University of Miami - Ibis Yearbook (Coral Gables, FL)

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Hugg'ng her best friend's little brother, Gus, Sophomore Amity Driggers pause: for a photo during the FunDay festivities. E To Q. U7 w U '0 i j m 0 4., O L O.

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Welcoming everyone to the day's events, Bobby Baskin, a FunDay coordinator, speaks about the history and purpose of FunDay. Af-sEnnDay volunteer and her buddy ,5: :ilijtlance to music from The Little 7 Mermaid. The various events of FunDay were organized around the theme Under the Sea. BY JULIA lVllLLER ith students and citizens of all ages singing songs and playing games, the scene on Saturday, February 20, 1999 was one that would bring a smile to anyone's face. Students and special citizens of the Miami community joined together once again for FunDay 1999, a day that has been a tradition for over twenty years. The event was both educational and recreational for the students and Citizens who participated. The purpose of FunDay is to make people aware of other people with disabilities, said Claudia Moreno, FunDay Chairperson. The day began with each UM student being paired with a special person or ltbuddy. The theme was llUnder the Sea and they had six stations which formed a playhouse that hosted the various activities throughout the day. The special citizens danced and sang with Sebastian from The Little Mermaid, sailed on the Titanic and partied on a stranded island. FunDay was a great experience. It felt great to make someone's clay. The buddies were all so happy to be there with us, said sophomore Janell Johnson. Over 260 special citizens attended but only approximately 200 students, half of the expected turnout, took part in the event. Students were paired with more than one buddy because of the low turnout. The participation was low but those who were there made the day a success. The buddies who did show up did an amazing job, said Mickey Rubenstein, director of the Volunteer Services Center. In addition to the actual event, many organizations including Hillel, Student Government Association, and the Equestrian Team made donations to fund the FunDay events. All who participated made it a day that the special citizens will not forget.

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he 1999 Fall semester brought many new faces to the University of Miami. Most of those students were freshmen eager to begin the next step in their education. When asked why he Chose UM, freshman Paul Schuman said, It's a big place with a lot of diversity. In recent years, UM has upped its standards. It has become increasingly difficult to be admitted into the university. And even with this added emphasis on selectivity, over 1,700 fresh, new faces were seen gazing up in awe at the buildings on campus in the fall. This year there were more applications for first-year students than any other year. Many students came to the University of Miami to expand their knowledge. Students liked UM because of the atmosphere, the location and the beauty of the campus. The flora added a calming effect to the university. Many times during the day, BY CHRISTIAN MARIBONA 20 M 19: students could be seen relaxing under a palm tree or by a fountain. Freshman Julio Barroso said, My first impression of the University of Miami was one of belonging. From the first time that I set foot on campus, which was during spring break of my junior year tin high schooD, I knew that I was meant to be a Miami Hurricane. After the freshmen arrived on campus, Welcome Week 99: Piecing It All Together took off. This two-week long orientation process provided the new Hurricanes with events that kept them busy. They received tours and met new people. All of the freshmen were put into orientation groups and assigned to an Orientation Assistant tOAy. Through these groups the freshmen learned about their new home away from home. They viewed did icebreakers and participated in other fun-filled events. films, photos by stacey spalter