New roof for Christian Assn.

While the Madonna Mamas erupted into a stirring rendition of "What Penn needs now is love sweet love," the Christian Association welcomed visitors to its new home. Last night's open house and lecture brought in diverse artists to inaugurate the CA's new facilities, after the organization relocated this semester to Tabernacle Church at 118 South 37th Street. The CA was formerly housed on Locust Walk, in the building that is now the ARCH at 3601 Locust Walk. CA administrators said the smaller facility next to the church will allow them to focus on the local community and on relating artistic creation to spirituality. "In the old location we were central, being right on Locust Walk," Rev. Douglas Fauth said. "Here, we're able to contact the community, as much as the students." CA Executive Director Beverly Dale said in a press release that the new building was one-tenth as large as the ARCH, a size more compatible with the needs of the organization. Administrators said that in the past, they expended much effort in renting out the extra space. "It's going to be more comfortable for students to drop in," Dale said. "We're trying to put our resources into the people-business rather than the building-business." Dale said that to further this mission, the organization plans to hire more employees from the student body and the community. The CA plans to increase its discussion panels and meetings as well as the volunteer and Habitat for Humanity programs run with local churches. The facilities are adorned with a mural by Jewish Philadelphia-area artist Sam Maitin in a gesture to support both constructive interfaith relations and the creative arts. "This was where someone could come to talk without being a Christian -- which I'm still not," Maitin said of the organization. The opening also included a panel discussion of three artists: Penn English Professor and author Lorene Cary, Philadelphia jazz pianist Heath Allen and visual artist Gerry Ginvish. The panelists affirmed the relationship between art and spirituality in their own lives. "For me, writing is the closest human activity that I have to spiritual practice, and one doesn't exist without the other," Cary said. "I have to grow into the writer who can do the next book. Spiritually, I have to do new things." CA supporters said they hoped the more intimate facilities would help restore the popularity of the organization to that of its heyday decades ago when it was a meeting place for men and women on Penn's segregated campus. "All I remember is I used to come every Tuesday for a luncheon ," said Paul Paulson, who graduated from Penn in 1939. "I used to go to dances upstairs, and we were introduced to the Drexel coeds. It was a place to hang out."