[right] About 25 children with autism and their families participated in CARD’s Odebrecht soccer camp in October.
Classics Day
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day of lectures on classical Greece and Rome, a Greek vase on display at the Lowe Art Museum, and a modern adaptation of Aristophanes’ The Clouds brought the ancients to Miami this past February. Classics Day, an interdisciplinary celebration of ancient culture, gave students and the community a new understanding of the enduring relevance of these civilizations. Classical themes echo through modern art, literature, and popular culture, said Professor John Kirby, chair of the Department of Classics. “Classics now more than ever is at the heart of university education,” he said. “It’s helpful to think of classics as the first and oldest of interdisciplinary studies.” Classics involves not only the study of art and literature but also a broad view of history, society, and philosophy, Kirby said. Observing a culture from that distance can provide perspective on societies that also applies to our current lives. “I think most of the important questions were asked in the beginning, back with Plato and Aristotle, and all these people came up with the ideas of philosophy and drama,” said Daniel Rodriguez, a UM classics major.
“CARD, and what they are for most of the families is a beacon of light. They are the conduit to information and solutions.” Robert Cambo, parent of an autistic child
Supporting the autism community
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eople with autism and their families face broad challenges, but the college’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) is here to help. A joint effort with Nova Southeastern University, CARD puts highly qualified mental-health professionals into the South Florida community to assist children, parents, teachers, and other adults with strategies for coping with this disability. More than 7,000 people in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties use CARD services, and thousands more attend lectures and programs or benefit from CARD’s research into autism. “I think that CARD, what they are for most of the families is a beacon of light,” said Robert Cambo, whose son, Michael, has autism. “It has been the conduit to information and solutions.”
Caring for minds at the Psychological Services Center
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s many struggle to find health care in tough economic times, the college’s Psychological Services Center gives Miami residents access to mental-health professionals at reduced cost.
The center offers various kinds of therapy and counseling, as well as psychological assessments and testing by Ph.D. students who work under the supervision of leading clinical psychologists. “We’re really up on the research and the latest evidence-based intervention techniques, so what we offer is very effective,” said Sandra Tawfik, director of the center.
Theatre students perform A Work of Pure Fiction, playwright Edith Freni’s modern retelling of Aristophanes’ Clouds.
In addition to providing mental-health services such as therapy and testing, the center is also a hub for important research on topics such as adolescent mood and anxiety, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. arts | sciences
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