UA leaders outline goals for Penn community

It's a fresh start, a new semester. Work is light, partying is hard, life is good. But the Undergraduate Assembly thinks that life could still be even better. In fact, it is adamant about improving Penn community life -- specifically, in freshman dormitories, off campus and in the rest of Philadelphia. The spring brings the continuation of UA student projects from last semester as well as the development of new ideas and proposals. UA Chairman Seth Schreiberg said that he is proud that he has accomplished what he has intended to so far. "What I wanted to do," the College senior said, "is change the mentality of the UA... to create a fraternal atmosphere." UA Vice Chairman and Wharton senior Ethan Kay said that in the upcoming semester, not only does he hope UA members will cooperate with each other, but that the UA is able to "explicitly increase [its] accessibility" to the whole student body. The UA currently holds bi-weekly office hours and will soon be distributing suggestion boxes. A new UA Web site is part of its e-accessibility initiative to "make [the UA] a more friendly, successful organization that connects to the students," Kay said. UA members are looking forward to a busy semester. "I think a lot of people are back with fresh ideas and are refreshed and a lot more motivated," said Wharton sophomore Yelena Gershman, the UA committee head for Campus Life. "A lot more will get done." College senior Aaron Short, the UA West Philadelphia committee head, said that one of the projects that is now in progress is "the biggest thing to come across in ten years" -- the Off Campus Community Living Project. The UA is looking to compose a team of top administrators to facilitate a pilot program for two off-campus blocks -- 41st Street between Spruce and Walnut streets and Locust Street between 40th and 41st streets -- sometime in the upcoming semester. The program -- which calls on the University to provide the means and effort -- will look to tighten relations among students living west of campus to allow them to form communities similar to those promoted in college houses. With further intentions of forging student bonds, Gershman has been working on a proposal to integrate freshmen from different college houses. She said that because of the growing popularity of the Quadrangle among upperclassmen, the University is unable to provide an all-freshman dorm and the house deans "should play a strong role in trying to promote interaction between freshmen." Members of the UA also say that the University needs to be more thorough in its approach to housing, and they are lobbying for the University to supply students with complete housing information earlier in the year. This would ensure that students are better equipped to make housing decisions. Student representatives are also in the midst of promoting a minor in academically-based community service courses. Members are working intimately with Ira Harkavy, the associate vice president and director of the Center for Community Partnerships, to outline a program that would benefit both students and community members. The UA is now helping to form a contingency of student leaders from universities in the region to compose a citywide student government. This collaborative effort will allow for students to negotiate for benefits such as discounts on SEPTA transportation and discounts on tickets for cultural events. A constitution for the body is in the process of being drafted. Members of the UA Campus Life committee are engaging with Vice President for Facilities and Real Estate Services Omar Blaik to brainstorm potential retail opportunities for vacancies in the 40th Street area. UA members are also working closely with the Penn Video Network Programming Advisory Board so that students living on campus can receive the Fox News Channel.