News Briefs: Tuesday, November 9, 1999

IFC members to elect new exec board tonight A total of 16 fraternity members are running for the eight positions on the board. There are five candidates for president, though Metzl would not disclose their names. Nominations are open until immediately before the presidential candidates' speeches. "I am very excited to see so many people running for IFC executive positions," said Metzl, a College senior. "The great number of people is indicative of the fraternity chapters' interest in the Greek system as a whole." Only juniors are allowed to run for president, vice president and vice president for rush and new membership education. Any other fraternity members can run for the other positions, including vice president for academics, vice president for community service, treasurer and judicial inquiry representative. All candidates must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher. At the elections, each of the 31 fraternities will have one vote, which they will cast after hearing the candidates' speeches. Metzl said this year will be an important one for the IFC. Because the 21st Century Plan is about to expire, the new board will have to rewrite the IFC's document of goals. "I expect this year to be a pivotal year for the Greek system," Metzl added. "It's important for the new board to pick up the momentum that was created in the last year." Elections, open only to IFC members, will begin at 9 p.m. in Vance Hall. -- Dana Klinek Mag lists Rodin as one of top Phila. residents Philadelphia Magazine ranked University President Judith Rodin, University of Pennsylvania Health System Chief Executive Officer William Kelley and Legal Studies Professor Kenneth Shropshire among the top 100 most powerful Philadelphians in its November issue. Rodin was ranked seventh in the listings, and Kelly and Shropshire were ranked 21st and 60th, respectively. The magazine lists "strengths" and "weaknesses" for each of the first 50 people on the list. Rodin's strength, is that "she's great at promoting Penn" and can "put a happy face on the school." A weakness, however, is that many students find her to be "inaccessible." The Philadelphia Magazine honors come less than a month after Rodin was named among the top 100 most important women in America by The Ladies Home Journal. The top spot was occupied by Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell's former chief of staff David L. Cohen. State Sen. Vince Fumo is ranked No. 2 in the listings and Sam Katz and John Street, the two politicians who ran neck-and-neck against each other for mayor, tied for the third spot. Rendell himself was No. 4 and John Perzel, the majority leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives was fifth on the list. -- Eric Tucker