Home Blog Page 1947

UM AEPi chapter faces disciplinary action

0

AEPi Suspended
National fraternity officials in town to investigate UM chapter’s alcohol violations

Effective immediately, the charter of Lambda Deuteron chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity at UM has been suspended due to multiple alcohol violations.
This does not, however, mean that the chapter of the fraternity will be permanently removed from campus. That decision is up to the University.
“I was not pleased with what I have learned occurred within our fraternity community,” Greg Singleton, associate dean of students overseeing the fraternities, said in an email message sent out on Saturday night to all fraternity presidents. “If you have to continue to either sell your organization or constantly celebrate with alcohol. . . your organizations have a problem.”
“Let this be a lesson to all of you,” Singleton said in the message. “You should be educating your membership now so that the same thing does not happen to your organization.”
In a telephone interview with The Miami Hurricane, Singleton said the case is currently under investigation.
“I can’t give out any more information at this time,” Singleton said.
According to Dr. Pat Whitely, vice president for student affairs, officials from the fraternity have been on campus since Monday, auditing AEPi members, both collectively and as individuals.
“Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity takes a strong position against the illegal and improper use of alcohol,” Adam E. Aronin, director of risk management for AEPi, said in a letter to Brian Papir, president of the AEPi chapter on campus. “Our alcohol policy is posted in the Supreme Constitution as well as in our Risk Management Policy.”
Suspension of the charter means that the fraternity cannot hold or participate in any activities such as social events, intramural sports or chapter meetings.
Also, all pledge programs and activities have been discontinued.
According to the letter sent to Papir, the charter is being suspended because the AEPi chapter violated University and International and House Corporation rules and regulations over a two-week period.
There are further reports that the fraternity violated state and local laws.
“The suspension will allow me to investigate the allegations to determine the extent and severity of the violations while ensuring that the chapter takes no actions which may violate additional rules and place people’s well being in jeopardy,” Aronin wrote.
Jacob Burch, the current vice-president of the AEPi fraternity at UM, said he feels his fraternity has served a valuable role in the surrounding community and should be regarded as an asset to the University.
“We continually strive to do the right thing and go out of our way to produce outstanding young men,” Burch said. “None of us know the exact truth about what’s going on, but we’re confident we’ll come out on top because of the type of people we are and the things we strive toward. I think this is very unfortunate- this situation has turned into a rumor-mill.”
Singleton said the University will make a final decision on whether the fraternity will remain on campus once all of the results of the investigation have been reviewed.
The Miami Hurricane will continue to follow this issue as it develops.

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

Explicit Language

Dear Editor and Living & Arts Editor,

I have one simple question, “Why?”

Why does the staff of the L&A section need to include the “F” word in the description of the White Trash Bash in today’s (9-19-03)issue?

Are the boundaries of good-taste and decency not applicable to this publication? Is someone naive or ignorant? Was it used for shock value? Do you think it’s just a word? Is your publication not held accountable since it is “only” a campus paper and heaven-forbid your creativity be stunted?

No matter the answer. It is not needed to get your point across. It is offensive and I am very dismayed to see it in print. Additionally some of the overly-explicit writing styles used in this section of your paper are just plain gross. Seems this section of the publication primarily advocates drinking, partying, and sex. Is that what you consider to be Living or Art? What is your aim? Do you want to get UM added to Princeton Review’s top 10 Party Campuses list? Been there before and don’t want to return.

Being an award-winning publication does not give you an excuse to push the envelope. You also need to consider your audience, especially since your publication goes on-line and off campus. You are reporting to many more than the current student and staff population. College is supposed to be a time of increasing maturity. Maturity means knowing what is appropriate, when and where. Your publication is a window into that growth process. This section of your paper is not showing a great deal of positive growth.

I’m sure my thoughts are shared by others on-campus and off. Please seriously consider them. Thank you for your time and attention.

Note: I do NOT give you permission to publish this letter, with or without my name.

Sincerely,
E. Kuras
UM alum

cc: Gilbert Arias, Student Affairs Office
Donna Shalala, President

Adventures in Hipster Land: A guide to the best youth parties in the city

The options for partying in this sparse neon metropolis have opened up beyond the ancient elitist glamour of South Beach and the stale redundancy of the Grove. Another “scene” has formed where the youth have gone wild, throwing club nites with creative themes, provoking music, and all the cheap booze and chaos you crave. Life & Art tried to document each nite because these events best rep the youthful city and culture surrounding us. For the UM students who are up for some exploring, we feel you’ll agree. For those who aren’t, you’re missing out. Cheers.

———————————————————————————–
Parties below at Soho Lounge, 175-193 NE 36th Street – Design District
———————————————————————————-

—————————–REVOLVER ————————————–

THEME: indie rock night
COVER: $7
ID: Just to drink.
BE THERE: Every Friday. It’s Friday night, so the sun usually comes up before the end is near.
BIRTH DATE: 3-years old
BREAKTHROUGH: “Recognition has come through out the years, but most recently international and national publications, like Fader, VICE, Spin, amongst others, have given the night great write-ups,” says Joshua Menendez, Revolver’s promoter and founder. Revolver’s been hitting hard for quite a while, butlast March’s VICE-sponsored party with Miss Kittin, DJ Hell, and 2 Many DJs was just on some way other shit!
Music: indie, Britpop, new wave, electronic rock
CROWD: Musicians, artists, fashionistas, and people who just wanna dance.
RESIDENT DJs: Indie room: Joshua, Ryan, James Hush. Electronic Room: Lolo, MTA. Hip hop room: Bobby D and Marcelo
THE DILLY: “Revolver will continue to provide national and local indie and alternative act to Miami, in hopes that more acts will see that Miami does have a market for them,” says Joshua. This being the night that started it all, he need say no more.
WEB SITE: ClubRevolver.com

– Hunter Stephenson

——————————- VICE ——————————————–

THEME: Pop rocks with coke
COVER: $6, girlies free before midnight
ID: Just to drink
BE THERE: Every Saturday, usually starts popping at 1 a.m.
BREAKTHROUGH: Can it live up to its name (even without being related to the magazine)? We’ll find out soon enough when NYC playschool-bass heads, Fannypack, perform on September 27.
BIRTH DATE: July 26, 2003
MUSIC: ’80s new wave, dance and pop
CROWD: Mixed crowd ranging from ripe 18-year olds to scary VH-1 hipsters in their 30s, but all in all, a great local crowd.
RESIDENT DJs: Stella B (frequent guest DJ at Revolver), DJ Sticky Rice (Nathan from WVUM), Jimmy James
THE DILLY: Born only a month and a half ago, Vice is a born-again virgin on the scene, albeit one who prefers cheap beers, $4 cocktails and $3 Purple Kamikazes. “We started it because we wanted a night that was cool, fun, and unpretentious,” says Lauren Kate Refkin, promoter for Vice and resident DJ at Revolver. In early September, Vice opened their arms to longtime gothic music nite The Kitchen. The Kitchen now resides downstairs at Soho Lounge, while Vice carries on upstairs. Hipsters and Goth kids float between the two parties, with each clique bonded by their affection for bands like New Order. Nostalgia is in full-tow, with ’80s flicks flickering all over the wall. More recent selections have included Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Tron, amd The Neverending Story.
WEB SITE: ViceMiami.com

– Kira Wisniewski

———————————————————————————–
Parties below located on South Beach. Addresses list below for each
———————————————————————————–

—————————– SPIDER-PUSSY ———————————–

THEME: Inebriated ’80s
COVER: Nada
ID: 21+
LOCATION: South Beach @ Lounge 16, 423, 16th St. and Washington Ave.
BE THERE: Every Tuesday. Doors open at 10 p.m., but it doesn’t get live until 1:00 a.m.
BREAKTHROUGH: It’s been almost a year since Spider-Pussy began spinning an array of electro-pop at Lola to a loyal crowd of Euro-American ’80s fanatics. Since then, the party’s moved to another locale in trendy SoBe, and on to even greater red-on-black bliss.
BIRTH DATE: October, 2002 – lookout for an anniversary party next month.
MUSIC: Mod-Squad Freestyle, Electro-Pop, ’80s Punk Rock, Old Skool Hip Hop (yes folks, and you thought the ‘running man’ died with the Me Decade.
CROWD: Zombie-punk 80’s chicks with big mean boots and mohawks. Dudes with piercings galore and, of course, requisite long black ties, velvet hats, and eye makeup. If you feel like you are an outcast in the real world (or wannabe one), you’ll surely fit in here.
RESIDENT DJs: A.L.B. Rotten, Johnny Strokes, and WVUM’s and L&A’s own Jimmy James
THE DILLY: Spider-Pussy was the brainchild of two DJs: Andrews Lorenzana (A.L.B. Rotten) and Rafael DeOnate (Johnny Strokes). This Tuesday night get-down has brought some fresh, Downtown flava to SoBe: addictive music, cheap booze ($3 Buds and $4 drinks) and an incredibly eclectic and friendly crowd. Anything goes here, including pleated mini skirts, Converse, polyester pants, and hairdos reminiscent of Kelly Osborne’s. The decor is crazy black and red: it’s everywhere, aside from the outlandish leopard print ‘high-heel’ chairs. Remember when dancing was all about jumping and skipping and not giving a damn? Either way, walk into this carefree web and hop in.
CONTACT: Email condemn001@earthlink.net for the newsletter

– Rachael Henrichsen

———————– CHOCOLATE SUNDAYS ——————————–

THEME: Get drunk and watch a good movie on the big screen. Or, get drunk and play pool. Or, get drunk and pass out.
COVER: Nah, brah.
ID: Yep.
LOCATION: Purdy Lounge on Purdy Ave. (aka 1811 Sunset Harbor Dr.) in SoBe.
BE THERE: Sundays (isn’t this obvious), kicking off around 10 p.m., but if you’re arriving at clubs (lounges, whatever) right when they open, you may as well be standing in front of Crobar with a free pass that expires at midnight, nah mean?
BIRTH DATE: Back to School ’02
BREAKTHROUGH: When Hunter blacked out watching…or when Harold Hunter was in the bathroom that time.
MUSIC STEEZO: Hipster to tha Hoppa, all the original records with those samples that popped up in all your rap favorites, plus a pinch of Crunk and a dash of digital Bump n’ Grind.
CROWD: Smiles for miles, consisting of: banging broads, some greaseballs, a couple old timers, every beach skate rat, a well-tempered thugster/breaker posse and more.
RESIDENT DJs: Induce, Tosh, and other DJs from CounterFlow.
THE DILLY: Purdy is doing a pretty good job at attempting to recreate the ideal living room; i.e. movies showing in the back room at 11 p.m. and 1a.m. (Bottle Rocket, Scarface, Waking Life, Valley Girl, etc.) plus skate video premieres complete with visiting skate posses (such as the DC video and Habitat’s Mosaic). The DJs seriously carry the night from the corner of the room, a lot like a system with a dope mix tape in it. The atmosphere is really laid back, free pool, couches and board games and cheap beer doesn’t hurt ($2.50 High Life and Jaeger shots). Sunday night is the end of the weekend, so it’s a spot to chill, not stand shoulder-to-shoulder, sweating balls. Joel Meinholz, the night’s founder/promoter has frequented enough dive bars to figure out what they were missing, so he’s there every Sunday with a pool cue in one hand, beer in the other and a DVD in his mouth.
WEB SITE: Too busy drinking.

-Sven Barth

————————- MARLIN MONDAYS ———————————–

THEME: Anti-Sobe club night for everyone and anyone
COVER: No Cover
ID: 50/50
LOCATION: Marlin Bar, 1200 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach
BE THERE: Every Monday night, 10 p.m.
BIRTH DATE: Eight months ago
BREAKTHROUGH: None. But, if you’re tired of SoBe or just tired from Crobar, this is the place to actually see who you’re dancing with. Not as grungey or wild as Purdy Lounge, but the gloss and indie mix is Miami-by-numbers.
MUSIC: Classic rock, mainstream-ish electro, soundtracks, TV theme songs, and dips into raunchy rock ‘n’ roll
CROWD: Everybody! There’s electro-pop kids, tourists passing by on the street, your regular Joe Schmoe and the occasional model like Tyson Beckford.
RESIDENT DJs: DJ Smeejay, Chris Graham
THE DILLY: Marlin Mondays aka Dirty Dancing, has been rocking on South Beach for 8 months now. It’s a steamy hipster/non-hipster night that is almost like a mixture of all the other nights combined with a dash of good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll. Known for outrageous theme parties like “Rockers vs. B-boys,” Dirty Dancing promises to proliferate in the coming months. And with 2-for-1 drinks, the wait looks to be a short and blurry one.
WEB SITE: TheMarlinHotel.com

-Kira Wisniewski

———————————————————————————–
Parties below are at I/O, 30 NE 14 St, Design District
———————————————————————————–

—————————– POPLIFE ——————————————

THEME: Anti-pop music for Miami’s indie limelight
COVER: $7 for 21+, $10 for 18-20
ID: Just to drink.
BE THERE: Every Saturday. Get there by 10 p.m. for bigger shows, otherwise twelve’s the norm.
BREAKTHROUGH: Nothing particular, but a steady climb with shows by notable groups like The Faint, the Electroclash Tour w/Peaches and Chicks on Speed, Le Tigre and upcoming ones with Trans Am, A.R.E. Weapons and the Walkmen.
BIRTH DATE: 1999 at the Meza Fine Art Gallery in the Gables
MUSIC: The Main Room is very eclectic and ranges from indie
rock to electro-pop and classic wave. The popular outside garden area plays loungey tunes, depending on whom the guest DJ is.
CROWD: Mixed, but usually Downtown hipsters 18-35
RESIDENT DJs: Main Room features R. Milian, Aramis & Alejandro
(WVUM). The garden has Alex Caso.
THE DILLY: You remember that girl you’ve see in your dreams? That Dirty blonde with a tongue ring, lascivious lips and artsy blush on her face. You go to Poplife and you expect to find her there, among the throngs of hipsters, curious locals and defiant, I’m-that-girl-from-American Beauty chicks sipping cranberry vodkas and discussing the state of the Downtown art scene and Jack White’s car crash. Although it’s definitely a challenge to cultivate an underground scene with the preponderance of South Beach glit and too-cool-for-school locals (i.e., those who remain jaded and arms crossed at an A.R.E. Weapons show), Poplife has waxed resilient throughout slow burns. Ray Milian, co-founder and resident DJ, assures that he wants the party to continue and grow in order to improve the Miami music scene: “To accomplish that is to stay ahead of the game,” he says, “adapt with the times and work really hard at it. If we do all that we should have no problems.” And while the drink prices occasionally seem to slip and slide, Poplife remains one of the more relaxing and airy hipster mainstays. Note to self: I still haven’t found that girl there, but I’ll keep trying.
WEB SITE: Epoplife.com

-Omar Sommereyns

——————————— FAD ——————————————

THEME: The worship of ’80s Fad, i.e. disgustingly poppy music with synthesizers that your babysitter lost her virginity to while you were sleeping, that rocked Billboard charts, that, quite simply, rocked the whole flamboyant-ass world for a decade.
COVER: Free!
ID: Just to drink.
BE THERE: Sunday, October 5, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.
BREAKTHROUGH: None yet, but the theme is stoopidly promising…or is it just a…?
MUSIC: ’80s Fad, freestyle, dance explosion, new wave, and Miami Bass
CROWD: Uninhibited – Aquanetted-out and acid-washed. F-U-N, or completely annoying if you’re a bad drunk prone to fighting men in tights.
RESIDENT DJs: Plot, R. Milian, MTA
THE DILLY: The inaugural night was last Sunday. You clearly gotta love the ’80s to be into this – you’ve probably seen Party Monster ten times and it’s not even playing here. Then again, after a Saturday of binging, getting down and dirty with sexy Madonna look-alikes could pull you out of the “never drink again” doldrums! Just in case, call your older brothers and sisters and tell them to Fed Ex their old leg warmers and Member’s Only jackets – they’re working 9-5s anyway!
WEB SITE: IoLounge.com

– Kira Wisniewski

—————————– PE ————————————————-

THEME: “Let’s Get Physical!!!”
COVER: Free before 11p.m. $5 athletic fee thereafter
ID: Just to drink. Free before midnight, after: $5 atheletic fee
BREAKTHROUGH: Too young to tell
BIRTH DATE: A few months
MUSIC: Teen-pop smash hits and freestyle roller-booty
CROWD: Mixed, in shape & up-for-it
RESIDENT DJs: DJ HottPants, Oly, Oregon Trail (guest DJ, Counterflow Recording’s Induce)
THE DILLY: One of the more themercised nights Downtown’s seen in a while, if ever. And there’s plenty of fuel, with $3 Buds and BootyAdes before the devil’s hour. “PE spirit has been around since middle school. But a couple months ago, Miami got way more boomlicious. Here’s how we kick it like we’re breaking curfew: every week features locker-worthy teen-dream decor and in-your-face performances by M.V.P., Jasmine Kastel. This is a theme night, and costumes are strongly encouraged. It’s the most fun you can have on a school night!” says Nick Britton, PE promoter and founder.
WEB SITE: IoLounge.com

– Kira Wisniewski

Contact Hunter Stephenson, the Life & Art editor, with questions/inquiries
at Huntlaed@hotmail.com.

PARTY CALENDAR: L&A now hiring, MATT DEAR saves techno, WHITE TRASH BASH, Bill Murray, MO ROCCA on campus…finally!

——————————- TONIGHT —————————————

LIFE & ART goes into the mucky-muck that is our meeting for new recruits at the Rat. If you’re interested in working for us and like fetching coffee (3 sugars) and Red Stripes for two skinny white and Egyptian guys with perma-hangovers, you’re set. Must be there by 5 p.m., first floor conference room (listen for the Rapture and Sven Barth). Bring a portfolio with past clipse and a contact sheet and expensive gifts. There’s also something going on at the Rat called “Wet-n-Wild,” from 4-8 p.m. That sounds like bikini girls getting sprayed by drunken jocks (and L&A) or another nerd epiphany thrown by the Save The Dolphins club. It’s happy hour nonetheless.

TECHNO’S SAVIOR, Matt Dear from Ghostly International records, links up with Miami’s IDM bass maniacs Phoenecia, Ivee and a creamy crop of DJs to make for one helluva long night of electronic elation. The show is at I/O and starts at 10 p.m., seriously, 10 p.m., ignore the advice on that whole elaborate map-thingy you just skipped over. For directions, flip back to that map-thingy you just skipped over, or visit Epoplife.com.

SOFIA COPPOLA and Bill Murray together make for the type of cinematic feast that comes around as often as one of those comets your mom calls you up all mom-like to watch. Lost in Translation opens today. Take a girl or guy or both or none. Go see it.

ENON and the Apes get all electronic versus analog to the death at Revolver.

————————– SATURDAY —————————————–

WELL GAWDAMN! I’ll tell you whut, I nevr thogt therd be a gawdamn pary fer a bunch of reddnecks in Miami Floorduh. Bought gawdamn time bruddah. Shut up hick! This Saturday there’s a “White Trash Bash” near campus. If you wear a mullet, have a Richard Petty or Bobby Lebonte T-shirt from K-mart (fuck Jeff Gordon) or dress like a Jerry Springer highlight, you’re drinking for free – beer and Jack all night long. All of L&A will be there and we hate UM house parties…………..hee haw….blah blah blah.

“There’s something ephemeral in our streets,” and “photographies” of NAKED WOMEN imposed on buildings might be it. Find out at this art exhibit featuring the work of Meg Pukel at the Damien B. Contemporary Art Center, 282 NW 36th Street. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. with free drinks courtesy of Vox Vodka – good stuff – and, wait, what’s this? DJ Contra’s spinning – jump on it. Visit Damienb.com for more info.

—————————– SUNDAY ——————————————-

THIS CATALOG, er, magazine Marc “I made it” Ecko owns or something, it’s called Complex, is fronting a launch party for their “Sex, Thugs and Rock ‘N’ Roll” issue. Judging from all the free prody these advertisers, er, writers and public relation gurus, er, editors snag while working, they’re bound to spread the wealth right? Opium is sheltering the proceedings, located on 136 Collins Ave. Guest list yourself at rsvp@opiummiami.com, and remember to give that free ugly Ecko hoody to a homeless dude on your way out.

—————————- MONDAY ——————————————-

What you’ve all been waiting for, the man himself, MO FUCKING ROCCA comes to campus to enlighten us all. The genius goes down at the Storer Auditorium – near UM’s posh business school at 7 p.m. Visit UM-HP.com for more info, and give Hurricane Productions a pat on the back while you’re at it at pr@um-hp.com. Booyakka.

Film Review: Cabin Fever ***

Here’s a fun scene to picture: A beautiful young woman shaves her legs in the bathtub of a remote cabin. Oh yeah, and her skin is peeling off like a rotten apple as she does it. Not to mention the raw skin and hideous boils on her back, almost exposing a bloody red spinal cord.

Cabin Fever is a disgusting, immoral, unrealistic, trashy horror flick (use of the term “flick” has never been more justified), and that’s exactly why it’s so good. First time writer/director Eli Roth is obviously well versed in the nostalgic horror classics of the 1970s and ’80s, and he throws in tons of references to movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Evil Dead. Fortunately, he ditches the mallrat irony of Scream for the genre’s seemingly forgotten textbook frills.

The story is a familiar one: five college students venture into the woods for a vacation in a remote cabin. There’s the hot couple – Jeff and Marcy – practically tripping into the cabin with horny anticipation. There are the more conservative longtime friends – Paul and Karen – who’ve never hooked up, much to the disappointment of Paul. Then of course, there’s the comic relief, Bert, an obnoxious party animal whose blantant fifth wheel status spells doom from the start.

Soon enough, a relaxing night spent smoking weed and roasting marshmellows is tainted when a diseased hunter shows up at their door drenched in gooey flesh and oozing blood. Karen and Paul are the only moral ones of the group and want to help, but when the stranger tries to steal their truck, they’re forced to fend him off. Maybe they overreact though, because after beating this ill John Doe with baseball bats, they light him on fire to destroy the evidence.

Freaked out beyond belief, their car covered in blood, the only option they have is to split up in the woods and seek help. And yes, splitting up is always a bad idea in horror films, as is staying in a remote cabin, and setting bodies on fire, and smoking pot, and pretty much any activity besides shooting zombies. But there are no traditional zombies in Cabin Fever to shoot. Roth prefers to throw on a blanket of reality, to which he giddily shreds to pieces with insane situations and whacked-out characters. Lacking the innovation and believeability of 28 Days Later, this year’s other virus horror film, Cabin Fever is still more entertaining to watch.

Roth seems to structure each scene with a big smile on his face. He loves to cart out maniacal characters and divvy up wildly essential side plots for them, making the film much funnier than it is scary, an attribute clearly desired by the rookie filmmaker.

Given such a loose plot and no real investment in common sense, Roth is able to take a few scenes zestfully overboard. For instance, Paul later drives the sputtering truck into the pitchblack night, blinded by his own blood, before slamming into a deer. Somehow the animal lands with all four feet inside the windshield, kicking wildly, inches from Paul’s face.

Lunging for a shotgun laying conviently in shotgun, he blows the deer out onto the pavement. As he goes to move the carcass from the road – and who knows why – the truck’s headlights shut off. Left in the brooding darkness, covered in meaty deer fragments as his skin flakes, such intensity is worth the price of admission.

Cabin Fever ranks high as a pleasurable B-movie experience. Roth, who’s now working on a number of back-to-basics, scary-as-hell projects, doesn’t bother teaching mumbo jumbo about some fictional virus, rarely slows down for cheap emotion and never holds back on the blood and guts. After a hard week of classes, it never fails to surprise how much enjoyment a well-filmed mound of dead teenagers can deliver.

Shawn Wines can be reached at shawnwines@aol.com.

Film Review: Matchstick Men ***1/2

Only a handful of movies in the past decade have delivered endings as shockingly original as Ridley Scott’s new con artist film, Matchstick Men. Thrillers like Fight Club, The Usual Suspects, The Sixth Sense and Memento come to mind when thinking of awesome endings, and Matchstick Men’s finale deserves a place among the greatest.

The film is about Roy Waller (Nicolas Cage), a longtime con artist with a lengthy list of nervous ticks and obsessive compulsive habits. Sam Rockwell (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind) plays Frank, his younger partner and prot

VICE CITY TRACK SUITS ARE BACK!

If you’ve been addicted to Missy Elliott’s hip hop fashion formula-fiendin’ for her Adidas track suit and that fuzzy Kangol she never stops rockin’-maybe you should just realize that you have a serious crush on Missy Elliott and get some help. But really, if you absolutely love old school hip hop, dreaming of Grand Master Flash spinning while you break to old funk and R&B breakbeats, then you’re about to become one step closer to making your dreams of modern B-Boy (or B-Girl) status come true. Well, fashion-wise anyway.

Step back about a year ago. Owner and fellow hip hop head, Paulita Bennett, decided to fuse her love of vintage clothes and her friendly connections with modern urban artists and fashion designers as the inspiration for her store, YoYo Boutique. “I’ve always been into the B-Boy culture,” she says, “MCs, DJs, graffiti artists, and I’ve been buying vintage clothes for years.” Bennett’s powerfully-built American bulldog, Bruno, is lying at her feet while Musical Youth’s ’82 hit, “Pass the Dutchie,” twists faintly from behind her left shoulder. “I change the music in the store purely based on what I’m feeling that day,” she continues. “It might be one of my mix cds, some Brazilian or samba, or old school funk one day and jazz the next, if we’re in that kinda mood.”

Her store, now growing in popularity and community involvement, sells a mix of ’70s and ’80s retro clothing, accessories, gifts and magazines that cover everything from the best ’40s to drink to what the hell is up with ODB’s identity problem. I mean the man is seriously worse than Prince trying to pick a name! But I digress…Bennett gets a steady influx of vintage gear ranging from tracksuits (yes…like Missy…just older…and with less diamonds), retro sneakers, B-Boy videos and tons of one-of-a-kind fashions created by artists both local and national.

Most people come into the store in search of a hot T-shirt they won’t have to worry about seeing on anyone else the next time they go out, but another of their most sought-after items are the plethora of trucker hats adorning the walls around the store. “They really never go out of style,” says Bennett, but if you’ve been in the B-Boy “know” for a while, you might say that the truckers have been in and that shit’s going out. They come in everything from locally made spray-painted designs to any color hat you need to match the outfit you just bought.

Don’t think that YoYo shuns the mainstream totally: they do offer a selection of some well-known brands like Adidas, Triple5Soul (winter season only) and Paul Frank. But YoYo is in no hurry to be into the latest trends or shun the old ones since “Joggers will be in forever!” The store offers a great price range ($20 -$60) for everyone, especially students who get 10% off their purchase if they show ID. Some of the more pricey items can set you back around $200, but only for the one-of-a-kind art works. “It’s my goal for people to come in here and leave with a whole outfit for under a hundred,” admits Bennett.

The art aspect of the store was one that seemed sewn into the very essence of its construction and its workers. Every inch of the space is covered with vintage gear, artwork for sale or graffiti; like the dressing room which is in itself an artwork full of graff. Bennett feels very strongly that supporting our local artists is one of the biggest downfalls of Miami lifestyles.

“There is a very gray overtone to people’s energies towards each other here,” she mentions. “No one knows the amount of talent that’s here. There’s so much competition and negative stigmas popularized by the media, that it suffocates people.” Miami has started to fall behind other major metropolitan cities like New York, LA and Atlanta in fashion, art and understanding our own cultural identity. Our city “needs more love” advises Bennett and says that her store is just trying to fill a niche and have fun. A sort of artistic succession by means of jogging suits and Mr. T dolls, YoYo will be opening a sister store in Atlanta next month.

Among the many community activity ideas that YoYo is throwing around: a HUGE one year anniversary party, a toy show which will feature toys made by local artists and some known designers. Also, they’ll try to sponsor at least two events a year. Presently, Bennett is collaborating with designers on a fashion show at Soho Lounge Thursday, September 27th, showcasing some collections from YoYo and models with the “B-Boy/Girl look.” Don’t get it twisted, YoYo boutique, although in a somewhat shady part of town, got some killer appeal for you fashionmongers out there in need of a recalibrated wardrobe.

YoYo, “a vintage and old skool boutique,” is located on 742 N.E. 79th Street in Miami; two blocks east of Biscayne Blvd. For more info call 305-754-4297.

Chris Howard can be reached at BBHMM3234@aol.com

Gore sets the record straight

0

Frank Gore fought for every yard on his way to another 100-yard game, making him the only Hurricane running back to run for 100 yards in the first three games of a season. Despite achieving a goal that neither Edgerrin James, Clinton Portis, nor Willis McGahee ever did, Gore seemed surprisingly upset with his performance.
“I struggled in the beginning and I am going to have to make up for my mistakes next week,” Gore said. “I’m happy about my accomplishments but I have to get better.”

A Night of Firsts
Cornerback Glenn Sharpe and wide receiver Jason Geathers got a taste of game action for the first time this season after missing time with various leg injuries. Sharpe made the most of his opportunity, snagging the first interception of his career. Tight end Kevin Everett, who transferred from junior college this year, got his first reception as a ‘Cane. Darnell Jenkins, a true freshman, caught his first touchdown pass when Derrick Crudup hit him from 10 yards out in the fourth quarter. Alex Pou stepped in for the injured Vernon Carey and got his first career start.

Missing in Action
Kick returner Devin Hester ran out of the tunnel with his teammates but an ankle injury sustained in last week’s game kept him in street clothes and on the sidelines. Fullback Quadtrine Hill separated his shoulder last week and missed the game. Fellow fullback, freshman John Beason, also has a shoulder injury and cheered his mates from the bench. Although he saw a little bit of action, offensive lineman Carlos Joseph played sparingly to rest his swollen foot tendon. Carey took the safe route and rested his sprained ankle on a night when his team didn’t need him very much.

Fresh Faces
Who led the Hurricanes in tackles against the Pirates? Sean Taylor? Jon Vilma? D.J. Williams? No, it was red shirt freshman Brandon Meriweather, who played sparingly until the fourth quarter. Meriweather seemed to end up near the ball on every play as he racked up a game-high seven tackles. Freshman Tyrone Moss ran for 26 yards on four carries during mop-up duty and fellow freshman defensive end Bryan Pata recovered a fumble after an Antrel Rolle sack.

What Penalties?
After committing a whopping 16 penalties in their comeback victory over Florida last week, the Hurricane coaching staff stressed the need to cut back on infractions. The Hurricanes only got whistled seven times against East Carolina and they didn’t have any excessive celebration penalties like the ones that haunted them several times against UF.

One for the Good Guy
Jarrett Payton, the senior second-string running back, whose career has hit a lot of bumps along the way including countless injuries and the death of his father, got a moment to shine on Saturday. On his first run of the night, Payton broke two tackles and scampered for a career long 48-yard touchdown, his second of the season.
“I wouldn’t say I dreamed about scoring a touchdown, but I saw it,” Payton said. “Once I broke through there was no denying it. I wasn’t going to let anyone stop me.”

Miscellaneous
The Boynton Beach Little League World Series runners-up were honored at mid-field before the game…a very healthy crowd of 65,825 showed up to root on the ‘Canes, but the emptiest part of the stadium was the student section (shame on you)…UM President Donna Shalala made an appearance in the press box at half-time and ate a hot dog…Kellen Winslow and Orien Harris enjoyed a post-game snack of cookies made by Sebastian the Ibis’ mother…The ‘Canes head to Boston College this weekend and the Eagles always seem to keep it close in Chestnut Hill.

Nate Johnson can be reached at NPJ44@aol.com

Volleyball team falls to Northwestern

0

Northwestern (7-2) snapped Miami’s 10-game home win streak Friday night during the Orange and Green Challenge at the Knight Sports Complex, finishing off the Hurricanes 3-1. The ‘Canes (7-3) had success in their other matches, however, sweeping both George Mason on Thursday and Columbia on Friday morning.
Junior Valeria Tipiana totaled 38 kills and 25 digs at the Challenge.
In the first game, the Wildcats appeared to be handling the Hurricanes with a sizable early lead. But a Leyre Santaella Sante ace, coupled with a blocking wall comprised of Santaella Sante, Robin Lewullis, and Karla Johnson, put them back on track. They pulled ahead, holding a comfortable lead for the duration of the game, winning 30-25.
Northwestern started off strong again in the second game but was able to keep its lead this time, holding on for a 30-28 victory.
“You know we played a great first game and we started out fine,” Head Coach Nicole Lantagne Welch said. “In game two I think Northwestern picked up their side and we didn’t respond…our passing broke down and we let them back in it. We fought near the end of that game but it was too little too late and it changed the course of the match.”
Throughout the rest of the match, the ‘Canes’ short-lived momentum gains came after they were able to regroup during three one-minute time out periods. But the ‘Cats kept crawling back, led by senior outside hitter Iwona Lodzik and senior middle blocker All-American candidate Erika Lange.
“Volleyball is a huge game of momentum and we didn’t seize the moment enough…and just take every bit of that energy that we could,” Lantagne Welch said.
Junior Biz Tyson kept the ‘Canes in the third game, allowing Tipiana and Lewullis to take over. A Hurricane comeback looked promising after a couple of intense points mid-game, but the ‘Canes were distracted by two delayed referee calls that they deemed controversial. They couldn’t hang on, losing 30-28.
Down 16-11 in the fourth game, Tyson followed up a pivotal kill with an ace. Freshmen Jill Robinson and Francheska Savage took turns putting points on the board for the Hurricanes, and a Jamie Grass dig tied the score at 25. Northwestern’s Leah Delcourt’s block and a Lodzik kill proved to be too much for the ‘Canes, and the Wildcats pulled out the 30-26 victory.
Lewullis had 14 kills and nine blocks on the night.
“I think we played well, but we couldn’t find a way in the end of the game,” Lewullis said. “It’s really disappointing when you have a good game and you just want to carry your team.”
“We had an incredible match out of Robin Lewullis…we needed to jump on her shoulders and go with her,” Lantagne Welch said.
The Hurricanes resume play Friday in Tallahassee against Eastern Kentucky.
Melissa Teich can be reached at melissateich@hotmail.com.

BRIEFS

0

Football
The Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminoles will face off on national television to start the 2004 and 2005 college football seasons. ABC Sports, home of the Bowl Championship Series and the National Championship game, will televise the prime time Labor Day match-up. The announcement was made last week by Loren Matthews, Senior Vice President of Programming, ABC Sports, UM Athletic Director Paul Dee, FSU Athletic Director Dave Hart and John Swofford, Commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The game will not only serve as the opening game of Miami’s 2004 football season, but will be the Hurricanes’ first football game as a member of the ACC since joining the league this past summer.
“This great rivalry will conclude an exciting holiday weekend marking the beginning of another outstanding season of college football on ABC Sports,” Matthews said. “It is also a terrific prelude to ABC’s NFL Monday Night Football. We appreciate the cooperation of the schools and the Atlantic Coast Conference.”
“We are extremely excited to bring one of college footballs greatest rivalries to Monday night football,” Dee said. “Monday Night Football has become an American institution and the University of Miami is elated and proud to be a part of it.”
“We are pleased that ABC has decided to televise the Miami-Florida State football game in its prestigious Labor Day Monday night primetime slot for the next two years,” Swofford said. “The Florida State-Miami rivalry has developed into one of the best in all of college football, and this game should be an exciting beginning to what will be a historic year for the Atlantic Coast Conference.”
ABC Sports will televise Florida State at Miami nationally on Labor Day Monday, September 6, 2004, and Miami at Florida State on Monday, September 5, 2005. Both games are slated to kick off at 8 p.m., ET. This year’s ABC College football schedule features Florida State at Miami on October 11. The start time of this year’s match up has not been determined.
The Hurricanes and Seminoles have ranked among college football’s dominant programs over the last 20 years. The Hurricanes have earned five national championships (1983, 1987, 1989, 1991 and 2001) since 1983. Miami, 2-0 on the season, moved up to No. 2 in the rankings this week erasing a 23-point deficit to defeat Florida 38-33 last Saturday night in the Orange Bowl. FSU has enjoyed unprecedented success over the same span. Over the past 11 years, FSU has claimed 10 ACC Championships and earned national titles in 1993 and 1999.
Miami leads the series with Florida State 26-20. The Hurricanes have won the last three meetings, while the Seminoles won five in a row from 1995-1999. The game has been decided by three points or less eight times in the history of the series, including two of the last three games.

Women’s Cross-Country
University of Miami sophomore Melanie Schultz won for the second consecutive meet to lead the women’s cross country team to a second-place finish at the FIU/Lourdes Cross Country Invitational at Tamiami Park in Miami, FL.
Schultz, who completed the 5,000-meter course in a time of 18:59.59 for her second win this season, also won the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish Invitational on August 30th.
Miami, which finished with 36 points, had five runners finish in the top-12 individually. Host Florida International won the meet with 23 points.
UM junior Marilyn Ruiz finished fourth with a time of 19:46.59 while senior Terria Madison placed eighth with a time of 20:52.49.
Closing out the Miami scoring were seniors Christian Delgadillo and Michelle White. Delgadillo finished 11th with a time of 21:09.45, while White took 12th with a time of 21:54.16.
The UM women’s cross country team returns to action on October 11 at the Disney Invitational in Orlando, FL.

Women’s soccer splits weekend games at home

0

The women’s soccer team had a big weekend at Cobb Stadium. The ‘Canes had a tough game against No. 12 West Virginia, losing 3-1 on Friday night, but bounced back nicely to defeat Columbia 2-0 on Sunday afternoon.
In Friday night’s match-up, the West Virginia Mountaineers scored on three of 26 shots with All-American Chrissie Abbot leading the way with two goals against the ‘Canes. The visitors put the game away at the 60-minute mark on an unassisted goal by Lisa Stoia, who also had two assists to hold off the Hurricanes.
For UM, junior Andrea Radice scored her first goal of the year on a pass from freshman Sheuneen Ta. The Hurricanes got off 12 shots total, eight of which were on goal.
Freshman goalie Alex Alford made nine saves in 90 minutes of action but leading scorer sophomore Lindsey Yach was kept quiet all night.
Miami fell to 3-3-0 on the year with the loss to their cross-divisional foe in the Big East. The win was West Virgnia’s fourth in a row as they improved to 4-1-0. The ‘Canes also fell to 1-3 all-time against the Mountaineers.
It was a different story on Sunday afternoon for Miami as they got solid play all around and kept Columbia out of the offensive zone for a good portion of the game.
UM dominated the shots on goal, 25-5, with 15 of them coming in the first half, and held the edge on corner-kicks 7-3.
“It was very big for us to get back on the winning track after Friday’s loss,” Head Coach Tricia Taliaferro said.
The win was the third shutout of the season for Miami and also their first win of the year at Cobb Stadium.
“It was good day for us, winning our first home game of the year,” Taliaferro said. “Any day is good when we put up two and we keep them off the scoreboard.”
Juniors Britney Butcher and Anik Huffman assisted Yach’s goal. Huffman also added her first goal of the season in the 79th minute as Butcher and Ta got the assists for the Hurricanes. Yach led the ‘Canes with five shots.
It was also a historic day for the ‘Canes. With Butcher recording two assists today, it put her atop Miami’s all-time career points list with 63.
Alford had a relatively easy day in net as Columbia only registered three shots on goal in 90 minutes. Everything was down at Columbia goalkeeper Erissa Aronson’s net as she made 10 saves out of the 12 shots she faced. The Hurricanes’ game plan worked to perfection against the Lions.
“One thing we did well today was we kept Columbia to the outside,” Taliaferro said.
Miami improved to 4-3-0 on the year and the Lions of Columbia fell to 2-3-0 after the loss.
Miami will be back in action Friday as they will participate in the FSU Tournament in Tallahassee.

Butcher stands tall as an undersized star

0

There is an age-old clich