Miami Hurricane, February 24, 1998

              CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA	SINCE 1927
VOLUME 75, NUMBER 36_______________________________ WWW HURRKANE.MIAMI.EDU______________________________ TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24,1998
BASEBALL BLOWOUT
■ The Fighting Irish are fighting disbelief after a 27-2 blowout at the hands of the Miami .Hurricanes.
SPORTS, page 5
ADVENTURES IN DINING
■ Is it really as bad as other people say it is? Find out what one student thinks of the DAKA dining experience.
ACCENT, page 7 HERE IN MY CAR
■ The University is trying to raise commuter awareness this week. Find out what you can do.
OPINION, page 10
news briefs
-THERE SHE IS...'
Miss America Kate Shindle will be on campus Wednesday, Feb. 25, to speak about HIV and AIDS. In an event hosted by Volunteer Services, Hurricane Productions, Student Life and the Department of Wellness and Recreation, the current Miss America will attend a buffet and speak on the University Center Patio. The buffet will be from 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and students are asked to call Hurricane Productions at 284-5646 if they would like to make a reservation to attend. Miss America will then present a speech sponsored by Home Access Health entitled, "On The Way to a Cure, Preventing HIV Transmission in America," on the UC Patio from 12 to 1 p.m. All students are welcome and encouraged to attend this event.
DON'T FORGET TO VOTE
Students have until Wednesday to vote for Student Government presidential and senatorial	candidates.
Computer stations are set up in the UC Breezeway.
today's weather
BRRRRRRR...
It's going to be chilly. Snow is expected for most of the Greater Miami-Dade county area. Temps will be in the 30s. Does anyone actually read thisf
IN THE CROSSFIRE
Rat holds debates
By SARAH GUARNACCIA
News Editor
Who knew that holding the presidential debates in an unconventional location would generate such an unconventional event?
The Rathskeller was the hub of the Student Government presidential race last week, when the three candidates and their constituents gathered for some political talk and chicken fingers during the 1998 SG Presidential Debates.
The event was more than just a crossfire of ideals, however. With fell swoops off the stage by one candidate and words of defeat uttered by another, the debate was unprecedented.
“I’m not familiar with debates,” said contender Jeff Basiaga. who leaped off the risers during his closing remarks.
The candidates did bring both similar and diverse issues to the table as they responded to questions asked by moderator Kelly Ruane, editor in chief of The Miami Hurricane.
In two minutes, the candidates were given the floor to introduce their platforms.
Although he didn't reveal his platform in its entirely to start, Basiaga, who is running on the ticket “Visions,” said he wants to see the best candidate win
Opponent Andrew Paul incorporated into his platform a goal that he hopes to see carried out before any winners are revealed.
GAMA - IOBO / Photo Editor
SHOWDOWN: SG presidential candidates (from left) leff Basiaga, Andrew Paul and Danny Riley made an impression last week.
Paul said he wants to increase voter turnout this week at the polls.
“We need [students] to just go out and vote," Paul said.
Along with his experience in SG. Paul said as president he will facilitate feedback from the student body as to what students want.
“I’ll leave it to [them]," Paul said. “I’ll be the do' guy."
Paul is running on the “U Decide“ ticket, which is similar to current SG President Jonathan Brill’s candidacy ticket last spring. “It’s All Up to U.”
Set DEBATE • Page 4
Dual arson fires ablaze at Eaton
■ Bothered residents evacuated in pajamas and bare feet at 5 a.m.
By SARAH GUARNACCIA
News Editor
Living in Eaton Residential College this week meant gettting a wake-up call ahead of schedule— with no snooze button.
Students heard a fire alarm that would send them, unscathed, to the streets and paths of the University of Miami at 5 a.m. Friday morning.
Unlikely heroes and cranky students were the outcome of a fire centralized to two trash receptacles. The first, extinguished immediately by a resident assistant, was found in a trash bin on the south portion of the fourth floor. The second, though contained, was in the dumpster on the north grounds of the residential college.
According to Major Henry Christensen, Department of Public Safety director, students were not harmed and no damage was found.
"There was no threat of the fire." Christensen said.
While waiting for Coral Gables Fire Department to arrive, flaming and smoking continued until on-looking DAKA employees put out the fire. With wastebaskets full of water, the food service workers extinguished the fire before Coral Gables' units got there.
Upon their arrival, the fire department declared the fire as arson and an investigation ensued immediately following the evacuation of the residents.
“We would be very concerned if we were to find the person. We certainly would take very serious action." said Patricia Whitely, vice president of Student Affairs.
Students were kept abreast of the status of the fire and the progress of the investigation, said Bob Redick, director of Residence Halls. However, most students said they weren't concerned and they just wanted to go hack to bed.
“If this had happened at 10 at night. I would have thought it was a lot more entertaining than at five in the morning,” said freshman David Kinney, who had considered sleeping on the curb of Dickinson Drive when he was told he'd be waiting outside for two hours while they ventilated the building.
Kinney said he was well aw; re that the fire was deliberate.
"It didn't take a genius to figure out if a trash can is on fire in the middle the night, somebody lit it,” he said.
According to Juan Chang, a security assistant working the front desk of Eaton that morning, nothing strange or out of the ordinary happened on his shift that would lead him to believe an arsonist was in his midst. However. Chang was disturbed by an odd request made by someone outside of Eaton.
See FIRE • Page 2
Organizations learn to share wealth
■ Lack of funding turns student groups to each other’s aid
By SARAH GUARNACCIA
News Editor
Two organizations have pooled their resources to have a ball, at a lime when little funding has been allotted to either of them.
Together, Hurricane Productions and Commuter Student Affairs are bnnging CarniGras to students this week.
For the first year. CarniGras will include The Masquerade Party, which will occur just as Commuter Awareness Week is ending and CarniGras is beginning.
The party serves as a transition from one event to the next, while bridging a gap between the two groups.
Although Commuter Student Affairs and Hurricane Productions both full under the category of Student Life, they each have always held separate events with different goals in mind.
We "work closely with Student Activities," suid Tricia Roberts, director of Commuter Student Affairs. However, "focused on commuter students, |we] encompass a whole different arena."
According to commuter students said Roberts, they aren't familial enough with on-campus happei ings. But even though their focii-deals primarily with commuter
Issues. Roberts said their goal is not to limit the students to commuter
. events
"I thought it would be best if we i tried toco-program [so] that I could also encourage commuters to go,"
she said.
The minute Roberts heard the ideas for CarniGras projected by sophomores Julie Vilaboy and Mercy Fernandez of Hurricane Productions, she started the bidding.
They said to look at what I could afford for my budget," Roberts said.
Commuter Student Affairs became a part of the event after funding Hurricane Productions with a total of $500. including a mention of the event in the commuter newsletter, and posting advertisements throughout campus, which is
just what Hurricane Productions needed.
Since September, as co-chairs of CarniGras. Vilaboy and Fernandez said they wanted to make the event nearly just as large as it had been in years past. Such events in previous years included carnival rides on the Intramural Field and spanned an entire week, instead of just one day like it is now.
But according to Vilaboy. Hurricane Productions had a larger amount of money to play with in those past years.
“The funding has gone down every year." she said
Organizations such as Hurricane Productions and Commuter Student Affairs rely on money from the Student Activity Fee Allocation
Committee (SAFAC) to help fund their events.
Consisting of undergraduate students, SAFAC is not responsible for funding the entirety of an organization. They exist offering monetary assistance to supplement an organization's needs. For any more funding. organizations are encouraged to seek outside sources.
Consequently, Vilaboy and Fernandez sought out extra funding to further their cause
With fund-raising, assistance from outside sources and the support of Commuter Student Affairs, the Masquerade Party will almost be able to provide prizes for all who attend.
“There was money coming from
See FUND* Page 2
SAYING GOODBYE: A WEEK FOR LIFE ENDS
AIDS WALK MIAMI

J.J. GAMA - IOBO / Photo
THE NAMES PROJECT
While seeking to educate students about HIV and AIDS, the A Week For Life Committee took the campus down a mad that led to both sorrow and triumph.
With the presence of the National AIDS quilt, performances and a community walk, students were reminded of the fragility of life and its presence of upward battles. Yet, a celebration was In order as students took on this grand project and made life worth living.
J.J. GAMA - LOBO / Photo Editor
LORI KURLAN/ Hurricane Staff Photographer