Miami Hurricane, March 30, 2001

              UM battles No. 24 Cal St. Fullerton
SPORTS page 5
SPEC FORM
Surprises, big productions mark Oscars
ACCENT page 7
Coral Gables, Florida Volume 78, Number 43
WWW.HURRICANE.MIAMI.E
Since 1927
Friday, March 30,2001
Student Government Executive Board
THE NEW REIGN
2001 Inauguration
RUSSELL WOJTUSIAK/ Photo Editor
THE NEW OFFICERS: Student Government President Jose Diaz’s executive board sits onstage at the Rathskeller during Wednesday’s Inauguration. At the podium, outgoing President Shane Weaver gives his farewell address.
By Danielle Scott
Assistant News Editor
At 4:30 p.m. last Tuesday at the Rathskellar something very special happened. One president gave his last official speech. Another president acted over his last official inaugura tion. And one lucky president began a new era of leadership.
It was the 2001 Student Government (SG) Inauguration. As former SG president Shane Weaver stepped down, new SG president Jose “Pepi” Diaz stepped up to the plate.
The new SG administration, however, was not the only change commemorated by the inauguration. It marked President Tad Foote’s last opportunity to officially act over an inauguration. This upcoming year also commemorates the 75th anniversary of the University of Miami.
The three speakers for the event, Foote, Weaver and Diaz addressed a full house, which included family, friends and supporters, Dr. Pat Whitely, the old Executive Board and Aileen Ugalde, assistant to upcoming President Donna Shalala.
“You are all taking office in a time of remarkable passage for the University,” Foote said as he addressed the new SG administration following an introduction by Whitely.
“There is no job more compelling than being a university president. The University of Miami has had excellent
student leaders over the years. Students who were willing to work hard for this place, and it couldn’t be better to a president of a university in such a place,” he said.
Weaver was the second speaker. He outlined the successes of his SG administration such as later dining hall hours, cash dispensers in the Wellness Center and Mahoney and Pearson Residential Colleges, and arriving at an agreement with the University to adhere more closely to the Miami-Dade policy when natural disasters hit the community.
“What does one say at the end of an administration?" Weaver asked.
“At the end of the administration, one could say that we have had the honor both to be the first administra-tions-sworn in at the start of the millennium, the beginning of a new era-and the last to close out the era of our esteemed President Foote," Weaver said.
“One could say that the strength of an administration is evidenced by the leaders it produces, and four of this year’s members will return to serve you this upcoming year,” he said.
“One could say that we have seen the power the students have to make changes here. We have seen the mountains we can move when the students, faculty and administration all work
See SG • Page 2
AGLO conference helps build better greek leaders
Communication building dedicated
By Hadley Gamble and Jenny Davison
Off the Staff
Greek affiliated students met at the Whitten University Center, Sunday, to participate in “Proud to be Greek,” a four-hour long seminar hosted by AGLO, the Association of Greek-Letter Organizations.
AGLO, whose purpose is mainly to coordinate programming within the Greek system, includes the Federation of Historically Black Greek Letter Organizations, the Inter-Fraternity Council, the Latino Greek Council and the Panhellenic Association.
The leadership conference, chaired by Amanda Powers and vice chaired by Dave Hernandez, was an opportunity to bring greek leaders together, and to increase their effectiveness in their chapters, said Hernandez.
The keynote address, given by Nonnie Cameron, set the tone for the afternoon.
A certified business etiquette consultant, Cameron facilitates etiquette and interpersonal skills programs across the country.
Congresswoman stresses activism
By Priya Idiculla
Hurricane Staff Writer
Carrie Meek’s grandfather was a slave. Her mother was a washwoman.
Meek is the first African-American elected to Congress from Florida since Reconstruction.
Monday, The Department of Women’s Studies invited her to discuss “Women in Politics” to students and UM community members at the Storer Auditorium.
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Focusing on climbing to success in today’s society, greek leaders were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities stressing the importance of interpersonal communication.
“Because leaders in the greek system are attempting to manage their peers, it is often difficult for them to become acknowledged authority figures. The conference is geared toward understanding effective means of problem solving, as well as establish inggood working relationships,” said Justin Levine of Lambda Chi Alpha.
Also speaking at the conference was Chris Locke, assistant director for Student Wellness at the George A. Smathers Wellness Center.
Locke emphasized viewing confrontation as a caring act, as well as the importance of member accountability.
Participant Julie McCoy, vice president of Social Standards for Delta Gamma, said she felt that “by role-playing, we were able to gain experience with confronting our friends, peers and chapter members.”
Todd Sullivan, assistant director of
“I walked with the same cane as anyone else and I know what it’s like to survive in the world,” said Meek of her experiences as a woman and a politician.
“I’ve noticed that politics is everywhere and in every walk of life, even in the academic marketplace where you have to negotiate for your grades.”
Meek was elected in 1992 and her long list of affiliations include being a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the NAACP.
Her grandfather was a slave, and she said knowledge of her family
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Campus Life for Greek Affairs at Florida International University spoke on how to make risk management work, while Mike Farley, coordinator of Greek Life and Leadership Development at the University of South Florida, directed his focus towards mastering “leadership with an impact.”
Each section of the conference involved audience interaction, so that leaders were given the opportunity to experience situations in which leadership skills were imperative in making their arguments, said Hernandez.
A dramatic increase in the level of participation was also evident at the conference. Over 170 Greek leaders attended in contrast with the usual 120, according to Hernandez.
“The seminar was largely successful,” said Hernandez. “The topics of concern were not only relevant in today’s greek community, but the speakers found new and interesting ways of motivating greeks to understand ways of dealing with those issues.”
history and its connection to slavery has helped shape the kind of person she is. “I kept my humility in college. I know now that women have a double handicap. We are a political minority.”
Meek’s talk focused on how women need to vote and take an active part in the democratic system.
“The gaining of power requires that you must vote. You must realize that like Gloria Steinam said, ‘every issue is a woman’s issue.’”
To influence young women to go into politics, Meek said that a politi-
See MEEK • Page 3
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A tale of two buildings
By Daniel Boniface
Hurricane Staff Writer
It was the best of buildings, it was the worst of buildings, but as of spring break, the School of Communications said farewell to its old home, the Merrick Building.
Monday afternoon hundreds were in attendance as the School welcomed in a new era with the dedication of the Frances L. Wolfson School of Communication Building. Merrick’s replacement, Wolfson is a step in the direction of maintaining the University’s reputation as a top-notch school for the major.
“The new building symbolizes a commitment,” said Bob Radziewicz, journalism instructor at UM and assistant city editor for The Miami Herald. “The whole program is moving ahead. The new classrooms are brighter and roomier, and anytime you have a better atmosphere, it makes it that much easier for the students to learn.”
Classes began in Wolfson after spring break, and with the building’s special invitation-only ceremony dedication, the school’s move is right on schedule, said founding dean of the School, Edward Pfister.
The 510 million, 56,000-square foot Wolfson Building, is now housing all of the School of Communication’s programs under one roof for the first time in time for the School’s 15th anniversary next semester.
Pfister and Board of Trustees members-induding School of Communication patroness Frances Wolfson, for whom the building is named-spoke at the dedication ceremony.
“This new building and all its facilities will give our students the competitive edge,” said Pfister. “The generosity of Frances L. Wolfson will ensure that the theoretical as well as the hands-on learning stu-
dents get at UM readies them for this dynamic industry.”
President Edward T. Foote 11 and Coral Gables Mayor Raul Valdes-Fauli were also in attendance along with prominent UM faculty, past-faculty, administrators and local politicians.
Merrick, the longest standing building on campus, served its purpose, but was now grossly outdated, according to Pfister.
“It’s night and day,” he said of the differences between the two buildings. “Merrick was designed for education 40 to 50 years ago. Wolfson is a space designed for communication education today. That’s the real difference.”
Pfister went on to say that Wolfson’s technology is ahead of the curve right now. He admitted that he didn’t know how long it would stay ahead, but as far as communication education goes, the building is currently the top of the line.
Other than a few minor glitches, such as computers freezing, or a chair shortage, the new building has received nothing but positive feedback from its inhabitants, as well.
“I think the new classrooms are much nicer than the old ones,” said communications student and newly
elected Student Government sena-f tor for the School, Heather Bogus.
Wolfson is the new home to the School’s 1,300-plus undergraduate and graduate students, as well as more than 44 faculty members.
The School of Communication currently offers 10 major fields of study: advertising, broadcasting, broadcast journalism, communication studies, print journalism, media management, motion pictures, photography, public relations, and video-film production.
“The communications students deserve to have their own facilities and a comfortable learning environment,” said Bogus. “I’m sure this will be a big improvement over the cramped, makeshift little rooms we had to use in Merrick.”
So what will become of Merrick now?
Dean Pfister admitted that he honestly didn’t know. He said that the department of Sociology was rumored to take over the extra space, but he had seen no definite plans.
So, as the School of Communications bids adieu to Merrick, we can only wonder what is in store next for the campus’s longest standing piece of tradition.
.JORGE GALVEZ/ Photo Editor
GENEROUS BENEFACTOR: Frances Wolfson speaks during the dedication of the new Wolfson Communication Building Monday afternoon.
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Meek discusses women in politics