Veritas, Vol. 31, No. 04, October 15, 1990

              For the Faculty and Staff of the University of Miami
October 15, 1990 Volume 31 Number 4
New trees and plants give “cool” look to RSMAS campus
Landscapers planted dozens of new trees and plants—pink hibiscus, coco plums, gumbo limbo, selloum, and liriope—at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science last week, all according to plans made by volunteers on the Campus Beautification Committee.
Just like the producers of Miami Vice who proclaimed “no earth tones,” Heather Jennings, chairperson of the committee, has some strong ideas about colors. “Cool colors only—no red, no orange, no yellow,” she says. “That’s our rule for the new plants we’re putting in. Things are hot enough out here already.”
Formed about a year ago, the
beautification committee was given the responsibility for using $3,000 from RSMAS campus parking fees to improve landscaping on the campus. Committee members Jennings, Kurt Kaczmerick, Henny Groschel-Becker, Teri Villamor, Lila Ptak, and Arthur Mariano first consulted with experts from the United States and Florida departments of agriculture about what plants would be best suited for the Virgina Key campus. “We learned a lot about xeriscaping,” says Jennings. “Everything we’re planting must be drought, wind, and salt tolerant.”
With that advice and suggestions from others on the RSMAS
campus (“People kept giving us landscaping tips and clipping articles for us,” says Jennings), they developed a plan for improving the existing landscaping and adding new plants.
The committee put together its order for new plants a few months ago, but made some changes after members read an article about landscaping by Julia Morton in Veritas. “I was pleased to see that many of the plants we planned to buy were ones Professor Morton recommended. But I cancelled our order for mahogany trees after reading her article,” says Jennings.
“Things have already started to look much better around here,” Jennings adds. “We have a new
groundskeeper, Paul Wheaton, who has done a lot of needed pruning and fertilizing on campus. Now he’ll be looking after the new plantings as well.”
In support of the campus beautification cause, Jean Yehle, the school’s former public information officer, and Donald Heuer, print shop foreman, donated a tabebuia argentia in memory of their friend Richard Marra, former draftsman for the school who died in 1974.
“The committee hopes to continue landscaping different parts of the campus with funds from this year’s parking fees,” says Jennings.
—Rosemary Sullivant
Miami Coalition is nationwide model drug program
The Miami Coalition for a Drug-Free Community has been recognized by the President’s Drug Advisory Council in Washington, D.C., as a nationwide model for community-based coalitions against drugs. The council will present the two-year-old Miami Coalition, chaired by President Edward T. Foote n, at a forum to be held in Washington November 9-10. The forum also will include demonstrations of coalitions from California and Washington state.
Over the past two years President Bush’s Drug Advisory Council has identified more than 90 community-based coalitions. About half have used The Miami Coalition as a model. Delegations from 14 cities have visited Miami in the past two years to learn about the coalition. Another 26 have consulted with the coalition to form their own groups.
“The idea of finding our own
solutions to the problems of our own communities, workplaces, and schools is enormously powerful,” says Foote. The coalition now has over 750 members from the community. With all the in-kind services (including three executives “on loan” by their employers), volunteer hours, donated advertising, and other products, the coalition has a $9 million annual budget.
The coalition tackles the drug problem at various levels. Since its inception, the group’s successes have included the demolition of more than 700 crack houses, the establishment of Drug-Free School Zones prohibiting drugs within 100 feet of Dade County schools, and a “drug court” to divert first offenders into treatment programs.
The coalition’s success depends
U.S. Surgeon General Antonia Novello meets with President Edward T. Foote II to discuss The Miami Coalition.
on cooperation and coordination with a number of organizations over a five-year period.
“Solutions to problems like this do not happen in a year or two,” says Foote. “They take place over a long period of time with a sustained, well-directed effort that is as comprehensive in its approach as the problem is comprehensive in its danger.”
—Conchita Ruiz-Topinka
Universities affected by new drug law
The University’s efforts to prevent the use of illegal drugs on campus have been strengthened by a new law passed by the Florida Legislature, effective October 1.
The law states that “it is unlawful for any person to sell, purchase, manufacture, or deliver, or to possess with the intent to sell, purchase manufacture or deliver, a controlled substance in, on, or within 200 feet of ... a public or private college or university . . . .”
The minimum mandatory sentence for anyone caught and found guilty is three years in jail.
“Our responsibility is to inform the community around us,” says William Butler, vice president for student affairs and chairperson of the University’s task force for substance abuse. “We intend to comply to the letter of the law.”