Miami Hurricane, March 06, 1987

              Fair days
The UM chapter of the Florida Engineering Society sponsored a fair for interested high school students.
News — page 3
Plastic protection
With the coming of Spring break, a call to safe sex is being made — and that includes the use of condoms.
Accent — page 6
Johnson gets tough
Coach Jimmy Johnson lays down the discipline law for his football players.
Sports — page 8
V» '}»
Volume 64, Number 3C
University of Miami
Friday, March 6, 1987
Save the teddies!	e™cockshy™«s*«
Two freshmen carry their belongings outside during Wednesday's fire drill at Mahoney Hall.
Work angers students
ay BARBRA SPALTEN
Hurricane Assistant News Editor
About 40 residents of Mahoney and Pearson halls met with members of the University of Miami's administration Wednesday night to voice their complaints about the renovation of Pearson Hall to a residential college.
About 300 student» who live In the building’s short wings are affected the most by the construction.
Heavy construction. Including work on floors and columns, ends May 15 The inside, comprised of wails and utilities, will be completed by June 30.
Dr William Butler, vice president for student affairs, said he was willing to listen to reasonable requests. John Geeslin, project coordinator of Physical Plant, also attended the meeting.
The students said they wanted monetary compensation for the inconvenience, but the administration said that would be impossible.
Brandon Barnett, a freshman Pearson resident, said. "We want compensation. We are living in unlivable standards."
He gave a petition to Butler with the names of over 100 residents who said they wpre angry about the construction.
Butler said that he had no money to give students but that they always have the option to move.
"If anybody wants to move. I’ll see to it personally that a place is found."
Students said the proposal to move was presumptuous and inexcusable by the administration and that moving was an inconvenience to them. They said they had already formed friendships in their halls.
Another major complaint, according to residents, is the noise level in the rooms, especially in the wing facing the construction.
One resident said she had to talk on the telephone inside the bathroom and she could still hardly hear.
More problems, according to residents. Include obscene language, tobacco spitting and urination by construction workers; poor access to mailboxes; smoke and dust from the machines; periods without hot water or air conditioning; and lack of security in the parking lots.
Butler agreed to look into a student suggestion to
a«nlgn a maintenance worker Co the bulidins for any
necessary repairs.
Students said they are upset about construction past 5 p m. and construction on Saturdays. Geeslin said that in the future, physical plant will try to notify the students about weekend construction.
Students also complained that the University did not notify them about the construction before they moved in.
Residents were told of the construction plans when they returned from winter break. Many agreed it was poor communication by the University.
"There was no effort by the administration to make us aware of the construction before we signed a contract," Barnett said. "The construction had to have been thought about."
The school is “morally and legally wrong,” Barnett said. "You never told the incoming freshmen about the construction even though you knew it might happen."
Sophomore Lee Feinberg said that returning students also were not told of the plans.
To help students, a three-page pamphlet listing places to study is available from resident assistants. Leonard said that the Hillel Center is offering its rooms for study between 9 a m. and 5 p.m.
“Hillel is close to home," Leonard said, noting that the Richter Library is too far away for some students.
SEC acting chair named
By BARBRA SPALTEN
Hurricane Assistant News Editor
Shannon McIntosh was appointed acting chairperson of the Student Entertainment Committee Monday night to replace Mitch Morales, who announced his resignation about two weeks ago.
McIntosh will act as chairperson until the committee elects a new chairperson in April.
Six voting members and about nine other members comprise SEC. The non-voting members apply for seats on the committee, but the voting members must run in the student government spring elections.
Of the six voting seats, four are up for reelection Lina Lopez, Roman Frillarte, Franclne Thomas, and Eva Strelka are all leaving the committee, according to Morales.
Two of the seats were elected in the fall.
Screening for the SEC seats ended last Friday. Since two tickets have been announced for the Undergraduate Student Body Government elections, eight candidates will run for the four scats.
Morales, Director of Student Activities Dave Brown, and current USBG senators and officers Please see page 3/SEC
New college masters to be
‘This is a wonderful experience and an outstanding learning experience, and I would like to think that the students feel the same
way.’
Or. Timothy Mescon, master of The Residential College
By AMY FINEGOLD
Hurricane Stall Writer
It looks as if there will be some new faces at the residential colleges this fall. Two masters will be leaving, and a master will be appointed to the new Pearson Residential College.
Dr. Ross Murfin, assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, will no longer be master of the Hecht Residential College. Dr. Timothy Mescon. assistant dean of undergraduate studies of the Business School, is also leaving his job as master of The Residential College.
Murfin said he has had a lot of interesting activities as master and has valued the friendship with the students.
“It has been a great three years," said Murfin. “We get well-known scholars nationally and internationally."
Murfin is leaving the residential college to go to London to write three different books, including one on author D.H. Lawrence and another on how the vote is extended to the lower classes
Mescon also said he enjoyed residential college life and living in
one of the "biggest" houses in Miami.
“This is a wonderful experience and an outstanding learning experience, and I would like to think that the students feel the same way.”
Mescon is leaving because of a personal opportunity. He was asked to start a new program and to be the first dean of the Franklin P. Purdue School of Business at Salisbury State College in Maryland.
"This is one of the greatest concepts at the University." Mescon said of the residential college system.“The Residential College will make the University of Miami one of the most distinct universities."
No replacements have been named yet. The University looks
for “distinguished scholars who have the respect of their faculty peers and for gifted teachers who enjoy working with students and who are capable of shaping a community ethos of culture, sophistication and fun.” said Dr. James Ashe, associate provost.
Ashe assists the administration in seeking out distinguished and tenured faculty members who are willing and able to serve as masters.
From these candidates, the president of the University appoints the master for a three-year term, which can be renewed for an additional three years with the consent of both the master and the president.
The masters appoint two other faculty members as associate masters These associates live in
Students to vote on SAFAC replacement
By LINA LOPEZ
Hurricane Copy Editor
In the upcoming Undergraduate Student Body Government elections on March 24 and 25. students will be asked to vote on a referendum to replace the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee with a USBG Senate Allocation Committee.
The Senate passed the bill placing this question on referendum by a 27-4-1 vote at the USBG meeting Wednesday.
The referendum, if passed, would set up a Senate Allocations Committee to replace the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee. Like SAFAC, this committee would hear presentations by organizations requesting funding from the student activity fee.
The committee would then submit a bill to the USBG Senate for approval. The bill would need a majority vote to pass. The USBG president would then approve or veto it. The veto could be overturned by a two-thirds vote from the Senate.
USBG president Jose Garcia, who co-authored the bill with USBG treasurer and SAFAC chairperson Maria Stanonis, explained that students have the right to decide the future of the activity fee.
“The senate, not the executive officers, not the cabinet, represents the full voice of the student body." Garcia said. "Students
should hn v«- til ro«-f ropresenlalion
on fho allocation process fthrnuRh the senators! ... that is the function of government ’’
Garcia briefly summarized the findings of the presidential report on SAFAC, which cited the committee's "persistent problems."
According to the report, the randomly selected at-large members “have no working knowledge of the general budgetary process." Undue influence of the SAFAC advisor on decisions which should be made by students was also addressed
In addition, the report criticized the disproportionate influence of large organizations which have voting seats on SAFAC and a lack of checks and balances in a committee which holds such funding power.
Juan Diaz, who was sworn in at the meeting as the senator for the Council of International Student Organizations and who represents the department of student activities on SAFAC, spoke against the bill.
He said that SAFAC is "not a perfect committee, and replacing it would be like cutting off the arm when you have a broken bone.
"SAFAC is receptive to student input," Diaz said, responding to USBG’s report, which charged that "SAFAC members make decisions behind closed doors."
Diaz presented the senate with signatures from various student organizations representatives who are against the USBG bill and a report of his own explaining why SAFAC should not be replaced.
Diaz spoke in favor of the
selected
the college and assist with activities, Ashe said.
Associate masters may be chosen to fill the positions of master. If they are chosen, they must be tenured. The master chosen will usually be someone new from the faculty, according to Ashe.
Murfin’s associate masters at HRC are Connie Weldon, assistant dean of the School of Music, and Jim Shelley, director of academic and research systems for Information Systems.
The Residential College’s associate masters are Dr. Thompson Biggers, assistant professor of speech communication, and Steve Ullmann, assistant professor of economics.
Murfin and Mescon discussed the responsibilities and joys of serving as a master of a residential college.
“If a master takes up a residency and he doesn’t take any interest in what is going on in the building that involves the student, then the master doesn’t belong there," Murfin said
at-large members of the committee and emphasized their ability to make unbiased decisions. He opposed the proposed Senate Allocations Committee, mentioning in particular the veto power of the USBG president on senate allocations.
"The president of USBG should not be responsible for holding the purse strings of campus organizations," he said. He added that most students would not know enough about the details of the referendum to make an educated vote
Bill Barzee, senate speaker pro tempore, explained that in the three weeks before the referendum is placed on the ballot, student government could ensure that the student body is informed and allow "the populus to decide what it wants in the future."
Garcia stressed that students
would vote primarily on principle, with the details to be worked out after the referendum is voted on. He said that the Honor Code referendum on last year’s spring ballot was similarly implemented.
"It [the referendum) is a broad brushstroke," Garcia said "It can be changed ... but it’s a place to start."
Other bills passed at the meeting
included a proposal to extend the add period to at least five academic days after the first day of classes and a proposal to give Greek organizations priority for the use of any Panhellenic Building suite that becomes unoccupied by another Greek organization.
Also, Erie Nelson resigned as ombudsman, complaining that some student government members are more interested in their positions than working for student interests
Committee criticizes chairperson’s role
By MAUREEN MCDERMOTT
Hurricane Staff Writer
Conflict between members of the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee and the committee's chairperson. Undergraduate
Sfucicnt liody dovamment trra-
aftrr Wednesday^" nîperïnp Dp-cause she co-authored a bill with USBG president Jose Garcia that would create a USBG Senate Allocation Committee.
After allocations were taken care of by the committee, concerns were expressed that her title as SAFAC chairperson appeared on the bill; some members said she undermined the committee hv supporting a bill that could lead to its elimination.
"Stanonis is working to the detriment of the committee.” said Campus Sports and Recreation representative Chris Bowers.
The USBG senate passed a bill earlier that day that proposed placing a referendum on the spring ballot asking students if they support allowing USBG to distribute the student activity fee as specified by the presidential committee on SAFAC.
According to the bill, SAFAC would be replaced by a Senate Allocations Committee comprised of the eight student senators representing United Black Students, the Council of International Student Organizations, the department of student activities, Campus Sports and Recreation and each of the four classes
Just seconds after the meeting adjourned, student activities representative Juan Diaz asked Stanonis to explain to the committee, which had not yet left the room, why she used her title as SAFAC chairperson when she signed the bill.
Because the meeting had ad-
journed, SAFAC members were not obligated to remain in the room. However, all of the SAFAC members that were present at the meeting as well as remaining members in the audience remained.
“Shf /Stanomti! rnn /fr»r StWj\C~"
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Diaz, referring to Stanonis' positions on both USBG and SAFAC
“|I| was not using my power |as chairperson]; 1 was using my knowledge/' said Stanonis. explaining why she used her title on the bill.
“My title proves that I have some knowlege of the subject and that I have grounds" for the propasal, she added
Diaz said, “By Maria serving as chairperson her actions from the start have been to undermine the committee."
• • •
About an hour before the Undergraduate Student Body Government passed a bill that places on referendum the question of replacing the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee with a Senate Allocations Committee, senior Keith Kishe was elected to represent the department of Student Activities on SAFAC
Both Fishe and sophomore Tim Fredrick, who lost the election but will serve as alternate, spoke about the necessity of preserving SAFAC's independence from USBG
"Having a governmental body shadowing the efforts of our organization could only inhibit us," Fishe said
"SAFAC needs to remain on campus as a group not under USBG,” Fredrick said
Kishe replaces Erica Arkin who resigned from SAFAC last week, citing pressure from the USBG-SAFAC conflict.
CIIKIS HAHVEY/Humcane Staff
Dr. Tim Mescon and his wife Debbie sit in their apartment in The Residential College.