Miami Hurricane, December 06, 1991

              Coaches testify before grand jury
■ Others will also be questioned by the grand jury in
connection with the falsification of Pell Grant forms by a former UM employee.
By KEVIN BROCKWAY
Contributing Editor
Four University of Miami coaches, including Football Coach Dennis Erickson, testified Tuesday before a federal grand jury investigating possible financial aid fraud involving former UM Associate Athletic Director Tony Russell.
Russell is accused of helping student-athletes falsify federal financial aid forms. The students allegedly received Pell Grants they were not entitled to.
"All I did was try to cooperate like everybody else in this University and said what I had to say,” Erickson said.
UM men’s Golf Coach Chuck Winship, Assistant Football Coach Art Kehoe and Assistant Basketball Coach Scott Howard also testified. All were questioned by Assistant U.S. Attorney Martin Goldberg.
“It was just a hearing,” Winship said. "They (the jury) will just have to do their thing.”
The jury of 20 has met since June. Sources say more UM athletic officials may be questioned, including Anna
Price, assistant athletic director for academics, and Doug Johnson, associate athletic director for compliance.
The Pell Grant fraud involves Russell, who allegedly charged UM athletes, most of them football players, for doctoring their Pell Grant forms.
He allegedly used the money he received from the athletes to support a $100-a-week cocaine habit. Russell faces a Dec. 18 hearing on a charge of cocaine possession.
Russell was fired in May of 1991.
The FBI and the U.S. Department of Education are conducting an investigation of practices in the UM Athletic Department.
John Thornton Jr. is a private attorney representing UM in the Pell Grant case. He has represented the University in other cases for the past 10 years.
"My understanding is that Tony Russell, even though he was acting on good motives to help students, did something wrong,” Thornton said. “This is in no way connected to the University.”
‘All I did was try to cooperate, like everybody else in this University, and said what I had to say.’
Denni« Erickson, UM Head Football Coach
MIAMI ICE
Four UM students discovered that it is not too hot to play hockey in Florida.
■ Sports — page 10
GETING IT HIS WAY
James McLamore, chairman emeritus of the Board of Trustees, started the second largest hamburger chain in the world and helped the University raise $517 million.
■ Accent — page 8
NEWSBRIEFS
Students win film awards
Seven UM students won awards in the Second Annual Alamo Film Competition for Florida Students.
The students received their honors on the final evening of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Film Festival during a black-tie gala hosted by actor Burt Reynolds.
Categories of competition included; experimental, documentary, narrative, music video, screen writing and public service announcements.
Craig Sherman, a junior majoring in motion pictures and psychology, Ana Fernandez, a senior majoring in motion pictures and design and Marvin Lee, also a senior majoring in motion picutures nad desing were awarded $1,000 as the first place winners for their documentary on graffiti, called Bomb.
"We were trying to be non-biased. It started as a documentary, but we worked it so that there were no voices coming out of anyone’s mouth. A lot of the pictures didn’t match the sound, which was ironic,” said Sherman.
Vanessa Ventura, a sophomore Honor Plus Law student, won $500 as a second place winner for her film hull inn Fur Angela in the experimental category. Cecilia Mendonca won $250 as a third place winner for her film Drugs Nn Excuse in the public service announcement category. J.J. Hollenback won $250 as a third place winner for The Hobgoblin in the screenwriting category. And, Victoria Rodman won $250 as a third place winner for her film The Feast in the experimental category.
—	PAMELA WILFINGER
Health Center closed on break
During the holiday break, the University of Miami Health Center will be referring students who need non-critical care to a local, private physician while the center
is closed.
According to Gilbert Arias, assistant director of the Health Center, Dr. Charles Dunn can see students living on or near the campus during the winter vacation.
"His (Dunn's) services are excellent and his charges are most reasonable. The Health Center will reimburse (students) for 50 percent of his charges, if (they) remain eligible for student health service care during the spring semester,” Arias said.
For serious emergencies, Arias recommends going to Doctor’s Hospital in Coral Gables. The student Health Center will be closed for patient care from noon on Dec. 20, until 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 20. For more information, contact the Health Center at 284-5927.
—	PAMELA WILFINGER
TODAY’S FORECAST
PARTLY CLOUDY
Cool and Breezy HIGH: 75 LOW: 64
Source: National Weather Service
I
FACE THE FACTS
rhis is the last Miami Hurricane of the jmester. Here is a calendar of Important dates r the upcoming weeks:
Reading Days Final Exams Residence Halls closed from Dining Halls closed from Classes Resume
Dec. 7-10 Dec. 11-19 Dec. 20 (noon) thru Jan. B (9 a.m.)
Dec. 19 (dinner) thru Jan. 8 (dinner)
Jan. 13
Hurricane Returns Jan. 21
o
HIRAM HENRIQUEZ / Graphic Artist
JAMES W GIBSON/Assistant Photo Editor
MAKING ARRANGEMENTS: Student Account Services Representative Carol Lee helps Irving Padron, senior, make payment arrangements for next semester on Monday. Students must make arrangements with the Office of Student Accounts before Dec. 16 to prevent the cancellation of spring classes.
Students pay to avoid cancellation
By LAURIE POWELL
Stall Writer
Students are making efforts to pay for their classes for the spring term by the Dec. 16 deadline, Lillian Peralta, director of the Office of Student Account Services, said.
"We have seen so many more students this year than in previous years,” Peralta said.
By Dec. 20, Peralta is hoping to have 75 percent of all students completely registered. In the past, only 55 percent of the students were completely registered by that time.
The deadline to pay for spring classes will be enforced, said Scott Ingold, assistant dean of Enrollment Services. And, if arrangements to pay are not made, classes will be canceled and the student will have to re-register for classes during registration on Jan. 9 and 10.
Deborah Perry, vice provost and dean
of Enrollments, said Student Accounts has always canceled courses, but after spring classes had started.
Neel Shaw, sophomore, was happy with his results after meeting with an account representative Monday. Shaw was granted an extension until January by the representative.
Shaw, who is from Kenya, believes the University of Miami deadline of Dec. 16 is especially unfair for foreign students.
"It takes 10 weeks for a foreign student’s checks to come in the mail,” Shaw said. "They should give us more time because it’s harder to get the money. The banking systems are so different and it takes a lot of time to allocate the funds from a foreign country.”
Courtney Morgan, junior, received a letter from Student Accounts stating he owed $4,000 and payment was due on Dec. 16. Morgan said he was aggravated
at the University’s cancellation policy.
“I don’t think it is fair to cancel the classes. Obviously, students have financial problems," Morgan said. “This causes panic and stress during finals. Not only do you have to think about getting 'A’s on finals, but you have to worry about coming up with the money for the spring semester.”
Morgan believes they should follow the deadline policy of the previous semester.
“I think they should do it during, or toward the end of, the spring semester itself,” Morgan said.
After waiting 25 minutes to see an account representative, Morgan met with a representative and was happy with the outcome.
“I encourage the students who are angry and discouraged about the deadline to make an effort and work the problems out because it worked for me,” Morgan said.
Final Plan vote Tuesday
The Coral Gables City Commission will vote on whether or not to approve the University of Miami’s Master Plan at 9 a.m., Dec. 10.
UM representatives will be at city hall for the second of two hearings in an attempt to persuade the commission to approve their proposal. According to Coral Gables ordinances, two readings of the plan are required for final approval.
There was a four to one vote for the plan in the first reading. The outcome of the meeting will determine whether or not the plan will be implemented.
David Lieberman, UM senior MASTER vice president, said he hopes the PLAN plan will be approved.
“The meeting should be short----------
er,” Lieberman said. “I expect a lot of residents to be at the meeting. The fact that a large number of people came last time would indicate the same. We are cautiously optimistic that the plan will be approved.”
“I am optimistic that we will again be successful in getting the plan going," Rafael Peruyera, director of Facilities Planning and Design, said.
— MARY LEA HARDESTY
Public Safety increasing security during break
■ For more on SECURITY, see News — page 5.
By MARY LEA HARDESTY
Associate News Editor
To prevent a repeat of the last year’s winter break crime wave in the apartment and Fraternity Row areas of campus, the University of Miami Department of Public Safety has increased the number of police officers and plain-clothes officers patrolling the campus.
“There was a lot of crime (last year). We will have 24-hour coverage of the apartment areas, fraternity areas and every area throughout the campus,” Capt. Henry Christensen, interim director of Public Safety said. "Four units will be working 24 hours a day.”
Over break last year, 38 break-ins occurred. Two suspects were arrested for a number of the burglaries.
Christensen said, in addition to the plain-clothes officers and foot patrol officers assigned along the regular shifts, there will also be
security guards working in the fraternity areas, academic areas, apartment areas and parking lots.
William Sandler, dean of students, said the increase in security resulted from the crime on campus last year.
“We had a meeting where we talked about the placement of guards and police officers in the fraternity area,” Sandler said. “Last year, we had a task force and we discussed all the ramifications of what happened as a result of last year’s crime. I think it will be a much more secure campus over this semester.”
Craig Alkin, graduate student, said the increased security on campus is necessary.
“We need to have this because there are too many break-ins, vandals and trespassing from the neighbors,” Alkin said. "I'm glad to see that Dean Sandler is taking strong actions in preventing a repeat performance of what happened last year. There’s more safety in numbers."
Response team aids victims of rape
By MARY LEA HARDESTY
Associate News Editor
The Rape Response Team, a campus organization to console rape victims and offer assistance, has been reorganized. The volunteer members have been retrained to better prepare them to provide assistance to rape victims, said Leisha Duran, team chairperson.
The organization, part of the University of Miami Women's Commission, has been on campus for about 12 years.
"It was first called ‘The Surrogate Mothers’ years ago, which meant that the organization was there to hold someone's hand or give them a shoulder to cry on," Duran said.
Duran said the purpose of the response team is to make sure a woman knows there is somebody she can turn to in case she needs help.
According to Duran, if a person is raped and calls the Department of Public Safety for help, she is asked if she would like a member of the team to come over and comfort her. If the victim agrees then a response team member is called and told where to go.
Rhonda Dubord, president of the Women’s Commission, said there will be a class held in the Counseling Center for members of the response team and those who are interested in joining.
“The first class will be on Dec. 6 for new members and old members that would like a refresher on what to do and what not to do. Really anybody on the team that feels they
Please see page ¿(/RAPE
Pan Am bankruptcy may strand students
By FRANK RECIO
Managing Editor
University of Miami students who purchased tickets on the now bankrupt Pan American World Airways might find themselves stranded in Miami for the holidays.
“As far as UM students go, I have had several come in here crying. From past experience, I can safely say that it is very unlikely that anyone will get their money back,” Mariana Denis-Lay, UM branch manager for Around The World Travel, said.
"If you paid with credit cards, you can usually cancel with them and get your money back,” she added. “If you pay with cash, though, pray and hope that another airline will take the ticket.”
According to Denis-Lay the following airlines are currently accepting Pan Am tickets;
■	American Airlines is accepting only those Pan Am tickets that tie in with an American flight.
■	Delta Airlines is honoring Pan Am’s tickets for flights between certain cities only.
■	Continental Airliner will allow Pan Am passengers to pay the difference for a higher fare. They are also allowing passengers to book on a "stand-by" basis.