1000 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(04/26/96 9:00am)
Monday's commemoration of Earth Day stood in stark contrast to last weekend's carefree celebration of Spring Fling -- especially from an environmental perspective. Despite the numerous garbage cans set up around Hill Field and the Quadrangle, beer bottles, plastic bags, paper and other trash littered the campus as Fling came to an end. Although many students seemed to ignore attempts to keep the grounds clean last weekend, some have commended the University for its efforts to promote recycling on campus. "I think Penn actually does a good job of recycling," Nursing sophomore Martha Narling said recently. But others doubt the University's commitment to recycling and question the efficiency of its recycling program. "Though recycling has become more available on campus, it's underused because people are skeptical that the University is actually recycling," College senior Joan Kim said. According to College sophomore Vince Mukkada, who edits the University's environmentally focused publication Green Times, the University recycles more than 50 tons of paper and three tons of glass, plastic and cans each week. That makes up 30 percent of the University's garbage output and exceeds the state-mandated minimum of 25 percent, according to Al Palanti, who supervises the University's recycling programs. "The 30 percent that Penn recycles reflects the program's headway since its start six years ago. Of course the University could recycle more," College sophomore Deanna Cheung said. "But after looking into the program, I came to realize that student participation is key to increasing Penn's recycling output." With a recycling level well above the national average of 17 percent, the University is the "top institutional recycler in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," Palanti said. The University initiated the recycling program in 1990 when the Pennsylvania State Legislature passed the 101 Act, requiring businesses and institutions in Pennsylvania to recycle 25 percent of their waste by 1997. Palanti was hired to supervise the project. "Al Palanti is recycling, and the increasing success of the program is due to him and the people who work for and support him," said first-year Medical student Gwen Lech. "I have never met an administrator here that is more responsive and supportive than Al Palanti." The amount of garbage that the University recycles has increased from 100,000 pounds in all of 1990 to 100,000 pounds each week this year, according to Lech. Despite statistics that characterize the University as a top institutional recycler, most Penn students do not recycle -- even though there are plenty of facilities that allow them to do so.
(04/22/96 9:00am)
Thousands of University students flung themselves back into the '80s during Spring Fling festivities over the weekend. Spring Fling Co-Director Melissa Schaefer, a College junior, said this year's Fling was the smoothest in recent memory from an organizational point of view. "Everyone seemed to be really happy and having a great time," she explained. Schaefer attributed the weekend's success to a combination of good weather and hard work by the Fling committee. The two-day affair kicked off with festivities in the Quadrangle on Friday morning. More than 30 bands and University performing arts groups performed in the Upper and Lower Quads during Fling, including rapper Schooly D, the Mask and Wig Band and major-label signee Ben Arnold. Students clutching opaque water bottles danced to music that ranged from ska to retro-'80s and participated in numerous games around the Quad. One especially popular game involved two students fighting each other like sumo wrestlers -- wearing inflated suits mimicking the weight of the real wrestlers. And a dunking booth run by Tau Epsilon Phi was also popular among anyone who did not mind being submerged in freezing cold water -- including Quaker basketball players Tim Krug, Ira Bowman and Cedric Laster and football players Miles Macik and Mark Fabish. According to Spring Fling Co-Director Gil Beverly, a Wharton senior, the quality and variety of music in the Quad was better than in past years. Beverly said the vendors were also an improvement over last year. "We got completely new stuff," he said. "There was just so much going on -- it was great." For the first time, the Quad had a vendor selling ice cream and also a haircutting booth, Beverly added. The annual Spring Fling concert on Friday night was also a success, according to College senior Mike Parker, co-director of concerts for the Social Planning and Events Committee. The show featured moe., the Skatellites, the Pharcyde and the Violent Femmes. "From a production standpoint it was super," Parker explained. "We'll never be able to please every single person each time. But it was clear that for people who were there, it was a phenomenal time." The Skatellites' mellow, reggae-like sound was the perfect complement to the Pharcyde's hip-hop beat. And the Femmes provided a rousing finale for the estimated 4,000 people in attendance. The band played their classic, "Add it Up," for their final encore -- with the entire audience singing along to the familiar lyrics. Beverly said the committee had made an accurate projection of the show's attendance. "It was less than last year, but it was also a smaller show in terms of names," he explained. Last year's concert featured the Roots, the Samples, Sonic Youth and Parliament-Funkadelic. While this year's concert was less crowded than last year, the Superblock carnival was a "huge success," according to Schaefer. The wind at the 1995 carnival was so strong that the karaoke booth was forced to shut down. This year's carnival also featured a step show for the first time. "The step show was a really big success," Beverly said. "It was very exciting to have something new and completely different. "It also brought a section of campus that might not have been interested otherwise," he added. "It was good to have that happen." The committee also brought in better rides, which may have helped contribute to the carnival's success, Beverly said. A sizeable crowd also attended performances by the Avalons and Munk wit da Funk. The Avalons' surfer-rock sound is a favorite among University students, who sang along with classic tunes like "Hey Mickey" and "Tequila!" Beverly said the only negative aspect of the weekend was the strict enforcement of underage drinking laws by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control and Enforcement Board. "It seems like the whole thing was pretty harsh," he said. "It's a tough time not to be 21."
(04/22/96 9:00am)
For those who did not venture inside the Quadrangle buildings, the grounds did not look any different than usual yesterday afternoon. But the hallways and bathrooms revealed a different story. Beer cans, bottles, food and unknown substances decorated the common areas outside students' rooms -- the remnants of Spring Fling activities. "It's beautiful outside but inside, it's totally disgusting," said College freshman Colleen Walsh, noting that someone emptied garbage under the sinks in her bathroom. "It's pretty nasty but I suppose it could be worse -- somehow," she said. Many students were disgusted by their new living conditions and the behavior of their peers. "It's pretty sad that everyone is so dirty, filthy and animal-like that they have to throw up on the floor, break glass and leave mystery puddles of stuff on the group," Engineering freshman Mahesh Swaminathan said. "You would think that no one would like to live in their own filth or others'." And two Quad residents were so unhappy with the mess that they decided to clean it themselves. "When I walked outside my room this morning, I didn't feel like walking in left-over Chinese food, so I grabbed a broom and started sweeping," College freshman Jarred Sherman said. "One of the strangest things I found outside my room was a radish or a turnip," Sherman added. Wharton freshman and first floor Class of 1928 resident Adele Neumann was upset with new hallmates she found yesterday morning. "We have a bunch of new post Fling residents -- roaches," she said. "Thank goodness we only have to be here for another 3 weeks." Other students said the filth that plagued their bathrooms kept them from using them at all. "It's a shithole. There's puke all over the bathroom," said College freshman Tejas Patel, who added that he refused to shower because of the smell of vomit and beer that still filled his bathroom yesterday. And College freshman Noah Bilenker said he was shocked that one of the bathrooms in Butcher basement was actually working. But Wharton junior and Quad Resident Advisor Jon Brightbill said he felt the damage was less severe than last year. He attributed the improvement to the presence of Pennsylvania Liquor Enforcement and Control Bureau officers. But several students felt the LCE added to residential damage, since students drank in their rooms to avoid potential citations. "People had to drink inside the residences cause they couldn't drink outside, so there was more damage," College freshman Katrina Borisjuk said. And Bilenker said one of the wildest parties he saw was a weekend-long festival in a room on his hallway. College junior and Butcher RA Damon Clemow said he was glad everyone had a good time, but noted that it was "unfortunate that it's at the expense of our living conditions." "I think it's not the most sanitary or aesthetically pleasing sight, but one weekend a year, it's college people having fun," he said. "It's too bad it looks like this, but what can you do?"
(04/18/96 9:00am)
Plain-clothes agents deployed to crackPlain-clothes agents deployed to crackdown on underage drinking, fake IDs and Marisa Katz Undercover agents from the Pennsylvania State Police's Liquor Enforcement and Control Bureau will patrol the campus this weekend as part of an intensive effort to limit underage drinking. And an LCE spokesperson has hinted that this supervision may remain in place after Spring Fling is over. University Police Operations Director Maureen Rush announced that the agents will work with Philadelphia and University police officers, as well as Allied Security guards, to look for violators of the state's underage drinking, open alcohol container and fake ID regulations. "The agency has attended events at other universities, but apparently Penn's events have become notorious as well," she said. She added that they will also be notifying local retailers of the penalties for selling alcohol to underage drinkers. While the LCE has maintained a sporadic presence on campus in the past, Rush explained this is the first year there has been a "concerted working relationship" between the agency and the two police forces. "We're at Penn quite often," the LCE spokesperson said, adding that the bureau is familiar with local bars like the Blarney Stone and Cavanaugh's. "But we're not just coming this weekend." He explained that agents will be patrolling areas both on and off campus. "We'll be spot-checking bars to make sure they're not selling to underage or obviously inebriated customers," he said. "We may check the IDs of youthful-looking customers." The spokesperson added, however, that the patrols will not be overly-intrusive. "We won't indiscriminately harass places, but we'll check bars while they're in operation," he said. University Police Captain John Richardson explained that the increased patrols are necessary to maintain a safe campus environment. "We're not out there to dampen people's spirits or rain on people's parades," he said. "We just want to make sure everyone has a great time and doesn't get hurt." He added that University Police have restricted officers' benefit and vacation time and asked them to work overtime hours to ensure maximum staffing. Rush said there is also the possibility that police will videotape certain outdoor events as a way of witnessing the behavior of both police officers and students. In addition, the tapes will be used to train police officers in crowd control and for planning future event staffing. Rush said police are not looking to confront students. "We're not out to make arrests," she explained. "But we don't want people ending up in the hospital having their stomachs pumped or getting hurt from thrown bottles. "Excessive drinking, fights and people hanging off of rooftops will not be tolerated," she added. Residential Security Coordinator Vernon Belden said there will be an increased police presence in and around the Quadrangle. "We're going to have an increased amount of visible security on 36th and 37th streets doing things like checking bags," he explained. "They'll also be patrolling the inside of the Quad." Belden added that special attention will be paid to the Quad's Junior Balcony, the site of several disturbances during last year's Spring Fling.
(04/18/96 9:00am)
The final preparations have begun for Spring Fling 1996. One of the highlights of this year's Fling is the Friday night concert on Hill Field that will feature the Violent Femmes, the Pharcyde, the Skatalites and moe. College senior Mike Parker, co-director of concerts for the Social Planning and Events Committee, said tickets are still available for the show. "For everyone's sanity, the sooner people buy them, the better," he warned. "Huge lines at the door are never fun." Parker explained that tickets are $15 for all students, regardless of whether or not they attend the University. Tickets for the general public are $20. All tickets will be available today on Locust Walk and tomorrow in the Quadrangle. They are also available through the Annenberg Center and TicketMaster. Parker cautioned that security guards will conduct periodic sweeps of Hill Field during the show. "People can bring blankets, but we'd prefer no bags," he said. "And no glass bottles or dangerous objects." Also on Friday, Fling festivities will begin in the Quadrangle. Spring Fling Co-Director Joe Riggio, a Wharton senior, said modern-rock radio station 103.9 WDRE-FM will play music in the Quad on Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. And from 3:30 to 4:10 p.m., rap group Schooly D will perform. "They're one of the original gangsta rap groups," Riggio explained. On Saturday, bands will perform on two stages in the Quad throughout the day. And Saturday night, the Superblock carnival will begin at 8 p.m., including approximately nine rides, Riggio said. And in a first for a Fling carnival, there will also be a step show Saturday night. One of the problems with the carnival in the past has been the wind tunnel in Superblock. To remedy the situation, Spring Fling Committee members decided to move the rides away from the center of Superblock this year, according to Riggio.
(04/11/96 9:00am)
Richardson said the CVS guard had spotted a male attempting to conceal various merchandise –– including 11 bottles of Baby Magic Skin Lotion, soap and Speed Stick deodorant –– valuing a total of $27.39, under his jacket. When the guard approached the suspect, the man reached into his pocket, pulled out the screwdriver and threatened to stab the guard. The guard attempted to stop the suspect, but he fled the scene. University Police finally apprehended the man at 40th and Filbert streets at 5:21 p.m. He was arrested and taken to Philadelphia Police's 18th District headquarters, where police charged him with armed robbery. A CVS employee said attempted thefts are a regular occurrence at the store. Richardson agreed that CVS frequently reports retail theft attempts, but he said they rarely escalate to the level of armed robbery. University Police have records of two other attempted thefts at CVS since the beginning of the year. -- Marisa Katz
(03/28/96 10:00am)
The chatter between the 60 women gathered at the Delta Delta Delta sorority house Tuesday night contrasted with the serious issue they planned to discuss. As part of Body Image Awareness Week, College junior Bonnie Sherman, a recovering bulimic, discussed eating disorders with the group and showed a video on the subject. "I think it is an issue that influences all my friends and everyone around me," College junior Caroline Herman said before the event. Sherman began with the video, entitled Eating Disorders: Journeys of Self Discovery and Recovery. Sherman explained that she participated in the project profiled in the video, which was developed at Harvard University as part of its National Eating Disorder Screening Program -- a group organized to educate and inform college women. According to Sherman, the video, which offered an intimate view of the development and repercussions of eating disorders, has been shown at more than 600 colleges nationwide. "The reason I am up front is because my experience has been both emotional and physical," said Sherman, who was featured in the video. She explained that suffering from an eating disorder "is a lonely place to be," especially because she was "unable to connect with other people." The video touched on the stages of an eating disorder's development, from the mentality that may stimulate a binge-purge cycle or starvation to recognizing the problem and seeking help. The video also outlined symptoms and medical consequences of dangerous eating habits. Warning signs for anorexia include drastic weight loss, mood swings and relentless exercise, according to the video. Severe anorexia reduces chances of fertility and results in a low white blood cell count. The video also discussed bulimia symptoms, including apparent fluctuations in weight and others similar to those of anorexia. Long-term health hazards involve throat and intestinal problems and dehydration. Discussion after Sherman showed the video focused on how eating disorders serve to mask real problems and society's role in defining the culture of women. "When I pick up a bottle of spring water and it says 'fat free' on it, there is a problem," said Sonia von Coll, an advisor to Guidance for Understanding Image, Dieting and Eating, or GUIDE, which sponsored Tuesday's event. Both von Coll and Angela Ferrari , another GUIDE advisor, offered comments and advice and even questioned the women about their personal views on the issues. "Ninety percent of the women in our culture have eating disorders," Ferrari said. "It is a culture-bound syndrome." Von Coll added that women are so obsessed with their appearance that they even have their own language for talking about weight, fat and exercise. When questioned about her own personal experience with an eating disorder, Sherman recalled feeling depressed and out of control. "The only thing I could control, or thought I could control was what I put in my mouth," she explained. Sherman mentioned that for a long time, she thought that once she attained the "perfect body," she would be happy. "Weight was my definition of health," she said. Sherman said she is still in the process of recovering from her eating disorder and advises that "you have to deal with this stuff head on." College sophomore Alyse Dann said after the program that she hopes awareness programs help women at the University to recognize GUIDE's support system and seek help.
(03/25/96 10:00am)
say eating disorders are an epidemic destroying our generation. An epidemic is feeding on our society. It can affect anyone at any time. It takes an especially heavy toll on the young. It wastes the body and afflicts the mind. Although causes have been identified, there is no easy remedy. This disease is not caused by a virus or a bacterium. It cannot be prevented through simple measures such as using a condom or getting vaccinated. It rages through the American population, yet it is less recognized than other epidemics. The disease is distorted body image, which manifests itself in a wide range of behaviors. Binging. Purging. Starving. And the less noticed but more prevalent yo-yo dieting and compulsive exercising. Over five million Americans suffer from eating disorders and countless others from disordered eating. There is a way to prevent these illnesses, but no doctor can give you the prescription. It is mere self-acceptance. Doesn't that seem like a relatively simple measure to prevent a raging epidemic? Although self-acceptance seems even easier than using a condom or getting a shot, there is nothing simple about it. People fail to realize that self-acceptance does not come in a plastic bottle or a little wrapper; it must come from within. The relentless pursuit of a perfect body is an epidemic that deserves more attention than it receives. Society's attitude toward eating is two-fold. From one perspective, eating is considered a rewarding, pleasurable and social activity. Yet women are expected to be thin and fit, to fulfill the ideal set for them. With glossy media images of unrealistic bodies bombarding us from all sides, it is very easy to fall victim to the diseased mentality of idealizing an unattainable body. As individuals who fell prey to the epidemic ourselves, we know we are not alone. Living in a culture that equates thinness with beauty, it was almost the norm for us to idealize bodies other than our own. There was no limit to how far we were willing go to achieve this ideal. To escape the embarrassment of the nickname "fatso" and to look flawless in bikinis, we took any measures necessary to reach our distorted goals. Extreme food restriction, purging after meals, taking appetite suppressant pills and laxatives were all part of our strategies to thinness. These steps seemed like easy ways to achieve our goal. Little did we know that the time we were wasting on our unhealthy obsessions could have been used to appreciate ourselves and our bodies.# We bring these experiences to our work with GUIDE (Guidance for Understanding Image, Dieting and Eating), a peer-health education group advocating healthy body image as a remedy for the obsession. Recognizing the prevalence of distorted body image and the accompanying lack of self-acceptance within the University community, GUIDE hopes to generate awareness of the need to love oneself and one's body. To convey our message, we are sponsoring Body Image Awareness Week, a part of National Nutrition Month this March. Tonight, to kick off the week, we are honored to host Jane Hirschmann, renowned author of When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies, a book encouraging all women to "stop renovating their bodies" and start treating them with the love and respect they deserve. She will give us a taste of her philosophy tonight in Meyerson B-1 at 7 p.m. Hirschmann believes that the root of the obsessive disorders plaguing our society is insufficient self-acceptance, leading to an obsession with dieting. Tomorrow night, a video about eating disorders, sponsored by the Harvard Project, will be shown at 9 p.m. at the Delta Delta Delta sorority house, 3539 Locust Walk. Bonnie Sherman, a College junior featured in the video, will speak about her personal struggle as a victim of an eating disorder. Both events are open to the entire campus and admission is free. Through these activities, we hope other members of the University community will gain new insight into this epidemic ravaging our generation. Life is short. Time is limited. Too many people waste so much of it obsessing about dieting, counting calories and coveting another body. What we fail to realize is that our bodies are the only ones we've got; they keep us alive and allow us to function. Rather than trying to "renovate" our bodies, we should respect them for all that they do. So, the next time you catch yourself reading a food label for fat content or longing for a different body shape, take those brief moments and use them to appreciate yourself and your accomplishments.
(03/20/96 10:00am)
Onyx Finney and Susie Lee say the United Minorities Council needs a permanent voice on University Council more than ever. ___________________________________ The United Minorities Council was established to represent the interests of the minority community at the University by addressing common causes, providing a forum for discussion, exploration and action on issues of concern to communities of color and presenting and celebrating the richness of our diverse cultures and backgrounds. There has been much controversy surrounding the United Minorities Council's recent requests to re-obtain a seat on University Council. In the past, the Undergraduate Assembly annually granted the UMC a seat. However, this arrangement depended directly on the views of the UA's membership. Three years ago, then-UMC Chairperson Jun Bang petitioned for the UMC to have a permanent seat. Not only was this petition denied, but the UA also ceased allocating the UMC a Council seat on an annual basis. Last year's UMC Chairperson, Elizabeth Melendez, resubmitted the proposal for permanent UMC representation on Council, but it was once again refused. Despite these failures, the UMC has put forth the proposal again now, because numerous issues affecting students of color on this campus have not yet been satisfactorily addressed by the UA. The UMC does not claim to represent every student of color at the University, but we do represent a significant part of the population. The UMC is the only organization on campus established precisely to address concerns that affect students of color. Since University Council advises the president and provost, and serves as a forum for discussion of various important campus issues, it is necessary and imperative that students of color have an institutionalized way of communicating with Council members. Council's discussions are central to the discourse of social, academic and political life on this campus, where people of color have been and continue to be marginalized. This can be seen in the small number of tenured faculty of color, the isolated location of the Greenfield Intercultural Center and the minute number of Native American students at the University. Also, there currently are only two ethnic studies programs here that offer majors, African and African American studies. Unfortunately, only minors are offered in Latin American and Asian American studies. Why is the University the only Ivy League institution that does not offer a program in Native American Studies? The recruitment and retention of people of color, specifically Native Americans, is another of the UMC's primary concerns. The recent and ever-present ethnic intimidation of South Asian students, BiCultural InterGreek Council groups and even the Onyx Senior Honor Society drive this point home. Some members of the Penn community are ignorant of the initiation processes of certain minority groups. But this does not justify their decisions to show their discontent by throwing items such as water balloons, fire-crackers and glass bottles out of high rise windows! Allocating the UMC a permanent seat on University Council would ensure that minority concerns like these are represented. The Undergraduate Assembly claims to represent all undergraduate students. However, it does not. In the latest DP poll of 100 randomly selected students, completed in mid-February, 99 percent said they had never contacted the UA. Seventy-eight percent felt the UA does not accurately represent their opinions. And although the UA has instituted a door-to-door policy to improve communication, 78 percent of the students polled had not been visited by a UA member. Since the UA clearly does not represent the entire student body, who does it represent? Mike Nadel poorly articulated in his DP column last semester, "Five branches of student government are now headed by members of the ethnic groups the UMC claims to represent.... The chairman and vice-chairman of the Undergraduate Assembly, who each sit on Council, are minorities under the UMC banner." Nadel simple-mindedly contends that since UA Chairperson Lance Rogers is Native American and UA Vice-Chairperson Gil Beverly is African-American, there is minority representation on Council. But just because students of color participate in organizations like the UA does not mean they are there particularly to speak for members of their own ethnic groups. Although the UA and UMC are establishing better lines of communication and will be working together on various issues in the future, our relationship is contingent on whether or not future UA bodies are interested in and value issues important to students of color. Another avenue for representation posed to the UMC has been to run for a seat on University Council. Why should the UMC run for a seat when all undergraduate representation is allocated to the Undergraduate Assembly, and when running to represent all undergraduates would take away from our ability to advocate for the interests and issue of students of color? This procedure also does not guarantee the permanent presence of a student on Council who will be devoted to issues facing students of color. The UMC feels it is imperative for the University community to understand why we are entitled to a permanent seat on University Council. Allocating a seat to the UMC will help the University live up to its public image as an institution of higher learning that is diverse, multicultural and multiethnically comfortable.
(03/19/96 10:00am)
From Lisa Levenson's "First Person," Fall '96 From Lisa Levenson's "First Person," Fall '96It works well in England, soFrom Lisa Levenson's "First Person," Fall '96It works well in England, sothere's no reason why the U.S.From Lisa Levenson's "First Person," Fall '96It works well in England, sothere's no reason why the U.S.can't roll back 'legal age.' From Lisa Levenson's "First Person," Fall '96It works well in England, sothere's no reason why the U.S.can't roll back 'legal age.' Ahhhh, spring break, that annual collegiate rite of passage. The ideal spring break experience is a ritual week-long drunken stupor in a city where no one speaks your language, but the bartenders and every sleazy member of the opposite sex seems to know your name. The weather's warm and winter's woolen layers are rapidly shed in favor of bare skin, freshly bronzed. I spent spring break across the Atlantic, in frigid and windy London, the capital city of merry old England. And in addition to the typical touring and sightseeing, my three companions and I hit our fair share of pubs and clubs (emphasis on the former) during our six-day "holiday." No one carded us when we strolled into the pubs each night, bellied up to the gleaming teak bars, and ordered lager, ale, fermented cider, bitters or a wonderful British invention known as alcoholic lemonade. Wine with our last night's meal was obligatory. And shelves of liquors, whiskeys and other temptations beckoned in stores on almost every street corner. In fact, the closest we came to getting thrown out of anywhere in the United Kingdom was the time we walked into a video arcade ("amusement center" in Brit-speak) and began checking out the slot machines. The guard believed us when we explained to him that yes, all of us were over 18, and didn't ask for more proof. Purchasing tobacco is legal for anyone over the age of 16 in the UK, and drinking is permitted for those 18 and up. But while young Britons may smoke much more than Americans of similar ages, simply because smoking still appears glamorous in Europe, their drinking habits are much more moderate. High schoolers here take pride in throwing wild house parties when parents are out for the evening or away for the weekend. The family home, along with everything and everyone inside when these affairs begin, inevitably gets trashed. And no matter what kids explain to their parents about why so many people had to come over and what they were all doing, activity revolves around alcohol, illegally obtained by older siblings or sympathetic friends. It's not this way in Britain. Club patrons do swig beers on the dance floor as music blares and lights pulse around them. They wash "flavoured potato crisps" (roast-lamb-and-mint and smoked-ham-and-pickle were two choices we stayed away from) down with pints of beer and meet friends for a swill after work. But the pubs stop serving at 11 p.m. and retails outlets, by law, must cease selling alcoholic beverages at the same time. The city's famed subway system (officially known as the Underground and colloquially called the Tube) shuts down an hour later, but it's never littered with empty cans and broken bottles. Neither are street corners in central London, despite the thousand-strong throngs of revelers that congregate outside movie theaters in the public squares and "circuses" on weekends. Put simply, drinking isn't a clandestine thrill for the British. It's not a secret vice to be satisfied in the woods near a playground, out of reach of neighborhood cops who have nothing better to do than cruise suburban subdivisions. Brewing and distilling are businesses for families across the UK, who have dedicated themselves to creating and pouring the perfect pint. For most other Britons, drinking is just a fact of life, and alcohol is not an object for abuse. In America, on the other hand, drinking is cool because it's a forbidden but easy, cheap and temporary, relatively safe way to alter the mood. For all of these reasons, alcohol is evil. After all, if it weren't, we wouldn't need such strict laws to protect our young from experiencing its harmful effects. Unfortunately, the strategy of prohibition is hopelessly ineffective, as evidenced by the dismal failure of the 18th Amendment, which prohibited completely the manufacture, sale and transportation of intoxicating spirits within the U.S. in the 1920s. Things that are forbidden only become more desirable; psychologists have indisputably proved this phenomenon. I'd like to see the drinking age here rolled back to 19, which would prevent alcohol from legally seeping into high schools but would permit, almost universally, us college students the same privileges our European counterparts already enjoy -- and expect. At 18, we can be drafted and choose our nation's next leader, as well as the men and women who represent us, our hometowns and our concerns in Washington. But only outside of our country's borders are we legally allowed to imbibe. It's time for the U.S. to catch up to nations more enlightened in this arena, where alcohol is not surrounded by an aura of mystery and intrigue. Two hundred and twenty years ago, we declared independence from Britain and her royal traditions. But with respect to the regulation of alcohol consumption, our forebears with the funny accents definitely had the right idea.
(03/05/96 10:00am)
It has recently occurred to me that I am certifiably insane. Now don't start worrying, especially those of you in charge of my student aid, that I go home every night and stay up 'til the wee hours of the morning sharpening my teaspoons. Nor do I froth at the mouth while watching my carefully archived collection of old episodes of The Smurfs. I'm talking about a different brand of insanity altogether. It seems I'm plagued by flashes of relatively harmless lunacy that come into my head on an almost hourly basis. Let me give a few examples. Almost every time I get into my car, this odd little fantasy plays out in my head. I envision myself turning the key, dropping by the MAC machine and withdrawing the entirety of my dwindling loan refund, and driving westward until I hit the far coast. Then I suppose I could embark upon a Kerouac-esque adventure, hitching and hopping boxcars all the way up into Alaska somewhere. I'm sure if I shaved my head the hired goons from the loan collection department would never track me down, and thus I'd be freed of my financial burdens forever. By the time my whereabouts became known, I'd have already lost all my fingers working in the fisheries, so they could never prove through fingerprints that I was in fact the same man who once borrowed $18,000 in low-interest loans. Then I start the car, and go to Thriftway to do my shopping, as usual. But my insanity doesn't stop there. It gets much more intense. I must say, there's something about a classroom atmosphere that is particularly conducive to these sorts of mad ramblings. Perhaps it's the clinical atmosphere, the structured lectures or the way the professors drone on and on, pretending to know what they're talking about. As the lectures stretch on, hour after hour, I find myself wondering what would happen if, when called upon, I opened my mouth to answer -- and a bird flew out. I wonder how my interactions with the professor might be different if on the first day of class, when we went around the room politely introducing ourselves and telling little summaries of our dreams and aspirations, I had stood up and yelled "My name is Bubba Smith and I'm here to kick Yankee butt!" I could have punctuated this clever repartee by promptly chugging an entire bottle of Southern Comfort and then throwing it through the window. If that had been the case, would the professor then feel compelled to solicit input from me? Should I try it next semester in one or all of my classes? And what if the professor were to simply burst into flames in midsentence? Could something as dramatic as that pull my attention back into the room, out of the depths of my reverie? I doubt it. I haven't exactly been asking around, but I don't think my situation is all that unique. I can't remember who said it, but I've heard sanity defined as "successfully hiding your insanity from those around you." I wholeheartedly believe that's true. Most people walk around this campus like overfilled water balloons, knowingly or unknowingly waiting for that pinprick, that little something that breaks the skin of social conformity. Either this contact gives them a private outlet, a slow, quiet leak that releases the craziness in a controlled manner, or else it results in a sudden explosion. The former is what I call "making friends." Unfortunately, the latter usually lands one in the nuthatch. I do think much of what we really call "insanity" could be circumvented if, on a regular basis, people were permitted to act like total maniacs (preferably without harming themselves or anyone around them). I'm sure you're thinking, "Wait a minute! That's what Friday night is all about!" But I would disagree there, too. I'm afraid going out and dancing, drinking, dating or whatever you choose to do to let off steam is far from insanity. We're constantly bombarded with suggestions that these are the most appropriate forms of behavior when trying to relieve pressure. No, I'm suggesting that people need a special day to do all the things they would never publicly admit they've even contemplated. But who would dare declare such a holiday? I would in a heartbeat, although it would probably help if someone who had some sort of power were to do the sanctioning. After all, if you go nuts in public, people aren't going to forget seeing you do so just because you defend yourself with "Well, Nathan said it would be all right." (I must admit, however, that you'd have a special place in my heart forever.) Why are we as a community afraid to say "OK, on this special day you can suddenly stand up in your classroom, flail your arms and scream obscenities, just because it feels so good to offend, disrupt and generally wreak havoc"? We actually do have something similar, the old pagan holdover known as Halloween. Last semester, I took full advantage of it. But to my dismay, when I walked into class in my three-piece white bell-bottomed suit (no natural fibers in the entire garment), with a black turtleneck on and my hair brushed into an afro of spectacular four-foot diameter, no one else had bothered to don a costume. For a minute or two, I thought I had actually gone insane, or at least missed a day somewhere. But in truth, the explanation was much simpler: I was surrounded by a bunch of stiffs. Even on a day sanctioned for harmless temporary insanity, people felt too uptight (or "professional," they might euphemize) to appear in any way out of line in the classroom. This repression is why we need a holiday promoting absolutely unruly, uncalled for and generally incomprehensible behavior. I recommend we appropriate Flag Day for this purpose. It doesn't mean anything to anyone as it is, so we might as well make it a day worth marking on the calendar. Those unfortunate few who really are sane through and through (I say unfortunate because, in my mind, sane equals boring) could lock their doors and stay in; the rest of us could run around campus cross-dressed in sexy underwear, to roll in the grass, to shave our professor's heads and to generally approximate the character of that lady who dances around in a bikini campaigning for drug-induced world peace. I guess I'll just have to wait until Congress picks up on my great idea. Until then, I shall continue to dream of flaming professors.
(02/28/96 10:00am)
From J. Christopher Robbins', "Don't Tread on Me," Fall '96 From J. Christopher Robbins', "Don't Tread on Me," Fall '96After the ENIAC 50th anniversaryFrom J. Christopher Robbins', "Don't Tread on Me," Fall '96After the ENIAC 50th anniversarycelebration, one student got an insider'sFrom J. Christopher Robbins', "Don't Tread on Me," Fall '96After the ENIAC 50th anniversarycelebration, one student got an insider'sview of the nation's capital? or did he? From J. Christopher Robbins', "Don't Tread on Me," Fall '96After the ENIAC 50th anniversarycelebration, one student got an insider'sview of the nation's capital? or did he? Preface: Following Al Gore's speech at the ENIAC anniversary celebration, one member of the student press was invited to spend the day with the vice president. News and Public Affairs Director Barbara Beck chose Adam Mark, executive editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian, to join the vice president aboard Air Force Two and have dinner with Tipper and the Veep at the White House. What follows is Robbins's account of the experience. Al Gore is no ordinary vice president. He embodies the spirit of our nation's capital and is a striking example of what a Washington politician can do. Two weeks ago, I had the great honor of meeting and traveling to Washington with our vice president. We met immediately after the ENIAC festivities ended. In the vice president's limo, Gore began speaking to me about the importance of fair journalism in a democracy. The press, he said, is "the fourth branch of government." "You once were a reporter, weren't you?" I asked him. After graduating from Harvard with a degree in government, Gore said he'd spent a few years on a small Tennessee newspaper covering county fairs, mutant barnyard animals and horse thievery. The conversation took on a more candid tone once we boarded Air Force Two. Gore found his favorite reclining seat and motioned for me to sit next to him. "You know, that President Rodin of yours is a good-looking broad," Gore confided. As the plane took off we both turned our attention to the runway and the scenery flying by. With a recently purchased copy of Earth In The Balance tucked away in the attache by my feet, I decided the timing was prime to show off my knowledge of Gore's environmental policies. Feeling gutsy, I started with a critical question. "Mr. Vice President--" I started to say as he quickly interrupted. "Call me Al," he said. "Al," I began again, "according to your book Earth in The Balance, jets like the one we're on get half a mile to the gallon. Wouldn't it be better for the ozone layer if we drove instead?" "Environmental politics is mostly hocus-pocus," said Gore. He leaned toward me and whispered: "The bald spot on the back of my head is bigger than the hole in the ozone layer." The flight was swift. We traveled 125 miles in 18 minutes, which was time enough for the vice president to happily consume three mini-bottles of Jack Daniels, his favorite Tennessee whiskey. "Tipper and I used to get wasted on this stuff in high school," said Gore as we landed at Andrews Air Force Base. "That's right," I remembered, "you and your wife were high school sweethearts." Always curious, I asked how "Tipper" got her nickname. "Honestly, I wasn't in on that," he answered, "She got that name after spending an evening with the high school football team back in Carthage." Gore paused for a moment, smirked, and added: "She won't tell me what it means." "Tipper has a mystique about her," he explained before mentioning his wife's famous words to The Washington Post after Frank Zappa, Madonna, (the artist formerly known as) Prince and John Denver called her a puritan. I took the opportunity to ask about Zappa's most biting public comment. "Why did Zappa call you and your wife 'cultural terrorists?' " I asked. "It had nothing to do with politics," Gore said. "He was just upset when I told him I didn't like his song, 'Why Does it Hurt When I Pee.' " Another limo awaited as the plane taxied to a stop. "This door-to-door service is great," I said. "Thank God," Gore replied, "I'm a lousy motorist." On the drive into Washington, Gore grew markedly drowsy. His attention began to wander as the long day took its toll. I pressed on with my questions anyway. "Let's talk about your political views," I said. "In 1984, you went on record supporting organ donations." Gore glanced up at me, attempting to focus. "Yeah, sure, and pianos too," he said. "How about euthanasia?" I asked. The vice president quickly perked up and said: "They are true, living examples of what good, solid educational systems can produce." As the limo entered the city, Gore grabbed my hand and pointed out the window to a statue in the middle of a traffic circle. "I always feel great pride when I see Jefferson up there on that horse in all his glory." "But that's General Washington," I said. "Oh, yes. I didn't see the wooden tooth." "That's a bronze statue, sir." "Yeah. Right," he said. We pulled up to the White House at a quarter past five o'clock. According to the agenda, dinner was to be served at six. But my hopes of dinner at the White House were soon dashed. Gore's presence was demanded by the Tallow and Whale Product Producers Association. Moral compulsion and politics demanded that he go. "I'll put those bastards in their place," he said. Clutching my hand supportively, he wished me well. "Journalism is a great career," he said. "Keep it up." He also told me to send my regards to "that babe Judith." As Gore's limo rushed me back to Union Station, I thought: What a man.
(02/20/96 10:00am)
Nicole Maloy says picking up after ourselves and our peers is the key to keeping campus presentable. I find this last argument funny because Robbins is a residential advisor in the Quadrangle -- a bastion of cleanliness and responsibility, as we all know. What can anyone, including Residential Living, do? Assign someone to follow every student around with a pooper scooper and a dustpan? Unless the University will pay for a live-in cleaning staff in each dorm to make sure there's never a mess, someone's going to have to stop making one. Has anyone seen the kind of crap people leave lying around, even in their own residences? Pizza boxes with food still in them, cans leaking soda and glass bottles on heating vents are a norm, and someone dares to complain about rats and roaches? I thought they were invited. Those who leave messes in other people's residences leave me speechless. Hopefully they were raised by wolves; if not, there is still no excuse for their behavior, and they should go back to where they came from, where such behavior is obviously acceptable. Look around your classrooms. When people eat or drink in class or in study areas, I don't care -- gum chomping is far more annoying -- but what about when they're done? Are the paper plates, foil wrappers and Philadelphia cream cheese packages supposed to melt away? Someone seems to think so, because every day I see that garbage on the floor and even right on tables and desks. "Well, maybe," I think to myself, "they were so engrossed in the subject matter that they just forgot to take this with them. Maybe they just picked up the coat and the book bag and just didn't see this still here. Maybe?" Maybe they're a bunch of lazy slobs. Some are probably stupid (read: "I'm gonna leave this right here! That's what I'm gonna do! Huh huh huh!") but others are probably spoiled, or rude, or just oblivious. Whatever they may be, they each chose to bring something in, and they each left without taking it back out with them. So? So, to anyone who has ever commented on the appearance of this campus, to anyone who wants more recycling options, to anyone who would like to sit down without worrying about crumbs and butter smears on tables and desks, you owe it to your words, your thoughts and everyone here (including yourselves) to throw away the trash you generate. If you bring a paper plate to class, take it out. Better yet, why not place it in one of the conveniently located trash receptacles at each exit? Why do you think they're located there? Perhaps because someone is banking on the fact that you'll eventually leave the room. However, they're also assuming that you will pick up your trash and have it with you at that time. I know everyone can pick up his or her garbage, if only to carry it where he or she is already going. And if you really become inspired, there are bins around campus for aluminum cans, glass, paper and plastic, some even located inside classroom buildings and residences. Freshmen, please get into this habit now. Spring is coming, and with it, The First Nice Day of the Year. I don't want you to wait until That Day to find out how bad it can get. As the sun sets, you will see the chaos that always overtakes College Green. At midday, it's 65 degrees, people in shorts are eating lunches by the Peace Sign, music is playing and the campus is alive. But picture it a little cooler and a little darker, and you'll see the Green covered with crap. Trash is everywhere, completely blanketing the grass. I cannot believe that the lunch-eaters and the frisbee-players and the DP-readers couldn't carry any of their stuff to a trash can. Even if the closest one was full, I don't care. It looks absolutely sad, it's embarrassing -- and you can ask anyone who's been here if I'm right. If you think I'm some environmentalist granola eater -- well, I happen to think granola is very tasty. Besides, it takes much less effort to take garbage to cans and recycling bins than it does to take the original items to class or to the Green; by the time it's garbage it is smaller, weighs less and can fit in your bag or backpack (or hands!) easily for the trip to the nearest receptacle. Recently I sat down in class near an empty potato chip bag. A classmate sat down next to me, in front of the bag, and pushed it over as if to say "Your garbage, your responsibility." Understanding this, I said simply, "That's not mine." "Oh," he said, and smiled. "Sorry." "No problem," I replied. It wasn't. He could have pushed it to the other side, where it probably would have stayed for the day, a distraction and an invitation for Wild Kingdom in Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. Instead, my classmate politely did the opposite. I could have been offended and made a scene, but honestly, is it hard to believe someone would push garbage over to the seat next to him or her and leave it there? No. It could have been mine, and he deserves respect because he didn't ignore it. My classmate's behavior is a start. Until students hold themselves and one another responsible for the cleanliness of our residences and our classrooms and our campus as a whole, none of us has the right to complain. And yes, administratively, more could be done. And you know what else? We could do more, too. Half of the problem is that we're not. Who is making the mess? That is the question. We have immediate control over what we do, not over what anyone else does. Our primary focus, therefore, should be on making sure we are doing something to remedy the problems about which we complain, whatever they may be. In the meantime, out of respect for all the other people who live near you, go to class near you and share a campus with you, please. Do your part to keep it clean.
(02/13/96 10:00am)
BY Exit 7A, the Rocket was still on the road, thanks to Penske's absence, although Jasper was asleep at the wheel. HERSCHEL Walker's new home passed and next up was Monopod's pad, where the Rocket was exchanged for the Autobahn. THE next stop was Bristol to visit Swami Headquarters, but Monopod forgot his equipment. ROCKET is what Monopod did on the highway, while Jasper slept and Woodstock kavetched, but didn't drool -- all the way to Hanover. With seven passes, Dirty Dancing was still short. So Andrew's Weenie and Go South joined the band, although they were shunned at the half-time shootout. ROLLED out is what the free throw did. And the heckler was proven correct. But of course, he's not a Dartmouth fan. ON top of Rock Around is where the students celebrated. Hut II was joined by Hike, but Hut I didn't show up. Pulling out of the lot, Tequila was confronted by a Green Peace fanatic, who requested the proper disposal of his bottle. Post-game plans were dashed because the Wing Ding was gone when we arrived. · FORGET the score is what the Nine Fonzies did in Room 317, while Yolanda tried to sleep next door. Rock Around wet the stairwell, while Tequila dipped on the sheets. Instead of sleeping on soap, Tequila tried to dirty Rock Around's bed. But instead, Tolerance and Rock Around tried to banishTequila to 316. THE Poultry Palace was breakfast the next day. But Woodstock forgot to fast. Monopod stole Dirty Dancing's wings to tie the rookie record. Mighty Morphin showed off his ballet and threatened His Weenie. But he was called away, and the floor show ended. GAME time arrived with special appearances by Armani, The Great Guru and Impeach, Sr. But the real balling took place at the half. HEAD for West Hartford is what the Autobahn did -- after the trade fell through. HOME is where the bread is -- at least in West Hartford. The Red Rocket was reboarded, and Gloves took the keys. Stop signs being optional, Monopod navigated the Rocket to Eddie's party. Arsenio was not to be found. And like The Streak and Mrs. Nixon, the journey was all finished.
(02/09/96 10:00am)
Bomb ThreatBomb Threat· February 7 -- A phoned-in bomb threat forced the evacuation of a building at 35th and Market streets at approximately 3:15 p.m. Theft from Auto · February 7 -- A student reported that his 1988 Volkswagon was broken into at 40th and Market streets between 11:30 p.m. last Friday and 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. The rear window was smashed in the incident, and a radar detector valued at $200 was stolen. ·February 7 -- A 1990 Nissan parked by the Class of 1923 Ice Rink at 32nd and Walnut streets had its passenger side door lock punched out. A pair of pants, a wallet containing credit cards, a driver's license and a pair of eyeglasses were reported stolen in the incident, which occurred between 4:30 and 7:15 p.m. · February 7 -- A student reported that his Jeep was broken into between February 1 and February 7. It had been parked at 41st and Chestnut streets. The car's passenger side front window was broken in the incident, and a cellular phone valued at $300, a CB radio valued at $80, three ski jackets valued at $200, 5 compact discs valued at $75 and five books valued at $300 were reported stolen in the incident. Retail Theft · February 7 -- A suspect was arrested at the CVS drugstore at 39th and Walnut streets after a security guard spotted him trying to steal eight bottles of hand cream valued at $60. The incident took place at 5:15 p.m. All information was obtained from University Police. -- Yochi Dreazen
(01/31/96 10:00am)
From J. Christopher Robbins', "Don't Tread on Me," Fall '96 From J. Christopher Robbins', "Don't Tread on Me," Fall '96Two centuries ago, Pennsylvanian took upFrom J. Christopher Robbins', "Don't Tread on Me," Fall '96Two centuries ago, Pennsylvanian took uparms to protect outrageous liquor taxes. It'sFrom J. Christopher Robbins', "Don't Tread on Me," Fall '96Two centuries ago, Pennsylvanian took uparms to protect outrageous liquor taxes. It'stime for another rebellion. From J. Christopher Robbins', "Don't Tread on Me," Fall '96Two centuries ago, Pennsylvanian took uparms to protect outrageous liquor taxes. It'stime for another rebellion.In the summer of 1794, Pennsylvanians rebelled to protect their way of life and the price of one of their favorite products: whiskey. And in this more rugged time, when "gun control" denoted a man's ability to bull's-eye a chipmunk at 30 yards, a group of our ancestors, many of them Revolutionary War veterans, took up arms to fight the six percent liquor tax. Things have changed in Pennsylvania. Today, residents of the same state live under a government-controlled liquor monopoly. They flee like cowards across the Delaware River to re-stock their bars and wine cellars. They submit to taxes four times higher than the one they once fought against. And Pennsylvanians live in perpetual fear that a quasi-military band of puritans (read: Liquor Control Enforcement agents) will break up the weekend's best party. I say it's time for another rebellion. Sixty-three years after Prohibition's repeal, Pennsylvania is one of three states that retains complete government control of liquor. The liquor monopoly is economically inefficient, nightmarish for customers and morally unjustifiable. Shopping in state stores is reminiscent of consumerism in the former Soviet Union. Pickings are often sparse. Prices can be high. Taxes are intoxicating. And customer service, when you can find it, is cold and bureaucratic. In addition, state stores themselves are sometimes hard to find. Though Pennsylvania is six times larger than New Jersey, it has only one-third as many liquor stores. And the liquor selection in these stores is embarrassing. The average location stocks 500 labels, fewer than many of its private counterparts. Maybe that's why Pennsylvanians purchase 40 percent less liquor per year than New Jersey residents, even though two million fewer people live in the Garden State. Customer service is also a joke: some of Liquor Control Board employees know less about alcohol than their customers. I met one who told me "pinot noir" was a new brand of vodka. Worse yet, when I asked another to suggest "a good red wine for a romantic dinner," the savvy salesman pointed to a bottle of Gallo and responded: "That's good shit." And why should they study to be connoisseurs? An employee's upward mobility is limited to the public sector by the government's monopoly. There's no competition. And workers who do master the trade are prohibited by law from opening their own stores. The liquor monopoly is even more noxious to restaurateurs, tavern-keepers and beer distributors. Their businesses face the dizzying regulatory monolith of the state, which is costing them big bucks. "We [bar-owners] would make more money if it the system were privatized," said Joe Murphy, owner of Murphy's Tavern at 44th and Spruce streets. Murphy, an experienced analyst of the LCB, cited administrative hypocrisies and economic injustices in the state-run system. Even though bars purchase in bulk from special distributors, they must pay retail prices. This procedure, compiled with various other rules, regulations and "administrative orders," proves tedious. Some others are just plain silly. Until November 1994, for example, beer distributors were prohibited by "administrative law" from selling paper plates and napkins with a liquor manufacturer's logo. The industry challenged the rule, only to fall victim to a more ludicrous version. There is also the state-mandated last call: no liquor may be served after 2 a.m. Recently, an unelected "administrative law judge" decreed that "all patrons must vacate licensed premises no later than one-half hour after the legal beverage serving time expires." So much for freedom of assembly. And the state government must have been drunk when it passed the liquor tax, one of the highest in the nation. In addition to the six percent sales tax, there's a standard 18 percent liquor levy. The average surcharge on a bottle of wine exceeds $3.27. Compare that with New Jersey's 70 cents per bottle. Yet supporters of the government liquor monopoly and state store system say it's good for the "safety and morals" of our society. Controlling booze, they argue, results in fewer alcohol-related crimes, less drunkenness and a decreased incidence of alcoholism. This is false. The liquor monopoly has not reduced the number of alcoholics. Pennsylvania's rate of alcoholism corresponds to the national average. Nor has controlling sales of liquor reduced crime. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania has more arrests for drunkenness and liquor law violations than any of its border states except Ohio. Drunk driving rates are no better, either. In fact, the government monopoly on liquor actually encourages honest citizens to break the law. When faced with the option of getting ripped off by a state store, or, like our courageous forefathers, crossing the Delaware, Pennsylvanians often chose the latter. In legalese, this is known as smuggling. The solution to all this nonsense is privatization. If tomorrow the state's General Assembly decided to shut down the state liquor stores, abolish the Liquor Control Board and divest it of its assets, it would fetch nearly $1 billion. Even if it garnered but a single penny, the new free, private, profit-motivated liquor market -- now enjoyed by 47 of the 50 states -- would be a welcome replacement. Defiant citizens who "smuggle" beer, wine, and whiskey across the Benjamin Franklin Bridge aren't criminals, they are just smart consumers. An no Pennsylvanian should be subjected to the state's passZ and puritanical orthodoxy. Our right to cheap, liberated liquor is far greater than the government's right to sell it. Consider Thomas Jefferson's words to President George Washington, on the eve of the Whiskey Rebellion: "No nation is drunken where wine is cheap."
(12/08/95 10:00am)
Wharton junior George Holt was elected the new president of the Bi-Cultural InterGreek Council last night. He will replace outgoing president Trista Bridges, a Wharton senior. Holt, a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., ran unopposed. "A lot of people want to serve on the executive board on the Big-C, but do not have the desire to hold the president position," he said. "But I felt I could handle it." The Big-C also elected College junior Nicole George its new vice president and Engineering junior Jerome Hairston its new treasurer. Wharton junior Rachel Lawson will serve as recording secretary, and Wharton junior Arthur James has been chosen to serve as parliamentarian. College junior Elizabeth Valentin will be the Big-C's corresponding secretary. Holt said he is excited about the new board. "They are all wonderful people and I look forward to working with them," he said. Bridges said she had a satisfying term as president of the Big-C, an umbrella organization that joins the black and Latino Greek groups on campus. Primarily, Bridges said that under her leadership she has seen the Big-C fulfill the goal for which it was founded: service to the greater black and Latino community. She also said the University administration has begun to give the Big-C a more important role in campus life. When gathering student input, administrators will often turn to the Big-C as a representative of both black and Latino students -- and the Penn student body in general. But while in some ways she has laid a smooth path for Holt, Bridges warned that he will still have issues to address. "There is an ignorance about our organization in general," she said, explaining that many students incorrectly assume that members of the Big-C take part in traditional Greek pledging activities. Bridges said this ignorance was especially apparent in the general student reaction to an incident earlier this fall, in which High Rise North residents allegedly hurled a glass bottle and other objects at members of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. But Holt said he is prepared for any obstacle that might come his way. "It's still a little early," he said. "I'm waiting for things to pop up."
(12/06/95 10:00am)
To the Editor: It is neither my desire nor my style to be a "distant" president. To the contrary, I yearn for more time to attend student gatherings, to stroll through our campus, to have lunch with students in our dining halls or local restaurants. I am grateful every time I have a chance to do one of these things. The unfortunate reality is that the demands on my time continually seem to grow; they rarely seem to shrink. This fall, in particular, I have had a very heavy development schedule that has required me to travel all too frequently away from Philadelphia. The results of my travel have been very positive and important for the University, but the fact remains that I have been away much more than I would like. And I have had to cram even more into the days when I have been on campus. To some degree, this is a cyclical issue. I was on campus interacting with students more last fall than this fall; conversely, I will be on campus more this spring than I was last spring. In the end, I am eager to carve out more time to be with students. You are right to make a point of my need to do this. But please don't believe I have "forgotten my constituents," to use your words. Penn's wonderful students are very much on my mind and in my heart, and I will do my best to show that clearly in the days and months ahead. Judith Rodin University President A Thanksgiving Thank You To the Editor: I wish to publicly thank the many people who were instrumental in making the Interfaith Celebration of Thanksgiving on Tuesday, November 21 such a success. The idea for this service came from Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, vice provost for university life, and I want to thank her and Assistant Vice Provost Barbara Cassel for their support. The members of the Interfaith Council who assisted in the planning were the Rev. Mark Hunt and Robert Cardie from the Newman Center; Rabbi Howard Alpert, Jeremy Brochin and Rabbi Marsha Pik-Nathan from Hillel and the Rev. Beverly Dale from the Christian Association. Thanks also to the seven members of the Penn Glee Club and their Director, Bruce Montgomery, who provided some wonderful musical selections on very short notice. The highlight of the service was the sharing by seven members of the University community of what Thanksgiving means to them in the context of their own religious and national backgrounds. We had about 45 people and it was a marvelous representations of the vitality and diversity which makes this University special. Congratulations and thanks to all those who planned, supported, participated in, and attended this event. Fred Guyott Interim Chaplain A New Fan of 'Locust Walk' To the Editor: I just wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate all the students involved with UTV13's Locust Walk. I had never had the pleasure of watching the show before, but Tuesday night's episode was the funniest TV show I have seen in a long time. In particular, the savage beating of a character with an Everclear bottle had me rolling. Especially funny was when the assailant lit the victim on fire and threw her over the bridge into the river. UTV13 and the Locust Walk cast have made a fan out of me. To them, keep up the good work! Grant Bronk College '98 Workers 'Laid-off' Not 'Fired' To the Editor: Last Tuesday's Daily Pennsylvanian, for the second time in a few weeks, refers to laid-off University employees as "fired." ("U. to find new jobs for fired employees," DP 11/28/95) This is inaccurate, as the words "fired" and "laid-off" have entirely different implications. While the end result is the same, "fired" implies some level of incompetence. The employees mentioned were laid-off, not due to incompetence, but instead as a result of the University's cost-saving initiative we know as "restructuring." It's difficult enough for Penn employees to face the worries involved in potentially being laid-off; it is adding insult to injury to imply that they were "fired." Gene Haldeman Undergraduate Admissions data control technician More Response From the IAA To the Editor: As a freshman, I watched with bemusement as some of the student powers-that-be embarrassed themselves through the initial auditing process of the IAA. The UA, obviously seeking to increase its sphere of influence in student government, was eventually proven by the SAC to be in the wrong. In the wake of these events, I joined the IAA, and in my time in the club I have found that the SAC's judgement was indeed correct. The dedicated people on the executive board of the IAA have shown themselves to be honest and hard-working. With that in mind, I found the article in Wednesday's DP ("IAA may have misused $3,492 in funds," DP 11/29/95) very disconcerting. The writers, without giving any credentials as to why they would be a better authority than the SAC, discount that body's findings and pass judgement on a number of individuals within the club. I would like to say that I observed all of these individuals at the recently completed University of Pennsylvania Model U.N. Conference. They proved to be an incredibly dedicated and well-prepared group, as the conference ran perfectly, right down to the level of the name tags and placards given to the delegates. These items were prepared over many hours this past summer by Secretary-General Tony Huang and his family. This is a fact overlooked by the DP in its criticism of Tony for calling home. The Huang family volunteered much of its time to the IAA and the University of Pennsylvania. For them to be rewarded with slander of their son is unacceptable. The IAA board members have done more to promote the image of Penn as a strong academic institution than the vast majority of the student body, including the UA and DP. To ignore the ruling of the expert SAC body and again drag the club through the mud without finding out the whole story is, to me, the worst kind of ignorance. Chad Pimentel College '99
(11/30/95 10:00am)
and Paula Odysseos Even during a 10-second pause for a sip of water, Henry Louis Gates Jr. commanded the complete attention of the of the crowd of approximately 250 people in the Annenberg Center's Zellerbach Theatre last night. Gates, who is the chairman of the Afro-American Studies Department at Harvard University as well as a renowned author and editor, illustrated issues of multiculturalism and ethnicity within education with tales of his personal life. As a child growing up in segregated Piedmont, W.Va., Gates sold bottles for money to buy books written by black authors, supplementing the limited selection offered by his school library. And Gates said children today deserve better opportunities for a more complete education. He said that by teaching multiculturalism in schools, morality and tolerance can be instilled in future generations. "If we tell a multicolored strand of the history of America, it would make for a better society than the one I grew up in in the 1950s," Gates said. "You here [at Penn] are the future leaders of America. It is up to you to decide what kind of society you want to live in and your kids to grow up in. "Do you want your society to [consist of] a few haves and a lot of have have-nots?" he asked. "Most Americans have written off poor people and that is morally wrong." The reactions of those present for Gates' speech were varied. College and Wharton junior Michael Leeyow said he was disappointed because he felt that Gates did not offer solutions to the problems he discussed. "I thought he could have given more solutions to the problems that the lack of ethnic studies causes," Leeyow said. College sophomore Jim Joseph said he was impressed with the speech. "[It] was powerful and informative. Gates came out with the message that gradual change is important," Joseph said. "There will always be a large percentage of the population that will not change, but it only takes a handful to make a difference." The speech, which marked the third day in Unity Week, was sponsored by the United Minorities Council in conjunction with Connaissance and the University's Afro-American Studies Department. UMC chair Onyx Finney, a College senior, said the Gates speech was extremely relevant to the theme of Unity Week -- addressing and exploring political and social issues that affect students of color. "The UMC is fully supporting ethnic studies," Finney said. "Gates touched on the [principles] of what the UMC is founded on and gave a new perspective on ethnic issues." Gates said he was honored to be invited to participate in the UMC's Unity Week. "The idea of inter-ethnic understanding is a noble idea and any part I could play in that is great," Gates said.
(11/17/95 10:00am)
Spectators will be reminded with public address announcements to "enjoy the game and act responsibly at its conclusion." They will also be asked to refrain from running onto the field in the event of a four-way tie for the Ivy title. Rush said anyone attempting to to take down the goalposts will be subject to University sanctions and/or arrest. Violators will be identified through various means, including videotape. In addition, Rush said, University Police will be stationed at the entrances to Franklin Field along with Spectaguards in order to stop individuals from bringing in bottles and cans. -- Josh Fineman South Asia Society to celebrate Diwali On Saturday, the South Asia Society will be celebrating Diwali, the Indian "Festival of Lights," with Diwali '95 -- Illumination. At 5 p.m. in the Houston Hall Bowl Room there will be a pooja, which is a religious ceremony. At 5:30 p.m. in Bodek Lounge, there will be a catered Indian dinner. Following dinner, the South Asia Society will present a performance of "colorful costumes, traditional and modern dances and songs from throughout South Asia," according to College senior Anupama Shrivastava. There are several possible meanings of this primarily Hindu festival, but it is similar to New Year's Eve. Tickets are available on Locust Walk. The dinner is $11 and the show is $6. One dollar from each ticket will go to Sakhi, an organization aiming to stop violence against South Asian women living in the United States. -- Amy Lipman
