NEWS BRIEFS

UMNEWS – University of Miami program lets ‘Canes study abroad without leaving United States

Is it really possible to learn a language in just seven days?

An intensive seven-day Spanish-immersion program is offered by the University of Miami from Oct. 22 to 28. The program is open to all adults, high school and college students. Regardless of current competency, students’ Spanish will improve dramatically. More importantly, confidence in the ability to communicate will soar.

The seven-day course is led by top instructors from the University of Miami. Each professor comes from a different Spanish-speaking country, adding a cross-cultural component to the course. The instructors’ dynamic methodology has students speaking on day one and keeps them speaking throughout the 56 hours of the course.

The goal of the program is to make each student feel comfortable and natural with Spanish in a short period of time. Based on the idea of being immersed in a place and culture and in essence, forced to speak the language, classes are led purely in Spanish, and classroom techniques are fast-paced, theatrical, highly creative, dynamic and bring out enthusiasm in the students. The instructors believe that language learning should be stimulating, entertaining and fun.

Seven-Day Intensive Spanish is offered by the University of Miami’s Division of Continuing and International Education, 201 Allen Hall, 5050 Brunson Drive, Coral Gables, Florida, 33124-1610. For more information, Contact: Julia R. Cayuso, program director, 305.284.1326, or

visit: www.educationmiami.com/departments/ILI/index.vsp.

ELsewhere – Gay men not allowed to give blood

By Caleb Fort

Daily Lobo (U. New Mexico)

(U-WIRE)-Student Marshall Martinez decided to do his part to help victims of Hurricane Katrina by donating blood.

However, a United Blood Services worker told Martinez, who is gay, that he had a permanent deferral on his name, which means he can never donate blood.

The deferral was on his name because during a screening interview to donate blood several years ago, he told the interviewer he had sex with a man.

Martinez, who is also a sex educator in Alamogordo, N.M., said it is wrong not to let gay men donate blood.

According to the Food and Drug Administration’s Web site, any man who has had sex with another man since 1977 is not allowed to donate blood, because gay men are at high risk of carrying HIV.

Brenda McKee, donor recruitment supervisor at United Blood Services, said the policy is not meant to be discriminatory. She said its sole purpose is to keep the blood supply as clean as possible.

Martinez said it is unnecessary to permanently ban gay men from donating blood, because all blood donated is tested for HIV.

McKee said not accepting blood from gay men, intravenous drug users or anyone who has had sex for money since 1977 is an additional protection.

According to the FDA Web site, the tests are not always accurate. Someone who has HIV can test negative for up to two months after being infected, so blood banks also must use interviews to screen for potentially infected donors, according to the site.

ETC – Open Senate meetings

Did you know that Student Government Senate meetings are open to all students? If you’re interested in joining SG, or want to see what your Senators are doing to represent you, Senate meets every Wednesday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the University Center Flamingo Ballrooms.