to panic yet.
“Basically, our help defense was horrible tonight and we need to fix that in practice,” Wilkins said. “That [defense] is our weakness right now, but this was our first game, so now we have film to break down, which will help us a lot.”
In the talented Big East conference, however, the ‘Canes are going to need to fix their problems in a hurry if they want to remain competitive. The team was picked to finish sixth in the conference this season.
“Sixth is not very good, we are so much better than that, all I can say is they don’t like Miami and we will just have to prove them wrong,” Wilkins said. “We are going to go farther than we did last year, I think we can go to the Sweet Sixteen.”
Women’s basketball suffers tough loss to Mike Ward All-Stars
Men’s basketball shows promise
Darius Rice scored 34 points and Robert Hite added 17 as the men’s basketball team lost to Nike Elite 88-86 Sunday night in the ‘Canes’ first exhibition game of the season.
Despite blowing a 13-point first half lead, Head Coach Perry Clark was introspective and reassuring after the game.
“This is exactly what we needed,” Clark said. “It’s tough to play an exhibition game this early…but I thought we did a lot of good things.”
Playing with a dislocated finger on his shooting hand, Rice made 12-of-18 shots, including three consecutive three-pointers in the first four minutes of the game. Rice also led the ‘Canes in rebounding with 10 boards.
“I was surprised at Rice,” Clark said. “He missed a lot of time, and he shot the ball very well and that’s why a lot of times I don’t necessarily worry about him.”
Following the game, Rice insisted that his finger was “fine” and is focused on getting more of his teammates involved.
“We have to have more than just me scoring,” Rice said. “Everybody has to play a team game.”
Former Penn State standout Brandon Watkins scored 20 points and former Wyoming star Donta Richardson added 16 as Nike Elite battled back in the second half despite trailing 50-44 at halftime.
Watkins converted a three-point play that gave Nike Elite an 85-82 lead and converted one of two free throws to make the score 88-86. After Hite failed to convert a runner with seven seconds left, Stan Blackmon grabbed the rebound for Nike Elite and was immediately fouled. Blackmon went on to miss both foul shots, leaving the door open for the ‘Canes with 3.4 seconds left in the game. The Hurricanes failed to get a shot off, however, and time expired.
Hite, who shot 50 percent from the field, was singled out by Clark for his contributions in the loss. The Hurricanes are looking for a second scorer after losing James Jones to graduation, and Hite may be the answer.
“I’ve been working real hard on it [shooting],” Hite said. “I want to be a leader and make plays, and make smart decisions, and get my other teammates involved and make them better.”
Clark addressed some concerns with the team’s performance.
“We didn’t rebound the ball very well,” Clark said. “I was very disappointed. Playing good defense means rebounding and I don’t think we did a good job rebounding especially late in the game. In the last five minutes we made some very poor basketball decisions that we got to correct.”
One of the reasons why the Hurricanes struggled on the glass could be the absence of junior forward Will Frisby, who missed the game because of mononucleosis. He is expected to be back in a week.
The Hurricanes’ next exhibition game will be on Wednesday, November 12 at 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center where they will play host to Team Georgia.
In the days leading up to Nov. 12, the team will be working hard to make improvements.
“We will go back and watch film,” Clark said. “In the next ten days we will do a lot of teaching…and spend more time now on the details.”
You can reach Max Panoff at m.panoff@umiami.edu
BRIEFS
Rowing
The University of Miami rowing team took first place finishes in the Women’s Club 8+, the Women’s Collegiate and Club Novice 8+, the Women’s Freshman/Novice 4+, and the Women’s Open Pair. In addition, the Hurricanes earned a second place finish over powerhouses Texas and Duke in the Women’s Varsity 4+ at the 2003 Head of the Chattahoochee Regatta on Nov. 1-2 at Lake Lanier in Atlanta, Ga.The Lake Lanier venue was the site of the1996 Olympic Rowing events.
“This weekend was a great pay off for the athletes and the coaches,” Head Coach Debra Morgan said. “We have been riding on faith for a while now, knowing we needed to put in a lot of hard work at practice before we would see the better race results. Hopefully this weekend will only be the start of a rise in the national rankings.”
UM’s Women’s Club 8+ team of coxswain Jessica Martin, rowers Anna Cohen, Bridget Gallagher, Karen Wiley, Sarah Conlon, Rachel Sander, Laura Coltman , Rachel Clausing and Jenny Dunning placed first ahead of fifteen teams with a time of 17:44.8.
“We had the race we were capable of,” said coxswain Jessica Martin. “Not only did we want to beat our time from last year, we wanted to win. At the starting line I told them how last year we took more than 20 minutes so this year we wanted to break 19. Sarah added that we should break 18 minutes, and we did exactly that.”
Rowers Valerie Webb (Fr.), Ashley Via (Fr.), Alicia Alamar (Fr.), Marenda Chamberlin (Fr.), Sarah Stocks (Fr.), Erin Morris (Jr.), Molly Wilson (Fr.), Nicole Van Ee (Fr.) and coxswain Meghan Leydecker (Fr.) earned the Hurricane’s second top-place finish in the Women’s Collegiate and Club Novice 8+ with a time of 19:27.1.
The Hurricanes’ team of coxswain Meghan Leydecker, rowers Karen Wiley, Sarah Conlon, Valerie Webb and Laura Coltman finished with a time of 20:18.4 to take top honors Freshman/Novice 4+.
Miami placed second in the Women’s Varsity 4+ with a time of 19:42.3 behind Clemson and just ahead of Texas, a team that competed at the 2002 NCAA Championships. The UM Varsity 4+ team consisted of coxswain Laura Comeau, rowers Ashley Marinscin, Jenny Krawec, Aoife Forde, and Jordanna Heywood.
Forde comes to UM from Galway, Ireland and rowed in the two seat of Varsity 4+ as well as the Varsity 8+.
The Hurricanes also placed fifth in the Varsity 8+, third and seventh in the Women’s Club 4+, third in the Women’s Collegiate and Club Novice 4+, third in the Women’s Single, and second and fifth in the Women’s Open 4x.
Miami will return to the water on Saturday, Nov. 8 to participate in the Florida Fall Regatta in Melbourne, Fla.
Golf
The University of Miami women’s golf team recorded a final round 305 to finish fourth at the Ross Resorts Invitational in Southern Pines, N.C.
The Hurricanes, who have finished in the top-5 of all five tournaments this fall, were led by senior Camilla Hilland who finished tied for fifth with a three-round total of 226 (77-73-76).
Darby Sligh won the individual title with a three round score of 211 (68-75-68). James Madison (299-305-307-911) won the team championship.
The Ross Resorts Invitational is the final event of the fall season for the Hurricanes. Miami opens its spring season February 8-10 at the UCF Invitational in Orlando, Fla.
‘Canes ready for dangerous Vols
Virginia Tech exploited all of Miami’s weaknesses during their 31-7 victory over the ‘Canes, putting the team in a very unfamiliar situation.
Head Coach Larry Coker must compose his team after his first regular season loss at UM and get them prepared for an important game with No. 18 University of Tennessee.
The loss throws the ‘Canes into a pack of one-loss teams hoping to finish second in the BCS and grab a birth in the Sugar Bowl. The Hurricanes are currently fourth in the BCS rankings behind undefeated Oklahoma, USC, and Florida State, who the ‘Canes beat in October.
Coker knows that the important thing at this juncture is to win the rest of the games and let the computer rankings fall where they may.
“I was a little surprised we were ranked as high as we were [in the BCS],” Coker said. “The thing we’ve got to do is regroup, play well and beat Tennessee.”
The Hurricanes’ opportunistic defense has contributed greatly to their success this season, scoring five defensive touchdowns, but the Hokies took that away from by running 41 times and passing just eight times. With senior quarterback Casey Clausen, the Volunteers will try to pass on Miami’s defense.
“He’s a big kid and he tends to win games for them,” Coker said. “Casey can control the ball and they have some good receivers.”
The ‘Canes’ secondary will take the field without their best cornerback, Antrel Rolle, who was suspended for a retaliation punch thrown at Virginia Tech’s DeAngelo Hall.
V-Tech spent Saturday night consistently putting pressure on quarterback Brock Berlin, who made two bad decisions that led to touchdowns. Despite Berlin’s 12:9 interception to touchdown ratio, Coker said that “nothing warrants” a quarterback change.
Berlin and the offensive line had trouble with persistent blitzing against the Hokies. Coker said that while Tennessee may not blitz as much as the Hokies, they play a very physical game.
“If you ask our players, the most physical team we played last year was Tennessee,” Coker said.
“Last year was a hard hitting affair,” offensive lineman Eric Winston said. “We’re going to have our hands full Saturday.”
If facing a Top 25 team the week after their first regular season loss since the 2000 season and losing their top cornerback to a suspension doesn’t seem daunting enough, then add in the fact that two of their top defensive tackles will miss the game with injuries.
Orien Harris, who Coker said is playing as well as anyone on the team right now, and backup Santonio Thomas, who missed most of last season with a torn pectoral muscle, both injured their legs in last week’s game.
Coker declined to comment on the extent of the injuries, saying that they would both miss “a period of time.” However, Coker did say that the injury to Thomas happened on a dirty play by Virginia Tech center Jake Grove.
“It was a late hit, the official didn’t see it,” Coker said. “The play was over. The offensive center took about a 10-yard run and just cut him from behind.”
Coker sent the tape of the play to Big East officials, but doesn’t expect that they will do anything about it.
“It’s not my judgment to make. It’s the conference’s call to make,” Coker said. “I don’t expect them to do anything, to be quite honest. It’s a situation where the official missed it.”
The ‘Canes will start Kareem Brown next to Vince Wilfork on the defensive line and defensive end Baraka Atkins could see some time inside as well.
“If they want to take those cheap shots, that proves what kind of people they are. And it’s not going to change,” Winston said. “If that’s the way they want to be portrayed, then let them. They’ll have to face the consequences down the road of their actions. Everything comes around full circle.”
If Miami can sustain the emotion they showed while retaliating against Virginia Tech’s cheap shots and regain the composure that they lost in the process, then Tennessee will have a long Saturday afternoon.
Nate Johnson can be reached at NPJ44@aol.com
Volleyball earns much-needed victory
The women’s volleyball team came up large against Central Florida Tuesday night during their only game of the season at the Convocation Center.
Miami (20-7, 7-2 in the Big East) pulled off a 3-1 win to get the team back in a groove following its loss to conference rival Pittsburgh last Sunday. UCF falls to 18-5, remaining undefeated in the Atlantic Sun Conference (8-0).
The home venue of the Convocation Center was unusual for the Hurricanes, but the lighting and ample room appeared to have a positive effect.
“It was different,” said sophomore middle blocker Karla Johnson. “I feel more comfortable in the [Knight] Sports Complex, but both of them are home.”
Leyre Santaella Sante led Miami with 19 kills. Johnson had five total blocks, including two solos, while Francheska Savage added three blocks and Robin Lewullis had a pair of solo blocks. Biz Tyson topped the ‘Canes in digs (17) and service aces (2). Jill Robinson recorded a game-high 45 assists.
In game one, Santaella Sante seemed to be getting satisfaction out of coming out on top against her former Knight teammates early in the match. She had a service ace following a kill to keep the ‘Canes ahead. She was able to tip the ball over for the 30-21 win.
“I think it’s a hard thing to play against teammates and great friends, and she was in a difficult situation,” Head Coach Nicole Lantagne Welch said. “I think she put it all aside and came out here in another match for Miami volleyball and did a great job for us.”
Game two saw UM break away with a strong performance, including a Kaitlin Kozak dig that set up the 30-16 victory.
UCF had the edge in the third game, preventing a sweep with a 30-28 win.
“We kind of let up in the third game, but we tried to come out strong in the fourth game,” Johnson said.
Both teams showed their hunger during the fourth game. UCF’s Lindsey Whalen kept the Knights on top early on. A Savage block for the Hurricanes followed by a Lewullis kill tied the score at 13. The lead bounced back and forth between the two teams for the duration of the game. Two key points by Robinson, Savage, and Johnson set up the 30-28 Hurricane victory.
“We’ve been working on getting our middles in quicker…we have had tremendous success with [Johnson] and [Savage] putting those balls away,” Lantagne Welch said. “The keys are timing and running as quick as possible and having them go up high and kill those balls.”
Lantagne Welch was also impressed with Lewullis’s performance. The whole team could agree that getting a win was of utmost importance for the ‘Canes.
“We started out very solid and played great,” Lantagne Welch said. “I think we got a little tentative, a little comfortable, and got them back in it. We didn’t finish as strongly as we could, but we finished, so we’ll take it.”
Miami continues conference play tonight at Syracuse and Sunday at Notre Dame.
“Hopefully we can just take the momentum we have from this game and just keep going,” Johnson said.
Melissa Teich can be reached at melissateich@hotmail.com.
Convocation Center swings, misses the beat
Late during spring semester last year, I wrote an article where I addressed the need for the University to book respected and appropriate musical acts to perform at the school’s new convocation center. Certainly, the venue’s success in drawing Coldplay and Ludacris has been encouraging, but progress came to a screaming halt last month when it was announced that the arena’s next concert would feature none other than America’s favorite boy band, Good Charlotte. Good Charlotte? What are we, 13?
I was hoping this wouldn’t happen. The school’s got it all wrong. You see, we don’t like crap. I was hoping they would at least throw a bone to a school with a top-tier music program and a radio station dedicated to indy music. But instead, they chose Good Charlotte. What, did the All-American Rejects already have plans?
The Convocation Center events committee needs to make a serious effort to gauge what the students really want. I’ll give you a hint: it isn’t Neil Goldberg’s cirque, which performed at the Convocation Center on October 18th (The Miami Herald called it “a combination of fantasy circus and Broadway dream,” which basically means it sucked), and it certainly, most definitely, without question is not Good Charlotte.
I know it wasn’t a financial problem, either. Good Charlotte probably cost a pretty penny to perform on campus, and the events committee obviously chose consciously to have them perform. I can think of dozens of acts, including a number of homeless street performers, who would have been better concerts than Good Charlotte.
So why not just ask the kids? I know we wouldn’t arrive at a consensus on an act to perform, but we would certainly overwhelmingly vote ‘Or what’ to the question “Does Good Charlotte rock, or what?”
I’m sick of hearing my best friends at UF and FSU raving about how Incubus and Dave and Outkast came to perform on their campus. I’m sick of them asking who’s played on UM campus recently.
But more than anything, I’m sick of the processed pop crap that is being scheduled at a pristine, $50 million facility. The University of Miami needs to open its eyes and schedule talent that reflects student interest. The time is now for the Convocation Center to find out what the students really want.
Ben Minkus can be contacted at Boopalee@aol.com.
Constitutional free speech or not, its still racism
To hear Rush Limbaugh opine, you’d swear that the constitution had specific language in it that protects the right of free speech for all blow-hards and bigots. It does, sort of. Pugnacious and unforgiving, Limbaugh has been quoted as calling women’s rights advocates “feminazis” and liberal activists “commie-symps.” Limbaugh’s simplistic and scathing assaults on all things liberal are broadcasted daily on over 600 radio stations. He is extremely popular with ultraconservatives and his “let’s take everyone out behind the woodshed for a healthy dose of discipline” approach has garnered him a faithful following. He has become a very wealthy man as a result. Newsweek magazine recently reported the value of Limbaugh’s nine-year radio deal to be $285 million.
His recent comments about Quarterback Donovan McNabb receiving special consideration from the media because he is black, and because the media wants a black quarterback to succeed, have led to several counter-volleys and accusations of racism. Limbaugh’s statements about McNabb presupposed that black quarterbacks need the help of a friendly media to justify the caliber of their play. By addressing McNabb’s race as the primary factor as opposed to his physical or mental ability to play, Limbaugh infers that quarterbacks who are black are inferior. Facts tell a different tale and by all accounts McNabb is considered to be among the top ten players at his position. If Limbaugh had done some homework, he would have surfaced countless incidents of racial discrimination in the NFL that would show that African-Americans have long been wrongfully excluded from positions of importance (i.e. quarterback and head coach). Fortunately, most everyone has realized that Limbaugh was likely pushing certain buttons and may very well have counted on the backlash for publicity’s sake. It seems that nowadays almost anything passes for news and/or entertainment. Regardless, Limbaugh unapologetically sought refuge for his comments in the 1st Amendment free speech guarantee.
As a staunch believer in the constitution and the many freedoms it bestows, I stand firmly behind Limbaugh’s right to express his views, even if they are ignorant and racist. The way I see it, even blow-hards are protected. I just hope that one day Limbaugh will avail himself of another equally profound constitutional right (contained within the 5th Amendment) and do both himself and us all a favor by remaining silent, because free speech or not, he is still a racist.
Octavio Ramos is a grad student in the Department of History. He can be reached at o.ramos@umiami.edu.
Free speech is not just for speech that you like
The recent controversy over Rush Limbaugh’s comments about Donovan McNabb receiving special consideration by the sports media have highlighted some very important issues. Many have claimed that his comments were “racist,” that he was in effect implying that African-American quarterbacks couldn’t make it without special help. This is not even close to what he said. His comments were that he didn’t believe that McNabb’s performance rated the type of accolades he regularly receives in the press. It was his contention that the sports media is doing this because they want to see a “black quarterback succeed” since McNabb is one of the few African American quarterbacks. While I think he was clearly wrong about McNabb, the shark-like swimming around figurative blood in the water obscures the fact that these same people who are condemning him are also missing the point as to what free speech actually means.
Supporting free speech means that one must support everyone’s right to say what he or she feels even if such speech enrages you and makes your blood vessels explode. The only one who seems to have understood and expressed this was Donovan McNabb himself, who responded to Limbaugh’s comments in true gentlemanly fashion. The same cannot be said of certain Democrat presidential candidates who took advantage of the situation to demand that ESPN fire Limbaugh. If it truly is a “right” to free speech, then Rush should be able to express his opinion, regardless of how wrong it was, without fear of reprisal. If the public and the media as well as anyone else want to voice criticism of what he said, then they should do so, as is their right. Were he in a position to directly affect McNabb’s employment or career path, then Limbaugh’s comments would give one cause to consider his departure from such a position. The reality is, Limbaugh’s comments have produced the exact opposite effect on McNabb, transforming him into a very sympathetic figure.
In the final analysis, if a person can be fired for saying something someone doesn’t like then we really don’t have free speech (the notable exception being that which disrupts the workplace, etc). Additionally, if a white man can’t make a legitimate (although in this case entirely unwarranted) criticism of someone who is not white without always being accused of racism, then we don’t have free speech either. That’s the true injustice.
Scott Wacholtz can be reached at aramis1642@hotmail.com.
EDITORIAL: Flight of the Alligator
If you’re traveling this winter break and you haven’t bought your plane tickets already, be prepared to sacrifice most of your hard-earned work-study and table-waiting savings. Tickets are incredibly expensive this year, for many reasons. Terrorism is a blanket excuse for anyone to hike up prices or topple civil liberties. Those airlines keep threatening bankruptcy, and you wonder how a multibillion-dollar industry could just “lose” all that money when they already overcharge you for a 2-foot-wide seat and a meal that somewhat resembles plastic. “The economy is bad” is what everyone says when they can’t get a job or can’t afford a new car, but the airlines really need to suck it up and admit that 9/11 isn’t hurting their business much anymore. If anything, travel is booming now in a post-9/11 world and prices are increasing because of rising passenger confidence and safety. People aren’t fearful of becoming living missiles when they board a plane-the chances are just too rare. Thanks to new and improved safety measures, the only really dangerous things on airplanes, aside from the vacuum-powered toilets, are all those alligators on the loose.
Late last month, an American Airlines flight was carrying four alligators from Miami to Newark when one escaped from its containment. These gators, which belonged to passengers on the plane, were kept in the cargo hold inside burlap sacks inside of crates. When the plane landed, one of the gators was outside the crate but in its sack, snout still bound. Well, luckily, some cops were able to wrangle the critter with a lasso before it did anything shocking, like try to sit in First-Class. Some eyewitness reports place the alligator in Coach earlier in the flight, reclined and with a pair of headphones on, catching the end of the in-flight movie, “Finding Nemo.”
You must be asking several questions of yourself right now. Why would somebody bring an alligator to New Jersey? Does the alligator get an in-flight meal? Wouldn’t you consider an alligator slightly more dangerous than nail clippers or cosmetics scissors? Why can’t I bring my alligator on an airplane? Do alligators get their own bathrooms and if not, where does it all go? Does that explain why airplane food tastes funny?
The alligator may have just been tired and heading for one of those new SkyBeds that the “struggling” airlines now offer to “sleepy” customers. For an additional price, you can take a nap on those long-haul transatlantic flights. But where there’s a bed, there’s always more going on than just sleeping. Years from now you’ll meet people who’ll tell you how they were conceived on Lufthansa at about 30,000 feet with only mild turbulence.
Your best chances in plane tickets will come from STA (located in the UC first floor) or some Internet travel agency, like Travelocity.com or AAASouth.com. Prices will only go up each day closer to Christmas, and soon whole flights and days will be sold out. Better get to your agent soon, before the infamous alligator from Lake Osceola decides it’s time for a vacation and steals your seat.
POLICE BEAT: Self-defense courses available for women
SAFETY TIP OF THE WEEK
The Rape Aggression Defense System is an internationally recognized program of realistic self-defense tactics and techniques for women. The R.A.D. System is a comprehensive, women-only course that begins with awareness, prevention, risk reduction and risk avoidance, while progressing on to the basics of hands-on defense training. R.A.D. is not a Martial Arts program.
The courses are taught by nationally certified R.A.D. Instructors and provide each student with a workbook and reference manual. This manual outlines the entire Physical Defense Program for reference and continuous personal growth and is the key to their free lifetime return and practice policy for R.A.D. graduates. RAD is also the only self-defense program endorsed by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA).
For information contact Public Safety at 284-6666.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 29
1:58 p.m. 5665 Ponce de Leon Burglary
3:50 p.m. 1311 Miller Dr.
Grand Theft
THURSDAY OCTOBER 30
12:34 p.m. 5665 Ponce de Leon Burglary
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 1
12:40 a.m. 1200 Dickinson Dr.
Hit and Run
1:52 a.m. 5800 San Amaro Dr.
Hit and Run
MONDAY NOVEMBER 3
3:15 p.m. 1530 Liguria Ave. Grand Theft
5:42 p.m. 5202 University Dr. Criminal Mischief
6:19 p.m. 1239 Dickinson Dr. Theft
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 4
5:20 a.m. 1241 Dickinson Dr. Criminal Mischief
2:25 p.m. 6100 San Amaro Dr. Criminal Mischief
4:24 p.m. 5202 University Dr.
Grand Theft
The Hurricane is currently working to improve Police Beat by working with Coral Gables Police Department.
For more information on crimes and crime prevention, contact Public Safety at 284-6666.
HURRICANE HEALTHWATCH: Wild weekends lead to Monday morning hangovers
Dear Hurricane,
I have a friend who I’m quite concerned about regarding her health, grades and our friendship. She was always a partier, but her drinking seemed under control. However, this semester she’s drinking more than ever. She goes out every weekend and gets wasted. She used to do this only on Friday and Saturday nights, but she’s now drinking heavily on Sundays. Some weekends she is so sick, I have to give up going out or studying because I feel badly leaving her and not helping her when she’s sick.
Since she started drinking on Sundays, my Monday mornings are a huge hassle. It takes so much to wake her up and get her going because she always has a hangover. When we get to class, she sleeps through the entire hour, so I always let her copy my lecture notes later on when she is sober.
Lately, I haven’t made such an effort to wake her up because I am tired of being her babysitter. I have tried talking to her about heavy drinking habits, but she doesn’t listen. Her test scores are not as high as they were as they were last year, and our friendship is suffering. I’m really worried about her and I want to help her. What should I do?
Sincerely,
Tired of Babysitting
Dear Tired of Babysitting,
I’m glad to see you are seriously concerned about your friend. It’s sad to see friends making mistakes, especially when their classes and relationships are affected. Many people are afraid to say anything to friends for fear that they may get them in trouble. The truth is you can help your friends without getting them in trouble. You can even help without them knowing your involvement.
I would suggest you contact your RA. RAs receive special training to refer students to campus resources. An RA also may involve an RC. RCs do more than just discipline students. They are educated to help students through counseling and referrals. If you are not living in the residential colleges, consider speaking with a University administrator. Many are knowledgeable in campus and community resources. You can also arrange anonymous referrals for your friend to visit Pier 21 or the Counseling Center. This way, your friend will receive help without knowing who requested it.
I hope this situation turns out to be a success and, in the end, you might even want to reveal to her that you were the anonymous individual who requested the referral. She will probably thank you.
Sincerely,
Kellie Jackson
Kellie Jackson is a freshman majoring in broadcasting and theatre and works as a peer educator at Pier 21.
To submit questions or concerns to Hurricane Health Watch or to comment on previous entries, contact um_newspaper@yahoo.com.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: TERESA SVOBODA Creative writing visiting professor has traveled the world
“I talk like a lady who knows what she wants,” reads the first line of Terese Svoboda’s story Trailer Girl. But Svoboda, a visiting creative writing professor at UM, talks like a lady who has already done most everything one could ever want to do.
Svoboda has lived in Africa, Polynesia and New York City, and she plans to spend January in England, summer in Russia, and fall in Italy.
“How soon one forgets one’s responsibilities,” Svoboda said while trying to remember her long list of obligations this year.
Yet the UM administration managed to convince her to teach for a year in Miami.
Originally from Nebraska, Svoboda did her undergraduate work at several schools and received an MFA from Columbia University.
She currently lives in New York’s Chinatown with her husband, an inventor, and her two sons, one of whom is away at college in Colorado.
Svoboda says she’s making great personal sacrifices by commuting between Miami and New York each week.
“I’m here in Miami Monday through Thursday – I’m home with my husband and my 12-year-old on the weekends,” Svoboda said.
This semester Svoboda teaches ENG 406, an advanced poetry class that focuses on the work of imprisoned poets throughout the world, many of whom have been jailed for political reasons.
“Students learn the techniques of the imprisoned poets, some of whom are the best writers around,” Svoboda said.
In addition to studying the poets’ works, students are required to write a letter to diplomats in support of writers.
Svoboda, a member of the PEN Freedom To Write Committee, was inspired to teach a class on imprisoned poets after spending much time outside the United States, including a year in the Sudan where she worked in visual anthropology, making documentary films and translating songs of the Nuer people.
“Living in Africa and Polynesia, I saw that many governments are not welcoming to writers. They recognize that writers have a significant power to change things, and they want to limit that power,” Svoboda said. “I was moved to add the imprisoned poets component to my course after Castro imprisoned so many journalists last spring, including the poet/journalist Raul Rivero.”
“To have such a violation of freedom of the press right at UM’s doorstep!” Svoboda said.
Svoboda says she’s enjoying her time in Miami thus far.
“Everyone has been helpful and excited to work,” she said.
Svoboda has been writer-in-residence at several colleges, including Sarah Lawrence College and the New School in New York.
“The students at every campus I’ve taught at are different, and Miami is no exception – and the climate here is wonderful,” Svoboda said.
Svoboda has published four books of poetry and four books of fiction, including one translation from the African language Nuer. Her most recent book is a book of poetry called Treason [2002].
Her poems and stories have appeared in such prestigious publications as The New Yorker, Vogue and The Wall Street Journal.
She has also written the libretto for an opera which premiers in the fall and has been involved in the creation of several documentary films.
Although Svoboda enjoys teaching and likes Miami, she is ready to go home to New York for a while before embarking on her next journey.
Her advice to students:
“It is not always the A student who achieves; it’s the one who persists in doing the hard things,” Svoboda said.
Excerpts of Svoboda’s work and more information on her can be found at http://mockingbird.creighton.edu/NCW/svoboda.htm.
Jaclyn Lisenby can be contacted at jlisenby2001@yahoo.com.