Miami Hurricane, September 21, 2001

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Swim and dive teams hit the water
SPORTS page 3
Miami H u
Coral Gables, Florida
Volume 79, Number 8
Urban struggle hits the big
ACCENT page 5
SPEC FORM
Since 1927
Friday, September 21,2001
University constructs a disaster plan of its own
In defense of Islam
Muslim community holds forum to teach about Islam
By Jeremy Marks-Peltz
Hurricane Staff Writer
Wednesday afternoon brought the first Islamic lorum to the campus since the attacks last week.
Dispelling the Myths of Islam, an open-to-the public question and answer session, took place at the Flamingo Ballroom in the University Center.
More than 150 students attended the event, which according Teresa De La (iuardia, the director of the event, served multiple purposes tor the Muslim speakers.
“The main motivation behind getting the panel together was that the Islamic students were pretty distressed over the type of reactions that they were getting,” said De La Guardia, who is the director of International Students and Scholars.
“They wanted people to know mote about Islam and they left the more people understood about Islam, the less people would rush to judgement," she said
Stephen Sapp, chair of Religious Studies at the university, served as the moderator tor the panel.
The Muslim students on the panel asked not to he identified in the story.
They' began with-a definition of Islamic terms such as jihad, which means “holy war” and salat, which refers to the Islamic ritual prayer.
Members of the panel also stressed their position on last weeks tragic events.
“I definitely want to state that I am not apologizing tor what happened simply because we weren’t involved," said one unidentified member of the panel.
After the panel members gave brief and assertive opening statements, a plethora of questions were asked and answered. Much of the early questions were devoted to the negative portrayal of Muslims in films.
“As an American, studying history, 1 can say there are a lot of things that we are not proud of in society. One is the need for a new enemy in movies,” said the same panel member.
“Now, everyone, myself included, is guilty of thinking of Muslims as the most common culture to stereotype temirist villains. Unfortunately, you are indoctrinating and brain washing your own country by doing that”
See ISLAM • Page 2
Plan considers firey bomb threats
By Matt Brewer
Hurricane Staff Writer
In the wake of last week’s disaster, terrorism seems to he at the forefront of most people’s thoughts and concerns tor personal safety.
The University’s administration is well aware of potential hazards and as a result has come up with a comprehcn sive plan titled “Disaster Preparation and Recovery: A Plan for Business Continuity.”
The plan, although used primarily in the case of hurricanes, also has proto-
cois for university response “to bomb threats, civil unrest, fire, thunderstorms and lightning damage," said Alan Fish, Vice President for Business Affairs at the university.
Mr. Fish is in charge of the plan— which thoroughly fills a three inch thick hinder—and he also sits as one of the members of the University’s Crisis Decision Team (CDT), an eight-member team headed by President Shalala.
UM’s Crisis Decision Team, which serves all three campuses—Coral Cables, the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science [RSMASJ, and the Medical School—advises President Shalala in making decisions like when to close or reopen school.
The CDT is the group that convened on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. It, canceling classes.
Fortunately, the height of the season tor the perennial yet more predictable destructive	force—hurricanes —
passed last week in South Florida with little more than a few inches of rain and a couple of downed palm fronds caused by feeder bands from Tropical Storm Gabrielle.
Apart from the CDT, there is also a larger F.mergency Advisory Committee (EAC), which consists of all of the deans, vice presidents, and key university administrators.
The EAC helps the university with the gathering and distribution of key
information, particularly the needs of certain areas of the university, as well as accounting for all of the faculty and staff, a requisite action for all of the University departments after a major storm.
One of the best ways not to get caught shorthanded after a major storm is to prepare, said Michael White from UM’s Physical Plant.
White explained how the University gets live feeds and e mail bulletins from RSMAS as well as other sources, tracking the approach of storms.
Once a storm gets close, “certain parts of the [dan are allowed to be implemented...shuttering remote buildings, and ensuring that the storm
drains on campus are clear,” said White.
“The University has established prestanding arrangements with several dozen major contractors for electrical, roofing, glass, debris removal, A/C, elevators, fire alarms/sprinklers, waste management, trees, landscaping, plumbers, bottled water, and we can bring in a water tanker truck too,” said White.
“During a hurricane warning," he said, “we check with all of our contractors, and make sure that they come here
first.”
“UM has installed impact resistant glass (like a car’s windshield) in all of
See PLAN • Page 2
Riehterscâle
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he renovation of the Otto G. Richter Library has recently progressed into Phase 5—construction on the eastern half of the 1st floor, the side closest to the Ashe Administration Building.
On Thursday, September 6th, Arrelano Construction began work on the addition of the Robert Goizueta Pavilion, the future home of the Cuban Heritage Collection (presently located on the western I st floor underrwirth the starks),!« the eastern half of the 2nd floor, scheduled for completion by May 2002.
The Goizueta foundation, based in Atlanta, provided a multi-million dollar grant to the UM Institute lor Cuban and Cuban American Studies (1CCAS) for the purpose of building and renovation a location tor one of the largest collections of Cuban books and memorabilia in .	£	,	,	the world, for the only Cuban Studies center in the United States.
Construction lor Cuban The ICCAS is part of the School of International Studies and coordinates all Cuban-oriented programs at the University.
A construction fence was raised along the north, east and south sides of the eastern half of the building for safety reasons.
This fence will not restrict access to the library or the breezeway, in fact, students have already created a worn path around the fence from the Ashe Building to the breezeway entrance.
Students frequenting the library may have noticed large sections of the reference and computer areas iff the I st floor lobby walled off by construction teams to facilitate normal activities for library patrons.
Work on this eastern half is scheduled tor completion by February 2002, according to the Richter Library website, www.library.miami.edu; renovation will then proceed to the western half iff the I st floor, below the stacks, to be fully completed by fall of 2002. Several large-scale moves of books and journals were completed this summer, ahead of
See RICHTER • Page 2
Heritage Collection begins
Story by Sam Lockhart
Student Government Senate elections Monday
Vote on Easy in the breezeway
By Aubrey Andel
Hurricane Staff Writer
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They have filled out their applica tions, hung their banners and are preparing their platforms. The potential Student (Kwemment (SG) Senators have done their job, now it is time for the student body to do theirs.
On Sept. 24-26 students will have the chance to vote tor who will represent them during the school year in the SG Senate elections.
“They have the authority to make changes," Speaker iff the Senate Mike lohnston said. “If you want to sec things done, these are the people who are going to get them done "
The Senate is the legislative body of the University and has the authority to write bills that affect the school.
Thirty-one students are competing for 20 Senate positions including residential colfeges. commuter students, the College iff Arts and Sciences, the School iff Business, freshmen through seniors, and Fraternity Row.
Five computers will be set up in the bustling breezewav outside of the
University (Center for students to cast their votes between 9 a.m, and 5 p.m. The Easy system on these computers will provide access to the ballots
“The process will take less than 30 seconds,” lohnston said.“lust make sure you know your pm number to fog on to the Fasy system.”
The election process is run by Student Activities and overseen by the SG Elections Commission (EC).
The EC is an independent organization that is responsible for the election's publkity, candidate packets, coonlinat ing meetings, and managing all polling sites. The EC also investigates all election
code violations and forwards them to the SG Trial Court for hearings.
If necessary, run -off elections will be held from Oct. Ist-.fed.
A run-off election will occur if two candidates running for the same Senate seat receive the same highest number of votes.
Anywhere between 5,000-1,000 students are expected to vote in the Senate elections.
“Voting is an opportunity fur your voice to be heard," lohnston said.
The SG Senate members for 2001-2002 will be announced on Oct. 4th at 5 p.m. at The Rat
RUSSELL WOJTUSIAK ! Photo Editor
IN CHARGE: Stucient Government (SG) President Jose “Pepi” Diaz presides over a SG meeting.
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