Miami Hurricane, October 10, 1986

              MH

UM’s fountain of youth
Being 16 years old and a freshman may seem to have its negative connotations, but to 24 students, it’s a plus.
News — page 4
Original Spin
Progressive rockers the Call will headline this weekend’s Spin New Music College Tour at 7 p.m. tommorow.
Entertainment — page 8
’Canes on the road
The Hurricanes football team is looking to go 6-0 as it travels to West Virginia to face the Mountaineers tomorrow.
^Sports — page 10
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Volume 64, Number 10
University of Miami
Friday, Oct. 10, 1986
ERIK COCKS/Hurricane Staff
Julian Brew swears in Kerrie Exely during a week-long voter registration drive.
Drive registers 250 voters
$5 million awarded for faculty chairs
By MARA DONAHOE
Hurricane As sis I u n f News Editor
The Knight Foundation awarded a $5 million grant to the University of Miami that will for the first time in the history of the University endow four faculty chairs at once. It will also fund a series of fellowships for outstanding young professors.
The gift will become part of the University’s endowment, with $4 million earmarked for the chairs and $1 million to be used to provide fellowships for junior faculty.
"This is a magnificent gift to the University of Miami,” UM President Edward T. Foote II said.
The endowment for a professorship, called an endowed chair, yields income to support a prominent professor’s salary and research, according to the UM Office of Public Affairs.
“The core of a university is its
faculty," said James L. Knight, chairman of the Knight Foundation.
The gift will fund the first chair in UM’s new School of Communication and the third chair in the University's School of Business.
“This is an exceptional way of recognizing our new school and the work we are doing," said Edward Pfister, dean of the School of Communication.
’’It is equally notable that this chair comes from the Knight Foundation, endowed by Individuals highly successful in developing mass communications in this country," Pfister said.
The University has the option to designate the chairs according to future priorities.
Four months ago, Knight donated $56 million, the largest personal gift in the history of the University-
“I have long believed in this University," Knight said. "This
commitment will enable the University to attract professors of national and international distinction to further enhance its excellence."
"With this extrordinary gift, the Knight Foundation has made a strong leadership statement in support of the campaign for the University of Miami," said James W. Mcl.amore, chairman of UM’s board of trustees.
“Never has the University received a single gift endowing four chairs at one time," McLamore said.
“The School of Business Administration greatly appreciates the gift of an endowed chair from the Knight Foundation,” said Jack Borsting. dean of the School of Business Administration.
"The Knight family were outstanding journalists and business leaders. The chair will enable the business school to attract leading scholars," Borsting said.
By KAREN PLAVE
Hurricane Associate Slews Editor
About 250 University of Miami students registered to vote in Dade County during a campus voter registration drive last week.
The drive, which enabled students to register to vote in the Nov. 4 national election, was cosponsored by the Electoral Affairs Agency of the Undergraduate Student Body Government. UM Young Democrat! and College
Republicans.
"It was completely nonpartisan." said Julian Brew, the Young Democrats president who heads the Electoral Affairs Agency.
Students deputized to register voters sat outside University Cen-
ter every day of the week.
Also, for one or two days, they sat outside the Memorial Classroom Building, the Learning Center, the School of Music and inside Mahoney Hall.
The number of students who registered with each political party was not determined by the Electoral Affairs Agency or the Dade County Election Department.
"There seemed to be more Republicans jhan_jJemocralg, but
NPA | No Party Alliance]/^ drew
said.
A 1984 drive on campus resulted in the registration of 500 students, he said, because that year was the presidential election.
"Everyone wanted to get regis-
tered then,” he said. “This year a lot of students didn’t know much about Florida politics and didn’t want to get involved."
Voters can be registered only in the state in which they reside. Also, residence in Dade County is required to be able to register to vote here. Students registered to vote outside of Florida can obtain an absentee ballot from their home county election department.
YoT*r* WSWaTIWWr
and issues as well as voter
registration, Brew said.
Both candidates for Florida governor, Bob Martinez and Steve Pajcic, have individually agreed to appear on campus, he said.
Lawyer breaks rule in books, lecture
By EMILE AMARNEK
Hurricane Staff Writer
Daniel White is an exception to the rule — the rule that modern-day lawyers are ulcer-ridden, overworked, boring men and women who never seem to laugh.
White, author of The Official Lawyers Handbook and White's Law Dictionary, showed this to those who attended his lecture on Tuesday night at The Residential College .
White, whose books take satirical looks at the world of lawyers, attended Harvard for undergraduate study and Columbia Law School.
Following his studies, he joined a law firm. But after two years of "disheartening" practice, White decided to take a one-year leave of absence. It was during this time that he wrote The Official Lawyers Handbook.
Using excerpts from both his
books plus several humorous anecdotes, White addressed his audience, which was comprised mostly of pre-law students.
White advised all undergraduate students, no matter what their majors, to be prepared if they intend to pursue a career in law.
"The competition in law school is incredible,” he said."It gets even worse once you enter a firm."
He said the superior first-year grades which are necessary for any chance at success and the incredible dedication to the law demanded by such an environment are difficult to achieve.
Concerning undergraduate studies, White said ."It doesn’t really matter what your major is, as long as you can do two things well: think and write.”
According to White, there are few things which can truly prepare one for the law field. He said experiencing how lawyers work and interact with their colleagues
White
1
is extremely important.
"Most people don’t realize how hellishly boring this profession is," he said.
White said he believes anything can be done with a law degree; it is not mandatory that one become a lawyer. Taking a year off, which would allow a person the time to decide if he really wants to be a lawyer, is a possible choice, he said.
Construction
By KAREN PLAVE
Hurricane Associate News Editor
A parking lot containing almost 80 spaces could be closed until June due to the expansion of the campus tennis courts, according to Ray Garcia, project director of the University of Miami physical plant. __ The lot, which is located between the tennis courts and TKeir cars during ffle construcTlon, GaVcfa said“
Half of the lot was closed about two weeks ago. The other half will close as soon as the second phase of construction begins, Garcia said. The lot was restricted to use by cars with any type of UM decal.
The fences that surrounded the courts have been torn down, and trenches are being dug. Garcia said he hopes the lot will reopen earlier than June.
Garcia said he is frustrated with the lack of student cooperation. He said he posted warning signs and flyers on cars prior to closing the lot and gave students an extra day to move their cars, but not all
cuts parking
the students cooperated.
★ ★ ★
The parking code has been revised by Paul Dee, UM's general counsel. He said he has distributed the new code to the administration, and an official announcement of the code will be made in the next few days.
Parking Coordinator Jane Gailey said she is not TuT sKe'ais 0*sTiT(fTIT aTTtv i ffTfrg a rtf lo'TTTk oilrig' ■10?ey stuck to the major violations."
No longer do Department of Public Safety officers ticket cars for parking on the lines or for front-end parking. Also gone are lots restricted to compact cars, she said.
The “major violations” that remain include parking in reserved spaces, on the grass, in fire lanes, in service zones or in areas restricted to cars with specific decals.
Cars parked in disabled or reserved spaces and fire lanes will automatically be towed.
Classes to conflict with Jewish Yom Kippur holiday
By LINDA J. ZIPPER
Hurricane Staff Writer
University of Miami instructors may have to lecture to half-empty classrooms Monday since some Jewish students will be observing the holiest day of the year for Jews.
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the culmination of the penitence and introspection for Jews that began with the Rosh Hashana holiday on Oct. 4.
According to the religion, the holiday is a time to repent for the past year's wrongdoings.
“There are enough Jewish students at UM to warrant the University to cancel classes," said Keith Berman, junior.
About 15 percent of the student population at UM is Jewish.
“I think it would be an asset to the University to have this day off. It wouldn’t give teachers the option to give tests or have papers due on that day," said Marc Slotnick, junior.
Maxine Davidson, freshman, said that Jewish students should have an alternative to attending classes, such as make-up assignments, but that classes should still be held on religious holidays.
Some students say they have experienced problems with teachers scheduling assignments on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.
In the University's policy on religious holidays, according to the office of the provost, instructors
are not allowed to assign tests and must excuse from class students who are observing the holiday.
Memorandums about the policy are sent out to deans early in the year, and deans alert faculty members to the holiday policy.
Each year, the medical school plans its schedule so that there are no classes on Yom Kippur.
The Jewish year is based on the lunar calendar, and, as a result, holidays do not fall on specific dates.
"There are some professors who cancel classes on that day |Yom Kippur|, but I feel it is my responsibility to teach as long as the University is officially scheduling class," said Dr Ross Murfin, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Greeks concerned about trat row
By MARIOLGA FERNANDEZ
Hurricane Staff Writer
The University of Miami's new master plan is causing some friction between the administration and the Greek system.
At an Undergraduate Student Body Government meeting held Oct. 1, Larry Siegel, president of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, asked Edward T. Foote II, UM president, what the future held for fraternity row.
F'oote’s answer has triggered some bitter reactions from the Greeks.
At the meeting, Foote discussed the possibility of tearing down the houses on fraternity row to create more space in which to implement the University's master plan.
However, Dr. William Butler, vice president for student affairs, said the Greek system has nothing to worry about.
“I consider the Greeks to be of major importance to the University," Butler said, emphasizing the significance of these organizations in the areas of housing and leadership. “I think people are reacting without getting the facts."
According to Butler, the main thrust of the master plan is to create two more residential colleges within the next two years.
Pearson Hall, which was built in 1962, is to become the fourth residential college next year. Mahoney Hall, built in 1958, is to follow as the fifth residential college.
Both buildings are "in desperate need of upgrading,” Butler said.
But recent surveys taken at Harvard. Yale and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology indicate that residential colleges play a major part In the declining importance of fraternity houses.
"We feel threatened, and we want people to know it,” said Dennis Lamm, president of the Interfraternity Council.
Also at the USBG meeting last week, Oliver Bonnert, vice president for business affairs, questioned the survival of Greek life.
"I am a supporter of the Greek' system,” said Bonnert in the Oct. 3 edition of The Miami Hurricane. “But have the residential colleges removed the need for fraternity houses?”
Siegel said one major problem arises when pledges decide to move into the fraternity house.
Each semester, fraternities include in their budgets a specific amount of money expected to come from new pledges who will be living in the house.
If a pledge lives in a residential college, he may run into some trouble when he tries to move out.
According to Siegel, severe monetary penalties may be imposed on anyone who moves out of a residential college mid-semester.
In the long run, fraternities may suffer financial setbacks that may force some of them to give up their houses.
Both Lamm and Siegel agreed that the main problem lies in the finances.
“We feel there are some guys up on top talking this out,” Siegel said. "Let’s face it — it is very important for them to have this land.”
Butler insists there is no hidden plan to get rid of the Greek system and is concerned that this sudden and impulsive reaction by some of the Greeks can cause unnecessary problems on campus.
"I have advised Dean |William| Sandler |Dean of Student Personnel] to get together a meeting with the fraternities and the sororities and their alumni," Butler said.
This meeting will be held Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the ZBT house. Butler and Sandler will be there and are inviting all interested persons to attend.
- The administration said it is hoping that this meeting will help the students understand the master plan's true objective, but Siegel and Lamm have said they refuse to believe the administration's "tap-dance routine."
They said that, although everything seems to look like it will work out for the Greeks, there still exists the underlying problem of the residential colleges and the administration's "hidden goal."
ERIK COCKS/Hurricane Staff
Banner makes it official
The grand opening of the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center Burn Center was held on Wednesday. The Burn Center is located on UM's medical campus.