Books and art at Rosenstiel Senator Hillary Clinton, D-New York, signs copies of her autobiography at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Senator Clinton was there to support a family member's art exhibit. Luis Ismael Arias, M.D., original artwork, Roots and Hopes, is currently on display in the Rosenstiel library until February 4.

Commencement ceremonies today
Commencement ceremonies will be held today, December 18, at the University of Miami Convocation Center. Employees are reminded that parking and campus roads may be busy with guests today. Offices that can release staff for this occasion and still remain open are encouraged to do so for those employees wishing to attend. For more information, visit the commencement Web site.

New UnitedHealthcare ID cards coming
UnitedHealthcare will be mailing new identification cards for members in the health plan that takes effect in 2004 on Monday, December 29. Each family will receive two new ID cards, and all family members will be referenced on the cards. You may request additional ID cards at www.myuhc.com. Social security numbers have been removed from the new cards as UnitedHealthcare has assigned membership numbers. You should discard your current identification card once you receive the new one.

UM-IT Security clamps down on network intrusion attempts
The Information Technology (IT) Security Office will be implementing a campus-wide firewall policy during the week of Monday, January 5, as part of its strategy to secure the University's computing and network resources. Computers within the Coral Gables campus network accessing Internet, e-mail, and systems or applications residing within the University's intranet, including the medical campus and Rosenstiel School, should not be affected. All computers outside of the network trying to access computers on the Coral Gables campus network will be filtered. The IT Security Office is working closely with the network/system administrators to ensure that legitimate inbound traffic will not be disrupted. If systems or applications in use by your department require that users from outside the network have access to your University computer or server, alert your network/system administrator so that they can request exceptions to this firewall policy. These exceptions should be received prior to January to avoid disruptions to your business activities. If you are not certain who your current network/system administrator is, or if you have any questions, send an e-mail to security@miami.edu.

Library closure and holiday hour schedule announced
The Otto G. Richter Library will be closed from Wednesday, December 24, through Thursday, January 1, for the excavation of a second elevator shaft. This shaft will be located adjacent to the existing lobby elevator, and while the excavation is under way the building must be closed to both library users and staff. The elevator will be installed in spring 2004. From Thursday, December 18, through Monday, December 22, and Friday, January 2, through Sunday, January 18, the Richter Library will be open during the hours listed below. The library will close at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, December 23. For hours of operations at other UM libraries, visit the Web.

Sunday, 12 to 6 p.m.
Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

It's not too late to get your flu vaccine
FluMist is available free of charge. Although flu shots are in short supply, FluMist (live attenuated influenza vaccine), which is administered via nasal spray, is available free of charge at the Student Health Center for healthy non-pregnant employees who are between the ages of 18 and 49, while supplies last. Please review the CDC information about FluMist and the FluMist Consent Form, and consider discussing this with your physician before requesting immunization. Additional information including Health Center hours, is available at www.miami.edu/student-health.

M. Evelina Galang, assistant professor, Department of English. Responsibilities: I teach Creative Writing with an emphasis on fiction to both graduate and undergraduate students. I also advise senior thesis and Master of Fine Arts thesis in Creative Writing. Favorite spot on campus: Under the banyan trees in front of the Ashe building. Tunes and tastes: Ecclectic in both: Lauren Hill to Norah Jones, the Beatles, Parliment and Marc Anthony. Janet Jackson, Dave Mathhews, Gypsy Kings, and the chants of Siddah Yoga Music. Same with my foods - sushi, ravioli, baba ganoush and of course chicken adobo, pansit, lomo saltado, rice and beans, cheese, and dark chocolates (not in that order). Currently reading: Maxine Hong Kingston's Fifth Book of Peace, Jessica Hagedorn's Dream Jungle, Judith Ortiz Cofer's The Meaning of Consuelo, and Swami Shantanda's The Splendor of Recognition. Dream vacation: Any city with a cafe, bodies of water, people to watch, and places to wander about. Way to start your day: Feed the kitties, drink my coffee, meditate, and write. In that order. Most memorable UM moment: Screaming Monkeys: The Show (see photos on the Web). Last movie you saw in the theater: Love Actually. Reality or game show you'd most like to be on: Candid Camera. DVD/VHS you're most ashamed to admit that you own: CAT TV. Chocolate brownies -- with or without nuts?: Sometimes with, sometimes without. Depends.

Are you certifiable?
University faculty, staff, and students now have an opportunity to officially certify their computer skills. From January through May 2004, the UM Office Specialist (UMOS) certificate of computer skills is available at a one-time discounted rate for all UM staff, faculty, and students. UMOS teaches, tests, and certifies the core skills in Microsoft Windows, Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint and Outlook. Take advantage of this opportunity to train and certify your staff, and yourself, in the new standard of professional computer literacy. Detailed information is available on the Web or by calling the Division of Continuing Studies at 305-284-5800.

New telephone directories are in
Telephone directories should arrive shortly for departments that placed an order. If you don't receive your order by the end of the day today, or need additional directories, send an e-mail to phonebook@miami.edu.

Relieve the holiday stress at the Wellness Center
Research shows that exercise is a great stress reliever. It also helps keep the holiday pounds from adding up! So make plans to visit the Wellness Center during the winter break. The Wellness Center operates a reduced schedule, but is open every day except Thursday, December 25, and Thursday, January 1. For all you last minute shoppers, the Wellness Center sells gift certificates for a variety of services such as membership, massage therapy, personal training, and fitness programs. Just stop by the Wellness Suite or the Membership Office to purchase a gift certificate. The offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, call 305-284-8500.

Holiday schedule for e-Veritas
The last issue of e-Veritas for the calendar year will be today, December 18. The first issue of the new year will be on Monday, January 5, and e-Veritas will resume its normal schedule of twice per week delivery (Mondays and Thursdays) on Monday, January 12. Please take these dates into consideration when submitting items for possible inclusion over the next several weeks. For more information, send an e-mail to the e-Veritas editor.

Turn up your computer's speakers
The School of Music's Albert Pick Music Library has a new Web site for listening at http://www.library.miami.edu/music/home.html. Highlights of the new site include the Larry Taylor and Billy Matthews Musical Theatre Archives and a new database acquisition of the Classical Musical Library. Also in this new design is a newly produced online MP3 site for the library's International Archive of Double Bass Recordings. You may read more about the music library's redesign and the libraries continued push towards visionary digital library possibilities on the library's Web services Web log.

December 19 HIV-1 Vaccine Lecture. Ke-Qin Xin, M.D., Ph.D., of the Department of Bacteriology in the School of Medicine at the Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan, presents the lecture Prime-Boost Vaccination with DNA Plasmid and a Chimera Ad5/F35 Vector Induced Long-term Protective Immunity against HIV at 2:30 p.m. in the eighth floor auditorium of the Mailman Center for Child Development at the School of Medicine. Contact Paul Shapshak at 305-243-3917 with any questions or requests to meet with the speaker.

January 4 through 10 Miami Waves 2004. This is the inaugural conference on geometric analysis, nonlinear wave equations, and general relativity. The conference will have a program of lectures by specialists on the current state of the art in the different fields, as well as round tables and sessions organized to introduce the participants to current developments. For more information, such as times and locations, visit the Web.

January 7 Gail F. Beach Memorial 2003-2004 Visiting Lectureship Series. Bror Alstermark, M.D., Ph.D., of Umea University, Sweden, will present Control of Forelimb Movements and Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury at 12 p.m. at the Lois Pope LIFE Center seventh-floor auditorium. On Wednesday, January 14, Craig C. Garner, Ph.D., of Stanford University, will present Dynamic Assembly of Nascent Synapses at the same time and location. For more information, call 305-243-7108. A complete listing of upcoming lectures may be found on the Web.

January 16 Medical Education Grand Rounds and Workshop. George Bordage, M.D., will discuss Learning from and Sharing our Diagnostic Errors beginning at 12 p.m. on the fifth floor of the Rosenstiel Medical Sciences building. Bordage is professor and director of Graduate Studies for the Master's of Health Profession Education, Department of Medical Education, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago. Lunch will be served. For more information, call 305-243-6538.

January 28 to 31 Neurological Update 2004. The Division of Continuing Medical Education presents this annual update to provide clinicians with the latest developments in the diagnosis and management of neurological disorders at the Roney Palace Resort and Spa in Miami Beach. Discounts are available for physicians who register before Monday, January 5. To learn more, call 305-243-6716 or send an e-mail.

Hurricanes play Temple at the American Airlines Arena The men's basketball team continues their season at 6 p.m. on Saturday, December 20, when they play Temple University as part of the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic. To purchase tickets call 305-358-5885 or visit the Ticketmaster Web site. The team returns home to the Convocation Center at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, December 22, to host North Carolina A&T. Individual game tickets are available for as low as $15. To purchase tickets, call 305-284-CANES or visit www.hurricanesports.com. Women's basketball looks to continue record start The women's basketball team looks to continue their best start in school history at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 21, as they host Richmond. Individual game tickets are available for as low as $5. To purchase tickets, call 305-284-CANES.

December 19 and 20 Art Print Sale. Students, alumni, and faculty will be selling prints and other fine art objects at the Rainbow Building to benefit both the individual artists and the Department of Art and Art History. On Friday the sale runs from 2 to 8 p.m., with a reception in the evening, and Saturday's hours are 12 to 4 p.m.

December 22 Menorah lighting ceremony. A menorah lighting ceremony will be held at the UM/Jackson Memorial Hospital in front of the Alamo building at 5:30 p.m. There will be music, latkes, donuts, and much more for the whole family. For more information, call 305-665-5244 or send and e-mail.

Now through December 28 The Santaland Diaries. Fresco Productions and the Department of Theater Arts presents The Santaland Diaries, featuring John Bixler in NPR humorist David Sedaris's one-man piece at The Jerry Herman Ring Theater and Alvin Sherman Family Stage. The Santaland Diaries is Sedaris's merrily subversive account of his job as an elf at Macy's during the holidays. This behind-the-scenes story uncovers what Santaland is really about: holiday lines, surly parents, greedy children, and drunken Santas. The Santaland Diaries is an edgy new alternative to sticky sweet Christmas pageantry. For show dates and times, call 305-225-0015.

Now through January 4 A Cuban Christmas Carol. Fresco Productions and the Department of Theater Arts presents a new theatrical event for the entire family at The Jerry Herman Ring Theater and Alvin Sherman Family Stage. A Cuban Christmas Carol is an imaginative Hispanic twist of Charles Dickens's Christmas classic. Set in Miami's Little Havana, this tells the story of an embittered old man who "Bah Humbugs" his way through life. The cast includes Broadway actor Gonzalo Madurga as Scrooge, soap opera star Zully Montero, and a supporting cast of local South Florida actors. A Cuban Christmas Carol is rich with holiday music, imaginative staging, and many surprises. For show dates and times, call 305-225-0015.

January 15 and 16 Lipizzaner Stallions. Celebrate the 34th anniversary tour of the prestigious Lipizzaner Stallions as they stride into the University of Miami Convocation Center at 7:30 p.m. on both days. The special anniversary edition will emphasize the historical background and foundation of the Lipizzaner breed, from its original breeding as a horse of war to a horse of nobility and aristocracy to a living form of equestrian art. The UM Convocation Center is offering a special discount for University employees, alumni, students, and supporters. Just use the password of "CANES" online or at the Convocation Center box office and you will receive $2 off each ticket purchased. Also available are great group discounts and special clinics. For more information, call 305-284-8686.

January 24 Majic 102.7 Sixties Spectacular. The first concert of the new year is guaranteed to take its audience to years past as Johnny Rivers, Chuck Negron (formerly of Three Dog Night), and the Spencer Davis Group bring the '60s to the stage at 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at the UM Convocation Center Box Office, through the Web site, and at all Ticketmaster locations. Tickets are $25, $30, and $40, or for only $75 each you can purchase the VIP Gold Circle seats which include a meet and greet with the performers after the show.

Spring 2004 Keyboard for Kids. Keyboard for Kids, an outreach program of the School of Music that offers group and private piano lessons for children in grades 2 through 12, is now accepting applications for spring 2004. Classes meet on the Coral Gables campus. Visit the Web, send an e-mail, or call 305-460-3220 for more information.