On Sept. 9 at approximately 5 p.m. in the Wellness Center, a sexual battery was reported by an unidentified victim. While in the men’s shower room, the victim was approached by a male subject who sexually assaulted him.
The victim has described the assailant as a six-foot-tall, white male with blond hair.
Anyone with information regarding this crime is asked to call the Coral Gables Police at 305-442-1600, or Crimestoppers at 305-471-TIPS, where you will remain anonymous and become eligible for a cash reward.
Officials could not tell the Hurricane if they had received any leads, citing the ongoing investigation.
Public Safety encourages students to be aware of their surrounding at all times and to request a UM campus security escort. Call 8-6666 from a campus phone, use an emergency blue light telephone located throughout campus, or call 305-284-6666 from any cell phone or off-campus phone.
The Miami Hurricane is in the process of obtaining the official police report for this incident. We will continue to follow up on this issue as more details become available.

Freshmen now have a more personalized resource to turn to as they undergo the transition from high school to college, thanks to the Academic & Career Advising in Residence [ACAR] program recently implemented in the Hecht and Stanford Residential Colleges.
The program is intended to equip students with the tools they need to combat the initial academic concerns many freshmen are confronted with on a collegiate level.
“Many students, upon entering college for the first time, experience an initial shock about the college course load and career choices they are now being faced with,” Jackie Malka, advisor at Hecht, said. “Our job is to help alleviate that stress and guide them in a more positive direction that best fits them as individuals and students.”
Malka and Vivechkanand Chunoo, the advisor at Stanford, have both undergone extensive training in all areas of University life and have a general knowledge about most of the academic departments on campus.
Acting as “pre-advisors” to the actual academic advising process, the two describe their position as one similar to that of a high school guidance counselor.
“In the way that a high school guidance counselor becomes familiar with her students, it is our intent to do the same,” Chunoo said. “It is our goal to develop relationships with these students and then help them develop a plan of study that is conducive to their personalities and skill levels.”
Malka and Chunoo have a simple walk-in policy. Unlike the traditional academic advisors, who require appointments to be seen, students need only to pop into either of their offices to be counseled.
Luke Dixon, resident assistant, wishes ACAR had been in existence when he was a freshman.
“This is a great resource that the students have this year,” Dixon said. “It’s especially helpful that [the advisor’s] offices are located in the buildings where the students live. That way it’s not out of the student’s way to get help or advice or whatever they need.”
In addition, the advisors are not limited to regular office hours. They are available after-hours as well, particularly to those students who have evening classes and also to those who may need additional assistance.
“I’m a little jealous we didn’t have this when I was a freshman,” Dixon said. “When you’re first starting school as a freshman, it is one of the most confusing times of your life academically. To have these guys willing and ready to help you out is really great.”
The program, proposed by UM President Donna Shalala, has already received praise and support from various departments throughout campus.
“We’re really excited about this program,” Malka said. “As graduates of the University, we understand the frustration and even despair some students face their first year – that’s one of the reasons we think this program is so important.”
“Essentially, we’re giving them the firepower they need to move forward academically – and that’s exciting,” Chunoo said. “It’s horrible to see someone fail because they were misinformed. Hopefully, we can change that.”
To receive advising in Hecht, email Jackie Malka at HechtAdvising@miami.edu. For advising in Stanford, email Vivechkanand Chunoo at StanfordAdvising@miami.edu.

Pamela Schiess can be contacted at pzschiess@hotmail.com.

If you’re wondering why there were so many attractive gentlemen gathered wearing Greek letters around the Rock on Friday, or hundreds of women on Sunday, it might be helpful to know that these days were Bid Days for all Inter-Fraternity Council [IFC] organizations and Panhellenic sororities.
On Friday, the IFC formally announced which men decided to go Greek and which organization’s bid they accepted.
For the past three weeks, IFC fraternities have sponsored recruitment events, during which brothers and alumni discussed what makes their organization special, informing potential new members the benefits of being a fraternity man.
Sororities have a similar process, which went on for all of last week. Their Bid Day occurred on Sunday. Be on the lookout for more information regarding who went where in the Greek system.
Additionally, organizations from the National Pan-Hellenic Council as well as from the Latino Greek Council follow a slightly different recruitment schedule, called intake. During this process, organizations hold “informationals,” or interest meetings. At these sessions, potential new members learn about the ideals, history and activities of the chapter.
The Greek Panorama is coming up on Sept. 23 at 7 p.m., location TBA.

The SG Senate held its second meeting of the semester last week. During the meeting, last week’s bill to amend the UM Constitution in reference to senator attendance was brought up for a second reading and voted on. It was passed after debate over semantics and hypothetical possibilities. Six new bills were discussed during the session: one to ratify a Supreme Court justice, four to ratify elections commissioners, and the last to place a referendum in the Fall 2003 elections ballot.
Congratulations to Juan Broche on his ratification as Supreme Court justice.
Congratulations are also in order for Yadelene Riesgo, Xavier Arcentales, Tatiana Sanchez and Nathalie Siru for their ratification as elections commissioners.
The incorporation of the bill to place a referendum in the Fall 2003 elections ballot resulted in the greatest discussion. Authored by Bryan Weisbard, Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee [SAFAC] chairperson, the bill called for a $5 increase in the student activity fee, active beginning in the 2004-2005 academic year.
Mr. Weisbard explained that the increase would go to fund current and future student organizations at UM. After much discussion, the Senate offered to amend the bill to include an increase of $2.50; an amendment which Mr. Weisbard accepted.
The bill was then passed and is expected to appear on the Fall 2003 Elections Ballot for the student body to vote on.
The session ended after project updates and information on upcoming events were given.
For more information on SG, visit the SG website at www.miami.edu/sg. To contact SG, e-mail them at studentgovernment@miami.edu.

Chelsy Castro can be contacted at CURLS34@aol.com.

This summer, Minal Ahson, a junior double-majoring in microbiology and religious studies, volunteered with Cross Cultural Solutions, an international grassroots volunteer placement organization. Ahson conducted her volunteer work in Tengeru, a small village outside of Arusha, Tanzania. She was awarded the Patrick Stewart 2003 Human Rights Scholarship from Amnesty International for her project to research the HIV/AIDS and healthcare situations in the village. This is the final installment of a four-part series in which Ahson describes her experiences and volunteer work in Tanzania.

Journal Entry #4
I was able to visit Zanzibar, a small island off the coast. Zanzibar is majority Muslim, so the architecture in Stone Town was influenced by that. It was amazing to see such a mix of architecture and history on the coast of the Indian Ocean, which is amazing shades of blue and green.
The difference between a city and a village in Tanzania is huge. I was able to visit my friends Priya and Nikki, UM students who live in Dar-es-Salaam, the economic capital of Tanzania. The city was very modern, comparable to a city in the U.S., but still had a culture unique to the region. It was awesome to see where my friends had grown up and to see their homes halfway across the world. Priya and her family were such gracious hosts!
The students at the school had their last few classes with me before their exams began. One custom that I never got used to was their rising and greeting me with “Good morning, ma’am!” whenever I walked into the room. They really respect their teachers and show even more respect to a short-term teacher like me. I often thought about how different the respect level in America is, where substitute teachers are often played pranks on and disrespected. The students were eager to have conversations with me to improve their English and wanted me to teach them slang. The teacher before me taught them “Peace out,” so they often said that to me before I would leave. They also taught me Swahili slang, like bomba sana, which means cool clothes.
Back at the orphanage, Abdullah, a three-pound, seven-day-old orphan, was being taken care of because his mother died during childbirth. Trying to quiet him in my arms as he screamed out of hunger, I wondered why he was at an orphanage instead of in an incubator, where I had witnessed babies of his size in America. I felt helpless and frustrated that I could not do more to help him. I pondered how long a baby his size could survive without constant warmth, attention and feedings. I didn’t have to wonder long, though. Abdullah passed away that very night.
Zuwadi, which means “gift” in Swahili, was another child at the orphanage. She had a developmental disorder, and we were unsure of whether it was autism or cerebral palsy. She could not see very well and often spent time lying on the ground face down or banging her head against a wall. She liked me, so she would sit in my lap and feel my face and hair. She would often scratch, so the other children did not like to play with her. Her story broke my heart: she had a twin, who did not have any developmental problems and was taken in by another orphanage. They would not take Zuwadi.

Leaving was such a difficult thing to do. Whatever I put in, I got back a million-fold. I cannot even explain how fortunate and grateful I am to have encountered those I did. When leaving Tanzania, I told Mama Simba of my desire to become a doctor and to advocate for improved resources and healthcare rights. All she said was, “Karibu Tena” [welcome again]. I hope so. . .

Minal Ahson can be contacted at mahson@miami.edu.

Plans are under way to create a dry cleaning service for students and faculty in the back of the StormSurge Cafe in the University Center where an arcade was once located. This initiative comes as part of the renovation/expansion project for the area.
“The idea was mentioned last year to the Student Government Senate, and it was met with enthusiasm from the student senators,” Richard Walker, assistant vice-president for student affairs, said. “The usage of the video games and the revenue generated from them has decreased tremendously over the years.”
“Traditional video arcade-type games have been replaced by home video games,” Walker added.
By setting up this service, UM joins the likes of universities such as Boston College, Carnegie Mellon and Notre Dame, which also have on-campus dry cleaning facilities.
According to Dan Westbrook, director of the UC, students were asked last year which facilities they would most like to see added to the UC; dry cleaning prevailed as the best choice for the limited 225 square feet available.
According to Westbrook, the service will be implemented on a trial basis.
“Our plan is for it to go through May 2004 and, based on it being well-received, we’ll decide whether to enter a long-term agreement,” Westbrook said.
However, Westbrook made it clear that it is a service aimed at the student body, and it will provide students discounted rates.
“There is a minimal cost to the University, basically the installation of two telephone lines in the space to provide for telephone service and to allow the vendor to accept credit cards,” Walker said.
According to Westbrook, the tentative plan is to have a booth in the Cafe where customers can leave their clothes. These clothes will then be shuttled twice a day to Mario’s, a dry cleaning company that was chosen because it already carries out several services for UM.
However, Westbrook indicated that the dry cleaning will acquire a more “University-friendly” name, possibly something “‘Cane-related”.
Students are reacting positively to this idea.
“I think having dry cleaning on campus would be awesome because then I would not have to spend twenty minutes on US-1 to get to the dry cleaners,” Tina Senft, sophomore, said.
However, according to both Westbrook and Walker, door-to-door dry cleaning service has been attempted in the past at UM, but it has proved difficult, since students are often not in their dorms when the clothes arrive, and they cannot be left at the front desk.
“This way, students will be able to pick up their clothes whenever they want,” Westbrook said.
If the service is successful, Westbrook said it could be possible to expand to a more comprehensive laundry service where customers pay a fee to get their regular clothes washed.
“We hope to make some use of that space and get it up and running by the middle of the semester,” Westbrook said.
Patricia Mazzei can be contacted at pmazzei@umsis.miami.edu.

Lowe exhibit celebrates ceramics
A Ceramic Continuum: Fifty Years of the Archie Bray Influence will be on exhibition at the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, from Sept. 20 through Nov. 9, 2003. Also on view is Connected, a site-specific installation by former Archie Bray fellow, Rebecca Hutchinson. A Ceramic Continuum features 85 ceramic works drawn from the permanent collection of more than 800 works of the Archie Bray Foundation for Ceramic Arts and celebrates the Foundation’s 50th anniversary in 2001.
The Archie Bray Foundation, located in Helena, Montana, is a public, non-profit educational institution dedicated to the enrichment of contemporary ceramic arts. The primary mission of the Foundation is its arts residency program, which allows students and professionals to create in private studios while contributing to one another’s development through the sharing of ideas and techniques.
To complement A Ceramic Continuum: Fifty Years of the Archie Bray Influence, the Lowe has commissioned a site-specific installation by Rebecca Hutchinson. The former Archie Bray fellow will transform the Lowe’s Friends of Art Gallery with one of her signature works, which makes use of organic materials and addresses interest in the totality of ecosystem function and diverse components within ecosystems that provide collaborative, parasitic and symbiotic relationships.
Deadline approaches for awards
The deadline for applying for most of the prestigious national awards, including Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright and Gates, is fast approaching. If you are interested in these awards, you must get busy with the process immediately. You will find details about each award on the Honors Program website: www.miami.edu/honorsprogram. Remember: you do not have to be a member of the Honors Program to apply for these awards. All you generally need is a grade point average of 3.700 or higher and a record of involvement in extracurricular events and activities.
Festival Miami comes to Gusman
Festival Miami, which runs from Sept. 20 to Oct. 25, 2003, is recognized for offering a dazzling array of music. All Festival Miami events will be held in the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall unless otherwise noted. Ticket prices range from $5 to $25 and $40 for opening and closing night performances and receptions. Tickets may be purchased directly from the Festival Miami ticket office or through Ticketmaster. To order tickets or to obtain a complete schedule of events, visit the festival’s website at www.music.miami.edu or call 305-284-4940.