COLUMN: Getting rid of the little guys

From Yoni Slonim's, "Taking My Turn At Bat," Fall '97 From Yoni Slonim's, "Taking My Turn At Bat," Fall '97 I am happy to report that, for the most part, Penn is finally coming out of its little bubble. University President Judith Rodin has correctly understood that Penn can improve its image by reaching out to the local community. There is much enthusiasm going around about the renewal of the surrounding retail areas. If University administrators have our way, Penn is going to become a trendy "collegy" place where people will want to shop and hang out. If all goes according to plan, we will have become Seattle-East. These ideas for revitalizing the Penn area are all good and fine. But we are no longer holding by our original intentions. Instead of bringing in new small stores that will enliven the area we have decided to start this initiative with the building of a Barnes & Noble "superstore." The reasoning behind this effort was that a chain like Barnes & Noble would better provide for the needs of the student body than the current bookstore. In reality, we have taken in Barnes & Noble as another money making operation. The University is slowly showing that it is a big business rather than an educational institution. As Executive Vice President John Fry said,"The better the bookstore does, the better the university does," (DP, 10/3/96). I beg to differ. The reaction of local bookstore owners to the creation of such a bookstore has obviously not been euphoric. But why did the University fail to inform local book sellers of its decision to bring in such a store? When speaking to local book merchants, I perceived a feeling of resignation -- as if they were being duped once again. Stores such as House Of Our Own, which has serviced the Penn campus for 25 years, and the Pennsylvania Book Center which has existed for over 30 years, deserve better. How does Penn expect to attract new business when it mistreats the quality stores that are here? One might argue this is how business is; that it is not the University's responsibility to go around trying to appease local merchants. And what difference would it have made if the University had told local bookstore owners of such plans beforehand? For one, this is not fair business. This is a University going out and actively seeking businesses it deems attractive -- not what I would call a level playing field. An interesting note is when The Book Store was challenged by advertising and cheaper prices from Campus Text, The Book Store no longer applied its "hey, business is business" mentality but instead promptly sued them. Second, small businesses do have long term planning. When I spoke to one book seller, she seemed frustrated by the fact that the "superstore" has basically destroyed any form of such planning. This brings me to the saddest aspect of this whole enterprise. In the long run, who is the one that will lose out as a result of such an endeavor? It is we, the students and local residents. The University is a place where an intellectual environment should be fostered, not killed. Local bookstores wish to provide that type of atmosphere. However, Penn has decided to go the way of the shopping mall -- service through excess. The friendly and knowledgeable bookseller is quickly becoming a thing of the past in the rest of the country. Do we have to further this corrosion? Must we fall prey to the temptation of quick money? Through their shortsighted outlook Penn has decided that Barnes & Noble is the way and if you don't like it get out! The funny thing is when those who do care about the community break away from the University line, they are reprimanded. Many professors and students prefer to use the smaller local bookstores when buying and ordering books for their classes. In a report published in the Almanac (Sept, 24 1996), the Book Store Committee found many professors preferred to use the small local bookstores because they were dissatisfied with The Book Store and they wanted to support local private vendors who have provided them with good service. In response to this legitimate opinion, the Book Store Committee came up with a laughable response -- "Faculty members responsible for course organization be encouraged to place their orders for textbooks with the University of Pennsylvania Book Store." Why should they? This was an obvious strong-arm tactic by administrators which should scare many. If a University committee can come up with such a "balanced" assessment, who's to know what will happen in the future? A similar frightening development is presently occurring. The University has decided to start going after local street vendors with a vengeance. In this past Wednesday's DP, Fry called newsstands "trashy," and wanted to know, "Why are we letting this happen to us?" It seems the University has decided the stands must go. Interestingly though, the city of Philadelphia has sided with the vendors based on the fact they have all the "necessary permits and legal licenses." I don't seem to understand Fry's assessment of the newsstands. Why are we letting what happen to us? As far as I can see the vendors almost always have long lines in front of them. They must be doing something right. Maybe it's the fact they're able to provide decent meals at reasonable prices. Is there anywhere else on campus one can get a cup of coffee for less than a dollar? The vendors are some of the hardest workers on campus. I find it truly insulting an administrator could have the chutzpah to call these people's workplaces trashy. Again sadly, it seems the University is out of touch with student needs and the real world. It seems they have a vision of a Penn-retail lacking in community and practicality. As a wise man once said "Why are we letting this happen to us?"