Resident falls, critically hurt
An accident in a UM dormitory left a transfer student in critical condition at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
At around 4 a.m. on Thursday morning, cries for help were heard coming from outside the Mahoney Residential College.
Vice President for Student Affairs, Pat Whitely, said a first floor resident, who chose not to comment, was awaken by the cries and went to a resident assistant for help.
According to university officials, Maria Paola Ramirez was found lying on the ground outside, unable to move.
Whitely said the 21-year-old transfer student apparently first exited through the fire escape door, which is prohibited for students.
A warning on the door is printed in white letters: “FIRE EXIT ONLY-Violators will be prosecuted.”
Ramirez, a marketing major, then most likely went up the stairs, got out to the ledge, and fell off between the second and third floors of Mahoney, Whitely said.
“She was rushed to Ryder Trauma Center and is currently at Jackson Memorial Hospital in stable condition,” Whitely said. “She has sustained a serious injury.”
Jackson Memorial Hospital lists Ramirez in critical condition.
Most students and resident assistants in the Mahoney/Pearson Residential Colleges were not aware of the incident.
“All I know is she’s paralyzed,” a second floor resident said.
Ramirez’s suitemates also did not know what had happened. All they were told is that she was in an accident. They assumed it was a car crash.
As of Sunday evening, The Hurricane cannot confirm if Ramirez is paralyzed.
Charles Clency, Residence Coordinator for Mahoney, would not comment on the accident, except to say that a young lady fell.
“I don’t know if we can say at this point what the prognosis is because I’m not sure anyone absolutely knows,” said Whitely. “But it is a serious injury.”
Not only is her prognosis unknown, her motive for being out on the ledge has also yet to be determined.
“We don’t expect any foul play,” said Whitely.
Ramirez’s parents flew in Thursday and met with Whitely and President Donna Shalala.
“The University is deeply saddened by this tragedy,” said Whitely. “We are offering her parents and her family support during this very difficult time.”
A social worker for the university is on the case, as are the police and UM officials.
“It’s obviously a very tragic situation,” said Whitely.
Dead Kennedys
The Dead Kennedys live .
The Mecca of concerts for most punk rockers. The band that has influenced the lifestyles and mind-sets of so many people with their music and free speech shenanigans has finally decided to tour again after so many years.
But there’s a catch. The infamous Jello Biafra, original outspoken lead singer of the band, is not performing due to “political” reasons. The Kennedys performed at Orbit in Boynton Beach last Saturday, with original members East Bay Ray on guitar, Klaus Flouride on bass, D.H. Peligro on drums, and their new addition, Brandon Cruz, a singer they picked up along the way.
Cruz, not surprisingly, faced the consistent chanting of “Where’s Jello?” throughout the night from drunken hecklers and old-school punk diehards. His vocals resembled Biafra’s, but lacked the chaotic energy and urgent presence that has landed the band in so many documentaries, cut and paste ‘zines, and punk manifestos over the years. No one in the audience seemed to have a clue who Cruz was. He could have just been some hitchhiker the banded spotted from their van on the way down to Florida.
In truth, Cruz has paid his dues within the punk community. He is the front man for Dr. Know, a punk band that has been putting out material since the 1980s. Also, in a somewhat semi-ironic and fitting twist, Cruz appeared as a contestant on the show, The Weakest Link, contributing his $25,000 in winnings to the non-profit Surfrider Foundation.
Three other bands opened for the Kennedys: The Bad Habits, Anchorman, and Miami’s own ska core ragers Against All Authority. Anchorman was a little too poppy to be playing with DK, but Against All Authority more than made up for their weakness.
When the Kennedys finally appeared, just the sheer force of their presence was an incredible realization. Even though the moment was made a little less memorable with the “Where’s Jello?” heckling reaching a pinnacle, most of the audience paid respect. The performance itself could have almost lived up to the original DK standards, if it hadn’t been for the sight of kids being thrown offstage with unnecessary force by Orbit bouncers. Watching this occur was like watching the band succumb to a total contraction of what it originally fought for.
DK was the band that always stood up for youth when it was treated unfairly, especially at their shows. Where Biafra would have jumped in immediately and probably conjured some funny theatrics, Cruz stared out into the crowd and did nothing.
In the end, the band’s performance was rather lively, especially considering their age, but the spirit behind the amps, guitars, political commentary, and distinctive logo, that blurred connection between fan and band that is essential to the punk movement failed (or maybe declined for “political reasons”) to show up.
Young, restless & gifted
Vagrant Records could possibly have in its hand the future of rock music. The independent label has added, for the past couple of years, young and promising artists to its roster. Some of these include: Saves the Day, The Get Up Kids, Alkaline Trio, and Dashboard Confessional. One of the latest to join, a group of Kansas City kids called The Anniversary, have earned a name for themselves all over America.
Their unique style of music is often considered by many as a mix of “emo,” “synth-pop” and “indie rock,” but they could simply be described with one word: clever.
In October of 1997, an anniversary plate in singer/keyboardist Adrienne Pope’s living room gave birth to the final lineup of The Anniversary. Formerly known as The Broadcast, the band was formed by three friends Josh, Justin, and Pope in 1996, and went through several drummers and bassists, until finally settling for James David at the bass, and Christian Jankowski on the drums.
Not willing to put aside their education, Pope and Justin moved with the rest of the band to Lawrence, Kan. so they could study at Kansas University. And that is exactly what they all look like: College undergrads who happen to be united by their passion for music- the same music that has changed their lives, from being local loadies to having their own cult following.
The Anniversary has a distinctiveness to its sound that makes them extraordinary. Instead of the usual single or dual vocals, they have three voices that perfectly complement each other and deliver beautiful, almost artsy songs. Their debut album Designing a Nervous Breakdown, released in January of 2000, surprised critics and fans with tracks that jumped from gentle strums to powerful riffs. They toured endlessly supporting the album, until saving enough songs for a new album.
On Jan. 20, the band released their sophomore effort, Your Majesty, which provides more of the same quality sounds. Crooked Crown, Sweet Marie, and Following the Sun lead the collection of tracks that are smart and complex, yet melodic and catchy.
Not bad for a group of friends that started performing for its love of music, and is still embarking in its journey towards success.
French Bistro a l
The lady sitting by the window spills her caf
Valentine’s
Ah, Valentine’s Day. Leave it to card shops and chocolate companies to exploit the heck out of human emotion. Couples are put on the spot and forced to measure their love by how much money they spend on each other, and single people are left to devour their solitude away thanks to pink and red M&Ms and Hershey’s Kisses.
From the point of view of a businessman, this is an awesome scheme. But through the eyes of a broke college student, it’s a different story. For this reason alone, one has to get creative when planning an inexpensive Valentine’s Day date, and surprisingly, it isn’t hard to do. Here are several ideas:
The clich
Entertainment News
Late night talk show host Conan O’Brien is reportedly close to signing a deal with NBC that would pay him $8 million a year, doubling his current salary. The contract would be the biggest paycheck ever for a host in the 12:35 a.m. time slot.
R. Kelly is under investigation for a video tape that has allegedly surfaced, showing the 35-year-old R&B signer in a sexual act with a minor. The video was sent anonymously to the Illinois State Attorney’s office and Chicago Sun-Times. Kelly, whose short marriage to a 15-year old Aaliyah avoided widespread press, is currently facing a slew of similar lawsuits.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new action film Collateral Damage grossed $15.2 million last weekend, enough to power its way to the number one spot at the North American box office. The movie spent more than four months on the shelf for a terrorist plot line that was deemed untimely after the Sept. 11 attacks. It is the 54-year- old actor’s first number one film since 1997’s Batman and Robin. Big Fat Liar starring Frankie Muniz, of Malcolm in the Middle fame, arrived at number two, followed by the mega-flop Rollerball starring Ladies Love Cool James.
Proving many TV analysts wrong, the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics last Friday night attracted almost a quarter of the nation, giving it the highest debut for a Winter and even Summer Games broadcast in history.
Nineteen-year-old actor Brad Renfro was sentenced to 90 days of rehab by a Florida judge, after he violated a probation agreement and turned himself in for drinking and driving. Renfro, the star of the recent and acclaimed indie films Ghost World and Bully, has been involved with numerous run-ins with the law, the most serious being an attempt to steal a luxury yacht from a Fort Lauderdale dock two years ago.
Intramural Sports
Wallyball:
February 4, 2002:
Wild Sets- 2
Eaton- 0
Walking Wounded- 2
Maniacs- 1
Wild Sets- 2
Walking Wounded- 1
UMVC- 2
Maniacs- 0
February 5, 2002:
Phi Delta Theta- 2
Pi Kappa Alpha- 1
Kappa Sigma- 2
Sigma Alpha Mu- 1
Phi Delta Theta- 2
Kappa Sigma- 0
Pi Kappa Alpha- 2
Sigma Alpha Mu- 0
Sigma Phi Epsilon- 2
Alpha Sigma Phi- 0 (Forfeit)
Lambda Chi Alpha- 2
Sigma Chi- 0
Sigma Chi- 2
Sigma Phi Epsilon- 1
Lambda Chi Alpha- 2
Alpha Sigma Phi- 0 (Forfeit)
Basketball:
Wednesday, January 30 (Pre-season):
The Bomb Squad- 29
OJU Shottas- 28
Dirty Jers- 39
Donkey Punch- 38
Big Game Hustlers- 73
Franchise Players- 48
Jimmy’s Boys- 49
Kings of the Hardwood- 24
Wahine- 25
Wifies- 21
Scrubs- 37
Players- 20
Ashish- 43
What?!- 35
Bucs- 62
Chicks & Hardwood- 44
Jenny’s Jiggers & Jugs- 50
Walking Wounded- 28
Banditos Yanquis- 38
Flying Turtles- 26
Wyfe Beaterz- 38
Punishers- 37
No Excuses- 67
Short Fat White Kids- 23
Ballin’ Outta Control- 44
Straight Butta- 43
Pi Kappa Alpha- 43
Alpha Sigma Phi- 30
Lambda Chi Alpha- 36
Sigma Phi Epsilon- 29
Sigma Alpha Mu- 56
Kappa Sigma- 48
Thursday, January 31 (Pre-season):
UMSM 1- 51
Enucleators- 30
1L Scrubs- 33
UMSM 2- 22
UMSM 4- 40
Beer Will Get You- 26
Blueprint- 45
The Lynx- 12
Earth- 51
Big Tool- 38
Miller Time- 29
Lambda Chi “B”- 22
Operation Lockdown- 49
REPEAT- 45
SECS- 37
And 1- 28
Tri Delta- 53
Zeta Tau Alpha- 12
Monday, February 4 (Pre-season):
OJU Shottas- 39
Dirty Jers- 26
Donkey Punch- 35
DBF All-Stars- 30
Jimmy’s Boys- 37
ISA- 32
Wahine- 25
Players- 14
Wifies- 35
Scrubs- 22
Bucs- 38
Ashish- 30
Jenny’s Jiggers & Jugs- 38
What?!- 32
ROTC Aces- 53
Chicks & Hardwood- 28
Bling Bling!- 41
Punishers- 36
Ballin’ Outta Control- 30
Short Fat White Kids- 14
Straight Butta- 50
Sam’s School of Medicine- 22
Alpha Sigma Phi- 44
Alpha Epsilon Pi- 29
Zeta Beta Tau- 56
Phi Delta Theta- 8
Sigma Phi Epsilon- 52
Sigma Alpha Mu- 36
Kappa Sigma- 31
Sigma Chi- 19
Tuesday, February 5 (Pre-season):
UMSM 1- 50
1L Scrubs- 47
Sebastian’s Boys- 40
Mad Ballers- 28
Blueprint- 45
Earth- 32
Big Tool- 49
All-Stars- 44
The Jazz- 48
Lambda Chi “B”- 23
Pike “B”- 32
SBA- 26
Operation Lockdown- 41
SECS- 26
Birdcatchers- 48
And 1- 35
Zeta Tau Alpha- 44
Delta Gamma- 13
‘Canes lose at Virginia Tech
In Blacksburg Virginia there is a large sign outside the football stadium that reads: Lane Stadium, Home of the Fighting Gobblers. The nickname does not incite fear in opposing teams, but the women’s basketball program at Virginia Tech does.
The Hokies, who are ranked as high as No. 20, dominated the Hurricanes in the second half on Tuesday night to beat Miami 72-60 in front of a crowd of 2,755.
Virginia Tech (16-5, 7-3 Big East) was lead by senior guard Sarah Hicks who scored 20 points on 8- for-11 shooting. After Miami took a 34-30 lead into the locker room at half time, the senior leader came out firing and made two three pointers from the left corner early in the second half. She finished 4-for-7 from beyond the arc and also grabbed seven boards. Nicole Jones and freshman Erin Gibson, who each had 12 points, complemented Sarah Hicks’ play.
Miami (14-8, 7-5) outplayed the Hokies in the first half. Meghan Saake, who finished with 13 points and three assists, sparked Miami’s quick start. Chanivia Broussard had 11 points and the birthday girl, Kathryn Fowler added 10 points. But for Miami it was not enough, as the Hurricanes managed to shoot just 29% from the field in the second half.
Virginia Tech was able to convert missed Miami shots into fast break opportunities and cruised offensively in the final 20 minutes putting a 42 spot on Miami.
Prior to this game, Virginia Tech had lost three straight contests, but the Hokies have been all but unbeatable at home winning 10 of 11 games.
Miami will get a chance at revenge on February 20 as they will take on Tech at the Knight Sports Complex. However, before the big rematch, Miami will look to improve on its record against Big East foe Georgetown next Wednesday. The Hurricanes will then come home for a game against cross-town rival FIU on February 16. Miami concludes the regular season at Providence on the 23rd and home against Big East power Boston College on the 26th.
Miami has already improved on last year, during which the team won only six conference games. At 7-5 in the Big East with four conference games left to play, anything can happen going into March Madness.
Sports Briefs
FOOTBALL
University of Miami president Dr. Donna Shalala and UM athletic director Paul Dee announced Monday that head football coach Larry Coker has signed a contract extension through the 2006 football season.
Coker led the Hurricanes to the National Championship in 2001, capping an undefeated season with a 37-14 victory over Nebraska in the Rose Bowl. The Hurricanes’ 12-0 season also made Coker the first rookie college head coach to lead his team to a national football title since Michigan’s Bennie Oosterbahn in 1948. In recognition of Coker’s efforts he earned the Bear Bryant Award as National Coach of the Year by the National Sportswriters and Sportswriters Association and shared National Coach of the Year honors by the American Football Coaches Association. The 2002 season will be Coker’s eighth on the football staff at Miami as he was an assistant coach for six seasons before being named head football coach on Feb. 3, 2001. Coker, 53, just completed his 32nd year as a college coach, including 22 seasons as an assistant at the collegiate level. Miami is scheduled to open the 2002 football season on Saturday, August 31, at the Orange Bowl against Florida A&M.
W Virginia – 64
Syracuse – 76
Josh Pace scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half Monday night as the Orangemen (18-6, 7-3 Big East) survived a scare by beating the Mountaineers 76-64 on Monday night. Pace and Kueth Duany sparked the decisive 12-3 run in the closing minutes that helped Syracuse end a two-game skid. Syracuse had nine steals and forced 17 turnovers in building a 38-21 halftime lead, and a rout seemed to be in the making.The Mountaineers refused to fold, pulling even at 58-58 in the second half on a follow shot by Chris Moss with 6:32 to go. But Duany and Pace combined to seal their fate, each hitting two baskets in less than two minutes. A follow shot by Billy Celuck finished the run, giving the Orangemen a 70-61 edge with just over a minute remaining. Moss had 13 and 10 rebounds, Schifino had 11 points, and Briggs 10 for West Virginia. Duany had 17 points and Williams 13 for Syracuse, which was just 7-for-28 on 3-pointers and shot 38.5 percent from the floor.
Providence – 56
Connecticut – 67
Caron Butler scored 16 points and matched a career high with 13 rebounds Tuesday night to lead Connecticut to a 67-56 win over Providence to snap a two-game losing streak. The Huskies (15-5, 7-2 Big East) remain a half game in front of Miami in the Eastern division of the Big East. Johnnie Selvie and Ben Gordon scored 14 points apiece for UConn, which has beaten the Friars (13-11, 4-6) seven of the last eight games. The Huskies built a 33-11 lead at the break, holding the Friars to the lowest point total for a half in the Big East’s 22-year history. UConn finished with a 43-40 rebounding edge, getting 31 on the defensive end.
UM dominated by state rival
After winning two out of three against Tennessee, the defending national champion Miami Hurricane baseball team faced Florida International University, in the 100th meeting between the cross-town foes.
Led by left-fielder Bernard Gonzalez, who went 2 for 3 with a homerun, a triple and three RBI, the Golden Panthers (2-1) defeated the Canes, 7-1 before 2,473 fans at FIU.
Three FIU pitchers combined on a four-hitter, led by a strong outing by sophomore Josh Banks, who pitched five innings, allowing one hit and one unearned run, while striking out a career-high 11.
“We made a lot of defensive mistakes that you just can’t expect to make if you hope to win,” UM coach Jim Morris said of the Hurricanes, who struck out 15 times and committed two errors. “We just have to look at our mistakes and learn from them in order to improve.”
The loss snapped Miami’s 16-game winning streak away from Mark Light Stadium. Freshman Brandon Camardese made his Hurricane debut, pitching four innings, allowing four runs on eight hits.
“He was around the plate at first, but we also made a couple of errors and before he knew it the bases loaded and that adds pressure,” Morris said. “I think he will be an outstanding pitcher for our team.”
The Golden Panthers opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning when center fielder Hector Nunez hit a bloop single with the bases loaded, scoring Alex Ensilage. Two batters later, catcher Tommy Duenas hit a two-run single, giving FIU a 3-0 lead.
FIU added a run in the bottom of the fourth on a solo homerun by Gonzalez.
The Hurricanes answered in the top of the fifth with an RBI double by freshman Danny Figueroa that cut the lead to 4-1.
The ‘Canes best scoring threat of the contest came in the top of the seventh when second baseman Joey Hooft and shortstop Javy Rodriguez each singled to lead off the inning. Danny Figueroa moved the runners to second and third on a ground out.
FIU coach Danny Price brought out left-handed pitcher Carlos Sanchez to face third baseman Kevin Howard. Sanchez delivered, striking out Howard. He then got catcher Danny Matienzo to ground out to short.
The Golden Panthers put the game away in the bottom half of the inning with three runs, capped by Gonzalez’s two-run triple, giving FIU a 7-1 lead.
The ‘Canes will try to bounce back when they open a three-game weekend series against the University of Florida at Mark Light Stadium tonight.
“We’ve got a great schedule this season, and Florida is going to be a challenge for us,” Morris said. “They’ve got almost their entire squad back this season, so it should be a great series.”
UM reaches 20-win mark
Tuesday night, the Miami Hurricanes reached the 20-win plateau for the third time in four years. Now, Miami is turning its attention towards overtaking Connecticut at the top of the Big East standings.
The Hurricanes, ranked No. 11 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, defeated Villanova 65-56 in front of 6,500 at the Pavilion in Philadelphia. The win boosted Miami’s record to 20-3(7-3 Big East) while the Wildcats dropped to 12-8(4-6 Big east). The victory also marked the third consecutive year that the Hurricanes swept Villanova in the season series.
Four Miami players posted double-digit scoring totals, led by junior James Jones, who scored 16 points, including three 3-pointers in the first five minutes. Center Elton Tyler added 14 points while sophomore Marcus Barnes scored 13. Senior John Salmons also scored 13, all in the second half, but the win was extra special for the Philadelphia native.
“It seems every time I come here, the first half is bad,” said Salmons, playing in front of over 20 family members and friends. “It’s like a family affair.”
After the Hurricanes led 32-20 at the break, Villanova went on a 12-2 run to start the second half and eventually took the lead with 13:30 left. However, a pair of Elton Tyler baskets shortly after gave Miami a lead they would never relinquish.
Despite scoring just seven points, sophomore Darius Rice pulled down several of his 10 rebounds in the second half, and head coach Perry Clark was pleased with Rice’s contribution.
“He didn’t get frustrated,” Clark said. “We’re fortunate we’re unselfish and everybody picks each other up.”
For the game, Miami shot 45 percent from the field, including a solid 36 percent behind the arc. Miami had another productive game at the charity stripe, hitting 15 of its 16 free throws. The Hurricanes also did an excellent job defensively, holding Villanova to a 41 percent clip from the field while out-rebounding the Wildcats 33-22. Overall, Clark gave Miami’s performance a big thumbs up.
“Any win on the road in this conference is huge, especially with the way their fans are enthusiastic at this place,” Clark said.
Connecticut’s victory over Providence still puts the Huskies a half a game ahead of Miami in the Big East standings. If Miami wants to overtake UConn, a victory in Sunday’s nationally televised game at Boston College is vital. A win over the Eagles could also land Miami a top 10 spot in both polls next week.