Call for hoops courts in UA's weekly session

The Undergraduate Assembly passed a resolution calling for outdoor basketball courts, amended its by-laws, discussed the University's future policy for releasing the names of violent students and saw a committee chairperson resign his position at last night's weekly meeting. The 26 members present at the meeting voted unanimously to pass the outdoor basketball courts resolution, which called upon the University to construct at least two courts on the roof of the parking garage at the corner of 38th and Spruce streets. Early last month, the UA submitted a proposal to administrators for the construction of courts. The resolution will be presented to Provost Robert Barchi today, said UA Facilities Committee Chairperson Jonathan Glick, a Wharton junior. Accompanying the resolution will be a petition with the signatures of 1,121 students supporting the construction of the courts collected in the last week. Last week, UA Chairperson Michael Silver said the petition would require at least 1,000 signatures to be "legitimate," while "1,500 signatures would show a strong, strong message." At last night's meeting, however, Silver seemed pleased with the number of signatures. "With 1,121 signatures and this resolution, I can't see [the basketball courts] not happening," he said. Also at last night's meeting, Office of Student Conduct Director Michele Goldfarb spoke with UA members about a proposed policy that would govern Penn's release of the names of students found by the University to have committed a "crime of violence or non-forcible sexual offense." Goldfarb is a member of a committee comprised of faculty members, administrators and students that is currently debating whether to prepare a proposal for a future policy. Goldfarb said the committee is seeking the advice of students before releasing a proposal because the parental notification policy proposed earlier this semester was criticized for lack of student input. Many UA members expressed opposition to releasing names of students found by the University's judicial system to have committed offenses, a position with which Goldfarb said she personally agreed. Several UA members said they feared that releasing names of offenders could make victims hesitant to come forward with charges for fear that their identities may be discovered by the public. The UA last night also voted on several by-law changes, unanimously agreeing to require any group planning a campus-wide social event to request funding from the Social Planning and Events Committee and allow SPEC to request additional funds from the UA. Currently, Student Activities Council-recognized groups can approach the UA directly for event funding after getting permission from SAC. The UA also unanimously approved a change to require events it co-sponsors to be open to all members of the University community. After a contentious debate, the UA did not pass a proposed change that would have limited the UA's funding of charitable events, an issue that came up earlier this semester when the body partially funded last weekend's Wawa West Philly benefit show. It also failed to garner the required two-thirds majority to pass a proposed by-law change that would have mandated that the UA's banner be displayed at any event receiving UA funding. Also yesterday, UA member and Engineering junior Theo LeCompte resigned from his position as chairperson of the UA Communications Committee, saying at the meeting that "the job wasn't right for me anymore." He was replaced by Communications Committee Vice Chairperson Dana Hork.