Miami Hurricane, March 27, 1990

              A heartbeat away
The seven SG vice presidential candidates tell us in their own words about themselves and their goals.
Opinion — page 4
Oscars at UM?	f „
Student filmmakers get their shot at the spotlight.
Accent—-page 6
THE MIAMI
JUKRIC
NIT blues
The women s basketball team falls to North Carolina-Charlotte in the third round of the NIT.
Sports — page 8
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UN,V*S,TY0r
"Aft
Volume 67, Number 41
University of Miami, Coral Gables, Fla.
Tuesday, March 27, 1990
1990-91 UM RAs chosen
Competition keen; many try for posts
By BETH JAHREIS
Staff Writer
Why would anyone want to oversee a bunch of wild undergraduates?
The challenge recently tempted more than 300 University of Miami students to apply to fill 38 resident assistant openings at the five residential colleges and on-campus apartments.
On Friday, the Department of Residence Halls Office announced the returning and newly selected RAs for fall 1990.
Due to the number of applicants, the selection was very competitive.
"We had a very difficult job this year. We had outstanding, outstanding applicants,” said Patricia Whitely, associate director for Residence Life and Staff Development.
Residential college and apartment area RAs receive a single room and 14-meal plan at no charge plus a monthly stipend which increases yearly, Whitely said. “The total package for a first-year RA is $5,800,” she said.
Whitely explained KAs ate the primary frontline of people responsible for counseling, discipline, programming, safety procedures and security in on-campus living facilities.
“I hesitate to use a military analogy, but in a sense they are like lieutenants responsible with carrying out the orders of the executive officers,” said Dr. Steven Sapp, master of Eaton Residential College. "They are out there in the trenches.”
Meredith Menendian, a second-year RA on an all-female floor, explained an important part of her duties.
"Your basic responsibility on the floor is to work with the girls to help build a community atmosphere, so that everyone enjoys living together as a unit,” the junior said.
Many qualities and skills contribute to the development of a suc-
Please see page ¿'/RAs
Here’s pie in your eye
-



DAVE BERGMAN/Assistant Photo Editor
Stanford Residential College Resident Assistant Kevin Wolf la steps into the line of fire during the Carni Gras Pie in the Face contest on the University Center Plaza on Friday. For more coverage of Carni Gras, please see Accent page 6.
SG court finds 2.5 GPA rule unconstitutional
Decision nixes USA
By MICHAEL R. MORRIS
Contributing Editor
The Undergraduate Student Association referendum and the 2.5 grade point average requirement for Student Government officers were both declared unconstitutional by the SG Supreme Court Thursday night.
Chief Justice Mike Tyler announced the vote was 3-1 against the USA referendum, which calls for reorganizing SG to have fewer senators and a committee system replacing the present SG cabinet. While quorum for a Court session is five present justices, one member abstained from voting, yielding the four-vote total. The vote against the GPA requirement was 4-1.
The justices declined to comment on their decision or issue a written opinion, explaining that they aren’t required to do so. They agreed, however, to discuss the handing down of their opinions. The results of the discussion, which occurred last night, were unavailable at press time.
The Court meeting was unfair and unjust, according to Howard Rubin, co-author of the USA proposal. Rubin said he was told to appear before the Court the night before it convened.
"This is a court-martial,” Rubin said. “This is ridiculous. I’m going to be at a disadvantage when I go through my arguments simply because all of these things thrown at us are things we haven’t been able to see before.”
When Rubin raised this complaint at the end of his case presentation, Tyler told him, “This is not a court of law.”Tyler offered to let Rubin view the procedures under which the Court ran, after the Court had adjourned. Tyler added
referendum
‘This is not a court of law.’
Mike Tyler, chief justice SG Supreme Court
that it was not the Court's fault the defendants were unaware of the arguments against them.
Both cases were decided on the basis of Article I, Section 8 of the SG constitution, which provides for "equal protection of the provisions of this constitution."
Dale Reed, assistant attorney general, argued the case on behalf of the three plantiffs. United Black Students, Roadrunners and the Council of International Student Organizations all had submitted complaints against the USA proposal, and agreed to have Reed prosecute their case.
“There is a distinct unconstitutionality in the movement for USA,” Reed said, opening his case. He presented four arguments against USA. The argument mentioned in the Court’s verdict dealt with Article I, Section 8.
Reed said equal protection encompasses minorities, with senators to represent them. The USA structure, Reed argued, would drown out minority concerns,
Please see page ¿/COURT

9(5
SPRING
ELECTIONS
VOTE ’90
University admissions applications drop by 9 percent
By ANGELA CLAY
Staff Writer
The University of Miami admissions process is underway for fall 1990 but according to Director of Admissions Mary Conway the number of applicants has decreased from last fall by about 9 percent.
“We predicted that we [the admissions committee] would see about a 10 percent decrease in the number of applicants because the number of students graduating from high school has decreased,” Conway said. “We will be very happy if at the end of the year we are not down by more than 10 percent but, we would very much like to have more applicants.”
Applicants who fail to meet the March 1 deadline are still eligible for consideration as long as space is
available within programs, Conway said. She stressed, however, “March 1 is a priority deadline, which means first consideration for scholarships. People who apply in April may be admitted but they are not considered for scholarships.”
According to Conway, the 11-member admissions committee looks for high school students who have a Scholastic Aptitude Test score ranging from 950 to 1220, have a B average and rank within the top 20 percent of their graduating class.
If a student is below any of the committee’s standards, Conway said the committee usually takes a closer look at the applicant’s non-academic activities.
Conway said the committee does not have problems deciding between equally qualified candidates.
"I do not think you are ever going to find two people
who are equally qualified," Conway said. “You can have two students who take the exact same classes, get the exact same grades, get the exact same SAT scores but the difference will come when you interview [the applicants].”
“Since we don’t have all the applications [for the fall of 1990), it's premature to say what percentage we will admit this year,” Conway said. “Our goal, however, is to enroll 1,800 students and to maintain the quality of the freshman class.”
UM’s large enrollment figures indicate it is not as competitive as arefthc highly selective universities, said Associate ProvOst and Dean of Enrollments Deborah Triol Perry, K
She also said more academically appropriate people apply to the University. The highly qualified pool of
applicants enables UM to admit so many students, according to her.
Of last years’s freshman class, 7.7 percent of those admitted were minorities.
“Our definition of minority, in terms of recruitment, focuses on the number of black students,” Conway said. She also said in addition to the high percentage of black students, the large Hispanic population boosts UM’s percentage of minorities way above federal government quotas.
Conway admitted the admissions committee focuses more on incoming freshman than on transfer students during the spring admission process and only 700 of the 1,800 spaces available will be open to transfer applicants.
Week of culture to spotlight unity
By BETH EILERS
Assistant News Editor
Have you ever wanted to taste paloo! Or dance the loodhi! Or perhaps you’d rather watch University of Miami students model the shalwar kamez.
From Thursday to April 6 the Council of International Students and Organizations will be celebrating International Week.
The Pakistan Students Organization will be cooking the paloo, a salty rice dish. The , loodhi and the shalwar kamez are the Pakistan dance and dress.
Fifteen organizations representing different countries will participate in International Week. The groups will set up booths in the Univesity Center Plaza to sell traditional foods,display handcrafts and paintings and help raise awareness of international students on campus.
"We want to teach people about the international community," said Razzak Paracha, co-chairperson of International Week. “It’s a good way to break the gap and introduce people to new cultures, which is important because international students make up 10
percent of UM’s population.”
International Week has been a tradition at UM since 1964. The theme of this year’s week is “One World is Enough for All of Us."
The festivities begin tomorrow, International Day. All organizations will have booths in the UC Breezeway with food, brochures and posters.
Also tomorrow, Dr. William Butler, vice president for Student Affairs, will be the featured speaker at the UC Plaza. Throughout the week, students can visit with student organizations on the Plaza. At night there will be ethnic music and dancing.
The Palestinian Students Association, Chinese Students Association, Korean Students Association, Organization for Jewish Students, Japanese Students Association, Colombian Students Association, Arab Friendship Club, Malaysian Students Association, Pakistan Students Association, German Club, Korean Students Association, Indian Students Association, Organization for Jamaican Unity, Caribbean Students Association and the African Students Union will participate in International Week.
GLIMPSE INTO THE PAST
Past votes clouded in commotion
By MICHAEL R. MORRIS
Contributing Editor Student Government elections in past years have seen the name of the organization changed from Undergraduate Student Body Government to its present moniker, produced intense controversy and fostered large amounts of apathy. Whether rocky or smooth, the elections have provided The Miami Hurricane with many stories, more than one Letter to the Editor and quite a few impossible headlines.
Perhaps the most controversial election of the '80s took place ” during last year’s spring elec-SG President Troy Bell speaks to reporters during last year s tions. In the fall elections, no hint elections confusion. The controversy sparked the interest of °* die coming events was provid-South Florida media .	Please see page ¿/ELECTIONS
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