Miami Hurricane, April 23, 1999

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Cosford graduate film student’s feature
ACCENT page 9
Rivalry, part two: UM, FSU at Mark Light
SPORTS page 5
Coral Gables, Florida
Volume 76, Number 4Ì g	I_WWW.HURRICANE.MIAMI.EDU
Friday, April 23,1999
FPL prompts utility shutdowns
Air conditioning cut off in several campus buildings
By VICTORIA BALLARD and CHRIS SOBEL
Of the Staff
twice this month in the late after noon, air conditioning to buildings such as the University Center, the Wellness Center and the dining halls was shut off.
the shutdowns have been caused by maintenance to Florida Power and
Light power plants, said Michael White, director of Physical Plant. Those repairs will close down the plants for several weeks, he said.
“In times of electrical shortage, they curtaiiNome of our consumption,” said White.
The curtailment affects the chilled water plants on campus.
“We make the chilled water we distribute over the campuS for the air conditioners,” said White. The electricity to the lights is unaffected.
There are four chiller plants on campus. The main one, called Utility One, supplies cooled water to most of the Ungar Building, the Memorial
Building, the Richter Library and the Co* Science Building. One plant supplies the University Center and the School of Music. Stanford and Hccht Residential Colleges are served by one plant, as Mahoney, Pearson and Eaton Residential Colleges are served by another plant.
FPL was caught off-guard by the record-breaking hot weather last week, said White.
“They had a capacity problem, so we were one of the business entities that were effected by this,” said White. “The hot weather increases the load ”
The Wellness Center tries to stay
open as long as possible when the air conditioning is shut off, said Norm Parsons, director of Wellness and Recreation.
“The fitness room usually closes first,” said Parsons. “Wc keep it open until it’s not safe anymore.”
Dining halls remained open during the curtailments.
“It’s not safe for the employees or the guests. The humidity is very high in here. The tile floors get very slippery,” said Joseph Levine, executive chef at iMahoney/Pearson dining hall, describing conditions when the air is shut off.
Levine said even when doors are
opened, air circulation is poor. He said he could actually see sweat on students who were eating.
“People weren’t staying as long as they normally would," he said “Employees were uncomfortable in their uniforms because of the heat" Kitchens in the dining hall and other places on campus have no air conditioning at all, so employees are used to it, Levine said.
“The whole atmosphere was different,” said freshman Jacqueline McCourt, who ate in the Mahoney/Pearson dining hall while
See AIR • Page 2
Four chiller plants are located on the University of Miami campus. Each supplies cooled water to a specific area.
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Ungar Building Memorial Building Richter Library Cox Science Building
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University Center School of Music
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Stanford Residential College Hecht Residential College
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Mahoney Residential College Pearson Residential College Eaton Residential College
Vice president announces service awards
Eight students, one professor honored for reaching out to others less fortunate'
By CHRIS SOBEL
News Editor
Members of the University of Miami community, including two undergraduates and one professor, were honored Tuesday in a ceremony at the Faculty Club for community service.
Seric Deanna Green and public relations professor Donn Tilson were two of seven winners of the 1999 Vice President’s Award for Service, and sophomore Lorena Diaz was the sole recipient of the Robert Bates Cole Award for Volunteer Leadership.
Other winners of the Vice President’s Award for Service were: medical students Chrisfouad Alabiad, Lourdes Eco and Kia Mitchell; Laura Fuentes, a senior staff assistant in the controller’s office; and law student Victoria Mendez
“For the University, the award exemplifies reaching out to others less fortunate and making the world a better place," said Dr. Patricia Whitely, vice president for Student Affairs.
“They are terrific, unselfish leaders who give their talents each day to help others," Whitely said of the winners and nominees.
Green will graduate next month with a bachelor of science in biochemistry and molecular biology and then attend Emory for graduate school in biochemistry. Among other things, she chaired A Week for Life this year.
“f volunteered with AIDS patients and because
of that my interests carried into HIV research,” said Green.
Green said she was “really shocked" upon winning. She said she did not know she was nominated until she got there.
In addition to her work with HIV/AIDS patients, Green was a site leader for Hurricanes Help the Hometown and Orientation Outreach. She has also volunteered with a variety of other service organizations including Habitat for Humanity and the Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital.
“The other undergraduates who were nominated were equally qualified,” said Green.
Emory, like most other universities she has found, does not have an office equivalent to UM’s VSC that facilitates student volunteering.
“I think it is really great how the University encourages volunteering through this award and through the center,” she said.
“It’s nice that people recognize the behind the
See AWARD • Page 2
EMILY NEALE / Humean© Staff Photographer
VOLUNTEER: (left to right) Deanna Green gets a
hug from VSC Director Mickey Rubenstien before President Edward T. Foote presents her award.
Missed deadlines, better quality yield late yearbook
HOW TO GET IT
•	Available on the web at www.miami.edu/ibis,
•	Underclassmen may pick up the book in the fall during the second week of school
•	200 books available to graduate students on first-come, first-served basis
•	Seniors and graduates
! can have the yearbook
mailed to them by filling out a 1999 Yearbook Request Form from: Internet
•	site or The Hurricane office UC 221 or Ibis office UC 229.
i
By DAVID ANESTA
Associate News Editor
Normally, students receive yearbooks during the last few weeks of class.
However, the 1999 Ibis yearbook will not be distributed until after summer because Editor in Chief William Lai, a senior, said he decided not to rush production of the book in order to improve its quality.
“There was a point in January when we felt that if we put together something rushed, it would not be a publication you could look back on ten years from now and say ‘that was great,’” said Lai.
He said that students complained about the quality ol the 1997 yearbook and that he thought they would appreciate a better book.
“When it came out, because it was rushed,
the quality of the book suffered, and students were outraged about it,” said Lai.“This year we spent more time thinking about the book, designing it and making improvements over last year’s.”
Robert DuBord, financial advisor for the yearbook, said.“We could have put together a yearbook on time but it probably w-ouldn’t have been a very good book. We wanted to make a book we could be proud of”’
Some new things in this year’s book include color senior photos, improved readability, better editing and a four-color cover, said Lai.
“What makes this book unique is that it covers the University from many different aspects of student life, it’s more diverse’’said Lai.
Yearbooks generally stagger deadlines
throughout the year. The Ibis had six deadlines to meet, said Lai.
The Ibis staff missed its first deadline and, as a result, spent more time catching up than working on late deadlines, said junior Julia Miller, who has been named Ibis 2000 editor.
She said the staff could not meet the deadline because they did not begin reporting on events until August, even though the yearbook spans a year that begins in February
“Basically wc now know that we have to meet deadlines. We kept pushing them back,” said Miller. The start this year consisted of about 45 students, said Lai.
He said that even with a large staff, conflicts arose between the yearbook and class-
See IBIS • Page 2
1992 lawsuit against UM reaches trial
Disabled former student filed suit after falling out offreight elevator
By CHRIS SOBEL and VICTORIA BALLARD
Of the Staff
A negligence lawsuit filed by a wheelchair-bound former student against the University of Miami went to trial Monday in the 11th Circuit Court, presided over by Judge Thomas Wilson.
Natasha Alvarez filed the original lawsuit in October 1992 after she fell out oi a freight elevator shaft at the UM bookstore on January 10, 1992. She suffered a slightly collapsed lung, some broken ribs and a fractured hip.
Alvarez said she was seeking $700,00 to $800,000 in lost wages, future medical expenses and pain and suffering.
As of late Wednesday, the case was yet to be decided, Closing arguments were scheduled for yesterday.
Alvarez said the University allowed her and other disabled students to use the freight elevator to get to the second floor of the bookstore. She said she had used that elevator many times before the accident.
“It was off-level by more than six inches,” Alvarez said. “When 1 pushed to get out, it tipped over and 1 landed on cement.”
Alvarez said she spent three months in bed and was unable to graduate with her class.
“Handicapped students had used the freight elevator-for years, and then we did some remodeling and they used the Breezeway one, much the same as now,” said Charles Canfield, current contract manager and Bookstore manager at the time of the accident.
Canfield said the procedure had been changed to direct students to use the Breezevvay elevator.
“At the time of the accident, we encouraged students to use the elevator in the bookstore that is handicap accessible,"said
VERD&T
The decision in Natasha Alvarez’s lawsuit was expected yesterday.
BREAKING
NEWS
For to date information see: www.hurricane. miami.edu
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See LAWSUIT • Page 2
■ Outkast Tickets still available
Three hundred tickets are still available for tonight's Outkast concert Hurricane Productions will be on the Rock to distribute the remaining tickets to students and their guest Admission for students is free and $20 for guests. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. on the UC Patio
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■ Sunset Shuttle
The final run of the shuttle service from school to the Shops at Sunset place will take place today and Saturday from 8 p.m.-2 a m. So far this year after ten weeks of service. the shuttle has transported 3615 people to toe shops, averaging 8 86 students each time the shuttle went to and from the shops
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■ C0IS0 Applications
Applications to serve on the 1999-2000 Council of International Students and Organizations are available in UC 213 There arc about 30 positions available Positions include Student Government senator. Rathskeller Adytsory Board liaison, publicity, volunteer chair, special events. ..........
public relations, and Committee on Student Organizations representative Applications are due Friday. April 30 For more information, call 284-3548
■ Med School Forum
The Post-Bac Association, The Premedical Honor Society, toe American Medical School Association, and the Minority Association of Pre-Health Students sponsor tf* first Ftoncto medical school question and answer forum Thursday, Apnl 29. at 4 p m. m toe UC Flamingo BaHroom The forum will feature
representatives mciudng Robyn Sheppard from the University of Florida College (8 Medicine, Robert Hlnkley from toe University of Miami School of Medicine Jay Layman from toe University of South Florida Cokege of Medicine, Marc Wiener from Nova Southeastern College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Helen Uvmgston of toe program to medical sciences at UF and Ftonda State University
■ Honor Society elects members
Theta Alpha kappa, the National Honor Society for religious studies and theology, recently elected 26 students to membership New members consist of Heidi Bahna. Gabriel Carvajal, Annette Chakkalakat. Mary Chandy. Seetai Cheema, Haydee Contreras. Jennifer de la Pena, Elizabeth Friedman.
Jessica Gilbrtde, Ugta Houben. Padmini Jagadish. Christina Jaramilk), Vinita John, Maria Klein, Adam Levy, Paul Lockhart, Lawrence Mann, Kristen Oostdyk, Jeannette Ortega, Hannah Park, Charles Roig Grace Santos. Renata Schwedhelm, Karen Simon, Juan Vera and Juan Vita The induction ceremony wtH me place Saturday, May 8
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