Miami Hurricane, October 23, 2001

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Volume 79, Number 16
WWW.HURRICANE.MIAMI.ED
day, October 23,2001
Students lose focus in the wake of Sept. 11
Attention turns from textbooks to news updates as grades fall
By Elizabeth Baier
Hurricane Staff Writer
As junior Edwin Burgos walked out of his linear circuits class at 10:45 a.m. on Sept. 11, a friend approached and asked him if he had heard about the two planes that had just crashed into the World Trade Center buildings.
In disbelief, he walked toward the unusually crowded UC and confirmed what his friend had just told him.
“At first I thought it was a joke.” said Burgos. “On a normal day the UC is filled with 20-25 people, hut that day [Sept. 11) it was overflowing with students and extreme emotions"
Although he wasn’t directly affected by the ter-rorist attacks, Burgos found it difficult to concentrate and maintain constructive academic habits since Sept. 11.
“I have been slacking in my classes since that day,” he added. “It’s just been hard to focus. Each week is a struggle to catch up with the work I’ve put aside"
“For a while, these events take a toll on your well-being," Burgos added.
Burgos was not alone.
Students everywhere found themselves in a stupor,looking out the windows of classrooms in a trance-like manner, instead of focusing on blackboards and textbooks
For many, it became hard to concentrate and to maintain mental stability after last month’s terrorists attacks.
“It’s the first thing you hear in the morning when you wake up and the last thing you hear at night when you go to sleep, and we're not used to living in such an disturbing atmosphere," Burgos said.
Readings like George Orwell’s 1984 took on different meanings and even the familiar screensaver of flying windows became hard to look at
For at least two weeks, they replaced reading Tolstoy and
See GRADES • Page 2
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Nightmare
Just 60 miles away from UM a man dies from anthrax.
The threat of bioterrorism in the U.S. hit South Florida first and UM students are becoming highly concerned about their futures.
On Oct. 5, it was reported that in Boca Raton, Florida, an America Media, Inc. employee was infected with the anthrax bacteria.
Bob Stevens, a photo editor tor The Sun in Boca Raton, received a tainted letter of an unclear origin from which he inhaled the anthrax spores.
He died the following day.
UM lunior, Iordan Kodack, was one ot the students most profoundly affected by the
anthrax developments in Boca Raton.
His father is the senior editor for Globe magazine, which works out of American Media, Inc. He also interned at the National Enquirer magazine, also located in the same building.
“Before this whole anthrax issue came up I had no worries at all about biotermrism,” Rodack said.“! never thought it woukl hit so close to home.”
Rodack first heard of the incident on the news and immediately his concerns were tor his father’s well-being.	«
“So far he’s ok. He’s been tested and re-tested and he’s taking antibiotics to be on the safe side,” Rodack said.
“It’s devastating. As bad as it is to say, it’s one thing tor something to happen in New York, but to have it hit so ckise to	.
home...,” Rodack said. “I know that building. I worked in that building. 1 know people there.”
Since the first exposure, an estimated 47 people have come into contact with anthrax spores in Florida, New York, Washington, D.C.,
New Jersey and Nevada.
“At first, I thought it was a media hype and just an isolated incident, but as time went on, I realized the -|M victims were being systematically chosen,” said UM student Natalie Dessources.
Story by Angélique Thomas
Hurricane Staff Writer
See ANTHRAX • Page 2
THE DRUG OF CHOICE: Cipro, the antibiotic used to treat anthrax, was distributed to employees of American Media Inc. by the Department of Health
75th celebration begins
REBECA OLIVEIRA / Hurricane Staff LET THEM EAT CAKE: Students serve up slices of the cake displaying the 75th anniversary theme
Professors tailor classes after Sept. 11
UM community comes together
By Aubrey Andel
Hurricane Staff Writer
A cake cutting ceremony held in the Hurricane Food Court last Thursday brought together administration and students to celebrate the University of Miami's 75th birthday.
“Today is the dawn of a new era for the University of Miami,” Student Government president lose “Pepi" Diaz said.
“Today not only marks the bold beginnings for the University of Miami, hut also its bright tomorrows,” Diaz said.
“Seventy-five years ago Bowman Foster Ashe worked very hard to put us where we are today,” he said. “We’ve made it this far.”
Diaz said this is an exciting time for I'M because of the chlncc to oring
home the Rose Bowl championship and the tenure of the university’s first-ever female president is just begin ning.
With microphone in hand and clad in Ir* Arrow attire, Diaz invited
everyone to hear and greet President Shalala.
“I look forward to the next 75 years,” Shalala said. “The best is yet to
See CEREMONY • Page~2
By Knstia Bared
Hurricane Staff Writer
Some people cried. Others wen- tixi numb to respond. But on Sept. 11 the last thing on anyone’s mind, teachers and students alike, was school.
“No one could concentrate," said Terence Anderson, professor of law at UM. ”Wt' couldn’t just stay in class and keep teaching."
The idea that it was not the time to go one lecturing was shared by most professors.
“I was completely distraught,” said Rita Deutsch. academic dean of Arts and Sciences and Knglish pmfessor.
This reaction was reflected on the faces of other teachers and students that day, hut the tollowing day, with school reopening, it was hack to business.
Some professors first confronted their students about the topic, while others tried to put it aside.
Deutsch believes that the tract professors took in paling with the
tragedy depended on the professor and how they normally dealt with personal crises and the subjects taught in the class.
“It often has to do with the nature of the class,” she said. “But for me, it was just too profoundly traumatic to just go on.”
Spanish professor. Dr. Christina Civantos also made an effort to confront the problem, giving out articles to read concerning the opinions of journalists regarding the attacks.
“I asked everyone how the day had been for them and spent about five minutes talking about it,” she said. “But everyone seemed to be in a daze.”
lessica Serrano, a sophomore and a student of Dr. Civantos,' said that she liked the way her professor dealt with the situation.
“We even stayed after class for ten minutes just discussing it," she said.
lunior Ana De Moya agreed with Serrano She said shtlwas relieved
when her management class was willing to talk about it.
Her professor also handed out articles concerning the fact that the attacks do not reflect the true teachings of the Islamic religion.
“I thought the articles were informative and talking about it was a good way of getting people to relax," said De Moya. “After that it was like, ‘OK, I can go on with class.’”
• Regardless of the varying ways professors approached the attacks, all agreed that students seemed to be in a state of shock.
“It’s been a month and we walk around trying to get things back to normal, but it still happened," said Deutsch. “And it's the stones involving the people that are the most heartbreaking.”
The problem pervades, and perhaps one of the only comforts remaining is that everyone, both students and professors, has been equally affected.	I