The Indian Students Association [ISA], in conjunction with the Islamic Society of UM [ISUM] and the Hindu Students Council presented a free lecture last Thursday in the Wilder Auditorium regarding the recent build-up of tensions in the Kashmir region of India.

Issues discussed at the lecture included the historical background of the conflict involving the two wars that already occurred in the region and recent diplomatic initiatives taken by the United States, Great Britain and other countries to help ease tensions between India and Pakistan.

The potential for a nuclear war threat and possible solutions to the conflict were also addressed.

“Some people don’t understand the magnitude of the problems,” said Vivek Patel, public relations officer for ISA. “The slightest mishap could potentially cause World War III. We need to take a more active role to prevent a war from ensuing.”

“We must keep in mind that this crisis in Kashmir directly affects all of us,” said Rashan Shah, president of ISA.

Students from UM and the surrounding community expressed interest in the event.

“I am always amazed at the level of political awareness on the UM campus,” said Maria Fernandez, a student of political science at FIU. “Students should be proud that their fellow peers take the initiative to present these highly pertinent issues.”

“Sometimes it seems that the only way to find a solution is to listen to suggestions from both sides of an issue,” said Jonathan Meyers, a political activist in Broward County. “We will never get anywhere if we close our ears and our minds to the realities occurring throughout the world.”

“We know that it is an ongoing dispute, and many students do not know the facts,” Minal Ahson, a member of ISUM said. “We hope that this will help clarify what is going on.”

The event featured a guest speaker, Professor Reeta Chowdhari Tremblay, from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.

“We decided to invite Professor Chowdhari to speak because of her level of objectivity on the subject,” Patel said. “Many other researchers lean one way or the other; she puts her personal biases aside”

“We didn’t want the lecture to become a religious war,” Patel said.

According to organizers, the primary goal of the lecture was to get the community involved by having guests ask questions about the events.

“This conflict is something that could affect the military actions of nations around the world, including the US, so it is important that this be addressed,” Shah said. “No professors here at UM can teach this subject, so it is important that this gets done in order to inform the public.”

“Even students who are not aware of the conflicts in Kashmir were encouraged and welcome to attend,” Patel said. “During WWI and WWII, so many took a non-caring attitude toward world affairs, and this attitude resulted in the bloodiest wars in history.”

“There will always be something to learn,” Patel said. “Knowledge is the power to change.”

Over 2000 alumni congregated on the University of Miami campus this weekend for a day of reunions, campus tours and Storm Watch festivities.

“Alumni Night is done for the anniversary dates of reunions,” said Lucy Evans, Homecoming committee chair. “After the parade, there are specials going on at the Rat and the Homecoming committee passes out gifts and prizes.”

According to those present, spirits were high among the alumni, who were reliving the good old days with their college friends.

“I’m simply amazed at the number of people here for this Homecoming,” said Dr. Butler, who served as vice president for student affairs in 1965. “I don’t see how Homecoming could be better in terms of spirit, participation, students and faculty involvement.”

“We’re seeing a lot of people from all the different student organizations we worked with,” said Sonja Moore, class of 1992, who now works in Career Services at Arizona State University.

“It brings back so many good memories and it seems like the spirit is up even more,” said Robert McArdle, class of 1982, now a legal assistant in Las Vegas.

“U of M changed my life.”

Recent graduates were also present at the event.

Matt Weisberg, class of 2000, graduated from the jazz program at UM. “[The jazz program] has changed a little, but a lot of the same teachers are here, so it’s nice to see them again and catch up.” Weisberg has been touring with Branford Marsalis of the Tonight Show Band and now resides in Boston, Massachusetts.

“It’s good to see all my old friends. The music school is really small so it’s a tightly knit group,” said Mike Borden, class of 2000.

Alumni were thrilled to experience the major changes around campus since their graduations.

“It’s amazing to see how much the campus has changed,” said ten-year alumna Amy Troiano, who is currently the creative director at the Discovery Channel. “Go Donna Shalala!”

“The campus is totally different since I’ve been here,” said Jim Field, class of 1998, now working as a structural engineer in New York.

“I’m really impressed with the changes in the facility and landscaping – it’s incredible,” said Bob Dougherty, a retired administrator of law judge who attended UM in the 1970s. “Dr. Shalala is doing a great job and Dr. Foote really turned the University around.”

The students in attendance enjoyed the events as much as the alumni.

“The atmosphere is really amazing and I’m really glad to be a part of it,” said Fara Gold, a third-year law student recently tapped into the Iron Arrow Society. “The UM spirit is contagious.”

Junior Cory Randolph and senior Ash Abili, who worked the doors at the Rat, commented on the event.

“The alumni have a lot of love for the undergrads,” Randolph said. “It’s a great atmosphere and we’ve made some good connections.”

“The graduates are genial,” Alibi said. “They seem happy to be here.”

Organizers of Alumni Night explained why it is important for current students to participate in Alumni Weekend festivities.

“It’s great for students to participate in alumni weekend events as a good way of providing interaction between the two groups,” said Jason Haber, the UM ambassador chair for special events.

“I think that students should work harder to create relationships with the alumni because they are connections to the working world,” said senior Annie Guttenberg, member of the UM Ambassadors.

Spirits were high at the annual Storm Watch festivities Friday with record numbers of Hurricanes participating in Homecoming competitions and attending the pre-game events.

“We hoped that Storm Watch allowed all the Hurricanes present to experience the spirit of our alma mater and get everyone pumped up for the highly anticipated Homecoming game versus FSU,” said Julio Barroso, Homecoming co-chair.

According to organizers, preparations for Storm Watch began months ago, and the 30-member committee worked non-stop to ensure that the night would be a success.

“Due to the football schedule, Homecoming had to be held much earlier than usual, and this meant that the bulk of the preparations had to be done in the spring,” Barroso said. “Since we were afforded less than a month before Homecoming events were scheduled to begin this semester, we did not have the luxury of having much time after the summer break to finalize preparations.”

According to many of those who took part in the festivities, Storm Watch gave students an opportunity to bond as they shared in the traditions of UM and cheered the Hurricanes to victory.

The Homecoming parade took place on Stanford Drive, with a float-decorating competition among various student organizations, fraternities and sororities.

“I thought the parade was a good experience for the people in the community to come support UM and for school organizations to show their spirit,” freshman Jared Stitz said.

The parade was followed by a pep rally held in the StormSurge Cafe and on the UC patio.

“The pep rally was awesome,” said sophomore Diana Edens. “It was great to see both students and alumni cheering in support of the ‘Canes.”

“We knew we would win!” Edens said.

After the pep rally, students, alumni, faculty and staff proceeded to the boat-burning and fireworks display along Lake Osceola. Those present held candles and sang the alma mater.

According to organizers, the boat-burning tradition holds that if the mast of the burning boat breaks before the boat sinks into Lake Osceola, UM will win the Homecoming football game.

“As I looked across the lake at the rows of candles held by students, it made me feel a closer bond as we sang the alma mater and showed our UM pride,” junior Kaz Pais said.

Freshman Ashlee Daigle said that she realized throughout the evening that tradition is central to the atmosphere and history of the school.

During the fireworks display, the letters “UM” were spelled out on the residence towers.

“The fireworks were mesmerizing,” said freshman Michelle Roman.

“The best part was seeing ‘UM’ written on the towers while the fireworks were going off,” Danielle Dudai said.

The night concluded with free food and a performance from the Gabe Dixon Band.

The winners of Homecoming 2002 were announced on Sunday at the closing ceremonies on the UC Patio.

The winners were divided among three competing categories: fraternities, sororities and independents.

Sigma Phi Epsilon took first place among the fraternities. Kappa Sigma and Alpha Sigma Phi took second and third, respectively.

In the sorority category, Delta Delta Delta placed third, Zeta Tau Alpha came in second and Kappa Kappa Gamma won first place.

The Federacion de Estudiantes Cubanos placed first for the independents, while the Association of Commuter Students came in second and the United Black Students took third place.

Organizers believe that Storm Watch was a success.

“We broke records with the number of organizations participating in Homecoming as well as attendance records at all of our events,” Barroso said. “The level of attendance made this one of the best and most spirited Homecomings ever.”

Several news stations and publications were present at the events.

“Storm Watch drew thousands of students, alumni and Hurricane fans and truly put the spirit of our university in everyone that attended,” Barroso said. “Even if you were not able to make it to Storm Watch you were probably able to catch coverage of it on CBS, NBC or ABC, along with various publications including The Miami Herald, that could not help but be drawn to the spirit emanating from our campus that night.”

Amid cheers from the crowd gathered at the Rat Tuesday night, senior Gilbertson Cuffy was crowned Mr. UM after he impressed judges and spectators with his performance during the competition.

Cuffy represented United Black Students [UBS] and competed with other contestants in several rounds of competition including an introductory exercise, talent competition and formal wear round.

“I decided to compete because I like competition,” he said. “That, and UBS kind of forced me into it.”

In addition to his involvement in UBS, Cuffy is also active in KAOS hip-hop dance group, the Inspirational Concert Choir and Brothers Overcoming Negative Destruction.

According to Cuffy, the experience he had gained at previous Mr. UM events helped him win the title.

“I didn’t really go through much preparation,” he said. “I competed in the Mr. UM event my freshman and sophomore years, so I knew what to expect from this year’s competition.”

Cuffy said he enjoyed the talent portion of the competition most because he was able to perform a dance with a friend, Ntiense Inokon. The dance was a mix of songs by Usher, Justin Timberlake, B2K and other artists.

“I enjoyed all aspects of the competition, but the talent portion was definitely the most competitive,” he said. “Being involved in KAOS helped me prepare for the talent portion.”

“I sang in the last competitions, so I decided to try dancing this year,” he said.

He has also danced for the Miami Sol basketball team.

Cuffy commented on the camaraderie displayed throughout the event.

“Everyone in the competition was friendly. We were all encouraging one another backstage,” he said. “Overall, it was a friendly environment. I’m not so sure I could say that about the Miss UM event.”

During the question session, Cuffy randomly drew the question:

“What is the most memorable experience of being at UM?”

He mentioned his involvement in the President’s 100 organization and how he gives tours to prospective students who come to campus.

“For me, I feel privileged just to come to college and get an education,” he said. “There are kids out there who don’t have that opportunity.”

Currently Cuffy majors in Marketing and Finance, and he hopes to attend graduate school to obtain his MBA.

“I’d eventually like to set up my own marketing firm,” he said. “That, and I’d also like to own one Grammy, one Tony, one Oscar and one Emmy – at least one of each.”

Cuffy also has plans for his new position as Mr. UM.

“My responsibilities as Mr. UM are to just be like any other ‘Cane, but more spirited,” Cuffy said. “I just want people to know that I’m a friendly person, but that I’m also real.”

TODAY
Council for Democracy will sponsor the U.S. Congressional Debates at 6 p.m. in the Cosford Cinema. Annie Betancourt and Mario Diaz-Balart will battle for the District 25 seat in the capital. Contact David at 305-439-7496 for details.

Join the Hispanic Heritage Committee at the UC patio for closing ceremonies of Hispanic Heritage Month. “Grupo Prisma” will provide the Latin sounds and free food will be served from 12 to 2:00 p.m.

CAC presents Minority Report at Cosford Cinema at 8 and 10:30 p.m.

Laser Tag at the Wellness Center at 5 p.m. Call Kevin at Hurricane Productions, 305-284-4606, for more details.

OCTOBER 16
The Counseling Center and the Academic Development Center invite you to attend a program by Dr. Malcolm Kahn, Director of the Counseling Center, on “Psychological Tips for Academic Success” from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Academic Development Center, Room N201 (located on the 2nd floor of the Whitten University Center). For questions call 305-284-5511.

“Healthy Haunted House” is the theme of this year’s Wellness Expo, an evening of fun, food and fitness from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Wellness Center atrium. See exhibitions ranging from South Beach Smoothies to flu shots from the Health Center. The evening will also feature instructional classes, demonstrations, a pumpkin-decorating contest and a prize for the best costume.

The Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies and the Middle East Studies Institute invite you to attend the second annual Jack Chester Memorial Lecture: Israeli Politics in the Crunch, 8 – 10 p.m. at Casa Bacardi. The speaker is Dr. Yossi Olmert, professor of security studies, former government policy advisor and political columnist who writes frequently for Yediot Aharonot and the Jerusalem Post. The lecture is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and first come, first served.

OCTOBER 17
CAC presents a sneak preview of the move NARC at 7 p.m. There will be a Q & A with actor Ray Liotta at the Cosford Cinema.

Take a study break from 9 till 11 p.m. to listen to a late-night jazz session at the Wesley Foundation, across from Mahoney/Pearson residential colleges.

OCTOBER 18
El Cielo Abierto is showing at the Cosford Cinema at 7:30 p.m. Miguel is a psychiatrist who is deeply depressed when his wife runs away with another man. Then he finds out that his mother-in-law is coming to visit and has no knowledge of his wife

C-A-N-E-S, ‘CANES! UM beat FSU after a failed last-second, 43-yard field-goal attempt by Xavier Beitia.

“I read somewhere that Saturday’s game is nationally recognized as Wide Left I,” said Josue Gonzalez. “Previous games include Wide Right I, II and III.”

“I like to think that us UM fans are psychic,” William Peterson said. “If you think about the 43-yard field-goal flop and how the number 43 is recognized as the popular numeric code for ‘f*** you,’ then you’ll realize that the UM chant for the Seminoles [‘F*** you, Seminoles; Seminoles, f*** you’] kind of predicted this whole thing.”

The media headlines for the game ranged from “FSU can’t kick this feeling” to “FSU’s Xavier Beitia inconsolable after missed kick.”

“I saw one guy cross out the ‘UM vs. FSU’ writing he had put on the back of his SUV and replace ‘UM’ with ’27’ and ‘FSU’ with ‘Wide Left,'” Jill Johnson said. “It was hilarious.”

According to Orange Bowl staff, organizers and event security, extra steps were taken to ensure a smooth and safe event.

Organizers said that Cane Cards were checked twice before anyone could enter the stadium and that everyone purchasing alcoholic beverages had to present valid identification to confirm that they were of legal drinking age.

Also, certain rows of the student section were reserved for event staff so that security and staff could have easy access to unruly students or safety hazards.

“I am really impressed by all of the precautions that were taken for this game,” Julia Baleiro said. “All of the event staff was friendly, helpful and strict about the rules.”

“I must say that I did not notice one single problem throughout the game,” John Lester said. “The yellow security shirts and uniformed cops helped curb the drinking and fights that usually happen at football games.”

“The whole thing was awesome,” said junior Mo Thomas, who watched the game from the stands. “The atmosphere gave me chills the whole way through.”

UM fans watched the game from wherever they could.

“I watched the game on television with my family,” said Lisette Diaz, a UM fan. “My sister’s boyfriend looked like a maniac during the last few minutes of the game. He almost threw the TV set across the room.”

“This was one of the biggest games in the history of college football,” junior Jeffe Benea said.

“I always knew UM would win,” said Katie Delorenzo, an FSU student who attended the game. “I brought a green bandana and an orange shirt with me just in case.”

Some commented on the fact that they felt as though UM did not play to its full potential.

“To tell the truth a lot of people felt that we were lucky we even got a win,” Thomas said. “We didn’t really play our best throughout the game.”

“Even though I’m a ‘Noles fan, I have to give it up to UM,” Jessica Gardner said. “It takes a really talented team to come back and win the game as quickly and aggressively as they did.”

“This Thanksgiving I will be giving thanks to FSU,” Fred Guillen said. “I am grateful that they handed Saturday’s game to us so effortlessly and with so very few tears. They should be commended for their generous gift.”

Some FSU fans were not as enthusiastic about the game as ‘Canes fans were.

“Just because UM won doesn’t mean they’re better,” said Carter Lewis, a student who traveled to the game with FSU. “I’d rather lose a football game than live in this city.”

According to some fans, the last few seconds of the game were the most exciting.

“The funniest part of the game was when the Seminoles started to run out into the field in celebration of their field goal victory,” Julio Guerrero said. “They probably figured they had scored the field goal since it didn’t go wide right.”

Many noticed the feeling of unity that resulted from the victory.

“I was very happy to see the feeling of community around Miami after the game,” Hillel Mendez said. “There were people of all races cheering, honking and celebrating the UM win.”

According to a group of UM students, a local tugboat operator had a few words to say to Seminole fans waiting for the Miami River Bridge to lower on their way from the Orange Bowl to the Metro Station after the game:

“Why all the long faces?” said the tugboat operator. “Didn’t you know that you couldn’t mess with Miami?”

The UM bookstore is currently selling UM victory T-shirts.