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(02/16/95 10:00am)
Students make subjects of themselves all in the name of research Experiments conducted through the Psychology Department as well as through other laboratories around campus have been a popular way for students to improve their grades -- or to just pocket a few extra dollars. Many students who have taken or are currently enrolled in Introduction to Psychology have been asked to fill out questionnaires or surveys, some even for extra credit. Engineering freshman Alex Malek said he filled out several psychology surveys and received money for his time and efforts. "They mainly asked for my opinions on various topics such as depression," he said. "In fact, some of them you couldn't tell what they were testing. "I wasn't as candid as I would have been for some of the surveys," he said. "I felt like [the experimenter] was watching over me. "I'm doing another experiment soon for extra credit in my Psych 1 class," he added. "I don't know what it is going to be about yet, but if they decided to connect wires to my testicles, they would have to both pay me and give me extra credit." Monetary rewards have been the primary motivation for many students who have participated in different experiments. College sophomore Jared Miller was the subject in an experiment that utilized a form of monetary commission as a bonus for subjects to perform better. The experiment appeared to be testing a new children's computer program that was designed to improve memory. Miller sat in front of a computer and as various countries appeared on the screen, he had to enter their capitals into the computer. This process occurred twice, with a break in between. "In the middle of the trials, I had to fill out a psychology survey to 'clear my mind.' It was making judgement calls on various touchy moral issues," Miller said. "The survey really bothered me. They could have cleared my mind another way." On a third trial, Miller was offered an increase in the $5 pay he was to receive, based on his performance as well as his speed. Miller said he still questions the object of the experiment. "The experimenters claimed to have shown me what they were trying to accomplish -- helping to bring American students up to par with the intellectual levels of students of other countries," Miller said. "I still wonder if somehow I was being tested on the interim survey. "I think everyone should participate in at least one experiment in their lifetime. It shows how you can screw around with data if you really wanted to, but I did what was asked of me," he added. "Besides, it's an easy way of making money if you have the time." Recruitment flyers in the Psychology Laboratory Building have assisted some researchers in finding students to participate as subjects in these experiments. Research Assistant Matt Stallcup is helping to conduct an experiment to test mental imagery. Stallcup is using a Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine located at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania to generate the data. While Stallcup is offering pay for the hour spent in the MRI chamber, many of his subjects have have been more interested in receiving a color printout of their brain and a print-up of the data collected. Some students have also done studies for the Monnell Chemical Senses Center. Monnell performs tests on smell, taste, and sensory irritation, according to experimenter Pam Dalton, who performs research dealing with olfaction, or the sense of smell. She said many students enjoy participating in her experiments -- which Dalton partly attributes to the fact that on average, they are paid $8 an hour. "I performed one experiment dealing with air freshener and sensitivity to odors present in air freshener over time," Dalton said. For this experiment, subjects were asked to use an air freshener in their dormitory room or bedroom where they would be exposed to the smell for at least six hours a day. After several weeks of living with an odor, subjects lose the ability to smell it, according to Dalton. "Changes are occurring inside the nose or the brain," Dalton said. "But most of the discoveries have merely been anecdotal, which is why I wanted to study it. "We can also tell you who is more sensitive or not sensitive at all to different smells," she added. "It's important for people to know if they can't smell something that they are at risk of being exposed to in day-to-day life." Nursing graduate student Kathy Jordan has participated in several of Dalton's studies at Monnell. "I have participated in the experiment for the money, because I haven't been able to find a part-time job," Jordan said. One experiment in which she was a subject dealt with the perception of slides based on odors present in a room while viewing the slides. The slides included "pleasing" and "not-so-pleasing" pictures, ranging from babies and fields to death and fires. "I don't mind participating in the experiments," she said. "Besides, it's a simple way to make money -- sometimes it seems too simple." Nursing junior Sally Fried also participated in various experiments performed by Dalton. "Some of the experiments are a little strange. I had to stick bottles up my nose a bit for one of them," Fried said. "In fact, some of the odors stung my nose a bit." Fried also participated in another experiment -- of which she has no fond memories. For this test, doctors at Thomas Jefferson Medical Center anesthetized part of her nose and removed some cells with tweezers, Fried recalled, somewhat unhappily. "Even though I was paid for it, I would never do that one or one like it again," she added. Some students turn themselves into proverbial guinea pigs for pocket money or for extra-credit points. But others have filled out surveys with the sole aim of assisting the field of psychology. "They only take a few minutes, and they don't really require much thought," College sophomore Sabrina Flaum said. "I did it because I'm a psychology major, and some day I'll probably be in their shoes, needing people to participate in my experiments." While most students are trying to reap some form of benefits from participating in these studies, others are attempting to actually conduct experiments of their own. Anjani Ragade, a College and Wharton senior, is currently researching how people respond to various stimuli that deal primarily with homophones -- words that sound alike but have different meanings. "It's great to be able to get this kind of experience," said the psychology major. "I'm basically conducting it for my own intellectual curiosity. "I hit on homophones as something I was interested in, and I wanted to conduct my own study," she added. Ragade performed the experiment under the direction of Psychology Professor Michael Kelly, who said he found the subject of Ragade's research interesting and relevant. "English has many homophones which pose difficulties for language processing," Kelly said. "Subjects have been more likely to catch the mistakes when the substituted word was of a different grammatical class." But Ragade said she found it difficult to entice people to participate in the experiment. She paid subjects with money which came from a research fund of Kelly's and also convinced some of her friends to help her out. "I participated in the experiment because I'm friends with Anjani and she asked me to do it," College sophomore Jessica Grisham said. "I thought it was interesting, and it didn't take up too much time. "I'm also a psychology major and eventually I'd like to do [an experiment] of my own," Grisham added.
(02/10/95 10:00am)
For starters, the title is deceptive. Although College sophomore Daniel Kay provides the production with some much-needed comic relief as the wide-eyed, naive Martin, most of this piece is deadly serious. Fool for Love offers the audience the polar opposite of foolery. Incest, adultery and abandonment are the trinity of evils which define the onstage relationships. However, despite the characters' significant anger and frustration with one another, these people care about each other passionately. Although the piece is based more on character study than on plot, the potent conflict of emotions allows the 75-minute performance to flow at a reasonably rapid pace. The fast tempo requires a seemingly infinite number of mood swings from the two leads, and here the relative youth of the actors shows. College freshman Joanna Massee has trouble keeping up with her character May's volatile temperament. May should be a complex and tormented woman, but Massee seems so uncertain of her motivation that the character often comes across as a schizophrenic rather than a legitimately ambivalent lover. While College sophomore Jared Miller handles Eddie's internal strife with grace and fluidity, he seems uncomfortable with his overly-macho role. Miller never quite convinces the audience that he is, in fact, the rough-riding rodeo cowboy he plays. These anomalies, along with Director and College junior Eric Conner's unfortunate decision to include so much door-slamming and yelling that both devices eventually lose their potency, make it difficult for viewers to entirely suspend reality. Nonetheless, these flaws are far from fatal. The grittiest, most powerful performance comes from Wharton freshman Alexander Evis as The Old Man, a mysterious, ever-present figure. Evis haunts the stage, gripping a bottle of Jack Daniels and rarely speaking. However, the true strength of Fool for Love lies not in any one performance, but in the ensemble's cohesion. Even when Massee and Miller violate the integrity of their own characters, their obvious chemistry still comes through. Similarly, Kay and Evis play off their fellow actors with ease and flair. The sets, lighting, costumes, sound and props all provide a sense of earthy realism. As the play unfolds in a crescendo of eccentric and ethereal revelations, this solid foundation helps keep the production grounded. After less than an hour and a half, the audience is left emotionally drained --Equite an accomplishment for any ensemble. Sadly, the viewers also come out more than a little bit confused, about both the facts of the plot and the character's true motivations and feelings. The audience's mixed emotions ultimately mirror those of the characters, but at least everybody feels something for the people on stage. -- Melissa Geschwind
(02/02/95 10:00am)
When performing arts groups travel, no amount of rehearsing can prepare them for what awaits Cloaked in the guise of weekend drives down the coast, many performing arts groups take their shows off home-base and spread a taste of University spirit to other locations. While these mini-tours provide for, above all else, a showcasing of musical talent, they often offer such added incentives as group unity and events that are anything but the same old song and dance. For the a cappella group The Inspiration, "taking the show on the road" came to acquire a whole new meaning after a trip to Duke University two years ago. On the last leg of their return drive from North Carolina to Philadelphia, the group's minivan got into a three-vehicle accident. The performers were found to be at fault and, while they sustained only minor injuries, the van suffered a different fate, according to Inspiration member Nayre Greene. "It was a rent-a-van, so we got in big trouble," the Nursing junior said. "We totalled it." Despite the legend-like quality that the story has achieved, members recount that, at the time, the incident was anything but humorous. However, they maintain a "something good from everything bad" philosophy, and said the accident helped to foster a kind of closeness that recast their sprains and bruises in a relatively insignificant light. "It got us all closer together because we were all worried about each other," College senior Jeanette Melendez said. Greene agreed, saying "the bonds that resulted from that trip have never been broken." She went on to point out that a road-trip itself is usually enough to cultivate group cohesiveness, with or without traffic violations. "It's definitely the best bonding one can ever imagine," she said. "You really get to know how people are when they're away from their environment." This absence of a familiar environment also means the loss of friends, relatives, and other loyal audience members whose diehard cheers can be counted on to deliver a hearty boost to group morale. Melendez said fresh audiences provide the performers with honest assessments of their work, and that, because strangers may be more difficult to impress, their accolades are taken as signs of certain achievement. "At Penn, we're used to people saying 'Oh, you're so good,'" Melendez said. "When we go to other campuses, we wonder if they're going to think we're just the norm. But so far, we've gotten a really good response. "When you get there and get all that applause and appreciation, you feel like we're not just a group that's successful at Penn," she added. The world truly is a stage for the all-male a cappella group Chord on Blues, which has sung impromptu gigs at such locales as Disney World and their group president's backyard. Although their longest trip together -- to Florida -- was intended only for pleasure, the group couldn't help but let a little business slip into their routine. Chord on Blues President Derek Robinson, a Wharton senior, described a vacation that had the group giving instant shows wherever space and one or more spectators were available. "We sang on the beach," he said. "We sang for my mom, out on [my] deck. "We sang at Disney World, on this patch of beach there," Robinson added. "It [was] nighttime, and people [were] sitting out by campfires, and we'd just start singing." Like The Inspiration, members of Chord on Blues also tell a legendary tour-related tale. Theirs too includes an encounter with law enforcement officials, although fraught with slightly more criminal implications. Their account dates from a trip to Italy during spring break in 1992. "After a night of drinking, two of the guys [in the group] were in one of the plazas, and they were relieving themselves on one of the statues," Robinson said. Sensing a presence behind them, the two men did an about-face, expecting to see a fellow group member. To their surprise, however, they found themselves face to face with an Italian police officer. Both perpetrators were, in the end, let go with only a warning. Robinson said such overseas travels are the exception rather than the rule. Usually, touring means weekend getaways to other colleges and universities, which make contact based on either word-of-mouth or prior joint performances. "We travel a few times a semester to different schools," he said. "It's usually over a weekend, and we'll come home the next morning [after we perform]." Chord on Blues Music Director Alan Modlinger said that while these trips can take their toll on academic work habits, the group tries to avoid this predicament through long-term planning. "We only choose those weekends when we're [all] free," the College junior said. "It can be problematic, but usually we know far enough in advance [so] that it's not a problem." Modlinger said that under extreme circumstances -- such as multiple finals -- a group member will be excused from a particular road-trip. In general, though, everyone is expected to attend. "We like 100 percent attendance, if we can get it," he said. "That's part of being in a group. But we have a good time, so it's worthwhile." While spreading their sound around the globe may be viewed as an effort towards cultural exchange, Counterparts President Graham Robinson said language barriers can be particularly troublesome during numbers where the words are essential to maximum enjoyment. This became an issue last March, when the group flew to Club Med in Nassau. Although the week-long holiday included few singing engagements, the humor in some of the songs the group performed was lost on an almost completely non-English speaking audience. "The entire clientele was almost entirely French, and so they continued to introduce us incorrectly, as 'Counterpoints,'" Robinson said. "We made the mistake of singing 'Spiderman,' where the words are fairly important to understanding the song. "We had very stony faces after that," he added. The group is presently readying itself for this year's trip to Hawaii, where they will be singing in Honolulu and Waikiki. In contrast to Nassau, Hawaii will include nightly engagements, in addition to daily daytime performances at area schools. "Everyday we have a show at one school or another, which hopefully will allow us to help out the Penn admissions committee in some way," Robinson said. Not all accommodations are as cushy as those found in luxury, beachfront hotels, however. During an engagement at Georgetown University, Robinson said the group was given a less-than-welcoming dinner, a firsthand look at hazing, and nonexistent sleeping arrangements. "The dinner end of what we got was two pieces of cold pizza," he said. At the post-performance party, Robinson said their hosts "sat around and hazed their members and broke glass bottles all over the floor." Later, the group was told to "get the hell out of my room," as they were looking for a place to spend the night. That was followed by an offer of floor space covered with the broken glass from earlier in the evening. "We ended up finding a freshman who set us up with some futons in a study lounge," Robinson said. As revenge, the group made long distance phone calls from the home, at the expense of their 'hosts.' "They were completely screwing us over," he said. Under normal circumstances, the group is met with a more cordial response -- which typically comes in the form of dinner, a place to stay, and a party, Robinson said. For Counterparts, road-trips vary from two to four per semester. Past destinations have included Johns Hopkins, Tufts, Georgetown, and Princeton Universities.
(02/02/95 10:00am)
Graduate students at the University's School of Dental Medicine had an unexpected visit yesterday when about 25 children of migrant workers arrived for the first dental screening of their lives. Although the free visit was scheduled as part of the Dental School's ongoing community service program, the students were kept in the dark so that the children's arrival would be a pleasant surprise. Once in the building, the children squirmed playfully in the big blue dental chairs as dental students examined their small teeth. The real problem the students dealt with was not the children's teeth, according to Associate Dean of the Dental School Herman Segal, but the language barrier they faced. The parents of the children spoke only Spanish. There was an interpreter from Headstart Rural Opportunities Inc., however, to bridge the communication gap. After examining the children, the students realized that many needed dental work. Segal said some of the children were suffering from baby bottle syndrome, a condition which is caused by babies going to bed with bottles and which causes decay. "It's marvelous, it's incredible," Segal said. "Many of them are in dire need of care. We'll do anything within our power to help. "Kids are a lot of fun to work with and it's so much fun to see the children," he added. "The reaction from the parents is great, too." But Segal stressed that the free dental care was just one of many community service programs the Dental School sponsors. Clinical Director of Pediatric Dentistry Howard Rosenberg said some of the children will need special care after their first visit. He added that the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia could be a possible sight for further care. And Rosenberg said the free dental care was great not only for the children and their parents, but for the University as well. "It's a win-win situation," Rosenberg said. "Our students win through exposure, through experience in the dental realm and it's a win situation for the children and their families and the University." Clinical Associate of Pediatric Dentistry Stan Brown -- called an "unheralded" champion of community service by Segal -- said it is a travesty that government does not provide dental care to migrant workers. "This is ridiculous that we have to do this," Brown said. "These poor kids have to fight to get dentistry." Andrew Rudnicki, a dental student, said that free screening was a good idea. "I guess this will continue and it should," Rudnicki said. "They [the children] need the work." But after three hours, the migrant workers and their children were brought back by the University to Coatesville, Pa. The workers make their living picking mushrooms.
(11/09/94 10:00am)
and Tammy Polonsky In a Daily Pennsylvanian/Vision race relations poll conducted last year, 58 percent of the nearly 400 students surveyed said they did not think the Greek system had a positive effect on race relations. A lot has changed in a year. Last year, the University was still feeling the aftershocks of several racially-oriented events, including the now-infamous "water buffalo" case, the confiscation of more than 14,000 copies of the DP and several bomb threats received at the W.E.B. Dubois College House. Today, the three Greek umbrella organizations -- the BiCultural Inter-Greek Council, the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Council -- are working together to improve race relations within the system. And Greek leaders say there has been a lot of progress. "With Panhel and IFC the communication has definitely improved over the last semester," said BIG-C Vice President and Sigma Lambda Upsilon sister Christina Cordero. New projects such as an upcoming Greek Roundtable are allowing representatives from all three groups to "sit down together and confront issues that are relevant to the Greek system as a whole," according to Panhel President and Alpha Phi sister Suzanne Rosenberg. From the beginning of this semester with the first co-sponsored Greek Orientation to a newly-created task force to examine the future of the Greek system, the three umbrella organizations have established that they can indeed work together. Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Tricia Phaup said recently that OFSA groups, such as the Greek Peer Judicial Board and the Greek Social Action Committee, have equal representation from all three organizations. These projects and groups help to "foster communication between all three organizations," said Rosenberg, a College senior. · But while representatives from each group say they hope that their efforts will eventually help unify the Greek system, they also value their own individuality. "The reason why there are three separate entities is because each of the three organizations has different goals," Rosenberg said. "By having different organizations we are able to concentrate more exclusively on those issues that are pertinent to our respective organizations." And each organization seems to have its own pertinent issues. Big-C President and Alpha Phi Alpha brother Wayne Wilson said recently that his organization's primary purpose, contrary to campus perception, is not social. "We address the specific issues that Latino and African American students face," the Wharton senior said. "We focus on community service, cultural awareness and education. Social [activities] come in as an extra." Rosenberg said that Panhel does not really focus directly on cultural issues like the Big-C, but also concentrates on community service and academics. IFC President Hayden Horowitz, a Phi Sigma Kappa brother, similarly described his organizations emphasis as community service, social interaction between brothers and academic support. Because the Big-C has such a different agenda than Panhel and the IFC, Wilson says his group is often misunderstood. The group has been criticized in the past for being separatist and at times disruptive. But Cordero said the Big-C does not intentionally isolate itself from the rest of campus. "There are so few of us that it requires us to come together and have a strong voice and be visible on campus," she said. She added that the Big-C publicizes its events to the entire campus and cannot be held responsible if only African American and Latino students attend. But Sigma Delta Tau President and College senior Sondra Goldschein said many members of her sorority have been attending some Big-C events, including the freshman step show held last month. "I make a point of publicizing things from the Big-C at our meetings," Goldschein said. "If I see a poster then I pass it out and put one up on our bulletin board?I always keep my eyes and ears open." In mid-September, Superblock residents complained that a Zeta Phi Beta sorority event was too loud. Last year's Penn Relays Block Party evoked similar complaints. According to Wilson, many small fraternity and sorority rituals which take place in Superblock are often met with racial obscenities, spitting and the throwing of glass bottles. Wilson and Cordero insist that students react this way because they do not realize what the events mean. They added that the small Superblock rituals -- which include marching, chanting and singing -- are usually only about 15 minutes in length. "We're not out there to disturb people," Cordero said. "We are celebrating the founding of a chapter, national organization, or the admission of a member. It's an expression of pride -- we don't have a house or visibility on campus so this gives us a chance to make a presence." · The Greek system has initiated several new projects this year, aimed at increasing communication and awareness between the Big-C, IFC and Panhel. Wilson said since the Greek system as a whole has so many members, it is an ideal forum for discussing issues of diversity. "The Greek system can serve as a tool for diversity," he said. "We're using the Greek system as an opportunity to bridge the gaps." When members of all three umbrella organizations met during the President's Retreat at the beginning of the year, Horowitz says, they put the Greek system's potential as an avenue for improving race relations to use. "We had a discussion about the differences between each organization and each individual constituency," the College senior said. "We worked to break down the stereotypes. That opportunity puts us in a better place that a lot of other members of campus." The Greek Roundtable, which is scheduled to begin next week, will bring together Wilson, Horowitz, Rosenberg, and the presidents of all Greek chapters at the University. According to Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Tricia Phaup, the Roundtable discussions will "look at global issues that affect the Greek system overall." Rosenberg said she expects the Roundtable will also provide an opportunity to discuss common philanthropy and social event ideas. "This [aspect] needs to be improved and worked upon," she said. "Through the Roundtable we'll be able to know what events each organization is planning and be able to hopefully sponsor more common projects." In addition to the Roundtable, OFSA is coordinating a task force to examine the current state of the Greek system. The task force, which involves more than 30 students from the Big-C, IFC and Panhel, will have three committees: Membership Development, Academic Support and Community Development. Phaup said she hopes to receive the final reports from each committee by mid-February. An oversight committee, which will include members of the Greek Alumni Council, will then evaluate the reports and help to institute suggested changes. · While the umbrella organizations have helped to improve relations in the Greek system during the past few semesters, many feel that it is up to the individual chapters to continue this progress. "Minority and Caucasian students don't get to interact with each other as much as they should," Alpha Kappa Alpha President Brynee Gandy said. "As members of sororities and fraternities?it is our responsibility to encourage that interaction." Most importantly, Greek leaders remain optimistic about furthering relations in the future. "Much progress has been made but much more can be achieved," Rosenberg said.
(11/03/94 10:00am)
Last night's Graduate and Professional Student Assembly meeting began with students' singing happy birthday to Chairperson David Mestre, and then moved onto the issues. Approximately 15 students attended the meeting, held in Houston Hall, and discussed such issues as the establishment of a graduate student listserv and a GAPSA semiformal. Mestre, a fifth-year Astronomy graduate student, said acting Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum is committed to paying for an equipment closet in the east wing of Houston Hall that would allow for the establishment of an Ethernet connection for the group. Once the closet is installed, Mestre said GAPSA will be able to create a graduate student listserv. He noted that the listserv will facilitate communication with graduate students and allow announcements to reach more students. "It's a marketing thing," Mestre said. "We'll push hard to get them all subscribed to the system." Mestre also gauged graduate student interest in a Dec. 9 holiday semi-formal at the Institute of Contemporary Art. He said students might want to consider changing the location of the event because Andres Serrano's "Piss Christ" will be on display at that time. The work is a photograph of a crucifix submerged in a bottle of Serrano's urine, and has been the subject of national controversy. No objections were raised, however, and Mestre said he would look into holding the event at the Institute. Safety issues were also discussed at the meeting. Mestre said a graduate student had proposed organizing a graduate student Town Watch, but added that there could be problems with purchasing radios, which cost $600 each. Students expressed concern that, in the event the program lasted only a short time, the money spent on radios would go to waste. Sixth-year Medical student Erick Santos said the problem could be avoided by giving someone final jurisdiction over the radios. Mestre said a faculty member could coordinate the program and have control over the radios. No final agreement was reached on the matter. Mestre said University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich supports the idea of the graduate student Town Watch, and the VPUL seems to be in favor of it as well. Students also discussed other safety issues, including the recent trend of students' moving from West Philadelphia to Center City. They talked about making graduate students part of the Penn Faculty and Staff for Neighborhood Issues as one means of dealing with safety issues. Mestre also said six of the 15 graduate student seats on the University Council are still open. He encouraged students to attend next Wednesday's Council meeting, which will be an open forum. During the meeting, Koli Banik, a first-year Social Work student, was also elected vice chairperson for student affairs.
(10/25/94 9:00am)
The "Snapple Lady" may be paying a visit to Hill House, according to several residents with a passion for the beverage. For the past month, students living in a fourth-floor suite of the dorm have been holding a contest that they think will interest Wendy Kaufman, the heavy-set woman with a Brooklyn accent featured in Snapple television commercials. After learning that Engineering sophomore Amy Singh "guzzles Snapple down like there's no tomorrow," the residents decided to see who drinks more -- Singh, or the 34 other students on the floor, Engineering Graduate Fellow Sanjay Udani said. Everyday, Singh and the her suitemates tape a label from each bottle of Snapple they drink on separate walls. Whoever has the most labels at the end of a yet to be determined time wins a free Snapple drink, he said. So far, Singh is winning 84-73, according to Engineering sophomore Mike LaMonaca, who has coordinated the contest. "It started as a joke to see how much she really drinks," he said. "I did not think she would be ahead -- I'm surprised." Some students said they think LaMonaca's contest would be perfect for a Snapple commercial. "We have to write a letter to the Snapple lady," College freshman Tammy Roy said. "I think it's hysterical." Snapple spokesperson Cyndi Ware, a University alumna, said she thinks the contest is "definitely worth a letter," although she could not say for sure whether the company would make a commercial out of it. Ware said, though, that Kaufman would write the students back even if they are not featured in a commercial. Traumatized as a child because Barry Williams -- who played Greg Brady on "The Brady Bunch" -- did not answer her love letter, Kaufman now said she answers all her fan mail. But Singh said, however, that she does not want to be in a commercial. "I would be really embarrassed to be on television," she said. "It's an ongoing joke, and nothing more than that. I don't have any special feelings towards Snapple." Singh's suitemates, however, said they think she is unusually attached to the drink. "I think she's obsessed with one beverage," said College freshman George Mystakas. "Every time you see her, she has a Snapple bottle in her hand. It's just Snapple, Snapple, Snapple." "If you cut her, she would bleed Snapple," added College freshman Brian Erny. "She just relishes each bottle." Singh said she drinks Snapple because she likes it. "I'm pretty limited on what I can drink ," she said. "I don't drink soda because I get really sick from it, I don't drink alcohol [and] I'm allergic to orange juice." And while she said she does not have one favorite, her suitemates have most often spotted her with peach or mint ice tea. Singh said she only participated in the contest as a way to "bond" with her suitemates. College freshman Ferdad Roidad said he wishes Singh would consent to being in the commercial because he is intrigued by Kaufman. "I think the Snapple woman is really an alien," he joked. "But I think she's always very sexy."
(10/20/94 9:00am)
She may not be Howard Stern, but College senior Debra Pickett is definitely a natural on the air waves, according to several of her friends. Pickett, who guest-hosted the WMMR morning program last Friday after winning a contest, gave a live tour of the University campus, accompanied by WMMR radio personalities Pierre Robert and Buzz Barkley. "She's just flowing," said College senior Dan Hurwitz, who also participated in the tour. "I knew she'd do a better job than she thought she would." Traveling with Pickett were Lays Potato Chip spokesperson Chris Calhoun, who handed out free bags of Lays to pedestrians, and Elizabeth Edsen, a spokesperson for Sunbolt, who had a six-foot float of the beverage tied around her waist. "We're standing right across the street from the Quadrangle, the very spot where Candice Bergen lost her virginity," said Pickett, who received $120 in cash, a T-shirt and a key chain for hosting the show. She also received as many bags of Lays chips and bottles of Sunbolt as she could consume. When Pickett led the tour to Houston Hall, she was able to make a pitch for the Women's Center, where she works as a member of the Penn Women's Alliance Leadership Team. "Since we are standing here, can I mention that we are in front of Houston Hall, where we have the Women's Center, which is understaffed, underfunded and underspaced?" Pickett said. Many passersby became excited when they saw Robert and Barkley. "Hello, Pierre!" cried out a group of construction workers at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. "Hello, citizens!" Robert called back. Robert interrupted the tour when he came across College senior Michael Ray, who was sitting in a car decorated with "Re-Elect Bush/Quayle" and "Grateful Dead" bumper stickers. "A Republican Dead-head," said Robert. "A young Republican -- nothing makes me sadder." The tour was the last in a series of features on Philadelphia college campuses. When Pickett concluded the tour, she and her friends were asked to sing "The Red and the Blue." Under Robert's direction, though, the students instead sung "Ed Can't Eat Eggs or He'll Die," a song written by Drexel University sophomore Steve Cherubin for WMMR's tour of that campus earlier this month. "On his birthdays, just one wish he would make -- he wished that he could eat his cake. But Ed can't eat eggs or he'll die," the students crooned in unison. The song is about Cherubin's friend, Drexel sophomore Ed Woolford, who is allergic to eggs. Pickett said she enjoyed hosting the tour -- although she said she was surprised to learn how live radio broadcasting is done. "I'm a little surprised at how completely spontaneous it is," she said.
(10/05/94 9:00am)
Students left high and dry by Budweiser can now take beer production into their own hands. The Penn Enterprising Zymurologists Club (PEZ), a new group aimed at students interested in home-brewing, held its introductory meeting last night in Houston Hall. According to PEZ President Steve Kronenberg, a College senior, the club is aimed not at the party animal or fraternity party keg-tipper, but at the true connoisseur. "People who home-brew drink beer for its inherent taste, not as a cheap way to get drunk," he said. "Budweiser is the shame of the beer world." Munching on barley and malt grains -- key ingredients to beer -- Kronenberg and PEZ Vice President Alexander Evans, also a College senior, led an open discussion about everything from the joys of bottling to the beverage's historical significance. "There a lot of links between beer and history," Kronenberg told the all-male group of about 25 prospective members. "Why did agriculture start? Because of beer." Evans, who has been brewing with Kronenberg for about one year, said one advantage of home-brewing is that it has made him more knowledgeable about natural sciences. "PEZ is dedicated to the practical applications of fermentation science," Evans said. "Much of the chemistry I've learned [was] through brewing." But most PEZ members said the scientific and historical aspects of brewing were not what brought them to the meeting. "I'm tired of being passive and drinking other people's beer," said College senior Eric Dubinsky. "I want to make my own." Wharton senior Matt Goodman said he came to the meeting because he is considering making beer a more important part of his life. "Brewing beer is a serious career opportunity for me," he said. "I've been more of a taster until this point." Kronenberg, who is also thinking of applying to beer-brewing school when he graduates, said brewing professionally can be very lucrative. "You can make 60 grand working for Anheuser-Busch," he said. "Of course, that means swallowing some pride." Kronenberg added that although PEZ has not yet been recognized by the Student Activities Council, the group plans to petition for SAC funding in order to bring guest speakers from the brewery business to PEZ. He also said PEZ plans to take excursions to area beer distributors. Several PEZ members became loud and rowdy when Evans discussed plans for a field trip to the Home Sweet Home Brewery at 20th and Sansom streets to obtain free beer samples. But according to Kronenberg, not all PEZ members are allowed to taste the samples. "We request that you be of 21 years of age to taste the beer," he said. "But of course, that's your responsibility -- not ours."
(10/04/94 9:00am)
ITHACA, N.Y., The DP, Nov. 24, 1986 -- Ten. That's what the scoreboard clock read. The scoreboard also showed a score that was all too familiar to the Quakers and their fans. The one that had the Quakers ahead of the other team. It read simply "Cornell 21, Visitors 31." Nine. On the Crescent Side of Schoellkopf Field, all you could see from the end zone of the 35-yard line were students. Penn students. Jubilant Penn Penn students, who have tasted nothing in recent years but the thrill of victory, were ready to claim their fifth straight Ivy League championship by performing what has become a tradition at Penn -- tearing down the goalposts. Eight. The Cornell fans sat in silence. In eight seconds, they would have to face the reality of what could have been. What should have been had it not been for the impenetrable Quaker defense and the unstoppable Penn offense. They had their dreams. They had their fantasies. But so did Penn. And what Cornell didn't realize was that once the Quakers tasted their chance at a perfect season, nobody was to deny them their just desserts. Seven. The Cornell fans were violent and frustrated. Unable to beat Penn on the field, they decided to try to regain any pride they might have left. Snowballs abounded. Tempers flared. A force of Big Red students gathered to defend their goalposts from evil Quaker fans. But it was to no avail. The game was just about over. The season was over. For Cornell, the dream was over. Six. But for the Quakers, the dream was anything but over. An old man wearing nothing but Red and Blue greeted his friend, who was dressed in Big Red garb, by pouring a bottle of champagne over his head. "Welcome to Pennsylvania," he said. Five. Penn's fans began to count down. A countdown to what they had been waiting for all season. Perfection. And then, only moments away, the Quakers and their fans could do nothing but wait. "I'm watching the clock," one fan said. "I want to make sure it doesn't stop." Four. It was time to start celebrating. All the questions had been answered. All the critics had been silenced. It was time to face the joyous reality of being 10-0. "We had no doubt of losing," Penn linebacker Brad Hippenstiel said of Saturday's game. "But even near the end, we couldn't celebrate because we knew there was the chance that we'd have to go back on the field. "I wasn't convinced and excited until there were about three or four seconds left." Three. Penn linebacker A.J. Sebastianelli had three seconds before he could officially claim the Ivy League championship. But it would be hours before he would realize it. "It's gonna take some time for all this to sink in," he said. "We've been building to 10-0 all year, but Coach Zubrow had told us to take things one day at a time." Those days were over. It had been only a matter of time until Penn claimed its fifth Ivy League championship, and time had just about run out. Sebastianelli summed it up well: "This team was destined to go 10-0." Two. Quaker running back Chris Flynn was experiencing what he calls "the best feeling he's ever had." And with good reason. Sure the Quakers had won championships before. Sure they had gone undefeated in the Ivy League before. But there they were, seconds away from the only improvement that they could have made on their past performances -- a perfect season. One. Penn quarterback Jim Crocicchia took the final snap of his collegiate career and fell on the ball. He got up, raised his arms in the air and let out a jubilant yell. Then he stopped a moment to soak in the atmosphere and to cherish what had happened. He looked around the sidelines, the scoreboard and the fans. "I'm never taking this off," he said of his No. 7 jersey. "This has been a dream season." Zero. The final gun sounded. It was over. The season of destiny was over. For Ed Zubrow --Ea man who took on the responsibility of keeping alive an incredible tradition, a man who performed the impossible task of taking a great team and making it better, a man who had taken his season day by day and never looked ahead to being undefeated --Eit was time to reflect on some achievements. "To tell you the truth," Zubrow said, "I didn't think about winning the championship until the last whistle blew. But now, the emotion is so deep it hasn't even hit me yet. It is just great to be everything we had wanted to be. "It's going to be a fun trip home." A fun trip indeed, for the Quakers have no regrets about the 1986 season. No matter how you look at it, you'll see the Quakers had a perfect season. They did just about everything possible. Except lose.
(09/23/94 9:00am)
A beer collector? "Yes, I am!" College senior Dan Balber might exclaim. Balber, who owns a collection of 258 empty beer bottles and cans, may even be considered a beer expert by some. "Nothing goes better with a cold can of Beefaroni than a bottle of Mickey's Malt Liquor," he said. Balber and his friends, Engineering senior Ken Sable, College seniors Mike Ray, Steve Goldberg and Matt Keegan and Wharton seniors Lance Teitelbaum and Scott Newcomb, joined forces to gather the bottles and cans. They began their amassing the collection when they first came to the University in 1991. As Quadrangle neighbors during their freshman year, they would share six packs and exchange anecdotes on many a late night, Balber said. The collectors began hoarding the empty beer bottles and cans by accident. When they neglected to take out the trash for quite some time, they noticed that the piles were mostly composed of empty aluminum cans. But instead of making a trek outside to the garbage can, they decided to keep the empty beer containers as mementos. "[The collection began] because we like to drink beer, not because we like to collect cans," Balber said. Each can or bottle in the collection is unique. The cans range from common brands like Budweiser and Coors to the very exotic, including Chimay Ale from Belgium, which costs $60 a case, a bottle of Mockobockoe Beer from Russia and a 12-ounce brown glass bottle of Foecking light beer. They did not gather the bottles alone, however. When friends and relatives travel, they bring back native ales as souvenirs, Balber said. But most of the work has been done by the seniors themselves, Balber added. The collectors said they are recognized regulars at the Springfield Beer Distributor across the South Street Bridge. "We've spent many a drunk hour contributing to this collection," Ray said. According to Balber and Ray the collection's monetary worth is irrelevant, and the containers hold only "nostalgic value." "We drank it all and we're proud that we spent so much time collecting this," Ray said. Ray said he is confident that no other beer bottle and can collections can compare. "We've seen a few feeble attempts, but nobody can match us," Ray said. The collection, which the friends hope to increase to 500 by the time they graduate this spring, is kept in Balber's bedroom inside the collectors' shared off-campus house. The bottles are artistically arranged on five shelves, and the cans are piled in high, leaning stacks. When Balber moves out he will store the collection in his mother's basement until he has a house where he can "line the den walls," he said. Ray said, however, that he would like to see the collection moved to a boathouse on the Schuylkill River, where the housemates might one day co-habitate.
(09/15/94 9:00am)
"Home sweet home" has taken on special meaning for the Delta Delta Delta and Sigma Delta Tau sororities, both of which kicked off the academic year in new campus residences. While both chapters are enjoying their new locations, moving does not come without complications, said members of both sororities last night. Tri-Delt President Melissa London said extensive clean-up measures were necessary to transform 3539 Locust Walk, formerly occupied by the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity, into acceptable living quarters. "I came down in June, and it looked unfit to live in," said the College senior. "A lot of window panes were broken. There was a little vandalism, and incredible amounts of dirt." House Manager and College senior Miggy Lynd said the summer hiatus witnessed an entire overhaul of the house, including new paint, new laundry facilities and kitchen restorations. "Basically, the entire house had to be renovated," Lynd said. "There were a lot of structural problems. It was in a state of really bad maintenance." London said she has no reason to believe the damage was intentionally caused by Phi Kap members, who inhibited the house until their charter was revoked by their national chapter this summer. "I heard rumors people would come in and break things down," she said. "I have no reason to believe anyone in Phi Kap intentionally damaged the house." London said the residence was the victim of another malicious act last week when bottles and paint bombs were thrown at the house. "It concerns me," London said of the incident, which has resulted in increased surveillance of the house by University Police. "I would hope that [the brothers of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity] would understand that the decision to revoke their charter had nothing to do with us, and that any damage that's caused from now on will only hurt us," London added. SDT, another sorority keeping the construction establishments in business this summer, used the vacation time to ready their new house for September. "The house was completely renovated," said College junior Hayley Rosenman of the house at 39th and Walnut streets. "It was gutted and everything was painted." Residents are still awaiting completion of outside renovations as well as the arrival of a washer and dryer and completion of the kitchenette. But, College junior Susie Korn said these ongoing improvements do not pose any major problems. "There's really nothing wrong with it," she said, referring to the house. "There are just a few minor things that are still left to be done." Rosenman agreed. "It's definitely livable," she said.
(09/02/94 9:00am)
For students living in campus residences recycling is easy. There are receptacles for paper and aluminum cans located throughout each dormitory. In addition, recycling bins can be found in buildings and on walkways all over campus. In September of 1990, the state put into effect a law requiring educational institutions to recycle high grade office paper, aluminum cans, corrugated paper and leaf waste. The law also requires apartment buildings with seven units or more to provide recycling programs for its tenants. And last year the city instituted curbside recycling programs in West Philadelphia making recycling easier for students living off campus. Residents can now recycle metal cans, aluminum cans, glass jars and bottles and newspapers outside their own homes. The city distributed blue recycling buckets to West Philadelphia residents to facilitate participation in the program. The recycling takes place on the work day before each residence's trash day, every other week. Trucks stop at each residence and empty any blue buckets sitting out front. Tom Klein, director of education and promotion for the city's recycling office, said that many, if not all, households are participating in the program. He added that the city has collected as much as 20 tons on their busiest days. And he said regardless of the tonage and how many participate, the recycling program will save the city money. "It's cost-effective," he said last December. "It costs $123 to collect a ton [of recycling] as opposed to $143 to collect and dispose of a ton of trash," he said. The program has doubled the recycling tonage in Philadelphia since the curbside pick-ups began, the Mayor's Solid Waste Advisory Committee was told at a meeting at the end of last year. But the trucks' routes and schedules were adjusted for the first few weeks causing the trucks to miss some blocks. In general, residents say they have been pleased with the curbside recycling and University students continue to be program participants.
(09/02/94 9:00am)
NEW YORK -- A royal red carpet, rather than a welcome mat, was set out for the 850 recent graduates who attended an opening of the luxurious Penn Club here in June. The $25 million club is located on Manhattan's Clubhouse Row -- alongside clubs from Harvard University, Yale University and Cornell University -- in a restored historic building on West 44th Street. Many of the alumni present -- all of whom graduated the University in the 1990's -- insisted that despite the plush entrance and opulent decor, the overall effect of the Club was downright "homey." "It's very big but it has a very intimate feel," said Brian Gordon, a 1991 College graduate. Alumni said they were overwhelmed by the almost surreal clash of fragments from the Palestra, the Palladium and Houston Hall which filled the six-story building. "It's like a time warp," 1993 Wharton graduate Oliver Boulind said. While some said they were impressed by the Philly cheesesteak and pretzel stand housed in the basement of the Club, most alumni said it was the basement itself -- a juxtaposition of Smokey Joe's and the Palladium -- which they liked best. "It's the same at Penn," 1992 College graduate Gregory David said. "Everyone's drinking too much, everyone's eating too much." Many of the intoxicated alumni-- who were stumbling about the six floors of the Club's meeting and hotel suites with martinis and cups of beer in their hands -- were lucky to find so many "Penn Club" logos covering shower curtains, shampoo and hand lotion bottles, matchboxes and "Maid Service, Please" signs to remind them where they were. Red and blue color schemes also run rampant throughout the Club, to the point at which one club member, 1993 College and Wharton graduate Karyn Yeske, became dizzy by the omnipresent hues. "Penn colors on the little lampshades, the blue and red chairs on top of the blue and red carpet -- it's overkill," she said. But Betty Marmon, Director of the Penn Club's New York Regional Office, could not get enough red and blue. Sporting red eyeglass frames, a red hair ribbon, and a blue and red dress, Marmon said, "I have an extensive red and blue wardrobe." She said the Club's colors and themes were supposed to remind students of New York, as well as the University. "We tried very hard to combine the best of Philadelphia and the best of New York in one club," Marmon said. The Club houses 39 guest suites -- all decorated with portraits of past University administrators and alumni. They are aimed at conveying "a Ritz-Carlton kind of feel," Marmon said. Other items of interest in the Club include the gothic chandeliers, persian rugs and brass candlesticks in the Club's version of the Benjamin Franklin Room. Approximately 8,200 University alumni have signed on as Charter Members, according to Membership Manager and 1989 College graduate Rachel Spasser. Each member pays from $40 to $860 in annual membership dues, depending on his or her age and hometown. The dues go back into the operating fund of the Club, since "it is its own center," said M.H. Flick of Capelin Communications, the public relations company for the Club.
(09/02/94 9:00am)
Little did you know, but the two-liter plastic soda bottle was designed by Nathaniel Wyeth, class of '63. Amazing, no? But there's so much more that you may not know about the University of Pennsylvania. Seeking more University trivia? Read on. ·College Hall is rumored to have been the inspiration for Charles Addams' Addams Family mansion. ·After being fatally wounded by assassins, Presidents Abraham Lincoln and James Garfield were both treated by doctors who graduated from the University (the fate of their patients notwithstanding). ·The University's was one of two teams to play in the first commercially televised football game. ·The Penn Relays is the world's largest track meet. ·The first black American to win an Olympic gold medal was John Taylor, a University graduate. ·The University's football team was the first to use numbers on its jerseys. ·The two most prestigious collegiate athletic awards, the Heisman and Outland trophies, are named after former University athletes John Heisman and John Outland. ·Eero Saarinen, who designed the St. Louis arch and Washington, D.C.'s Dulles Airport, designed Hill House. ·The term "WASP" was coined by Penn sociology professor E. Digby Baltzell. The University also sports many "firsts" in its past, among them: ·First university in the nation ·First U.S. medical school ·First business school ·First computer -- ENIAC ·First student union ·First teaching hospital ·First psychology clinic. And, although no one knows what will become of the Class of 1998's illustrious members, there are many famous University alums who have etched themselves into the palimpsest of history: ·Benjamin West, painter, 1755 ·William Henry Harrison, U.S. President, 1791 ·Ezra Pound, poet, 1903 ·I.F. Stone, journalist, 1927 ·William Brennan, former Supreme Court justice, 1928 ·Walter Annenberg, publishing magnate and former U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain, 1931 ·Harold Prince, Broadway producer, 1948 ·Saul Steinberg, financier, 1959 ·Donald Trump, real estate mogul, 1968 At the same time, there are many famous almost-alums (i.e., they dropped out): ·Maury Povich, talk show host ·Alan Rachins, actor from L.A. Law
(08/04/94 9:00am)
Along with the first computer and the invention of the two-liter soda bottle, the University can now claim another first -- the tetrapod. Geology graduate student Ted Daeschler announced the discovery of one of the earliest known creatures to have walked on land in last week's issue of Science magazine. While working in a mountainous region of Western Pennsylvania, 180 miles northwest of Philadelphia, he discovered the 365-million-year-old fossilized remains of an amphibian-like creature -- technically called a tetrapod -- which he named Hynerpeton bassetti. Daeschler noticed the fossil after PennDot road construction crews blasted back bedrock in the area, he said. "Finding the tetrapod was a very happy circumstance that has opened up a lot of possibilities," Daeschler said. "The discovery was fortunate, serendipitous -- but we knew that if we persisted we would uncover something." The discovery is important because it provides major clues to the origins of creatures that walk on land -- including humans -- and the particular environments in which they evolved, said Academy of Natural Sciences President Keith Thomson, an adjunct professor at the University who supervised Daeschler's research. Thompson added that he was "just a teeny little bit jealous" of Daeschler because palentologists with doctorates searched for fossils in that area for almost 100 years. Daeschler, who is still working towards his degree, found one his second weekend out. Thomson and Daeschler both said they are optimistic about the impact the discovery will have on future research endeavors. Daeschler said the discovery is important to everyone -- not just vertebrate palentologists. "This is a study of the history of life, and has quite a bit of relevance to us as a part of that life" he said. "These [tetrapods] are our ancestors." Thomson said the discovery will spur on more valuable discoveries in the fields of geology, biology and vertebrate evolution. He added that he was pleased with the discovery, and hoped it would attract other talented students to the field. "It really is very exciting," he said."To be utterly realistic, it will encourage more people to become grad students in the field at the University of Pennsylvania." Daeschler's discovery also brings prestige to the University, University spokesperson Esaul Sanchez said. "This will spread the name of Penn to various audiences," he said. "It will help make Penn a household name for breakthrough research." Sanchez added that PennDot is very eager to participate in further discoveries. "PennDot got very excited and told Daeschler, 'A bulldozer, anything you want, you name it, we're there,'" he said. Thomson also said the discovery will foster closer relations between the University and the Academy of Natural Sciences.
(07/21/94 9:00am)
It appears the University may have learned its lesson in crowd control in the three months that followed the violence which tarnished the Penn Relays this year. And the results showed in an abnormally tranquil Greek Picnic July 8 and 9. The Greek Picnic, an annual gathering of black fraternities and sororities in Philadelphia, has brought gunfire and violence to the University City area in past years. In contrast to University Police's scanty preparation for the Penn Relays, University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich spent months preparing for the Greek Picnic. This year's Picnic also posed particular challenges. In addition to the thousands of picnickers and camp followers who usually come to the University area to party after the picnic, there was a step show at the Civic Center which promised to bring a large percentage of the 200,000 partyers to campus. But Kuprevich met with Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Neal, and planned to more than double the University Police ranks until 3 a.m. on both nights of the Picnic. Philadelphia Police also made plans to close streets that became congested, to avoid the attacks against motorists that occurred during the Penn Relays, and also to protect pedestrians from the traffic, 18th District Police Lt. Mike Weaver said. In the end, there were five auto accidents, two disorderly conducts, and one weapon confiscation -- all fairly distant from campus -- during the weekend, Weaver said. This was a stark contrast to the beatings and assaults which occurred during the Penn Relays, or even what occurred on South Street during the Greek Picnic. On the second day of the Picnic, about 70,000 people crowded onto South Street, following the step show at the Civic Center, South Street Police Detail Commander Lt. Robert McCarthy said. After 11:30 p.m. some people in the crowd started yelling "gun" and there were at least seven stampedes. In the process at least 12 stores had their windows broken and bottles were thrown at police, McCarthy said. Police officials ordered South Street closed at 12:30 a.m. and brought in police in riot gear to clear the crowd. An officer, who asked that he not be identified, said that in spite of the 900 police officers assigned to control the crowd, there came a point when the law could not be enforced, and the streets could not be cleared until 5 a.m. It was the fear that something like this could occur around campus that prompted University Police to put out a security advisory on PennInfo to make everyone in the University community aware of possible hazards associated with the event. And Kuprevich said he was committed to insuring that the violence of the Penn Relays did not repeat itself. "We have worked extensively with the 18th, 16th, 19th and city-wide [police] units in addition to other city offices; security entities in the local community; and with the sponsors of the Picnic and some of our local student Greek organizations," Kuprevich said. "There [was] a command post set up for coordination of communications and for handling all incidents in our area." And the planning paid off. "There were no major or significant incidents related to the Greek Picnic participants in the West Philadelphia area," Kuprevich said. "We had crowds at 40th and Chestnut streets, but our strategies of working with the students and having sufficient officers on site beforehand worked very well. "We never lost control of the street, nor were there any major crowd issues," he added. Kuprevich said that the police operations used this year during the Greek Picnic would serve as a model for the Penn Relays next year.
(06/16/94 9:00am)
NEW YORK -- A royal red carpet, rather than a welcome mat, was set out for the 850 recent graduates who attended an opening of the luxurious Penn Club of New York Friday night. Yet many of the alumni present -- all of whom graduated the University in the 1990's -- insisted that despite the plush entrance and opulent decor, the overall effect of the Club was downright "homey." "It's very big but it has a very intimate feel," said Brian Gordon, a 1991 College graduate. The Friday night opening was one of many celebrations held for Club members over the past week. The "grand opening" bash was thrown last night. Alumni said they were overwhelmed by the almost surreal clash of fragments from the Palestra, the Palladium and Houston Hall which filled the six-story building. "It's like a time warp," 1993 Wharton graduate Oliver Boulind said. While some said they were impressed by the Philly cheesesteak and pretzel stand housed in the basement of the Club, most alumni said it was the basement itself -- a juxtaposition of Smokey Joe's and the Palladium -- which they liked best. Audrey Beber, a 1992 College graduate, said she loved the "simulated Smoke's downstairs." "It's the same at Penn," 1992 College graduate Gregory David said. "Everyone's drinking too much, everyone's eating too much." Many of the intoxicated alumni-- who were stumbling about the six floors of the Club's meeting and hotel suites with martinis and cups of beer in their hands -- were lucky to find so many "Penn Club" logos covering shower curtains, shampoo and hand lotion bottles, matchboxes and "Maid Service, Please" signs to remind them where they were. Red and blue color schemes also run rampant throughout the Club, to the point at which one club member, 1993 College and Wharton graduate Karyn Yeske, became dizzy by the omnipresent hues. "Penn colors on the little lampshades, the blue and red chairs on top of the blue and red carpet -- it's overkill," she said. But Betty Marmon, Director of the Penn Club's New York Regional Office, could not get enough red and blue. Sporting red eyeglass frames, a red hair ribbon, and a blue and red dress, Marmon said, "I have an extensive red and blue wardrobe." She said the Club's colors and themes were supposed to remind students of New York, as well as the University. "We tried very hard to combine the best of Philadelphia and the best of New York in one club," Marmon said. The Club houses 39 guest suites -- all decorated with portraits of past University administrators and alumni. They are aimed at conveying "a Ritz-Carlton kind of feel," Marmon said. Other items of interest in the Club include the gothic chandeliers, persian rugs and brass candlesticks in the Club's version of the Benjamin Franklin Room. The Club is located on Clubhouse Row -- alongside clubs from Harvard University, Yale University and Cornell University -- in a restored historic building on West 44th Street in Manhattan. Approximately 8,200 University alumni have signed on as Charter Members, according to Membership Manager and 1989 College graduate Rachel Spasser. Each member pays from $40 to $860 in annual membership dues, depending on his or her age and hometown.
(06/09/94 9:00am)
Everfresh Beverages, Inc., a specialty beverage company in Franklin Park, Illinois, has introduced the latest alternative for those non-coffee drinkers who still need some extra caffeine. The new drink, called Final Exam Tea, is the first bottled, ready-to-drink tea with twice the caffeine of regular tea. "I think we we're focussing most on the college kids cramming for tests," said Everfresh Brand Analyst Debbie Oskvarek. "Anywhere where [people] might need a little pick-me-up." And according to Everfresh Brand Manager Eliot Kaufman, the drink is specially formulated to be consumed either hot or cold. Oskvarek said the company is working with its distributors across the United States to get the tea on college campuses, but she said many Barnes and Noble bookstore locations already carry the product. -- Daniel Gingiss
(05/13/94 9:00am)
Assault, shooting reported Spontaneous parties which sprung up near campus after the end of the Penn Relays last month turned violent several times, causing injuries to students and damage to property, University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich said last week. Kuprevich said police responded to several reports of gunshots in the late evening on Saturday, April 23. They also received reports of students being pulled out of a car and severely beaten, and tourists whose car was damaged as they drove through the area. Much of the criminal activity was centered around two area "hot-spots" -- the intersection of 40th and Chestnut streets, and Spruce Street, between 34th and 38th streets -- Kuprevich said. According to Kuprevich, it appears that many students have not reported incidents to his department. As a result, University Police officers are currently looking into the incidents in order to obtain a clearer picture of what occurred, he added. "Incidents occurred that were of concern where the congestion and crowd level and the use of alcohol may have had an influence," Kuprevich said. Kuprevich emphasized that the incidents were in no way riotous, adding that the incidents were isolated in nature. "The whole event was not out of control," Kuprevich said. Three students were pulled out of their car at about 9 p.m. Saturday and beaten by a group of men, Kuprevich said. They were all then taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania with wounds to the head and face. At about 11:33 p.m., a student was robbed at 40th and Spruce streets and then struck on the head with a bottle, University Police reports reveal. That student was then transported to HUP for injuries to the head. Earlier Saturday, two students were attacked by a group of men at 37th and Spruce streets, at about 12 p.m. A Domino's Pizza employee was also robbed later while making a delivery to Superblock, according to his store manager. On Friday, a student was robbed at knifepoint at 37th and Spruce streets at about 3:11 a.m. A woman was stabbed at 40th and Spruce streets, and a University employee was robbed by three men at 34th and Walnut streets at 2 p.m. On Saturday night, at 40th and Chestnut streets, about 1,000 people blocked the intersection while partying, University Police Sergeant Mike Fink said at the scene. And before this crowd could be dispersed, three officer assist calls -- only used in emergencies -- were placed. Three Philadelphia Police districts also joined University Police and Philadelphia's 18th Police District in clearing the street, Philadelphia Police Captain John McGinnis said. When the crowd turned violent, a couple from New Jersey found themselves in the middle of the melee. While driving through 40th and Chestnut streets, the couple had their antenna ripped off, and all the windows of their Lexus automobile broken. "We were at the Annenberg Theater and we stopped at Chili's to eat," said a woman who was in the car and asked to not be identified. "It looked like a mob. "They swarmed, they wouldn't let anyone down the street," she added. "All I wanted to do is get out of this God-damned neighborhood." McGinnis said he spoke to the couple. "The people that had their car vandalized were not used to being around large groups of black people," he said. "All she could say was that it made her think of the L.A. riots." A woman from Virginia reported a similar incident to Philadelphia Police. People at 40th and Chestnut concurred with the woman's description. "They were bashing white people," Diane Shaw, a resident of West Philadelphia, said. "When white people came through, they started throwing bottles and drinks on them." At about this time, University Police responded to several reports of gunshots in the area. University Police Officer Mel Roberts arrived on the scene at about 11:40 p.m. Upon his arrival, he heard six more rounds go off. "I heard a car came through, got hit by a bottle and came back [to shoot at him]," said a University student who asked to not be identified. "People were down and running." Another person on the scene said that she saw people shooting from a motorcycle. Philadelphia Police Lieutenant Bruce Kopena said although crowds at 40th and Chestnut streets are always associated with Penn Relays, this year was the worst. "Somebody shooting a gun in a large crowd is a major problem," Kopena said. "People not being safe in their cars is a major problem." Kopena added, however, that "there were sufficient police here from three districts [on top of the 18th district]," to deal with the problems. Other incidents also occurred in the area. One student, who asked to not be identified, said a car drove into him at 40th and Locust streets Saturday night, after running a stop sign. When he tried to get up from the car, the driver threw a bottle at him, and a passenger yelled, "you should have hit the white boy harder." He added, though, that he was too shocked to call University Police, and that he just went to his room, got into bed, and shook for an hour. Although numerous students complained of harassment and fear of being on campus, Kuprevich said the situation was under control. "To categorize the whole evening as a riot is not what occurred," he said. "If you start to put it into perspective, it was not something riotous or out of control." Kuprevich, who was not in Philadelphia Saturday night, added that, "during this event, the level of noise activity is what the community normally complains about the students doing." He added that this year's Spring Fling was more dangerous, although he acknowledged there were no reports of gunfire or assaults to motorists over the April 15 weekend. Kuprevich said University Police needs to improve its crowd control for next year's Penn Relays, by stepping up patrols to the level of the Greek Picnic, an annual event in Philadelphia which is the largest gathering of black fraternity and sorority members in the nation. University Director of Police and Security Patrol Operations George Clisby said police did not anticipate the incidents. "I don't know if we could have anticipated [the incidents] occurring," Clisby said. "?I don't think we could have anticipated that this would have occurred, and staffing may or may not have been the complete solution with solving that crowd problem." Interim President Claire Fagin said although she is confident that University Police did a good job given the circumstances, she thinks more planning is needed for next year. "It seems to me that if things like this have happened before, there should have been better coverage from Philadelphia [Police] and our [police]," she said. "You have to prevent this kind of thing from reaching this level. If you know it happened last year, it shouldn't have happened this year, and it definitely shouldn't happen next year."
