Miami Hurricane, February 22, 1994

              By MATT COREY
Contributing Editor
After years of a bitter bureaucratic battle with the City of Coral Gables, construction began last year on the Weeks Center, University of Miami School of Music’s new state-of-the-art recording studio and recital hall.
Despite minor setbacks, a tentative date for the hall’s inaugural concert has been set for April 24, said Ken Pohlman, director of Music Engineering.
"We were hoping to open in December of ‘93, but weather problems and some material delays pushed the date back to late April’’, said Pohlman.
Pohlman said the hall’s copper roof, a unique design feature, was difficult to contract out.
Once construction is completed, the School of Music will have two fully operational recording facilities, with different specialties and technology — one being the Weeks Center and the other Gusman Hall.
“The Weeks Center was not intended to replace Gusman Hall. Gusman will remain as the campus’ main concert hall”, said Pohlman. ‘‘Weeks will have a small, 150-seat recital hall which will be more suitable for soloists, small ensembles and jazz.”
“For recording, Weeks is better” said senior Rick Audet, a music engineering major. “It was built as a recording studio, while Gusman was converted into one."
Weeks boasts two 24-track digital recorders, a significant step up
from Gusman’s somewhat antiquated analog machine, and is geared towards studio recording.
Policy for the use of Weeks will be much like that of Gusman, said Pohlman.
“Music Engineering students are given studio time,” he said. “Any student, music major or otherwise, who wants to perform or record in the center needs to team up with a music engineer, who will take care of the technical end.”
Frank Filipantis, a second year graduate student in Music Engineering, said he plans to graduate in May and probably will not be around to see Weeks running at full strength. Still, he said, he has benefited from the project.
“I’m not disappointed. Actually, I'm excited to be involved in put-
ting the studio together,” Filipantis said. “You get insight into the construction and design of a functional, state-of-the-art recording studio.”
Senior Greg Szeto said he is excited to finally see results.
“We’ve been waiting for a long time,” he said. “We were expecting it to be up during our freshman year.”
Pohlman described the center as “cutting edge.” A fiber optic network will link all systems within the center, and plans for the future include expanding the fiber optic network, which is also capable of transmitting video and graphics, across the campus to other schools and departments, making Weeks a veritable "multimedia superhighway.”
CANDACE RITACCO/Statf Photographer ■ CONSTRUCTION: The Weeks Center should be completed In April
SAFAC
changes
application
process
By JODY JACKSON
Hurricane Staff Writer
The deadline for applying for funds from the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee is Friday.
The process of reviewing all the forms from each organization begins at the SAFAC meeting March 2. The process will continue at subsequent meetings every Wednesday. Allocation days will be April 23 and 24.
“This is when the committee will make recommendations of how much money should go to each group,” said Michael Fixler, chairman of SAFAC. “We’ll spend about 12 hours a day working on allocations. Then Dr. |William] Butler has to approve our recommendations and letters go out to the organizations.”
Fixler said the results should be available during the first week of May and will be posted in the Brenda Smith-Tucker Involvement Center.
Student organizations interested in receiving funds face application changes this year.
Groups must submit a report to the committee this year instead of giving a presentation, the process in past years.
Fixler proposed the new system and the committee passed the proposal earlier this year.
“The reports will increase accuracy,” Fixler said. “In the past, we tried to write down all the information but it was not always consistent among members of the committee or not all taken down.”
Fixler said it should be a better situation for both the groups and the committee.
"Groups won’t have the pressure of spontaneous questions and the possibility of forgetting to mention something about the group,” Fixler said. "The entire process will be quicker, also.”
Fixler said he hopes this will increase participation in SAFAC now that the time commitment may not be as demanding.
At present there are 11 members on the allocation committee, not including the chairperson and secretary, who do not vote.
Jennifer Willen, director of Commuter Student Affairs and SAFAC adviser, said she thinks the hear-ing-type format posed many problems.
“The presentations caused anxiety for many students,” said Willen. “The written reports will give more information to the committee, and because it is in writing, it will be more accurate.”
This year, a representative from each organization had to attend a town meeting. Willen said about 118 groups have attended one or more of the town meetings.
“We wanted the groups to attend the town meetings to be informed before the start the application process,” said Fixler. "We explained the application procedure and SAFAC's guidelines.” He said almost every group has attended one of the town meetings, including 10 to 20 new student organizations.
Guidelines and information on the new application process were introduced to students at the first town meeting Feb. 1. The last meeting was Feb. 16.
Mardi Gras in Miami
AMY LEIS/Asslstant Photo Editor
■ CLOWNING AROUND: ABC Circus instructor Steve Anderson teaches Junior Jason Goldberg some tricks at Eaton Residential College’s Mardi Gras Sunday night.
Internships give valuable job experience
By KIMBERLY WEI88MAN
Hurricane Stall Writer
Future graduates ready to enter the working world need more than a high GPA and campus activities on their resumes to obtain a pros-pectful job upon graduation.
In today's job market, companies are in search of hiring applicants with work related experience in their field of study. For this reason, students are strongly encouraged to explore all of the opportunities and benefits an internship can offer.
"There are many advantages to an internship such as valuable career related experience and increased market ability upon graduation," said Connie Downey, assistant director of the Students Earn and Learn program in the Department of Career Planning and Placement. “Internships also act as a springboard, enabling students to become more focused on their own specific career goals.
“Many employees are looking for career related experience from students in addition to grades and campus activities. This shows an employer’ that a student has reality-tested his intent in the field and
has confirmed a want to continue pursuing a job in the area of study,” said Downey.
Students have many options available when it comes to finding out about an internship opportunity. Many employers contact the Career Planning and Placement Center offering various paid internships or the academic head and faculty of each department for credit internships. Many student organizations also have intern contacts through their nationals or provide resourceful workshops and panels.
Students should actively search and explore all sources of assistance available to them, Downey said.
She said students should begin researching summer internship opportunities in the fall. In general, the guidelines for applying for a journalism or federal agency position is Nov. 1 - Dec. 1, a Natural Science intern between Feb. 15 -March 1, and the majority of Business internships accept applications throughout the year.
Specifically, Business Graduate Students should research Southern Florida internships now to have a
position secured by April. Many of the graduate interns available are on an ongoing basis and offer starting positions immediately during the spring semester and continue throughout the summer.
Downey is now conducting the S.E.A.L. program three times a week with a trained student assistant. These orientation sessions educate students on available part-time academic jobs in the community, full-time positions in the summer, and cooperative education programs. Meeting times are scheduled for 12:15 p.m. Tuesdays, 1 p.m. Wednesdays and 3:30 p.m. Thursdays at Career Planning.
"Many of the students I encounter seem to have the same types of questions. By providing these orientation sessions, I am able to serve more students better,” commented Downey.
Further guidance is also available by scheduling an appointment in the Career Planning and Placement Center.
“Students can stop in for individual assistance, in which I can provide a more productive search to fulfill specific needs, »aid Downey.
Janet Reno chosen graduation speaker
By DARIN KLAHR
Contributing Editor
Janet Reno was born and raised in Miami, living here most of her life until leaving for Washington last year to become the U.S. Attor-| ney General.
After more I than a year in Washington,
I Reno comes home May 13 to I be the Univer-1 sity of Miami’s 1994 Spring Commencement Speaker. Reno will be awarded 1 m honorary
■	Reno	degree along
■	Keno	with six other
recepients. Reno was Dade County’s State Attorney from 1978-1993 before President Bill Clinton appointed her the top position in the Department of Justice.
“Janet Reno is one of the
nation’s favorite daughters but she was ours first,” Ross Murfin, dean of UM's College of Arts and Sciences said. "It will be great to welcome her home and to see if and how she has changed by her year in Washington.”
Among those receiving honorary degrees at the 8:30 a.m. ceremony: Harry Blackmun, a U.S. Supreme Court justice since 1970; Luis Botifoll, chairman of Republic National Bank and a Trustee Emeritus at UM; Rita Dove, poet laureate of the United States and National Book Award winner; Massachussetts Institute of Technology Professor of Chemistry and Biology Har Gorbind Khorana, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1968; jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, a five-time Grammy award winner; Robert McNeill, co-anchor and executive editor of PBS’ McNeill-Lehrer Newshour, anchoring his nightly report since 1975.
UM makes it easier to graduate early
By HAMIZAL MAHMUD
Hurricane Staff Writer
The University of Miami is trying to make it easier for students to graduate in three years.
“To finish in three years does two things: it saves you a year’s worth tuition and ;t also gets you into the work force earlier,” said Vice Provost and Director of Honors Undergraduate Affairs John Masterson. “It shortens the time, but not the program. I really think it’s a good idea.”
Masterson said requirements will not be changed, but academic advisers will help students complete their requirements in three years.
“A substantial number of students already do graduate in three years,” Masterson said. “And a substantial number come in with enough credits from AP exams, IB programs or even community col-
leges that with proper advising, they could graduate in three years.”
School of Education Dean Robert Moore said he thinks the plan is a good idea.
“It enhances acceleration,” Moore said. “We have bright students who are capable of handling more in a shorter period of time.”
UM President Edward T. Foote II described the three-year program as a “very important new dimension in our education system.”
Masterson said details of the rogram have not been finalized, ut tentative plans involve choosing one adviser from each School or College within the University to advise students who express a desire to graduate in three years.
Graduate student Luann San-andres said she thinks the three-year program is a good idea.
This Issue
■ STUCK AT UM7:
Cocowalk is just one of the places students can go in Miami over spring break.
See Special Section, page* 6 and 7.
■	What do SG candidates think are the most Important issues?
8ee New*, page 2.
■	How’s the University doing on its mid-term exams? The Hurricane posts their grades.
See Opinion, page 4.
■ SWEET RELIEF:
Hurricane pitcher Eric Morgan threw live innings of one-hit ball in Miami's 4-3 win over Florida Saturday. See Sports, page 12.
■ Puzzled? See our Super Crossword.
See Accent, page 11.
»
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