Miami Hurricane, February 20, 2001

              S?ES FORM
Elon, Morris’ alma mater, swept by UM

page 5
m
’i j
Chris Rock rebounds with new film
ACCENT page 11
Tir: Miami Hum
Coral Gables, Florida
Since 1927
Volume 78, Number 35
WWW.HURRICANE.MIAMI.EDU
symphonic
sday, February 20,2001
School of Music bids Foote adieu
8y Fawad Siddiqui
News Editor
In 1957, a Yale college student stood with his Country-and-Western band and played a gig on the grass at the edge of Lake Osceola. It was his very first trip to the University of Miami.
Saturday evening, that student was
honored as the University’s longest serving president with a gala concert by the School of Music’s Symphony Orchestra to a near-capacity crowd in the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall.
That student’s name was Edward T. Foote II.
“This is a place of beautiful music,” said Foote of the University in his opening comments before the concert—just after telling the tale of that college trip with his then band, The Augmented Seven.
“My first experience at UM was
RUSSEL WOJTliSIAK / Hurricane Staff
FINALE FOR FOOTE: Professor Thomas Sleeper leads members of the UM Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Alfred Schnitke’s “Concerto No. 3," at the Gala Concert in honor of Edward and Bosey Foote, Saturday evening.
through music,” he said. Similarly, when he became President of the University in 1981, Foote said the first event held in his honor was a School erf Music concert, with one key difference from Saturday’s concert.
“I looked around then and what I saw...was strangers,” said Foote. “I look around today and what I see are friends and colleagues "
“The School of Music is one of our three oldest schools and one of the best anywhere. So, to be honored by these colleagues and students means a lot to me,” said Foote.
The concert was the idea of School of Music Dean William Hipp, and honored Foote and his wife, Bosey, for their various contributions to UM over the last 20 years.
It was organized through the combined efforts of the Music School, the Events Management Department and the President’s Office and featured “Concerto No. 3” for Violin and Chamber Orchestra by Alfred Schnitke and Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 5.”
The UM Orchestra was conducted by Professor Thomas Sleeper, with Professor Robert Rozek as violin soloist.
Though the concert was already planned as one of the orchestra’s venues for this year, it was Hipp who decided last October to make it in honor of President Foote.
“We in the School of Music believe that the most meaningful tribute to the Footes we could give would be through the gift of music performed
off
by our students and faculty," said Hipp while introducing the president.
“It has been during hia tenure that the University of Miami firmly established itself as one of the nation’s leading major research institutions,"
he said of Foote.
Hipp also praised Boaey Foote as “a second very essential figure.”
“Through her interett and exper tise in landscaping and architectural design, she has been a leader in creating one of the most beautiful university campuses anywhOf," he said.
Friday, the VIP concert had accidentally been announced in The Miami Herald and UM Website as free and open to the public, despite all Gusman Hall’s 600 scats being reserved in advance. Eighty extra seats had even been added to accommodate Orchestra members’ families.
The potential over-crowding did not become a problem, though, as a fewer people than expected actually made it to the event.
“I see there are a couple of empty seats,” noted Professor Sleeper, after stepping on stage before 17 student-performers and Professor Rozek to conduct the first of the evening’s pieces. “I’d like to have the names of those people,” he joked.
Sleeper then led the audience in a classroom-style explanation of the Schnitke piece that would be performed, giving examples of what they would be hearing with the aide of
See FOOTE • Page 4

FunDay turns campus into a Wonderland
By Aubrey Andel
Hurricane Staff Writer
“Do Something Positive! Make A Difference!” read a banner promoting Saturday afternoon’s FunDay 2001. That is exactly what over 350 UM students gathered to do by being the “buddies” of hundreds of mentally challenged “special citizens” from the local community.
This year marked the 20th anniversary of the event and the celebration once again included an appearance by President Edward T. Foote II, who has supported FunDay since its inception in 1981.
“I went to my first FunDay 20 years ago, before most of you were bom,” Foote said during the opening ceremo ny at The Rock. “This has been one of my favorite events.”
A member of the FunDay Executive Committee awarded Foote a plaque to recognize his outstanding service to the event. Vk^ President for Student Affairs Dr. Patricia Whitely then roused the audience with the announcement that there would be a barbecue provided by Chartweils.
Finally, Sebastian the Ibis was accompanied by the Sunsations dance troupe and UM cheerleaders for the C-A-N-E-S cheer, and FunDay was on its way.
The special citizens who attended the event came from eight agencies in the Miami area. The event’s chair, Danny Britton, said they had called abou| 20 agencies all aniun^Miami
Dade County.
“We look for between 300 to 400 citizens,” Britton said. “Then we have to cut it off. We can’t accept any more.”
The homes that arc regulars for the event include Wayside Baptist Church, Community Habilitation Center (CHC), the Autism Society of America and UCP, Britton said.
This year’s theme was FunDay in Wonderland. The approximately 350 buddies and 350 special citizens were divided into five groups, each with a group name taken from Alice in Wonderland: TWeedle Dees, Queen of Hearts, White Rabbits, King of Crowns and Mad Hatters.
Music ranging from Shaggy’s “Angel”toVan Morrison’s “Brown-Eyed Girl” blasted from speakers at The Rock while the groups formed circles to play Simon Says and Duck, Duck, Goose before departing to one of six stations.
At the Rock was a station that combined music, hula-hoops and dancing.
Staff member of CHC Hortensia Azcuy enjoyed watching the citizens dance.“They can’t read or write,” Azcuy said. “But they can feel the music.”
Azcuy’s son Gilberto, who has Down’s Syndrome, also attended the event.
Gloria Oyarzun, the athletic director of CHC said her home was involved since the event’s first anniversary and that her group loves FunDay.
“It’s good that they mainstream with the students here,” Oyarzun said.
“It makes them feel like they’re a part of something.”
The entrance to The Queen’s Playground station, a miniature carnival, held on the Commencement Greens was a rainbow of colorful balloons.
Senior Michael Kricsfeld and junior Adam Hellebrand, members of Sigma Alpha Mu, said their fraternity comes out year after year to help with the midway games.
They had an advantage in dealing with the early afternoon heat in the midway.
“We have an unlimited supply of sno-cones and a dunk tank,” Hellebrand said.
Other attractions at the carnival were face paintings, bouncing in the “Jump For Fun Castle” and various games.
Hamburgers and hotdogs were offered to hungry participants at the Mad Hatter’s Barbecue Picnic held on the University Center Patio.
Special citizen Gary Katz was more interested in finding Sebastian than in the food. “I want to know where the mascot is,” Katz said.“I think he’s fabulous at the football games."
His buddy, junior Alex Bolanos is a veteran of working with special citizens. “1 have volunteered for Special Olympics at Miami-Dade Community College,” Bolanos said.
The two found common ground
See FUNDAY • Page 2
Birthday bash at Rat
ANDREA BADEN / Hurricane Staff CUTTING IN: Senior Michael Kricsfeld slices the cake to signify the end of the week celebrating the Rathskeller’s 28th birthday, Friday afternoon at the Rat.
it	f