A Conversation with The Chief Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts, Jr., is interviewed by ABC News correspondent Jan Crawford Greenburg last Monday at the BankUnited Center. Roberts spoke to about 3,500 University of Miami students, faculty, staff, donors, and members of the legal community. During his hour-long conversation with Greenburg, which served as the inaugural program of the University Lecture Series, the Chief Justice discussed topics ranging from his judicial philosophy and the importance of insulating judges from political pressures to his college days at Harvard and how the Supreme Court decides cases as a collegial body. He also spoke to law, history, and communication classes on Tuesday.

Specifically, the 2007 HMO2 plan will now include the following provisions:

• No Increase in Premiums. The premiums for the HMO2 plan will remain exactly the same as last year’s HMO plan.
• Waiver of Coinsurance for Outpatient Surgery and Outpatient Testing at the Miller School of Medicine. Covered employees and their families will not pay any coinsurance costs for outpatient surgery and outpatient testing if they use UM physicians at UM facilities. For many of the outpatient procedures that require a coinsurance payment, this will create an option for avoiding that expense.
• Reduction of Maximum Out-of-Pocket Costs. Maximum out-of-pocket costs are reduced from $4,000 to $3,000 for individual and from $8,000 to $6,000 for family.

University of Miami clinical facilities include:

Anne Bates Leach Eye Hospital/Bascom Palmer Eye Institute
University of Miami Hospital and Clinics/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
UM/Sylvester at Deerfield Beach
Bascom Palmer Surgery Center
Applebaum MRI Center

For more information on these facilities, click here.

An additional Town Hall meeting at the Coral Gables campus has been scheduled to help address any concerns or questions faculty and staff may have about the 2007 health insurance plans. It will be held on Monday, November 20 from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Storer Auditorium at the School of Business Administration.

If you have not yet chosen a health insurance plan or have already signed up for benefits but wish to make changes, please do so no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, December 1, 2006. If you have chosen a health plan and do not wish to make changes, you need not do anything. To select a health plan or make changes, go to MyUM.

For more information on costs and features of the University’s health insurance plans, go to www.miami.edu/benefits. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to contact the Open Enrollment Humana Hotline, 1-888-393-6765, or email at oe@humana.com.

Here’s Lucie… and Laurence Husband and wife actors Lucie Arnaz and Laurence Luckinbill hold a discussion with University of Miami theatre students last Friday at The Jerry Herman Ring Theatre and Alvin Sherman Family Stage. The couple discussed how to make a life in the theatre. Arnaz, the daughter of the late Lucille Ball, starred in her own series, The Lucie Arnaz Show, and later in the critically acclaimed Sons & Daughters on CBS. On the big screen, she starred in The Jazz Singer, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. Luckinbill is best known for playing Spock’s half-brother, Sybok, in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. Their daughter, Kate Luckinbill, is a senior in the B.F.A. in Performance program of UM’s Department of Theatre Arts.

Alumnus establishes animal advocacy program at School of Law
“A dog is a man’s best friend” is a saying that rings true with Arnold Grevior, J.D. ’55. Grevior, an alumnus of the University of Miami School of Law, donated $100,000 to establish an animal advocacy program at the school.

“As an alumnus, I wanted to do something for the law school and also find a way to educate our future legislators, judges, and prosecutors about the importance of animal advocacy. I hope others who feel as I do will support this endeavor.”

Grevior’s gift will be used to establish the Arnold and Barbara Grevior Animal Advocacy Endowment Fund, dedicated to promoting awareness of legal issues related to animals. The gift will help create a classroom curriculum devoted to animal advocacy. Students will have an opportunity to see how all facets of the law, whether it is probate, contract, negligence or criminal (animal cruelty), affect or are affected by the welfare of animals. This endowment will also fund a fellowship program for students to provide pro bono services outside of the classroom dealing with animals, such as work at an animal shelter.

“By making this generous donation, Mr. Grevior has provided the financial resources with which future lawyers can be trained to appreciate the importance of the myriad of legal issues surrounding animals,” says School of Law Dean Dennis O. Lynch.

To learn more, click here.

Movies on the Green tomorrow night
UM invites the South Florida community to a free outdoor screening of Memoirs of a Geisha, Friday, November 17, beginning at 8 p.m. on the University Green, 1306 Stanford Drive. This sweeping, romantic epic sends viewers through the mysterious and exotic world of the geisha. Impoverished 9-year-old Chiyo is sold to a geisha house and treated cruelly until her stunning beauty is recognized. Chiyo goes on to become the most famous geisha in Japan, entering a society of wealth, privilege, and political intrigue until World War II changes the world forever. Moviegoers are encouraged to bring their blankets and lawn chairs and enjoy a movie under the stars. For more information, call 305-284-5671 or e-mail umneighbors@miami.edu.

Hurricanes Men’s Basketball Employee Day is December 3
Men’s Basketball Employee Day is on Sunday, December 3, at 5:30 p.m., when the Hurricanes take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in UM’s Atlantic Coast Conference home opener. All employees may receive one complimentary ticket to the game and may purchase up to five additional tickets for family members for $1 each. A ticket registration form must be filled out in advance, which can be downloaded here. Participants should bring a valid ’Cane Card along with the registration form to the sales tables at the Coral Gables, medical, and Rosenstiel campuses on the following dates and times:

• Coral Gables campus: Today, Thursday, November 16; Tuesday, November 21; Tuesday, November 28, and Thursday November 30, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., outside the Whitten University Center breezeway.
• Medical campus: Today, Thursday, November 16; Tuesday, November 21; and Tuesday November 28, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., outside of Au Bon Pain restaurant. On Thursday, November 30, ticket sales representatives will be at the Schoninger Research Quadrangle from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Rosenstiel campus: Wednesday, November 22, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., outside the cafeteria.
• Gables One Tower: Wednesday, November 29, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information, call 305-284-2263. Tickets can also be obtained at the Hecht Athletic Center Box Office on the Coral Gables campus.

Hurricanes down Alcorn State Hurricanes sophomore guard Jack McClinton scored 21 points to lead Miami to a 96-57 win over Alcorn State on Tuesday at the BankUnited Center. Miami went on a 19-0 run in the first half and held Alcorn State without a field goal for 12 minutes. Miami (2-0) led 27-22 at the 10-minute mark of the first half before scoring the next 19 points. The Hurricanes took a 51-25 lead into halftime. The Hurricanes shot 52 percent from the floor while holding Alcorn State to 34 percent. Brian Asbury’s 5 first-half points paced the Hurricanes in the early going, and Miami’s Anthony Harris tied a career-high with 10 assists. Men’s Cross Country finishes 17th at NCAA Regional University of Miami senior Jonathan Scheiner finished 57th in a time of 33:28.8 to lead the Hurricanes to a 17th-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country South Regional at Lambert Acres Golf Course in Maryville, Tennessee. Scheiner, from Katy, Texas, has now been Miami’s top finisher in four of six races this season. Miami had three runners finish in the top 100, including senior Zach Castiglione, who placed 83rd with a time of 34:19.3, and sophomore Ryan Woodlee, who finished 88th in a time of 34:25.2.

Enroll in a Flexible Spending Account for 2007
Enroll in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) during Open Enrollment. FSAs are IRS-approved, tax-savings accounts. They save you money on eligible health care and dependent care expenses. With FSAs your tax savings are significant. If you pay $100 per month for prescription drugs, you can save approximate $272 each year in taxes just by placing the money in a Health Care FSA (based on a 22.65 percent tax rate). Because the contribution you set aside for this program is deducted from your salary before taxes, the money you use to pay for these expenses is always tax free and interest free.

You can learn more about FSAs by calling the Humana Open Enrollment Hotline at 1-888-393-6765. You may also contact Humana’s Open Enrollment Hotline via e-mail at oe@humana.com.

Speaking on philosophy and science
Barry Loewer, professor of philosophy at Rutgers University and director of the Rutgers University Center for Philosophy and the Sciences, will present two lectures on the Coral Gables campus this week. Today, November 16, he will speak on “Laws and Properties,” and tomorrow, Friday, November 17, he will discuss “Why is There Anything Except Physics?” Both lectures are from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and will be held in room 213 of the Memorial Building. Loewer is the co-editor (with Georges Rey) of Meaning in Mind: Fodor and His Critics and the author of numerous important articles in Philosophy of Science and Philosophy of Physics, including “Probability and Quantum Theory,” “Freedom From Physics,” “Interpreting the Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics,” “Mind Matters,” and “Naturalizing Semantics.” For more information, call 305-284-4757.

Is law school in your future?
Register now to attend an open house at the School of Law, Tuesday, November 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Get pertinent information from law professors, administrators, and law students about Miami’s curriculum and special programs, the application process, financial aid and scholarships, and succeeding in law school. To register and review the agenda, visit www.law.miami.edu/admissions/rsvp.html. For more information, call 305-284-3870.

Register now for M.B.A. program information session on November 17
The School of Business Administration’s One-Year M.B.A. Program is designed for students who graduated in the last five years with an undergraduate degree in business from an accredited university. The program, offered once per year beginning in January, is a 32-credit, lock-step program composed of 16 courses taken over a period of two semesters. Register to attend an information session and campus visit on Friday, November 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information or to R.S.V.P., call 305-284-4607 or e-mail mba@miami.edu.

Sunday, November 19 A Musical Cornucopia. The Civic Chorale of Greater Miami presents a concert featuring an abundance of musicians of all ages. Along with other diverse musical literature, the featured work of this event will be Mozart’s “Te Deum,” presented jointly by the Civic Chorale and the Greater Miami Youth Symphony. The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall on the Coral Gables campus. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, $5 for students, and is free for UM students. For further information, call 305-490-5930 or e-mail civicchorale.music@miami.edu.

Monday, November 20 Death Cab for Cutie in Concert. Seattle-based indie-rock group Death Cab for Cutie will bring the third and final leg of their North American tour to South Florida at the BankUnited Center. The band's first album, Plans, released last year, received a nomination for the Grammy award for Best Alternative Album. The concert begins at 8 p.m. at the BankUnited Center. Tickets are $28 and $32.50, including parking and facility fees, and are available for purchase at the BankUnited Center box office, at all Ticketmaster outlets, or charge-by-phone at 305-358-5885. For more information, visit www.BankUnitedCenter.com.

November 30 through December 2 Sesame Street Live: Elmo's Coloring Book. Elmo and friends join Professor Art and his helpers, the Palettes, as they travel into their drawings to ancient Egypt, the land of the dinosaurs, and a very musical junkyard. Tickets start at $15.50, including parking and facility fees. For more information on ticket prices, seating, and group packages, visit www.BankUnitedCenter.com.

December 1 through January 28 Humberto Calzada: In Dreams Awake. Architectural settings that evoke both the Cuba of his birth and the odyssey of his exile dominate a 30-year retrospective exhibition of some 50 works by Miami painter Humberto Calzada. Opening lecture and reception on Friday, December 1 are free and open to the public. The 7 p.m. lecture will be held at the Storer Auditorium at the School of Business Administration, and the reception will follow from 8-10 p.m. The lecture is sponsored by the Werner and Marie Stiefel Family Endowment and the Fedor Family Endowment. For more information, call 305-284-3535 or visit www.lowemuseum.org.

Sunday, December 10 Lowe Art Museum Art Basel Champagne Brunch. The Lowe Art Museum’s Annual Champagne Brunch, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., celebrates the closing of Art Basel Miami Beach and features the Humberto Calzada: In Dreams Awake exhibit. R.S.V.P. at 305-284-6981. Event access granted to those with Art Basel Miami Beach exhibitor’s pass, VIP cards, or press pass. The Lowe Art Museum is located at 1301 Stanford Drive on the Coral Gables campus. For more information, call 305-284-3535 or visit www.lowemuseum.org.

Sunday, December 10 Simon Salz Memorial Concert. This concert, which will feature jazz great Ira Sullivan, will benefit the Young Musicians' Camp Scholarship and Development Fund. The Young Musicians' Camp, offered by the Frost School of Music, was founded by the late Simon Salz and his wife, Sarah. It will be held at 5 p.m. at Maurice Gusman Concert Hall on the Coral Gables campus. Tickets range from $10 to $40 (includes private reception). To pay by credit card, go to www.youngmusicianscamp.com or call 305-238-8937.