CAMPUS BRIEFS: Friday, April 9, 1999

U. hands housekeeping mgmt. to new company According to Vice President for Facilities Services and Contract Management Omar Blaik, the 20 existing Aramark managers currently employed by the University will be laid off due to the management change. However, Blaik added that the managers will be given the opportunity to reapply for their positions with UNICCO. Housekeeping staff will remain unaffected by the switch. Blaik said that Penn has relied on Aramark to manage its 450-person housekeeping staff for 10 years. But with that company's contract due to expire this June, University officials decided to "seek competitive bids" from other housekeeping management operations. Housekeeping has been a challenge in the first semester of the college house system, Blaik said. But he feels that "looking into the management structure" is the best solution to the issue. The advent of the college house system has meant a decentralization of facilities services into four zones: the "health sciences" buildings, most of the College of Arts and Sciences facilities, the Wharton School buildings and a residential zone comprised of on-campus housing facilities. Though Aramark's operation has remained centralized in the Franklin Building, each of the four zones has had its own facilities manager, leading to administrative difficulties, according to officials. Under the terms of the new deal, the facilities manager in charge of maintenance for each zone will also have a UNICCO manager reporting to him or her on housekeeping issues. The transfer will take place April 24 in residential buildings, while the remaining facilities will follow suit May 1. -- Sharon Male The Foundation to host its first musical groups A new visual and performing arts initiative kicks off next week with two shows set to celebrate the musical history and culture of West Philadelphia. The Foundation -- a student-initiated group seeking to unite the University and the surrounding community through music, art and culture -- has announced its first two shows, according to a press release. On April 15, two jazz acts intended to "celebrate the rich jazz legacy of West Philadelphia" will perform at the Rotunda at 4012 Walnut Street, the release said. The headlining group, Friends, is a sextet lead by Glenn Bryan, a jazz pianist and Penn's director of community relations. Friends will play two sets of classic and modern jazz. The bill also includes Reginald Heigh, a West Philadelphia vocalist influenced by the vocal jazz of Nat King Cole and Tony Bennett. The second show, featuring local hip-hop acts, is set to take place on April 21. The bands include the Mountain Bros., the Unorthodox, Supreem da Regulater, Kode Craquer Clique and Rukus Ave. -- both of which feature Penn students -- and Mista Keyz, a reggae act. The Foundation aims to secure a space to hold concerts by night and provide a center for use by community groups during the day. -- Karlene Hanko Mask and Wig brings comedy groups together Tomorrow night students from five east coast colleges will convene at the downtown Mask and Wig Clubouse with the sole purpose of making people laugh as Penn sponsors the first annual Intercollegiate Comedy Festival. Penn's own musical-comedy club, Mask and Wig, organized the event after realizing a need for college comedy groups to share their talents with both each other and a wider student audience, according to David Baronoff, a College senior and Mask and Wig member. "We have had some involvement with other groups in the past and thought that it was time to get more involved," Baronoff, said, adding that he doesn't know of any other conventions of college comedy groups such as this one. Mask and Wig members are very excited about the event and plan to expand it to schools all over the east coast, while creating a "new Penn tradition" at the same time. This year's groups are Mask and Wig, Princeton's Triangle Club, Brown's IMPROVidence, Cornell's Skits-O-Phrenics and the University of Maryland's Sketchup. Each group will showcase some of its best material. In addition, the festival will include celebrity involvement, with a special appearance by Bob Saget at tomorrow night's event. Showtimes are Saturday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. -- Marina DeScenza U. forms search cmte. for new deputy provost University Provost Robert Barchi has charged a search committee to identify candidates for the position of deputy provost, the provost's chief advisor who oversees several University programs and resource centers. The position has been vacant since December 31, when Michael Wachter, who was serving as deputy provost and interim provost, stepped down from both posts to return to the Law School faculty. Nominations and applications for the position are due by May 1 and all candidates must be tenured faculty members. The committee will then evaluate the candidates and then present its recommendations to Barchi. Classical Studies Professor James O'Donnell will chair the eight-member committee, which consists of six faculty members -- including Engineering School Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education John Vohs and Vice Provost for Graduate Education Janice Madden. Two Penn students -- Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson Bill Conway, a Wharton junior, and former Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Chairperson Sanjay Udani, a sixth-year doctoral student in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, will round out the committee. The deputy provost position was created under former Provost Thomas Ehrlich, who served from 1981 to 1987, according to the Executive Assistant to the Provost Linda Koons. She explained that the position was developed because the provostial responsibilities had increased. -- Catherine Lucey Blackwell presents plan for W. Phila. economy Well over 200 guests filed into the First District Plaza on Tuesday night to hear City Council member Jannie Blackwell -- who represents West Philadelphia -- announce her economic development strategy entitled "West Philadelphia on the Move." Fellow Council member Augusta Clark, who will step down from her seat this year, was one of many speakers -- including Democratic mayoral candidate Marty Weinberg -- who introduced Blackwell. "[Blackwell] is a loyal fierce advocate for the things she cares about," Clark said. "You can't frighten her about issues she cares about and that's what we need in elected officials." Greeted with a standing ovation, Blackwell -- who is up for re-election this year -- gave a presentation on the past progress and future improvements in her district. Blackwell's program targets cleaning graffiti, housing development and economic growth. Since Blackwell was elected in 1991, over $1 billion has been invested in her district. Sansom Common and Penn's cancer treatment center set to be built on the Civic Center site are projects that Blackwell has worked on in partnership with the University. -- Rod Kurtz