Miami Hurricane, March 23, 2001

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i	SPORTS page 5	•
Mall opens to
disappointed
critics
ACCENT page 7
Coral Gables, Florida
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
Since 1927
Volume 78, Number 41
WWW.HURRICANE.MIAMI.EDU
m 2 3 2001
Friday, March 23,2001

Diversity down in student body
Figures show drop in minority enrollment
By Brian Banded
Accent Editor
Diversity among the University of Miami student body has become threatened by an increase of out-of-state student applications over the past five years.
From Fall 1996 to Fall 2000, the percentage of white (non-Hispanic) students in the freshmen class has increased 10 percent, according to data compiled by the Office of Planning and Institutional Research. Meanwhile, the percentage of Hispanic freshmen decreased seven percent and the number of African American freshmen decreased three percent.
These numbers are much less pronounced among the overall
undergraduate student body, where the percent of white students has increased 3.6 percent since 1996.
UM still remains a very diverse school when compared to other colleges around the nation. However, maintaining that diversity is a challenge as students from out-of-state, where minorities are less prevalent than South Florida, continue to apply in record numbers.
“Since 1993, the number of stu dents applying has increased from around 7,000 to around 13,000 last semester,” said Edward Gillis, Director of Admission and Associate Dean of Enrollments. “All of that increase has been on a national scale.”
In 19%, 32.3 percent of the freshmen class came from Miami-Dade
County. Now it) Ml numtvei hits lallen
to 22.3 percent. The percent of out-of-state students over that same period increased 10 percent.
“We’ve become more national in exposure and more national in our
recruiting process,” said Paul Otehovec, Vice Provost and Dean of Enrollments. “Over the past couple of years, we’ve been active in trying to recruit the best students, not just from Florida, but from around the nation as well.”
“As a result of the increased demand, the University is being more selective in its choice of students,” said Gillis. “As a result, more of the students we do select come from all across the U.S., not just Florida."
Since the rest of the country is not as diverse,on average, as Miami-Dade County, an increase in out-of-state students lowers the chances of minority students being accepted.
“When you select students from other parts of the U.S., you’d expect an increase in tfee overall proportion of
whitea in the applieiMion pool*«a**J
Dr. George Wilson, a sociology profes sor at UM specializing in racial and ethnic relations. “It could adversely
DIVERSITY « Page 3
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LIBRARY
Classes start in new building
JORGE GALVEZ /PhotoEditor

MODEL or EOMDATKIN Prom «Ertcar-% to r hhIUy, U wn Wc4fM»o Efc **« ftr ta, «
the University's School of Communication, opened tor classes with the end
of spring break Monday. Adjacent to the Learning Center, the building features state-of-the-art computer lab facilities and replaces the Merrick budding as the School’s home. Pictured, a model of the Wolfson Budding that has sat in the School's Merrick office over past months of construction
SG speaker battle gets ugly
Second floor to reopen in Library
Election repeats due to violations
By Jessica McNeill
Editor in Chief
Student (lovemment (SCI) senators found themselves voting for speaker of the senate again at the SG Senate’s first meeting after spring break, Wednesday, despite the speaker elections having been won two weeks earlier by sophomore Mike (ohnston •
The earlier election, at the March 7 Senate meeting, was found to have
involved parliamentary violations, and so was re slated for Wednesday, along with the regularly planned speaker pro tempore vote.
Silia Herrera, acting chief justice of the Supreme Court, said that according to an amendment recently added to the SG constitution, all candidates for a position must be presented and allowed to speak before any discussion can begin.
The pattern at the March 7 meeting was to have the three candidates, one at a time, present themselves, give their speeches and then be escorted out
didacy.
Also, comparison of the candidates was not allowed in the original meet ing’s discussion phase, but was permitted in the second.
Only the three candidates who ran for the speaker position in the previous meeting were allowed to run again, Wednesday, though only two of them choose to participate: sophomore Mike (ohnston and senior Roy Taub.
(ohnston was again elected to the position, but the content in both candidates’ speeches had changed from last time.
(ohnston focused primarily on what next year would hold and how much he had already accomplished within the weeks of being named speaker-elect.
“This upcoming year is going to be one of the best, not only for the University, Imt for SG as well. We have a new University President, it’s our 75th anniversary and we have intuitive and dedicated senators in SG,” he said.
(ohnston said he had also already gotten invitations for all senators to attend the groundbreaking of the Ryder Center, scheduled for April 4, and a vice president roundtable discussion,as well as having scheduled lunches for the senators to meet and talk with key administrators.
Taub focused more on why he was running again and, more specifically, on the qualities that (ohnston lacked.
Taub started by saying he was standing before the Senate due to violations of procedure that had occurred at the last meeting and because he received urging from other senators to run again. He then told the Senate that (ohnston was not the most qualified candidate and why he thought so in explicit detail.
“I have run several meanings before, which Mike has not done, so the Senate's time will not be wasted by someone who does not know procedure," Taub said as one example of many example's of why |ohnston was not fit for the position.
During the question and answer period several Senators asked what qualities Taub possessed, since they said they had heard so much about (ohnston throughout his speech.
“There is no question about qualifi cations,”Taub said.“l know procedure, I know the campus, I am always in the office and I am the most experienced.” After Johnston was elected support ers of both candidates shared views on the elections, and Taub’s speech in par ticular.
Sophomore Abby Dwyer, chair of the Public Relations Senate Committee said she thought both candidates were extremely qualified for the position, but Taub’s speech was disappointing.
“I was truly disappointed with Roy’s speech. I felt as though it was dirty politics and defamation of character,” sire said. “It had no place in what we were trying to do there.” junior |D Barbosa, Commuter South Senator said Taub was the most qualified, as (ohnston had good attributes, but was not necessarily qualified for the position.
“Gang into the meeting people had a mindset as to who they wanted to win. Roy used the comparison technique and Senate should have looked deeper into some of the things he brought up,” Barbosa said. “I can’t blame him fix doing that speech. He didn’t want to bore the Senate by saying the same thing over again.”
. In other SG news:
• Speaker pro tempore elections were also held at Wednesday’s meeting, with sophomore Stefanie Hernandez, winning the position over sophomore Arid Lane.
Hernandez has been involved with SG lor four semesters as Commuter North Senator and said she had several future goals fix SG.
“The most important thing I want for SG is to improve efficiency she said. “I feel that SG can improve alLsround,
“see SPEAKER • PaAe 2
West end finished, renovations move on to next phase
By Daniels Donno
Hurricane Staff Writer
Students will continue to see changes to the second floor of the Otto G. Richter Library this week, as the massive Richter Library Renovation Project continues and part of the long lost second floor reopens.
Since March 19, The Dante B. Fascell Government information and Special Formats Department (GISF) has been being moved into the newly renovated western end of the second floor.
The new second floor area will be open to the public on Monday and is expected to be fully operational on April 2.
The area is accessible by either the Dauer Clock Tower stairway or the new public elevator serving the three-story wing of the library.
“Students and researchers can use the GISF Department to track legislative history, search Congressional records and find a myriad of government documents on all kinds of topics,” said depart-nfbnt head Dan Blazek.
The Government Information and Special Formats Department includes local, national and international government documents, said Blazek.
In addition to written hooks and documents, the department offers information via microfilms, videos,
maps and computer workstations.
Due to the complex nature of the move, there will be limited public access for some of the GISF services until April 2, including the microfiche, microfilm and print reference collections.
Staff assistance will be available during this time to access any needed information. The public service desk will be providing reduced services during its move on March 30 and 31,
The GISF move marks the completion of Phase 3 of library renovations and allows for Phase 4’s renovation of the eastern portion of the second floor (nearest the Ashe Building) to begin.
In September, the second floor is scheduled to be complete and will house the entire GISF collection in its permanent location. The floor will feature new furniture and carpeting, more computer work stations, group study areas and DVD stations, said Blazek.
The $16 million Richter Renovation Project is a three-year undertaking that focuses on modernizing and reorganizing all areas of the library’s three-story wing.
“The renovations will greatly benefit students by enhancing the library’s public space, study areas and technological access,” said Pat Hawthorne, assistant university librarian for Administrative Services.
Once complete, the Library will boast up to 150 computer workstations on the first floor, a new computer classroom, photocopy rooms, as well as enhanced study and lounge areas for students.
while the Senators discussed their can-
T$|r, WINNER, AGAIN: Yoy're not seeing flexible, Johnston '{pictured above, adain) had to re-run for SG speaker.
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