Year in review 1998/SEPTEMBER

And freshmen who once called themselves residents of the Quad were now talking about Spruce, Ware, Goldberg and Community houses as their homes under the new college house system, which reorganized on-campus living into 12 multi-year houses with expanded services and residential staffing. The brand new $1.2 million Katz Fitness Center opened in Gimbel Gymnasium on September 9. A year-long membership to use the aerobic fitness center and weight room cost $75. Other athletic news included the anonymous donor who gave a "sizable" amount of money to build a baseball stadium on Murphy Field, Athletic Director Steve Bilsky said. The stadium will be complete by spring 2000. Alcohol issues remained a hot topic throughout the month. A committee appointed by University President Judith Rodin released a 10-page report outlining disciplinary and educational strategies to mitigate binge drinking. Also, the former Phi Sigma Kappa house, located at 3615 Locust, became an alcohol-free student use space for campus functions. But despite these efforts, two students were hospitalized for alcohol poisoning before the month was up. A female freshman received treatment at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania after having over 12 drinks at an Alpha Epsilon Pi hotel party on September 17, and a week later a male resident of Ware College House was rushed to the hospital for alcohol poisoning. In November, AEPi was ordered by its national organization to go dry for two years. On a brighter note, Civic House opened at 3914 Locust Walk as Penn's new hub for community service activity. The Pennsylvania Book Center and the University finally worked out their differences and signed a new lease keeping the independent book seller on campus despite the demolition of the University Plaza at 38th and Walnut streets. The Penn Book Center will soon take up residence in the 3401 Walnut Street complex. And former provost Stanley Chodorow finally got the presidency for which he had been searching for two years -- at the new California Virtual University, a consortium of over 100 California schools aiming to provide forms of distance-learning. -- Catherine Lucey