GREEK WEEK CALENDAR

Wednesday April 2
at 7 p.m. on the UC patio-

Don’t miss Organized Cheer, Singled Out, Junkanoo
and a canned food drive to benefit Farm Share.

Friday April 4
at 6 p.m. in the UC Ballrooms-

Be ready to be surprised at the Mystery Event. Theme TBA.

Saturday April 5
from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. at the Rat-

Celebrate New Years Eve in Times Square
with a Dance-a-thon and Say What Songfest.

Sunday April 6
at 3 p.m. at the Rat-

Greek Week ends with a bang, if you’re lucky,
at Fantasy Fest in Key West.

Recently, the crime rates on campus have been on a steady decline as a result of the increased efforts of the Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Henry Christensen. In an interview with the Miami Hurricane, Christensen talked about recent security improvements and shared some insight into enforcing public safety at UM.

Q: To what measures do you attribute the substantial decline in crimes on campus?
A: The decline of crime on campus can be attributed to several things.
Firstly, we have deployed police and security officers at significant areas, reducing the opportunity for someone to commit a crime and go undetected. Also, we have put together an auto theft project that has targeted auto theft by studying our data regarding locations, times, etc. and have assigned officers to specific target areas. This has also helped us in terms of preventing auto burglary.
Q: In your opinion, what would you say is the greatest threat in terms of crime to students currently at UM?
A: On a day-to-day basis, the most frequent call we get is theft of unattended property. We, including myself, are all guilty of not locking our doors and leaving our property unattended. We should all constantly be aware of our surroundings.
Q: Has a student ever tried to bribe you into overlooking their offense? If so, how did you handle the situation?
A: I have never been bribed, but if I was and if the elements were there, an additional charge could be added to the offense.
Q: What’s the most memorable thing that’s ever happened to you on a shift?
A: There have been many, but I remember once I was dispatched to an ER because a student was creating a disturbance there. When I arrived the student was complaining loudly of a stomachache. Then the doctor came to me and said, “He is making too much noise – what are you going to do about it?” At that point, I reminded the doctor that I was a policeman, and since we were in a hospital he should be the one to cure the patient.
Q: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever heard of or witnessed a student doing?
A: Back in the days of “streakers,” there was a student that would don a towel, put it around his neck and use it as a cape. He would get on a bicycle and taunt the police officers by riding by them and calling names. He would do this every night and turn around to watch the police officers’ response. Then, one night, as he was turning around, he was not looking in front of him, and he ran his bike directly into a large tree. Luckily, he was not hurt seriously – except for his pride.
Q: What do you think is the most exciting and interesting aspect of working in Public Safety at UM?
A: The most exciting part of working at UM Public Safety for me is the opportunity of being able to fulfill two vocations. In a way I feel I am both a law enforcement officer and an educator. I am very proud of that.
Q: Are there certain threats to students that are overlooked or underrepresented to protect the image of UM?
A: We report all incidents and post crime alerts whenever necessary.
Q: At what point do you get the local police involved?
A: Coral Gables Police investigates all sexual batteries on campus. They have a unit that specializes in this. They are competent and compassionate to all victims. All homicides that occur in the City of Coral Gables are handled by the Miami-Dade Police Department.
Q: What recurring situations are you currently still trying to remedy?
A: At this time, we are working on improving bicycle theft on campus.
Q: In terms of security improvements, what changes do you foresee for the upcoming year?
A: Better lighting is constantly being addressed and hedge trimming will be enhanced, making areas more visible. We at Public Safety are always striving to make our campus a better place to live, work and study. We appreciate all suggestions.
Q: Is there any kind of organization in which students can get involved to take a more proactive role in the safety and security of their campus?
A: Resident students should approach the Adopt-a-Cops that are assigned to each Residential College for information or concerns they might have. The Adopt-a-Cop can schedule seminars on any issue regarding safety and can also provide information on RAD [Rape Aggression Defense] classes for female students.

Whitney Friedrich can be contacted at witz615@aol.com

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

At 3 to 4 weeks:

– a sore at genitals, rectum or
mouth
– swollen lymph nodes

At 4 to 10 weeks:

– non-itchy, reddish, spotty
rash may appear anywhere
on body
– other symptoms may include
headache, fever, fatigue, loss
of appetite, sore throat and
muscle aches

At 1 year to decades later:

– arthritis
– damage to brain, nerves,
eyes, heart, bones and liver

UM and South Florida are in the midst of a syphilis epidemic, primarily affecting the gay male community.
“We went approximately five years without seeing a single case of syphilis, but in the last school year we have started to see cases again,” Dr. Howard Anapol, director of the Student Health Service, said. “There is an epidemic starting to occur.”
Anapol did not provide the Miami Hurricane with the exact number of cases on campus.
However, since 2001, both Miami-Dade and Broward counties have seen a jump in the number of cases reported.
According to the Miami-Dade County Health Department, Office of Epidemiology and Disease control, there have been 84 reported cases of syphilis for the month of January, compared to 89 total cases for the entire year of 2002.
Health Officials are concerned because of the close relation between syphilis and HIV.
“People have become less careful with their safe sex practices,” Anapol said. “A resurgence in syphilis will lead to a resurgence in HIV.”
Anapol believes that being away from home plays a part in encouraging high-risk behavior.
“Students come here away from mom and dad for the first time, and there is a lot of temptation,” Anapol said. “This leads to behavior that can be potentially life changing.”
According to Anapol, homosexual men are most at risk for the disease, although anyone can be infected.
“The increase in cases have predominantly been in men who have sex with men,” Anapol said. “That doesn’t mean that others can’t have it.”
Syphilis is a highly infectious bacterial STD which is transmitted when one person is exposed to lesions on an infected person through sexual activity.
Syphilis progresses through three phases: primary, secondary and latent.
The primary phase is characterized by a sore at the site of infection, which develops three to four weeks after exposure. The sore heals spontaneously after one week, but the disease is still present.
The secondary phase develops four to ten weeks after the first and may look like a number of other illnesses. This phase of syphilis can go away without treatment but the disease then progresses into the latent phase, which develops one to two years after exposure.
During the last phase, the heart, brain, skin and bones are at risk.
Students are afraid of the increase in incidents of syphilis and believe that the Health Center should do more to help students protect themselves.
“It’s scary, man,” Jon Warfield, senior, said.
“Maybe they should give out condoms in the dorms because people don’t want to walk to the Health Center unless they are ill,” Dom Hones, sophomore, said.
Anapol believes that the Health Center takes all possible steps to protect students who believe that they are infected.
“Everything is absolutely confidential,” Anapol said. “We guard our medical records very fervently.”
According to Anapol, the primary stages of syphilis are treatable with penicillin.
“We do not charge for syphilis or HIV tests,” Anapol said. “Its $80 for an injection of penicillin, which should be covered by health insurance.”
If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Student Health Center at 305-284-5927.

Arnab Basu can be contacted at basuarnab@hotmail.com.

Author who inspired ‘Sex and the City’ chats up new novel
Hurricane Productions brought Candace Bushnell, author of several books that inspired the HBO series Sex and the City, to UM to talk about and sign copies of her recent novel, Trading Up.
Bushnell started by dispelling stereotypes that have been frequently associated with Sex and the City.
“Sex and the City is not a high class porn, because they do a lot more than have sex,” Bushnell said. “They eat and sleep too, which they never do in porn.”
During her presentation, Bushnell explained some of the socio-cultural trends that have inspired all of her works. For example, Bushnell says she has noticed men hitting on women just because they were models and wouldn’t even speak to those who weren’t, even if they were more attractive than the models.
Bushnell says her new novel was written with similar situations in mind.
“The book explains in subtle little ways that women act that men don’t notice,” Bushnell said. “Girls sleep with men to get gifts and such, even intelligent respectable women.”
Many of her fans appreciate Bushnell’s honesty and frank way of writing.
“I like the show because all of the things that happen are so true and it’s funny,” Julie Castelli, freshman, said.
In fact, Bushnell says that a man once approached her and said, “You are the only one that depicts women as being as bad as men.”
“There is nothing fake about neither the book nor the show; all the characters are as crazy as my friends if not milder,” Bushnell said.
Students present enjoyed the event and appreciate the efforts of Hurricane Productions to get the writer on campus.
“The presentation was very interesting and entertaining,” Meera Bhutta, senior, said. “Hurricane Productions should do more events like this one.”
According to Bushnell, the upcoming season of Sex and the City will be the last, primarily because the actors are growing out of the age group that was originally meant for the characters.
“I’ll probably end the show by having them all get married,” Bushnell said.

Abhishek Shah can be contacted at ablashek@hotmail.com.

TODAY
Asian American Awareness Week continues with an Asian Cultural Fashion Show. Student models will be showcasing authentic ethnic and historical costumes from various parts of Asia. The fashion show ill be in the UC I-lounge at 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 2

Don’t miss India Day, a whole day dedicated to Indian culture, customs and traditions as part of Asian American Awareness Week.

Did you ever want to kick butts? If so, participate in the UM chapter of STRIKE Cigarette Trade-In day in honor of Kick Butts day between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the UC Rock. Smokers can trade in a pack of their cigarettes for a UM visor. For more information, contact 305-284-6524.
Nordstrom at the Village at Merrick Park invites you to “Opening a Multi-Billion Dollar Store” with presentations by Vicki Lopez, store manager, and MaryAnn Gunther, human resource manager. The event will be from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Storer auditorium. Be sure to attend to find out about paid internships offered all over the U.S. Refreshments will be served. RSVP is not needed. Dress is casual. For more information, contact 305-284-4052.

Greek Week continues with Junkanoo, Organized Cheer, Singled Out and a canned food drive for Farm Share on the UC patio at 7 p.m.

The Academic Development Center invites you to This is Only a Test: How to Survive Finals, at 1 p.m. in the ADC classroom. This is your chance to improve your test preparation and performance. Learn how to plan for exams and study actively to make efficient use of your study time.

Join the Hurricane baseball team as they take on Florida Atlantic University at 7 p.m. at Mark Light Stadium.

THURSDAY APRIL 3

Asian American Awareness Week presents FUSHU Taiko Drummers of Dania perform traditional Japanese style drumming on campus on the UC Patio at 8 p.m.

The members of Yellow Rose present their award-winning annual production of GENESIS at 7 p.m. in the UC I-lounge. The theme for this year is “Sister to Sister.” Join Yellow Rose as they address a range of issues affecting young women. Everyone is encouraged to attend.

FRIDAY APRIL 4
Asian American Awareness Week continues with Asia Day. Don’t miss cultural booths with exhibits, food and displays from Asian American Student Association, Filipino Students Association and the Indian Students Association on the UC patio from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Asian American Awareness Week ends with One Night of Asia. The event will feature cultural dances, kung-fu exhibits, various ceremonial dances and music featuring AASA, ISA and Filipino Student Association. The ceremony begins at 7 p.m.

Don’t miss the Greek Week mystery event at 6 p.m. in the UC ballrooms. Theme TBA.

SATURDAY APRIL 5

You’re invited to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Times Square with the Greek Week Dance-a-thon and Say What Songfest from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m. at the Rat.

SUNDAY APRIL 6

Greek Week hosts their closing ceremonies with Fantasy Fest in Key West at the Rat at 4 p.m.

TUESDAY APRIL 8

The Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) hosts the Take Back the Night walking vigil at 7:30 p.m. beginning at the UC Rock. The walk will circle the campus and then return to the Rock for a ceremony including guest speakers, poetry readings by students, music and singing.

Students feel powerless toward housing policy changes
Many wait hours to sign up only to find no guarantee of housing at the end of the line
Within the past week, the Miami Hurricane has received over a dozen complaints from students regarding the housing situation on campus, primarily the new amendment stipulating UM’s ability to administratively change housing assignments and force students to move into the Holiday Inn, the lack of on-campus dorms available for current students and the unrealistically long lines to sign up for housing.
The Miami Hurricane attempted on several occasions to contact Jon Baldessari, assistant director for Residence Halls in charge of housing assignments, to schedule an interview to discuss the complaints, to no avail. On Friday, the Miami Hurricane went to the office of Residence Halls to speak with Baldessari, only to discover that he was unavailable to meet with us. We then requested to speak with his secretary, Dianne Wall, but the front desk attendant, who refused to give us her exact name or title, said she could not contact Wall or vouch for her whereabouts. The Miami Hurricane then requested to speak with Robert Redick, director for residence halls, and were told that he was out of town attending a conference.
Reporters for the Miami Hurricane later discovered that Baldessari and Wall were directing the long lines of students waiting to sign-up for housing.
“This is ridiculous,” Rafael Evans, freshman, said. “It’s a horrendous and horrifying experience.”
Recently, the Miami Hurricane has learned that the resident assistants [RAs] in all of the residential colleges will be moving into single rooms, to make their current double rooms available to residents.
However, students currently living in single rooms in Hecht and Stanford have not received notice that they will not be able to live in these rooms next year.
Even though these students are signing up to retain their singles, they will not be notified that they are displaced students until the Department of Residence Halls sends them a letter stating that they must move into the Holiday Inn because their room is unavailable.
Students are outraged at the deception and misinformation presented to them by the staff at the Department of Residence Halls.
Sometimes students have waited up to five hours to sign up for rooms and many have missed class and work or rescheduled appointments to make up for the amount of time it takes to sign up for a room.
“I was under the impression that this was organized, but it’s really not,” Anna Becker, freshman, said. “We’ve been waiting for over four hours.”
“I figured this would happen,” Greg Carr, freshman, said. “They need to have more than one line.”
Upperclassmen who have been through the housing process in the past expressed shock at how frustrating the situation is this year.
“I can’t believe how long that the lines are; they have never been so bad,” Jake Golden, junior, said.
Many students said they expect more from the UM administration.
“With as much money as we pay, the school should have a better system,” Danielle Vann, freshman, said.
Many students believe that UM administration has accepted too many incoming freshmen, and they feel under-appreciated and unwelcome on campus, mainly because they will be the first to go if spaces need to be filled at the Holiday Inn.
“If they don’t have the room for students to live on campus, they shouldn’t be admitting them,” Shaneca Adams, freshman, said.
“This is really frustrating, and there aren’t many rooms left,” freshman Emily Ely said.
“They really need to work on building new housing, like University Village, because this is unacceptable,” Sarah Hutchins, sophomore, said.
Some students are even considering transferring to another school if on-campus housing is not made available.
“I attend UM because of the academics,” Jennifer Steeb, freshman, said. “If they make me go to the Holiday Inn or anywhere else off campus, I would transfer because I’d be missing out on campus life.”
“I think one way to resolve this issue is to make the admissions process more competitive,” Steeb said.
Several students are also criticizing the staff of the Department of Residence Halls for their lack of organization and professionalism.
“The approach to the system needs to be changed,” Kristen Greenberg, freshman, said. “They have three people with pencils in there signing everybody up.”
“They need more housing and a better system of signups,” Jake Golden, junior, said.
According to Mike Johnston, former Student Government [SG] president, SG has worked to help make the housing sign-up process easier this year by offering a week of express sign-ups for students wishing to keep their same room.
However, Johnston says the current housing process is unacceptable and he says he will work with Scott Sadowski, new SG president, to come up with a solution.
“The current housing sign-up situation is very poor,” Johnston said. “I’m very upset about it and will work with Scott to fix the situation.”
For any questions, comments, concerns or complaints, contact the Department of Residence Halls at 305-284-4505.

Jorge Arauz can be contacted at xxarauzxx@yahoo.com; Leigha Taber can be contacted at l.taber@umiami.edu