Miami Hurricane, February 15, 2002

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Coconut Grove Art Fair comes to town
ACCENT page 7
The Miami Hurricane
Coral Gables, Florida
Since 1927
Volume 79, Number 33	WWW.THEHURRICANEONLINE.COM	Friday, February 15,2002
Scam artists prey on UM students
Police advise students to be aware, alert
By Ernesto Londono
Hurricane Staff Writer
Police issued two male solicitors on the UM campus a trespass warning for attempting to scam several students out of money.
Robert Wander, 23, and lason Ulster, 22, approached junior Danielle Scott as she drove home and told her they oper alert a body shop, and would repair her car for $450, she said.
Scott who confessed she initially tell for the mens offer to fix her bumper, and scratch out a few oxidation marks on her 1993 two-door red Honda Civic for $350.
“I gypped the gypsies,” joked Scott.
After she declined the initial offer, they lowered the price to $350, arguing that other mechanics charge double that amount.
Scott phoned her father, Monty Scott, who lives in Trinidad for advice.
He spoke to one of the solicitors and gave them permission to work on his daughters car under the mistaken assumption that the two men were acquaintances of his daughter, and thus, trustworthy, Danielle Scott later
learned.
Once the nomadic mechanics got their tools out of the trunk of their 2(X) I metallic brown rented Mercury Sable and gt»t down to work, Scott’s father became uneasy about the situation.
He urged her to get in touch with her boyfriend in order for him watch over the mechanics’ job.
Unsure of how payment arrange ments would proceed and concerned for her safety, Scott was relieved to see a UM police car approach the scene.
“The officer told me Public Security had received a call about a suspicious car at baton,” said Scott, who briefed Sergeant Mike Arwood about the turn of events.
Soon, a second officer riding a bicycle joined Arwood, and the two police men confronted the solicitors, inspect ed their car, and asked them to leave the premises after filing out a couple of trespass warnings, and taking Polaroid shots of the two.
lunior F.rin Lynch came close to doing business with the same individuals a few days before Scott.
One of the solicitors offered to remove a dent on her car for $200.
When she told them the price was too high, they lowered their rate sever al times before offering to fix if for $.30.
Hesitant to allow the strangers to work on her car, Lynch asked them for a business card, which they failed to
provide.
That was the end of the deal.
Solicitors of that nature don’t prey exclusively on college students.
“It’s happened to me a couple of times," said UM’s Lieutenant Bill Gerlach, who also told the Hurricane South Florida is a popular spot for solicitors who walk up to strangers with business propositions that are often fraudulent.
“If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is,” added (ierlanch, who said he encourages students and others members of the University to call public safety immediately if they find themselves in a situation similar to Scott’s.
“UM is a private entity. University officials have the right to refuse people they don’t want on their property,” explained Coral Cables Police spokesman Ra I Pedroso.
“People need to be leery of unsolicited propositions such as this one," said ftdroso.“lf you didn’t solicit the repair, you need to be extremely careful” When all was said and done, Wander and Ulster said their work on Scott’s car was free of charge, and told police they wouldn't return on campus.
“I was probably a fool to let gypsies work on my car but all’s well that ends well. My mistake got solicitors kicked off campus and my car fixed for free.” said Scott.
ALEXANDRA GRACE / Hurricane Staff
SOUL BARING: Students perform to raise funds for United Black Students.
Talent show offers diversity
School of Int’l Studies to close
Accident
victim
4
found
inebriated
Mike McCormick
Hurricane Staff Writer
The student who found Maria Paola Ramirez lying on the floor after falling from a staircase is shedding new light on the accident.
Amber Lee Condray, freshman, was about to go to bed early Thursday morning when she heard a knock on her door.
“The girl who lives directly below me was banging on my door,” Condray said.
“She said she heard a girl screaming ‘God, help me!’”
Condray, a third floor Mahoney resident, opened the door and heard screams coming from a female.
She and the other girl, a second floor Mahoney resident, ran downstairs, rushing past the nighttime security guard.
“I forgot my ‘Cane Card upstairs and explained to him that someone was hurt and we were going to help her," Condray said.
The security guard called for help, while Condray and the other resident rushed out and found Ramirez.
“She was lying face down, flailing her arms about,” Condray said. “She said she had fallen and couldn’t move her legs.”
Condray poked Ramirez’s legs, but Ramirez said she felt nothing.
Condray noted alcohol on Ramirez’s breath.
“I asked her if she was on anything and she said she wasn’t, but that she was just drunk,” Condray said.
Condray remained with Ramirez until paramedics arrived, she said.
According to Condray, Ramirez’s roommate, who chose not to com ment, said that Ramirez got stuck on the second floor fire escape and climbed up to the third floor ledge , hoping to get down and regain entry into the building.
As of now, Ramirez remains at Jackson Memorial Hospital in good condition.
Condray wanted to visit Ramirez in the hospital, but Ramirez’s roommate, who had already been for a visit, said it was not a good sight
“She said that Maria couldn't move and that she had wires everywhere," Condray said. f
Musicians honor Black History Month
Seema Gohil
Hurricane Staff Writer
“Come on! Give me a little more hype here!” said Ian Adams, United Black Students |UBS| Vice-President and the master of ceremonies for the third Annual 2002 Black Awareness Month |BAM j talent show.
The annual event is part of the BAM festivities and incorporated its theme NEXUS, allowing multi cultural performers.
There was a mix of jazz, pop, rap and soul.
“We tried to have a variety of acts and diverse talents,” said Kiaira *Bell, chairperson of the
event.
A jazz group named Innovation won $500 cash for placing first in the competition.
The group is a classic mix of bass guitar, piano, drums, and trumpet.
“It is a nice reward after hard and creative work and it’s nice to have jazz appreciated,” said Quincy Garner, the trumpeteer for the band
The second prize of $300 went to Unison, an all-boy band that composes, arranges, and produces their own music.
Hasina Brinson and Alvin jackson won third prize with their rendition of pop singer Mariah Carey’s “One Sweet Day.”
Last year's winner Senna Guirantes did not place in this competition, but still won the crowd over with her vocal performance of B'vtha, complete with a
slide show of prominent Black leaders in the background.
“Serina is someone who always goes past the call of duty, she sings, writes, and produces,” jackson said.
Faculty members served as judges for the show.
“It was very hard to judge, as there was a lot of talent. It was very classy," said Heather Lancin, a judge
The turnout was less than expected and Lancin hopes for a larger audience next year.
The organizers attributed it to being a Monday night and many people having late classes.
“I was pleased with the turnout and since it was an intimate place, it didn’t seem too had," said Fan ah Fontaine, UBS event committee member.
The talent show planning and
See Talent • Pag® 2
By Margarita Marlin-Hidalgo
Hurricane Sfaff Writer
University of Miami administrators announced early this week the School of International Studies [SIS| will cease to exist as of next fall.
The undergraduate and graduate academic programs will be transferred to the College of Arts and Sciences.
Andy Gomez, interim dean of the School of International Studies, said he was notified of the decision on Monday at noon.
Most faculty and staff members were told on Tuesday afternoon, Gomez said.
SIS undergraduate and graduate students were told at two separate meetings held on Wednesday afternoon.
President Donna Shalala.said (fomez made the decision “based on strengthening international studies and interna (tonal affairs within the University of Miami” and better serving the needs of the SIS student body.
SIS was hwnded in 1997, after the
Internship made possible through UM
By Jaclyn Lisenby
Hurricane Staff Writer
UM junior Mary Clark was recently awarded a summer internship in Washington, D.C. to work on the campaign team for U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kennedy Shriver.
Only twenty students from the United States are awarded this internship.
Clark is double majoring in history and political science, with a goal to attend law school. Clark says she is very familiar with the Kennedy family.
“I love the Kennedvs," she said. “I am really looking forward to work ing directly with a member of that family."	f
Clark will he nerformine numer-
geography and international studies majors offered by the College of Arts and Sciences merged with the masters and doctoral degrees offered by the then Graduate School of International Studies.
SIS has about 300 undergraduate students, 115 graduate students and 22 faculty members, Gomez said.
It offers two majors, one in international studies and one in geography and regional studies.
Its graduate programs include a mas ter’s and doctorate in international studies and a master’s degree in interna tfonal administration.
The school is also home of the Institute for Cuban and Cuban American Studies, the Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary ludaic Studies and the recently established Miami F.uropean Union Center, which it co-runs with Florida International University.
See International • Page 2
ous publicity duties for the campaign team, including making phone calls and going door-to-door with Shriver.
Clark will stay for free with democratic supporters who have opened their homes to interns in order to help the campaign.
There is no actual pay, but Clark said she does not mind.
“The experience is worth more than any amount of money they could offer me,” she says.
Clark got the internship only with UM’s help, she said.
“I wouldn’t even have known about the internship opportunity if I hadn't gotten an e-mail about it from the University,” she said. She applied for the internship online after reading about it in a schoolwide e-mail.
Gregory Singleton, Assistant Dean of Students, wrote her a recommendation.
“I’m the only reason she got the internship!" Singleton joked. “No, really, Mary has all the characteristics needed for a project like this, and lots of leadership experience. I had nothing but positive things to say about her"
See Internship • PageTT
Student to intern with the Kennedys
Mary Clark