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(10/02/98 9:00am)
The College Green rally was intended to draw students' attention to the problem. and Meghan Butler As part of a city-wide effort to rid Philadelphia of domestic violence, the University's Division of Public Safety organized a rally yesterday, hoping to increase student and staff awareness of the issue. Nine speakers headlined the rally, which officially began Domestic Violence Prevention Month. The event featured information tables and The Clothesline Project, a decorated T-shirt display made by, or in memory of, victims of domestic violence. "It was sad but also uplifting because a lot of them had overcome, through their own means, the situation," said College junior Beatrice Jauregui, who said she was moved by the display. University Director of Police Operations Maureen Rush discussed the role of Penn Police in discovering how "domestic violence carries over into workplace violence." As far as students are concerned, Rush reminded them that "the best response, the only response to help the individual is to be non-judgmental." Later, Betsy Datner, a doctor in the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania emergency room, described the cyclical pattern of domestic violence. At HUP, she said, 24 percent of all women treated in the ER have been victims of domestic violence. Datner said health care professionals must be able to recognize signs of abuse. Social Work Professor Richard Gelles spoke about male behavior patterns surrounding the issue. He also explained the importance of "social control" to break the pattern of violence and said that tougher penalties are necessary to stop domestic violence. According to Gelles, "We don't use prison appropriately for the crime." College junior Hema Sarangapani, responding to Gelles' speech, resisted the idea of time in jail as a "band-aid solution." "His solution seems to be to throw the man in jail," she said. "It's a solution, but it doesn't address social change." Natalie Denney, a College senior and member of the group Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape, described the role students can play in prevention, which she considers "not only possible but necessary." STAAR's goal, she said, is not "to make this a man versus woman issue." Instead, she wants to "open the lines of communication" between men and women and encouraged men to get involved in STAAR. And while the event did not draw crowds of students, Public Safety Director of Special Services and event organizer Susan Hawkins said the rally format -- which Denney said would reach more people than an indoor event would -- was intended to make passersby "stop and listen for a few minutes." If the event was organized more formally, she added, people might "feel they are identifying [with domestic violence]." On the other side of campus, in HUP's Maloney Building, Student Health Services held a workshop on how to respond to domestic violence victims. Janice Asher, director of women's health at Student Health, gave a presentation to more than 50 health care providers on the importance of treating domestic violence as a health care issue. Paul Bukovec, director of the Mount Airy-based Menergy -- which offers a 33-week treatment program for abusive men -- assured the audience that the difference between abusive men and non-abusive men is small. "We learn to be abusive at home," he said, adding that his own father had abused his family. While the "vast majority" of abusive men are resistant to change, Bukovec said that two years after completing Menergy's program, 69 percent drastically reduce their abusive behavior. "This was inspiring, that professors are dealing with it and think it's important," said Nursing junior Yvonne Kingon of the workshop. "Talking to people about domestic violence is difficult. [Health care professionals] take it on as a responsibility."
(06/01/98 9:00am)
Hingham High School '95 Hingham, Mass. Students who have signed up for Dining Services' meal contracts will be effectively locked into a one-year "lease"-like agreement, according to Dining Marketing Coordinator Adam Sherr. This new change was part of a goal to avoid raising prices overall for meal plans, Sherr said. After examining the business practices at other universities, Sherr explained, the University's Dining Services made several alterations to the meal contracts. Starting with the contracts for the fall, students will not be required to provide a $100 deposit. Another change involved requisite meal plans for students living in such college houses as Van Pelt and DuBois. Only students living in the Modern Languages Program of the Gregory College House must now purchase at least the "100 Meal Plan" and participate in the dinner-hour language tables. The students, who already had mandatory meal plans this year, requested that the program be continued. In addition, Dining Services added such flexible plans as the Weekend 50 Meal Plan, which allows students to choose from any four meals offered on Saturday or Sunday. Sherr said he was not projecting that any fewer students would sign up as a result of the drop of the college house required meal plans, but that the "dynamic college house" programs would "create a demand for dining." He added that as contracts cannot be cancelled, Dining would have to "try even harder" to achieve excellence, listening and responding to student criticism. Sherr added that meal plan cancellations were lower this year than in the past. Although Sherr did not have any figures on early sign-ups for the 1998-99 contract year, he said that he had not received any feedback about the changes in the contract. Then-College junior Samara Barend, an Undergraduate Assembly member who has worked on several dining issues, acknowledged the contract changes as an effort by Dining Services to "cut down on the number of options" for students. She added that she would like to see more "flexibility" in the contract options.
(05/15/98 9:00am)
Young journalists often dream of having their names given top billing in major daily newspapers and well-respected glossy magazines. But when 1994 College alumnus Stephen Glass -- a former Daily Pennsylvanian executive editor -- made the front page of The Washington Post earlier this week, it was anything but a dream for the up-and-coming writer. It was a nightmare. Last week, an editor at a World Wide Web magazine run by Forbes magazine found questionable facts in one of Glass' recent articles in The New Republic. A subsequent investigation resulted in his prompt dismissal for fabricating the story, which ran in the May 18 issue. Glass, who until last week was an associate editor at the weekly magazine, is now left with the fragments of a broken career that began several years ago at The Daily Pennsylvanian. Serving as executive editor of the DP during the 1993 calendar year, Glass, who is currently on the DP's Alumni Association Board of Directors, wrote more than 150 articles during his tenure at the newspaper. Since his graduation, he quickly gained respect as a bright writer whose knack for colorful prose garnered him freelance contracts with Rolling Stone, Harper's and George magazine, as well as a job with TNR. But the world as Glass knew it crashed down on him Saturday, when, after his own investigation into the validity of the article, TNR editor Charles Lane confronted and fired the 25-year-old writer. According to Lane, although Glass never gave the magazine a "gut-spilling" confession, he did admit to lying about aspects of the story and to fabricating "bits and pieces" of other New Republic stories. As a result of his dismissal, George magazine also terminated his contract Tuesday, according to spokesperson Lisa Dallos. Harper's and Rolling Stone have not made any decision regarding Glass' status with their magazines. Phone calls to Glass' parents' home in suburban Chicago --Ewhere he reportedly retreated to -- and to his home in Washington, D.C., were not returned. The suspect story, entitled "Hack Heaven," detailed the life of a 15-year-old computer whiz named Ian Restil who used his hacking talents to break into a company's online security system. According to the story, instead of prosecuting the youth, the software company, "Jukt Micronics," hired him in an effort to exploit his intimate knowledge of the Internet. Initially, Forbes' Digital Tool editor Adam Penenberg said he thought, "Wow, what a great article." But when Glass cited laws and a government agency that Penenberg had never heard of, his curiosity was piqued. After extensive research, Penenberg and his staff couldn't find any substantiation for Glass' story. And that's when things got hairy. Penenberg said he was "amazed" to find that Glass had written over 100 pieces in just three years. "I can't imagine that much output," he noted. Lane also said that Glass "produced just enough real stuff to create the illusion that that's all he did." Calling the episode of Glass' dismissal "the most wrenching crisis I had ever experienced in my professional life," Lane explained why TNR was led to believe in Glass' story. "It all appeared convincing," he said, referring to the "notes" that Glass produced to the editors, as well as a site on America Online for Jukt Micronics that was also denounced as fake. "The criticism of fact-checkers and editors [at TNR] is legitimate," Lane said, adding that "no editorial process is omniscient." He explained that because the editors trusted Glass, they did not treat him as a potential fraud whose work they had to scrutinize. "He was a superb journalist," said 1994 College alumnus Scott Calvert, who served as the DP's managing editor on Glass' editorial board. "This was not the Steve Glass I know." Calvert remembered Glass as a person who worked hard -- but also sometimes overextended himself. He explained that even before Glass started at Georgetown University Law School -- where he is attending night classes -- the young writer would work "late into the night." Georgetown spokespeople said yesterday that they had no comment on Glass' standing at the university. "He pressured himself to excel," said Calvert, who added that he was "flabbergasted" to hear of Glass' dismissal from TNR. So were several members of the press, including 1977 College alumnus Eliot Kaplan, who said he was "shocked" at the news. "I hope he comes out and says that he's working on a book [entitled] The Gullibility of Mass Media," explained Kaplan, a former 34th Street magazine co-editor. The current Philadelphia Magazine editor-in-chief added that the public has "a capability for forgetting" and that Glass could possibly find work in journalism again. Calvert, who is currently a reporter for The Concord Monitor in New Hampshire, was also optimistic on the topic of Glass' future. "If anybody can bounce back, it would be Steve." While Penenberg said Glass might be able to write under a pseudonym in a few years, Lane was more pessimistic. "My earnest wish is that Stephen Glass has the common sense and decency never to work [in any field] that is based on trust ever again," he said. And College 1994 alumna and current Jerusalem Post editor Heidi Gleit, who served as the senior associate editor under Glass, said: "When we worked together at the DP, there was a very heavy emphasis on accurate reporting.? I never forget what I learned at the DP and I just don't understand how anyone I worked with at the DP could." This incident could have far-reaching ramifications for the journalism world, according to Howard Kurtz, the Washington Post reporter who broke the Glass story Monday. "I hope that Glass' behavior doesn't sour editors on the 99 percent of young journalists who don't make things up -- but it raises questions about big-time magazines that use relatively inexperienced reporters," he said.
(04/22/98 9:00am)
Two Penn students won free trips to California and chances to appear on the hit TV show. and Chris Chang Superblock became a showcase for budding TV stars yesterday afternoon, as more than 100 Penn students and Philadelphia residents competed to earn a spot on the popular television show Baywatch. The event -- coordinated by the Baywatch search team, local television station WB17 and the American Marketing Association's Wharton chapter -- was designed to select one male and one female from Penn's campus to compete to appear in one episode of the hit series. Wharton senior Maria Mandel, the founding president of the AMA, said promotion of the event -- which will be replicated at 25 universities across the country -- went extremely well. "Some people had a negative impression of what it takes to be on Baywatch," Mandel said. "Nonetheless, we had 150 Penn students sign up for the competition and a lot of non-students signed up on the spot." Mandel also noted that the search, which was also held in 1996, was a good example of the AMA's efforts to "have fun" with marketing and promotion. Of the Penn students who signed up, many said they had different opinions about the show and various reasons for trying out. "I think it's a great show. I especially like David Hasselhoff," said College sophomore Alan Lowinger. "He's always surrounded by chicks, even though he's a lot older." College senior Marisa Engel, on the other hand, said she rarely watches the series and thought it was just some show "to make guys horny." "I think it would be hysterical if I got on the show," Engel said. "Plus, it would be fun to do some acting." Everyone who tried out had to survive three rounds of competition. First, each contestant spoke for 10 minutes about why he or she should be on the show. In the second round, they needed to respond to questions and requests from a panel of judges. Finally, the remaining 10 people read parts of an actual Baywatch script. Baywatch actress and Elite model Angelica Bridges -- who plays Lt. Taylor Walsh on the show -- made an appearance as the star judge on the panel. Other judges included WB17 sports anchor Michael Bridges, weather anchor Julie Bologna and Q102 radio station's Joe Mamma. Bridges explained that she and the other judges were looking for people who have a lot of personality, are out-going and can really "be themselves." "And they also need to know how to swim," she added. After much deliberation, the judges selected College junior Julie Marx and College senior Drew Corradini as the winners. "I just did it to have fun," said Marx, who "rescued" a judge while running in slow motion for the judges during the second round. "I figured they would pick some voluptuous blonde." Corradini entered the contest because his friends decided it was "right up [his] alley," since he is a self-proclaimed "beach bum" from Miami. "I was so surprised I won," said the Penn baseball team's centerfielder. "There were actors and models there, and I'm just a student." Corradini had to use his best Simpsons' voice to explain the theory of relativity to the judges during the second round. Marx and Corradini will go on an all expense-paid trip to California sometime in August for the national finals.
(04/20/98 9:00am)
Who said research is just for graduate students? More than 200 students recently proved that undergraduates could also successfully conduct and share their research projects with the University community. Students presented their research at an all-day symposium Friday held at the Penn Tower Hotel. Sponsored by the Undergraduate Research Resource Center, the symposium gathered students from a variety of departments and schools within the University. "Every undergraduate who has time to do research should do it," Lawrence Friedman, associate director for special programs in the College and acting director of the center, said at a URRC seminar earlier in the semester. "It is the best way to understand how knowledge is created." University President Judith Rodin was one of several top administrators who took time out to peruse the projects, which consisted of either posters or 15-minute oral presentations. Wharton sophomore and Center Undergraduate Assistant Shannon Hennessy, who helped to organize the symposium, called the event a success. "It was a phenomenal [turnout]? considering it was the Friday of Spring Fling," she said, estimating that about 300 people viewed the projects throughout the day. She added that approximately 20 percent of the undergraduate population currently engages in research. Hennessy also explained that this was the first time ever that a symposium showcased the efforts of such a wide range of undergraduates. "The Biological Basis of Behavior and Psychology departments both had their own symposiums [in the past]," she noted, adding that the Friday event created a new forum for all Penn undergrads to share their research with the community. Although Hennessy touted the symposium's attendance, others were not as satisfied. One oral presenter, College senior Raluca Georgescu, said that she was "disappointed" with her overall experience at the symposium. "It wasn't very well advertised," Georgescu noted. Only two people were present to hear her short report, entitled "Can a foreign actor be believable on the American stage?" As a Romanian actress, Georgescu used her own experiences and research to write a 50-page thesis -- which was then reduced to a 15-minute speech and question session. Others, however, applauded the day as an opportunity to explore the world of undergraduate research at the University. College senior Allison Brody, who with College senior Jason Marbutt explored gender differences in reported sexual behavior, explained, "I got a chance to see what other people are doing. Usually, it's just you and the professor [who knows about the projects].? It was rewarding."
(12/08/97 10:00am)
It's that time again. Students begin to pull all-nighters in preparation for a slew of exams, peppering their studying with revitalizing late-night snack breaks. But those heading to Chats -- the popular, cashless dining spot in the Class of 1920 Commons -- this week might be surprised to discover that the prices of their burritos and pizzas have increased. Effective November 29, the 15 percent "across-the-board" price increase affects items at Tomassito's and Casa Solana, Chats Retail Manager Gary Brodbeck said. "The food costs are out of whack over there," he said, adding that the increase was necessary due to continuously rising wholesale food costs. Although such costs have risen over the last two years, Chats prices have not followed suit until now, according to Adam Sherr, the marketing and meal contract coordinator for Dining Services. "It was a difficult decision," he said. Sherr was alerted to student anger over the price increase by several messages posted to the upenn.talk newsgroup last week. College senior Ed Lion, for example, posted numerous messages to the newsgroup calling the new prices "outrageous." Lion, who frequented Chats before the increase, said he is "not going back," adding that he's discussing a possible boycott of the establishment with other campus groups and individuals. Student anger to the increase comments "was getting out of control," prompting Sherr to respond to such concerns on the newsgroup in Brodbeck's absence. Brodbeck and Sherr denied accusations by students claiming that officials raised the prices to increase the University's profits, and stressed that the price increases were prompted solely by rising food costs. "This has not been the most comfortable year," Brodbeck said in reference to Chats' finances. He explained that Chats has not been "breaking even" financially, and needed to raise prices to return to a "middle mark." Brodbeck added that Chats officials "purposely try to price items lower than the market [price]." Because Chats deducts purchases from a debit account or charges them to students' bursar bills -- instead of accepting cash -- many students eat there regularly. Any profit Chats makes is "dumped back into the system" in the form of renovations and computers for student use, Brodbeck added. Prices on Chats' most popular selection -- personal pizzas -- increased about 40 cents. College senior Rene Zeller complained about the inconvenient timing of the price increase. Although Zeller said he acknowledged the reasons for the increase, he stressed that it was "kind of upsetting?.It would have been better if [the price increases] were beginning next semester." Lion and Zeller also complained that the increase coincided with exam periods, when students are more likely to use Chats as a late-night food option.
(12/04/97 10:00am)
The University and Santa Claus are teaming up once again this holiday season with the 10th annual Operation Santa Claus gift drive. Supported by donations of toys, clothes and money, the project benefits children in St. Joseph's Home for Boys in Philadelphia, as well as senior citizens in three area nursing homes -- the Ralston House, the Stephen Smith Home and the Mercy Douglas nursing home. Yvonne Oronzio, an administrative assistant in Student Financial Services, organized the drive, which will culminate in a holiday luncheon December 17 at the Faculty Club. Last year's efforts, which Oronzio described as "an overwhelming success," raised more than 800 gifts, which were then distributed to the senior citizens and children at the luncheon. Others were given to bedridden or school-age children who could not attend. "These people are so adorable? and are so needy for communication and attention," Oronzio said of the senior citizens. "There was this man last year, he would say 'Have a cool yule' to everyone who went by!" The Faculty Club provides lunch for the guests, while a Physical Plant worker dresses up as old St. Nick to distribute gifts and spread holiday cheer to the crowd. "The ladies love him -- they get all blushed and flustered when he calls them 'honey'," Oronzio said. She added that senior citizens sitting alongside children at the luncheon create an interesting dynamic. "The [senior citizens] forget how old they are and help the kids with their food," she said. Operation Santa Claus, initiated on campus 10 years ago, is independent of the University but completely funded by donations from members of the University community. "It's totally [funded] from the heart, not from someone's big bank account," Oronzio said. Physical Plant employee George Reale, who has helped Oronzio with the project, noted the "warm and toasty" feelings workers get from donating to the cause every year. "[Oronzio] brings out the best in all of us and gives us the opportunity to realize just how lucky we are," he said. Oronzio, who has also organized gift drives for flood victims and soldiers in the Gulf War, is accepting donations for the effort through December 11.
(11/24/97 10:00am)
Instead of heading home for the holidays, some students will volunteer around Philadelphia. While most University students will be at home savoring their family's Thanksgiving dinners, Wharton freshman Lauren Cohen and his crew will be in Philadelphia filling Turkey Day with various community service events. Cohen organized the volunteer event to give those not leaving campus a chance to contribute to the community -- and at the same time earn themselves a Thanksgiving feast. Volunteers can start their Thursday at West Philadelphia's Albert Einstein Medical Center. And in the afternoon, students can serve Thanksgiving dinners to those less fortunate at the soup kitchen at Saint Mary's Church on 39th Street and Locust Walk will begin. After a long day of work, volunteers will be invited back to Hill College House to enjoy a reward of their own -- a traditional Thanksgiving dinner provided by Boston Market. "I am impressed that [Cohen] thought the whole idea through," said Hill Graduate Advisor Jean Tak, who added that it would be "great to turn the event into an annual thing." With so many students heading home for Thanksgiving, only a few have responded to an e-mail message sent to all Hill residents. But Cohen is not discouraged. "No matter if we have 10 or 50 people -- if there are people who want to do it, then the project is going to be successful," he said, adding that although he is optimistic, he was nevertheless hesitant to label this the "first annual" Stuffed Turkey Day. "I know that many people will not be around for Thanksgiving," Cohen admitted, prepared to see fewer volunteers than he had originally hoped for. He added that students can participate in any part of the day if they don't want to devote their entire Thanksgiving to the event. Drawing on his family's experiences volunteering Christmas day at a hospital near his Athens, Pa., home, Cohen knows the value of service on major holidays. Referring to the shifts at Einstein, Cohen said, "We're doing it so that the nurses and other staff will be able to get home quicker to their families." Cohen was also hesitant to associate the event with Thanksgiving Day, fearing that those who don't celebrate the holiday -- namely international students -- would be "turned off" by the project's name. "It doesn't matter if you celebrate Thanksgiving or not," he said. "That's not what the event is about -- it's about helping other people." College freshman Nilova Saha, a Hill resident who responded to the e-mail, recounted her own decision to help on Thanksgiving Day. "I live in a Houston suburb, and it's hard to do community service oriented work there," said Saha, adding that her own plans to go home "fell through." "I'm going to have to get up early, but I don't mind," she said.
(11/19/97 10:00am)
The University's mail system and 30th Street Post Office are under investigation after the Quadrangle mailroom received several complaints of lost mail in the last few weeks. Gordon Rickards, senior manager of Residential Operations, estimated that the current number of lost mail complaints hovers around 25, and he expects more to be filed soon. "It's a shame we have to go through this," Rickards said, citing the many phone calls from angry parents and students. "The mail clerks are upset, since they are the first to hear complaints." University officials called a meeting between Penn Mail and University Police last Wednesday to discuss the escalating number of mail-related complaints. University Police Det. Commander Tom King said the problems are being "diligently investigated" by a team headed by U.S. Postal Inspector Lou Recchilongo at 30th Street Post Office. Recchilongo was responsible for the arrest of a 30th Street Post Office employee in February 1996, ending a similar plague of Quad mail theft since 1992. Rickards said he expects that this year's problem is also not rooted in the University's mail system, although he does not have a problem with the investigation of Penn Mail. "We should be investigated, and rightfully so," he said. "We're not hiding anything." The Quad is especially vulnerable to mail tampering and theft because of the volume of "attractive" mail sent there, Recchilongo said. Brightly colored greeting cards, for example, are highly visible to thieves looking to confiscate checks. College senior David Austin said he recently had three MAC cards and four checks of "sizable sum" disappear in the mail. When the Ware College House resident followed up on a complaint he filed with Housing and Residence Life, he was told his mail was in fact stolen. Austin expressed frustration over Residence Life's failure to notify him of the stolen mail. "The situation is not being handled properly," Austin said. "I am a full-time student and do not have the leisure to fill out [complaint] forms regarding something as basic to life as mail. Am I to hire a personal courier to hand-deliver [my checks]?" College freshman John Glick, an Undergraduate Assembly member, said a new UA committee charged to study issues affecting the freshman class plans to look into the matter at its first meeting tonight. "I just hear these stories over and over again," Glick said, adding that his roommate reported a credit card that never reached his Quad mailbox. Rickards said he intends to send a letter to the parents of Quad residents, informing them of the risks of sending valuable or important items through first-class mail. Students should become concerned if mail does not reach them within two weeks of the date sent, he said. The last wave of Quad mail theft culminated in the arrest of Gerald Ricca, a postal clerk at 30th Street Post Office. Ricca pled guilty to three counts of mail theft and three counts of delaying mail in spring 1996. The arrest came after an investigative team planted envelopes containing $130 in cash addressed to the Quad, some of which later turned up in Ricca's home. King said clandestine operations like this require that the current investigation remain quiet. Recchilongo said he hopes his work with University Police will provide a lead in what seems to be a series of related mail problems.
(11/19/97 10:00am)
The renowed linguist and political theorist discussed the global economy yesterday. In a flood of almost biblical proportions, hundreds of students, professors and activists turned out for a talk yesterday by noted linguist and political theorist Noam Chomsky. Chomsky has profoundly influenced the field of linguistics with his view that language and universal grammar are uniquely human mental abilities. At the same time, he has also spent a lifetime as a controversial critic of American foreign policy. Chomsky has earned several degrees from Penn, completing his undergraduate and graduate work during the 1940s and 1950s and receiving a doctoral degree in Linguistics in 1955. Addressing an overflowing crowd in Meyerson Hall's Room B1 yesterday, Chomsky was the featured speaker in a "dual celebration." The event honored both Linguistics Professor Zellig Harris' posthumously published book, Transformation of Capitalist Society, and the 25th anniversary of House of Our Own Books. Chomsky, who studied under Harris, spoke on a wide spectrum of issues related to "today's threats, tomorrow's hopes." One such threat is the growing gap between the nation's wealthy and poor, he said. "Rich people are doing quite nicely," he said, explaining what he called the "United States economic miracle" -- or the myth that the current booming economy is helping everyone succeed financially. "Even the wealthy have problems," Chomsky added sarcastically. "They don't know what to do with all that cash." Although Chomsky used examples from the media to demonstrate society's perpetuation of the myth of national financial success, he concluded the speech on a relatively positive note. "Today's struggles seem to point to a greater hope for success," he said, adding that although there are no "known secrets on how to proceed" to this success, people must "free [their] minds from doctrinal control" and "face the prospects of hard work." Before Chomsky took the stage, Sociology Professor William Evan reflected on Harris' life, noting that his extensive work in linguistics and the social sciences "enriched our University community." Evan lauded Harris' "frame of reference" theory on social change and hailed him as a "mentor" with a "unique style" of teaching. "He was casual and friendly with his students," said Evan, who studied under Harris during World War II. "He looked at all of his students? as potential creative researchers." After Evan spoke, Finance Professor Edward Herman, who was one of the event's organizers, praised House of Our Own -- which Deborah Sanford and Greg Schirm have run for 25 years -- as a pioneer in attempting to improve the "sterile intellectual environment" that characterized the University in the 1970s. A sometime collaborator of Chomsky's on political books, Herman stressed that independent bookstores like House of Our Own and the local Penn Book Center are "under siege" as large chains such as Barnes & Noble move in and monopolize student business. "[The University's] aims should be vigorously opposed," he said, urging students to "add your voice to the debate" on the future of independent book dealers.
(11/17/97 10:00am)
Wharton sophomore Cliff Bayer knows fencing. Looking forward to the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, he is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation by the United States Fencing Association for the senior foil division. All of the training in the world, however, could not prepare the Penn fencer for a gym full of 6- to 9-year-olds. Sponsored by the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, Bayer and his fellow ZBT brothers conducted a fencing demonstration for children at the West Philadelphia YMCA Friday afternoon. Aiming to expose the crowd of more than 40 youngsters to the world of fencing, Bayer began the afternoon with some basic information on the sport. "You don't swing from chandeliers like in cartoons," Bayer explained to the giggling group. And while showing them his gear, he said, "Bullets couldn't even get through it? I don't even feel it when I get hit." With a mixture of raucous laughter and instruction, Bayer taught the children the fundamentals of fencing and prepared them to watch a live match between himself and women's fencing captain Olivia Leon. Assisted by his ZBT brothers, Bayer and Leon, a College senior, fenced to five points, and after each point stopped to explain their movements and technique. "It looks like an antenna," said 9-year-old Corey Seigler of Bayer's fencing epee. "He's going to get beat up. Girls are more athletic." Max Tucker, a 6-year-old impressed with Bayer and Leon's skills in fencing, added, "It's much more fun than basketball." The children screamed for their favorite fencer as the competition continued. For many of them, this was the first time they had ever heard of the sport, let alone seen a demonstration of it. "It's great exposure to other types of sports," said Howard Tucker, YMCA's senior program and membership director. "These kids will go home much more well-rounded. It shows that this place is for more than just playing hoops." Tucker said that when ZBT brothers called to propose the demonstration, he was more than happy to accommodate their efforts. "Penn could offer this facility so much," he said. "We're looking for cultural, musical, arts groups to come? to show that the YMCA is a place of culture, too." College senior Alan Kessler, who also helped to organize the demonstration, said the event was only one of many community service projects sponsored by the fraternity. "It was an opportunity to bridge the gap between ZBT and the rest of the local community," Kessler noted. "Our commitment to the community is strong." When all was said and done, Bayer won the match against Leon, proving his prowess once again in fencing -- and his popularity with the kids. "It's so easy [working with the children]," Bayer said after the demonstration. "The kids have so much energy."
(11/12/97 10:00am)
The University's Cycling Team is young -- only 3 years old. But looking at its recent history, the team seems to be like the biblical David contending in a world of Goliaths. "We're competing with 10- and 12-year-old teams like the University of New Hampshire, the University of Massachusetts and Penn State," coach Peter Durdaller said. In light of the fact that the team is not "on a physical par with the other teams," its win at the Eastern Championships at New Hampshire two weeks ago is even more impressive. At the competition, the team beat out several other powerhouse cycling teams from the East Coast in mountain bike races. "They have great spirit and are better organized? such enthusiasm," Durdaller said. Organized in 1995 with the help of a local Philadelphia racing club called the Quaker City Wheelmen, the Cycling Team is under the charge of Durdaller, a member of QCW and a former racer himself. The only requirement for membership is that a cycler be a full-time student at Penn -- and own a bike. The team's mountain biking unit races in the fall, while the road racers concentrate their training in the spring semester. "I found a lifelong sport in cycling," said Cycling President and Wharton senior Tal Zamir, who described the team as a "large and diverse group of riders." At the Easterns November 2, the team raced clubs that Zamir called "formidable" -- clubs with the strength, but fortunately not the numbers, of the Penn team. "The advantage comes in the numbers," Zamir said. "No other team had as much coverage as we did." Engineering senior Phil Bergman, captain of the team's mountain bike squad, also noted the organizational strategies that helped the team win at New Hampshire. In the competitions, team members are loosely divided by skill level into categories labeled A through D for men and A and B for women. "Some of them sucked it up," Bergman said, referring to the fact that some racers rode in a lower category to help the team achieve an efficient spread and accrue the maximum number of points. He emphasized the importance of the female cyclists on the team. "They get a little intimidated by racing but the competition for women isn't totally cutthroat," he said. "I was really tired during the race, but I knew it was important to finish," said Medical student Laurel Graves, who described the rainy, muddy course conditions at Easterns as "grueling." Just finishing the sometimes two-hour race is as important as finishing it fast, she said. "There's a huge camaraderie component to the team," added Graves, whom Durdaller said is a "dynamic force on the team." If even one racer had not finished at Easterns, the team would have lost, Bergman said, noting that the team won by a margin of only 57 points over UMass. "The kids are willing to come out and try," said Durdaller, who also expressed a desire to recruit more women to the club team. "We value their participation," he said, emphasizing that women aren't segregated from the rest of the team like in other college organizations. The women train alongside the men year-round and as Durdaller added, "If we have to push 'em, we push 'em." Zamir noted that the road squad won the Eastern Championship last spring, making Penn Cycling the first Ivy League university team to win both Easterns in the same calendar year.
(11/10/97 10:00am)
At halftime of the Homecoming game, current band members and alumni celebrated 100 years. And the band played on. The Penn Band, that is, as it entertained a Homecoming crowd Saturday for the official celebration of the group's centennial year. After the Quakers displayed their football prowess over the Princeton Tigers in the Homecoming game's first half, the band emerged to crush the competition with its numbers. At least 250 alumni combined with the 85 to 100 current band members -- the largest group of past and present members ever assembled -- to present a show riddled with traditional songs, "scramble" formations and, of course, customary Penn Band humor. Both past and present members regarded the on-field gathering as an incredible moment in the organization's long history. Band captain and Engineering senior Scott Levine said "everyone felt part of this one big happy family." College senior Chris Przybyszewski, the band's vice president, added, "It was a chance to get the very real feeling that this group has been around for a while. That makes you feel like you are part of something bigger than yourself." As told during the halftime show, the band's history began in 1897, when a few students posted notices calling for members. The band, a brainchild of H.P. Beck and W.J. Goeckel -- who co-composed "The Red and Blue" with Harry Westervelt -- has evolved throughout the past century but has remained a Penn tradition throughout. In its earlier years, the band performed in traditional marching formations but in the late 1960s adopted the less formal "scramble" style. Players chaotically run around until a whistle is blown, signalling the formation of words or numbers -- as in Saturday's "100" formed in commemoration of the group's birthday. Although the band abandoned a formal uniform for the present sweaters emblazoned with the Penn "P," Director Greer Cheeseman brought back some of the nostalgia this Homecoming with a replica uniform circa 1930. "It's tremendous," said Cheeseman on the 100th anniversary and his own 25-year history with the band. "It just shows that dreams do come true." A brunch featuring University President Judith Rodin's congratulatory remarks and a gala celebration at the Doubletree Hotel Saturday night reunited the band and its alumni association, which began only about 10 years ago. Chris Mario, a 1985 College graduate, noted the "huge response" the initial call for an alumni organization received. "People had been waiting for something like this," he said. Also noting the importance of the group's reunion at Homecoming, Mario analogized the alumni group to a "fraternity for a lot of people." Homecoming weekend also kicked off a fundraising effort to raise the band's endowment to $100,000. The band currently has approximately $58,000. "Harvard University's band has $1 million," noted 1987 College graduate Liz King, general counsel of the Band Alumni Association. She added that the money would provide for new instruments and give the band the opportunity to increase its presence at the Quakers' away games. Anticipating the release of the band's CD, entitled Four Score and Several Years to Go, the band faces the new century with hopes to expand its performance base to include more non-University events. "[Penn Band] is one of the best groups at Penn," College junior Owen Murphy said. "It's something to be proud of."
(11/07/97 10:00am)
If there's one thing that the American Association of University Professors believe, it's that professors have rights, too. Founded in 1915, the organization works primarily to ensure academic freedom in the realm of higher education. While the role of AAUP is understated as far as faculty organizations are concerned at Penn, the background presence of the University's chapter is by no means ignored. Defending tenure, the role of faculty in academic governance and economic stability for the profession, the chapter tries to keep the University administration in check by developing procedures and guidelines ensuring due process. Law Professor Robert Gorman, who serves as a vice president for the national AAUP, says the organization provides an active voice for faculty. "Faculty don't want to be activists, and they don't have to," he said. Although Gorman pointed to the University's "good governance system," he did recognize that "the participatory process has been slipping recently." Mechanical Engineering Department Chairperson Ira Cohen, secretary of Penn's AAUP chapter and a member of the organization since 1963, gave a timely example of the University's failure to seek "a wide consultation to achieve a broad consensus" on important University decisions. "At our last meeting, the termination of 175 facilities [maintenance personnel] was discussed in the context of shared governance at Penn," he said, referring to the University's recent proposal to outsource facilities positions to Trammell Crow Co. "We regarded this action as a major decision made without consultation among the various University constituencies," Cohen added. Membership in the AAUP is open to faculty from two- and four-year public and private colleges and universities across the country. With more than 900 local campus chapters and 38 state organizations, national membership currently hovers around 44,000. Faculty Club President Elsa Ramsden, who chairs Penn's AAUP chapter, echoed Gorman's and Cohen's concerns over recent University breeches in "longstanding" practices of faculty consultation. Nevertheless, she compared Penn favorably to colleges and universities placed on the AAUP's "censure list." The list, published in Academe, the AAUP's newsletter, provides prospective faculty with a way of checking on the standing of an institution. It warns those interested in seeking employment at other schools which institutions have had noncompliance problems with the organization's guidelines. Citing the censure list as one possible means of recourse, Ramsden noted that serious ramifications could result if institutions ignore the principles endorsed by the AAUP. She added that the AAUP is a viable resource for professors who need legal help in dealing with college administrations when informal intervention or mediation is ineffective. "The time I spend on AAUP during any given month varies considerably," she said. "It is a function of the calls from faculty requesting assistance, meetings with them to find the best resources to deal with problems, legal consultations and so forth."
(11/07/97 10:00am)
Six University alumni provided gems of wisdom and advice yesterday on how to break into the world of communications -- without dodging the harsh realities of the field. Held in the Annenberg School for Communication, the panel stressed the importance of networking while resisting the trap of riding on an Ivy League education's prestige. The discussion, entitled, "Communications Career Forum," and organized by the Undergraduate Communications Society, featured recent graduates employed in a smattering of media careers. Starting off the discussion, 1993 College graduate Josh Rafofsky discussed how he has made the feature film industry his field of expertise. He advised the audience of more than 100 students to take advantage of Career Placement and Planning Services and to "arm yourselves with as much knowledge as possible." "Hollywood brings new meaning to the term 'dog eat dog,' " Rafofsky said. "[Penn] has a strong alumni network?. It will allow you to leapfrog ahead of those people without that resource." Speaking on the reality of starting at the bottom of the ladder of success, 1995 Wharton graduate Jenifer Wana noted, "Every single company in the world needs marketing." Wana currently works as an assistant marketing manager at In Style magazine. "[A job] may be not as high-profile [as you might want]," she said. "In the end, money will just come if you're good." Joy Richter, a 1992 College graduate, added that entry-level jobs provide great experience. "You learn something new every single day," she said, also reassuring students that the "grunt" work of lower-level jobs "doesn't last forever." Richter also emphasized the importance of interning for prospective television executives, while discussing her own rewarding experiences as the associate producer for the Today show. She applauded the undergraduate crowd for attending the discussion. "It shows initiative," she said. "You could be at Smoke's, but instead you're thinking about your future." Playing on the audience members' "initiative," Alix Jaffe, who graduated from the College in 1992 and now works in marketing for CBS, candidly told them what sets strong job applicants apart from others. "In this age, everyone has a college degree," she said. "You don't have to have the 'right' answers [in an interview], but be an interesting, creative person." Robert Liu, who graduated from the College in 1990, currently works at CNN as a producer and reporter for one of the company's online services, Financial News Interactive. He advised students not to be too overconfident in their job searches. Landing a job as Philadelphia Magazine's editor-in-chief, for example, wasn't necessarily easy for 1977 College graduate Eliot Kaplan. He said it was the result of years of work in the magazine industry. "Of course you can staple, fax and answer phones -- you go to Penn," he said.
(11/03/97 10:00am)
Analyzing the ways in which The Disney Store, NikeTown and other corporate superstores are creating a new urban "landscape of power," Community University of New York Sociology Professor Sharon Zukin spoke about the future of urban revitalization Wednesday afternoon in Meyerson Hall. Invited to Penn for the Urban Studies Department's 13th annual lecture, Zukin addressed a crowd of more than 150 students and faculty attracted by her work in the "privatization of public space." "It seems frivolous for me to talk about shopping," Zukin said in beginning her lecture on the social differences reflected in the retail world. In the speech, "The Privatization of Public Space: From the Disney Store to NikeTown," Zukin explained that she first began to examine shopping critically about a year ago after realizing that it was becoming an "overwhelming" focus in department store windows and in society as a whole. "I was reading more and more about shopping," she said. Citing examples from her hometown of New York City, Zukin argued that "retail emerged as urban redevelopment" beginning in the early 1990s. Open public spaces were transformed into places of mass consumption which appealed to the "visual appreciation of the paying public." With a series of slides of the streets and storefronts of New York City, Zukin compared current examples of small, local businesses with their glitzy corporate counterparts along the new 42nd Street. "Madison Avenue? has incrementally lost its local flavor," she noted, explained that branches of international chain superstores have replaced individual, independent businesses. Madison Avenue gradually expanded and revamped its retail offerings, as rents increased and stores like those of designer Giorgio Armani moved in to cater to a more upscale clientele, she explained. Zukin expounded on her observations with slides of the redevelopment of the Times Square area of New York. As pornographic movie theaters and off-track betting facilities were systematically shut down or abandoned, huge corporations rushed to fill the spaces lining the busy, tourist-ridden sector. The Gap and the Disney Store moved into Times Square, just as NikeTown moved onto Fifth Avenue, using "museum-like" displays of sporting goods and enormous television monitors to showcase their merchandise to consumers. Zukin concluded by questioning whether a balance of private and public spaces could be achieved in future urban revitalization, noting that class, race and ethnic barriers discourage certain people from shopping in stores. After Zukin's speech, Temple University student Lisa Serverin said, "She gave me things to think about. The Disney Store is so overdone and awe-inspiring. It really does make me want to buy."
(10/30/97 10:00am)
Our approach will be a collaborative effort among parents, teachers, children and the community in order to achieve the fullest potential of our students." - excerpt from the Alexander Wilson mission statement. Martha Hodges-Gritter, a small woman who blends into her classroom's pre-adolescent population, could easily be mistaken for one of her fifth-grade students. Until she turns around, that is, and shows the class who's boss. "I am tired of this noise!" she tells the class, which sounds more like a circus. With 26 elementary school kids to teach -- and control -- for more than six hours per day, she has every right to be exhausted. But when University student volunteers give up valuable time to assist Gritter in her daily grind, she is more than thrilled to welcome "another body in the classroom." These students, part of Linguistics Professor Bill Labov's Linguistics 160: African-American Linguistics course, aim to be unofficial teacher's aides while studying the social and linguistic environment of West Philadelphia's Alexander Wilson Elementary School. As one of the most recent additions to the ever-expanding list of academically based community service courses at the University, Labov's class examines the controversial topics surrounding the "ebonics" debate. While the hubub of last spring's Presidents' Summit on Volunteerism has died down, the Center for Community Partnerships has been pivotal in working to fulfill University President Judith Rodin's goal of doubling the number of courses that include a community service component. The current number of courses is around 50. These courses run the disciplinary gamut from Anthropology to Theater Arts, with the obvious concentrations in Social Work, Education and Urban Studies. Labov's course, which made its debut in the Philadelphia Public School System early this month, focuses on the controversial relationships between children's "every-day language" and their reading performance in school. To show that learning can be fun, Labov's class hopes to have the elementary school children keep journals defining in standard English the "slang" words that are common to the kids, most of whom are black. "We want to reduce the distance between teachers and kids," said Labov, stressing the importance of motivating the kids "without abandoning their allegiance to the cultural values that are most important in the African-American community." College senior Raymond Hunt, who also works in Gritter's fifth-grade class, called the children "a source of creative energy" and explained his role in the classroom. "I'm like the new kid in class," he said. "I just enjoy being there to see them as they make advances toward their future." College senior Ali Caccavella, like Hunt, has spent these past weeks not necessarily studying the linguistic patterns of the Wilson students, but simply establishing a base of trust in the classroom. "At first, I didn't concern myself with the dictionary," she admitted. "Right now, I'm helping the teacher out." Caccavella has worked in the Philadelphia Public School System on several different occasions and is currently working on an Urban Studies thesis examining partnerships between the University and local schools. Students in community-focused courses like Labov's class have to complete a "goal" or project by the end of the semester. But the interaction between the college and K-12 students is designed to be mutually beneficial, assisting the troubled schools while fostering environments rich for University research. Labov's class uses popular music, clothing and language to engage the children in conversation -- conversations that in turn can be used as data for research on dialects and their potential as bridges to learning Standard English. Examining the larger problem of motivating kids to learn to read and stay in school, Caccavella noted the lack of role models in the children's lives -- a dearth that Penn volunteers hope to remedy with their presence. "I think that more people from Penn should participate and use those skills that got them to Penn," Hunt said. Labov, realistically skeptical about the effects his class' project can have, noted that the "reading problem has been especially resistant." "We can never be sure that any effort to contribute to education will succeed," he said. "Our current research is designed to give the teachers the tools to reduce [cultural conflict in the classroom]." When looking at community service components of University courses, CCP operates as a key liaison between Penn and the Philadelphia system. Bettina Baker, a doctoral student in the Graduate School of Education, helped to coordinate the Labov project with CCP's connections in the West Philadelphia community. "Many teachers are floundering," she said. "The idea is to establish regular, continued contact with the schools, having the programs become institutionalized partnerships." Wilson Principal Arthur Hall also recognized the usefulness of Penn's presence in the West Philadelphia classrooms. "It reduces the student-adult ratio in the classroom," he said. As foundational relationships are being formed between the Penn and Wilson students collaborating on Labov's project, Hall noted his support for the dictionary's premise as a new and innovative way to look at the connection between education and language. "You couldn't expect urban kids to speak the same as suburban kids," he said. "The culture is different. They need to understand that." And fifth-grader Dominique Little said, "We should have more than one teacher in the classroom, some people really need help?. [The Penn students] help us to read and sound out words." Other area schools have also reaped the benefits of newly implemented academically based community service collaborations. Environmental Studies Professor John Keene and his class, for example, study "brownfields" -- or abandoned industrial sites that contribute to low property values and pollution in cities like Philadelphia. Working with University City High School students, Keene's Environmental Studies 404 course is developing projects that will identify and map the brownfield sites around their neighborhoods. Later this semester, students from both institutions will study the history and environmental risks of these sites and brainstorm options for remediation. "It's a fascinating experiment," Keene said of the course, which premiered this fall. "I hope the high school kids get a kick out of this." College senior Christina Wolf emphasized the "experimental" nature of the new collaboration. After all, Keene's class is in the beginning stages of developing group projects and getting UCHS students to critically examine their surroundings. "Our involvement will not be easy to define until the semester's over, and we have seen what we've been able to accomplish," Wolf said. "But we can't beat ourselves up if we don't finish by the end of the semester." Like Labov's class, Keene's students have been spending much of the semester helping teachers give students more individual attention, forming bonds of trust that pave the way for additional cooperative programs in the future. "I just hope I can teach them some of the things I've learned [in college]," Wolf added. Keene's group works with UCHS environmental science teacher Beverly Green. Just as Keene's students are enthusiastic but apprehensive about the new collaboration's outcome, Green's students are anxious about the prospects of working with Penn students. "Some are shy, since we've never done anything like this before," said Green of her students. "Some have told me that they're confused, and I tell them, 'Me too'." But while the process of establishing such collaborative projects is daunting for both parties, Green called the partnership a "good match" and pointed to the importance of Penn students as role models in her class. Although many of her students had mixed thoughts at the beginning of the year on attending college, Green says now, "They look at the Penn students and think, 'Hey, if they can go to college, so can I'!" Ira Harkavy, vice president and director of CCP, praised the University's community service courses as a way to reduce the community concern that Penn is indifferent to issues facing local schools. "We are mutual partners, trying to solve real-world problems," he said. While Keene's and Labov's courses could be described as pilot projects between Penn and West Philadelphia schools, many other classes are time-tested examples of academic bridges to the community. English Professor Peter Conn's "Teaching American Studies" class, currently in its third year, is modeled on a graduate course taught for the past 18 years. In the course, Conn's students examine Philadelphia schools first-hand by cooperatively developing a joint curriculum for both the high school and Penn students. Conn teaches the course on set days at UCHS and other days at the University. Outside these set class times, University students go to UCHS to teach the high school students social studies.
(10/24/97 9:00am)
About 100 students canceled their weekend meals the first week they were allowed to. Dining Services' new weekend meal plans took a blow this month, as dozens of students altered or cancelled their extended contracts as soon as they could. About 100 students dropped their weekend meals during the first week of the change period, which began October 6, according to Dining marketing coordinator Adam Sherr. Today is the last day students can alter their plans and receive a pro-rated refund. Dining has not tabulated figures for the last two weeks. Dining Services began offering weekend meals this semester in 14- and 19-meal contracts after surveys conducted last year indicated overwhelming interest in the plans. But the number of students signed up for those plans dropped from approximately 1,400 to 1,300 during the week ending October 10 -- and even before the drops, the interest fell short of Dining's mark. "Two-thousand was our main goal," said Sherr, who speculated that many of the meal plan changes are due to the University's location in a large city with many dining options. "We're not Dartmouth." Despite the low participation, Sherr said the program will continue through at least the end of the year. He noted that Dining wants to test the weekend meals with the next three freshman classes as well, since current upperclassmen are unlikely to change their eating habits. "You aren't going to get students already in a habit to change easily," Dining Services Director Bill Canney said, explaining the low number of upperclassmen who signed up for weekend meals. "Sometimes people need to take a break on weekends. "We need to give the program a chance to grow," he said. "It's tough to look at [the situation] now." Dining Services, however, did cancel the new kosher Sunday meals. The change only affects about 10 people, and Shabbat and holiday kosher meals will continue. While Dining did not reach its goal, Sherr said 1,300 plans out of a total of 6,000 dining contracts is still a sizeable proportion. He emphasized his optimism concerning the new plans. "We were the only Ivy that didn't have weekend plans," he said. "It would be premature to shut it down." Canney explained that while the goal and "guesstimate" for the beginning of the semester was 2,000, that goal might have been hindered by a lack of advertisement. Since freshmen received information regarding the new plans by mail over the summer, most upperclassmen had little knowledge of the changes when classes began. "I guess you could call it 'opening stress syndrome'," Canney said. "We sort of put [weekend dining] on the back burner." Acknowledging the poor advertising and a failed attempt to acquire additional signed contracts at CUPID, Sherr conceded, "That's my fault." Canney also noted that "systems problems" -- such as difficulties instituting the new PennCards -- added to the September confusion. When a student changes a meal plan, Sherr said the top priority is refunding the student's money. But some students have apparently been asking if Dining could automatically transfer the refund to a QuakerCard account -- a logistical impossibility that would also mean Dining was literally giving money to a competitor. QuakerCard founder Matt Levenson, a 1997 Wharton graduate, said his organization is not responsible for the confusion. But he encouraged students to do the transfer themselves. "Students can take the money that they get back from [Dining Services] and put it on their card," Levenson said. Nursing freshman Eling Yang, who recently changed her plan from 14 to 10 meals per week, said her parents were initially concerned about food options and therefore opted for the extended plan. "I had to push myself to get to even two out of the four meals [per weekend]," she said.
(10/22/97 9:00am)
Displaying the splendor of a bejeweled white satin Torah for the crowd to see, Cantor Joseph Malovany mesmerized dozens at Hillel yesterday during a ceremony to rededicate a scroll donated to the University over the summer. Malovany, chanting traditional Hebrew memorial prayers in honor of the memory of Lipman's father, conducted the ceremony. Following a procession around College Green, students, the Lipman family and University President Judith Rodin convened in Hillel for a series of speeches celebrating the gift. Lipman -- a Memphis, Tenn., businessman whose relatives have been long-time supporters of the University and whose children attended Penn -- had originally donated the Torah to the University in June. Hillel planned yesterday's rededication, however, to allow students not present during the summer to attend the ceremony. In addition to the procession and speeches, many students and faculty took part in festive simcha dances, accompanied by traditional Jewish music, on College Green. Liz Minkin, a program associate for Hillel, praised Lipman, whose family has donated money to the University in the past, as a "great friend." "[The Torah] legitimizes us as an important group of people [on campus]," she said. "We want to show him the vibrancy of our community." College senior and Hillel President Ami Joseph welcomed the audience of more than 60 and discussed a parallel between the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah -- which celebrates the original giving of the Torah several thousand years ago -- and the Lipman gift. "It is our individual community which takes hold of this treasure," Joseph said. "On the other hand, it is a day where we are unconsciously surrounded by the drama of Jewish history." Rabbi Howard Alpert, executive director of Hillel of Greater Philadelphia, stressed the importance of community within Hillel and the University. Emphasizing that Jews of varying backgrounds combine on campus into an archetypal "Penn Jew," Alpert praised the influence of Lipman's Torah in his speech. "We are all here to celebrate and take joy in the newest community Torah," he said. Rodin added that the donation will enable Penn students to fully appreciate the Torah in all of its capacities -- as an element of history, religion, discussion and study. "The scrolls connect all of us to our past and ultimately to our future," she said. In the keynote speech, Rabbi Sol Roth of New York City's Fifth Avenue Synagogue -- the temple at which Malovany accompanies him during services -- praised Lipman for his successes both as a businessman and a philanthropist. "He is a model for you on campus," Roth said, noting that Lipman had made the contribution despite recent family illnesses. "[Lipman has] a great deal of inner strength," he added. Lipman closed the event by sharing some personal thoughts, focusing on his dedication of the Torah to his father's memory. "When you give a Torah, it makes you feel better," he said, adding that he thought that Penn "needed" the scroll.
(10/10/97 9:00am)
Hundreds of students from throughout the eastern seaboard -- including a large contingent from Penn -- flocked to George Washington University Tuesday afternoon to hear an address by outspoken Israeli President Ezer Weizman. Although not as well-known internationally as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Weizman's role in the government's history, while primarily ceremonial, is nevertheless considered pivotal and influential. The speech attracted students from Penn, Temple, the University of Delaware and Pennsylvania State. The trip to GWU was sponsored by Hillel. Wharton junior Matt Engel, president of the Pennsylvanian Public Affairs Committee, represented the University in a student panel that posed pre-approved questions to Weizman. "He has a lot of his own opinions," Engel said of the often controversial leader. "But there's nothing wrong with him speaking his mind." Focusing heavily on his Zionist belief that all Jews should live in Israel, Weizman sparked discussion and debate throughout his half-hour address. Stressing that "intermarriage and assimilation" are problems threatening the future of the Jewish people, Weizman promoted Israel as a country replete with opportunity and encouraged those present to make aliyah -- the Hebrew word for moving permanently to Israel. "Are you looking for the future of your children? If yes, then Israel is the answer," Weizman said. "The best thing that [Jews] can do is raise a family in Israel." Many of the panel questions focused on the role of Jewish-American students today, eliciting responses from the president that allowed him to reiterate his support for a Jewish exodus to Israel. During the panel discussion, Engel asked Weizman what Jewish students in America could do to celebrate next year's 50th anniversary of the state of Israel -- "short of making aliyah." "Go out in the streets and dance the hora," was the president's response. And despite Israel's often turbulent history, Weizman projected a bright future for the country, emphasizing its technological advances and strong economy. "I invite you all to take part in the next 50 years. I think we'll make it," he said, noting that his "soul is refueled" by this trip to the United States, during which he met with President Clinton and other government officials. In the crowning event of the afternoon, GWU President Stephen Trachtenberg presented Weizman with an award recognizing Weizman's "singular role in shaping events" surrounding the "sometimes fragile existence of the State of Israel." "It's refreshing to see someone so proud of Israel, [considering] all of the negative media," said Liz Minkin, a program associate at Hillel. Weizman concluded with a joke, noting that Israelis "are moody people? No wonder. We get blown up from time to time."
