Five point nine, five point nine. By now, you’ve most likely heard of the proposed $719-per-semester tuition hike to be inaugurated next fall. “When will it stop?” read the top headline of The Miami Hurricane last week. The article made no mention of the 3.5 percent increase in housing costs for double rooms and the 4 percent increase for singles.
Even the most skeptical of us must admit that UM has done a damn good PR job over the last few years. Our quiet school nestled in the outskirts of Miami has shed its Suntan U. status, and been embraced by entire country. We are a household name. Americans see us on ESPN, on CNN, and all over the papers; we are brought up in everyday conversations about sports, Florida, and former U.S. cabinet members.
In fact, Shalala’s smile attracts cameras anywhere she goes. Larry Coker and the football elite are invited to speak on hundreds of television programs and specials before and after football season. UM clothes and paraphernalia have become stocking stuffers throughout the American heartland.
Now the piper must be paid.
A damn good PR job does not come cheaply, dear classmates. National Championships, lush green landscaping, merchandising, more merchandising, and even more merchandising do not begin to quench the thirst of an entity growing, and loving it.
With such increasing popularity, regard, national exposure, class size, and appetite, comes the demand for expansion. In a few short years this university has arisen from a quiet, slow-building, well-tanned age to an era of decision. We have been led, pulled, pushed, and excelled to a turning point: whether to maintain a comfortable second-banana position compared to the “more prestigious” universities of the nation; or whether to allow the leadership to grab the reins of academics to lead the students and faculty, at full gallop, to an undiscovered country, an ever-advancing future.
So what, say you. So now it is time to ally, to choose your side.
Are you for advancement, or at least for what goes for advancement, even though it demands higher tuition, higher standards, and expansion of control? Or do you refuse to believe in the proclaimed merits of economic expansion, and the struggle to maintain a status you feel is better, more comfortable, or more ethical than the alternative?
So it goes. But where it does go is very much within the sphere of your influence. Start simple, with your own voice. Soon you’ll hear the voices of others, behind or against you. The endowment is diminishing fast, so they say. It may be a time for a leap to self-sufficiency but regardless it is a time for action.
Where are you laying your blame? On the administration, on the board of trustees, or on corporate sponsors that some paranoids will characterize as a cloaked high council carrying out all decisions from up high? How about on the zealous faculty who continually insist on higher salaries and improved benefits? Perhaps the primary cause of all of this is the students, who demand more cable channels in the dorms, faster internet access, more areas for parking, more computers, state-of-the-art technologic facilities, cleaner bathrooms, Convocation Centers, and a super-university status?
Some, most likely the quiet ones, will be affected by such expansion in more dramatic ways because the judgments of future dollars from above will always create economic tension at the bottom rung of financial and social stability. Some won’t be able to continue their studies at UM after the 5.9 percent increase in tuition and the three-and-a-half percent to four percent increase in room and board because their voices were not loud enough, and their wallets were too small.
EDITORIAL
Film triggers discussion of unrest in Middle East
Students from all backgrounds gathered at the Cosford Cinema last Thursday night for a screening of Promises, a film that explores the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East. The movie was followed by a discussion between four panelists and the audience.
The Jewish Student Organization [JSO] and the Organization of Arab Students Instituting Solidarity [OASIS] sponsored the event. Co-sponsors included the Department of Judaic Studies and the Department of Communication Documentary Film Unit.
“We’ve been planning this event for about three months,” Jeffrey Shoulson, director of the Judaic Studies Program, said. “There was a screening of the film on Miami Beach during the fall semester.”
Rasha Uthman, president of OASIS, said that this event was an opportunity to bring both sides together to alleviate some of the tensions between the two groups.
“I don’t think there has ever been an event like this on campus,” she said.
Promises is a compelling documentary that follows seven Israeli and Palestinian children from 1997 until the summer of 2000. It won an Emmy for Best Documentary and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 74th annual awards ceremony.
The children in the film share an uncensored interpretation of their daily lives in the city of Jerusalem, a place that many describe as a city of violence and unrest, where prejudice between the Israelis and Palestinians exists and the exchange of dialogue between the two is rare.
“The movie was definitely an eye-opener,” said Andrew Figueroa, a freshman majoring in business who went to watch the movie at the advice of a friend.
The film was followed by a panel discussion of four UM students from Jewish and Arabic backgrounds.
“It’s critical to have both sides come together to talk,” Shoulson said. “These issues are tense.”
For one panelist, Deana Awad, watching the movie was very emotional and brought back memories from when she lived in Israel.
“[This movie] is just another reason why things like this should take place,” Guy Ravitz, another panel member, said. “For those who don’t really know what the situation is.”
Discussion mediator, Cory Cain, from COISO, urged the audience to ask questions related only to the film. The avoidance of political opinion was stressed, but it came up at some instances.
One audience member felt the panelists were being censored for not being able to express their personal opinions.
“I would have liked a more open-ended discussion, but I’m pleased that people stuck around and gave their opinion of the movie,” Shoulson said.
The event was not only for those individuals from either Israeli or Palestinian backgrounds, but also for those who wanted to learn more about the conflict between the two groups.
“It was important for those immediately involved in the conflict to see the human faces behind the rhetoric,” Shoulson said. “It was also important for those not immediately involved in the situation to see how costly and complex the conflict has been.”
For those who are interested in this issue, a course entitled “Jews and Arabs: Representations of Semitic Self & Other in Literature and Film” will be offered in fall 2003 by professors Christina Civantos and Ranen Omer-Sherman.
Angelique Thomas can be contacted at aperivale@aol.com
Former CBS-4 news anchor Angela Rae pays visit to UM
News anchor and reporter Angela Rae was at the Lowe Art Museum last Thursday to give a speech entitled “African-Americans in the Media” in honor of Black Awareness Month [BAM].
“The event nurtured an appreciation for the African-American community, especially since it is Black Awareness Month,” Nanette Vega, assistant director of Multicultural Student Affairs [MSA] and event organizer, said.
“I came to support,” Kandace Ezell, a junior majoring in Broadcast Journalism and Theater, said. “There are not a lot of African-Americans who come out and speak.”
About 20 students and faculty members were in attendance for Rae’s speech.
“I don’t like giving speeches, so we’re just going to talk,” Rae said at the beginning of her speech.
Rae got her B.B.A. in Finance and International Business from the University of Texas but never expected to go into the television industry, although in tenth grade her history teacher advised her that she should be an anchor.
After graduating, Rae went to law school at the University of Virginia but realized she had no interest in practicing law.
“I thought about being a music agent because I loved making people’s dreams come true,” she said.
According to Rae, that aspiration didn’t work out either because she was informed that a part of the job would entail being in smoky bars, something she couldn’t stand.
It was in 1994 that she began her anchoring career in Jackson, Mississippi. In 1995, she became a co-anchor at the CBS-owned WFOR- TV in Miami and went on to solo anchor a weekend newscast the following year. In 1999, she was named lead anchor of the station’s weekday newscasts.
She remained in that position until August 2000, when she moved to New York to co-anchor at CBS’ flagship station, WCBS-TV.
Rae says that, for her, it is very hard being a public figure because she is a very private person. She also spoke about how tough the industry is and shared a piece of a conversation she had with Oprah Winfrey about dealing with tabloids.
“Did they spell your name right and put a pretty picture in the paper? That’s all that matters,” was Winfrey’s advice to Rae.
The bulk of Rae’s speech revolved around the events of 9/11 and the possibility of war with Iraq.
“I was on the Upper-East side of Manhattan packing to leave home for Texas,” she said, reminiscing of the morning of 9/11. “I ran into work and worked all day.”
She says that it wasn’t until around midnight that she left and walked down the streets of Manhattan.
“It was an eerie feeling,” she said. “It was like a ghost town.”
Rae also expressed her feelings toward the current situation with Iraq.
“They told me to prepare for an attack, but they didn’t say how,” she said.
“I don’t understand what’s going on in this world,” she said. “I’m confused and I’m in the media.”
Rae also tied in the issues facing current society with the Civil Rights Movement.
“Martin Luther King Jr. would be ashamed and appalled,” she said. “There is just no love in this world.”
Rae stressed that society needs to have love and respect for other cultures and says that she does charity work by trying to motivate children. She said the best part of her job is speaking with kids and young adults.
“She was really great,” Ezell said. “She was very colorful and animated.”
Other students felt very similar in regards to Rae’s presentation.
“It was very insightful because I’m thinking about going into TV as a meteorologist,” freshman Jasmine James said.
Rae repeatedly told the audience that it wasn’t her purpose to talk about these political issues, but that it was something she had been thinking a lot about lately.
“This was like free therapy to talk about what was on my mind,” Rae said.
Angelique Thomas can be contacted at aperivale@aol.com
UM Urban Legends Series : What were the dorms really used for before we moved in?
The Miami Hurricane was recently asked by dozens of students to investigate the ongoing rumors that the residential towers were created by an architect who designed insane asylums and that the Mahoney/Pearson area was once used as a makeshift hospital in the early years of UM.
As for the towers, the name of the architect seems to have vanished from UM records, and neither the Department of Residence Halls nor the Richter Library has the name of the architect easily accessible.
“We don’t have those records,” Jon Baldessari, assistant director of Residence Halls, said.
“That rumor is crazy, but it explains why I feel so crazy in the halls,” Susan Pierce, freshman, said. “There are no windows, and the rooms have their furniture bolted to the walls.”
“”It wouldn’t be so bad if the walls weren’t so white,” Peter Robertson, sophomore, said. “Does this mean they think we’re crazy and we should be institutionalized?”
Many students also believe that the courthouse in Downtown Miami and several prisons in South Florida were built by the same architect.
“I always thought that the guy had designed prisons, not insane asylums,” Illiana Gutirrez, a UM graduate, said. “If you look at some of the correctional facilities around the area, it’s obvious they have the same style and look as the dorms at UM.”
As for the buzz that Mahoney and Pearson were once used as hospitals, a few UM-affiliated individuals and administrators believe that that rumor started as a result of the fact that the Biltmore Hotel was once used as a makeshift hospital.
“With the onset of World War II, the War Department converted The Biltmore to a hospital,” said the official website of the Biltmore Hotel. “It served the wounded as the Army Air Forces Regional Hospital. Many of the windows were sealed with concrete, and the marble floors covered with Government Issue linoleum.”
The Biltmore remained a hospital until 1968, which leads many to wonder if Mahoney and Pearson were converted to a hospital once the towers were built that same year, and students were allowed to move in.
“After hearing all of these stories, I have nightmares,” Vikas Johari, a freshman who lives in Pearson, said. “I cannot image the possibility of sleeping in a room where someone could have died.”
Johari says he will survive and asks that the administration disregard his exaggerations.
“I know somebody that went to school here that stayed in Mahoney the first semester it was opened,” Jessa Steinbeck, junior, said. “I know for a fact that [Mahoney] wasn’t used as a hospital back then.”
The history of the residence halls is a long one.
The on-campus apartments, completed in 1948, are the oldest residence facilities at UM. Originally a 29-building complex, it was intended to house married veterans and their families. Today, the apartment area houses mostly upperclassmen and study abroad/exchange students.
Eaton, the oldest residence hall on campus, was opened and dedicated in 1954 and was quoted as being an “ultra-ultra dorm” by The Miami Herald. Early in UM history, Eaton was an all-women hall and remained so until the beginning of the 1970s.
It wasn’t until 1958 that Mahoney, an all-men’s residence hall, was completed. Four years later, Pearson, an all-women’s residence hall, was completed and opened. Eventually, in the early 1970s, Mahoney and Pearson were connected on the first floor and the buildings were converted to a co-ed facility.
The towers came along in the late 60s; Hecht was originally called the 1968 Complex because it opened in 1968. Stanford, also built in 1968, was originally called the 960 Complex because it could hold a maximum of 960 residents at the time of its construction. In the 1984-85 school year, all the residence halls were converted to residential colleges, modeled after the academic traditions established at Cambridge and Oxford to establish a social learning community that is both convenient and entertaining.
The Miami Hurricane will continue to investigate popular urban legends at UM through the month of February.
For suggestions on urban legends to be researched, please contact Jorge Arauz, News Editor, at xxarauzxx@ yahoo.com.
Students concerned about decision to increase tuition
Many students are angered with the 5.9% increase in UM tuition for the 2003-4 school year. Students who can barely afford the current price may struggle to remain at UM if the prices keep jumping.
“I think the rise in tuition is going to be difficult for students who are on need-based aid or scholarship,” Mike Johnston, president of Student Government, said. “I really want the University to be more proactive with students who need financial help. The increase could be a lot of money for students who are currently in financial trouble and could hinder their chances of remaining at the University.”
As a result of the new budget, less freshmen will be admitted and housing and meal costs will increase.
Minal Ahson, sophomore, feels the benefits outweigh the costs.
“I have heard it’s going to programs that will benefit students,” Ahson said. “I think everyone will be affected by it, but in the long run we will have better services and facilities.”
Most students doubt the direct benefits.
Amber Sprung, senior, sees the increase as ridiculous.
“It seems that the tuition increase isn’t going to the students,” Sprung said. “It’s going to the University. Most of what you see is cosmetic. How will students pay when it reaches $40,000 a year?”
Pam Ungvary and Karima Clayton, both sophomores, refer to UM as the “money guzzling university.”
“We’re not Ivy League,” Ungvary said. “I don’t see where the extra money is going to. The quality of education is decent, but it’s a bigger factor as to whether we can afford the University.”
David Lieberman, senior vice-president for Business and Finance, says that 30 percent of the money will still go back into scholarships, raising merit based scholarships such as the Isaac Bashevis Singer scholarship for full tuition and the Henry King Stanford Scholarship, for half tuition, to compensate for the increase.
“Our students are very dependent on federal and state financial aid as well as our own,” Lieberman said. “We maintain our commitments to students but if there were a sudden drop in state or federal funding in financial aid, it would have an impact on students.”
The total amount of financial aid at UM has increased from $187.4 million in 1997-1998 to $273.2 million for the 2002-2003 school year. On the national level, the College Board reported that student aid has increased to $90 billion, almost triple what it was a decade ago. But the number of student loans has also been increasing due to the increased number of students applying for financial aid and to college.
At UM, financial aid consists of 29 percent loans, 58 percent scholarships, 11 percent grants and 2 percent work-study.
James M. Bauer, director of the Office of Financial Assistance Services [OFAS] says that the office will face hardships but will try to accommodate students as much as possible.
“Students and families have had, and continue to have, programs that can help them fill the gaps,” Bauer said. “As always, we wish we had enough money to give every family what they think they need.”
Bauer says the amount a student can borrow is determined by a combination of the cost of attendance, the amount of aid the student has already qualified for and the credit rating of the student and co-signer.
According to Bauer, the parents of students classified as dependent by the federal aid definition have access to the Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students [PLUS]. As long as the parent’s credit history is average (it doesn’t have to be great) they are eligible to borrow the entire difference between the financial aid the student has and the cost of attendance (a figure that includes tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, personal expenses and transportation) for that year.
“Students whose parents have poor credit as documented by a denied application for a Parent Loan have expanded eligibility for the Stafford student loan,” Bauer said. “Students, whether dependent or not by the federal definition, can apply for a Signature Loan. This is not a federal loan, so the credit requirements are stricter, with most students needing a co-signer for the loan.”
According to Bauer, UM has recently made significant enhancements to the aid processing system and will continue to do so during the upcoming year.
“We also have to work exceptionally hard to make sure the financial aid system and the Student Accounts System communicate effectively,” Bauer continued. “It takes a tremendous effort on both sides to make the process work.”
However, despite all of the options available, many students say they will still feel the effects of the increase.
“It seems like they make it harder for students to come up the money for UM,” Ungvary said. “I have to work more hours and more shifts just to make up the difference.”
“It makes me sad that my mom has to work an extra shift so that I can come here,” Clayton said. “I love this school, but when you know you can go somewhere else for free, you are tempted to leave.”
Vanessa Pi, freshman, will not have to struggle but sees how the increase can be problematic for other students.
“Personally, I think tuition is so high already that I don’t see why they have to increase it,” Pi said. “It’s already unreasonable. I think there will be a large number of students affected; it can mean the difference of staying here and having to transfer out.”
David Weiner, freshman, who is not affected directly, believes that the increase will deter prospective students.
“I am not affected directly because I’m not paying, but my parents won’t be happy about it,” Weiner said. “Some students might think twice about coming to this school. It might deter prospective freshmen.”
But Edward M. Gillis, associate dean of Enrollment and director of Admission, doesn’t think the increase and cuts will affect the number of UM applicants.
According to Gillis, since 1997-1998 the number of applicants has increased from 13,651 to 18,367 for the 2002-2003 school year. Gillis said UM has already received more applicants for the upcoming year than last year.
“I don’t think [the number of applicants] would impact students, particularly in Florida, although it may impact the ability to enroll,” Gillis said.
In addition to the tuition increase, students worry about the state cuts, particularly for the Florida Bright Futures scholarships, a state fund that gives aid to Florida residents who graduate with high academic achievement.
In fact, Governor Jeb Bush’s new budget proposal will not fully reimburse community colleges or universities, placing the burden on the institutions, and ultimately on the students.
Bauer doubts that the cuts will affect the eligibility of current students for the scholarship.
“While it’s impossible to say just what the legislature will do, I think it is unlikely that cuts that are a result in changes in eligibility rules will affect current students,” Bauer said.
“The more likely scenario is that incoming students will have to meet new requirements to be eligible,” Bauer continued. “However, that is strictly conjecture on my part – how that will ultimately affect our students can’t be decided until we have an idea what is likely to happen.”
Ungvary says that the amount of money she receives from the scholarships does not help her much.
“It just pays for my books, but every little bit helps,” Ungvary said.
Ahson feels that the scholarships will affect prospective students’ decisions to come here.
“I think that will influence a lot of students to stay in state or not,” Ahson said. “There won’t be an incentive to stay in state.”
Both Luis Glaser, executive vice-president and provost for UM, and Pat Whitely, vice-president for student affairs, said that financial aid at UM will do everything they can to keep students at the University.
“For those with financial problems, we encourage anyone who has trouble to contact our financial aid office,” Glaser said. “Our philosophy is to keep students here.”
“We are going to do everything we can to provide financial support to students,” Whitely added.
Bauer says that UM will continue to change and improve for the benefit of students.
“We don’t have everything right yet, and we know there is nothing more frustrating to students and their families than issues related to money, but the staff of the office continues to be a catalyst for change where students are the ultimate beneficiaries,” Bauer said.
Marquita Bell can be contacted at m_bell01@hotmail.com
Campus Calendar and News Briefs
TODAY
LINK is hosting its LINK to the past event through Friday, Feb. 21. For more information contact 305-284-GIVE or email LINK0203@hotmail.com.
The Wellness Center is looking for the deadliest sharpshooters on campus. Who will they be? The top three men and top three women will compete for prizes ranging from PowerBar products to Hurricane Game gear. The finalists will compete at half-time of a UM basketball game. For more information and to sign-up call Jason Caroll at 305-284-8518 through Feb. 20.
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 19
Want your voice to be heard? Then don’t miss the Student Government Presidential Debate at 7 p.m. in the Rathskeller.
The Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar Chapter will hold an Alumni-Mentor Reception at 7 p.m. in the UC room 233. Direct any questions to RA8046@students.law.miami.edu.
The Dean of Enrollments is seeking students to give their reactions and suggestions regarding the advising process at UM. A discussion will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Lewis Room at the Rathskeller. Participants will receive a free lunch and free UM gear. For more information, call 305-284-5718.
The Spring 2002 Leadership Institute Workshops begin with Recognizing your Resources at 1 p.m. in UC 233.
Don’t miss your chance to see UM Women’s basketball take on No. 2 UConn at 7:30 p.m. in the Convocation Center.
PRSSA general meeting at 6 pm in UC Ballroom B. Come prepared to learn about travel and PR, and don’t forget to bring your dues!
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 20
As part of this year’s inaugural Stamps Family Charitable Foundation Distinguished Visitors Series at the UM School of Music, Chairman of Harman International, Dr. Sidney Harman, will speak about Entrepreneurism in the Music Industry at 4 p.m. at the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall.
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 21
Planning on living on campus next year? Then don’t forget to pay your $250 non-refundable deposit to the cashier in the Ashe building. While you’re there, make sure you are financially registered for the semester. If everything is all set then you will receive a confirmation letter before March 3.
The National Pan-Hellenic Council will be having its annual Greek Extravaganza Step Show. The theme will be “Marveled Greeks: United for Battle.” Members of UM’s NPHC include Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc, and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. The show will start promptly at 8 p.m. in Gusman Concert Hall. Tickets are currently available from 12 to 2 p.m. at the UC Rock. Tickets can also be purchased from any UM NPHC member. Seats are limited and tickets will not be sold at the door so purchase yours early!
Don’t miss your chance to see one of UM’s finest students competing on the Hollywood Squares College Tournament. Stay tuned for more information.
COSO’s council presents Success is in Advertising. This interesting, fun-filled and interactive session will help you learn the tricks of the trade to increasing attendance at your events. The session takes place at 1 p.m. in UC 211.
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Communication Week begins at 10 a.m. in the Frances L. Wolfson Building Cable Studio C. A Spotlight Session will be held examining Media Challenges: Covering A Multicultural Society. Panelists include Iscar Blanco, Reporter, BBC Latin America; Yves Colon, Director of Development, Little Haiti Housing; Deborah Ramirez, Editor, el Sentinel; Roberto Vizcon, News Director, Telemundo; Tsitsi Wakhisi, journalism professor, UM School of Communication. Moderator: Mirta Ojito, reporter, The New York Times. The event is free and open to the public.
The Three Faiths Forum began its work shortly after 9/11, the work of bringing together people of all faiths and religious traditions to promote understanding and mutual respect through education, dialogue and interaction, thus nurturing communities of peace and hope. It is the collaborative creation of its president and managing director, Joan A. Keston, and three highly regarded religious leaders: Rabbi Terry A. Bookman, spiritual leader of Temple Beth Am; Reverend Donald W. Krickbaum, Dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral of Miami; and Dr. Abdul Hamid Samra, Hafiz, Imam and director of the Miami Gardens Mosque. The work of the Three Faiths Forum includes holding Symposiums addressing controversial topics relevant to the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths. On Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. in the University Center Ballrooms come for the presentation of Symposium III: “Prejudice, One of My Best Friends Is. . .” which aims to look at the difficult balance between prejudicial attitudes or acts and the fear felt when under attack.
Kids ‘N Culture Is Looking for Volunteer Classroom Instructors! UM students are needed to work with fourth grade classes at Little River Elementary. Participating students will deliver a curriculum on “The Importance of Higher Education” every Wednesday for seven weeks, starting Feb. 19 and ending April 16. At the end of the semester, all participating classes at Little River Elementary will come to UM for a day in the life of a University student. Applications are available in the VSC, UC room 240. If you have any questions contact KidsnCulture@hotmail.com.
A student production of The Vagina Monologues will be performed at Storer Auditorium on Feb. 26 and Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. The Vagina Monologues, which was first performed off-Broadway by Eve Ensler, dives into the mystery, humor, pain, power, wisdom, outrage and excitement buried in women’s experiences. The Vagina Monologues is a part of V-Day, a global movement to end violence against women, and is sponsored by the Women’s Resource Center and Counseling Center. Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to SafeSpace, a shelter for women and children affected by domestic violence. Tickets may be purchased in the University Center Room 236 from 9 a.m. through 4 p.m. For more information, call 305-284-5646 or email tshatley@miami.edu.
The Lowe Art Museum’s newest exhibit, Paradise Lost? Aspects of Landscape in Latin American Art, is currently on display and runs through Sunday, April 6. The exhibit represents a panoramic view of Latin American landscape, addressing both regional identity and uniqueness of individual artistic personality. This exhibition breaks new ground as it is the first time an exhibition comprehensively traces, explores and interprets stylistic, thematic and iconographic developments in Latin American art of Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries within the diverse genre of landscape. For more information, call 305-284-3535.
From Def Jam to UM
Russell Simmons speaks candidly about life and Def
Russell Simmons talked about love, sex, drugs, God and money on Valentine’s Day as part of Black Awareness Month [BAM], Black Reunion Weekend and the kick-off of the Presidents’ Lecture Series.
“I particularly want to thank the black students for what you have done here, to bring us all together – this is about togetherness; this is about bringing the family together,” James Wyche, vice-provost and dean for Arts and Sciences, said. “What you have to understand is that Russell Simmons bridges the generation gap. I can’t tell you how many times my family has sat down, and I’m talking about the youngest of us to myself, and enjoyed Def Jams.”
Simmons is described as a master visionary who has brought hip hop to every facet of media and pop culture. He is the founder and CEO of Def Jam Records and Def Pictures, the creator of HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, the designer of Phat Farm clothing, and the publisher of One World Magazine.
“There is a Def Jam office in every country that you would ever go to,” Simmons said. “Hip hop is something that we developed in our community, but that speaks to everybody in America. Eighty percent of the people who buy rap records are not African American.”
Simmons held an informal discussion on music piracy, on Ja Rule’s inability to keep his shirt on, and on how a struggling MC can get into the business. Simmons says his favorite MCs are Public Enemy, Run DMC, Jay Z and 50 Cent.
“All of my friends who are smarter than me, and most of you who are smarter than me, will move around. You’ll start digging a hole, then hit a rock, then you’ll start digging another hole, and another hole and before you know it you’ll have a bunch of tiny little holes and somebody less resourceful, not nearly as smart, without the experiences or education, will be a success where you started because you quit – most everybody quits.”
“Not one murder record came out on Murder Records that any of you ever bought; you only buy the love records from Murder Records,” Simmons said.
He was quick to clarify his statement to President Shalala.
“Murder is a company,” he said.
“I know, I know,” Shalala said with a smile.
He also discussed the impact of hip hop in the schools.
“What we have here today is really a movement. If you go into a city high school and ask the kids how many of you write poems, 60 to 80 percent of kids will raise their hands,” Simmons said. “If you asked them five years ago, how many of you write poems, they’d deny it.”
Simmons went on to say that Jay-Z is much more well-liked and well known across the world than Colin Powell, and Puffy is much more well-liked and well-known than George Bush.
For those who download music, Simmons reminds you that there is a $25,000 fine per song that you download or trade.
“A lot more music is traded than you could ever imagine even in your wildest dreams being able to sell,” Simmons said. “You won’t all get arrested, but if two of your neighbors get arrested, then you’ll stop downloading music.”
Students appreciated his comments.
“It was cool to hear him talk about piracy while realizing the importance of it. I like that he is looking for a compromise,” Keith Roberts, freshman, said. “He made a lot of good points about life in general, lots of advice about how to get into the business.”
Simmons says he seeks to fight everything that causes poverty and ignorance. One way he does that is by donating all of the money he makes from his speeches to charitable organizations.
Simmons also considers himself a highly spiritual individual and has changed many aspects of his life in order to fulfill that need.
“Muhammad was never a Muslim, Buddha was never a Buddhist, Jesus was never a Christian, Abraham was never a Jew,” Simmons said. “They were all looking for the same thing; they all wanted to achieve a certain relationship with God, which I have found with my yoga practice.”
“I was surprised that he was so into yoga and being a vegan; that seems more hippie than hip hop,” Tasha St. John, sophomore, said. “It’s cool though, because he’s living his life for himself.”
Many students say they enjoyed and learned from the presentation.
“He gave some good advice about getting into the business,” Rodney Johnson, freshman, said. “I never realized the importance of the people as opposed to the importance of the business. I always thought that I had to get a recording contract before I could do anything else, but now I know to get the buzz out about myself and the record companies will come to me.”
“The only thing that would have made the night better would have been if Ja Rule or LL Cool J had come – without their shirts, of course,” St. John said.
Leigha Taber can be contacted at l.taber@umiami.edu.
film review: The Quiet American ***
The Quiet American doesn’t bring anything new to the table, but the acting within hits several dramatic notes and the film’s cinematography births an eerie tonal fog that drifts throughout the foreign setting.
Michael Caine (The Cider House Rules) stars as Thomas Fowler, a
British journalist stationed in Vietnam in the ’50s. Although his job is to transmit articles from Saigon to The London Times, he ends up spending much of his time with a young Vietnamese girl, Phuong. He falls in love with her, despite an age gap of at least 30 years, and life is good until Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser) enters the picture.
Pyle poses as an American aid worker, but Fowler eventually discovers that this man is not who he claims to be. Similar elements of mystery add to the dramatic and romantic motifs of The Quiet American, lending a spooky and heavy urgency. When wartime explosions intermix with romance and character-driven drama, the plot becomes unpredictable and, for the most part, entertaining.
Casting Brendan Fraser (The Mummy) in a film that so heavily relies on its characters was a daring move, but it works. Fraser’s performance as the likeable Pyle is one of his best yet, drawing a line in the sand between the actor’s dimwitted crap like Dudley Do-Right and the talent he displayed in Gods and Monsters. Caine gives another great performance as the multi-layered Fowler, a part that, like Jack Nicholson’s About Schmidt character, required an actor of mass experience to flesh out.
The Quiet American is a political-minded film, much like director Philip Noyce’s other 2002 release, the stirring Australian drama Rabbit-Proof Fence. The Quiet American doesn’t fit into one genre, but this proves to be an asset rather than a weakness. It’s too character-driven to be a war film and too romantic for thriller status, nor is the romance there to sedate Meg Ryan fans.
Fowler’s love for Phuong is tested when Pyle declares his feelings for her. The two men battle literally and professionally over the Vietnamese vixen. Against the backdrop of an impending war, the story is ebbed along by unnecessary narration from Caine. It is not unfair to suspect that the narration was added at the insistence of studio execs, thinking American audiences would be too dumb to follow the plot.
The acting and tone of the film, as well as its political messages, are executed with precision by Noyce, who has bloomed into a significant filmmaker after a decade of helming dull action duds like The Saint and Blind Fury. The film’s plot is well crafted, but fluctuates choppily between scenes of brilliance and excess plot structure; plenty of shots could have been shortened or removed.
Caine, Fraser and Noyce put their heads together for a methodical film that, minus a few concluding twists and turns, is made entertaining only by the acting and realistic scenery (it was shot predominately in Vietnam). Fans of traditional, old school filmmaking and serious characters will enjoy The Quiet American. Viewers lured in by the “thriller” label will walk out unsatisfied, especially if a theatre employee interrupts their nap.
Shawn Wines can be reached at ShawnWines@aol.com.
One nation under Kurt Rambis: A salute to white basketball movies
“My name ain’t chump, it’s Billy Hoyle.” Spoken like a true white baller. In the real world of basketball, Caucasian men are reduced to the sidelines and cubicle betting pools. For every Bill Laimbeer who breaks on through to the other side, there’s four Marv “lipstick” Alberts or Bob “ambition” Costas’ putting all their weight into “it’s in the hole.”
And while it’s wrong for white commissioners to hate on current tatted rappers /players like Allen Iverson for throwing their women outside naked and popping nines, players like Bill “Court Marshall” Paxson and Mark “from the line” Price exuded grace under pressure, both on and off the floor. These guys wore their hair short, their socks long, and never touched a pair of Reebok Pumps. Oh yeah, and they also passed.
Life & Art decided to supplement an indefinite wait for the next great white hope (Van Horn?) with a considerably less passionate search for this elusive figure in the bowels of “white b-ball” cinema. We settled for a cringe-worthy cameo from Larry Bird, an extra large bag of Ranch Doritos, and numerous bottles of Guinness. In other words, we came up shorter than M. Bogues, but when that day arrives…
Celtic Pride
1996
Dunks: 16
Non-white players: NBA
Damn, I mean “wowzers (sp),” this piece should’ve started with Hoosiers, because Mr. Aykroyd truly hits his underwear stride in this one. Unlike his classic Ghostbusters, this pile’s premise is somewhat believable: two middle-aged, white, depressed Boston Celtics fans (Aykroyd, and why not, Daniel Stern) kidnap an All-star, black NBA player (Damon Wayans) on a competing team in hopes that their beloved squad will capture one final title in Boston Garden.
Somehow, Aykroyd and writer Colin “where’s the remote” Quinn convinced the NBA that this puke was going to be a hit. The logos, the stadium, the commentators (a subdued Albert and Bill Walton), even Hall of Famer Bob Cousy are all legit. Worst of all, yes, Larry Joe Bird himself shows up at a club where he’s apparently “just having dinner with some buddies.” Gratefully, the patented Indiana accent isn’t dubbed over and we’re sure Lord Bird received top billing for 10 seconds of work, but c’mon, if Kevin McHale doesn’t need the dough…
Meanwhile, why the hell does this movie cost green to rent? It’s a botched advertisement for the NBA that belongs beside Windows 95 starring Shaquille O’Neal. On the other five hands, Irish Car Bombs are a great drink.
– HS
Harvard Man
2001
Dunks: 12
Non-white players: 5 playing,
11 benched
Well, when every white, pot smoking, Harvard basketball star’s nightmare comes true (his parents’ moderate home is destroyed by a tornado), there is only one thing left to do: turn to the daughter of a mob boss for a loan, who conveniently happens to be a cheerleader, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar. The fact that the plot is as stupid as it sounds is quickly forgotten when the last half the movie turns out to be sort of a Fear and Loathing in Boston Common. Regardless, puffin’ blunts while doing a doggy-style scene with Buffy the Vampire Slayer (clothed, still hot) is not a bad way to go through a movie; how much of this rings true in real college basketball has yet to be seen, or has it?
Alan, played by the very white-Euro Adrian Grenier (does that count?), throws up some suave layups, but the games are wack. Nobody can even figure out what’s going on in any of them until they’re over; but whatever, everyone’s tripping in this movie anyway (from sugar cubes synthesized from “original Swiss formula” LSD). I don’t know one dude on a basketball team anywhere but I’m sure they get laid a lot, so that’s pretty much the point here. I’m calling John Stockton tomorrow to find out how many Jazz girls assisted him thanks to layups.
To understand what this movie has to do with basketball you need to rent it, then call me, because as far as I can tell it was just an excuse to have another guy point a gun at the head of the star. Conflict sells; so does a greedy, sweaty, half-naked cheerleader.
– SB
The Basketball Diaries
1995
Dunks: 1 (courtesy of Ernie Hudson)
Non-white players: 2
Neither a huge nor small success, The Basketball Diaries helped intravenously shoot Leo DiCaprio into stardom. The only real parallel between basketball and the theme of this flick is that DiCaprio and Wahlberg (yes, Marky Mark Wahlberg) spend as much time dribbling on the court as they do copping heroin in the street. Based on an autobiographical piece by Jim Carroll, Diaries helped render the image that tough honkeys exist, ones willing to break into ice cream parlors and watch guys plummet to their deaths from the roofs of anonymous buildings. The b-ball skills of these pencil neck actors are pitiful – dribbling above their heads. These guys were supposed to be All-Americans? Not likely. This looks like a video of my six-grade team if everyone on the team was a stoned poet.
Thankfully, Ernie Hudson (yeah, Winston from Ghostbusters) balls for a second and helps Leo’s character kick the habit, only to leave and let him pick it up a minute later. Ernie should at least have let Leo flex on him for a second, the slow mo editing is crap. Enough plot summary, the point of this film is that basketball and drugs can get you women and a movie deal, but too much of either can send you some place you never imagined (like living with a real Ghostbuster, damn yo!). Plus, Leo can’t ball anyway; Mark Wahlberg (with or without the ‘Marky’) could take him, at least in a workout video, umm, never mind.
At least the writer in this movie gets a chance to hook up with some blonde twins, well, half of some blonde twins. You should get the idea by now: heroin, homosexual pedophilic coaches, a Ghostbuster, and piss stained mattresses – this is the stuff that white guys love to make stories about. Unfortunately, they have very little to do with basketball.
– SB
Hoosiers
1986
Dunks: 0 (layups like butter)
Non-white players: 4 (when the Hoosiers enter the “big city” for the championship)
One reviewer referred to this film as a “sports fantasy.” Larry Bird would surely disagree. This film, about a sparse Indiana high school basketball team with high hopes, the Holy Grail of white basketball movies, is based on the Milan High School championship squad of 1954.
Gene Hackman stars as Norman Dale, a dedicated coach who arrives in an Indiana town “not on five maps,” to escape a shady (think Bob Knight) past. Soon enough, he has six (only six) scrawny white boys doing suicides and mastering the art of the layup. Director David “Rudy” Anspaugh presents the Hickory Hoosiers as a symbol of American purity (fans hold up signs declaring “you won’t crack our Hickory”). One player, Strap Purl, keeps praying before games even after the team “Amens.”To avoid the Hallmark stamp, Anspaugh throws in Dennis Hopper as a drunk/basketball savant who lives in an unkept cabin with his rifle and dogs.
Hoosiers is notable because it represents high school sports with a certain dignity that seems impossible today. This is 1951, before the Columbine massacre and hockey dad rampage. When the Hoosiers reach the Indiana state championship in Indianapolis, it’s culture shock – tall black competitors. They pull it out and then everyone fades into a photograph displayed in the high school gym. No NBA dreams, just white legacy.
– HS
Sven Barth can be reached at big_sven@hotmail.com.
Sensual on white sheets Douglas Kirkland’s photos of Marilyn Monroe
Yeah, we like those curves and forms, those sensual twists that fashion the human body into daedal organisms that can be reshaped as they are contorted in sundry ways to accommodate different positioning and project our numerous emotions. Yeah, we like to understand the shape of things because we are beings replete with much sensitivity to the aesthetics that surrounds us, whether it’s the complexity in the organization of petals on a flower or the elegant grace of a female body poised like a Michelangelo sculpture behind a translucent silk drape.
This intricacy of shape is captured in photographer Horst P. Horst’s Form show, presently at the Daniel Azoulay Gallery in the Design District. His black and white shots explore everything from the shapeliness of crisp autumn leaves to the curvature of the human body in diverse angles and position. Having done extensive portraiture and fashion photography with publications such as Vogue and Vanity Fair as well as advertising photos, Horst can embrace the essence of the form and enlighten the certain aspects that make the figures unique and remarkable.
While his photos balance well the diffusion of light and shadow, Horst meticulously chooses to emphasize lights and darks on specific parts of the form, i.e., he “paints” the shapes to his liking. The contour of his “Tulips” is well lit up by the sharp finish of the photo, but it is even more interesting to appreciate the shape by its distortion in the shadows. “Round the Clock” is a shot of a woman bending over-her ornamentally layered dress up in the air producing the effect of a flower in full bloom-and “Triangles,” a nude man on all fours, reveals an assortment of triangles molded by the body itself.
Also at the gallery is a photo series by Douglas Kirkland (who shot John Wayne and Coco Chanel among many others) entitled An Evening with Marilyn Monroe. The highlight here is a sequence of color photographs of this American sex icon on white sheets, as she smiles seductively and poses while Kirkland shoots her from a bird’s-eye view. She is apparently nude, but never exposes her body completely and teases the onlooker, who does feel intimately tied to her and inhibits an urge to jump into that bed.
The significance of these pictures though is seen in the way they shed light on the sheer sensuality of Marilyn Monroe-illumining her voluptuousness and aesthetic appeal without showing too much skin. The prints are heavily pixilated instead of having a polished finish and thus diminish the glamour that’s always been associated with this woman.
Form and An Evening with Marilyn Monroe are showing at the Daniel Azoulay Gallery, 3900 A NE First Ave., Miami, through March 15. Call 305-576-1977 for more info.
Omar Sommereyns can be reached at SOASIS@aol.com.
News Briefs
50 Cent can purchase a small country’s gun supply (he’s going to need them) now that his debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, pushed 872,000 copies in its first week. So Fiddy, you’ve accomplished your goal of getting rich, what’s next? Hopefully not a requisite quickly produced posse album showcasing your lame crew Gorilla Unit. Yeah? Great. G-Unit!
When they’re not secretly flipping through The Hipster Handbook, Miami’s scenesters are gossiping about the Rapture playing a Winter Music Conference bash at Club Revolver in the coming weeks. What? Iggy Pop’s spinning? That’s deck!
How many film franchises does some-time boozer Ben Affleck need? He worked his mediocre curse on the Jack Ryan series with The Sum of All Fears, L&A hears that Bruckheimer wants a sequel to Pearl Harbor, and now $42 million worth of wankstas went to see Daredevil this weekend. Why doesn’t he do another Kevin Smith film? Really? Cool. With J-Lo? Dude, Kevin Smith sucks.
Level’s first attempt at theatre (we think), “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” has already closed up shop because the tix weren’t selling. We actually heard it was impressive and planned on checking it out. Anyway, Level will probably go back to booking trance, cough, global house DJs who moonlight in electroclash, cough, electro, cough, trance.
The Miami art houses need to use their “pieces” and bring down that killer documentary, Lost in La Mancha, about Terry Gilliam’s botched attempt to make The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. While they’re at it, what’s the deal with Macaulay Culkin’s Party Monster and Larry Clark’s gross-out Ken Park? How much NYC glossy magazine circle jerking must we endure?