Phila. residents blast U. at Town Meeting

The University's expansion into West Philadelphia was one of the main topics of discussion during a West Philadelphia Town Meeting at the Woodland Presbyterian Church at 42nd and Pine streets last night. Philadelphia Office of Housing and Community Development Director John Kromer and several community leaders brought up ways the University has been responsible for the gradual decay of the surrounding West Philadelphia community. According to Kromer, "Escort Services has a real negative impact" on West Philadelphians. Linda Blythe, who moderated the discussion, agreed. She explained that Escort Services takes students "off the streets." Explaining that there are people who threaten the safety of pedestrians, Blythe said the more "normal people there are walking around," the safer the streets of West Philadelphia will be. She went on to say that she personally has felt safe walking through treacherous areas "as long as I saw someone who looked normal that would be able to help me if I cried out for help." Kromer, following up Blythe's remarks, asked audience members if "there isn't another way to insure the safety of the students without having such a detrimental impact on West Philadelphia." Several speakers at the Town Meeting also complained that students living off-campus made life in West Philadelphia unpleasant. Spruce Hill Community Association Vice President David Hockman said West Philadelphians are often "assaulted by anti-social behavior of students who still think they're on campus," referring to the loud parties often hosted by students at off-campus residences. He also said students living off-campus attract criminals to the neighborhood by failing to take adequate safety precautions. Hockman said he feels it would be beneficial to the West Philadelphia community if the University would shift students to dormitory living. While he admits that the cost of Residential Living is "exorbitant," he said, "there is a better way to fit their needs than single property homes." Kromer said the University needs to display "more academic committment" to West Philadelphia as well. The projects about West Philadelphia conducted by undergraduates in the Wharton School and the Urban Studies Department have "no value for the neighborhood." "They are one-shot projects," he said. Kromer said he plans to suggest to University administrators that "at least one credit course involving semester-long, interdisciplinary focus on West Philadelphia community issues" be added to the curriculum. History Professor Lynn Lees, a member of the Penn Faculty and Staff Concerned About Neighborhood Issues, also spoke at the Town Meeting. "The fates of the area and the University are intertwined," she said.