CAMPUS BRIEFS: Thursday, February 20, 1997

Campus phones lose long-distance service At approximately 6:15 p.m., a software change temporarily blocked calls outside of the city, she explained. Callers experienced problems making calls to both Philadelphia and other area codes, but Cousart said she does not know if all long-distance area codes were affected. The change did not affect incoming calls. "To my knowledge there was no problem receiving calls from outside in," she said. Cousart said she reported the difficulties to Bell Atlantic at approximately 7 p.m., and the company corrected the problem around 7:30 p.m. A software change made in the computer routing tables inside the telecommunications system caused the malfunction, Cousart explained. "These things happen," she added. "But I wish they hadn't." Cousart added that she did not expect the problem to recur. --Tammy Reiss Assault last night lands student at HUP A student allegedly punched another student four times following a dispute shortly after midnight yesterday, sending him to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The assault occurred in an apartment on the 3900 block of Pine Street. University Police Detective John Peterson explained that police did not arrest the assailant in the incident, which was classified as a simple assault. Peterson added that the victim -- who was treated and released from HUP yesterday -- has the option of filing a private criminal complaint against the assailant, but had not chosen to do so as of yesterday afternoon. A neighbor and friend of the victim said the assailant viciously attacked and drew a considerable amount of blood. "This guy came in and was kicking his ass," said the student, who asked to remain anonymous. "He sucker-punched him pretty hard." The neighbor explained that he was "cleaning blood out of [the victim's] ears with a Q-Tip." -- Scott Lanman