Miami Hurricane, September 26, 2000

              Volume 78, Number 9
A little volunteering goes a long way
UM student wins national recognition
By Jackie Weisbein
Hurricane Staff Writer
Last year during Hurricane Irene, Tina Tahmassebi found herself sitting at home perusing the pages of various teen magazines. She soon stumbled upon a two-page spread in Seventeen Magazine advertising a contest for volunteerism awards.
Quickly, she filled out the application and faxed it in.
Tahmassebi, now 21 and a senior majoring in psychology with a double minor in chemistry and biology, was the founder and alumni liaison of Reach Out, a teen organization based at her high school, Nova University School. The group works with Universal Aid for Children, a nonprofit adoption, medical and relief aid group.
Founded her junior year in high school, Reach Out sends medical supplies and other necessities to impoverished and orphaned children in FJ Salvador.
The high school students take the supplies to El Salvador themselves and deliver them to a vocational school and orphanage there that the group works with.
Typically, when a date for a trip is set, the vocational school and orphanage fax a list of supplies needed and then the school students spend the months until the trip collecting all that is needed.
Tahmassebi received notification last year in October that she was
selected as a semi-finalist for the volunteer award. A month later she had a phone interview, but then did not hear anything else.
After another month, she returned from school early because of car trouble and found a Federal Express package waiting for her. Inside was a letter explaining that she had been selected as a first-prize winner and would receive $20, 000, as well as a Target shopping spree and a trip to Washington, D.C.
On June 7, Tahmassebi was awarded the check along with the other winners. Half of her prize money went toward her education while the other half went to the charity of her choice, namely the Reach Out program, which is still continuing at her high school.
At the banquet she met other philanthropists like Faith Hill, Michele Kwan and Cokie Roberts, who congratulated her on her success and dedication to humankind.
“It was really cool to meet all these people who were as interested in helping others as I was," said Tahamassebi. “I didn’t even think I would win...but I figured I had done so much work, I might as well give it a shot.”
Currently, she is applying to medical school with hopes of one day becoming a pediatrician. She still works closely with Reach Out and hopes to see it spread to other schools. Pinecrest School in Ft. Lauderdale has adopted a similar program that helps children in Columbia.
If you are interested in finding out more information about Reach Out, visit:
http://www.uacadoption.org/html docs/reach01.html.
Grove audience cheers Bush
Candidate brings plans to the Grove
By Chris Perret
Hurricane Staff Writer
Signs cluttered the audience. People were screaming, chanting his name, as the Republican nominee for the president of the United States of America entered the building: Governor George W. Bush.
Bush, on his “trail to the White House” made a key South Florida stop last Friday at the Convention Center in Coconut Grove.
There were an estimated 5,000 people in attendance at the rally and a large percentage of those people were Cuban Americans, with whom Bush seems to have gained some much needed popularity and votes, if the rally was any indicator.
The venue started at 7:45 p.m. with the introduction of the Master of Ceremonies for the night, WHYI radio disc jockey and Republican activist, “Foot ie.”
The Rally was coordinated like the Republican Convention, where many Bush activists and other politicians got to speak on Bush’s behalf, providing their insights as to why they think Bush is the premier candidate for the presidency.
After the preliminary speeches, Footie introduced a Cuban Salsa group, which played two festive songs, exciting the crowd in anticipation for Bush’s entrance.
Once Bush entered, the Convention Center erupted with applause, yelling, Bush chants and many other forms of support for the Texas Governor. He was accompanied by his wife, Laura, his
RUSSELL VYOJTUSIAK/R oto Editor
SETTING THE STAGE: GOP candidate George W. Bush speaks about family, social security and tax reduction to a large crowd in Coconut Grove, Friday evening.
brother, Florida Governor Jcb, his daughters, members Congress and a special guest who introduced the Bush family: music producer and Grammy award winner Emilio Estefan.
Governor Jeb Bush came out first, giving further reasons why his brother should be president and announced him in Spanish as “el presidente de los Estados Unidos, mi hermano George W. Bush,” exciting the crowd.
Bush came out in a very relaxed manner and made a few jokes to get the crowd into his speech.
He elaborated on issues like tax reduction, social security and
putting an end to the dictatorship of the Castro regime.
“Mr. Castro must hear this message. We will keep on the sanction until you free your people,” said Bush.
in addition, Bush proposed his plan for providing prescription drugs to the elderly. Bush seemed very confident about his current situation in the presidential race and did not slip once in his speech, which lasted approximately 20 minutes.
He attacked the Clinton administration about the lack integrity and honor in the White House and promised that once he was sworn
in, he would ‘vow to restore and keep decency in the White House. Upon his departure at the end of the speech, he allowed his supporters to shake his hand.
The next step for both candidates is the debates that will take place in the weeks to come. Both candidates have strongly opposing political opinions and the debates could be the deciding factor in who will be the nation’s next president.
The polls show Democrat Al Gore at a slight advantage, but with the confidence factor Bush seemed to display Friday, the debates could work in Bush’s favor come election time, November 7.
•Meet the Candidates*
Information compilée) by Brian Poliakoff
George W. Bush - Republican Party
Taxes: Bush favors reducing and simplifying marginal income-tax rates at all levels. He advocates a $483 billion tax cut program. Bush favors creating four rates, ranging from 10-percent to 33-percent, of income. He pledges to reduce the marriage penalty and eliminate the death tax. Bush favors research and development tax credits and increased job training. Bush advocates tax incentives to encourage charitable donations. He also supports a Balanced Budget Amendment.
Campaign Finance: Bush supports increasing individual contribution limits and instant contribution disclosure. Bush also supports a ban on soft money from corporations and labor unions but not from individuals.
Civil Rights: Bush supports diversity but opposes policies amounting to racial quotas. Bush opposes gay-discrimination laws. He also opposes passage of legislation allowing gays in the Boy Scouts.
Gun Control: Bush supports the current ban on automatic weapons, requiring instant background checks
at gun shows, and stronger enforcement of existing gun laws. Bush opposes "government mandated registration of all guns owned by law-abiding citizens.”
Social Security: Although Bush opposes any tax increase for Social Security, he will not strongly advocate tax reductions until Social Security is saved. Bush supports long-term Social Security privatization and a system of "medical savings accounts as a health insurance option tor all Americans.”
Al Gore - Democratic Party
Taxes: Gore favors a tax cut between $250 to $300 billion. Gore also favors the creation of 401(j) Life-Long Learning Accounts for college as well as education Kjf	JU after age 30 unlike
Pc *1 current education
||l	cates making the
^research and development tax credit permanent. Gore favors eliminating the marriage penalty for families receiving the Earned Income Tax Credit and reducing the marriage penalty in general by increasing the standard deduction.
Campaign Finance: Gore supports the McCain-Feingold Bill that bans soft money, limits issue advertising and tightens disclosure laws.
Civil Rights: Gore supports fund-
ing the disability act. Gore supports the elimination of racial profiling. He believes Affirmative Action is still necessary. Gore favors allowing gays to serve in the Armed Forces and supports elimination of “don’t ask don’t tell.”
Gun Control: Gore worked to enact a ban on assault weapons and to pass the Brady Law, and favors “smart and sensible” gun control.
Social Security: Gore opposes privatization of Social Security or diverting funds from Social Security. He desires to strengthen Social Security. Gore favors investing 62-percent of the budget surplus to continue Social Security until at least 2025.
Ralph Nader • Green Party
Taxes: “I’d really put meat in the process of progressive taxation. The richer people are, the more the percentage you pay. After all, it’s their influence that rigged the system to get them that rich to begin with. And, second, we should tax things we don’t like. We should tax stock market speculation. We should tax pollution. We should tax activities that we don’t like, like sprawl, in order to get a better planning system and better zoning system. And we should
See ISSUES • Page 2
A different kind of fun
Students lend a hand over break
By Danielle Scott
Hurricane Staff Writer
Alternative Spring Break (ASB) gives University of Miami students an opportunity to travel, meet new people, impact different communities and leam about themselves by choosing to help others at sites across the country during the spring break period, according to ASB Executive Board members.
The people at the sites also benefit from the work that the students do in their community.
“Everyone wins. It works both ways,” Lauren Webster, chair of the organization said.
ASB began at UM 10 years ago through the Butler Volunteer Services Center, as a deterrent to the underage drinking and general wildness that college students involved themselves with during spring break.
The Executive Board chooses about 10 pertinent issues by polling UM students.
“We try to gauge the sites with regards to the interests of the students,” Webster said.
“All the issues that we are working on affect us every dayf said Aarika Camp, who is in charge of Student Recruitment.
The board then researches about 10 locations that fit the description of an ASB site with respect to cost, distance and potential level of interaction
Students do not choose where they go, but instead which issue they would like to work with.
“We have students rank what issues are most important to them and we try
to place them in their first choice,” Webster said.
Camp’s first trip was to work with a shelter for domestic violence in Shiprock, New Mexico, on a Navajo Indian Reservation last year.
She decided to go because she, “did not want to sit around and piddle a whole week away”
The group, ideally about 10 students including a site leader, worked with staff to improve facilities for victims and give attention to the children staying at the center. They cooked a traditional Navajo dinner with the women at the shelter.
“It was very interactive. Most people [ who go once j would definitely go back,” she said.
Last year groups also dealt with issues concerning the environment in Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains; hunger and homelessness in San Francisco; and HIV and AIDS in Minnesota.
The benefits that come to participating students are secondary to the cause, said Executive Board members. The
main reason to go on an ASB is to help a community.
“You do it out of the good of your heart,” Camp said.
However, students do learn about themselves, sharpen their leadership and group skills and in the end are rewarded with a sense of accomplishment, she said
Many months of preparation go into planning ASB. The Executive Board for ASB 2001 was chosen this past spring and potential site leaders are going through the selection process right now.
As chair, Webster acts as a mentor to board members and deals with important aspects of the trips such as risk management and insurance.
Spring Break 2001 is the week of March 11-18.
Applications for ASB 2001 are available from Sept. 25, at the Butler Volunteer Services Center (VSC) in the UC Room 240.
For information go to the VSC or call them at 305-284-GIVE.
PHOTO COURTESY OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE CENTER LENDING A HAND: UM volunteers in Damascus in one of several Alternative Spring Break 2000 projects.