Miami Hurricane, April 22, 1997

              UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
RESERV
22
LIBRARY
VOLUME 74, NUMBER 1
WWW.HURRICANE.MIAMI.EDU
TUESDAY, APRIL 22,1997
in this issue
MISSING THE X-FIIIS?
■	Fox's #1 hour long mys-tery/drama has become an addictive weekly routine for many UM students. Are you an X-FHes junkie?
ACCENT, page 7
A WHOLE NEW WORLD
■	As science and technology blossom to new heights, what impact will such developments have on the world of tomorrow.
OPINION, page 1(
COMMENCEMENT PLANS ANNOUNCED
Commencement ceremonies for the University of Miami will take place May 9 at 8:30 a.m. on the University Green, the central lawn next to the Ashe Building and the Otto G. Richter Library. This year's guest speaker is Garth C. Reeves, reporter, editor, banker and publisher emeritus of The Miami Times. He will receive an honorary doctorate of journalism from UM. Also receiving honorary doctorates from the University this year will be:
•	Denise Scott Brown, urban planner, doctorate in architecture
•	Sarah Caldwell, producer, conductor and founder of the Boston Opera Company, doctorate in music
•	William H. Gray III, president and chief executive officer of the United Negro College Fund, doctorate in law
•	Arthur Kornberg, Nobel laureate, doctorate in science
•	Benjamin Spock, pediatrician and author of the Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care, doctorate in humane letters
•	Robert Venturi, architect and founder of post-modernist architecture, doctorate in architecture.
The individual schools will hold their own commencement ceremonies throughout the day as well.
today's weather
PARTLY CLOUDY
Expect conditions to remain much the same, with a general warming trend to continue. Today will be partly cloudy with highs in the upper 80s. Winds will be out of the southwest at 10 to 15 m.p.h.
—National Weather Service
Students bringing Cuba to UC Patio
■ FEC’s goal to educate University about culture
By SARAH GUARNACCIA
Assistant News Editor
To further the University's quest for cultural awareness, the Federation of Cuban Students (FEC) will sponsor "Three Days of Cuban Culture” from tomorrow until Friday.
The yearly event is the result of a proclamation issued by the Dade County Commission, which said Dade is to observe three days in April during which Cuban culture is to be celebrated.
"It is understood year after year that we will educate people of what Cuban culture is," said Raiza Garcia, chairperson for the event and member of FEC.
The event will begin with speaker Jose Cancela, president of the Spanish-language television network Telemundo.
Cancela will be speaking at the University Center International l ounge
tomorrow at 4 p.m.
To recognize what the Otto G. Richter Library has to offer to spread Cuban culture, there will be a reception on the 8th floor of the library on Thursday at 7 p.m.
The library has full resources for Cuban American studies, and an archives section complete with pictures, books and other documents outlining the Cuban experience in the United States.
Members of FEC said they want students to leant about the various pieces of literature, art and information about Cuba that the library has in its archives.
Emilio Gonzalez, a UM professor in the political science department, will speak at Thursday’s event.
Friday's activities, which will take place on the UC Patio, will focus on the festival aspect of the Cuban culture. It will include the music of radio station El Sol, 98.3 FM.
The festival will also include native dances, an exhibiLs and typical and tra-
See CUBAN • Page 2
Family blames UM for Barnes’ death
■ Lawsuit cites lack of police presence at UM
By KELLY RUANE
News Editor
Citing a lack of campus security, the family of slain University of Miami football player Marlin Barnes said the University and the Coral Gables Police are partly responsible for Barnes' death.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges that the Coral Gables Police Department improperly subcontracts police officers to provide police protection at UM.
This contract has allowed the University to provide a minimum amount of protection for students.
The Barnes' family blames this agreement between Coral Gables and UM, and the alleged lack of police supervision in the area, for the death of Barnes.
Barnes and friend Timwantka Lumpkins were beaten to death with a shotgun in the early morning hours of April 13, 1996. The University settled lawsuits in December with the two families for $1.9 million each.
This lawsuit, filed by Charlie Mae Postell, Barnes' mother, and Miami attoiney John Leighton, alleges that the CGPD does not pro tect the students, but instead relies on a partnership with UM for the University to have its own private police officers.
The Univeisity and the City of Coral Gables signed a contract on
Dec. 1, 1969, and later modified that agreement in February of 1977 in order for Coral Gables to provide police protection to the University area.
The Barnes lawsuit alleges that the agreement called for the University to "hire, maintain, pay, direct, control, deploy, discipline and supervise their own private police force."
The contract, according to the suit, is an "illegal delegation of municipal police power to a private
entity."
"As a private university, the University of Miami is not permitted by Florida Law to own, maintain, control, direct or operate a police department or police force," the suit said.
A police officer, speaking on the
condition of anonymity, said the allegations about the partnership between UM and Coral Gables are true.
"Everything the lawsuit alleges is true," the officer said. "[The partnership] has existed because it benefits both partners [UM and Coral Gables], The only ones losing here are the UM officers and the students."
The Barnes family said because the University is within the municipal boundaries of Coral Gables, UM students and employees are owed the same level of police protection as Coral Gables residents.
The lawsuit alleges that because of the partnership, UM students, employees and users are treated as lesser citizens.
Barnes' family said he was killed
as a result of this unequal protection from the police. UM police officers are not as equipped to deal with emergency situations, the lawsuit alleges.
"In fact, the police officers working for the University of Miami were paid at a lower pay rate and without benefits available to City of Coral Gables police officers," the suit said.
In a petition written last semester, the UM officers seemed to foreshadow the Barnes family's complaint.
Officers said they were not being treated like real police officers, even though they were deputized by Coral Gables.
The suit said the University's
See BARNES • Page 2
International Week comes to close
XTREME GAMES HIT MIAMI
■ Competitors came from far and wide to compete in this weekend's ESPN2 Xtreme Games on Sooth Beach.
SPORTS, page 5
Cvan Magenta
Black
F. HUNTER CAREY / Photo Editor
ETHNIC DANCE: Nathalee Dayl dances on the Patio with performers from Untouchable Mocko jumbies for International Week's Caribbean Day.
Faculty recognized for excellence in teaching
■ UM honors seven teachers this year
By SARAH GUARNACCIA
Assistant News Editor
The 1997 Excellence in Teaching Awards were given to seven different teachers who have demonstrated exceptional teaching at the University of Miami.
Regardless of their amount of years in the teaching field, old and new professors were recognized for their inspiring and creative teaching.
"It's about being there for the students usually beyond the classroom, working with students outside of classes and the openness to student's ideas,” said Valerie Manno-Giroux, chair of the Excellence in Teaching committee.
The 1997 Excellence in
Teaching Award recipients were Maryann Barber, School of Business, Computer Information; Shirley Dennis-Escoffier, School of Business, Accounting; Alan Goldman, College of Arts and Sciences, Philosophy; Thomas Nolen, College of Arts and Sciences, Biology; Thomas Steinfatt, School of Communication, Speech; Linda Taylor, College of Arts and Sciences, Anthropology; and Michelle Wright, College of Arts and Sciences, Foreign Languages.
Teachers were nominated for the distinguished award either by the dean of their school, colleagues or students.
Once a teacher is nominated, it is by that teacher's discretion that they follow through with the requirements of the award.
Thirty-two nominated teachers submitted their qualifications to a panel of eight judges, which included win-
ners of last year's awards.
Some of the materials that the committee reviewed were letters of recommendation, student evaluations, course syllabi and personal statements written by the teachers.
"They are looked at very seriously. A love of teaching comes through, especially through the personal statements," Giroux said.
Most of the judging was done on an individual basis.
The eight judges were responsible for studying the 32 packets that consisted of all the material the teacher's submitted.
The committee then narrowed the list down to the top seven teachers.
From the committee's responses, Giroux created a short list.
"We [then] had a meeting and discussed each of the can-
See AWARDS • Page 2
|J. GAMA-LOBO / Hurricane Photographer
CELEBRATION: Emerson Mompremier dances in front of the Haitian flag on the UC Patio.
■ Week combines culture, culinary delights for UM
By |OSE DIAZ
Hurricane Staff Writer
After a struggle for student support and a colorful array of cultures, International Week at the University of Miami ended Saturday.
Awards were given to student organizations who participated at the Closing Ceremonies on Saturday night at the Hotel Sofitel.
The winners were: French Club, Most Original Display; Latin American Students Association, Best Cultural Display; Indian Students Association, Most Outstanding Performance; African Students Union, Most Original Performance; French Club, Culinary Excellence; Filipino Students Association, Most Enthusiastic Preparation for I-Week; Trinidad and Tobago Cultural Association, Best Embodiment of the I-Week Theme; Filipino Students Association, Most Outstanding Organization for 1-Week.
Throughout the week, many students participated in activities and events on
theme days according to regions of the world.
Students had a chance to go to the Middle East, Asia, India, Europe, Latin America, the Far East, the Caribbean and Africa before I-Week came to a close.
During the week, the student groups involved presented ethnic dances and costumes on everything from African music to a Caribbean carnival with stilt performers.
The weather affected student turnout, organizers said.
Mavis Gyamfi, I-week chairperson, said she thought the week was successful, despite the weather.
"Considering we had bad weather to contend with, I think we were pretty successful," Gyamfi said. "International Week is about sharing cultures."
Gyamfi said she hopes next year's International Week will be better.
"Like anything, everything can always be better," Gyamfi said. "We always hope for bigger and better as the years progress."
Ariel Hurst, a freshman, tried many of the ethnic foods available to students on the University Center Patio on the different days.
"I really enjoy ethnic food, but I love
See WEEK • Page 2