EDITORIAL: Where we stand

The newly-inducted 114th Board of The Daily Pennsylvanian presents its vision, goals and objectives. This past year has been dynamic for the University. Amid great hoopla, officials unveiled a plan for residential college houses. We welcome the increase of academic support in residences and the decreased student-staff ratio in the high rises. But when the plan is implemented this fall, we hope administrators realize the value of preserving the freshman experience and, even more importantly, that more sweeping changes cannot be accomplished before massive renovation to the current facilities. Also in 1997, administrators agreed to outsource facilities management to Trammell Crow Co. -- a deal accompanied by campus-wide outrage over the lack of sufficiently broad consultation. In the future, before officials decide to outsource Dining or any other areas, they should provide the University community with concrete information on the benefits of the deal, such as how much money outsourcing would save, how many jobs would be lost and how many employees would be affected. It has been exciting to watch University officials filling empty retail spaces around campus and bringing in stores students want to Sansom Common. But in conjunction with brining in "funky, upscale" shops, officials should strive to maintain the current variety of retail, holding on to long-time area merchants who remain successful. And although we were sad to say goodbye to Provost Stanley Chodorow, we look forward to the expedient appointment of a permanent replacement who can get the ball rolling on new academic programs. Today, we renew our commitment to the highest standards of journalistic integrity. We will strive to present a more comprehensive view of campus issues, connecting the dots between individual events to show you how they fit into ongoing initiatives. In our news pages, we will bring you more in-depth and investigative reports on issues relating to the University and Philadelphia. The Sports Department will expand its coverage beyond varsity teams by following club sports and athletic events of local interest, in addition to running more features that allow students to get to know the athletes and the issues. On the Opinion page, we will strive for increased relevance to campus issues and to give voice to a greater diversity of viewpoints. Additionally, the Daily Pennsylvanian Interactive on the World Wide Web will provide more supplementary material to the print edition and new features such as polls and pages devoted to issues. Students will see more breaking news stories and sports scores right after the buzzer. And in its 30th year, 34th Street magazine will work toward a new professionalism in both its appearance and content, highlighted by features that address Penn concerns. As we continue our tradition of independence from the University, we recognize that this freedom from financial support and editorial interference comes with a high degree of responsibility. If we do not live up to our promises, let us know. We welcome your comments, concerns and criticisms. Although we may make mistakes along the way, we look forward to this next year as an opportunity to provide our readers with a clear, accurate and fair picture of all facets of campus life.