Spring break is supposed to be a time for overworked students to relax, go to the beach and party, away from the pressures of school. But for some this one week of heaven quickly turns into a lifetime of hell. The reason? Sexually transmitted diseases [STDs].
“We would help students with STDs cope with their feelings,” Malcolm Kahn, Ph.D., director of the Counseling Center, said. “If they felt like they were in a crisis, they could just walk in or schedule an appointment.”
Many students realize that spring break can be a dangerous time.
“I think a rise in STDs following spring break occurs because of the carelessness associated with that break,” Blake Harris, junior, said. “Students see the break as an excuse to do things that they normally wouldn’t do.”
As a result of this phenomenon UM provides many different services for students, both educational and medical.
“I believe that the Health Center experiences a surge in STIs [Sexually Transmitted Infections] post-spring break; therefore we try to provide education during Safe Spring Break Week,” Janet Tiberian, assistant director for Student Wellness at the Department of Wellness and Recreation, said. “During this week we provide students with Safe Spring Break kits which contain information about STIs and condoms, among other things.”
Many students feel that, although the school provides services aimed at students who have become infected with an STD, these services are not well-publicized around campus.
“I didn’t even know that the school provided STD-related services,” Kevin Dean, sophomore, said. “I know more people with STDs than programs that exist to help them.”
Some students are not even aware that these services exist.
“I have absolutely no idea about what kind of services the Health Center on campus provides for students who think that they have STDs,” Alison Rasgado, sophomore, said.
The Miami Hurricane was unable to obtain a statement from the Health Center despite repeated attempts.
The Health Center can be contacted at 305-284-5927. To schedule an appointment with the Counseling Center, contact 305-284-5511.

Arnab Basu can be contacted at basuarnab@hotmail.com

The 22 members of the Honor Council are on a mission to stimulate honesty and accountability among the student body by making students aware of the seriousness of the Honor Code on this campus throughout Academic Integrity Week [AIW].
“The importance of this week is to highlight how important it is to be a person of integrity, not only in the classroom, but also in life,” Robert Castro, vice president of the Honor Council, said.
“There are approximately 44 violations a year,” Becky Quarles, president of the Honor Council, said. “In terms of the case loads we receive, we receive more violations during finals and midterms.”
According to Quarles, violations result in anything from a warning, to ethics workshops at the Academic Development Center, to expulsion.
“We have two sides to the Honor Council: judication and education,” Quarles said. “We look over cases and we give presentations to classes around campus.”
As part of AIW, one of the most popular events held was the “Do-Nut Cheat” drive, in which donuts were sold to faculty and then distributed.
“A member of the Honor Council gave a five to ten minute presentation about the Honor Code to most of the classes that they delivered donuts to,” Quarles said.
Primarily, the Honor Code is set up to protect students from “cheating, plagiarism, collusion and academic dishonesty,” which can hurt their level of education and affect their job performance later in life.
If there is any doubt whether a student has committed a violation, a written complaint is filed, and if enough evidence is collected, a hearing is scheduled by members of the Honor Council to determine if an infraction took place.
Disciplinary action varies with each case.
Quarles says she is aware of the fact that many students view the Honor Council negatively.
“Sometimes people who aren’t very informed about what we do have that type of attitude, but we try to reduce that by creating and posting informative flyers and posters that give students a reason why we do what we do,” Quarles said. “We present ourselves as friendly and we want the best for students, the value of our degree to reflect the hard work we put into it.”
Currently, there is a banner on campus that reads, “There’s no good way to add cheater to your resume.”
However, many students believe it’s very easy to cheat.
“It’s very easy to cheat because many classrooms are way too big,” Sabrina Joseph, sophomore, said. “Yes, they put a space in between students during a test, but you can still see the paper in front of you. Some professors just leave, and it seems they are just there to give a grade.”
Still, many students appreciate the efforts of the Honor Council and understand the importance of the regulations.
“The Honor Council makes it almost impossible for someone to cheat or break the code in general without it bothering their conscience,” Astin Hayes, freshman, said.
“It is not necessary to police people, but it is a good idea for a respectable institution to show that they value honesty,” Victor Cueto, sophomore, said.
Today, Academic Integrity Week continues with March Madness Day, at 4 p.m. in the Rathskeller.
For more information about the Honor Council or the Honor Code, visit http://www.miami.edu/honor-council/.

Erin Wright can be contacted at ewright@umsis.miami.edu

UM Alumna Cristina Carriazo was killed Sunday morning in a car accident just blocks from her home. The 25-year-old was a second grade teacher at Miami Shores Elementary School. While a student, she was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa as well as the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. She will be remembered for her caring and warm spirit as well as her natural passion to teach children. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established at the school to buy school supplies for students. Donations can be sent to the Cristina Carriazo School Supply Fund at Miami Shores Elementary, 10351 NE 5 Ave., Miami Shores, FL 33138.

The South Florida Peace Movement is planning to Mobilize to Stop the War. When the U.S. launches an all-out attack on Iraq, The South Florida Peace Movement has planned an emergency mobilization at 5 p.m. on the day the bombing begins! The mobilization will be at Government Center Metro Rail Station NE 1st Avenue & NE 1st Street. You are encouraged to bring signs, banners, posters and as many of your friends and neighbors as you can. To become part of the emergency response network email list, email MiamiForPeace@aol.com or call 305-544-0303 or 305-866-1156.

Students and others returning from recent travel to Hong Kong and Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of China, and Hanoi, Vietnam should monitor your health for at least seven days. If you become ill with fever accompanied by cough or difficulty in breathing, consult the Student Health Center or your personal physician about your recent travel to these regions and whether you were in contact with someone who had similar symptoms. For more information, contact the Student Health Center at 305-284-5927 or visit www.cdc.gov.

Get Ready. Power 96 is bringing reggae’s finest to the UM Convocation Center on Saturday, April 5 at 8 p.m. Don’t miss this opportunity to see Beenie Man, Sean Paul and friends perform live. Purchase tickets at the Convocation Center box office or through Ticketmaster. For information, log on to UMConvocationCenter.com or call 305-284-8686.

Registration for the fall and summer semesters will occur April 7-18. You can register any time after your designated appointment time! Course schedule books are available at your school. Appointment times will be posted on EASY on Monday, March 24. Before seeing your advisor you can check your ACE, course availability, and appointment time online at www.easy.miami.edu. To register, see your advisor for required signature or advising PIN.

The University of Miami is in search of a creative student who will design a tiled mural to enhance the outdoor aesthetic of campus. All full-time undergraduate students are eligible to enter this contest, and the winner will take home the $1,000 prize. The theme is “Higher Education at the University of Miami.” Designs should be submitted on 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper and can be in any media except photography or hyper-realism. They must be hand designed and cannot be computer generated. This should not be an abstract. Please submit your artwork by Monday, March 31, to Professor Carlos Aguirre, Department of Art and Art History. The decision is expected by early April. Sponsored by Captain Robert Henin (BS ’53) and the College of Arts and Sciences.

Six University of Miami faculty members are recipients of the seventh annual Provost’s Award for Scholarly Activity, created by UM Executive Vice President and Provost Luis Glaser in recognition of extraordinary research and scholarly pursuits. In addition to a commemorative plaque, each faculty member receives a $4,000 cash award and $2,000 toward continued research support.
This year’s honorees are:
Jay S. Skyler, Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Psychology and Director of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at the University of Miami, for his contributions and accomplishments in the field of diabetes, specifically on developing strategies to prevent or delay the onset of Type I diabetes through immunizations.
Thomas R. Malek, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the School of Medicine, for his research on cytokine receptor function in T Cell development, which has been steadily funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Professor David Ellison, Chair of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, in the College of Arts and Sciences, for having built the department into a nationally recognized department of active scholars during his ten years at the University. He has authored four books and some twenty essays in the most prestigious journals in the country and abroad.
Physics professor Rafael Nepomechie, in the College of Arts and Sciences, for his work in the fields of mathematical physics, string theory, and statistical mechanics. He has been invited all over the world to lecture on his work, which has been continually supported by the National Science Foundation and NATO.
Christine Federighi, Professor of Art and Art History, in the College of Arts and Sciences, for maintaining an active life as a fine artist, producing a steady stream of new work for exhibition, while at the same time guiding numerous undergraduate and graduate students through a daunting array of courses in ceramics and glass.
Yadong Luo, Professor of Management, School of Business Administration, for his research in the field of international business. He has published fifteen books, nine of which he has sole-authored, and many of which are considered to be “musts” for anyone interested in the Chinese market.

A web portal is a personalized website for all students that you can customize to meet your needs. The portal will serve as a web-integration system that ties together the University’s existing systems, services, and information and that provides users with single-sign on access to these systems, including Blackboard, EASY and many others. Click on www.miami.edu/practice/portal_design to see a prototype. Furthermore, the portal uses technology to create a more personal relationship between UM and all the members of our community as a result of its features and tools that support communication and collaboration such as group e-mail functions for student organizations.
The University is close to releasing the portal for use, but we need to name it first! Email your suggestion for a name to nametheportal@miami.edu. Please include your name and Student ID number in your e-mail. The deadline for submitting a name is March 28 at midnight. You may submit as many names as you like. The winner will receive a one-semester book scholarship! The winning name will be selected by the Portal Steering Committee and contacted by April 21. If more than one person submits the winning name, the recipient of the book scholarship will be randomly drawn from those submitting that name. Good Luck!

When it’s time to renew your vehicle’s license plate, why not show your Hurricane Spirit with a University of Miami collegiate plate? When you renew your registration at your local tax collector’s office, simply let them know you wish to replace your current tag with a specialty license plate. If it is not time to replace the metal plate (every five years), you will pay a few additional dollars. The UM specialty tags cost an additional $25, which goes back to UM. For more information, contact the Specialty License Plate office at 850-414-2541

Attention all international students: You are invited to Kaplan’s GMAT Thursdays. Every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., you can take a FREE practice test. For more information, call 305-284-0090.

Don’t miss TOEFL Tuesday at Kaplan, the World Leader in Test Prep. Every Tuesday you are invited to take a FREE practice test from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information or to sign up, call 305-284-0090.

The University of Miami School of Music will celebrate the inaugural season of the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation Distinguished Visitors Series. The series kicked off February 3 and continues through March 30, 2003.
The Stamps Family Distinguished Visitor Series events are all free and open to the public. All events will be held at the University of Miami School of Music in the Coral Gables Campus. For more information on the Stamps Series, visit the School of Music website at www.music.miami.edu or call (305) 284-3941.

This spring the University begins a new commencement tradition with an exciting new venue, the University of Miami Convocation Center. A series of ceremonies will be held on May 9th, 10th, and 18th, 2003. At the ceremonies, all graduates will be recognized by name and walk across the stage to be congratulated by the president and their respective dean. No tickets are required. Graduates are encouraged to invite family and friends. Visit www.miami.edu/commencement for regular updates on commencement information.

TODAY
A Week for Life executive board applications are due in UC 240. For more information, call 305-284-GIVE.

Join campus women for a Friday afternoon volunteer opportunity. LINK is sponsoring a Feel Good Friday afternoon today. For more information on volunteering contact, the Volunteer Services Center at 305-284-GIVE or email LINK0203@hotmail.com.

Do you radiate Hurricane pride? Want to pass on the traditions of the University of Miami and teach new students everything they need to know about Miami? If so, then Orientation Staff Fall 2003 is for you! Apply to be an Orientation Assistant (OA) and become an integral part of new students’ world their first few days on campus. Applications are available in UC 236 and are due today. Remember to sign up for an interview time upon turning in your completed application.

Don’t miss “Dinner, Drinks and Dartmouth” when the men’s tennis team hosts Dartmouth at 6 p.m. at the Schiff Tennis Center. Come out and support the ‘Canes and enjoy free food and drinks.

SATURDAY MARCH 22
Hurricane Productions is proud to present the Spring 2003 concert: The Pat McGee Band. Come enjoy the band’s rich harmonies and energized acoustic rock as they play their chart-topping songs like “Runaway” and “Rebecca” from their Giant Records debut album, Shine. The concert starts at 8 p.m. and doors open at 7 p.m. All students get in free with a valid ‘Cane Card; guests are $10 and must be accompanied by a UM student. For more information visit the HP website at www.um-hp.com.

MONDAY MARCH 24
Distinguished Major General Kathryn G. Frost, who serves as the Commander of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service in Dallas, will be the featured speaker at the University of Miami’s College of Arts and Sciences Jane S. Roberts Memorial Lecture at 8 p.m. The lecture is titled Army of One: Leadership in the War Room and the Board Room. The event is free and open to the public. It will be held at the Storer Auditorium. Please arrive early. Seating will be available on a first come, first served basis. All bags are subject to search. No backpacks or big bags will be allowed. For more information, contact 305-284-2875.

The Judaic Studies Program and The Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies invite you to a lunch and learn event with author Zhenya Senyak, who will speak on reclaiming the spiritual vision of Ancient Israel in his talk “In Defense of Heresy: A Jewish view of Jewish Survival” from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Miller Center. Zhenya Senyak, author of The Hebrew Book of the Dead, is the levitical descendent of Polish Jews from the Bialystock/Tiktin area. He studied Hebrew with his grandfather, the Rev. Jos. Levenstein, founder of the Tifereth Torah synagogue in Brooklyn, and at ulpanim in Berkeley and Los Angeles. He teaches Jewish mysticism and Ancient Hebrew trope. Please R.S.V.P. by today via email to aberezin@miami.edu.

TUESDAY MARCH 25
Are you an Architecture major? Are you thinking about Architecture as a possible career? Then come to the Architecture Career Fair from 7 to 9 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.

Don’t miss WOMEN ON THE MIC at 7 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).

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.

THURSDAY MARCH 27

You are invited to Sex in the Campus: An Evening with Candance 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.

UM Ethics Society and Solutions Interdisciplinary Forum present an interdisciplinary panel discussion on artificial intelligence featuring UM professors Dr. Kenneth Goodman (Ethics), Dr. Geoffrey Sutcliffe (Computer Science), and Dr. David Wilson (Biology). The event takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. in LC 120. Refreshments will be served. For more information, please e-mail Ethics Society President Daniel Soberon at d.soberon@umiami.edu or Solutions President Khaleem Mohammed-Ali at solutions.studorg@miami.edu.

MONDAY MARCH 31

The Department of Multicultural Student Affairs presents “Access Granted,” at 12 noon in the UC Ballrooms C&D. Lunch will be provided. Access Granted is an open forum for Black students to discuss issues affecting the Black student community at the University of Miami. Special guests from the Black faculty and staff will be present to dialogue with students and address issues on campus and in the South Florida community. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by Thursday, March 27 by contacting MSA at x2855. Don’t forget to check out the Unified Newsletter at www.miami.edu/msa.

In an attempt to accommodate the severe housing shortage that UM will be facing again next year, administrators have come up with two alternative options for continuing residential students, based on feedback they’ve received from current residents.
“We are projecting that we will have a shortage of beds available for students this coming fall semester,” Dr. Pat Whitely, vice-president for student affairs, said. “To date we have received housing deposits from over 2,435 continuing students, which is approximately 200 more than last year’s numbers.”
The first option is for students who have changed their mind and would prefer to live off campus. In this case, the University will refund the entire housing deposit [$250] upon receipt of a written cancellation via letter, fax or e-mail. The Office of Commuter Student Affairs has several off campus housing resources available to help students in locating alternate housing.
“I wish that they would have given us the option to get our deposit back last year,” Jessica Sears, senior, said. “I decided to live off campus after I had paid my deposit, so I lost all that money.”
“This year we set an early deadline for housing deposits of Feb. 21. This early deadline has enabled us to plan ahead and determine whether there will be a need for overflow housing at the Holiday Inn, which we believe will be the case this coming fall semester,” Whitely said. “We all know that approximately 200 students were assigned to the Holiday Inn last year.”
Due to these numbers, the second option seeks to find volunteers to live during the fall semester at the University Holiday Inn, located on U.S. 1 across from campus. These double occupancy rooms include daily maid service, free HBO and local telephone service, and dual data/telephone lines with free dial-up-service to UM.
Additionally, a meal plan will not be required for students residing at the Holiday Inn.
Also included is a free shuttle service to and from campus from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m., as well as residence life staff. Moreover, all hotel residents will be reassigned to on-campus spaces by the end of the fall semester.
“We are exploring the possibility of providing pick-up laundry service at the Holiday Inn,” Whitely said.
Some students see this option as beneficial.
“I would volunteer to go to the Holiday Inn just for the maid service,” Justin Sanders, sophomore, said. “I mean, I’ve seen some pretty nasty dorms.”
However, if an insufficient number of continuing students choose one of these options then it will be necessary to change the assignments administratively.
“All continuing students who have paid a housing deposit for next year will be required to sign a housing contract, including an addendum which stipulates that the University reserves the right to change on-campus assignments to hotel accommodations should the demand for on-campus housing exceed the space available,” Whitely said.
“It’s a lot better that the University is seeking volunteers instead of just being like, ‘Hey you – you’re moving to a janitor’s closet.’ I mean, lets get real,” Sanders said.
The University is seeking out other long-term solutions to the housing shortage as well, including the construction of the University Village.
“I’m glad that the University is building the University Village because maybe that way we won’t have to have students living at the Holiday Inn,” Tania Walsh, freshman, said.
The deadline for selecting either option is 4 p.m. Friday, April 4.
“As long as they don’t have to start bringing in trailers and making us sleep on the IM field, I’m happy with wherever I live,” sophomore Justin Sanders said.
If either the off-campus option or the hotel option appeals to you, please contact the Department of Residence Halls at 305-284-4505, via fax at 305-284-4956 or by email at housing@miami.edu.
The Commuter Student Affairs Office can be contacted in person in room 236 of the UC or by telephone at 305-284-5646. The office also maintains an online listing of a variety of off-campus housing accommodations at www.miami.edu/commuter-affairs.

Leigha Taber can be contacted at l.taber@umiami.edu

War means University preparations, protests
Administration and students react to war with Iraq
As a the war with Iraq looms on the other side of the world, UM is preparing for the worst.
“This time of unrest touches all of us, and has evoked questions, concerns, and fears,” Donna, E. Shalala, UM president, said in a mass email message to students and parents. “Your safety and well being is a top priority of everyone at the University of Miami – there are many student services that are available to help you cope, communicate, and support one another.”
Shalala says that UM has taken the necessary precautions to ensure student safety in the unlikely event of an immediate threat to the UM community.
“The University has an emergency plan ready to be activated if necessary,” Shalala said. “Our preparations include supplies of food and water, housing arrangements for students. In addition, our Convocation Center and Wellness Center are equipped to handle any campus evacuations if they were to become necessary.”
Dr. Pat Whitely, vice-president for student affairs, says that she has listened to student concerns and UM has accommodated them accordingly.
“I have held meetings with our student affairs department heads, chaplains, psychologists, and residential college faculty and staff,” Whitely said. “Extra security has been added to areas around campus and we are, of course, monitoring the situation.”
“Our staff are here to support students at any time,” Whitely said.
Despite the preparedness, students are still hesitant about war.
Reema Al, a Kuwaiti exchange student, says she believes that the world will be negatively affected regardless of whether war ensues.
“If there is no war, then Saddam Hussein will continue to be a threat,” Al said. “However, war always yields loss of life.”
Officers and members of the UM College Democrats say they are completely opposed to the war with Iraq.
“The University of Miami College Democrats stand firm with Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle in condemning President Bush for failing to exercise all diplomatic channels at his disposal and mercilessly dragging our youth to war,” said Christian G. Wilson, president of UM College Democrats. “We have no reservations in engaging in civil disobedience to show our disdain for such immoral action.”
According to Wilson, UM students are generally against a conflict in the Middle East, and hundreds of students have supported the anti-war demonstrations held on Feb. 18 and March 4.
“We believe, to ease geopolitical tensions, that diplomatic channels much be exercised without threat of conflict,” Wilson said. “Students believe a genuine diplomatic effort was never even undertaken when, for months, hundreds of thousands of troops have been within miles of the Iraqi border.”
“Is this diplomacy? No – it’s blackmail,” Wilson said.
Xavier Jimenez, president for Amnesty International at UM, recalls a moment that influenced him significantly.
“I recall a vision of one lone Chinese student at Tiananmen Square who thought he could stop a tank all by himself,” Jimenez said. “This is how I feel now, but I have a moral obligation as a citizen to go through with this.”
Shalala encourages students to work together and be considerate of one another.
“Our community is very diverse,” Shalala said. “Many of our students come from far away lands. We must remember that we are all part of this extraordinary University family.”
“Reach out to your fellow students, especially our Middle Eastern students, who are very far away from home – we need each other’s support,” Shalala said. “Together, we will get through this difficult time and be a stronger University.”
To answer any questions or concerns that students, family, faculty and staff may have, UM has recently enacted an emergency hotline: 305-284-5151 or 1-800-227-0354.
Additionally, the UM website, www.miami.edu, will be updated with vital campus information as details become available. UM College Democrats can be contacted at www.umdems.com.

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