Bringing the “Relay” Home to UM

For the past five years now, I have participated in the American Cancer Society’s signature fundraising activity Relay For Life in my hometown of Sarasota, Florida. It is an overnight event where teams of ten to fifteen people walk or run around a track in an effort to fight cancer and support those affected by this disease. Relay was started in the mid 1980s by Dr. Gordon Klatt, a surgeon from Tacoma, Washington. He was looking for a way to raise the income of his local American Cancer Society. Money is raised before and during the event by individuals and through team fundraising that is donated towards cancer treatments and finding a cure.

The event opens with an honorary first lap by cancer survivors. It is followed by the special Luminaria Ceremony which begins at dark. Individual lights outline the track in a sentimental moment of inspiration and hope. The event continues into the morning where it ends with a closing ceremony.

On Friday, April 1^st, and into the morning of April 2^nd, I participated in the Pinecrest/ Palmetto Bay and University of Miami Relay For Life hosted by Palmetto Senior High; my sixth consecutive Relay. I was a member of one of nine teams that participated from UM; there were fifteen additional community teams. As I walked my share of laps and the Luminaria Ceremony brought tears to my eyes, I began to wonder why this Relay For Life was not held on UM’s campus. It would be to UM’s benefit to support the cancer patients and survivors who are a part of the UM community. “The American Cancer Society Relay For Life represents the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported, and that one-day cancer will be eliminated.” (From www.cancer.org)

With a voice in this newspaper, I want express to my fellow students the necessity and importance of bringing an event of this positive nature to the school. Last year, UM participated in the Coral Gables Relay For Life, and with each year, the number of teams and money raised has doubled. This year roughly one hundred UM students raised over $10,000. Without question there could be hundreds more to line a track on the IM fields if Relay For Life came to campus.

Cancer does not discriminate against anyone. Every dollar donated towards the American Cancer Society is a step towards finding a cure. If Relay For Life is held at UM, I know that the number of people participating, the number of teams formed, and the amount of money raised will greatly exceed what was achieved this year and last year. Contact umrelay4life@hotmail.com to get involved with UM’s Relay For Life and visit www.cancer.org to visit the American Cancer Society’s website.

This article published in "The Hurricane"

Thank You Chartwells: A Response

This is in response to my article about Chartwells, the University of Miami food service. I had a meeting with the Director of Auxiliary Services and this is in response to that.

Three days after the publication of my opinion piece regarding Chartwell’s hours of operation in the March 25^th issue, I received an email from Mel Tenen, Director of Auxiliary Services. He wanted to meet with me regarding my article to discuss my ideas and what Chartwells has done in the past with its hours. At first, I could not believe that my article had sparked enough interest to elicit an email, let alone a personal meeting.

With great ease, I spoke with Mr. Tenen for about an hour. He was very receptive to listening to the concerns of the students. I learned that the hours of operation are not determined by Chartwells; they are determined by Auxiliary Services and have been improved from recent years. To my surprise, Mr. Tenen was already working with Chartwells and Student Government to improve the hours of operation. He is looking into extending breakfast past 10 A.M. during the week and extending dinner past seven P.M. on Sundays. My constant nightly prayers were heard.

I want to thank Mr. Tenen for his time and seeking solutions for all of our concerns. He is extremely willing to work with students and student organizations in matters like Chartwells and other departments within the Auxiliary Services. His goal is to help us get the most out of our college experience and the meal plans.

On a final note, I am going to put an end to rumor that has been circulating the dining halls. Laxatives are not used in the food.

Can Pro-Life and Marriage Go Hand-In-Hand?

The man who wants to keep the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman now is taking the necessary steps to intervene between the rights of a husband and wife. If our country wants to preserve the biblical sacredness of marriage, revoking the rights of a spouse in favor of parents is hypocrisy.

The Terri Schiavo life or death case returns to the news as President George W. Bush and the Republicans try to pass a bill that would reinsert Schiavo’s feeding tube. According to MSNBC, On March 18^th, Michael Schiavo, Terri’s husband and legal guardian, requested the removal of her feeding tube. As the bill to prolong Terri’s life passed through the Senate, Democrats are scrambling to stop the bill from passing through the House of Representatives. Now President Bush waits with pen in hand to sign the bill as soon as it reaches his desk.

The Republicans in our government, backed by our president, are attempting to overrule Michael Schiavo’s legal guardian status and side with Terri’s parents. With a legal marriage comes guardianship. Married couples become the decision makers for each other, not their respective parents.

Michael Schiavo has publicly stated that before his wife’s brain damage, she confided in him that she would not want to live if ever left paralyzed in a vegetative state. As this man is the legal guardian of his wife, his voice becomes the voice of his wife. We see the intervention of the U.S. government because we are dealing with conflicting feelings over the life of a human.

Here is the perfect chance for Republicans and Democrats to make advancements in the issue of pro-life versus pro-choice. President Bush continues to follow his religious-born ideal of pro-life. However, the Bible never stipulated whether the parents or spouse should have control over the other spouse when in a vegetative state. (Dramatic gasp.) President Bush may have to come to his own conclusions. In this case, he will put aside his deep feelings for the sacred bond of marriage in favor of his pro-life beliefs.

There is the possibility for exceptions to rules. If there is to be the exception to allow Schiavo’s parents to take control of their daughter’s life, then this must lead to further exceptions. When and if the bill to reinsert Schiavo’s feeding tube passes, homosexuals should then allow to legally marry. The laws passed in several states that have outlawed gay marriages must be overruled. Our president cannot show a strong stance on an issue, if in one instance he makes a rejection and then makes an exception.

As the 2004 Presidential Election neared, both candidates took their stances on defining marriage between a man and a woman. As our country elected President Bush, he was in control to ensure the blessed union of marriage. Now as a conflict arises between guardianship of parents versus married couples, President Bush and Republicans want to break the cherished bond of marriage. Who would have thought that both 2004 Presidential candidates were “flip-floppers?”

Purses, Sunglasses, and Dogs that Fit into Hand Bags

Thanks Louis Vuitton. Thanks Versace. Thanks Armani. You men and other high-end designers have successfully made the women within the University of Miami bubble more interested in you than the real men on campus. You successfully created a world where a majority of women and some men wear to class what they will wear to a South Beach club that same night.

The designer fashion trends spread way beyond UM’s women and men, who are commonly known as metrosexuals. Since we live in one of the largest cities in the country, with late-night, hot-spot South Beach as our neighbor, it is inevitable that the need to dress to impress will carry over from the clubs to the classes.

As a male student sits in class next to a woman with a designer bag, wallet, and sunglasses, there can be an immediate intimidation factor. Is this a woman who needs everything laid out on a red carpet? Will she only take interest in me for my bank account? I have no money in my wallet but dining dollars on my cane card, will she enjoy a romantic meal together at Chartwells? These questions and others similar may run through the heads of some men.

Without a doubt, there are men with deep wallets who are fearless when it comes to the stigma of the fashion designers. However, for those who are not in this monetary situation, women with an exceedingly large amount of designer paraphernalia create an invisible wall to a group of men.

It doesn’t help the situation if the designer bag is a cheap knock off. First, men generally cannot tell the difference between a real and fake Louis Vuitton purse. And second, if you have a fake purse, you probably want a real one and a man who can give you one.

When a man sees groups of women pile into taxi cabs headed for South Beach each weekend, he may begin to wonder if these women are the majority. Let’s face it; the appeal of Miami draws large crowds, so inevitably the majority of women one encounters at UM want to experience the thrilling night life. If a man chooses to limit his association with “designer women” be it by choice or intimidation, finding women other than Paris Hilton look-a-likes becomes a great challenge.

The fact exists that private institutions, like UM, attract more affluent students. Therefore, we see this large portion of “designer women” enter every year as freshmen. The typical, “I’m a college student and don’t have any money,” image declines in private colleges. Instead the, “I’m a college student and can go to South Beach every weekend,” image abounds.

This article published in "The Hurricane"

Chartwells: It’s Not the Food, It’s the Hours

This article is in reference to the dining hall service at my university.

One of the highest forms of flattery when you write commentary is suggestions from your readers about writing on a certain subject to get the word out. Numerous friends and readers have expressed their frustration to me about the Chartwells dining service. Since I agree with the criticism, I have decided to make Chartwells the subject of this commentary.

Charties or Fartwells? Call it what you will, but it still is Chartwells. Generally, the food at the dining halls goes down relatively well, but once it’s down, it just does not stay down. The fact that after meals, students sprint to the bathrooms speaks for itself.

Putting the quality of food aside, the hours of operation at the dining halls are suitable for Seinfeld’s parents’ retirement village at Del Boca Vista. The hours of each meal do not cater to the needs of the students, who the dining hall is working for. I cannot remember the last time I was awake for breakfast. If you have no classes before eleven, you cannot eat breakfast because the dining hall is closed for an hour to setup for lunch. Two days a week, my classes begin at two. No matter what time of day it is, even if I have just woken up, I just cannot eat a burger or hotdog for breakfast.

During the weekends, breakfast should be served all day. Let’s do a reality check: the number of people awake during breakfast hours on the weekend is usually very slim. Additionally, Chartwells closes at seven on weekends. On the weekends, most students are ready for lunch at seven. Last weekend I walked into Chartwells at 6:45 PM for my first serving of food. As I went for seconds, the clock showed exactly seven and all of the dining stations were closed. All the food was gone except for jello and pudding. For the amount that is paid for a meal plan, students deserve the opportunity for seconds.

The dining hall is on campus to feed the students. The life of a college student is drastically different from the life of high school students. For most college students, everything is usually done later. We sleep late, we go out late, we are up late doing work, and most of all, we eat late.

When a student is at the mercy of a meal plan, his or her schedule seems to revolve around the hours of Chartwells. However, the hours of operation should be more flexible to cater to the needs of students. Additionally, Chartwells should continue to serve food, even beyond closing time, to those still dining. Like restaurants, closing time would mean locking the doors to further patrons, but the diners already inside would not be shoved out.

I understand the difficulty of the logistics and organization of running Chartwells, however the Chartwells issue should be investigated by Student Government, since they are the ones who can intervene on behalf of the student body. The last thing we at UM want is for its students to become either malnourished or in need of fluids from dehydration.

By the way, Chartwells closed during the week of spring break. I had to eat out for every meal; I didn’t complain.

This article published in "The Hurricane"

Do You Remember that Hurricane Named Charley?

I live four hours north-west of UM in Sarasota. Each time I drive home, I must travel through the cities of Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte that were ravaged by hurricane Charley. As I drove from Sarasota back to UM at the end of our month-long winter break, I once again drove through two cities that made national news about five months ago.

Much has occurred in our nation and throughout the world since hurricane Charley touched land in southwest Florida. President Bush was elected to a second presidential term, a tsunami devastated Southeast Asia, and Iraq successfully held democratic elections, to name a few major events.

As November rolled in, the hurricane season finally blew out to sea. The various news broadcast networks now had other current events to report on rather than hurricanes. The media spotlight was turned off in southwest Florida just when those without homes began their rebuilding process.

Five months after hurricane Charley disappeared from Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, do Americans realize that light posts on I-75 are still bent in half? Or that piles of rubble the size of a two story house still exist where houses once stood? Five months from now will all of the victims of the Southeast Asia tsunami be identified? Will all of the structures be rebuilt? Will anyone remember these tragedies or even care?

Although the hurricane and tsunami left different death tolls, the harsh reality of each’s effects are equally felt by those directly affected. The news broadcast media subjugates these once major news events until they are replayed for the “year-in-review-montage” that every news network plays the week before the New Year.

Instead of reporting on news of entertainment value, such as award shows, sports updates, and celebrity break-ups, news networks should report on truly informative news. News shows should update the nation on topics of important concern. As I have opined before, news networks have lost some sense of the real news stories. The citizenry needs to be enlightened on the daily happenings concerning pertinent human affairs. No one would probably ever let me run a news network; I would air too much real news. Leave the entertainment updates to ESPN and E!.

This Article Published in "The Hurricane"

What do Golden Globes and Prince Harry Have in Common?

One morning during my winter break, I sat watching one of the major news networks, though it could have been anyone of them, for about an hour and a half. It was your typical news show where two anchors report the latest news events. I had hoped to start my day by informing myself on the morning’s developments in our nation and our world. To my astonishment, I was not informed of any ongoing crises in this world. Had the Iraq War finally ended? Were the tsunami ravaged regions finally rebuilt? Was California given a break from the snow and rain? Had no shots, explosions, or other violent acts been committed within this nearly two hour period?

For this short period of time, our world was in a state of peace. With no urgent news at hand, the news anchors were finally able to focus on the real stories. I had grown tired of hearing about the reality of death and destruction. So, I listened intently.

Television viewers were informed on the secrets of the French physique, Prince Harry’s Nazi debacle, the weekend movies to see and not to see, and all the latest gossip over the upcoming Hollywood movie awards. As I sat learning that French women savor their food in moderation, “Elektra” suffers from the curse of Ben Affleck, and Prince Harry is the world’s biggest moron (despite a fine education), I realized that all of the stories of death and destruction were just “filler” for these pressing news stories.

How can anyone possibly worry about the newest death toll in Iraq when Jamie Foxx received three Golden Globe nominations? The report on how important fashion is at these award ceremonies enlightened me to the life of a show biz star. But wait, no more diets- French women are encouraging people to eat the foods that they enjoy. (The only catch is not eating until explosion.)

Once this news program ended and the next one aired, the temporary world peace came to an end. The anchor reported on the court-marshalling of U.S. Army Spc. Charles Graner Jr. for his role in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, the latest developments in the Iraq war, and the rising waters in South California and the mid-west. As I watched and listened to the stories I originally tuned in for, depression began to set in, once again. Finally, watching the news wasn’t entertainment or a joke anymore. Without haste, a beautiful news bunny and hunky reporter returned to report on the And 1 street basketball team; the peace had returned.

In the end, Charles Graner Jr. became the scapegoat in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, as there was a failure by journalists to question the roles of top Pentagon officials. While the real news was swept under the rug, we at least know how French women stay thin.

This Article Published in "The Hurricane"