NEWS BRIEFS: Thursday, March 28, 1996

Grad students chase thief in Bennet Hall Lisa Ratmanski, an administrator in the Writing Across the University program, said a well-dressed man was combing through her purse when she entered her office at approximately 3:20 p.m. He fled after she accosted him. Ratmanski then summoned nearby students to chase the thief, but they could not catch up with him. She also called University Police, who arrived within two minutes but could not locate the suspect. "He'd obviously been staking out this space," Ratmanski said. "The fourth floor seems to be a good site for theft because it's a public area and it's remote." She noted that Bennett Hall is "a good building to do rip-off stuff in because there is not that much security." English graduate student Allen Grove, who chased the thief, said there has been ongoing petty theft in Bennett Hall this semester. – Adam Mark Profs, staff to read their works in Writers House tonight Professors and administrators will present a different side of themselves when they take to the Writers House stage tonight. The event, entitled "Writing a Community," will include approximately 20 University faculty and staff and numerous other student readers. It will also include an open mike session. Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta, Political Science Professor Ian Lustick and Walter Licht, School of Arts and Sciences Graduate Studies associate dean, will join several English professors and others in reading their works. The Writers House, located at 3805 Locust Walk, is one of four pilot programs developed in conjunction with the 21st Century Project's collegiate planning effort. – Randi Feigenbaum