Miami Hurricane, September 12, 1986

              Minds over money
The University of Miami’s Student Entertainment Committee overcomes some financial woes for the semester.
Entertainment — page 6
Ticket to ride
USBG picks up the tab for Metro-rail rides to UM football games
Sports — page 8
Volume 64, Number 2
University of Miami
Friday, Sept. 12, 1986
Student escort service preserved
By OLYMPIA ROSS
Hurricane Assistant News Editor
The University of Miami’s Department of Public Safety recently phased out three of four dispatchers because of a $68,000 cut in their budget.
The University originally cut back $100,000, but refunded $32,000 to preserve the student security patrol.
After the original $100,000 cut had been issued, Joseph Frechette, director of Public Safety, said only one option seemed available.
‘‘We thought that the best thing we could do was use police oficers and do away with student security
patrol,” he said.
However, according Frechette, the refund was extended after the University reviewed the need for the student security positions.
He added that the Undergraduate Student Body Government's support of the student security patrols strongly influenced the University's decision to refund some money.
Jose García, president of USBG, said that student security patrols are important because they are “guides that can help.”
He also said USBG is pushing to increase the number of student security positions.
This year about 20 students serve as student
security patrols. But Frechette said the number of patrols fluctuates each year.
"Being in the evening, it’s hard to get work-study students," Frechette said.
For those students who can work the late hours in security, Frechette said he is very grateful. He said that Public Safety has always been in favor of student security.
In addition to the student security patrol, Public Safety also has five police seargents, two lieutenants and 14 officers.
While one dispatcher still remains, Frechette said that the department is "giving consideration" to replacing another.
Police officers are filling the positions of the three dispatchers that are gone. This arrangement has minimal effect on the effectiveness of the program, according to Frechette.
“At the present time, we're just not giving a lot of follow up," Frechette said. Many cases are being referred to the Coral Gables Police Department for further investigation
Frechette explained that dispatchers were cut first because they are “easier to replace” than police officers, who require more training and preparation
“We just have to do our part in the cut-backs," Frechette said. "We’re going to work with the program.”
BETH KElSER/tturricane Stall
Barriers block Dickinson Drive near the Eaton and Honors Residential Colleges while the road is under construction.
Student safety spurs road construction
By KAREN PLAVE
Hurricane Associate News Editor
Dickinson Drive has been blocked off to begin laying out a grass area that will unite Building 35 with the rest of the School of Architecture, according to Oliver Bonnert, vice president of business affairs.
The former one-way street will soon be divided into two separate two-way streets.
The blockade is part of a four-week traffic study of pedestrian safety by traffic engineers from David Plummer Associates.
Uonnert said. At the completion of
the study, the University will apply for a construction permit from the City of Coral Gabies.
Clarence Lefler, director of UM's physical plant, will oversee the construction of two cul-de-sacs, or circular dead ends. He estimates the construction will take 60 days.
The two barricades that stand in front of Eaton Residential College and Pentland Tower of the Honors Residential College, where the cu-de-sacs will be, cut off almost
‘It has long been a safety concern. There may be initial concern, but in the long run, it will ease matters and make traffic flow better.’
George Shoffner, director of residence halls
30 parking spaces.
Director of Public Safety Joseph Frechette said all cars parked between the barricades will be ticketed.
"I didn’t think they would ticket since they hadn’t started building yet,” said a fourth-year architecture student upon finding a ticket on his windshield. “I wish they had done this over the summer.”
Although inconvenienced, most architecture students look forward to the project’s completion.
“We used to park off the street |Dickinson Drive), but now we have to park by Metro-rail But we don't care since we're getting a new building," said John Steffian. also a fourth-year architecture student.
George Shoffner, director of residence halls, said the project is the next step in the new campus master plan to ensure access to all areas on campus.
“Students gain some speed on Dickinson," Shoffner said. "It has long been a safety concern There may be initial concern, but in the Iona run, it wiii ease matters and make traffic flow better.”
Sophomore John Hunt said the barricades have inconvenienced him.
"Now I've got to come all the way around the block," he said
Since Dickinson is no longer a one-way street, angular parking may become dangerous. Frechette said that, although nothing is official, students may have to parallel park in the future, which would further cut parking space
New grade system gets mixed review
By ANDREW POWERS
Hurricane Staff Writer
Now that the fall semester has begun, so has the University of Miami's new incremental grading system. But there has been a mixed reaction toward this change on the part of both students and faculty.
The new system, passed by the Faculty Senate last year, allows for the addition of piusses and minuses to the base letter grades.
Marc Camacho, an entering freshman, attended a high school that used a similiar grading scale.
"1 feel the new system is good because it allows for ’shades of grey’ in the grading policy,” he said.
Yet, he finds fault in the fact that an A-plus receives the same four quality points as an A.
On the new scale, a plus is equal to a positive .3 quality points and a minus is equivalent to a negative .3 points. The scale is consistent in this manner except for anA-plus.
I.ast year the Undergraduate Student Body Government passed
‘Now we are on par with other schools.
This will make it easier to get into graduate school.’
David Klink, senior
a resolution encouraging the Faculty Senate to institute the plus/minus system. USBG, however, called for an A-plus to be worth 4.3 quality points.
"I’m not too happy about it,” said George Kainz, a sophmore biology major.
“ I have a full load of tough courses, and in the past I could slide into a 4.0 with a low A," he said. “Now a low A will be an A-minus and worth 3.7 |quality points). The institution of this policy will make it nearly impossi-
P/easc turn to page 3/GRADE
Plans made for next residential college
By MARA DONAHOE
Hurricane Associate News Editor
The task force on residential colleges at the University of Miami is reviewing preliminary plans this week to convert Pearson Hall into a residential college.
The architectural firm of Rodriguez, Khuly and Quiroga. the firm that converted Eaton Hall Into a residential college, is studying the building and making preliminary plans.
If the task force approves the plans the decision will then go to the board of trustees.
George Shoffner, director of
Residence Halls, said that if the
plans are approved, construction will probably be completed by the fall of 1987.
By fall of 1988 Mahoney Hall will also be converted to a residential college.
Construction on both facilities will be designed with joint use of facilities. For instance both complexes will share a computer lab.
"The residential college is an attractive way of providing college housing,” Shoffner said.
He added that nearly 80 percent of students who applied for housing this year requested to live in the residential colleges.
David Leonard, residence coor-
Plcase see page 3/DORM
ROBERT DUYOS/Hurricanc Stall
StrummirT fingers
Music major Marc Von Seggern, 22, practices guitar while sitting on the steps on the shore of Lake Osceola Wednesday afternoon.
USBG to ‘set no limits’
By EMILE AMARNEK
Hurricane Staff Wntcr
The 1986 version of the University of Miami Undergraduate Student Body Government has a new set of goals, new members and the intention of making USBG a more visible part of the UM community.
USBG President Jose Garcia opened the first meeting of the year with words of encouragement. telling the senators they should always be busy and "to set no limits."
Garcia believes that because the present student government commands more respect among UM’s current administrators than in past years, the student body will have a greater say in many decisions.
The preliminary budget report by Maria Stanonis was an approximation showing that USBG will have to be wary of unnecessary expenditures.
The administration rejected the Senate's request for an allocation of close to $40,000 for the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee, which will receive only $31,-001 for its management.
During open forum topics ranged from proposals to strengthen UM’s advising program to the selection of the new Honor Council, in which senators were urged to participate.
Nely Fernandez, speaker of the Senate, announced the formation of a Rules and Calendar Committee to decide which bills will be heard during Senate meetings.
Following the ratification of new cabinet officers, Dr. William Butler, vice president of student affairs, spoke to the Senate, commenting on the summer's progress on the Rathskeller and its possible expenditures of up to $100,000. Butler also spoke on restricting use of the Rat to UM students only.