School of Music’s new facilities to open by Spring 2004
“‘If music be the food of love, play on – William Shakespeare,'” quoted Marta Week, namesake of the latest addition to the School of Music.
April ninth 2002 marked a historical day for the School of Music with the groundbreaking for the $10 million state-of-the-art Marta and Austin Weeks Music and Technology Center.
“It is an extraordinary gift from Marta and Austin Week and is part of a long tradition of generosity to the university,” said Luis Glaser, Executive Vice President and Provost.
Previous gifts included the L. Austin Weeks Center for Recording and Performance, home to the 145-seat Clark Recital Hall and a recording studio for music engineering students.
The couple are also responsible for assisting over 40 students through the Marta and Austin Weeks Music Scholarship Endowment. Mrs. Week is on the board of trustees.
“The Weeks legacy will continue to influence the music school through their generous contribution. We are deeply grateful to them,” said William Hipp, School of Music dean.
The Center, expected to be completed by Spring 2004, will include a 15,300 sq. foot music library and a 5,200 sq. foot advanced technology center, with six computer laboratories.
“For the first time in decades it will permit the school to house all its collections in one place,” said Dean Hipp.
Presently half the collections are stored in the Richter Library and the other half in the School of Music Library.
The six new labs will enable students to work with specialized hi-tech equipment.
“It will allow students to stay on the cutting edge of music technology,” said President Donna Shalala.
The groundbreaking, which took place behind the Clark Recital Hall, was a high profile, highly publicized event, with the appearance of President Shalala, Chairman and Vice Chairmen and Members of the Board of Trustees and Deans and Faculty of various UM schools.
It started off on a high note with a performance by the School of Music students and was followed by a welcome message from Dean Hipp and remarks on the occasion by President Shalala, Luis Glaser, Philip Frost (on the Board of Trustees), and Mrs. Week. Mr. Week could not attend the event due to ill health.
“Music isn’t important in the sense of food or shelter but it has provided me with countless moments of inspiration and made me think noble thoughts,” said Frost.
“The school has thrived as a leader in higher education and is a microcosm in today’s music industry,” acknowledged Shalala.
Marta Austin was honored with a standing ovation and a memento consisting of photographs and letters from students who have benefited from their scholarship fund.
“Without people coming before us and helping, a lot of us wouldn’t be here today,” Mrs. Week said.
“What better place to direct the money than roll it to the music school. I hope all of you students will one day try to pass along the same generosity to the next generation,” she said.
The lobby of the new music library will be dedicated to Mr. Week’s late mother, Una Austin Week. She entertained British troops during World War 1 and influenced her son’s love of music, they said.
“I am pleased to honor her love of music in the new library,” said Mrs. Week.
The students seem thrilled with the new additions and facilities.
“The School of Music is underdeveloped. It’s a good school but the facilities are kind of tough. So these new facilities will be great,” said Bonnie Lander, a freshman in that school.
“We are grateful for the Weeks’ unwavering generosity throughout the university,” said Shalala.
Registration priorities change
Registration for fall classes began on Monday, but this time it started without athletes, honors students and other special group members getting priority treatment.
A committee of deans chaired by Vice Provost Perry Lee Roberts brought the issue before Associate Dean of Enrollments and Registrar Scott Ingold, suggesting changes were needed in the registration process, Ingold said.
“The deans agreed that we’ve gotten to the point now where we really needed to rethink the process to make it a little bit more equitable,” Ingold said.
Ingold posed the question:
“Do we continue to provide opportunities for special groups to be given priority during registration and then fill in with everybody else, or have we gotten to a point now where we look at the special groups in terms of where they would fall based on their class?”
Ingold decided it was time to make the switch and allow priority registration for honors and special groups students only within their class level.
The decision came after juniors and seniors were being locked out of classes they needed to graduate, Ingold said.
“That was part of the impetus behind the conversation,” Ingold said. “Those types of issues are what caused the group to bring it up.”
“I think it’s a good idea because if I was a senior and there was a freshman athlete signing up before me, I’d be pretty mad,” Megan Dwyer, a junior in the honors program, said.
“Instead of letting all the honors students and special groups register on the first day, it is more equitable to allow all the honors and special groups seniors to go on the first day, and then seniors on the second day,” Ingold said.
“I’m not happy about this,” freshman Billy Bludgus said. “The whole point of having early registration for special groups is because it’s imperative that we get the sections that fit into our demanding schedules.”
Bludgus is a 4.0 student in the honors program. He is also an athlete and a member of President’s 100.
Under the old system, Bludgus would have registered on the first day, Monday April 8th. Now, freshman Bludgus has to wait until April 17.
“Only being able to register before other freshmen serves me no good at all because all the courses I’m taking are upper level courses which are being filled by sophomores and juniors,” Bludgus said.
“Are there going to be some issues with some students? Yes there will be. And I’ve already got a commitment from the associate deans that they would look at special cases,” Ingold said.
One issue some students stumble upon is being a few credits short of being considered a member of the next class level.
“Because I had a withdrawal from one class last semester,” Dwyer said, “I was one credit short of being considered a senior, so even though I’m in the honors program, and an athlete and it’s my senior year I had to wait till the third day.”
Everything worked out for Dwyer since she got the classes she needed.
“Even though it seems more hectic, I still think it’s a good idea,” Dwyer said.
Pres. Shalala slated to teach new class
Going, going-gone!
Interested in taking a class in healthcare policy with the longest serving secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the country’s history?
Too late, unless one of the 20 students enrolled in POL 536 gets cold feet and drops out. When the office of the registrar opened Wednesday morning, five seats remained open. One hour later, they were gone.
The class, which will be taught in President Shalala’s conference room, marks the veteran lecturer’s debut as a professor at UM.
“As soon as I heard about the class, I just knew I had to take it,” said junior Israel Andrews, 21, who believes taking the course will increase his chances of getting into a top Medical School. ” I have heard from friends that many of the questions you have to answer when applying for Medical School relate to policy,” he added.
The course will delve into major health policy issues such as providing healthcare for the elderly and the uninsured.
Students will be “looking at how people make decisions,” said Shalala, who said the recent anthrax scare will likely be addressed. “We will probably examine how the government handled the situation.”
Since Shalala left Washington, many of the rules of the game have changed.
“I can’t teach from my old notes,” said Shalala, who intends to work on the syllabus during the summer.
Enrolled students be warned: “There will be a lot of writing involved,” said Shalala, who added she’s not big on tests, but intends to assign short papers every week.
As far as grades go, the president said she’s got “very tough standards.”
Andrews is not scared. “Believe me,” he said, “it can’t be worse than microbiology.”
June Dreyer, chairperson of the Political Science Department is very excited the president will teach a course that has never been offered.
“This is obviously a subject she knows a lot about,” said Dreyer. “It’s a really exceptional opportunity to take a course with an international authority on the topic.”
Shalala headed the Department of Health and Human Services for eight years during Bill Clinton’s administration.
At the beginning of her term she had a budget of approximately $600 billion to run a variety of programs including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Child Care and Head Start, Welfare, the Public Health Service, the National Institutes of Health, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.
Shalala, who taught while she served as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and president of Hunter College, intends to teach at least one class per year. The next one will likely be in education, although for the time being her mind is once more fixed on healthcare politic.
“I’m extremely excited,” she said “It’s a very hot issue.”
New A&S Dean hopes to grow, excite, electrify
Water spiders sparked James Wyche’s first fling with science.
As a 10-year-old in his native Rhode Island, the recently appointed vice provost and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences one day assembled a rudimentary microscope out of bent pieces of glass to scrutinize the eight-legged creatures.
“It was fascinating,” said Wyche, 59, in an interview from his office in Tougaloo, Miss.
Since that day, he’s never had a vocational change of heart, he said.
However, Wyche maintains that his longtime marriage with the sciences-he has a Ph.D. in biology from John Hopkins University and has taught posts at Hunter College, the University of California and Brown University among others-should not concern those who are in the non-scientific realms of the college.
“People would only have to look more closely at my background,” said Wyche in reference to his commitment to the social sciences and humanities.
His accomplishments as executive director of The Leadership Alliance-a consortium of leading research and teaching institutions dedicated to improving participation of underrepresented minorities-attest to that commitment, he said.
“For the past few years, people have actually been accusing me of abandoning the sciences,” remarked Wyche half-jokingly, adding that he intends to take advantage of UM’s geographical location and diverse population in order to increase the Leadership Alliance’s activities in the Caribbean and South America.
One of Wyche’s first-and possibly most challenging tasks-will be overseeing the transfer of School of International Studies into Arts and Sciences. Wyche said the merger, which outraged some students and faculty members, was a wise move.
“It couldn’t fit better into my game plan,” Wyche said.
He believes the merger will not keep programs within SIS from growing and improving, he said.
That growth, Wyche conceded, will need considerable financial backing.
“I see a period of real academic growth backed by a major fundraising effort,” said Wyche, anticipating he will be playing a “large role” during President Shalala’s first major fundraising campaign.
Under Wyche’s management, the Leadership Alliance has raised $8 million from private and public sources, making postgraduate studies feasible for over 1,000 minority students.
“Dr. Wyche has made it very clear that he enjoys raising money and intends to do so,” said President Donna Shalala, who admitted she’s worried the present fundraising effort is off to a slow start.
Money is on more than the president’s mind.
“We would like to bring in people at the top of their game,” said Robert Levine, director of Latin American Studies, who said he received the news of SIS folding into Arts and Sciences as “potentially good news.”
Good news, Levine said, provided Wyche manages to “electrify the place, and get people [in several academic fields] excited about working together.”
Boosting interdisciplinary programs, Wyche said, is a top item on his agenda.
“He knows some of the leading minority scholars,” said Shalala, adding that Wyche’s role as vice provost will give him more leeway in recruiting minority faculty.
Roughly 65 percent of the Leadership Alliance alumni are African American while approximately 30 percent are Hispanic.
Wyche is the UM’s first undergraduate black dean-a distinction he acknowledges, but quickly plays down.
“I don’t believe it played any role in my appointment,” said Wyche about his skin color. “That’s never been something up my sleeve.”
That, however, does not mean he’s colorblind.
“For those who have been historically underrepresented, I have a responsibility.”
Shalala said the color of Wyche’s skin was welcome news for a university that prides itself on diversity, but not an advantage over his contenders.
“He was the best qualified candidate,” said Shalala, who added there was a clear consensus that Wyche was the best pick among faculty and students who met prospective deans.
A top concern for many students is making sure Wyche “attacks the SIS situation, by allowing students and faculty members to adjust to [forthcoming] changes,” said Aimee Dehbozorgi, a student government senator for the College of Arts and Sciences.
“Wyche is an agent of change,” Shalala said. “He’s not here to retire.”
The largest of the university’s schools and colleges, Arts and Sciences will have a student population of roughly 3,400 by the time Wyche slips into his new office Aug. 1.
Shalala and Wyche first met in 1981 while she was president of Hunter College and he was a biology professor.
Wyche first pitched his name to UM officials last fall when he was debating whether to take on the presidency of Tougaloo College, in Jackson, Miss., where he has been serving as interim president for roughly a year.
He flew down to Miami in February to meet with UM officials who were in the process of narrowing the search for the new dean.
He was asked to return on March 24.
Four days later, Wyche received an official offer from the university, which he accepted by the end of the month after negotiating salary, a contingency fund and the job title.
Not oblivious to the magnitude of his job, Wyche says he doesn’t feel overwhelmed.
“For some of us, managing organizations is about using your head and your gut when making decisions, and not trying to do everything by yourself,” he said.
Song of Spring: Mary J. Blige ‘No More Drama’
It had been awhile since I had gone to a gay club – not that indulging in hedonism and superficialities is such an unfavorable pastime. It was just that I had grown tired, and almost bored, with the queers as folks.
So imagine my surprise to find some type of aesthetical enjoyment halfway through a night full of sweaty T-shirt swirling muscle men and plastic, diva-worshipping overly-coiffed boys.
After a long dose of high intensity techno, the music got real quiet, somber blue lights washed the dance floor, little pieces of foam started showering the gelled-up hairs of the guys, and the Young and the Restless theme started playing.
The guys all around me smiled; they knew the song. It must have been played again and again. Mary J. Blige’s No More Drama seems targeted for the young, gay, ethnic “Paris is Burning” set – with all it’s mentions of lost love, cheating boyfriends, and frequent use of the very gay word: drama.
Maybe Blige knows her fan base, or maybe Blige has a kinship with this demographic. Considering the plotline of the song, and the usually topsy-turvy, conflicting lives of gay youth, I’d guess the latter.
Blige begins the song bemoaning the trivialities of the petty soap operas facing her life. Broken heart again, another lesson learned, better know your friends, or you will be burned. Sounds like somebody’s boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend.
And while most diva songs would discount this fact for the length of the song, Blige’s already sick of the whole idea. She’s moving on. It’s not even the best friend or the boyfriend she’s mad at, it’s the whole idea of living with these prosaically repetitive dramas.
But maybe I like it this way, cause I was young and restless, but that was long ago, I don’t want to cry no more. As the song moves along, we find Blige coming to grips more and more with her lifestyle, understanding a newfound yearning for independence and self-sufficiency. The strains of the Young and Restless theme start getting more and more washed out by Blige’s voice as she crescendos and the song begins to pick up steam.
Just as it reaches its climax, the build up stops, and we are back to just the Young and Restless theme and a controlled Blige singing, I don’t know…Only God knows where the story ends for me, but I know where the story begins.
In this most elegant section of the song, Blige calls attention to the soap opera backdrop again, calling her life a “story,” a word so many suburban housewives use in reference to their soap. She is finding her ground – her life is starting over, hopefully drama-free.
Blige wants us to believe, and keeps stating, that she hates all these dramatics – she wants a life free of “tears,” “games,” and “pain.” Yet, the most ironic part of the song is just how dramatic the song itself is. As much as she hates drama, Blige herself can’t help lay the drama on.
After all, she is the diva of the moment – the woman who practically lost it on the Grammys’ stage, the fierce woman who spouts out all her emotions with force, a killer voice, raw energy: All of the exaggerated aspects of a woman that the “diva” represents.
By the end of the song, albeit all her attempts to control her urges to burst, she bursts. Her strong voice has escalated to a fever pitch – wrought with all sorts of emotions, proclamations, exclamations, and, most importantly, screaming with drama.
As much as Blige insists she longs for “no more drama,” one realizes that she could not live without it. Perhaps, after a long day of dealing with backstabbing friends and unfaithful boyfriends, a gal may get sick and tired of having a life worthy of Erica Kane. Still, though, without a life full of Shakespearean-level dramatics, Blige’s brazen voice would have no backdrop from which to sing. It would whither and that in itself is a plot-twist no one wishes.
Non-inspiration for the masses ‘You Can Be Anything!’
This is not a children’s book.
Again, for emphasis: This is NOT a children’s book. Despite its child-like writing and stick-people artwork, this, as stated in the introduction, “is a book about grown-ups, for grown-ups who have grown. This is not for your children, but may be suitable for delinquent young teens.”
You can be anything! From A to Z: An anti-inspirational guide to adulthood, by Sarah Montague is the truth no one wants to face, told with a cruel yet hilarious twist. It is written very much like a kids’ “you can be anything book”-but names everything that no one truly wants to become.
From Amy, who is adopted, to Zeke, who “works forty hours plus overtime at the zoo,” You can be anything! looks at reality with black-tinted lenses and more than a smattering of sarcasm.
Covering everything from drunks, to Born Again Christians to schizophrenics to “trekkies” to young republicans, Anything! is merciless. It covers all the stereotypical negative qualities of each, exposing their flaws to the world with the greatest flair possible for a not-for-children children’s book.
Precisely because of her painfully simple language, Montague’s humor is that more biting. A classic example:
“Micah is a Dungeons & Dragons Master. When you roll the dice he says things like ‘You are entering a dark corridor. You have a magic dagger and the charisma of 9.’ He’s never had a girlfriend.
Do you like playing games?”
By following this model, letter after letter, one can’t help but keep flipping through its short 53 pages, anxious for the next inevitable put-down. A masterful work in its simplicity and cruelty, Anything! is excellent reading anytime a pick-me-up is desperately needed.
Entertainment News
All Weekend
The Beyond 2002 Super Festival featuring Outkast, Stone Temple Pilots, Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Less Than Jack, Rabbit in the Moon plus a skate exhibition with Tony Hawk at Bicentennial Park. The festival will also feature professionals in BMX, Moto-X, snowboarding, and paintball. Doors open each day at 12 p.m. and will close at 1 a.m. Tickets are $45 a day or $99 for a three-day pass. For more info and each day’s lineup visit www.shutdownproduction.com.
Tonight
The Remedies and Future Ex perform live at Revolution, 5922 S. Dixie Hwy. Also at Revolver, a CD release party for the new Jon Spencer Blues Explosion album Plastic Fangs.
For more info call 305-661-9099.
The Bouncing Souls, Hot Water Music, The Pietasters and The Curse at Club Ovation, 3637 S. Federal Hwy., Boynton Beach. Doors open at 6 p.m. and tickets are $12. For more info call 561-740-7076.
April 13
Ska legends The Toasters performing live with Corky and Bum Ruckus at Freez, 909 E. Cypress Creek Rd., Fort Lauderdale. Doors open at 7:30 and tickets are $10. For info call 954-771-3008.
April 14
Leftover Crack rocks the 40oz at Freez, 909 E. Cypress Creek Rd., Fort Lauderdale. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets are $7. For more info call 954-771-3008 or visit www.leftovercrack.com.
Platinum Party for Busta Rhymes, with the rapper performing at Level, 1235 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. Doors open at 10 p.m. For more info visit www.levelnightclub.com.
Sunday Indie BBQ with live performances by the Owls, Need New Body and Secret Service at Revolver, 5922 S. Dixie Hwy. Doors open at 8 p.m. and there will be $1 drafts all night. For more info call 305-661-9099.
April 17
Dashboard Confessional, The Anniversary, Ben Kweller and the Remedy Session at Club Ovation, 3637 S. Federal Hwy., Boynton Beach. Doors open at 6 p.m. and tickets are $12. For more info call 561-740-7076.
Ben Kweller: Boy Genius
While most 20-year-olds are holding thankless jobs or going to college, Ben Kweller is on the right path to rock and roll stardom.
The multi-talented solo artist mixes rock, pop, and folk into the beautiful, catchy songs that make up his full-length debut album Sha Sha, released last month under ATO Records. Currently he is on the middle of a cross-country tour with fellow future superstars The Anniversary and Dashboard Confessional, which already have large fan bases.
However, this is not the first time Kweller shares the stage with relatively big names in the music world. Over the past year, he toured with Juliana Hatfield, Evan Dando, Eels, Jeff Tweedy and Creeper Lagoon, among others.
What makes Kweller excel from the crowd of young singer songwriters is his skill and utter control over various instruments, specially the guitar and piano, and the emotional outburst in his voice and lyrics. These are clearly visible in the standout tracks from Sha Sha, Wasted and Ready and In Other Words.
In 1993, the Texas-native lead the grunge-oriented trio Radish, but after touring, recording and creating a name for themselves, they disbanded in 1999. Shortly after the break up, Kweller moved to Brooklyn to work on a solo career.
After releasing Freak Out its Ben Kweller and EP Phone Home, Kweller decided to go into the studio and, with friends backing him in the instruments, record a less acoustic and more rock- focused album. Critics and music fans welcomed Sha Sha warmly because of its creative, eclectic and oddly pleasant sound.
The Dashboard Confessional, Anniversary and Kweller will be performing next Wednesday, April 17 in Boynton Beach, Fla. as part of their U.S. tour.
The Good, the Bad, and the Suave New and Upcoming CDs
The Herbaliser
Something Wicked
This Way Comes
This is the musical equivalent of Jagermeister- an abundant stash of smooth licorice, straight out of the United Kingdom that sets a smoked -out vibe and then floats off into the night. A few guests drop by, like Raaka Iriscience of Dilated Peoples, playing lyrical Ninja Gaiden on Verbal Anime, and Britain’s Wildflower, who lends her sensuous ragga street smarts to Good Girl Gone Bad, but it’s The Herbaliser’s ambitious production that generates the true funk. Something Wicked begs for an entire listen, so pour down a shot from the dark green bottle, kick back and enjoy.
Eels:
Souljacker
“This is that fresh, that fresh feeling.” Eels just wants to put out a good rock record and the band has, but it doesn’t sound so fresh, at least in the modern sense. The record shares a lot of similarities with some of Beck’s earlier work, especially on Teenage Witch, but then again so did their previous releases Daisies of the Galaxy and Electro-Shock Blues.
E, the mastermind behind the band, gets a lot of props from music critics and has a decent fan base in the independent music scene because his songwriting is rather catchy and clever. His lyrics are written with the same random “for the helluva it” pleasure that Ween is keen on delivering, except he often inserts pop cheesiness in place of that duo’s twisted humor.
Jungle Telegraph is wound up in a colorfully zany soundscape and Woman Driving, Man Sleeping has a calm desperateness that fits perfectly with the song’s theme.
However, by the last track, Souljacker clearly falls short of the band’s potential and leaves your soul in the same place it was before you pressed play.
Anti-Pop Consortium:
Arrhythmia
There aren’t many groups that would try to rhyme over a ping-pong match, and of the ones bold enough to try it, the end result would probably come off like a pretentious hip hop novelty. When Anti-Pop Consortium does it on Arrythmia, they induce severe head nodding. Members Priest, Beans, M. Sayyid slice off some of the excess verbal intelligence they’re renown for, in favor of constructing a slightly more accessible album than last November’s EP.
Artistically, it proves a smart decision, because the brain absorbs the songs like a sponge. Some of the tracks, like Ghostlawns, would even be perfectly comfortable on a dance floor in a galaxy not so far away. Fans of their last full length, Tragic Epilogue, shouldn’t fret because the group still pines for abstract, tripped out innovation.
On Mega, Anti-Pop producer Earl Blaze gets an opera singer to blast out the song’s title and a skit entitled “Tron Man” finds Pimp Bot 5000 from Late Night with Conan O’Brien sampling “static from a Victrola.” Listen to this album on a stay-in night playing video games with your television on mute, the lights off, and the bass turned up to eleven.
Dimitri From Paris:
After the Playboy Mansion
Dimitri From Paris is a suave gentleman- and he has mixed two CDs, one that’s “laid-back” and one that’s “uplifting,” to pass along his etiquette of cool to all the SoBe regulars.
The enclosed booklet reads “After the Playboy Mansion, we’ll meet in the same room and crank up the music too loud. We’ll run a bath, empty the mini-bar, jump on the king-sized bed…we’ll dance until we’re out of breath.”
He is Hugh Hefner’s disc jockey of choice and his newest mix includes everything from disco oldies and new Alexkid to a house-samba track with De la Soul and Chaka Khan.
The dude has it made and he wants to “purify your mind, touch your soul, and give you the eternal joy and happiness you truly deserve.” This music is either “totally” you, your worst nightmare, or what you secretly dream about when you go clubbing in your sleep.
If you’re the latter, listen to it in your loft, staring at December’s Playmate on the ceiling, trying to remember if you locked the door.
Where to go?
What are you doing this weekend? If you answered a) the Grove, b) the Beach, or c) all of the above, then you’ll probably run into a bunch of students who claim the Grove and the Beach to be favorite nighttime hangouts.
So which of these hot spots is better? It all depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re tight on cash and are just looking for a bar at which you can casually hang out, you’d probably have a good time at the Grove. But if you want more selection for clubs and dining, and feel like dressing up and being seen, then you’d probably bypass the Grove and hit the Beach. What did other students pick?
Here are some of their favorite places:
GROVE: Monty’s
Monty’s is a tropical outdoor restaurant and bar, where live bands play island music at night. The parties are free, and Friday afternoons are busy for happy hour from 5-8 p.m.
“Monty’s is a place to relieve all that pent up weekly stress over some drinks and conversation with all of your friends,” said freshman Chris Nolte.
GROVE: Tavern
The Tavern is a student favorite, where a tight budget can lend itself to a good time. It provides a casual atmosphere and attracts mostly the beer-drinking crowd.
“The Tavern was an emotional rollercoaster. I laughed, I cried, I vomited due to the ridiculous amount of alcohol I consumed,” said junior Matthew Conway. “The Tavern is definitely a Coconut Grove original.”
GROVE: Improv
The Improv Comedy Club is unique to the Grove in that it is Miami’s best place to see famous comedians. Weekend shows are Friday at 8:30 and 10:45 p.m. and Saturday at 7:45 and 10 p.m. and 12 a.m. All shows for crowds 21 and over except for the Saturday midnight show, which is 18 and over.
“I love going to the Improv because it’s something to do where you can just relax and have a good laugh, and it’s a great alternative to the movie,” said sophomore Natalie Rico.
SOBE: Level
1235 Washington Ave.
Level is a South Beach club based on the format of Studio 54. It is for revelers 21 and over and features Latin-Euro sounds on Wednesdays, retro night on Thursdays, and international disc jockeys and live shows on the weekends.
“Level is my favorite South Beach club because the bouncers are really cool,” said freshman Mark Juliano.
SOBE: Honey
645 Washington Ave.
Honey is one of Washington Avenue’s newest tenants, and it is quickly gaining popularity. One thing that attracts club-goers is its sophisticated, posh atmosphere and European-style music.
“I love Honey because it’s somewhere I can get dressed up to go to. It’s more of a lounge than a club, and there is a great crowd,” said freshman Yasmina Abajas.
SOBE: Lincoln Road
Lincoln Road is a South Beach street where one can find everything from excellent restaurants to boutiques to one of Miami’s best movie theatres. It is just as right to dress formally as it is to wear rollerblades and a swimsuit at any time of day. Since it’s leisurely, unlike Ocean Drive, one can enjoy the street performers and craft vendors that line the famous strip.
“I like Lincoln Road because of the amount of interesting people there at the same time. Besides people, there’s tons of restaurants, shops, and eclectic boutiques,” said freshman Cindy Wong.
Fans get glimpse of 2002 ‘Canes
Fans got a preview of the 2002 defending champion Miami football team Saturday, as the Hurricanes ended spring practice with a full-scale scrimmage at the Orange Bowl highlighted by a strong defensive effort and an efficient passing game.
The offense outscored the defense, 35-16, in front of 14,432 fans at Fox SportsNet’s Canes Fest.
“As a team we can definitely perform better than we did today,” said quarterback Ken Dorsey. “Our team has made a lot of great strides this spring. We have worked really hard.”
The ‘Canes offense totaled 298 yards (3.2 yards per play) and scored two touchdowns (12 points), two extra points (two points), two field goals (six points), and gained 15 first downs (15 points) to amass their 35 points. The defense did not force a turnover and collected 16 points on 16 three-and-out possessions.
“The defensive group is a little ahead of the offensive group, especially in depth,” said head coach Larry Coker. “Our front seven is outstanding. The linebackers are a lot better than last season and the secondary, although young, was impressive.”
Starting quarterback Ken Dorsey played the first three series of the scrimmage, throwing for 86 yards on six-of-10 passing. Dorsey’s lone scoring drive included a 19-yard pass to sophomore tight end Kellen Winslow and was capped by a Todd Sievers 23-yard field goal.
“This is one of the best springs our offense has had in recent years and we played well today against probably the best defense we will have to face,” said Dorsey.
Winslow, who will likely replace Jeremy Shockey as the starting tight end next season, was the Hurricanes’ leading receiver with 57 yards on three catches. Redshirt freshman Roscoe Parris tied Winslow with 57 receiving yards on two catches, including the games’ longest completion of 31 yards.
“We can help our secondary get better due to the fact that we throw great receivers at them everyday in practice,” said Dorsey.
Backup quarterback Derrick Crudup called the plays for seven possessions, completing six-of-11 attempts for 70 yards and one touchdown. Crudup found reserve tight end Brandon Sebald for a 13-yard touchdown early in the second quarter.
“Derrick played well today and made some progress, but he must work more on his consistency,” said Coker.
“I was really pumped up coming into the game,” said Crudup. “After the first couple minutes, I was able to relax and I got comfortable throwing the ball.”
The rushing game struggled to gain positive yardage against the Hurricanes front seven that many believe will be the best in the nation next season. The defense compiled nine quarterback sacks and held the UM running game to just over a yard per carry.
Starting tailback Willis McGahee led all rushers with 40 yards on 14 attempts for an average of only 2.9 yards per carry. Second-team running back Jarrett Payton rushed for 29 yards on 11 carries and fullback reserve fullback Quadtrine Hill racked up 22 yards on eight carries, and scored the only rushing touchdown of the afternoon.
“For us to be a good team we need to run the ball better than we have this spring,” said Coker. “Our inability to consistently run the ball is our biggest problem.”
“After the performance we had today, we need to work on everything that has to do with the run game,” said starting center Brett Romberg. “We’ll just have to go into the film room and try and improve from there.”
New faces on the defense made a name for themselves, as linebacker Leon Williams and defensive lineman Orien Harris, both redshirt freshmen, led the team in tackles with eight stops each. Starting middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma had two sacks and seven tackles.
“As a whole our defense played really well today,” said Vilma. “We got off our blocks with great speed and made some big plays in the backfield.”
Other defensive standouts included Defensive ends Jerome McDougle (seven tackles, one sack), Jamaal Green (five tackles, two sacks), and John Square (four tackles, two sacks).
One of the biggest question marks entering next season will be the performance of the secondary. The Hurricanes lost all four starters in the defensive backfield from their championship run. On Saturday, the secondary prevented big plays, and held the passing game to 238 yards and one touchdown.
“We really wanted to stop the deep ball and we did a fairly good job of that today,” said junior starting strong safety Maurice Sikes (two tackles). “We need to work on our consistency and get better everyday. Last year’s secondary didn’t have many bad days, and we don’t want to change that.”
Sophomore starting free safety Sean Taylor was impressive with five tackles. Taylor understands that the unit has a lot of more work ahead of them, and knows that they can be a force next season.
“We had better technique and had more enthusiasm today than we have had in spring practice,” said Taylor. “We have the ability to produce next year and want to become one of the best units in the nation.”
To no surprise, the kicking game closed spring practice with an outstanding performance. Kicker Todd Sievers made both field goal attempts of 23 and 51 yards. Punter Freddie Capshaw averaged 39.3 yard per punt, with a long of 51.
“Todd Sievers and Freddie Capshaw will be very productive for us next season just as they were in our championship run,” said Coker.
Miami begins fall camp on August 6 and opens the 2002 football season on Saturday, August 31, against Florida A&M at the Orange Bowl.