Miami Hurricane, February 20, 1998

              CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA
SINCE 1927
VOLUME 75, NUMBER 35
WWW.HURRKANE.MIAMI.EDU
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20,1998
WOMEN SINK PIRATES
■ Miami defeats Seton Hall 73 - 66 behind another double-double by All-Big East center Kym Hope.
SPORTS, page 5
DAWSON'S WORLD
■ Not everybody is crazy about the new hit television show. Read Maximillian Duke's take on the latest teen drama.
ACCENT, page 7
TO BOMB OR NOT TO BOMB?
■ Should the United States invade Iraq once again? Find out what Hurricane columnist Nikolas Kozloff thinks.
OPINION, page 10
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PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DEBATES TODAY
Contenders for the SG presidency will be going head to head at the Rathskeller today at 3 p.m. discussing their respective platforms and expectations for the upcoming academic year if elected.
The presidential candidates are Jeff Basiaga, Andrew Paul and Danny Riley. Students are invited and encouraged to attend the event.
Polls open Feb.23-25.
PHILOSOPHY COLLOQUIUM TO TAKE PLACE NEXT WEEK
Ned Block from New York University will be speaking Thursday and Friday Feb. 26 and 27. Coffee will be served at 3 in Ashe 727, followed by the papers at 3:30 in LC 190.
The first paper is "Why the Explanatory Gap isn't as Big as it Seems to Be?" The second paper is "Reflective Consciousness."
today's weather
Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers. Highs in the lower 80s and evening lows in the lower 60s. Surf temperature 84.
- Njliom) Weather Service
AIDS awareness spreads
■ Safer Sex Carnival brings together fun, knowledge during A Week for Life
By PADMINI UPPU
Hurricane Staff Writer
Many students at the University of Miami are aware of the fatal disease AIDS and HIV.
Some are even personally acquainted with individuals who have died from AIDS or are currently living with the threat of it.
However, there is always room to learn more about the disease and how to prevent it.
Therefore, A Week For Life has organized a variety of activities in order to raise awareness of HIV. During the week, there have been several activities aimed at increasing student awareness of the disease by presenting information in a casual, rather than a classroom, setting.
During the week, students have been given the opportunity to be tested for the HIV virus, learn how to have “Creative Sex” and play the “Penis Ring
Toss”
Cleopatra Abdou, committee member for A Week of Life, said their program’s goals are “to provide students with various programs meant to bring AIDS awareness and the celebration of life to campus."
The well-attended “Creative Sex” seminar in the International Lounge of the University Center featured noted sexologist and UM alumna Marilyn Volker.
A regular speaker during UM’s A Week for Life, Volker spoke frankly about sex and the implications of sexually transmitted diseases.
She said there are approximately 12 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases per year and of these, AIDS makes up the smallest proportion, though it is undoubtedly the most deadly-
Volker suggested many creative ways of releasing sexual energy without actually having sex. The resounding theme of the evening: “Outercourse is safer than Intercourse!”
The Safer Sex Carnival provided students with various pamphlets containing information about AIDS and sex. Condoms, as well as instruction pertaining to their use, were also available.
“This is one of our fun, upbeat activities to promote safe-sex” said Abdou.
See AIDS • Page 2
|.J. GAMA - LOBO / Photo editor
TOSS AWAY: Junior Jessica Lico and sophomore Daniel St. Germaine participate in the "Penis Ring Toss" at the Safer Sex Carnival this week on the University Center Patio during A Week For Life.
Solicitors prey upon students
■ Trusting students fall prey to scam artists on campus
By JULIE B. ZACHARIAS
Hurricane Staff Writer
Scam artists have surfaced on the University of Miami campus.
Alluring students with practical offers or pleas for help, these scammers play on the vulnerability of students.
Just two weeks ago, a freshman, who will remain anonymous, was scammed by someone who claimed to be a fellow student.
This student approached the freshman with a plea for help. According to the freshman, he said he was doing a project for a class, which required signing personal checks for magazines.
“He approached me by the Cox Science Center and convinced me that it was for a class project,” the freshman said.
The freshman was assured by him that the checks would not be cashed.
These checks, he said, were to gain him more points for his project. He then asked that the checks be paid to the order of Ricky Ray.
“1 agreed, thinking of bogus projects I had
to do in high school,” the freshman said.
Within the same week, the student scammer cashed the checks.
Accordin' to the freshman, the scafimer has a tatto on his right bicep of Ttoeety Bird with a sun around it and goes by the name of
Mark Thompson, or Ricky Ray.
"What goes around comes around and he'll suffer in the end.” the freshman said. “I’m still a better person for being a good samantan, granted I was naive.”
While walking through the Breezeway a couple of months ago, sophomore Jamie Kaminetsky and junior Raquel Yohay fell prey to the (camming games played on campus.
However, this time it was by a "walk-on scammei ” who had no affiliations with UM nor had any reason for being on campus, other than for his criminal deeds.
This scam artist claimed the name of John Cochram. Jr. He offered the girls a book of couponv for Hots in the Grove hair salon, listing different options for different promotions. Cochrane said that the salon was looking for young clientele to expand their business.
He said the packages sold for regular customers at$48, but was offered to students at a discount price of $33.
When the girls made their appointments and went to the salon, thi manager would not honor it.
Kaminetsky said, "You can’t tell who's
being licensed in the Breezeway. There are reputable people trying to do business. I am very irritated and more screening should go into who is being allowed on the Breezeway.”
Yohay said she is equally irritated.
“I feel that the fact that solicitors are allowed on our campus is awful, because when I see them on campus I fee 1 that the school approves of it and it makes me trust them,” Yohay said.
Linda Sher. building and event coordinator for the Whitten University Center, said “Students should only get into an agreement with someone who is legitimately here through us, not those who approach you as you are walking to class or those selling items from the back of their cars in the parking lots by Eaton.”
Solicitors in the Breezeway must make a reservation with the UC.
Solicitors walking around the campus with bargains or offers of any sort are not legitimate. but those sitting behind the tables in the UC Breezeway are, Sher said.
Single solicilors can not get a table in the UC, due to the requirement of insurance.
Insurance must be from an incorporated manufacturer.
There was an instance where a student
See SCAM • Page 2
Senate seat filled after long absence
■ Black greeks now have representation in SG Senate
By CHRIS SOBEL
Hurricane Staff Writer While membership in Black Greek letter organizations are on the decline, Kanika Williams this week became the first senator in four years to represent the Federation of Black Greeks in the Student Government Senate.
“We're so small in number and we don't get a lot of recognition.” said Williams, adding that _ among the seven Black Greek organizations on campus, there are only 30 members “It’s such a large population of students, that it doesn't make any sense for them not to be represented.” said Senate Speaker Shannon Neville. "This has been one of my projects all year, to get a senator from FBG .”
According to the Student Government
See SC • Page 2
Events help commuters connect
■ Week aimed to increase University life among commuters
By ERIN GAHAGAN
Hurricane Staff Writer Commuters make up over 50 percent of the student body, a fact most people are not aware of, said Tricia Roberts, coordinator for Commuter Student Affairs.
Roberts, along with the Department of Commuter Student Affairs and the Association of Commuter Students, said she hopes that Commuter Awareness Week, Feb. 23-27, will encourage commuters to get involved more than usual.
There are “ways to get involved that they may not be aware of. It’s harder for commuters to get involved on campus," Roberts said. We want to let them know that the University cares about commuters. They
See COMMUTER • Page 2
Eye doctor visits Health Center regularly
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options have just
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From L30 p.ra. to about 4:30 p«. every Wednesday. Dr. Lloyd Schneider O.D.. a eat*-fied Ojitoftirhk pityddtfi will (eat students who need enter I Or jtal a general
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responding to thune requests, said Mil line! Odd, assistant director of the Stark»* Heal* Services.
“We had students who were asking for It We’re listening to their requ<*fv and augmenting our sfervic«.” Gold For two years, jpneider ha-, treated UM eafloyc - at his office m Coral Gables Gory said she is hap; v that the Health Center is final! offering them this rervicn.
“Having -««sething n campus would bi easier than eying to Bad a doctor in the Miami area. ’ Gary said. The tftOs* advantageous thing would he if I could order my contacts finn.igh » doctor pd ■
Although ¡not fd«itive*as t„ how S netdet would handle «yeglasses services. Gold said fittings and other h services might he cared for at his Cora! GaWc* dike.
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See EYE • Page 2