UM junior Mary Clark was recently awarded a summer internship in Washington, D.C. to work on the campaign team for U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kennedy Shriver.

Only twenty students from the United States are awarded this internship.

Clark is double majoring in history and political science, with a goal to attend law school. Clark says she is very familiar with the Kennedy family.

“I love the Kennedys,” she said. “I am really looking forward to working directly with a member of that family.”

Clark will be performing numerous publicity duties for the campaign team, including making phone calls and going door-to-door with Shriver.

Clark will stay for free with democratic supporters who have opened their homes to interns in order to help the campaign.

There is no actual pay, but Clark said she does not mind.

“The experience is worth more than any amount of money they could offer me,” she says.

Clark got the internship only with UM’s help, she said.

“I wouldn’t even have known about the internship opportunity if I hadn’t gotten an e-mail about it from the University,” she said. She applied for the internship online after reading about it in a school-wide e-mail.

Gregory Singleton, Assistant Dean of Students, wrote her a recommendation.

“I’m the only reason she got the internship!” Singleton joked. “No, really, Mary has all the characteristics needed for a project like this, and lots of leadership experience. I had nothing but positive things to say about her.”

Clark said the real reason she got the internship was because of the leadership skills she obtained while at UM.

She is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, current vice-president of Panhellenic, co-chair of Greek Week, and has served on UM’s Senate.

“Mary is a proven leader in the Greek community. In addition, she is an outstanding student leader,” Singleton said.

These activities indicate that Clark possesses the exact qualities needed for this kind of internship: public relations skills, a knowledge of politics and law, and a good work ethic, Clark said.

“I owe it all to UM,” she said. “My professors, friends, and older student role models helped me develop my leadership skills in so many ways.”

Clark said she especially admires Jose “Pepi” Diaz, president of UM student government.

“Pepi is such a great role model. He is involved in everything and does it all well,” Clark said.

Diaz was accepted early admission to Columbia law school, which is also Clark’s graduate school of choice.

“I’m hoping this internship will give me the leading edge when I’m applying to grad school,” she said.

Clark plans to study intellectual property, or copyright law. She will begin her internship in May.

University of Miami administrators announced early this week the School of International Studies [SIS] will cease to exist as of next fall.

The undergraduate and graduate academic programs will be transferred to the College of Arts and Sciences.

Andy Gomez, interim dean of the School of International Studies, said he was notified of the decision on Monday at noon.

Most faculty and staff members were told on Tuesday afternoon, Gomez said.

SIS undergraduate and graduate students were told at two separate meetings held on Wednesday afternoon.

President Donna Shalala, said Gomez made the decision “based on strengthening international studies and international affairs within the University of Miami” and better serving the needs of the SIS student body.

SIS was founded in 1997, after the geography and international studies majors offered by the College of Arts and Sciences merged with the masters and doctoral degrees offered by the then Graduate School of International Studies.

SIS has about 300 undergraduate students, 115 graduate students and 22 faculty members, Gomez said.

It offers two majors, one in international studies and one in geography and regional studies.

Its graduate programs include a master’s and doctorate in international studies and a master’s degree in international administration.

The school is also home of the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, the Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies and the recently established Miami European Union Center, which it co-runs with Florida International University.

“By incorporating [the programs into the College] we will be able to save money at the administrative level and put it into the academic side of the house,” Gomez said. “The college of arts and sciences is the backbone of any undergraduate program at any university. This is a positive move. I have no doubt this is the right decision.”

Gomez said he had been reviewing the possibility of the transfer for about six months.

SIS, Gomez said, has been a deficit school.

Under the College of Arts and Sciences, the programs will have more money to expand. Students and faculty members will have access to more resources, such as more scholarships and research grants, he said.

More funding, he said, will also allow the programs to hire more faculty members and have smaller classes.

Gomez said the undergraduate and graduate degrees would not change.

Faculty members would not lose their rank or their tenure and staff members will not be affected either, he said.

Several professors said they were surprised and “insulted” by the decision.

Thomas Boswell, chair of the department of geography and regional studies, said he was “surprised by the decision to abolish the School of International Studies, but supported Shalala’s decision.”

Boswell was concerned about the future of the programs’ abilities to attract and retain professors and graduate students.

“Being a part of SIS has proven to be an important recruiting tool for some of our young and very talented faculty,” he said. “Now I am concerned about being able to keep them here at UM when SIS no longer exists.”

At the meetings, Gomez assured students they would not be affected and promised students he would do his best to look after their interests.

The changes, he said, would be structural.

The students, however, were outraged.

At the Wednesday meeting in the Bill Cosford Cinema for undergraduates, students vehemently and angrily voiced their disdain.

Many of the nearly 90 undergraduate and graduate students who attended the meetings said they had chosen to enroll in the international studies program at UM because the degree had its own school.

Others complained that they would get lost in the “bloated bureaucracy” of the College of Arts and Sciences, with over a dozen majors and over 3,200 students, is the largest among the 14 schools and colleges at UM.

The students said they were upset because they would lose “personalized service” they received from the staff.

Some also complained that Gomez and Dr. Patricia Whitely, vice president for student affairs, did not answer any of their questions.

Gomez and Whitely said they will try to set up two separate meetings between Shalala and 24 graduate and undergraduate students so they could discuss their concerns.

“To me, symbolically, this means that we, as a university, are not committed to international studies,” said senior Nuri Haltiwanger, 21. “Personally, I would have never applied here if it was just a major within Arts and Sciences. The students who came to this school, didn’t come to be part of Arts and Sciences.”

“[The move] is a scar in the program,” said SIS sophomore George Metellus. “It’s like we lost the luster because we don’t have our own school.”

Kenneth Lewis, a first-year master’s student, said he favors the change if it helps, like “funding for graduate assistantships or scholarships.”

Loss of prestige, Lewis said, does not worry him.

“We still have the same teachers, who will still have the same contacts,” he said.

The transfer of the programs still has to be ratified by the Faculty Senate, which is scheduled to vote on it next week, Gomez said.

The student who found Maria Paola Ramirez lying on the floor after falling from a staircase is shedding new light on the accident.

Amber Lee Condray, freshman, was about to go to bed early Thursday morning when she heard a knock on her door.

“The girl who lives directly below me was banging on my door,” Condray said.

“She said she heard a girl screaming ‘God, help me!'”

Condray, a third floor Mahoney resident, opened the door and heard screams coming from a female.

She and the other girl, a second floor Mahoney resident, ran downstairs, rushing past the nighttime security guard.

“I forgot my ‘Cane Card upstairs and explained to him that someone was hurt and we were going to help her,” Condray said.

The security guard called for help, while Condray and the other resident rushed out and found Ramirez.

“She was lying face down, flailing her arms about,” Condray said. “She said she had fallen and couldn’t move her legs.”

Condray poked Ramirez’s legs, but Ramirez said she felt nothing.

Condray noted alcohol on Ramirez’s breath.

“I asked her if she was on anything and she said she wasn’t, but that she was just drunk,” Condray said.

Condray remained with Ramirez until paramedics arrived, she said.

According to Condray, Ramirez’s roommate, who chose not to comment, said that Ramirez got stuck on the second floor fire escape and climbed up to the third floor ledge , hoping to get down and regain entry into the building.

As of now, Ramirez remains at Jackson Memorial Hospital in good condition.

Condray wanted to visit Ramirez in the hospital, but Ramirez’s roommate, who had already been for a visit, said it was not a good sight.

“She said that Maria couldn’t move and that she had wires everywhere,” Condray said.

“Come on! Give me a little more hype here!” said Ian Adams, United Black Students [UBS] Vice-President and the master of ceremonies for the third Annual 2002 Black Awareness Month [BAM] talent show.

The annual event is part of the BAM festivities and incorporated its theme NEXUS, allowing multicultural performers.

There was a mix of jazz, pop, rap and soul.

“We tried to have a variety of acts and diverse talents,” said Kiaira Bell, chairperson of the event.

A jazz group named Innovation won $500 cash for placing first in the competition.

The group is a classic mix of bass guitar, piano, drums, and trumpet.

“It is a nice reward after hard and creative work and it’s nice to have jazz appreciated,” said Quincy Garner, the trumpeteer for the band.

The second prize of $300 went to Unison, an all-boy band that composes, arranges, and produces their own music.

Hasina Brinson and Alvin Jackson won third prize with their rendition of pop singer Mariah Carey’s “One Sweet Day.”

Last year’s winner Serina Guirantes did not place in this competition, but still won the crowd over with her vocal performance of Brotha, complete with a slide show of prominent Black leaders in the background.

“Serina is someone who always goes past the call of duty, she sings, writes, and produces,” Jackson said.

Faculty members served as judges for the show.

“It was very hard to judge, as there was a lot of talent. It was very classy,” said Heather Lancin, a judge.

The turnout was less than expected and Lancin hopes for a larger audience next year.

The organizers attributed it to being a Monday night and many people having late classes.

“I was pleased with the turnout and since it was an intimate place, it didn’t seem too bad,” said Farrah Fontaine, UBS event committee member.

The talent show planning and practices had been going on since October.

The organizers said the event was as good as hoped for.

“I am so proud. It blew me away and I am very pleased with the way the show turned out. The event came together beautifully,” Fontaine said.

There were nine acts, and the audience enjoyed a variety of musical instruments and styles.

” It was very entertaining,” said Chris Whiteman, a junior at the School of Music.

“We definitely didn’t disappoint the audience,” Bell said.

There was also an appearance by “Baby Usher” as Adams introduced Rodney Rouzard. He performed the hit song, U got it bad, by Usher.

“It was like watching the video all over again,” Adams said.

There was also a quiz at the end of the show, where the contestants were randomly picked from the audience.

The questions were based on prominent black leaders and the winner, Gilbert D. Cuffy, won a book about black history.

The money raised from the event will be used to produce similar events for United Black Students organization.

A fashion show is planned for tonight, and the Royal Heritage Ball is set for Saturday.

The ball is a black tie affair with the theme, Escape The Chocolate City.

Students can pick up flyers and tickets for upcoming events at the UBS office in the UC or contact them at 305-284-2583.

Police issued two male solicitors on the UM campus a trespass warning for attempting to scam several students out of money.

Robert Wander, 23, and Jason Elster, 22, approached junior Danielle Scott as she drove home and told her they operated a body shop, and would repair her car for $450, she said.

Scott who confessed she initially fell for the men’s offer to fix her bumper, and scratch out a few oxidation marks on her 1993 two-door red Honda Civic for $350.

“I gypped the gypsies,” joked Scott.

After she declined the initial offer, they lowered the price to $350, arguing that other mechanics charge double that amount.

Scott phoned her father, Monty Scott, who lives in Trinidad for advice.

He spoke to one of the solicitors and gave them permission to work on his daughter’s car under the mistaken assumption that the two men were acquaintances of his daughter, and thus, trustworthy, Danielle Scott later learned.

Once the nomadic mechanics got their tools out of the trunk of their 2001 metallic brown rented Mercury Sable and got down to work, Scott’s father became uneasy about the situation.

He urged her to get in touch with her boyfriend in order for him watch over the mechanics’ job.

Unsure of how payment arrangements would proceed and concerned for her safety, Scott was relieved to see a UM police car approach the scene.

“The officer told me Public Security had received a call about a suspicious car at Eaton,” said Scott, who briefed Sergeant Mike Arwood about the turn of events.

Soon, a second officer riding a bicycle joined Arwood, and the two policemen confronted the solicitors, inspected their car, and asked them to leave the premises after filing out a couple of trespass warnings, and taking Polaroid shots of the two.

Junior Erin Lynch came close to doing business with the same individuals a few days before Scott.

One of the solicitors offered to remove a dent on her car for $200.

When she told them the price was too high, they lowered their rate several times before offering to fix it for $30.

Hesitant to allow the strangers to work on her car, Lynch asked them for a business card, which they failed to provide.

That was the end of the deal.

Solicitors of that nature don’t prey exclusively on college students.

“It’s happened to me a couple of times,” said UM’s Lieutenant Bill Gerlach, who also told the Hurricane South Florida is a popular spot for solicitors who walk up to strangers with business propositions that are often fraudulent.

“If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is,” added Gerlanch, who said he encourages students and others members of the University to call public safety immediately if they find themselves in a situation similar to Scott’s.

“UM is a private entity. University officials have the right to refuse people they don’t want on their property,” explained Coral Gables Police spokesman Ra?l Pedroso.

“People need to be leery of unsolicited propositions such as this one,” said Pedroso. “If you didn’t solicit the repair, you need to be extremely careful.”

When all was said and done, Wander and Elster said their work on Scott’s car was free of charge, and told police they wouldn’t return on campus.

“I was probably a fool to let gypsies work on my car but all’s well that ends well. My mistake got solicitors kicked off campus and my car fixed for free.” said Scott.