SG BLOG

Coming to an end...

2009-03-22T13:44:00.004-04:00

Dear 'Canes:

How quickly has the time passed? It feels as if it were just yesterday that we began serving you. But, here we are almost a year later and the transition to the next group of SG Leadership has begun.

It has truly been an outstanding experience and a privilege to serve you. We have worked on many projects that we hope will continue to benefit you. We currently have five ZipCars on campus with plans to expand the fleet this semester. Rent your ZipCar for only $8 per hour by clicking here, best of all gas and insurance is included...and you only have to be 18+. Also, Starbucks is open later on Sundays, the parking lot by the Wellness Center is all-access, register for classes online now, UBikes are available at the bookstore for only $69, the Health Center is open on Sundays from 12-4pm, the Latin Honor policy was revised thanks to the Senate and there is a recycling bin next to nearly every trash can on campus thanks to GreenU. We also continue to work on our promise to improve advising. A proposal has been presented to the Deans and SG will continue to move forward with the project this coming year with the information that we received from you through the Advising Survey.

It has been some year and we are very excited for what is to come. From the "Committed To U" team, we would like to congratulate the newly elected SG leaders for 2009-10. We know that Lionel, Kristen, Jeremy, Christina and Amy will do an outstanding job and we wish them the very best!

Sincerely,

Brandon, Claudia, Sha and the "Committed to U" team!

GO 'CANES!

Spring '09

2009-01-09T15:22:00.003-05:00

Dear 'Canes:

Happy New Year and welcome back! The Spring 2009 semester is here and we are very excited for what is in store. Throughout the Fall semester we have worked on completing many projects that impact you. From ZipCar to extended dining hours to more commuter parking by the Wellness Center and UBikes all over campus, we have worked very hard to make our University that much better. Coming into 2009 we have many goals and are already working on several projects. The ZipCar program has expanded by the addition of two more vehicles at Mahoney/Pearson, 300 more UBikes are on their way and we continue to work on ESPNU, online registration, improved advising, our GreenU promises and much more! Click here for an update on all of our projects. We will continue to update our Initiatives page throughout the semester to keep you informed.

Also, elections are coming up! If you are interested in running for the Executive Board or for Senate please check back soon for more information.

Lastly, from the beginning the most important thing is hearing from you. Our Campus Involvement Committee: "Keeping The Commitment" will be asking to come and speak with several student organizations about how SG can continue to serve you. We will also hold several "Speak Up, Speak Out" events all over campus to get feedback from you. Let us know how we can continue to serve you! The promises are being kept but we have to do more to continue to serve you best. Please let us know how we can do that.

Go 'Canes!

-Brandon

Happy New Year!

2008-12-19T16:35:00.000-05:00

Dear 'Canes:

How quickly has the time passed? We have seen a lot happen during these short few months and here we are saying goodbye to 2008 and ringing in the New Year. Throughout the Fall semester we have worked on completing many projects that impact you. From ZipCar to extended dining hours to more commuter parking by the Wellness Center and UBikes all over campus, we have worked very hard to make our University that much better. Coming into 2009 we have many goals and are already working on several projects. The ZipCar program will be expanded by the addition of two more vehicles, 300 more UBikes are on their way and we continue to work on ESPNU, online registration, improved advising, our GreenU promises and much more! Click here for an update on all of our projects. We will continue to update our Initiatives page throughout the spring semester to keep you informed.

But as it has been from the beginning, the most important thing is hearing from you. Our Campus Involvement Committee: "Keeping The Commitment" will be asking to come and speak with several student organizations about how SG can continue to serve you. We will also hold several "Speak Up, Speak Out" events all over campus to get feedback from you. Let us know how we can continue to serve you! The promises are being kept but we have to do more to continue to serve you best. Please let us know how we can do that.

All of us at Student Government wish you a happy holiday and a successful new year. See you in 2009!

Go 'Canes!

Brandon Gross
President,
Student Government

November Already?

2008-11-10T13:33:00.000-05:00

Dear 'Canes:

Where has the semester gone? We have seen a lot happen during these short few months and here we are, already in November. SG is continuing to work on completing many projects that impact you. ZipCar is here and we are in the process on expanding the fleet to add more cars! The dining hours are extended to 9:30pm on Mon-Thurs and Starbucks is now open until 10pm on Sundays. Parking by the Wellness Center is all-access, UBikes are all over campus (with another 300 bikes coming next semester) and we are still working on ESPNU, online registration, improved advising, our GreenU promises and much more! Click here for an update on all of our projects. We will continue to update our Initiatives page throughout the semester.

The most important thing is hearing from you. Our Campus Involvement Committee: "Keeping The Commitment" will be asking to come and speak with several student organizations about how SG can continue to serve you. We will also hold several "Speak Up, Speak Out" events all over campus to get feedback from you. Let us know how we can continue to serve you! The promises are being kept but we have to do more to continue to serve you best. Please let us know how we can do that.

If you are going home for the Thanksgiving Break sign up for free transportation to the airport. Click here to reserve your spot today!

Go 'Canes!

-Brandon

GET OUT THE V O T E !

2008-10-28T10:14:00.000-04:00

Dear 'Canes:

It's time to Get Out The Vote! Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, 11/4. Make sure to vote at the BankUnited Center, we can make the difference! We have had a great lecture series this year with outstanding speakers as a part of the "Dialogue for Democracy." Throughout the semester the university explored key issues driving the upcoming presidential election. It is important that we make our voice heard and VOTE!

On another note, SG is continuing to work on completing many projects that impact you. ZipCar is here, dining hours are extended to 9:30pm on Mon-Thurs, Starbucks is now open until 10pm on Sundays, the parking lot by the Wellness Center is all-access, UBikes are all over campus and we are still working on ESPNU, online registration, improved advising, our GreenU promises and much more! Click here for an update on all of our projects. We will continue to update our Initiatives page throughout the semester.

We also want to hear from you. Our Campus Involvement Committee: "Keeping The Commitment" will be asking to come and speak with several student organizations about how SG can continue to serve you. We will also hold several "Speak Up, Speak Out" events all over campus to get feedback from you. Let us know how we can continue to serve you!

Go 'Canes!

-Brandon

HOMECOMING!

2008-10-13T11:00:00.000-04:00

Dear 'Canes:

Welcome to the most spirited and exciting time of the year...Homecomin g! There is a great schedule planned for this year including Opening Ceremonies, Alma Mater, the Parade, an concert from N.E.R.D. and of course Hurricane Howl and Alumni Ave. It all culminates in the Homecoming game against Wake Forest on Oct. 25 at Dolphin Stadium. Make sure you get to as many events as possible because this is the best time to be a Miami Hurricane!

On another note, Election Day is coming up on November 4. Make sure to vote at the BankUnited Center, we can make the difference! We have had great guest speakers as a part of the "Dialogue for Democracy." Throughout the semester the university will explore key issues driving the upcoming presidential election.On that note, there are a few vacant senate seats within SG that are open for interviews. Please visit Get Involved to apply! If you didn't get your free 20% Off coupon to Denny's during SG elections, click here to print it out!

SG is continuing to work on completing many projects that impact you. ZipCar is here, dining hours are extended to 9:30pm on Mon-Thurs, Starbucks is now open until 10pm on Sundays, the parking lot by the Wellness Center is all-access, UBikes are all over campus and we are still working on ESPNU, online registration, improved advising, our GreenU promises and much more! Click here for an update on all of our projects. We will continue to update our Initiatives page throughout the semester.

We also want to hear from you. Our Campus Involvement Committee: "Keeping Our Commitment" will be asking to come and speak with several student organizations about how SG can continue to serve you. We will also hold several "Speak Up, Speak Out" events all over campus to get feedback from you. Let us know how we can continue to serve you!

Go 'Canes!

-Brandon

Campaign Season...

2008-09-23T10:35:00.000-04:00

Dear 'Canes:

A month into the semester already and we've already had a great start to the year. With great speakers including presidential candidate Barack Obama, the university is really preparing us for the upcoming elections. They hope to bring John McCain before the election as well. This series is all part of the "Dialogue for Democracy" where throughout the semester the university will explore key issues driving the upcoming presidential election. Don't forget to register to vote! October 6th is the last day to register in Florida!

Speaking of elections, Senate elections for Student Government are taking place from Mon. 9/22 through Wed. 9/24. Results will be announced at the Rat Wed. 9/24 at 5:00 p.m. Please be sure to stop by the UC Breezeway to vote for your representatives. Everyone that votes will receive a 20% Off coupon to Denny's!

SG is continuing to work on completing many projects that impact you. ZipCar is here, dining hours are extended to 9:30pm on Mon-Thurs, the parking lot by the Wellness Center is all-access, UBikes are all over campus and we are still working on ESPNU, online registration, improved advising, our GreenU promises and much more! Click here for an update on all of our projects. We will continue to update our Initiatives page throughout the semester.

We also want to hear from you. Our Campus Involvement Committee will be asking to come and speak with several student organizations about how SG can continue to serve you. We will also hold several "Speak Up, Speak Out" events all over campus to get feedback from you.

Go 'Canes!

-Brandon

Welcome to Hurricane Season!

2008-09-10T17:57:00.000-04:00

Hey all,

We're a few weeks and a few hurricane threats into the semester but everything seems to be running smoothly. We continue to work on many of our platform promises as well as some other issues that you have brought to our attention. One issue that we are currently working on addressing is the new UPrint service. Many issues have been brought to us and we are diligently seeking the resolutions to many of them. Student organizations will have an option coming soon but please direct your feedback to me and we will continue to work on your behalf.

ZipCar has arrived and the cars are be parked by the Hecht/Stanford parking area. Rent a ZipCar hourly ($8/hr) or by the day ($65/day) --gas and insurance are included, and you only have to be 18+ to rent! There have also been several other projects including extended dining hours (to 9:30pm), all-access parking by the Wellness Center and more UBikes should be coming in soon. For more information on all of these SG projects and updates on some other things that we continue to work on click here!

Throughout the year we will be going around to various student groups to ask how we can continue to serve you. If you would like us to come to your group about any issue please e-mail our Campus Involvement Committee. Also, please feel free to e-mail me at any time or stop by our office UC214. We are looking forward to continuing serving you!

Go 'Canes!

-Brandon

Welcome Back!

2008-08-18T09:26:00.000-04:00

Welcome back to all returning students and a special welcome to the new students!
Orientation is here and we are very excited to start off the new year.
Student Government will have a presence at Orientation 2008 and we will be looking for new members to get involved.
SG will be at the "
Getting Involved" sessions on Friday (8/22) and Saturday (8/23) and will be holding two SG Interest Sessions on Monday (8/25) at 11am and Tuesday (8/26) at 2pm on the second floor of the University Center (I-Lounge). All are welcome to come!

We have been working very hard this summer on a lot of projects
and are very pleased to announce that many have
already been completed! ZipCar has arrived and the cars will be parked by the Hecht/Stanford parking area. Rent a ZipCar hourly or by the day for only $8/hr.--gas and insurance are included, and you only have to be 18+ to
rent!
There have also been several other projects including extended dining hours, all-access parking by the Wellness Center and UBikes are now available at the bookstore to all students for only $59. For more information on all of these SG projects and updates on some other things that we continue to work on click here!

Throughout the year we will be going around to various student groups and ask how we can continue to serve you. If you would like us to come to your group about any issue please e-mail our Campus Involvement Committee. Also, please feel free to e-mail me (brandon@miami.edu) at any time or stop by our office UC214. Looking forward to a great year!
 

Go 'Canes!

-Brandon

Goodbye to U!

2008-04-28T12:20:00.000-04:00

So it's been a while since I've blogged, and I'm sad to say this will be my last. While I'm no longer President of SG, I'm very proud to add the word "Emeritus" to my title. This past year has taught me a lot. First off - titles don't mean anything. So many times, we get caught up in who gets called what, and whom reports to whom, and who gets the credit. My favorite quote (taken from my Facebook profile): "It's amazing all that can be accomplished when nobody cares about the credit". You do things because they are the right thing to do. You do things because they make you feel good and you know you are doing others good and enhancing their collegiate experience. This has been our team's philosophy from the start.

Now, nearly a month being out of office, I've had some time to reflect. Things have certainly slowed down (including my heart rate). Much of the end of our term was spent compiling content for the first Student Government Annual Report. Special thanks to John Gottshalk (Art Director) and Bari Lieberman (Editor) for putting together such a professional publication. This report has been made available on our website (www.miami.edu/sg) and copies will be made available in the Student Government office and in other administrative offices on the campus. You can download a copy of the report here. We also plan on delivering a copy to The Miami Hurricane's office so they can read all about our achievements they missed while covering irrelevant stories or while negatively reporting positive stories.

The University of Miami has given me lots of opportunities and experiences. I've made a great deal of friends along the way (fellow students and administrators). Just because I'm graduating, doesn't mean all of the friends and memories will fade away... I won't let that happen.

While I was at my house over the weekend visiting my parents, I found this picture from my 3rd birthday party. We had a UM-themed party since my dad's cousin at the time, was a UM cheerleader. The entire cheerleading team and the Miami Maniac came to my birthday party. Kinda scary to think that 18 years later, I would be graduating from the University of Miami.

As for my plans post-graduation... I have accepted a job with Humana to work as a Project Analyst at the Innovation Center in Louisville, KY. Being born and raised in Miami my whole life, I'm a little nervous about the move to the midwest, but I'm also VERY excited! At least I will be a minority again (Cuban) after leaving Miami. I will certainly miss my family and my friends who live in Miami, but I'm bound to travel a lot in the position I will have and will try to get back to Miami as often as work will allow. After a few years of working, I plan on going back to school to get my MBA.

If you ever want to reach me, my email address is dannycarvajal@gmail.com. I wish all of my fellow graduates of the class of 2008 the best of luck with wherever life takes you. Remember all the memories at The U, and cheers to all the new ones the real world has to offer us!

Much love,

Danny

Eve Carson's Memorial Service

2008-03-30T14:55:00.000-04:00

Last Tuesday, I traveled to University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill for the day to attend Eve Carson's Memorial Service and Celebration of her life at the UNC campus. Eve was the Student Body President of UNC. Soon after hearing of Eve's death, the ACC Student Body Presidents engaged in an email thread to discuss what each of our schools were doing to show support for our colleagues at our ACC-sister school. Myself and the Wake Forest Student Body President, Whitney Marshall, attended the service. I also realized that Eve was the inspiration for us to create our own YouTube channel for Student Government. I recall watching a YouTube video she made last semester introducing herself and the SG office to students on the web. I sent an email to Molly Jones back in November, sharing my excitement about the idea and "how cool would it be to mimic what UNC's SG is doing".

Here are some pictures I took from my phone while I visited their Student Government office:

Above: The flowers sent from the us.

From my view:

Below: A sign posted on the door of the SG office.

Below: Eve's Door

The memorial service was very touching. You can see videos below. The arena was packed with friends, family, and others wearing Carolina baby blue in support of Eve.

Congratulations to "Committed to U"

2008-03-30T14:50:00.001-04:00

After a very long election, complete with run-offs, election code violations, and court hearings, Brandon Gross, Claudia Medina, and Shajena Erazo are the newly elected Student Government leaders. I am very happy for them and look forward to transitioning and seeing the wonderful platforms they plan to accomplish. Congratulations to you and your entire team.

Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Visit to UM

2008-03-30T10:48:00.000-04:00

So it's been a while since I've blogged. Things have been very busy for me lately. My apologies to all of you dedicated "readers"... :-)

This past Tuesday, Dana Dombey and her ambitious team from ShalomUM organized an event celebrating the 60 year relationship between the US and Israel. They invited Congresswomen Ileana Ros-Lehtinen to speak. I had the wonderful privilege of introducing the Congresswoman to speak about the past US-Israel relations and its future.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is the first Cuban female to be elected into Congress, and as a Cuban myself, I was extremely honored to meet her. She mentioned how the US-Israel relationship is a bipartisan issue. Nobody can disagree that helping the Israeli people is the right thing to do.

The turnout for the event was fantastic. Major kudos to ShalomUM for hosting the event and the other 20+ student organizations who sponsored.

Run-off Elections: Crystal vs. Gross

2008-03-03T18:03:00.000-05:00

This should come as no surprise to anybody. I was anticipating a run off this election season. First off, would like to commend the remaining candidates for staying strong. Within 5 minutes after hearing the election results last Thursday, Dan Lazaro was already endorsing Jeremy Crystal. Guess that's how short it took for him to mourn his loss and rebound the defeat. This leads me to my next question: Did Dan know he was going to lose? If not, why didn't he think a little longer before running to make an endorsement. It just doesn't make that much sense to me, personally.

I commend Pravin Patel and The Hurricane for publishing an article today highlighting the flaws in several of Jeremy Crystal's central platforms. I said it before, and I'll say it again, OUR ADMINISTRATION HAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED AN OPEN DOOR POLICY. I don't know where Crystal's campaign got the idea that we didn't. I know I surely spent time meeting with him one night as he walked right into my office. Why? Because we have an open-door policy. I guess it's easier to judge the current administration when you aren't in Student Government. This does not necessarily mean you are not qualified, as neither Molly, Justin nor myself had any SG experience coming into office. But at the same time, you NEVER saw any of us "bashing" Annette Ponnock's administration - rather, we seeked out all of the good things she did and made sure to comment on those. Positivity speaks a hell of a lot more powerfully than negativity. Trust me.

In my last blog, I stated that Molly, Justin, and myself had chosen not to endorse any candidates. Things have changed a bit. After watching, hearing, and reading some of the campaign tactics of certain candidates, I'm no longer as open-minded and 'neutral' as I was previously. Molly is endorsing Brandon's campaign, of which I support her 100%. I have chosen to not publicly endorse any candidate, although will continue to share my disgust with some of the platforms the candidates are running on.

Best of luck.
DC

SG Elections

2008-02-26T09:06:00.000-05:00

Well, it's that time of year again. It's time for students to vote for the new Student Government leaders. I can't believe a year has past already. It's upsetting that some of this year's tickets aren't running clean and friendly campaigns like we did last year. Some of the best memories I had were of Katy, Johweyeh, and me standing together side by side on the campaign trail while encouraging students to look at all the options. There was even a question during the debate when we were asked to state something positive and something negative about the other candidates. Sure enough, nothing negative was said. To quote Johweyeh: "It was an election of love".

While Molly, Justin, and myself are not endorsing any candidates, I must say I was thoroughly unimpressed by some of the things said during last week's presidential debate. I think now I can understand and appreciate some of Annette's [former SG president] frustrations during our campaign season, when certain impossible statements about platforms were made. Obviously some statements are made simply to be elected. Being on the other side, it's easy to spot them. I will not call out any candidates by name, however, I will give my opinion on certain platforms.

Above: Last year's presidential debate. We were so kind to one another.

I really don't appreciate, however, having our administration ridiculed for having a so called "disconnect" with the student body. And for certain campaigns to insinuate that we do not have an open-door policy - that's just wrong. Not only is our door always open when we are in the office, but my daily/weekly schedule has been posted on the door to increase transparency within Student Government. Between the 12 different members of our Executive Board, one of us would always be available to speak to somebody. I consider our Executive Board to be the most accessible students on this campus for students to speak to. Friendly, approachable, and open-minded are all words that come to mind when thinking about our team. I would challenge anyone who would argue that.

Regarding some platforms:
1. The Ibis Ride Shuttle on Halloween: This was simply a fundamental disagreement of views between the administration and students. The University could not justify facilitating a "party bus" on a school night. We fought hard [very hard]. I co-chaired a Halloween Ibis Ride Task Force with Richard Walker. The Task Force put together an extensive realistic plan to address the logistical issues. Again, the reason the University ultimately said no was because it was on a school night. We have been given the approval that next year the Ibis Ride will run on Halloween since it falls on a Friday night. But, I think the candidates should look at the bigger picture. Ibis Ride might not be running at all next year. Rather than proposing to ADD nights for the Ibis Ride during the week (Tuesday is being proposed by one ticket) and add more recreational shuttle routes (Monty's being proposed by another), something should be proposed to reduce the number of "incidents" taking place week after week on the shuttle. I wrote a letter to the Hurricane encouraging students to be responsible on the bus (read the letter here). We stand the great chance of having the Ibis Ride discontinued due to weekly vomiting, fights, and urinating incidents on the bus. The Ibis Ride is a privilege, not a right. Best of luck to the candidates who propose expanding this deteriorating service who's future is not very bright unless something is done immediately to correct student's behavior.

2. CFLs in the Residential Colleges. About a month ago I was invited to join a Facebook group [and petition]: "Energy Saving Lightbulbs to be used at the University of Miami". I am fully supportive of this initiative, and in fact made several inquiries with administrators and made them aware of the petition. Here is an email response I received from Mr. Johnny Williams, the Facilities Manager:

The bulbs referenced in the student petition are in fact being used by
Facilities now. Whenever we have a request to change out a light bulb and find
the burned-out bulb is an incandescent, we replace it with the CFL. As a rough
estimate, I would say that 70% or more of the bulbs in Housing areas have been
switched over to the CFL. We have started doing the same in the Village. We have
had a recycling program for used bulbs and ballasts in place for some time now.
Thank you, Johnny Williams Facilities Manager

So as can be seen by the email, Facilities is actively moving towards energy saving light bulbs. Stop criticizing and start realizing what is actually being done. It's unethical to take this initiative and make it your own, especially when 70% of residence halls facilities already have been replaced with CFLs.

3. Add 150 parking spaces. So there's this little thing called the UMCAD. It's actually not so little and it's actually not so simple. In fact, there is an entire Office of Campus Planning led by Janet Gavarette. Janet has the difficult job of advancing the University's campus forward while keeping the City of Coral Gables and its residents happy. By proposing to pave the gravel lots, I don't think you'll find 150 new spaces. Regardless, I'll put down some math here. Each parking space on the University costs $6,000 (this takes into consideration real estate, installation, and maintenance costs). By adding 150 spots, you are proposing to spend just under $1 Million toward a platform goal. From experience, I can tell you the University thinks very hard about spending that type of money. They also tend to prioritize their assets. And sorry to say, the SG budget can't afford it either. Lastly, it's completely absurd to say that the reason UM was not chosen to host the Presidential Debates this year was due to a lack of parking. We've actually increased the number of parking spaces on the campus since the 2004 debate. Furthermore, when the Serpentine lot opens in front of the BUC, several hundred more spaces will be available. Parking was not the reason for us not getting the debate. Check your sources.

4. University Shuttle Improvement Plan. This sounds really exciting, but I'm sure students would love to see the plan. During our campaign, one of our platforms was Podcasting on iTunes U. We actually posted our 10-page plan that included a strategy for marketing and implementing the program. This further legitimizes any plan, in my opinion.

I know campaigning and elections are very stressful times. I would just continue to encourage the candidates to be nice to one another. It's immature at this level to put down another candidate just to put yourself up. If you want to talk about another ticket, say something positive. Don't go out on a bashing spree. So best of luck to all the candidates and may the most qualified person win!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T15:45:00.000-05:00

Happy V-Day everybody... It's a very pink/red day on campus. Couldn't have asked for nicer weather today.

Getting ready for our trip up to UVA in Charlottesville, VA. We are attending the ACC Student Leadership Conference for the weekend. Unfortunately we have to leave very early in the morning tomorrow. Nevertheless, we will have lots of fun!

On another note, today is President Shalala's birthday. We had a surprise b-day party for her in her office. We presented an oversized b-day card and flowers on behalf of the entire student body. Great cake too... :-)

Okie doke, see ya all later and have a great weekend!

SG on YouTube

2008-02-13T10:24:00.000-05:00

Last week, we launched our Student Government channel on YouTube. Be sure to check it out periodically as we will be adding new content very frequently! Chief of Staff Amy Salmanson is putting all of her great SoC skills to use by gathering content from events on campus and coordinating confessionals (MTV-style) with SG members.

We've also made some great enhancements to our SG website. Take a look to learn more about what SG is doing for U. Thanks to our great web designer Alex Montilla and our Director of Innovation and Advancement Sam Blum for their hard work in organizing the site. We'll be seeing lots of improvements over the course of the next few weeks. Keep checking!

Senior Class Gift!

2008-02-13T10:11:00.000-05:00

Hey Seniors!!

The time has come for us to make a contribution and give back to the University that has given so much to us over the years. We are asking you to make a donation to the Senior Class Gift campaign. The suggested amount is $20.08, but you can give as little as $1 to be recognized as a "donor". Participation is extremely important. The best part is that you can designate where you'd like your donation to go (i.e. Student Affairs, Athletics, School of Business Administration, etc.)

Even better, if you make a donation of at least $10, you'll receive a keepsake orange, green, and white tassel!

Click here to link directly to the Alumni Association website and make your donation today!

SportsFest + UV!

2008-02-13T09:51:00.003-05:00

The world-famous annual SportsFest competition took place this weekend. SportsFest is a 3 day tournament among the 5 (now 6) different residential areas. This year, an addition was made to the teams competing... the UNIVERSITY VILLAGE (my home)!! UV had 4 teams, 2 guys and 2 girls. We were definitely thought to be the underdogs and the "new apartment area" [as far as rankings are concerned]. Well, we sure as hell dominated and showed the rest of the campus we are here to stay. The UV came in 2nd place, just after Hecht, who wins every year...

I played on the UV Terror and competed in the home run derby, kickball, and the relay race (400 m). Good times...

Above: Leyla, the Hecht RC, holds the trophy proudly. I wish we could have seen Nate (the UV RC) holding it up. Next year...

Above: SG Senator Christina Farmer, from STRIVE, represents Pearson during a home run derby contest.

(Photos courtesy of The Miami Hurricane)

Herleman's Letter to The Hurricane

2008-02-05T22:36:00.000-05:00

I'd like to thank Katherine Herleman for sharing her opinion regarding The Miami Hurricane's recent trend toward negative journalism. I enjoyed her letter very much and agree with her points.
Student newspaper is too negative, cynical - Opinion

During a recent issue, I submitted a letter with similar frustrations. I'll admit, Katie is a much better writer than I am. I try my best though... Just know that I scored much higher in math than in verbal on the SAT's. :-)

Congrats Katie on a well-written letter.

Here is my letter from the 1/24 issue:
Student Government not getting due credit from newspaper - Opinion

More Virgin HealthMiles Media...

2008-02-04T21:59:00.000-05:00

Check out this E-Veritas newsletter (for the faculty and staff of UM) that included a blurb about the kickoff event last week. Thanks again to Sahyli and Margot from media relations for all the help!

http://www.miami.edu/news/everitas/2007-08/02-04-08.html

So here are some more pictures from the kickoff event last week, in case you missed it!

Above: The group gathers around to demonstrate the GoZone pedometers!

I gave some remarks and then introduced President Shalala and Andrew Pelosi.

Andrew spoke on behalf of Virgin, and discussed the excitement that has emerged from a new partnership! The first University in the country... pretty cool!

UM Cheerleaders answer questions about the HealthMiles program to a UM student

Above (l to r): VP of Marketing and Consumer Engagement for Virgin HealthMiles Andrew Pelosi/VP of Student Affairs Dr. Pat Whitely/Chief of Staff Margi Patel/Executive Secretary Shajena Erazo/ME/Sebastian the Ibis/Executive at Large Krizia Giambanco/Treasurer Justin Gaither/Chief of Staff Amy Salmanson/Vice President Molly Jones/VHM's Wii champion Daryk Pengelly/the wonderful UM Cheerleaders!

Above: Melissa Gerber, a Junior and new HealthMiles member stopped by the HealthZone kiosk to get her blood pressure, weight, and bmi measurements recorded. Go Melissa!

"Green" and Virgin Fun...

2008-02-01T16:31:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday everybody!

Whew! What an awesome week. (had a great time at the Grove last night too).

The Virgin HealthMiles kickoff on Wednesday went great. We had a great showing of students and administrators. President Shalala gave some remarks followed by Andrew Pelosi (VP of Marketing and Consumer Engagement). Meanwhile Daryk Pengelly from Virgin also debuted the Wii Fit video game (direct from Japan)! Students had a great time being active while learning more about the HealthMiles program. We had DJ Willy C on hand playing awesome music on the patio, with Vitamin Water giving out free Vitamin Energy drinks and Smart Water, Apple's campus rep Melissa Gerber passing out Apple materials and donating an iPod touch that will be raffled off to the first Virgin HealthMiles members who sign up! I'll put up the link to the video and more media content when they become available. Meanwhile, here is a link to the Hurricane's article covering the event: "New rewards-based initiative Virgin HealthMiles encourages students to be active"

Here are some pictures of Sebastian and students having some fun in the UC Lower Lounge with the Nintendo Wii:

Above: Daryk having some fun with Sebastian during a tennis match. I think Sebastian won...

Above: Me attempting to swing a virtual racquet. It's not the easiest thing in the world.

Tara Irani, Executive-at-Large External, is working on getting health magazine subscriptions at the Wellness Center. Men's Health, Women's Health, Fitness Magazine, and others! We'll keep you posted on the progress of this.

I recently was invited to join a Facebook group called: "Energy Saving Lightbulbs to be used at the University of Miami". I am fully supportive of this initiative, and in fact made several inquiries with administrators and made them aware of the petition. Here is an email response sent by Mr. Johnny Williams, the Facilities Manager:

The bulbs referenced in the student petition are in fact being used by
Facilities now. Whenever we have a request to change out a light bulb and find
the burned-out bulb is an incandescent, we replace it with the CFL. As a rough
estimate, I would say that 70% or more of the bulbs in Housing areas have been
switched over to the CFL. We have started doing the same in the Village. We have
had a recycling program for used bulbs and ballasts in place for some time now.
Thank you, Johnny Williams Facilities Manager

So as can be seen by the email, Facilities is actively moving towards energy saving lightbulbs, although maybe they can be more proactive... We'll continue encouraging them. Meanwhile, my name is on the petition. Good job Earth Alert!

Speaking of "green", Jenny Burrows (VP of Sustainable U) has drafted a great proposal for a Green Career Fair! We have a meeting set up for next week to present it to the Toppel Career Center to see how we can proceed. Should be a great event if we can make it happen! Good job Jenny!

That's enough out of me for now... Have a great weekend! My plan for the weekend: wellness center, monty's, south beach, SG work, and STUDY!! Work Hard, Play Hard!

- dc

Getting ready for Virgin HealthMiles Kickoff!

2008-01-28T19:52:00.000-05:00

So we are a couple days away from the big kickoff event for UM-Virgin HealthMiles! The Virgin team (Andrew and Daryk) have arrived. Hopefully we'll have a good turnout at the UC Patio as we celebrate our partnership with Virgin at Noon on Wednesday. President Shalala will be there to give some remarks too... It should be exciting! DJ Willy C, free PowerPizza and Vitamin Water! (Thanks Natalie de Rojas from Toppel for getting us the Vitamin Water!) We'll also be raffling off an iPod courtesy of Melissa Gerber (Apple's student rep @ UM). Appearances by Sebastian and some of the amazing UM cheerleaders... yahoo!

We have our great team of UM-Virgin student ambassadors who have been tabling in the UC breezeway all last week, and will be tabling tonight, tomorrow, and Wednesday night in the Wellness Center from 7-10 pm. It's easy to sign up... Click here to enroll!

Alright, until next time...

DC out.

Student Government's First Blog

2008-01-27T20:07:00.000-05:00

Hey guys!

This is the first of many blogs to come. We are piloting a new way of communicating to you, the students. Please check back for updates on projects and policies. Feel free to post whatever is on your mind, but try not to be offensive. Student Government is working hard on making your lives better here at the University of Miami!

See you on campus,

Danny
UM SG Prez