EDITORIAL: "Where We Stood"

The University keepsThe University keepslooking better and betterThe University keepslooking better and betteron the outside . . . The University keepslooking better and betteron the outside . . . But it's what's going onThe University keepslooking better and betteron the outside . . . But it's what's going oninside that counts.The University keepslooking better and betteron the outside . . . But it's what's going oninside that counts.__________________________ Elsewhere, plans for massive new buildings continue to move forward. In the works for the next decade are buildings ranging from the controversial Institute for Advanced Science and Technology to the fabled campus center. But despite the enormous amounts of money it takes to create a gilded campus, this seems to be the easy part. Get a donation, call some architects, bring in a construction crew and voila -- "progress." But scratch the surface, and we find that all that glitters is not gold. Students continue to seperate themselves along racial and religious, Greek or non-Greek, West Coast or East Coast, College-or-Wharton-or-Nursing-or-Engineering lines. Crime and campus security remain a concern despite our best efforts. At "One University," students find that the bureaucracy limits, rather than enhances, their education. Minority student groups fight for recognition, and for a common agenda. The Greek system continues to find itself at odds with those outside it. Other unresolved issues include the Mayor's Scholarship debate and state funding for the University. And at one of the highest ranking schools in the country, debates rage on about the quality of academics and the quality of life. The University as a whole should take stock of itself and ask how important it feels these things are, and at what cost it is willing to achieve them. Over the past year, we at The Daily Pennsylvanian have sought to provide a common meeting ground amidst this division. We appreciate your readership and hope you will continue to patronize next year's editors and managers, who will work tirelessly -- or at least without sleep -- to keep this process going. As a University, we have our work cut out for us -- and our progress will not be signified by the scaffolding on an ivy-covered building or a construction crew along 37th Street. In fact, it may be difficult to measure progress at all. But even if our goals seem unattainable, we must continue to strive for perfection. Hey, don't worry . . . we'll be sure to tell you when we get there.

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