Berlin transfers from UF – Spurrier’s old home
When the Hurricanes renew their regular season series with Florida in September, there will be a significant absence from the Gators sideline.
The visored-one, Steve Spurrier, will no longer be roaming Florida Field in Gainesville, having departed for the NFL and the Washington Redskins. In his stead will be Ron Zook, a former Gators assistant who was demoted by Spurrier during his tenure.
The Gators, who were this year’s preseason No. 1, will have to try and improve on their 10-2 record with some other notable omissions. Wide receivers Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell decided to try their luck in the NFL as well, and will skip their final seasons of eligibility.
Gaffney, a red-shirt sophomore, ranked 10th nationally in receiving with 74 catches for 1309 yards, while Caldwell ranked 16th nationally with 69 catches for 1106 yards.
Quarterback Rex Grossman and wide receiver Taylor Jacobs did decide to stay at UF and are still a lethal combination.
“My new favorite target is No. 6 [Jacobs], and I’m just glad he’s staying,” Grossman said. “If he was going to leave, there was a good chance I was going to leave, too. Not that the other receivers aren’t going to be good, but my receivers would have been gone, my coach would have been gone. I would have had to learn a whole new system.”
Spurrier’s resignation also shook up more than Gator Country and had a direct affect on the Hurricanes. Quarterback Brock Berlin, who toiled behind Grossman at UF, was already thinking of transferring to Miami when he heard news of Spurrier’s resignation. That made the decision easier for Berlin.
“Obviously, one of the biggest reasons I came to the University of Florida was to play for coach Steve Spurrier,” Berlin said at a news conference in his hometown of Shreveport, La. “It made a difference when the guy I came there for left, but there were other reasons, too.”
Berlin wasted his freshman year behind Grossman and Jesse Palmer, not playing that much once Grossman emerged as Spurrier’s man. But the former No. 1 high school recruit was used enough early in the year to lose his red-shirt, and his chances of getting any significant starting time at UF was dwindling.
Berlin did start in this year’s Orange Bowl against Maryland in place of a suspended Grossman. He threw for 11-for-19 for 196 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.
Berlin is scheduled to be taking classes at UM this semester in order to participate in spring practice. Then, under NCAA guidelines, the sophomore would have to sit out a year before playing for the ‘Canes.
That sets up the opportunity for Berlin to be the Hurricanes’ next great quarterback, with Dorsey graduating after next season. Berlin would have two years of eligibility left in 2003, and would have to fight off current UM backups Derrick Crudup and Buck Ortega.
Also in the mix is Marc Guillon, a senior at Miramonte High in Orinda, Calif., who has orally committed to Miami. The incoming freshman from Dorsey’s old high school would be a red-shirt freshman in 2003, but would seemingly have two years to start at Quarterback U.
For now, Dorsey is the quarterback of the present and Berlin is happy to possibly succeed him.
“I just wanted to make sure I was making the right choice,” Berlin said. “I felt good about it. I was looking for the best situation for me.”
Sports Briefs
TRACK AND FIELD
The Miami men’s and women’s track teams competed at the Florida Intercollegiates Meet at the University of Florida in Gainesville last Saturday. The event featured athletes from UM, Florida, Florida State, UCF, South Florida, Bethune-Cookman, FIU, Florida A&M, North Florida and Jacksonville. Lauryn Williams won the women’s 55-meter dash and broke the school record with a NCAA provisional qualifying time of 6.87. The Miami women return to competition at the North Carolina Invitational at Chapel Hill, N.C. on January 18th-19th. The men’s team next competes in the North Carolina Invitational on January 25th-26th.
SWIMMING AND DIVING
The Miami women’s and men’s swim teams lost to Clemson and Rutgers at the Norman Whitten Pool on Saturday, January 5th. Clemson defeated the men’s team 127-43 and the women’s team 133-68. Rutgers defeated the men’s team 151-37 and the women’s team 112-89. Senior Wesley Stoddard won the men’s 1000-yard freestyle with a time of 9:42.85. Stoddard also captured first in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:39.84. Sophomore Manon van Rooijen took first in the women’s 100-yard freestyle (52.18) with Erin Johns finishing fifth (53.78), Heather Soloman (Getzville, N.Y.) ninth (56.37) and Josie Huffman 12th (57.80). Van Rooijen took second in the women’s 200-yard freestyle (1:53.49) with Samantha Caetano of Rutgers won the event with a time of 1:52.13. Junior Christine Williams finished second in the women’s 50-yard freestyle (24.16). Freshman Kristy MacLennan finished second in the women’s 200-yard butterfly (2:05.84) and third in the 200-yard IM (2:10.19). Sophomore Courtney Caples took third place in the women’s 200-yard breaststroke (2:25.58). In the relay events, Miami (3:32.14) finished second behind Clemson (3:31.93) in the women’s 400-yard freestyle and third in the 400-yard Medley (3:57.96) behind Clemson (3:54.86) and Rutgers (3:56.22). Miami’s swim teams return to action on January 19th in Jacksonville in a meet with North Florida and the College of Charleston.
SOCCER
University of Miami soccer player Lisa Gomez started for the Mexican national team in a match against the United States on Saturday, Jan. 12 at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, S.C. Gomez, a junior defender, played the entire match broadcasted live on ESPN 2 in a losing cause as the Mexicans fell 7-0 to the defending World Cup Champions. Gomez was recently named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-South Third Team after leading the Hurricanes to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. She finished the season with four goals, three assists and 11 points. She scored the game-winning goal in Miami’s 3-0 shutout victory over Florida Atlantic (Sept. 4, 2001).
Tennis rebounds during Spring Fling
Despite winning only two of their first eleven singles matches, the University of Miami men’s tennis team maintained their focus on victory throughout this past weekend’s Miami Spring Fling. This determination guided the Hurricanes to win nine of the last eleven singles matches, balancing this weekend’s singles record to 11-11. The preseason tournament consisted of Clemson University, 18th-ranked Miami, 13th-ranked Texas A&M, and No. 6 Illinois.
The Hurricanes’ most impressive outing was against Clemson on Monday when they won five out of their seven singles matches. The day was highlighted by freshman Andrew McDade’s remarkable three-set victory (7-6, 2-6, 6-3) over Clemson’s Damiisa Robinson.
McDade was also victorious when he teamed up with junior Andrew Golub earlier that day to defeat Clemson’s No. 2 doubles team of Robinson and Madreadi Skinner (8-2). Miami’s top two seniors, Jose Lieberman and Tomas Smid bounced back after losing all their singles matches to Texas A&M and Illinois Monday – Lieberman beating Marko Gojanovic (6-4, 6-2) and Smid defeating Matt Walton (6-0, 6-1).
Freshman Todd Widom was the most successful Hurricane at the Spring Fling, finishing 2-0 in No. 1 singles and 3-0 in doubles competition where he was teamed up with a different partner each day.
“Todd will lead us at the No. 1 spot this spring,” said UM head coach Jay Berger. “But seniors like Jose and Tomas really need to step it up.”
Widom now has six consecutive victories at the No. 1 spot, which makes him 11-2 in singles overall.
“I would love to win all my matches,” Widom said. “I’ve played with a lot of the competition, but there is still a lot I haven’t seen.”
Miami’s battle with Illinois on Sunday focused on senior Joel Berman, who made his first singles appearance in over a year after suffering an elbow injury. Berman, now fully recovered, cruised by Illinois’ Conner Murnighan (6-3, 6-2) and he and Widom beat Alex Hobson and Alex Meresan (8-5) in an exciting doubles victory.
“Right now he’s playing good tennis,” Berger said. “He’s probably playing better now than he did before his injury. We just have to make sure he stays healthy.”
Berger wasn’t as pleased with anyone’s tennis on Saturday. Miami’s lone singles victory came on Golub’s close match (4-6, 6-4, 7-5) with Texas A&M’s Keith From at No. 2 singles. The Hurricanes did have success in two doubles matches, as the freshmen team of Justin Kinney and Widom defeated Derrick Bauer and Ante Matijevic (9-7) and the senior squad of Berman and Tarik El Bassiouni won 8-2 over Hunter Emmott and Khaled El Dorry.
With Miami’s spring season underway, Berger recognized that the ‘Canes must improve if they want to live up to and improve on their preseason ranking.
“It’s a starting point and we hope to move up from there,” Berger said. “But you don’t get any points in the beginning for being 18th, you get them by winning matches.”
‘Canes glad to be home
After dropping the final two decisions of their season-long three game road trip, the University of Miami women’s basketball team found the perfect remedy for their slump – home cooking.
The Hurricanes took advantage of a large Wednesday night crowd, defeating Big East foe Syracuse in a 75-71 overtime thriller. Sophomore forward Shaquana Wilkins came off the bench to score a career high 26 points for Miami, who improved to 10-6 (3-3 Big East) with the win.
“Coming into this game, I was thinking about defense and that if I’m playing good defense, then the offense will come and that’s exactly what happened,” Wilkins said.
In 33 minutes of play, Wilkins shot 11-of-17 from the field and added 10 rebounds. Sophomore Chanivia Broussard also recorded a double-double, posting 23 points and 15 rebounds. The Hurricanes were able to get viable scoring options against the Orangewomen, but according to head coach Ferne Labati, they won by sticking to the game plan.
“We wanted to attack the zone, stop the penetration, play good three-point defense, and overall be much more patient,” Labati said. “We were able to perform all those things much better tonight.”
The victory comes four days after Miami suffered their most lopsided defeat of the season, losing 96-50 to top-ranked Connecticut at the Hartford Civic Center. After sticking with the Huskies early on, the ‘Canes were bombarded with a 32-6 UConn run to end the first half. Despite Broussard’s 18 points, the Hurricanes couldn’t counter with any weapons to cool down UConn’s up-tempo style, and that was what killed them, according to Labati.
“In order to stay in the game with Connecticut, you have to score,” Labati said. “And when they made their run, we couldn’t answer with any points at all.”
The road swing started off on a positive note, as Miami avenged last season’s 39-37 loss to Rutgers, beating the Scarlet Knights 67-53, in Piscataway, N.J. on Jan. 5. Down by two at halftime, Miami came out firing in the second half and outscored Rutgers 44-28. Senior Martha Bodley provided an unusual spark for the Hurricanes, scoring a career-high 18 points to go along with 14 rebounds.
Miami also got double-digit scoring games from Meghan Saake and Melissa Knight, but it was Bodley who answered every Rutgers possession with a big score of her own.
“I was thinking about how hard I have to work and I was really happy that I could step up, get some points and rebounds, and also get some minutes,” Bodley said.
The joy of defeating Rutgers didn’t last long, however, as Miami fell to West Virginia 57-52 three days later. After getting off to an 18-5 advantage, the Hurricane offense suddenly turned frigid, as Miami was unable to record back to back victories against a team they handled by 16 at home earlier in the season. Broussard scored 14 points to lead a Miami team that shot just 36 percent from the floor.
“We started off real strong and then let them come back on us and we couldn’t quite come back ourselves,” Saake said.
The win against Syracuse puts Miami’s Big East mark right at .500. The schedule doesn’t get any easier, however, as the Hurricanes play host to Big East foe Seton Hall tomorrow afternoon at the Miami Arena before traveling to St. John’s on Wednesday.
The next few games may determine whether there will be life after the regular season for Miami.
UM off to best start in school history
The Miami men’s basketball team has no plans of allowing the school’s recent athletic success to culminate with the football team’s national championship.
The Hurricanes are off to an explosive 16-2 start, earning national respect under second year head coach Perry Clark. Miami is ranked No. 20 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 24 in the AP Poll.
Miami matched last season’s win total on Tuesday night, with a 76-69 double overtime victory over Pittsburgh in the Hurricanes Big East home opener. The victory was a much needed quality win over the 15-3 Panthers.
John Salmons converted four free throws in the final 12 seconds and Darius Rice threw down a crowd-pleasing slam-dunk to seal the victory for Miami.
“I’m extremely proud of our effort in the second half because this was a night where not a lot went right for us early and we could have given up,” Clark said. “The guys never quit, always hanging tough with their defense until the offense got going in the second half.”
Salmons finished with a season-high 25 points. The 6-7 senior guard also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out six assists, as Miami improved to 3-2 in Big East play.
“We had to pull this one out,” Salmons said. “We have to win at home in the Big East. You can’t let someone come down and beat you in your own place.”
The Hurricanes trailed by as many as 11 points in the second half, but came back to tie many times down the stretch. Miami did not take the lead until the second overtime.
The Hurricanes had a chance to win in the first overtime, but Marcus Barnes missed two free throws with 1.3 seconds remaining.
“When Marcus went to the line at the end of the first overtime I was sure the game was over,” said Clark. “Every game is a struggle in the Big East.”
Barnes made up for his two missed free throws by connecting on a three-pointer from the corner to extend Miami’s lead to 70-66 in the second overtime. Salmons and Rice then sealed the victory with their six points.
“Any win in the Big East is a good win for our team,” said Rice. “It is really important for us to win our league games at home because the Big East is so balanced.”
While overshadowed by the football team’s success, the Hurricane basketball team began the season with a school record 14-game winning streak.
The streak included a quality 58-53 win over nationally ranked Indiana at the Orange Bowl Classic.
Salmons came a rebound short of a triple double in another impressive victory over Charlotte – a NCAA tournament team a year ago.
The Hurricanes then started 2002 with a tough two-week stretch on the road to begin Big East play.
The Hurricanes began with a 79-71 win at No. 24 Georgetown, giving Miami its 14th straight victory. James Jones made three of Miami’s 10 three-pointers as the Hurricanes’ long distance shooting overcame a strong Georgetown rally.
The Hurricanes traveled next to Connecticut on Jan. 5, and witnesses Huskies big man Johnnie Selvie connect on two free throws with 5.7 seconds left to give UConn a 76-75 victory.
In the following game at St. John’s, Miami was held to one field goal over the final 16 minutes, as the Hurricanes lost their second straight game, 71-60. Miami shot just 10 percent (3-30) from the field in the second half.
“They whipped us,” Clark said. “They came out aggressive. [St. John’s] Mike Jarvis is a great game coach, and he had them ready to play. They whacked us, and we never whacked back.”
The Hurricanes rebounded from their poor performance with a 77-68 victory over Virginia Tech to end the grueling 13-day road trip.
“I don’t think there are many teams in the Big East that can go on the road for 13 days and play at Georgetown, at Connecticut, at St. John’s and at Virginia Tech and go home 2-2. And, we were one basket from going 3-1,” said Clark. “I’m proud of the effort the team gave on this trip.”
The Hurricanes surprising start can be attributed to a balanced scoring attack and strong team defense. These qualities are necessary if the Hurricanes want to be playing in March.
All five starters are averaging in double figures with Rice and Salmons tied for the team lead with 13.4 points per game. Salmons also leads the team in assists with 5.4 per contest, while Jones is the top rebounder with 6.6 per game.
The Hurricanes will need more production off their bench, as the starters have carried the load so far. Rafael Berumen leads all reserves with 3.4 points per game.
The Hurricanes continue Big East play tomorrow at 12 p.m. versus Providence at the Miami Arena.
Did you watch the Rose Bowl? If so, where and with who?
Katie Stacks Junior
“No, because I’m bad luck. I did it for the team!”
(Unable to display picture for Katie)
Burglar’s paradise: UM housing a haven for thieves
I knew something was wrong when I walked in and saw my roommates sitting in the living room wearing grim expressions on their faces.
Check your room, they told me. And as I walked in, it hit me. Several of my things had been thrown on the floor. Some of the dresser drawers were open, barely hanging from their slots.
We had been robbed.
My case of CD’s? Gone. Jewelry lying on the bureau? Gone. My personal CD player on the desk? Gone.
Questions were now racing through my head. What else did they take? Where were the police? Didn’t anybody see this happen? How did they get in? Two of my roommates had also been robbed of some of their things. The thieves had gotten in through the kitchen window, in broad daylight, around lunchtime when none of us were there, and the police had already been there to record what happened. That was it.
We were basically told: “Too bad, it could have been worse, and have a nice day.”
It ain’t pleasant being robbed. It was and still is the worse feeling of violation I have ever experienced; like rape. I had never been robbed before, but surprisingly a lot of on-campus residents have. But there was nothing they could say to relieve me of my anger, despair, and frustration. S– happens, they said. Be thankful that you weren’t there when they were, and, as before, it could have been worse.
I am frustrated at this school, which is supposed to be protecting our safety and preventing things like this from occurring. I know I pay a hell of a lot of money to come here and I expect to have top-notch security on this campus. I’ve been told there’s nothing much one can do about it. But there are tons of things that could be done. People should be warned. Apartments should be armed with some kind of alarm system. Everyone knows that they are extremely vulnerable to robberies. Security should be beefed up around campus, particularly in this building-where not one, not two but three robberies have occurred.
If so much attention is being paid to giving goddamn parking tickets, then where the hell are the police when our homes are getting burglarized? Can you say priority check?
Derek Bramble is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism.
Congratulations from a proud ‘Cane
I was nervous on Jan. 3. I wasn’t one of the many doubters; I knew if our football team came to play they could beat anyone. I just wasn’t sure if they could handle the pressure of a big game like this after a relatively easy season. Imagine my relief when the game began to look like one of my high school football games, only this time I was rooting for the winning team.
Now, as we head into the second semester, we come back as national champions. We did what Florida State University could not do last year, and what the Gators only wished they could have done this year. Not only is our team clearly the best in college sports, they are the best team I have ever had the pleasure of watching. It has certainly been a marvelous climb from the troubles and sanctions of a few years ago. Now UM football is back where it belongs.
I have immensely enjoyed watching the games in the Orange Bowl, where the Hurricanes truly lived up to their name and reputation. I loved watching us beat FSU two years in a row (last year’s home game was the best sporting event I have ever witnessed), and then thrashing Washington. If that didn’t shut the critics up, I bet the Nebraska game will. It has been a pleasure to stand behind this team, especially because many of my friends are Gators or Seminoles. Just think of the bragging rights I now have! It has been an even bigger pleasure to walk around campus and overhear Ed Reed talking about the game clinching interception at Boston College or to walk to class under the shade of a tree only to realize that it is actually Bryant Mc Kinnie- and that he is so tall, I can head butt him in the back of the knee.
Coach Larry Coker has done an outstanding job after the surprising departure of Butch Davis. The whole team has just been amazing. And so I would like to congratulate them; not only for winning, but also for the way they won. It must feel good to be part of the best team in the whole nation. It certainly feels good to be a fan.
Travis Atria is a sophomore majoring in English literature.
What if NFL fails?
So you win the national championship. Is that the end of the line?
It is a wonderful accomplishment especially for a team, a school, which has been through so much in the last five years. But how can some say that it is the end of the road?
Juniors’ Jeremy Shockey, Clinton Portis, and Phillip Buchanon said this victory is the pinnacle of their entire college career. In fact, the exact words said to a CNNSI reporter on Jan. 6, 2002 were: “There isn’t much more I can do in college.” These words, which came from Portis, our star running back, greatly upset me. Not only does Miami lose three incredibly talented players, but it also seems as though seniors of the recent past have made no impact on the minds of their fellow players. Is it no longer the pinnacle of a college career to complete the education, to obtain a diploma, to stand there at the end and know that you did not sell yourself short by choosing money over an education? And is it still not understood that football does not last forever, that things can happen beyond your control, and when all is said and done it is crucial and rewarding to have that piece of paper framed saying you received a college degree?
Apparently someone forgot to tell our players that the NFL is not going to cease to exist at the end of next fiscal year, and that the millions will still be there if they were to wait it out and graduate. In this past NFL season we saw two of Miami’s past starters, Dan Morgan and Santana Moss, benched for almost half a season with injuries. At least they had the security of knowing that if it were all to end right then and there they had a diploma to vouch for their education, a safety net they could fall back on. Maybe it is not good enough for these three players to know that for the past five years their teammates have clawed their way back to the top, and that seniors have stayed for their final year to make sure they kept this team going.
Maybe the millions are more alluring than that piece of paper all of us common students hold in such high regard. But then again, I guess everyone has their list of priorities. Unfortunately it does not seem that Shockey, Portis, or Buchanon consider a college degree one of theirs.
Denise Kolb is a sophomore majoring in criminology.
News Briefs and Campus Calendar
NATIONAL CHAMPS PARADE PLANNED
The 2001 University of Miami National Football Champions will be honored in downtown Miami with a tickertape parade and courthouse rally at noon on Friday, January 25. The parade will begin at Bayfront Park and stretch west on Flagler Street where it will end on the steps of the Miami-Dade County Courthouse, 73 W. Flagler Street, in downtown Miami. Information on parking will be posted in e-Veritas and on http://hurricanesports.fansonly.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/010802aak.html as it becomes available. At 7 p.m. that evening a campus celebration will be held on the University’s Campus Green featuring the entire UM team and
coaching staff. Alumnus Roy Firestone, one of the nation’s best known sportscasters and ESPN show host, will act as Master of Ceremonies along with former player Don Bailey and “Voice of the Hurricanes” Marc Vandermeer.
Today
UM’s New Gallery presents Earth 2002, an exhibition featuring a showcase of 13 artists from around the country from today to February 15 at New Gallery in the Art Building, 1300 Campo Sano Drive. The artists featured in the show were chosen because their work deals with the ongoing changes in the environment and is in a variety of media, including photography, painting, prints, sculpture, video and installation.
There will be a special lecture “Artist as Activist” by Virginia artist Alexandria Searls, who will describe the potential interaction between art and politics, exemplified by her own experience, at 4:30 p.m., today, in Learning Center, Room 180. The show is free and open to the public. For more information call 305-284-2792.
Friday Grove on UC Patio from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.- Active Ingredients
Happy Hour at the Rathskeller from 4:30-8 p.m.
Sunday 20 January
WWF Royal Rumble at the Rathskeller from 7-9 p.m.
Monday 21 January
The Public Safety Department is holding a Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) course. This 12-hour self-defense course offers basic education from risk reduction and avoidance to basic physical defense techniques designed for women of all ages. The course is from 6 – 9 p.m. on January 21, 23, 28 and 30 at the Wellness Center. For more information, call 954-699-7587.
Tuesday 22 January
The Sports and Recreational Interest Club Federation, made-up of 30 clubs, hosts an Open House from 5-7 p.m., where sports club officers staff information tables to promote their club’s activities.
CAC Movie- Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Wednesday 23 January
Renown fashion photographer and filmmaker Bruce Weber and associate producer Nan Bush will hold a question and answer session following a screening of their 2001 film Chop Suey at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Bill Cosford cinema.
Games night at Rathskeller from 7-9 p.m.
Thursday 24 January
Greek Life: Fraternity Forum.
Friday 25 January
The 2001 University of Miami National Football Champions will be honored in downtown Miami with a tickertape parade and courthouse rally today. The parade will begin at Bayfront Park and stretch west on Flagler Street where it will end on the steps of the Miami-Dade County Courthouse, 73 W. Flagler Street.
At 7 p.m. this evening a campus celebration will be held on the University’s Campus Green featuring the entire UM team and coaching staff. Alumnus Roy Firestone, one of the nation’s best known sportscasters and ESPN show host, will act as master of ceremonies along with former player Don Bailey and “Voice of the Hurricanes” Marc Vandermeer.
Friday Grove on UC Patio from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.- Shufly
Happy Hour at the Rathskeller from 4:30-8 p.m. -Rhumboogie
Monday 28 January
Seeking volunteers. Get Involved in the Community in 2002. Come speak one-on-one with 75 local non-profit agencies from 11 a.m. -1:30 p.m.today. Find out what they do and about possible volunteer opportunities at their agencies. For more information contact the Butler Volunteer Services Center at 305-284-GIVE.
Alpha Kappa Psi. Attention all business majors and minors Alpha Kappa Psi, The Professional Business Fraternity, will be having its spring recruiting from today to Feb. 7. If you are interested in networking with business professionals nationwide, please contact Valerie at 305-323-9230 or at Valeri004@hotmail.com.
Tuesday 29 January
CAC movie- Moulin Rouge
Wednesday 30 January
The next Smoking Cessation Program, free to all UM insurance holders, will begin today. Call Jennifer Pinto at 305-243-3209 for more information.
Once in a blue moon at the Rathskeller from 9-12 p.m.
Friday 1 February
Friday Grove on UC Patio from 11:30am-1 p.m.
Happy Hour at the Rathskeller from 4:30-8 p.m. – Erica Summers.
Monday 4 February
Guns N Violence Awareness Campaign
Gym celebrates sixth year
Students, administrators and gym-goers showed up at the George E. Smathers Wellness Center on Wednesday to “Catch the Wellness Wave,” the center’s sixth anniversary celebration.
Wellness Center director Norm Parsons kicked off the event.
“This is our sixth anniversary, however, it is also one of our open houses for the month,” Patty Swift, assistant director of Business and Marketing said.
The festivities included two-hour demonstrations on salsa dancing, belly dancing and hip-hop, some of the classes taught at the center. Members of Hui Aloha, the UM Hawaiian club, performed several hula dances.
It was like a luau with leis being provided to those who attended.
Food was also served, from low calorie fruit kabobs consisting of cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries and grapes, to bruschetta and chicken tenders.
Mocktails were also provided, courtesy of BACCHUS.
The event also proved to be fun and worthwhile with a hula-hoop and limbo contest.
The hula-hoop contest seemed to go on forever with the last three contestants battling it out for the victory.
The gym’s oldest member, Richard Abarham, was also present to catch the last half of the celebration. He missed the first half because he was too busy doing his usual exercise regimen.
“I’m 91 years old, I’ve been here since the day it opened. I come here to swim every other day,” said Abraham, who is a UM professor emeritus.
“People here are so wonderful and the students are so polite, that’s why I love to come here,” he said. “Perhaps when I turn 95 they’ll give me a free membership.”
“I think the Wellness Center makes such a difference in the students lives,” said Patricia Whitely, Vice President for Student Affairs. “It makes them aware about how to live healthier lifestyles.”
“It also a way to bring the community together through educating them about nutrition and physical activity,” she added.
“This whole event was really a team effort,” she added. Whitely cutting and handing out the anniversary cake.
“It takes a lot of time, money, and student support to keep the Wellness Center looking in great condition. Thomas Reyes from UNICCO and his crew of six men clean the center from 10:30 at night until the next morning!” said Alan Rose, Assistant Director of Facilities.
“You don’t know they’re there, until they don’t do their job. They’re like the unsung heroes of the Center,” he added. The Wellness Center provides many opportunities for students and members of the community to stay healthy.
There are many programs and classes ranging from tai-chi, cooking, to aerobics.
For a small fee, students can even get a personal workout program by going through an assessment conducted by the Assistant Director of Fitness, Tony Musto.
“It’s impressive that a smaller school like UM could provide assessments like the one the Center provides,” Musto said.
Parsons reminisced about the time before the Wellness Center was built.
“In 1972 we raised $1.3 million to have the Lane Center Built here. In 1992 the students voted to allow the center fee to be included in their schedule of fees.”
In 1994, Parsons said, the Lane Center was torn down to build the Wellness Center.
“I’m just really happy that people are coming here to better themselves. From the day we opened, more than 2.5 million people have come through the Wellness Center doors.”
“I just want to emphasize how important it is to exercise and to establish good lifetime habits that directly affect our health,” he added.