Miami Hurricane, April 15, 1997

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VOLUME 74, NUMBER
TUESDAY, APRIL 15,1997
OH SO CLOSE!
■ The Hurricanes' baseball team almost swept the Florida State Seminóles at Tallahassee this weekend. Read all about it.
SPORTS, page 4
BATTLE OF THE BANDS
■	If you missed Friday night's Battle of the Bands at Mars Bar, check out what our music reviewer felt about the event.,
ACCENT, page 6 CREEPY CRAWLERS
■	Student complains about the insect problems in the on-campus apartments. A creepy feature nonetheless.
OPINION, page 8
UMTV WINS NATIONAL AWARDS OVER WEEKEND
The National Broadcasting Society awarded the grand prize for outstanding news/magazine program to the University of Miami's UMTV station.
The National Broadcasting Soc lety is an organization of 1,100 students and 75 c hapters from colleges and universities across the country.
UM students lames Knost, Scott Alboun, Candic Ventra and Beth Catz won Best Documentary, for a documentary they produced on manatees.
Miguel Piedra won the Outsianding News Package category for his story on Melissa Paclron, a UM student who appeared on The Real World Miami.
Senior Jeff Muddell, UMTV producer said, "It’s just another great thing for our program and the school as a whole. To win something like this is an honor."
HURRICANE NAMES NEW EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, BUSINESS MANAGER
On Friday, junior Kelly Ruane was named the new editor in chief of The Miami Hurricane for the fall 1997 semester. Gregory Kantor was re-elected business manager for a third term.
SCATTERED SHOWERS TODAY
Expect mostly cloudy conditions with scattered showers or thunderstorms throughout the afternoon.
Daytime highs will be in the lower 80s with winds out of the northeast at 15 m.p.h. Chance of rain today is 50 percent.
- National Weather Service
Student falls from Pearson balcony
Candlelight vigil celebrates lives
■ Fall may be drug-related, neighbors say
By SARAH GUARNACCIA
Hurricane Staff Writer
Friday morning, freshman Keith Abramson was found on a ledge adjacent to Pearson Residential College suffering from a fractured right hip after he lost his balance and fell from the Pearson fifth-floor balcony.
Friends and neighbors said Abramson was rushed to Doctor's Hospital where doctors put three screws into his right hip to stabilize the injury.
There were no witnesses at the lime of the incident, but friends and neighbors of Abramson said they have an idea of how he plummeted from the fifth floor.
Freshman Jeremiah Johnson said Abramson was probably using drugs at the time of the fall.
Johnson said his suitemate woke him up when he heard Abramson yelling for help from the ledge where he landed.
"Someone came and woke me up to tell me," Johnson said. "I was surprised and kind of scared for him. I didn't know if he was all right or not."
Pearson Resident Master Charles Mallery was at the scene when Abramson was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
Mallery said the incident could have been prevented.
He said Abramson should not have been on the balcony in the first place.
"(The balcony] is a secured area,” Mallery said.
But Pearson residents have said that the balcony has been accessible to students for the last two weeks.
"We had a fire a couple of weeks ago," said junior Keith Pearson. "I guess they opened up the balcony for ventilation and never replaced the lock. It's been broken for a couple of
weeks."
According to Abramson's neighbor, sophomore Brian Hightower, the balcony locks were replaced the day of Abramson's fall.
"They didn't waste any time at all," Hightower said.
Most students who know Abramson said they think this incident was drug related.
"He had a bad trip," speculated Hightower, who said he thought Abramson had been using drugs the night before.
Johnson said he would not be surprised if this incident happened as a result of drug use.
"Nothing like that is common, but I expected something like that was going to happen." Johnson said.
Abramson remains at Doctor's Hospital where he is receiving physical therapy.
Johnson said Abramson may not be reluming to school right away.
Instead, Abramson's mother may take him home to New Jersey.
"His mom hasn't made her decision yet," Johnson said.
Mallery said that this matter is out of his hands. Any further action will be taken by the dean of students.
■ Family, friends gather Sunday to remember, honor Barnes, Lumpkins
By KELLY RUANE
News Editor
Students and friends gathered outside apartment 36C Sunday night for a candlelight vigil in honor of University of Miami football player Marlin Barnes, and his friend Timwanika Lumpkins, who were killed there one year ago.
Barnes and Lumpkins were beaten to death in the early morning hours of April 13,1996. Police arrested Lumpkins’ ex-boyfriend. Labrant Dennis. Dennis is currently awaiting trial for the murders in September.
Also in attendance at the vigil were the children involved in the Right Track program, a football program for inner-city children with which Barnes, senior Earl Little and junior Nate Brooks worked. The children arrived by
bus and were given candles as they stepped off the bus.
Shortly after, friends of Barnes arrived bearing red balloons, in honor of Barnes, whose nickname was "Red." They went up to apartment 36C and hung the balloons from the balcony just outside the front door.
Junior Nate Brooks, a Miami football player and friend of Barnes, opened the vigil, standing outside the apartment.
"This is the first time I’ve come out here," Brooks said. "The reason we’re here today is to remember Marlin, not for publicity, just to remember his life."
Brooks said even though there are not many answers as to what took place the day of the murder, he did not want the crowd to leave Sunday the same way they left last year.
"We left with rage and disillusionment." Brooks said. "Tonight we are going to end with a prayer, to let go and let God."
Brooks instructed the crowd to take a candle and form a line around the apartment building.
See BARNES • Page 2
"I was surprised and kind of scared for him."
JEREMIAH
JOHNSON,
freshman
celebrates cultural diversity
■ Students, guests enjoy food and dance
By SARAH GUARNACCIA
Assistant News Editor
Rain or shine, the UC Patio was filled with students celebrating International Week, which got under way last week despite bad weather.
Vietnamese, Filipino and Indian students brought the customs of their native countries to the UC Patio last Friday on Asian Day. Through song, dance, food and attitude, enormous pride was evident at the event, which included Asian and non-Asian students alike.
"You see people who are not Filipino participating with Filipinos, people who are not Indian participating with Indians,” said Mavis Gyumfi, International Week chairperson.
From the smells of authentic Indian foods to the sounds accompanying native dances of the Philippines, international students made the University aware of their culture.
"You get a little taste of everything." Gyumfi said.
"They look so beautiful in their native costumes," said Maryanne Barber. International Week judge. "It's wonderful. You can see pride in their faces. This has so many countries represented. You get to learn about other cultures."
Not only did the participating international students expect to see an increase of awareness on the University throughout this special week, but also a decrease in ignorance.
"So many people are ignorant to other cultures." said junior Sayuri Rendon.
Many of the international students hope to teach a tolerance and an understanding of where they come from to other students of the University.
"Prejudice is based on lack of knowledge. One way to show [students] is getting in touch w ith different cultures and broaden their understanding of what's here," said sophomore Anand Patel, representing the Indian Students Association.
Even though the students participating in International Week come from different parts of the world, their message is the same.
"Everyone's goal is the same," said sophomore
Noreen Garcia. "It's for those of us who haven't forgotten where we've come from and our culture."
The event also served as a culture reminder to international students who have lived in the United States for most of their lives.
"Many students came to this country recently and others have lived in the U.S. all their lives. They get a reminder of their heritage and an understanding they didn’t have before they came here. They get a chance to learn and take pride in who they are." Barber said.
See WEEK • Page 2

V
Photos by J.J. GAMA-LOBO / Hurricane Photographer EXPLORING CULTURE: (Left) Nila Radhakrishnan, a medical student, dances in the Asian Night performances Friday night. (Above) Opening ceremonies were kicked off with an exchange of ideas, food and languages in the Flamingo Ballroom.
Poets team with chefs to create delicacies
■ Writing teachers use restaurants to promote poetry
By BEN FERGUSON
FJurricane staff writer Three professors/authors in the creative writing department, along with other area poets, have teamed up with some the area's most renowned chefs to enhance local diners' eating experience.
April is National Poetry Month and the event, called "Now Taste This," is a promotion to help ruisc literary awareness in Miami A majority of the proceeds from the event will go to benefit local literary societies and magazines like UM’s own Mangrove.
Each poet is teamed with a master chef and together they decide on a dish or several dishes w hich (he poet hopes to capture in a poem.
After the poems are written they are printed on scroll paper and given to patrons of local restaurants when they order that certain dish.
The event began on Friday at the "Books and Books" bookstore in Coral Gables. John Baluban was the only ptxM from l'M there. Ail ot the poets read from their poems describing the dishes (hey tried. They also told where the dishes are being served.
"If poets go into some place unconventional, like a restaurant, then we are able to take poetry where it hasn't gone before." said poet Fred D'Aguiar. "We read menus trying to make sense of the words but menus can be organized around
senses as well. We poets rely on our five senses as our window into the world. Unfortunately, sight is the one we use most often. It's interesting to focus on taste."
The event's intention is to increase the number of people who read poetry.
"People have to eat, they don't have to read poetry. The idea is to make poetry one of those new dietary supplements you must have," said D'Aguiar.
D'Aguiar teaches poetry and fiction writing to both graduate and undergraduate students. He has published several hooks including his latest. Dear Future.
D'Aguiar's poetry is being served with a meal at Norma's On the Beach, located on South Beach.
The event was the brainchild of two UM graduates of the master's
program in creative writing.
Jen Karetnick and Julian Cohen have both taken classes from the poets/teachers.
"We are always trying to get poets out into the community," said Karetnick. "I can get people who normally wouldn't get exposed to poetry exposed," responded Cohen. "It’s really about raising money for poetry and literary magazines that can use the support." ¡>aid Karetnick.
Karetnick currently works as a restaurant critic for New Times. Jen and Julian are promoting the event through their company: Generation NJ productions.	*
"I've never written about food before," said John Balahan, director of the UM creative writing department. "Many of us thought it was a strange idea, because poets don't normally write on assignment. In the
end it all worked out. though. I ended up doing research on chocolate. Like how it was invented and its use to the Spanish explorers."
Baluban said he worked well with the chefs.
"I had a great time talking with the two chefs |l was paired with]. They are world-renowned and take their cuisine very seriously," Baluban said.
Baluban is the author of nine books of poetry and prose mostly dealing with Vietnam. His work has been nominated for the National Book Award. Balaban's new book. Locusts at the Eilife of Summer, comes ’out next month. Balaban's poetry accompanies a meal at Two Chefs in South Miami.
"My poems (about the meal]
See POETS • Page 3