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Ready for Take Off – a poem by Whitney Friedrich

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Online reservations-
the click, click of computer keys,
like M-16s loading up drown the
screams that ring out over Iraq as
our American Express cards bend in pain
from the rising price of travel.

The plane gains altitude,
And passengers grip their upright coffins-
They drink vodka tonics as children
Living in darkness scream in a place
we watch on the ten o’clock news.

Flight attendants please,
[double] cross-check and prepare
for takeoff. Ladies and gentlemen,
sit back and enjoy your non-stop ride to
World War III.

Then, seatbelts buckled, the plane rocks in
the turbulence that the pilot was too much of
an amateur to avoid and the plane goes down in
a screaming stream of smoke and ash and
ignorant glory as a voice crackles over the
intercom and the stench of burning hair envelops.

I wonder what this button does…

Whitney Friedrich can be contacted at
witz615@aol.com.

US and allies deliver Saddam’s day of reckoning

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Finally, after 12 years of United Nations prevarication, the time of reckoning has finally arrived for Saddam Hussein. It is indeed tragic that it has come to this, but at least this problem will finally be solved. No longer will we be menaced by the totalitarian whims of the “Butcher of Baghdad.” A new day will dawn, both for the security of the American people, but also for the security of the people of the Middle East and indeed the rest of the world.
Still even as the doom and gloom scenarios dreamed up by the paragons of naivetE have thus far failed to materialize, many Americans and citizens of other nations have taken to the streets to protest this necessary measure. I’m at pains to understand how blocking traffic on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago or the main street in San Francisco’s financial district will convince President Bush to order a withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, but if it makes them feel like they’re accomplishing something, hey, knock yourselves out – you’re providing me with hours of comedic entertainment. Just don’t get in front of my car; I’m having trouble with the brakes.
When this is over Iraq – in the interim anyway – will be free. Its people will prosper as the natural resources of the nation are used to enrich the people, not an anachronistic dictator obsessed by delusions of grandeur. No longer will it be considered an outlaw state. Iraq will once again take its place among the honorable nations of the world. Whether it remains prosperous will be the sole domain of the Iraqi people. They may choose well or they may choose poorly. The bottom line is, the Iraqi people will have the choice not Saddam Hussein or his staunchest ally France.
If we are lucky, Saddam Hussein and his murderous offspring are already dead. If not, there is no doubt they will shuffle off this mortal coil in very short order. The world and the Iraqi people will ultimately thank us for the gift of liberty. The people of Iraq will remember who came to their aid and rescued them from the nightmare that has lasted nearly a quarter of a century. When that day comes, no one will be able to find even one anti-war protester. They should all hang their heads in shame.

Scott Wacholtz is a senior majoring in Political Science and is a veteran of Desert Storm. All anti-war whining can be slooped to aramis1642@hotmail.com

Bush rhetoric may be hypocrisy of the worst kind

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Last week, against the will of most of the world, our nation began one of the most virulently disputed wars in history. I have already stated my opinion on this war, and it will not change. Now I want to state what I think we should be doing instead.
On September 11th, a small religious terrorist organization committed an atrocious act of violence. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of terrorist groups just like Al Qaeda that would attack us just as quickly given enough money and organization. If the object really were to avenge and honor those who died, we would be working to obliterate the economic base of these fundamentalist terrorist groups, working with other nations so that they will not house terrorists, and most importantly, working to engender understanding between our country and that region so that it will not continue to breed terrorists.
Don’t agree? Well, when was the last time Iraq crossed our borders and attacked us? When was the last time a small terrorist group crossed our borders and attacked us? Get the point?
Also, Bush’s strategy for defending our country involves making preemptive attacks on nations that pose potential threats to our security. To follow this plan, we must next attack North Korea, Iran, Sudan, and multiple other nations who are potential threats. In short, we must start a world war by ourselves against multiple nations who have committed no crime yet, and against the public opinion of more than half of the world. We must spare no expense, recoil at no amount of bloodshed until every possible threat to our security is defeated. As terrible as that sounds, if it is not carried through, all the rhetoric that has been flung around about the humanitarian reason for fighting Iraq will be proven for what I suspect it is: hypocrisy of the worst kind.
I have a few more words on the war and then I will have said my peace. I am tired of the president’s arrogance and of the belief that God is on anyone’s side in war. I am tired of the ignorance of the American people (polls show that 40 percent of Americans believe that Hussein was responsible for September 11th, and the Bush administration has done nothing to set the record straight). I am tired of the media lying down and letting Bush off easy. They came up with hundreds of questions for Clinton about a blowjob, but about the lack of factual evidence to justify war they seem to be drawing a blank.
Oh, and about those weapons of mass destruction: if they exist, why are so many Iraqi soldiers surrendering instead of using them to fight?

Travis Atria is a senior majoring in English Literature. Flame mail can be directed to Batman7777@aol.com.

EDITORIAL : Things to be proud about?

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As war set in, the world felt its weight.
Miami seems to be ignoring that weight. South Beach experienced no shortage of patrons this weekend. Televisions in the UC and the campus cafeterias, set to CNN or Fox News last week, are now set to NASCAR racing, and nobody seems to mind. Protests on campus have seen little support and fizzled out. Apathy seems related to ambiguity: as no one is sure what to think, what to do, and how to react to war, they change the channel, turn their shoulder, and question America.
You may not be proud to hear that Coalition forces laid siege to Baghdad as Nazi forces laid siege to Britain in World War II. You may not be proud to hear accounts of innocent Iraqi civilians caught under the bombs and tanks of Coalition advances. You may not be proud to hear of violent anti-war and pro-war demonstrations in America and around the world this past weekend. Some of you are probably searching for reasons to maintain faith in American society, politics, and life.
You can be proud, however, of the people of Goodwill Industries. Yes, that innocuous, run-down, back-alley thrift shop you frequent when looking for cheap clothes is a major component of the military-industrial complex. Surprising, but the nonprofit social-service organization is a major supplier of camouflage fatigue trousers, military fleece jackets and coveralls. Goodwill Industries is also the sole maker of internment flags for American soldiers. Recently, as war revved up and we the students grew increasingly uneasy and confused, orders for many products from Goodwill Industries went up markedly. What separates Goodwill from other military-industrial contractors, such as Boeing, is that Goodwill’s mission is to provide education, self-confidence, and employment skills to people with disabilities.
Also this past week, overshadowed by 24-inane-hour war coverage, was a huge victory for the environment. The U.S. Senate voted 52-48 last Wednesday to block oil development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The pro-environment vote was even more remarkable coming when it did, on the eve of war, with every Senator under enormous pressure to approve the centerpiece of President Bush’s energy plan.
For months, lobbyists have been making the case that drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the slowest, most expensive and most destructive way to ensure America’s energy security. In the end, eight Republicans joined most Democrats and proudly defended America’s most spectacular birthing ground for Arctic wildlife.
How are Iraq and the Arctic related? With oil, that most precious commodity. What the environment and its supporters won was a life-saving reprieve for the Arctic Refuge, not permanent protection. The champions of big oil are sure to be back within weeks, if not days, with more pro-drilling bills. Now with war and instability in Iraq-a nation with the world’s second-largest oil reserves (up in flames)-the energy debate will soon intensify.
Just as many anti-war demonstrators claim to be against the war but in support of American troops, you can still oppose the war but be proud of the people of Goodwill Industries in their mission to promote disabled citizens upward through the strata of society. Moreover, with bombs over Baghdad and rioting in the streets, you can still be proud that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is, at least temporarily, safe from destruction.
So, find more things to be proud about in this era of violation, of invasion, of “shock and awe.” Look to the streets of Tel Aviv, where people feel safe enough to walk around and NOT carry government-issued gas masks and poison gas antidotes. Look to elementary school classrooms, where at least now children are getting a comprehensive education about Middle East geography, culture, and politics. Pride and disgust, in these times, are two sides of the same coin.

Confluence to provide forum for student opinion

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Students can speak with ease in the new literary student journal Confluence, the first student-run literary journal of the humanities at UM. The publication will feature original writings from undergraduate students expressing their opinions about current events.
“The journal was created as a response to academic outlets for undergraduates to express their creative faculties,” Christian G. Wilson, founder and editor-in-chief of Confluence, said. “It will provide the undergraduate student body with the possibility to become published in an academic publication.”
So far, 21 entries have been received, half of which have already been selected for publication.
“I think that this is the chance for students to talk and express themselves. It is a good topic right now,” Emilie Leibovitch, senior, said. “Terrorism and threats question if we are still free. Students will be confronted by many opinions and might gain an open mind- it’s good to hear what others are saying.”
Other students agree and look forward to reading the journal.
“Students who have strong opinions now have somewhere to express them,” Francine Madera, sophomore, said.
The journal is sponsored by the Philosophy Department and by the UM College Democrats and will be published in chapbook format each semester. This semester’s theme is “Democracy and Its Discontents: Are Americans Still Free?”
The deadline for entries is Mar. 28 and all entries must be an original work from an undergraduate student, double-spaced with a maximum of 1,000 words.
Students must include their full name, their major, class, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address. All entries should be sent to umjournal@hotmail.com
Students who are interested in working for the journal as an editor, a vice-editor, or as a reviewer should contact umjournal@hotmail.com.

Marquita Bell can be contacted at m_bell01@hotmail.com

Shalala and group read work of renowned Lebanese poet

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UM President Donna E. Shalala gathered with students and faculty last Thursday for a group reading of Kahlil Gibran’s book, The Prophet, hosted by the Solution Interdisciplinary Forum.
“Reading poetry in a group arouses the pleasures of art and life, as we come together to share and learn from each other,” Khaleem Mohammed-Ali, president of Solutions, said. “I am most touched that we were able once again to introduce people to a book they may not have otherwise encountered- Kahlil Gibran, the most famous Lebanese writer, is in danger of being forgotten by our generation.”
Before beginning the event, President Shalala shared her Lebanese heritage and told of how her father used to read parts of Gibran’s poetry to her.
“For every Lebanese child, [The Prophet] is like a fairytale,” she said. “It was very much a part of my childhood and growing up.”
Some students could identify with Shalala’s experience.
“I read the book when I was really young,” Jason Obeso, a junior majoring in English and creative writing, said. “It has a beautiful style and I just wanted to reacquaint myself with the book again.”
Gibran’s best-known work, The Prophet is a partly autobiographical book of 26 poetic essays that was published in 1923. The collection has been translated into over 20 languages and teaches of the mysteries of life in a spiritualistic way. The book touches upon everything from freedom, pain, and self-knowledge, to friendship, beauty and other aspects of life.
“This is an interesting time to be reading Arabic poetry given the state of the world today,” Dr. Thomas Goodmann, faculty advisor for Solutions literary events, said.
For many, reading brought about a sense of comfort and community.
“At a time when our country is at war, it is important to strengthen our communities,” Mohammed-Ali said. “The Prophet is about community; it is about sharing and learning from one another.”
Because of its emotional undertones, many were moved to tears and expressed their gratitude for being able to share in Gibran’s work, including Dr. Benjiman Webb, director of the honors program.
“It was a dramatic ending,” Mohammed-Ali said. “Professor Webb was visibly moved after reading the final chapter. He took a deep breath and said: ‘That’s heavy stuff!'”
Solutions next event, “Artificial Intelligence: Ambition and Ethics”, an interdisciplinary panel discussion with a biologist, a computer scientist, and an ethicist, will take place Thursday, at 6:30 p.m. in LC 120.
For information, e-mail Solutions at solutions.studorg@miami.edu.

Angelique Thomas can be contacted at aperivale@aol.com

A term to remember

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A Farewell to Mike
SG President leaves lasting legacy of accomplishment
As the 2003 academic year approaches its close, Mike Johnston nears the end of his Student Government [SG] presidency with a long list of accomplishments and the satisfaction that under his leadership, UM was named best SG for private colleges in the state of Florida, by Florida Leader Magazine.
“This award has eluded our school for years; we always come in second,” Johnston said. “When I found out I couldn’t stop smiling.”
Over the past year, as a result of SG efforts, several improvements to the UM campus have been made including 24/7 convenience store hours, increased Ibis Ride shuttle service, extended Wellness Center and Chartwell’s hours of operation, a crepe vendor by the UC, and the installation of ice machines in the residence halls.
More recently, students have been able to view HBO and additional cable channels in the dorms.
“This year our projects have truly been student-centered,” Johnston said, adding that he focused on the details that would make the campus better. “No project or issue was too big or too small.”
Johnston, who is two days away from handing over his presidency to Scott Sadowski, said that the success of his tenure depended on developing strong relationships with the administration and always accomplishing what he set out to do.
“My personal philosophy is to always follow through with what you say you are going to do,” Johnston said. “Never say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ without knowing if you can do it even though often times you will be put on the spot.”
“It is also important to remain humble; we’re not better than any other student,” Johnston said.
Johnston said that the true power of SG lies in establishing good relations with the administration, in order to work better with them and make things happen.
As an example, Johnston said that when a student complained about the bad lighting in the Memorial classrooms, SG immediately brought it to the administrations attention.
“This was a great academic concern, so we worked together and now there are dimmer switches in the Memorial classrooms,” Johnston said.
Johnston will be graduating in May with a degree in manufacturing engineering. He will be attending medical school.
“This administration will leave a legacy of cooperation with students and UM administration, diligence in setting and achieving goals, and encouraging future leaders to follow in our footsteps,” Johnston said.
As a farewell gift, Mike Johnston wants all residents to stop by the SG office to pick up a free ice bucket imprinted with the SG logo.

Andrea Alegria can be contacted at neaalegria@aol.com

Campus Calendar

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TODAY

Are you an Architecture major? Are you thinking about Architecture as a possible career? Then come to the Architecture Career Fair from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the University Center Lower Lounge, where recruiters from a variety of firms will be available to talk about career opportunities. This event is free and open to all UM students and alumni. Bring plenty of resumes and make sure you dress to impress! For more information, visit www.miami.edu/careerexpo/students

Planet Kreyol continues celebrating Haitian Culture week with Haitian Art-fest at the Lowe Art Museum from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 pm

Haitian Culture week continues with a Haitian Overcoming Adversity forum in the Eaton Classroom from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Don’t miss WOMEN ON THE MIC at 7:00 p.m. in the Storm Surge Cafe of the University Center. In honor of Women’s History Month, please join the Women’s Resource Center and Multicultural Student Affairs in a night of poetry. The event is open to all students who would like to share their written words, the topic is women only! The event is hosted by Nanette Vega, Asst. Director/ MSA. So, put the pen to paper and come out and support this event in honor of women all around the world. Prizes will be awarded! Be sure to register if you want to participate. To sign up please stop by the Women’s Resource Center (UC Room 224) or Multicultural Student Affairs (Bldg 21-P).

AKA presents Keep your Head Up…READ at 7:08 p.m. at the Mahoney Classrooms.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 26

Want to learn more about the graduate school admissions process? Don’t miss your opportunity to get the some valuable information at 5:30 p.m. in Toppel Career Center Library. This program will show you the steps to take to bring you closer to your goal of getting into graduate school. Panelists will discuss how to prepare applications, write a winning application essay, get good recommendation letters, and to ace your interview. So, what are you waiting for? For more information, visit www.miami.edu/toppel.

The UM Council for Democracy presents former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno at 6:00 p.m. in Storer Auditorium. Refreshments will be served. ‘Cane card required for entrance. For more information go to www.CouncilForDemocracy.org

Join AKA for Poetic Justice at 7:08 p.m. at the Storm Surge Cafe
Join Planet Kreyol for Movie Night premiering “Wind of Desire” at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 pm. The cost is $3.00 for students and $5.00 for non-students.

The Wellness Center presents Understanding Osteoporosis as part of Women’s History Month. The event will be at 5:30 p.m. in the second floor conference room. To register for the free event contact 305-284-LIFE.

Don’t miss McMitzvah Madness at the UC patio from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Join Greater Miami Hillel in a celebration of Israel and it’s culture by performing small acts of charity. They’ll be plenty to see and do with live music, food and of course a live camel!

THURSDAY MARCH 27

You are invited to Sex in the Campus: An Evening with Candace Bushnell, Author of Sex in the City and 4 Blondes, in Storer Auditorium at 8:00 p.m. For more information, contact Hurricane Productions at www.um-hp.com.

Haitian Culture week continues with great food and music. Don’t miss the Haitian Food Sale in the UC Breezeway from 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Be sure to stick around for Kompa (Haitian music) Fest on the UC Patio from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

How do you want? AKA’s got it! The irresistible ladies of AKA present their 2nd Annual Male Auction in the UC I-lounge at 7:38 p.m.

FRIDAY MARCH 28

Learn about the Life of an Outlaw with AKA while watching 8 Mile at 7:08 p.m. at the Hecht Masters Apartment.

Hindus Outraged

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UC Breezeway vendor faces scrutiny
Students form petition to halt sale of Hindu idols
Recently, a petition with approximately 200 signatures has been circulating against UC vendor Douglas Goodis, owner of Eccentricity. Goodis was witnessed making inappropriate comments regarding items of religious significance to the Hindu community.
According to Linda Sher-Collado, building and event coordinator for the UC, Goodis has been working on campus as a vendor for over a decade. His table is situated next to the ATMs by the breezeway, opposite the bookstore.
Junior Nirmal Ramanathan began the petition after he observed Goodis playing with a Hindu idol and commenting that what he was doing must be sacrilegious.
Ramanathan was offended by the comment and approached Goodis, who refused to acknowledge his concerns.
Ramanathan then decided to contact UM administration regarding the incident via e-mail.
Goodis says he hopes that this incident will not tarnish his reputation, but he admits that he is not fully aware of the cultural and religious importance of many of the items he sells.
“It’s a shame that such a small group of students can control everything,” Goodis said. “Can a student organization come to my house and tell me to remove the Buddhas from my home?”
Goodis suggested that if students don’t agree with the way he is portraying the Hindu religious icons, they should stand with him and explain the significance of the idols to his customers. However, Goodis says he shouldn’t have to pay any student for the service they would be providing.
Richard Walker, director of the UC and student life, responded to Ramanathan’s concerns.
“As an academic institution we promote the right of individuals to have varying beliefs and ideals and to be able to express these beliefs whether they be by means of religious expression or cultural expression,” Walker said. “We do not live in a society that dictates what a person’s motives should be in order to sell goods or to buy goods.”
“Many people believe that offering these items for sale in fact promotes cultural awareness and broadens horizons which is in keeping with the educational mission of the University,” Walker said.
Walker went on to say that the statues of Hindu mythology may mean different things to different people based on whether they interpret it from a religious, cultural, or educational viewpoint.
Many students are in support of the petition.
“As a Hindu, I’m completely in favor of the petition,” Kunal Patel, junior, said. “The disrespect shown to our religion and disregard for the beliefs of others is appalling.
“As a non-Hindu, I feel this is a very valid argument,” Aaron Carter, sophomore, said.
Members of the Hindu Students Council are also in favor of the petition.
“We support this petition and if this gentleman is selling these idols, he should definitely do it in a tasteful manner,” Aarti Patel, treasurer for Hindu Students Council, said. “We expect that an explanation by Mr. Walker will resolve the situation.”
Despite the petition against him, Goodis says he enjoys working at UM, although he says his wholesale business is far more profitable.
“[UM] is one of my places to work at,” Goodis said. “What I make there is minimal compared to what I make with my wholesale business.”
Walker says that before Goodis is allowed back on campus, a meeting will be held to discuss the manner in which he conducts his business.

For any comments or concerns regarding this issue, contact Richard Walker at ext. 8-2805.

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

RETRO VIOLENCE

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For the Wild Seduction Gallery, lackluster material has never been a problem. Keeping in their tradition of housing some of the most shocking and interactive art, their latest show, Violent Art, features a diverse collection of artists’ takes on old-school violence including Robert Preston, Adan Hernandez, Charles Krafft, Herman Makkink, and a special showing from William Cordova.
Charles Krafft’s talent as a painter and his trip to war-torn Yugoslavia in 1995 left him wanting to bring home the true terror he had experienced there. He acquired weapons while abroad and made molds of them, which were later formed into white porcelain models of the originals. Krafft’s hand-painted Delft porcelain seems too delicate for the forms in which it has been so lovingly shaped. Almost perverted by the weaponry it has become, his pieces lay gently in red velvet boxes decked out with pseudo-Dutch scenes of country landscapes in blue porcelain. Krafft’s pieces seem less blatantly violent as others in the show, and serve more to give the viewer a taste of what has passed and what will never be forgotten.
Images of crime scenes and crash sites are touchy subjects for most these days. Robert Preston recreated ’50s and ’60s crime scene photographs of his late father onto oil canvases. Colors strangely authentic to the time had to be created by Preston to convey the period and feeling of the photos. As a self-proclaimed “narrative painter,” his pieces offer a taste of history like Krafft’s, but these images are more deliberate.
“Electra Crash, 1960,” a photo of the Lockheed Electra plane crash which lost 63 lives is a perfect example of the kind of feeling or remembrance the artist conveys with these paintings. Still strapped into their airplane seats, passengers’ limbs fall limp onto the shores of a beach at dusk, the skin at the top of their heads seemingly peeled back as one onlooker smokes a cigarette and gazes over the tragedy that befell those people.
Arguably one of the most deceptively violent pieces of the exhibit is Herman Makkink’s “The Rocking Machine,” best remembered from the movie A Clockwork Orange. To accompany (and explain) Makkink’s work, the WSG plays a short 7-10 minute vignette from the movie showing two of the artist’s most famous pieces. The movie serves as a means to show how the giant fiberglass penis (29″(l) x 18″(w) x 16″(h)) and female ass was used to bludgeon an annoying British bourgeois to death in her home. The definitive answer to the taboo question: “Is bigger really better?”
Capturing the everyday struggles of the San Antonio barrio he grew up in, Adan Hernandez has given the lives of impoverished Hispanics a new light. His artwork captured media attention back in 91′ when La Bomba director Taylor Heckford asked him to create artwork for his movie Blood In…Blood Out.
Since then, a close eye has been kept on the artist as his painting of gang violence, murders, and revenge have echoed the voices of a powerful people. Hernandez’s merciless passion to bring the voices of Hispanics to the forefront of an art-world ignorant to them leaves the paintings offering something deeper than just subterranean blues and cinematic poses.
Violent Art is at the Wild Seduction Gallery, 2762 NW 22nd St., Miami, through June 14. Call 305-633-8951 for more info.

wmc feature: it wouldn’t be wmc without ultra and oakenfold

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Thousands of people gathered at the Bayfront Park in Downtown Miami for the fifth annual Ultra Music Festival on Saturday. Promoters made sure that everyone new that this was the biggest and best to date with 14 solid hours of music and dancing. Ten music arenas were spaced out across the park with tons of vendors in between.

Mother Nature served up a challenge to the electronica festival with pouring rain in the afternoon. Fortunately, by the time the Streets hit the main stage at 4:30 p.m. the skies were clear, the air was humid, and the people were dancing.

The Streets, traveling all the way from the United Kingdom brought to the festival their unique flavor of garage/hip-hop flavored music. To many attendees surprise, the Streets (Mike Skinner) and another MC were backed by a live band, complete bass guitar, keyboard, and percussion, and contributed a very energetic set.

The massive main stage featured towers of speakers and three large screens for visual aesthetic pleasure. Skinner has a unique stage presence and a sexy cockney accent that makes him fun to watch, even in such an overwhelming environment.

Each of the ten arenas specialized in a certain genre of electronic music. One of the more popular arenas of the day was the Drum and Bass Arena tucked away in the corner of the park. The arena hosted a large number of artists along with emcees. This crowd was certainly into it and didn’t seem to let the rain or the heat interfere with their dancing.

The other big name of the day was Paul Oakenfold. Also representing the UK flavor, he has been setting milestones in house music since the 1980s. Formally of Cream fame, Oakenfold’s performance would have pleased any trance lover.

The day was long filled with dozens of flyers for after parties and tons of dancing. My analogy is that Ultra Music Festival is to the electronic/dance music world what the Vans Warped Tour is to punk rock. It’s big, it’s flashy, it’s commercialized, it’s overpriced, but a few quality acts (Underworld, Rabbit in the Moon, the Streets) do perform at it.

– Kira Wisniewski

glitches and flows: infiltrate 5.0 puts ultra five feet above ground

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Fighting the glossy, spray-on tanner attending, overpriced Winter Music Conference for five years now is the all-night party known as Infiltrate. Infiltrate 5.0 went down this year at the Soho Lounge (what didn’t go down there?) in the Miami Design District on Saturday night.

On the flyer it proudly boasted, “no VIP, no badges, no bullshit.” So, while one could pay an exuberant amount for VIP status at Ultra before sundown, you couldn’t buy that status here, let alone find a glow stick.

Dozens of acts representing the local and national electric underground scene were all present and accounted for in one of four different performance areas. Outside, an airy patio area was constructed where DJs spun an eclectic array of music. Inside, various upcoming DJs spun in the blue room to a sparse, relaxed crowd. In the orange room is where you found acts like Otto von Schirach, Doormouse, Vector Weirdos (Phoenecia and Dino Felipe), and $ki-Mall. Upstairs, the largest and most packed area, was reserved for the hip-hop lineup.

Back downstairs in the orange room, where the smell of cat urination filled the air from the week’s multiple parties, is where some of Miami’s favorites could be witnessed. $ki-Mall, host of WVUM’s “Electric Kingdom,” performed an exciting set that tied in samples of classic rock and metal bands. T

The crowd danced with giddy excitement as they threw up their arms and bounced around. $ki-Mall’s actions reflected the crowd, playing air-guitar and jumping around behind his blipping laptop, making for the highlight of the night. Orlando native Randy Garcia, who offered a mellower set that gave way to Doormouse’s bomb-dropping digital assault, followed up his set.

Dan Doormouse, dressed in a Slayer t-shirt and cowboy hat, screamed until his veins were popping out of his neck. He literally took off his pants and started doing jumping jacks and push-ups during his performance. Doormouse put on a visually stimulating performance. Everyone cheered him on as he spit up into the air then caught it back in his mouth. He frantically danced, as if hoping for a heart attack.

At the end of his set, Doormouse shared a critical poem with the crowd that connected dots between Miami’s music scene and a fashion show.
Security was tight and police were patrolling the parking lot. T

he party raged on clear until the wee hours of the night. The resistance to the Winter Music Conference is alive and well. As the WMC and Ultra get bigger and bigger, expect Infiltrate 6.0 to do the same.

– Kira Wisniewski

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