Miami Hurricane, March 07, 1997

              FRIDAY, MARCH 7,1997
CROSSING THE LINES
■ 50 years after Jackie Robinson's entry into the major leagues, read a profile of one of the most significant athletes of the 20th century.
SPORTS, page 2
THE ART OF MAGIC
■	The Hurricane interviews magician David Copperfield about his touring production, coming to Miami later in March.
ACCENT, page 4 QUESTIONABLE SELECTION
■	Are resident assistants at the University of Miami properly screened before selection? Read a resident's opinion on the matter.
OPINION, page 6
news briefs
SOAR NOMINATIONS AVAILABLE AT STIC
Nominations are now available for the Student Organization Achievement Awards, sponsored by the Committee on Student Organizations (COSO). The forms are due by Wednesday, March 19. Awards that will be given include best advisor, best club event and most improved club.
L'CHAYIM CELEBRATING PURIM
L'Chayim Society at the University of Miami will be celebrating Purim Bash '97 on March 22. A Megillah reading starting at 7:45 p.m. will be followed by a Chassidie Rock Concert starring Rabbi Moshe Sur and the Hurricanes in Coconut Grove. Buses will be leaving UM at 7:30 p.m. The event is free.
today's weather
PARTLY SUNNY
Skies will be partly sunny with highs in the upper 70s. Winds will be out of the northeast at 10 to 15 m.p.h.
- National Weather Service
reminder
NO ISSUE NEXT WEEK
Due to the spring break holiday, the next issue of The Miami Hurricane will appear on newsstands on Friday, March 21. The Hurricane Online will remain operational during the vacation.
Brill elected SG president
By KELLY RUANE
News Editor
Junior Jonathan Brill, current speaker of the Student Government Senate at the University of Miami, is the new SG president.
Brill and running mate Mike Belasco were elected in a runoff election this week. Results were announced yesterday at the University Rathskeller.
Brill ran on the "It's All Up to U" ticket, against sophomore Jim Fatzinger of the "Your Voice-Your Vote" ticket. He received 52 percent of the votes in the runoff election.
Brill's platform included improving parking, saving University Center space for organizations, reevaluating the University cable system, improving health care at UM and instituting a fall break.
Brill said he was glad he was elected.
"It feels great to win," Brill said.
Fatzinger, whose platform included instituting a fall break, providing Cane cards with ATM access, improving the blue light phone system. re-evaluating University Center space and returning lost marching band scholarships, received 48 percent of the votes.
Fatzinger said he will continue to be involved with SG at UM.
"Our weebles will be back again next year," Fatzinger said.
Brill's running mate, junior Mike Belasco, won the SG vice presidency.
Belasco received 53 percent of the votes. His opponent, junior Tracy Wulf, received 47 percent of the votes.
Belasco said he is excited to get to work with Brill.
"I was pretty confident it would turn out the way it did," Belasco said.
Wulf, who cut back some of her involvements in campus organizations to run for vice president, said she wil\	resume her posi-
tions and organizational work.
"I’m going to have free time now," Wulf said.
Brill said he is going to begin working on his platform goals as soon as he is inaugurated.
"Our first item is definitely fall break, the University wants to get the calendar set and we’re trying to get that set now," Brill said.
The presidential inauguration will take place Wednesday, March 26, at 4 p.m. at the Rat.
Photo By LUCIANO 8LOTTA / Hurricane Staff Photographer EXPERIENCE: junior Jonathan Brill brings years of Student Government experience to the presidency. Brill is currently speaker of the Senate.
Staged DUI accident sobers UM students
F. HUNTER CAREY / Photo Editor DRINKING AND DRIVING: Senior Steve Roche, current SG president, talks to the media and police Tuesday on Stanford Circle as a part of the staged DUI accident.
■ Students say that they will think twice about drinking
By JOSE DIAZ
Hurricane Staff Writer
Tuesday afternoon, students thought they witnessed Student Government President Steve Roche drive drunk and hit a pedestrian.
In reality, the accident was a re-enactment, part of Safe Spring Break. The purpose of the reenactment was to show students the effects of driving under the influence of alcohol.
The organizers of Safe Spring Break said they wanted to educate students through the dramatization and involve the entire community. Coral Gables Fire Rescue and Police Department participated in the demonstration. Several TV news vans were also on the scene.
Roche was questioned by police and forced to walk on a line while the victim was rushed to the hospital. The scene was made as real as possible.
Jennifer Gould, a reporter for WFOR channel 4, said demonstrations such as Tuesday's are eye-openers.
"I think things like this are always good by talking to the students," Gould said. "Some of them say showing this stuff, as if it could really happen to them, makes more of an impact than if they were to see it just on the news, because it involved the school president."
Carrie McDonald, a member of BAC-
CHUS, the alcohol-awareness group on campus, said the group wanted to show students the effects of drunk driving.
"This program, the staged drunk-driving accident, brought the effects of drunk driving to students' attention," McDonald said. "We are just trying to remind students to be safe during spring break."
BACCHUS and Gamma groups promote healthy collegiate lifestyles and positive decision-making with regards to alcohol. For this event, BACCHUS distributed free cups and hats, as well as informational pamphlets.
Many students accepted them, and said they learned facts about drinking and driving. For example, the flyer said one person dies every 20 minutes due to an alcohol-related car crash, and 33 percent of college students report driving while under the influence.
Students said they have often witnessed students driving drunk.
"Too many students do drink and drive at this school," said Mike Feldman.
Kari Welch said it is important to promote safety.
"Promoting responsible drinking is a positive way to reduce the number of drunk drivers over spring break," Welch said. "Let's be safe!"
Meredith Robilotti said she was going to reconsider her spring break options after seeing the accident.
"I want everybody to act responsible if you choose to drink because the end result just might not he so funny," Robilotti said.
Student Nala Tyson said, "If you're gonna drink and drive, make sure it's a Snapple."
Events celebrate women’s history
■ Events aim to educate women
By MICHELLE GOLDEN
Hurricane Staff Writer
The University of Miami celebrated women's history this week with a presentation Tuesday night with relationship expert Ellen Gootbalt and an International Women's Day celebration Wednesday on the University Center Patio.
Ellen Gootbalt, a former ABC radio talk-show host, educator, author and lecturer, spoke to students about relationships on Tuesday evening in the International Lounge.
Gootbalt, who visited the University two years ago gave a ‘‘very entertaining and informative speech," senior Jonaura Wisdom said.
Gootbalt explained for students the four steps to understanding healthy relationships.
Gootbalt said students first need to make themselves excellent before reaching out to any other human beings. Second, they must strive for excellence. Third, they should realize that relationships are not meant to kill you, and fourth, "go for" those relationships that are inherently good.
Gootbalt also discussed the 10 commandments of relationships including "friends, family and romance."
According to senior Lisa Joseph, the event was something every student should have attended. Joseph said Gootbalt's knowledge could aid in both the beginning and ending of a relationship.
Gootbalt also revealed some of her ideas on sex. She said young people should not
rush sex, but should wait until they are mature enough to handle the consequences of sexual activity.
She also said students should not settle for just sex, but rather aim for “lovemaking” once they have gained the maturity necessary to handle sex responsibly.
Gootbalt, whose new book, Meeting, Dating, Relating, and Mating:	250
Important Questions to Ask Before You Go Further In a Relationship, deals with each stage of a relationship and what questions should be asked, sent these wise words to students who did not attend:
"Be fine alone and even finer with someone," Gootbalt said.
International Women's Day was held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday on the UC Patio in honor of Women's History Month, according to Indhira Raveneao. events coordinator for COISO.
The event, which was sponsored by COISO and International Student Services, dealt with such issues pertinent to women as reproductive choice, preserving the first amendment and domestic violence, according to Raveneao.
Raveneao said student reaction to the event was mixed. Suyapa Raveneao, a 1992 graduate of UM, said the showcase presented women in a different light.
Senior Bonnie Alexander noted that the showcase was one-sided because it wasn't sufficiently multi-ethnic in its presentation of women. Alexander also said that more contemporary women, local, national and international, should have been acknowledged.
Raveneao said, "Although I expected a bigger turnout, I feel that it was a worthwhile event."
ASB participants lending a hand
UM media organizations recognized
The Miami Hurricane was named the Best College Newspaper for a pnvate college in Florida in 1997 by Florida Leader magazine. Coming in a close second was the Avion from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University while Stetson's The Stetson Reporter received an honorable mention. Last year The Hurricane came in second to the Avion.
Also recognized this week was UMTV’s student produced newscast NewVision, which won the Society of Professional Journalists' 1996 Mark of Excellence Award for the Best College Television Newscast in SPJ’s Region
3. Universities from Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Eastern Tennessee are grouped together in Region 3.
NewVision is now automatically entered into SPJ's national competition, against winners from the other 10 regions.
NewsVision is broadcast twice a week, with Wednesday's edition produced by graduate students and Thursday's edition prixlucea by undergraduates. Seniors Jeff Muddcll and Sean Wheeler lead a group of undergraduate volunteers in the production of Thursday's NewsVision broadcast.
■ Students say they are ready for learning, fun
By KRISTIN DELUCA
Hurricane Staff Writer
While most students will be enjoying their spring break, 80 University of Miami students plan to spend theirs having fun while helping others.
Alternative Spring Break (ASB) begins this Saturday and offers nine locations where students can travel to.
Sight locations include: New York City; the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina; Detroit; Damascus, Va.; Columbia, S.C.; Brazil, the Florida Miccosukee Indian Reservation; Washington, D.C.; and New Orleans.
All trips, except Brazil, cost less than $100 per participant. Trips are a week long and all accommodations, transportation and food are provided. Groups stay in various lodgings including churches, youth hotels, hotels, universities and local YMCAs. All activities are a group effort.
At these locations, students will be working on different types of projects.
In Detroit, ASB is assisting "Save Our Sons and Daughters," a group focusing on youth violence. In Louisiana and the Smoky Mountains, students will be working for the
environment.
In Washington, University students will be helping stop urban poverty by working with the Community for Creative Nonviolence.
Sophomore Regina Bennett will be participating in her first UM Alternative Spring Break when she travels to South Carolina this weekend.
Bennett said she decided to participate because she wanted to do something different for break by working with inner-city kids. She said she hopes to eventually work with inner-city children as purt of her profession.
Bennett said she is very excited about her trip and is not at all upset that she is not having the typical college spring break. She said last year she stayed here in Miami and was frustrated by plans not working out.
Junior and South Carolina site leader Carlos Godoy said he can not wait to get started on next week's activities.
"Participation in ASB is important and rewarding because you’re doing things to help others," Godoy said.
Godoy's experiences include trips to Tallahassee, Indianapolis, Ind., Gainesville and California. Godoy said he believes everyone in his group 'is very excited.
"UM does Road Rules,” Godoy said.
Godoy said the trip is "something you put your heart and mind into that makes you feel better."
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