Miami Hurricane, November 21, 1997

              CORAL GABLES. FLORIDA	SINCE 1927
VOLUME 75, NUMBER 23
WWW.HURRICANE.MIAMI.EDU
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21,1997

SPORTS, page 4
in this issue
MEN AT WORK
■ The basketball season for the University of Miami men's team will face off against North Carolina Charlotte.
MAKING MOVIES
■ Sophomores Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman are already working on a feature film
ACCENT, page 6 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
■ What is the answer to the world's environmental problems? One student shares his viewpoint.
OPINION, page 8
news briefs
STUDENT FARES AVAILABLE FOR THANKSGIVING TICKETS
Western Pacific Airlines is now offering students a way to get home for the holidays, for less money.
The company will be offering a student fare program which provides low-fare travel over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
Fares start as low as $79 one way off peak or $99 peak and are available for purchase through May 21, 1998.
Students must be attending an accredited college or university, enrolled on a part-time or full-time basis and be between the ages of 17 and 28.
All fares are one way and no minimum stay is required. There is no advance purchase requirement on these fares but they must be purchased within one day of the booking.
Once ticketed, these fares are non-refundable. However, changes may be made for a $50 change fee per person, per change, plus any increase in new tare.
Passenger Facility Charges of $3 to $12 are not included in these fares and some additional restrictions apply.
Passengers must present proof of age and student status, such as a valid college ID, at time of ticketing and check-in. Acceptable forms of proof of age include a birth certificate, driver's license or U.S. passport.
UNI Theater faculty denied tenure
an issue.
■ Lantaff becomes associate chair without tenure
By ABBY TEGNELIA
Hurricane Staff Writer
Kent Lantaff, associate chairman of the theater arts department, carried the Ring Theater's latest production, Hair, to two weeks of sold-out shows, but he's not technically in charge, or even supposed to be there.
“Basically, he’s not allowed to be chair because, under the University's guidelines, the chairman needs tenure," said Bruce Miller, head of performance in the theater arts department.
The administration denied Lantaff tenure last semester after he served on the theater arts faculty for six years. Faculty who are denied tenure
usually are forced to leave the University.
“When faculty is denied tenure, most of the time they are forced to part ways,” Lantaff said. “It’s fairly mandatory that their contracts are not renewed. Through alternative arrangements, I’m able to stay on board.”
According to the American Association of University Professors, an organization that promotes assurance of academic freedom and tenure, Lantaff’s stay at UM “is not consistent with generally accepted practice.”
“In a normal situation, if a faculty member does not meet the given tenure criteria, they finish the end of the year of service and then leave the institution," said Robert Kreiser, an associate secretary of the organization.
The UM faculty handbook states, "If the Board denies tenure to a fac-
ulty member...the faculty member shall receive at least 12 months notice prior to the expiration of the appointment."
Daniel Palz currently serves as chairman of the theater arts department, but Lantaff, who is also the general manager of the Ring Theater, performs most of the duties of chair.
“Kent Lantaff is the putative head of the department," Miller said.
The AAUP sent UM a letter criticizing the University’s actions in the case. Thomas Salzman, a theater arts professor also denied tenure, said, “The school responded saying the cases had been settled and were no longer
Salzman also remains at UM under unusual circumstances.
“I have something that allows me to stay here," he said. "It's their part of the deal, but I can't disclose it for legal reasons.”
Tenure ensures professors both job security and artistic freedom. Both Lantaff and Salzman now work at UM as non tenure-track faculty, meaning they will not come up for tenure again.
In protest to this. College of the Arts and Sciences faculty resolved at their Sept. 23 meeting that, “The transfer of persons from regular (tenure-track) positions to lecturer and other non-tenure-track positions with precisely the same duties and qualifications subverts the tenure system."
Kreiser said the administration might have denied Lantaff and Salzman because of their line of
work, meaning they never had any intention of granting them tenure.
“If administration denied these faculty members tenure because they believed the positions held are not eligible for tenure, then this manner is inconsistent of standards in the academic community,” Kreiser said.
The professors mentioned other possibilities.
“Once you get tenure you have a job for life," Salzman said. "That's why the University doesn't want to give it.”
"Pons t ' ey wanted to avoid tenure r gt eral," Miller agreed. “I think the administration would like to use people up for five or six years then send them on their way It's probably cheaper."
To be tenured, a faculty member must show evidence of research, ser-
See TENURE • Page 2
LANTAFF
CELEBRATING PUERTO RICAN HISTORY
DANCING DAY: lunior Harold Abrago, sophomore Sonia Munoz and freshman )ason Canales danced during the celebration of Puerto Rico's discovery and history.
On Nov. 19, 1493, Christopher Columbus discovered Puerto Rico while on his second trip to the Americas. Puerto Rico became part of the Spanish Empire until the the Spanish-American war in
|.J. GAMA-LOBO / Photo Editor
1898.
In 1917, the Puerto Rican people became U.S. citizens and in 1952, the Puerto Rican Constitution was ratified, making Puerto Rico a commonwealth, or "Estado Libre Asociado."
The students shared this history with the University community on Wednesday with dancing and other events.
Singleton speaks on greek system
■ Dean of students addresses Senate concerns
By CHRIS SOBEL
Hurricane Staff Writer
Amid continuing controversy over the state of the Greek system and less than two weeks after the brothers of Sigma Chi filed a lawsuit against the University of Miami, Associate Dean of Students Greg Singleton spoke before student government leaders at this week's Senate meeting.
“I tend to be a catalyst for change,” said Singleton, who came to the position this year from Purdue University. “It just so happens that this semester we’ve had a lot of change in the Greek system, not only at this University but nationwide.”
In addition to the situation at UM surrounding Sigma Chi, Singleton pointed to alcohol-related deaths involving fraternities at Louisiana State University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Singleton responded to Sigma
Chi's accusations that the administration treated the fraternity unfairly
“We want to be fair and equitable across the board but we also want to guide students down the right road in order to make the right decisions.” Singleton said.
Since 1990, the total amount of men in greek organizations at UM has dropped 47 percent, reflecting a national decline in fraternity membership	v
Although on the rise nationally, sorority membership at UM has remained steady.
When asked by senators to comment on the where the Greek system at UM is headed. Singleton said by the fall 1998 semester “we're going to see a lot of changes on this campus in terms of recruiting.”
Senator Read Sawczyn said he is concerned the focus has been placed on negative aspects and taken away from positive accomplishments of the greek system, such as "Greeks and Goblins," an annual event when fraternities open
See SG • Page 2
IFC elects new president, board
■ Hart wants to put problems behind greek system
By SARAH GUARNACCIA
News Editor
Come January of 1998,. University of Miami junior Dan Hart will be serving as the president of the Interfratemity Council
Hart is currently the public relations coordinator for IFC, under current president Neil Schiller. He said he has worked to make communication between the University and the IFC better.
“I’ve always wanted to try and facilitate better communication between the administration and different fraternities,"
Hart said.
As a member of Sigma Alpha Mu, Hart said he has seen evidence of low morale among the greeks.
However, with his new position, he said he hopes to bring the pride back to the greek system at the University.
Tm ready to bring back the energy that was here a few years ago,” he said.
As president of the IFC, Hart
will be responsible for representing the greeks to the administration.
Hart said he will serve as a mediator between the greeks and administration.
Ultimately, Hart said his main goal is to be the voice for the greeks.
When Hart takes over in January, he said he will continue in the direction that Schiller has been headed.
Schiller's tenure as president of IFC saw the investigation of Sigma Chi and the penalties that followed, and the penalties the administration ruled against Lambda Chi Alpha.
Hart said he hopes to put these issues behind him and the IFC.
“I’m ready to put an end to it,” Hart said. “I’m not nervous. I’m excited."
Hart said he is especially looking forward to working with his board.
The following fraternity members serving with Hart are:
First Vice-President - junior Eddie Gomez, Alpha Sigma Phi
Second Vice President - junior Brian Seits, Lambda Chi Alpha
Treasurer - Mike Feldman, Zeta Beta Tau
Secretary - Joe Cuomo, Lambda Chi Alpha.
HART
Patey to leave University
■ Orientation director spent eight years at University
By PADMINI UPPU
Hurricane Staff Writer As Director of Orientation, Commuter Students Affairs and Leadership Programs, Cynthia Nolan Patey has had some form of contact with almost every student.
Next year, however, she will leave the University because her husband, an engineer, has accepted a position in Richmond, Virginia.
Patey has worked at UM for the past eight years, starting as Residence Coordinator in Mahoney Residential College. Since 1994, she has worked in her present position.
Her job involves planning the entire orientation program for new students and the associated events. Patey said she could mu accomplish such colossal
task without the help of students.
"This is essentially a student-run program, and the students are exceptional—competent and committed to orientation," she said Patey, as director of Commuter Student Affairs plans the newsletters and the faculty lunches and. in collaboration with the Association of Commuter Students, organizes the events for Commuter Awareness Week
For the Leadership Institute, Patey conducts the Leadership Summit, a one-day conference open to all students, and runs the
See PATEY • Page 2
PATEY
Students voice parking concerns
■ Administration to add more spaces
By CHRIS SOBEL
Hurricane Staff Writer
Students who attended Monday's town hall meeting at the Rathskeller had the opportunity to get a better idea of how the University is handling the parking situation, and to offer a few suggestions of their own.
Student Government sponsored the meeting in which Public Safety Director Major Henry Christensen and Parking and Transportation Director Sandra Redway talked directly to students about their concerns.
“Since August we've been working aggressively tu address the limi-
tations of the parking situation on campus," Redway told an audience of students, faculty members, and SG leaders.
Redway sent a memorandum to all University parking clientele this week that outlined several major projects designed to alleviate the problem.
Over winter break. Lot 101 behind the Ungar Building and Cox Science Center will be reconfigured in order to enhance parking conditions at the lot and bring it into compliance with code regulations.
The acquisition of additional perimeter parking is being negotiated with Metro-Dade Transit. By the start of the spring semester. Redway said the University should have control of lots on Ponce De Leon
Boulevard near the Metmrail station and across from the Canterbury Child Care Center.
According to Redway. the key to perimeter parking is “changing behavioral patterns" of students who fill up the interior lots. Redway suggested they park instead in perimeter lots and take the shuttle.
“If we re going to have perimeter parking, we need to take a Disney-like approach in moving people from the perimeter onto the campus," said Alan Fish, assistant vic>; president of Bus Services.
‘There are no crazy ideas," Fish added. "We need some creative thinking to find some alternatives."
After Redway and Christensen
See PARK • Page 2