EDITORIAL: Happy New Year!

Expectations for the new year are high as University officials wait for numerous reports that will determine the future of the campus. It's a new year, and we're all expecting great things in 1997. The year started off with warm weather, and hopefully that will continue now as the days get longer. We hope that you picked some good classes for this semester and are ready to brave the crowds at The Book Store. Congrats to the men's basketball team who have started the new year off with a bang -- a 2-0 start in the Ivies. Penn will be undergoing a lot of changes this year, and we are anxious to see the results. In the fall, University President Judith Rodin announced new safety initiatives and a much-needed campus master plan. Renovations on the exterior of College Hall are over half-completed, and ground will soon be broken on the Sansom Commons project. The IAST structure has filled the hole on 34th Street, and work will soon begin on the interior. And the Quadrangle should be completely wired for ResNet this summer. We are waiting for the report on facilities and residences by Biddison Hier as well as the study conducted on the Dining Services. The action that will be taken as a result of these studies will affect the entire community. We are also expecting all schools to announce major initatives under the Agenda for Excellence plan. The strategic plans of each school should include several academic improvements. And we are eagerly anticipating the new Public Safety headquarters at 40th and Chestnut streets.