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(11/24/99 10:00am)
Brown quarterback James Perry won the Asa S. Bushnell Cup, while two Penn athletes -- senior linebacker Jim Hisgen and sophomore running back Kris Ryan -- were unanimous first-team selections when the All-Ivy football teams were announced yesterday. A total of five Quakers made the first team, as senior center Carmelo Rubano, junior defensive tackle Mike Germino and senior cornerback Anthony DeSalle also made the list. Ryan led the league with 1,197 yards on 214 carries, while Hisgen led the Quakers with 89 tackles and added four sacks and three interceptions. Germino paced Penn with 9.5 sacks. DeSalle, for his part, tied for the Quakers' lead with four interceptions. Penn also had five athletes honored on the second team. Senior tight end Brandon Clay, senior offensive tackle Jason Lebron, senior fullback Brian Cosmello, junior kicker Jason Feinberg and senior defensive tackle Jason Maehr were the second team selections. Seniors Hasani White, Joey Alofaituli, Adrian Puzio and sophomore Rob Milanese were honorable mention All-Ivy picks. Perry, who threw for 3,255 yards, was honored as Ivy League player of the year. Rookie of the Year honors went to another Brown athlete, Chas Gessner. The Bears' wide receiver gained 560 yards on 43 receptions. The Ivy co-champions combined for 10 first team selections -- six from Yale and four from Brown. Perry and Harvard linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski were both picked for the All-Ivy first team for the third year. The team is chosen by a vote of the eight Ivy League coaches.
(11/22/99 10:00am)
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Eric Johnson capped a record receiving day with a four-yard touchdown catch with 29 seconds left as Yale clinched a share of the Ivy League title with a thrilling 24-21 victory over Harvard in the 116th installment of "The Game." The catch was Johnson's 21st of the game, a new Ivy League record. His 244 receiving yards were a school record and fifth all-time in the conference. Joe Walland completed 42-of-67 passes for 437 yards for Yale (9-1, 6-1 Ivy League), which amassed 487 yards of offense against Harvard (5-5, 3-4). Brad Wilford was 13-of-28 for 143 yards and a touchdown for Harvard. PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Brown clinched a share of its first Ivy League championship since 1976 as James Perry passed for 293 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-6 victory over Columbia. Perry, the most prolific passing quarterback in Ivy League history, completed 28-of-36 passes, including touchdown tosses of 10 yards to Chas Gessner in the second quarter and 40 yards to Michael Malan in the fourth. Perry finished his career with 9,294 yards and 74 touchdown passes, both league records. Malan rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries and added eight receptions for 121 yards for the Bears (9-1, 6-1 Ivy League), who shared the title with Yale. Malan's seven-yard touchdown run made it 16-0 47 seconds into the final quarter before Columbia (3-7, 1-6) got its only points on Jeff McCall's 24-yard touchdown pass to Mark Cannan. McCall completed 13-of-25 passes for 141 yards while Norman Hayes led the Lions on the ground with just 47 yards on 18 carries. Columbia was held to just 90 yards rushing. HANOVER, N.H. -- Brian Mann capped a brilliant passing day and wild fourth-quarter comeback with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Matt DeLellis with 45 seconds left as Dartmouth posted a 19-18 victory over Princeton. Dartmouth (2-8, 2-5 Ivy League) began the fourth quarter down 18-0 but rallied behind the passing of Mann. The sophomore found tight end Lee Roach with an eight-yard scoring toss 2:38 into the quarter then again with a 49-yard scoring strike 3:12 later. Mann, who completed 26-of-43 passes for 328 yards, capped the wild rally by finding DeLellis on the final play of an eight-play, 80-yard drive. DeLellis had six catches for 99 yards while Roach's touchdown receptions were his only catches of the game. Kyle Brandt ran for 121 yards and Tommy Crenshaw completed 19-of-36 passes for 204 yards and two scores for Princeton (3-7, 1-6).
(10/25/99 9:00am)
The winning formula for Ivy League football may have revealed itself. Start with a mobile, strong-armed quarterback, add several big, physical receivers and make them the focal point of your offense. Brown's aerial attack Saturday was anything but unexpected. James Perry has put together the best passing numbers in Ivy League history. The past several years, a game against the Bears has served as the test of any team's secondary. And most of the time, that secondary has lost -- big. Penn's secondary has been criticized in recent seasons. With Perry passing for 440 yards against the Quakers, similar blame could fall on the Penn defense again. The reality is that the Penn secondary may not be any better than the rest of the league, but it certainly isn't any worse. Brown is simply redefining the standards of an Ivy League passing game. Penn quarterback Gavin Hoffman is just a sophomore and his arm strength and passing accuracy may prove to be as good as Perry's in two years. However, even if that were the case, he still wouldn't have all of the tools that Perry has to run a prolific passing attack. What separates Perry and Brown from the rest of the Ivy League quarterbacking club is their receiving corps. Their size, even more than their excellent speed, make it nearly impossible for Ivy League defensive backs to shut down this offense. Steven Campbell is 6'3" and 220 pounds. Billy Rackley is 6'0" and 200 pounds. These two Brown receivers combined for 18 receptions for 336 yards. "With the receivers that we have, it makes it an easy job in the system that we run," Perry said. "Steve makes great plays and the yards after catch is through the roof." In comparison, Hoffman's top wide receiving targets, Rob Milanese and Brandon Carson, are 5'10" and 5'11" respectively. The responsibility of covering the two physically imposing Brown receivers fell upon defensive backs Joey Alofaituli and Anthony DeSalle. Alofaituli supports 175 pounds on his 5'10" frame, while DeSalle checks in at 5'11" and 180 pounds. Brown carried the advantage of a mismatch from the start. Two of Perry's other receiving options Saturday were Bears freshman Chas Gessner and sophomore tight end David Brookman. Gessner, who caught two passes, measures in at 6'5" and 200 pounds. Brookman is an inch shorter than Gessner, but weighs 240 pounds. An offense that can run timing routes with physically imposing receivers, as Perry did so often Saturday, is devastating in this league. The Brown quarterback took quick three-step drops and lofted high passes towards the sidelines or corners of the endzone. And he just let his receivers battle for the ball. More often than not, big, physical receivers are going to win those battles. Even Brown's starting secondary would match up unfavorably. Their four starting defensive backs measure up at 5'10", 5'10", 5'11", and 6' tall. What is even more devastating for Ivy League defenses against a team like the Bears is the adjustments they have to make. Saturday, Penn made the necessary adjustments to try to defend against the Brown passing game. The Quakers tried different defensive schemes, including zone packages, looking to incorporate the help of safeties Eric Bunn (6'0" and 190 pounds) and Hasani White (5'11" and 190 pounds), who match up more favorably against the Brown receivers. But then the middle of the field opened up. And Perry, Campbell and Rackley began dissecting the Penn with routes over the middle. Perry even got the backfield involved in the passing game. Tailback Michael Malan and fullback Michael Borgonzi combined for eight catches. When the two got into the defensive backfield against the Quakers, they too presented matchup problems for the Penn backs. Both Malan and Borgonzi check in at 5'11" and both weigh more than 200 pounds. Obviously, the size of the receivers doesn't matter if they can't catch the ball. But Brown has found big receivers who can run and catch, and in the meantime has redefined passing game excellence in the Ivy League. "We knew coming in that the onus was on us, the d-backs," Alofaituli said. "All week the coaches put in a really good scheme for us. We came in with confidence but we knew we were up against good competition in their receivers and Perry. A combination of a few blown assignments and that they just made some great plays kind of set us back" The coaches may have put together really good schemes. But for the Quakers to shut down the passing game, execution would still have needed to be perfect. And that will never happen. Maybe Penn needs to follow suit, recruiting bigger receivers to punish the rest of the Ivy League defensive backfields. Or if the Quakers are happy with their receiving corps, maybe it's time to raise the standard on the other side of the ball, and go find some big, physical defensive backs.
(04/28/99 9:00am)
To the University Community: Their intensive and careful deliberations have yielded recommendations for a comprehensive approach to alcohol abuse intended to strengthen efforts to encourage responsible decisions about alcohol; promote safe, healthy and legal patterns of social interaction; and create a significant change in campus culture. The analysis and recommendations of the Working Group merit your careful attention and input. I am calling for comment as the next phase in the consultation process. In order to ensure that you have time to deliberate, we have established a lengthy period -- until June 30 -- for comments. Please respond to http://www.upenn.edu/alcohol or write to me directly at president@pobox.upenn.edu. I will also be contacting the leaders of several campus organizations during the comment period to solicit further input. I look forward to hearing from you. Judith Rodin University President Final Report of the Working Group on Alcohol Abuse Introduction The Working Group on Alcohol Abuse was formed by President Judith Rodin and Provost Robert Barchi in response to a number of serious alcohol-related incidents involving Penn students and the death of a Penn alumnus on March 21, 1999. The Working Group of 15 students and seven faculty members and administrators was charged by President Rodin on March 30, 1999. The President asked the group to develop practical, substantive recommendations regarding alcohol abuse among Penn undergraduates on both individual and community levels. The Working Group and its subcommittees met intensively for five weeks. Its members determined that their work should focus on alcohol abuse, not use, and that their goal would be to produce recommendations that would effect significant cultural change among Penn undergraduates. They agreed that the University already has in place reasonable regulations governing appropriate use of alcohol on campus but that the current system of enforcement presents a number of problems, which perpetuate a sense of entitlement felt by Penn students and lead to additional problems. The Group concluded that stricter enforcement of current policies is needed, designed with the intention of creating a change in attitudes regarding acceptable behavior. Consistency should be the ultimate aim; uncertainty regarding what is acceptable and what is not contributes to the problems associated with alcohol abuse and with problematic behavior that often results from excessive drinking. The Group quickly determined that the problem of alcohol abuse is not confined to the Greek system and that a more comprehensive approach to the problem is necessary. The Working Group strongly agreed that the primary responsibility for changing perceptions, misperceptions and, ultimately, behavior relating to alcohol abuse rests with individual students and student groups. The Working Group considered ways to prevent alcohol abuse in the context of Education; Ensuring a Supportive Environment; Responsibility/Accountability; Minimizing Risk; and Expanded Social Options. The Working Group strongly agreed that its recommendations should be proactive rather than punitive. Education Health education is a crucial part of a successful strategy to prevent alcohol abuse. Education eradicates misperceptions about alcohol use among peers, creates opportunities for open, honest dialogue about alcohol use and abuse and is critical to creating a change in campus culture. Recommended approaches to health education are to: 1. Establish effective primary and secondary prevention methods. Primary refers to those efforts that are designed to reach individuals/groups before they engage in "at-risk" behaviors. Secondary refers to those efforts that are designed to reach individuals/groups after they have engaged in "at-risk" behaviors, but before a pattern of usage has developed. 2. Ensure that every Penn student and parent or guardian receives alcohol health education from multiple sources when students are pre-freshmen (e.g., send the Alcohol 101 CD-ROM the summer before they arrive at Penn), during New Student Orientation (e.g., follow up with group discussions of the Alcohol 101 CD) and in each year of their undergraduate education. 3. Create more opportunities for students to "Speak Out" if they have had adverse experiences with alcohol abuse and want to share those experiences with their peers in public meetings, through Web sites and in other formats. 4. Create a student-driven social marketing campaign to correct student misperceptions about alcohol use and abuse, based on a survey of prior experiences at peer institutions. 5. Identify all existing University areas where alcohol education takes place, effectively market those areas and ensure that those areas collaborate as appropriate. 6. Develop "Healthlinks" as a liaison to health services and information as part of the WHEEL program in the College Houses. 7. Create opportunities for curricular integration of alcohol issues in each of the undergraduate schools. 8. Support increased peer education efforts through DART and similar organizations, and expand initiatives such as the Greek Alcohol Education program to other student organizations. 9. Provide additional resources and/or personnel for the Office of Health Education. 10. Utilize available resources like the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention, which provide support for campuses throughout the country. 11. Establish Penn 101 as a freshman seminar. Penn 101 would provide an innovative approach to dealing with the freshman experience in a practical, discussion-oriented setting, as well as with formulaic scholarly discussion of relevant topics like alcohol and other drug use/abuse. Undergraduate social mentors would act as teaching assistants to faculty members and facilitate conversation through a group listserv prior to the students' arrival at Penn. Ensuring a Supportive Environment In order to inspire cultural change that will help reduce alcohol abuse, students must feel that they are supported by the University, are encouraged to take responsible actions and are understood to be critical stakeholders in the consultative process. Recommendations to achieve that end include: 1. A student seeking alcohol-related medical assistance and/or a friend that accompanies him/her should not receive a citation. In addition, to ensure that students will not hesitate to seek medical assistance when necessary, the University policy must be clearly written and well publicized. The Alcohol and Drug policy from The Pennbook page 23, section C, should be modified as follows: "In cases of intoxication and/or alcohol poisoning, the primary concern is the health and safety of the individual(s) involved. Individuals are strongly encouraged to call for medical assistance for themselves or for a friend/acquaintance who is dangerously intoxicated. No student seeking medical treatment for an alcohol or other drug-related overdose will be subject to University discipline for the sole violation of using or possessing alcohol or drugs. This policy shall extend to another student seeking help for the intoxicated student." 2. To consolidate the education, counseling and treatment of alcohol-related issues, the position of Alcohol Coordinator should be created. This position should provide a confidential source to address all areas of concern related to alcohol and other drugs, to integrate policy and to enhance approaches to student education and treatment of alcohol-related problems. The Coordinator should also consult with the University police, discipline officers, HUP's ER, Student Health and CAPS about the effective integration of relevant policies, enforcement and education. 3. The role of faculty and staff must be re-evaluated to ensure the student/faculty/staff relationship is not jeopardized. The primary responsibility of faculty and staff should be toward helping students rather than policing them, specifically in alcohol related situations. Our college houses, as well as our classrooms, must allow flexible solutions that will not compromise faculty, staff and student relationships. 4. A standing Alcohol Rapid Response Team should be constituted to advise the President and Provost on outstanding aspects of implementation that remain, with issues of interpretation of intent, and with any urgent, new issues related to alcohol abuse as they may arise. The Alcohol Rapid Response Team may coordinate its efforts or seek advice from the existing University Alcohol and Other Drug Task Force and from other relevant constituencies as appropriate. Responsibility and Accountability · Individual Responsibility and Accountability With the understanding that alcohol education will be ongoing, and that forums encouraging dialogue among Penn students will be more available and more widely attended, the University must reinforce its commitment to the following: 1. Recognition that the primary concern in this area, as in all others, is for the health and welfare of our students and the University community. 2. Acceptance and enforcement of University regulations regarding alcohol use on campus and support for full enforcement of local, state and federal regulations on and off-campus. 3. Assurance that violations of these regulations will result in adverse consequences consistent with policies of the University and its disciplinary processes. The University will also support enforcement of all relevant local, state and federal laws. 4. Adverse consequences will be consistent and specific and should appropriately escalate for students who repeatedly violate University regulations. 5. Counseling and education will go hand-in-hand with adverse consequences in the context of alcohol violations. Both should escalate simultaneously with adverse consequences for students who repeatedly violate University regulations. 6. A personal responsibility statement should be developed that students would sign prior to their matriculation at Penn. · Group Responsibility and Accountability While the decision to use alcohol is ultimately an individual one, we recognize that the providers of alcohol must share responsibility for the problem and for the need to change their practices if an important change in campus culture is to occur. With this in mind, the working group recommends that: 1. All organizations hosting alcohol-related events, either registered or unregistered, recognize their explicit and collective responsibility for violations of University alcohol policy or of local, state or federal laws that take place at, or as a consequence of, their events. 2. Each student organization having more than 10 members and recognized by DRIA, OFSA, SAC, OSL or the college houses will have at least one member, in addition to the organization's leader or president, educated with regard to alcohol abuse policy and able to provide referrals. Failure to meet this requirement could lead to a loss of University recognition. 3. All violations of alcohol policy during a sponsored event will result in appropriate censure of the sponsoring organization. The current violation review system should be reorganized to create a definitive hierarchy involving the IFC, OFSA, OSC, CHAS, and Residential Violations Review Board. 4. University alcohol regulations apply to group and individual behavior at both on- and off-campus, registered and non-registered events, in addition to any local, state or federal laws that may be applicable. 5. Students will be encouraged to develop creative ways to congregate without alcohol, which could range from parties with live music to movie nights to cultural events in West Philadelphia and Center City, for example. Organizations should apply to VPUL for supplemental funding for such events. Minimizing Risk The goal of policies regarding alcohol abuse is to encourage students to make responsible decisions about the use of alcohol, to control the volume and nature of alcohol products available and, ultimately, to reduce the risk of alcohol-related incidents that pose a threat to the health and welfare of students and colleagues. 1. Through further discussions with students and faculty leaders, the definition of a registered undergraduate event should be clarified and broadened. 2. Hard alcohol will be banned at all registered on-campus undergraduate events. Hard alcohol will be allowed only at third-party vendor events, placing hard alcohol with its relatively higher-risk potential in a lower-risk environment. 3. Alcohol distribution at all registered undergraduate events will end at 1 a.m.; events may continue until the currently mandated 2 a.m. closing time. Both host and University monitors will share responsibility for enforcing this policy. 4. In order to reduce the risk of excess available alcohol, the University will adopt a BYOB policy to be enforced for all on-campus registered undergraduate alcohol-related events. · Personal limit will be one six-pack of beer or equivalent per person over 21 years of age. · Organization members may personally pre-purchase alcoholic beverages at the same limit of one six-pack of beer or equivalent per of-age member. 5. For all registered events, either on-campus or off-campus, bartenders will be external to the host organization and at least 21 years of age. The University will develop and support a mechanism for providing an adequate number of trained individuals. 6. All registered events will require non-alcohol consuming monitors identified by the host organization, in a ratio of 1:50 to total expected guests. Monitors must be registered prior to the event. The host monitors should be easily identifiable by event participants and should be primarily concerned with circumstances that might have an impact on health and safety. 7. The policy of roving University-appointed monitors will be extended to include all registered on-campus events, with at least one trained University monitor per registered event. The University will develop mechanisms for training and providing monitors. 8. The University will support the enforcement of all University, local, state and federal policies and laws by retail and wholesale distributers of alcohol on or near campus. 9. The current Third Party Vendor agreement (modified if appropriate), will be mandatory and strictly enforced for all registered Third Party events. Expanded Social Options In order to help shape a new campus culture, Penn students must lead the way and work closely with University faculty and staff to help create more varied social options. These options should not be seen as "alternatives" to drinking, but rather as intrinsically appealing options for socializing. Recommendations include: 1. Late night, weekend and early morning programs should be expanded to offer more and varied social events throughout the week, particularly from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. 2. Social options on and near campus should be increased such as movies, bowling, pool halls and a videostore that remain open until 2 a.m. 3. Retailers like Eat at Joe's that are open past 2 a.m. should be cultivated to provide late-night social options every night of the week. On-campus restaurants should serve food to any student, regardless of age, throughout their evening open restaurant hours. 4. A late-night, alcohol-free music club should be established on or near campus. 5. Late-night intramural athletic and recreation opportunities should be increased. 6. Intercollegiate recreational and athletic events should be aggressively marketed to increase student attendance. 7. The University should facilitate greater collaboration with the City of Philadelphia, utilizing programs such as the new "Penn and Philadelphia" initiative. These programs serve to better market the City of Philadelphia's cultural and social options to Penn students and to make available better information about city services such as SEPTA. 8. The University should be strategically creative as it plans the comprehensive renovation of the College House system. Plans should include the creation of additional recreation space and common spaces that can be utilized for coffee houses, pool halls, music rooms or other spaces that can remain open until at least 2 a.m. 9. A marketing strategy should be developed to promote the Perelman Quadrangle and other student facilities as a focus of student activity. Recommendation for Immediate Implementation The Working Group on Alcohol Abuse (WGAA) strongly recommends that a WGAA Action Team be formed as soon as these recommendations have been reviewed and accepted by the President in order to move forward with implementation on those items that can be put into place by the new academic year. The Working Group on Alcohol Abuse submits its recommendations to President Rodin on April 26, 1999.
(11/10/98 10:00am)
SAC elects newSAC elects newExecutive Board In the most notable change, College senior Katie Cooper replaced Wharton senior Sang Cha as chairperson of the nine-member board. SAC is the umbrella group that allocates funding to more than 150 campus student groups. "Students see SAC meetings as an obligatory activity that everyone has to go to to get their groups funded," Cooper said. "But we are also a support system, and we're also a valuable resource for [campus groups]." As chairperson, Cooper said she plans to increase interaction between the board and SAC's general membership, which is composed of one representative from each group. Returning to the Executive Board were College junior Charles Howard, Wharton sophomore Jonathan Glick and College senior Cathy Hwang. Newly elected to the board were Wharton sophomore Jared Susco, Engineering junior Josh Loyd, College sophomore Nimit Dhir, College sophomore Osamudia Guobadia and College junior Adam Warshafsky. On November 2, the new Executive Board then elected Cooper as chairperson, Hwang as vice-chair, Warshafsky as secretary and Susco as SAC's liaison to the Undergraduate Assembly. Cha said last night that he has "complete faith" in the new board and especially his "very good friend" Cooper. In addition, Cha said he was proud of the dialogue and "politics" generated by a referendum that, had it not been invalidated because of campaign-rule violations, would have taken away the $30,000 that the UA placed in a discretionary fund for the use of the InterFraternity Council. -- Erin Reilly SEPTA to add buses during track repairs Passengers on SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line between 30th Street Station and 69th Street Terminal are in for a change of pace next weekend. Shuttle buses will run along the Market Street route throughout the day Saturday and Sunday while a track maintenance project is completed on the elevated tracks above ground level. The buses will make stops at all regular stations -- 30th, 34th, 40th, 46th, 52d, 56th, 60th, 63d streets, Milbourne Station, and 69th Street -- on a normal schedule from 5 a.m. until 8 p.m. In addition, an express bus will run between 30th and 69th street stations. The express service will run every 10 minutes between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. -- Binyamin Appelbaum
(09/29/98 9:00am)
The money comes from $30,000 the UA allotted to the Greeks last year. The University's undergraduate student government took the final step toward giving money to the InterFraternity Council Sunday when it voted to allocate $10,000 toward an upcoming event intended to introduce freshmen to the various Greek organizations. The Undergraduate Assembly allocated the IFC $30,000 of its $1.2 million budget last March, but the money was placed in a discretionary account which required the UA to approve each specific use of the money. The $30,000 would have gone to the Student Activities Council if it had not been given to the IFC. The UA's decision last spring to fund IFC events was controversial, with several campus leaders proposing a referendum to overturn the UA's budget and return the money to the Student Activities Council budget. The resolution was thrown out after the student group that runs campus elections determined that the sponsors of the resolution had run a misleading campaign. The first $10,000 of the fund will be used for the October 6-10 Greek Week event. Freshmen cannot actually join a fraternity or sorority until the spring semester. The UA voted unanimously in favor of the $10,083.40 IFC budget proposal. IFC President and College senior Josh Belinfante and Panhellenic Council executive vice president Liz Bernard attended the second UA meeting to announce the proposal and explain major changes to Greek Week. The UA money will fund Friday and Saturday's events and all advertising, and will make up more than two-thirds of the entire Greek Week budget. This includes equipment for the movie night on Friday and the expense of Saturday's carnival. "Last year, Greek Week was quiet in comparison to what we have planned [this year]," Bernard said. "We are really excited and hope that Greek Week serves its purpose of celebrating Greek life on campus." Belinfante explained that the UA funding will allow the event to be much bigger and reach more people. "In the past, Greek Week was a mere walk down Locust Walk with people trying to advocate for their sororities and fraternities," the Alpha Chi Rho brother said. "This year, we want Greek Week to reach the entire campus, and the $30,000 discretionary fund could help us do that." College sophomore Jon Glick, treasurer of the UA, motioned to amend the proposed budget asking the Greek representatives to settle for a half-page advertisement rather than a full page advertisement in The Daily Pennsylvanian, saving about $500. UA Chairperson Bill Conway opened the floor to a five-minute discussion on the amendment proposal. The Wharton junior questioned Belinfante as to whether the money will go toward any alcoholic events. "The only hint of alcohol will be on Wednesday at Dave & Buster's," a restaurant downtown, Belinfante said. "But the UA allocation will cover Friday and Saturday only." Another question was raised in terms of what will happen to any excess funds. Belinfante explained that excess funds will be returned to the discretionary fund. Following the five-minute discussion, the UA denied the motion suggested by Glick and voted unanimously in favor of allocating the $10,083.40 to the IFC to "co-sponsor" the event. Glick said he was"satisfied" with the UA's decision to overturn the amendment. Despite the controversy earlier this year, Conway maintained that the IFC, although not a student government body, does deserve UA funding. "Some may claim that the proper channels were not used for this allocation, but the IFC is the largest student organization on campus and should receive money from the same pot as the other student organizations," Conway said . "The UA has done much work to ensure that this allocation follows all UA and SAC budgetary procedures, and not one UA dollar will be spent where there is the likelihood of alcohol consumption," he said, explaining that the IFC will be required to turn in all spending receipts. While Belinfante said he was pleased with the funding, Sang Cha, chairperson of SAC, said that "the money allocated to the IFC should be used with cautious optimism to do good for the campus." "I respect the UA's decision but that doesn't mean I have to like it," the Wharton senior added.
(04/06/98 9:00am)
Voter turnout for the referdum on student activity funding was unusually high. The group that runs student government elections is under fire for throwing out the results of a controversial referendum on which 33 percent of undergraduates -- an unusually high turnout -- voted last week, with a majority approving the measure. Last Thursday, the Nominations and Elections Committee invalidated the referendum, which was aimed at reversing the Undergraduate Assembly's decision to set aside $30,000 for funding of InterFraternity Council events, on the basis that a Student Activities Council campaign used distortions and half-truths to bias students' votes in favor of the measure. Yesterday, however, NEC Chairperson Chris LaVigne, a College senior, said the actions of the nine-member SAC executive board did not actually violate any specific section of the Fair Practices Code for Referenda, the rules which govern referenda. Instead, he said that Section VII, Clause H of the document -- which allows for referenda to be invalidated if a violation occurs that "unnecessarily biased the referenda and/or was a gross violation of the FPCR and/or the rules" -- functions as an "elastic clause" by which many actions can be considered violations. In addition, one of the referendum's authors, College senior Elizabeth Scanlon, said the motion's sponsors are considering introducing another referendum to be voted on in a separate election. The referendum would either be the same as the old one or would ask students to vote to overturn the NEC's decision, a move that would only be possible if the motion had passed in last week's elections. Sources close to Penn's student government told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the referendum passed, though the NEC has refused to confirm this to the DP or to Scanlon. Scanlon, former chairperson of the Performing Arts Council, said she does not believe it will be possible to reintroduce the same referendum and keep the election completely bias-free, since "bias is a part of life." But she said the motion's sponsors fear that "student government at Penn is going to hit rock bottom before real progress is made." The decision to invalidate the measure was made at a confidential meeting during which two-thirds of the NEC's 25 members voted by secret ballot to uphold the IFC charge lodged against SAC. New NEC members are appointed by current members of the body, which elects its own steering committee. The group runs all student government elections and appoints students to serve on University committees. In its initial charge, the IFC identified an e-mail sent by SAC executive board member and College junior Amy Raphael to the International Relations majors' group listserv which stated that the organization would lose all of its funding if the money granted for IFC use was not under SAC control. SAC Chairperson and referendum co-author Sang Cha said the e-mail reflected the opinion of its author and not that of SAC. "The people who'll be in charge of the NEC should better distinguish what is an individual's action and what is a group's action," Cha said. Cha, a Wharton junior, added that he does not "think that the FPCR applies to this situation." IFC President Josh Belinfante said he supported the NEC's decision. "When you have the students admitting that they lied, you have the NEC and the student body looking foolish," the College junior said. But one NEC member who asked to remain anonymous said not all NEC members agreed with the ruling. The source voted against throwing out the referendum "because I feel it's something that the student body voted for." Daily Pennsylvanian staff reporter Binyamin Appelbaum contributed to this article.
(04/03/98 10:00am)
and Jeremy Reiss Anyone outside Houston Hall at about 1 a.m. this morning may have heard a rather loud cheer emanating from the Ben Franklin Room. That is because after four hours of deliberations, the Nominations and Elections Committee announced it would invalidate a referendum that would have taken away $30,000 the Undergraduate Assembly placed in a discretionary fund for the use of the InterFraternity Council due to violations of the rules governing referenda. According to NEC Chairperson Chris LaVigne, between 30 percent and 35 percent of the student body voted on the referendum -- which, if passed, would have reserved the $30,000 for events approved by the Student Activities Council -- reversing the UA's decision to co-sponsor certain IFC activities. The referendum required only a 15 percent voter turnout to be binding. LaVigne, a College senior, would not comment on whether the referendum would have passed, but a source close to student government said he heard it gained a majority "yes" vote. The referendum was thrown out because the NEC agreed with IFC President Josh Belinfante's claim that SAC's publicity in favor of the referendum consisted of "half-truths, extortions and dishonest statements." During the hearings, Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson Noah Bilenker and Belinfante, both College juniors, presented to the NEC five charges of violations of the Fair Practices Code, which regulates student government elections. The $30,000 in question was placed in the discretionary fund more than a month ago at the UA budget meeting in response to Belinfante's request for IFC funding for non-alcoholic, campus-wide events. As a result of the funding, SAC's budget was $30,000 less than it would have been otherwise. While four of the charges were dropped, the NEC concurred with Belinfante's charge that SAC members presented misleading publicity to the student body, exaggerating the degree to which SAC groups would be hurt by the decrease in their budget. Belinfante cited one e-mail sent to the International Relations Undergraduate Student Association and accidentally to all International Relations majors which he said told students to "vote for the referendum or [the IRUSA] will no longer get funding from SAC." He also complained about posters which urged students to vote against alcohol-free parties -- a misinterpretation of how the $30,000 will be spent. "This makes it look like there's going be alcohol-free frat parties, which, honestly, I've never heard of," Belinfante said. Belinfante also charged the NEC for failing to invite the IFC, an interested party, to the referendum meeting. The NEC threw out the charge because no interested groups, including SAC, were invited. Bilenker, who did not run for re-election, charged the NEC and College and Engineering senior Ben Goldberger -- a former NEC chairperson and former member of the SAC Executive Board -- with failing to clearly explain the referendum on the ballot and in a Daily Pennsylvanian ad. Bilenker claimed that many students did not understand that voting "yes" meant that the money would revert to SAC, while a "no" vote would uphold the UA allocation to the IFC. In particular, the College junior claimed many students confused voting to adopt the referendum with voting to adopt the UA budget and its IFC allocation. One of the referendum's authors, Elizabeth Scanlon, responded to the charges on behalf of Goldberger, who was out of town. She said the writers of the referendum had no responsibility to make sure all of the voters understood. "It's not against the rules to mislead people," the College senior said, calling the idea of throwing out the election results due to "misleading ads" ridiculous. "Imagine the presidential campaign being thrown out because one candidate called another's ads misleading," Scanlon said. Bilenker also claimed that the referendum should have been classified as "constitutional" -- or requiring a change in the UA's constitution -- rather than "miscellaneous." Constitutional referenda require a 20 percent voter turnout to be binding, rather than 15 percent for "miscellaneous." The referendum "does not actually change the text of the budget," NEC officials said in response to the charge, which was dismissed. Following the NEC announcement of the decision, the largely Greek crowd that remained reacted positively. "[The NEC] realized the referendum had as much of an unbiased nature as a statement coming out of Bill Clinton's mouth against sexual harassment," a jubilant Belinfante said. And current UA Vice Chairperson Samara Barend, who was re-elected to the UA, supported the NEC decision. "The referendum, if it had passed, would have completely undercut the budgetary powers of the UA," said Barend, who is not Greek. SAC Chairperson and referendum author Sang Cha, a Wharton junior, said posters concerning the referendum were very explicit and did not mislead voters. But he said he would accept the NEC's decision.
(04/02/98 10:00am)
The Student Activities Council seems to have the amazing ability to perform a feat most other student groups only dream about — making large sums of money appear out of thin air.
(04/02/98 10:00am)
The Nominations and Elections Committee plans to better enforce its revised Fair Practices Code this year. If you are a student government candidate, don't plan on hitting the downtown parties tonight. You'll be in Houston Hall -- all night long. In fact, candidates would be well-advised to bring a book and a large cup of coffee to tonight's Fair Practices Code meeting, as a total of 28 charges -- which have to be dealt with before election results can be announced -- have been filed with the Nominations and Elections Committee for violations of the FPC, the rules governing elections. In response to what is perhaps the most visible conflict of this year's election, InterFraternity President Josh Belinfante brought charges against the Student Activities Council for a violation of the rules governing referenda. The charges brought by the IFC allege that SAC misrepresented the referendum voted on during UA elections. The referendum sought to restore the $30,000 from SAC that the UA recently allocated to the IFC. Belinfante alleged that through e-mails, posters and handouts, SAC officials "misled their constituencies and possibly extorted votes with promises of retribution." In his statement to the NEC, he concluded that SAC's actions biased the referendum and warrant its invalidation. Belinfante, a College junior, also filed an additional grievance noting that the IFC -- a clearly "interested party" -- was not invited to the referendum meeting, as it ought to have been, according to the rules. "The [NEC] will look at what [Belinfante] gives us and determine whether there was a violation," said NEC Chairperson Chris LaVigne, a College senior. In response to Belinfante's charges, SAC Chairperson Sang Cha, one of the resolution's sponsors, denied the allegation that his committee extorted votes, explaining that the e-mail in question was taken "totally out of context" by the IFC. Belinfante declined to comment on the charges last night. The last two charges were brought against the NEC and College and Engineering senior Ben Goldberger by current UA Chairperson Noah Bilenker, who is not running for re-election. Bilenker alleged that Goldberger -- one of the referendum's authors and past chairperson of the NEC -- did not clearly explain the referendum and the meaning of the two options on the ballot: "adopt" and "reject." Bilenker also charged the NEC with the same violation, noting that the committee did nothing to clear up the confusion. "I know people that had meant to vote against the referendum but voted for it because they didn't understand it," Bilenker said. "I had trouble understanding it myself." A vote to adopt the referendum would have resulted in the money allocated to the IFC going back to SAC, whereas a vote to reject it would have let the money stay in the UA's discretionary fund, earmarked for the IFC. Bilenker's second charge was brought against the NEC alone and alleged that the committee misclassified the referendum as "miscellaneous" instead of an "amendment." An amendment, which would require changing the UA constitution, needs the participation of 20 percent of all eligible voters in order to be binding, whereas a "miscellaneous" only requires a 15 percent turnout. Bilenker, a College junior, claimed that as the referendum was wrongly classified, the vote should be invalidated. SAC Executive Board member Elizabeth Scanlon, who will speak on behalf of Goldberger at tomorrow night's hearing, defended the clarity of the referendum, noting that SAC "did their best." "Although I believe the referendum was spelled out very clearly, you can't say it was our job to inform voters," said Scanlon, a College senior. Goldberger, who will be out of town, said he is "not worried" about the charge. Twenty-four of the charges were brought by the NEC against individual candidates for failing to turn in their spending forms on time, according to LaVigne. In past years, the majority of candidates charged with late submission of spending forms were generally absolved following lengthy hearings due to unclear wording in the FPC. However, in this year's newly revised FPC, it is explicitly stated that "failure to return a form without minimum 12-hour prior notification will be considered a violation." "Because the FPC has been made more stringent, NEC members are going to take late charges a lot more seriously," LaVigne said. And College freshman Ray Valerio, a candidate for sophomore class president, charged his opponent -- College freshman and current class President Cam Winton -- for a violation of the FPC regarding the poster policy. The poster policy governs where posters may be displayed. LaVigne declined to comment last night on the specifics of the charge.
(04/01/98 10:00am)
In e-mails to Greeks, the InterFraternity Council president sought votes for a Greek agenda. In the world of Greek involvement in Penn student government politics, history just may be repeating itself. A year ago, then-InterFraternity Council President and now-College senior Matt Baker sent an e-mail to fraternity chapters urging members to vote for Greek candidates for the Undergraduate Assembly in the name of getting UA funding for IFC parties. This year, Baker's successor and fellow Alpha Chi Rho brother Josh Belinfante has issued a similar directive to Greek organizations -- calling on them to elect Greeks to the UA and reject the one referendum on the ballot, all in an effort to preserve funding allotted to the IFC by the UA one month ago. In an e-mail obtained by The Daily Pennsylvanian, Belinfante provided fraternity presidents with a list of the 31 UA candidates who are members of fraternities -- but none of the sorority members or non-Greeks running for office. More than 60 percent of all candidates are in Greek organizations. "We need their support next year to allow us to have access to the $30,000 that was appropriated this year," he wrote. "It is vitally important that your brothers get out and vote." In another e-mail, Belinfante called upon all Greeks to vote against a referendum on the ballot mandating that $30,000 of the UA's $34,000 discretionary fund be used for Student Activities Council-approved functions. If approved, the referendum would overturn the UA's decision to spend up to $30,000 this year "in the spirit of funding Greek events" such as non-alcoholic social gatherings. The call-to-arms comes in the face of increasing support for the referendum from leaders of SAC-funded groups, who have attempted to mobilize their members through similar e-mail campaigns. Belinfante defended his decision to call on Greeks to elect their fraternity brothers, explaining that he sees "no problem in an organization helping its own members." Outgoing UA Chairperson and College junior Noah Bilenker, a Phi Kappa Psi brother, defended the lobbying as an integral part of the political process, saying that "organizations will endorse their members anyway." Panhellenic Council President Janelle Brodsky, a College and Engineering junior, also forwarded a list of Greek candidates to the presidents of the eight Panhel sororities. "Part of my job is to get information out to girls in the Greek system," the Pi Beta Phi sister said, adding that Greek status "should not be a reason to vote for a candidate." Many Greek leaders passed Belinfante's e-mail to chapter listservs. The message labels the arguments of referendum supporters as "false, disingenuous and childish." "Unfortunately, SAC has decided to use scare tactics and play politics with the UA initiative," Belinfante wrote in one e-mail. Belinfante indicated that his group may bring charges with the Nominations and Elections Committee against members of SAC for violating the Fair Practices Code, the rules governing student government elections. He said they gave inaccurate information to the student body in an attempt to force passage of the referendum. SAC Chairperson and Wharton junior Sang Cha, however, disputed Belinfante's frequent claim that SAC could tap into its six-figure reserve fund to make up for the lost funding. According to Cha, the reserve fund also belongs to the class boards and the Social Planning and Events Committee, and SAC cannot draw on the principal of the invested money.
(03/23/98 10:00am)
Three weeks after the Undergraduate Assembly voted to allocate funding to the InterFraternity Council, students have protested the decision, asking that the $30,000 instead be used to finance Student Activities Council events. On Thursday, 200 students filed a petition with the Nominations and Elections Committee calling for the creation of a referendum allowing the student body to decide how the money should be allocated. The NEC will likely add the referendum to the ballot of the UA elections -- which will take place on March 31 and April 1 -- according to SAC Chairperson Sang Cha. In order for the referendum to be binding, 15 percent of the student body must vote on it. All referenda in the past three years, which needed a 20 percent participation rate because they proposed changes to the UA constitution, have failed due to lack of voter participation. "If the UA truly reflects the Undergraduate student body, they will let this referendum go through," said Cha, a Wharton junior. If the referendum gains a majority vote, it will require that $30,000 of the $34,000 allocated to the UA discretionary fund be used solely for SAC activities, instead of being used for co-sponsorship of non-alcoholic IFC events. "This is not a vendetta against the IFC," Cha said, explaining that SAC needs money to be able to fund as many events as they did last year. Cha added that he believes almost 100 percent of the student body is involved in SAC groups in one way or another, while only about 30 percent are Greek. Another concern of those who created the referendum is that the events proposed by the IFC would merely duplicate functions already performed by the Social Planning and Events Committee and Connaissance. "It's a bad precedent to set, for the UA to reserve funds for events covered by other student government groups," said Elizabeth Scanlon, former chairperson of the Performing Arts Council. Scanlon, a College senior, added that groups such as SAC and SPEC -- which traditionally fund student activities -- were passed over in the UA decision. Since the IFC is not a branch of student government, money should not have been "earmarked" for their events, she said. And Cha said he believes IFC attempts to hold non-alcoholic events will be futile. "History has shown that 'dry planning' events simply doesn't work," he said, pointing out a SPEC/IFC joint venture in 1996 that "flopped." But UA Chairperson and College junior Noah Bilenker said it may be beneficial to allocate the money to the discretionary fund, which will require the UA to approve individual events, to co-sponsor IFC events. "I want to see what they come up with next year," Bilenker said. "We don't have a community at Penn, and this is an extra chance to foster some community here on campus." And IFC President Josh Belinfante said students should give the future events a chance to work. "Basing what a new [IFC] board can do on what the board [did] two years ago is a false argument," the College junior said. Bilenker added that passing the referendum would be detrimental to all student government groups at Penn. And Belinfante agreed, explaining that it would undermine the UA's budgetary decisions. "Basically, they're saying, 'we don't really care what the UA legally and constitutionally decided to do'," Belinfante said.
(03/04/98 10:00am)
Princeton fan throws firecracker, injures 11 Police would not release the man's name because he had not yet been charged with a crime. The District Attorney's Office, which is responsible for deciding whether to press charges, will make a decision this morning, Director of Police Operations Maureen Rush said. The firecracker, thrown from high in the Palestra's southeast corner during a break in the action at about 9 p.m., resulted in large blue and red sparks and a puff of smoke. The object initially struck one man, a University employee, burning through his clothing to his neck, Rush said. But she added that the man did not require medical attention. Ten other people also suffered minor burns from the sparks. Although the crowd of 8,700 focused its attention on that part of the stands, the incident did not delay the game, which Princeton won 78-72 in overtime. -- Scott Lanman SAC elects next year's executive board There was a changing of the guard Monday night as the executive board of the Student Activities Council elected members to its top offices of chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary and Undergraduate Assembly liaison. The board elected former Vice Chairperson and Wharton junior Sang Cha to the position of chairperson. Cha beat out Wharton junior Erick Wollschlager for the post, according to Wharton senior and outgoing Chairperson Steve Schorr. Cha said he looked forward to his new position, adding that "we have a lot of work to do." Former Secretary Olivia Troye, a College junior, was elected vice chairperson, beating out College sophomore Jason Ackerman. College junior Katie Cooper was elected secretary, while College junior Amy Raphael will serve as SAC's UA liaison. Both ran unopposed. Last Tuesday, Troye, Cooper and Raphael, College sophomore Chaz Howard and College junior Cathy Hwang were elected to SAC's nine-members executive board. -- Ginny Dorsey
(02/16/98 10:00am)
The Ballroom Dance Society offers many styles of dance to a growing number of students. They swing, they tango, they waltz -- and they are growing larger as an organization with each passing year. They are the University of Pennsylvania Ballroom Dance Society, an organization comprised of hundreds of members, including undergraduate students, graduate students and community members alike. Wharton junior and Penn Ballroom Dance Society President Tara Fallon attributed the group's recent climb in membership to the popularity of recent movies such as Swing Kids, Swingers and Evita in which swing dancing and tango dancing are all the rage. Fallon explained that to meet the public's thirst for swing, tango and other dances, nightclubs like the Five Spot in Philadelphia have opened their doors to the increasingly-trendy styles of tango and swing dancing. Ballroom dancing will also be an exhibition sport in the 2000 summer Olympics for the first time. The society -- which teaches moves such as the cha-cha, fox trot, rhumba and tango -- focuses on international styles of dancing. Interestingly enough, Fallon herself knew nothing of ballroom dancing before coming to Penn -- although as a little girl she always wanted to learn the waltz. But she did know that while at Penn she "wanted to participate in a sport while being social, not necessarily athletic." Fallon's curiosity eventually led her to ballroom competition and the presidency of the society. Her responsbilities currently include coordinating the social aspects of the club, ranging from Sunday afternoon dance classes for club members to Wednesday night open dances. Fallon revealed that it is always fun to clear the dance floor at a wedding to show off her moves -- without overshadowing the bride and groom, of course. She works hand in hand with team captain and Wharton junior Jeff Pochowicz, as well as William Sherman, the team's former captain, whom Fallon credits with helping to lift the society off its feet. Sherman, a Physics graduate student, is a towering figure in the society. Upon arriving at Penn seven years ago, he said that he found that the ballroom dance society existed in name only. Sherman, who danced in his undergraduate days at Brown University, said he was shocked to see Penn's almost invisible ballroom dance club when he arrived on campus. Determined to change the club's status, Sherman -- along with Medical School student Kim-Anh Nguyen -- set out to build up the organization, he added. Sherman then began to take on more administrative responsibility in the society, shortly becoming its official president. In his new role, Sherman was instrumental in strengthening the competitive sector of the club, the Penn Ballroom Dance Society Team, as well as establishing formal dances for the Society, including the annual fall dance festival and spring formal. Due in large part to Sherman's work, U.S. adult Latin dance champions Eugene Katsevman and Maria Manusova were able to participate in last semester's fall dance festival. Sherman -- who declined to serve as the club's president this year -- said he had "high aspirations for the team," although he still maintains realistic goals for its participants. Team members may be technically skilled enough to compete in the higher levels. But to compete in open competition -- where competitors are judged on artistic expression as competition regulations are removed -- team members must have the drive to "take the next step" in developing their artistic and competitive skill, he added. Like Sherman, Pochowicz, the current team captain, has invested a considerable amount of time in the society. Pochowicz is responsible for coordinating the administrative end of the competitive team and registering couples for dance competition, as well as a handful of other duties. His obligations differ from club president Fallon's obligations in that Pochowicz manages a small, competitive sector of the society -- the team -- whereas Fallon oversees the whole society. Pochowicz said that the team practices between 10 and 12 hours each week, including Sunday dance classes in King's Court College House, open dances in Hill College House Wednesday, as well as Friday and Saturday night excursions to dance clubs around the Delaware Valley. College sophomore Jesse Goldstein, an active club and team member, is frequently stopped on South Street by admirers who have seen him swing dancing at the Five-Spot. Goldstein recounted how he was originally drawn to ballroom dancing. "It was a complete fluke," he said, since his friends dragged him to a society dance class during his freshman year. He found that he was improving his skill in record time and was quickly roped into the ballroom dancing scene. Sophomore Dalia Feldman also said she was enthusiastic about the club, explaining that the society "gives you the technique. All you need is the will to dance.
(10/28/97 10:00am)
Student government groups finally got an answer yesterday to the question they've been asking repeatedly for over two years -- but it wasn't quite the answer they were looking for. University Budget Director Mike Masch paid a visit to last night's Student Activities Council meeting to detail how the General Fee students pay alongside their tuition is distributed throughout the University's budget. Masch's presentation came in response to a SAC ultimatum issued last month giving administrators until October 8 to provide information on what becomes of General Fee revenue that does not go to student groups. At last night's meeting in Stiteler Hall, he broke down allocations of the General Fee by "responsibility centers" -- departments and divisions of the University, each of which must maintain their own balanced budgets. Responsibility centers that draw General Fee money include the Finance Division, which oversees Student Financial Services; the Annenberg Center, which includes student performing arts; and Student Activities, which is run by the Office of the Vice Provost of University Life. SAC Chairperson Steve Schorr stressed that most of the specific information his organization had requested was not provided. "The money was broken down into the specific departments that spend the money, but we still don't know how those departments spend the money," the Wharton senior said. Masch told SAC members that he "cannot say with the same level of knowledge and detail where every single dollar goes." The central budget office sets limits on what each center can spend, but does not allocate the funding within each center's individual budget, he said. "That's the job of the responsibility centers," Masch said. He urged student leaders to question VPUL Valerie Swain-Cade McCoullum about the allocation of funding for student activities, for example. But Schorr said he has turned to several specific divisions -- like the Athletic Department, the Admissions office and the VPUL office -- in the last two years to no avail. "I previously went to some of the departments, and they were all unwilling to give any information on how they spend the money," Schorr said. "They said that I should ask the administration for that information." Schorr said Masch answered SAC's questions better than other administrators have in the past, but added that the information is "still not to our satisfaction." Now SAC will await results of a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the federal Department of Health and Human Services. That information should arrive sometime this week. "I hope that will include information on how the departments spend their money," Schorr said. Under FOIA, citizens may conduct a search of any federal agency. The University is not a federal agency, but it conducts enough financial transactions with the federal government -- such as requesting research grants or financial aid funding -- that information on the budget would be available. The FOIA office filters through the information it finds and decides what it is legally allowed to release to the public. After Masch's presentation, SAC members elected new officers for the body's executive board. There are nine board members, including the Undergraduate Assembly treasurer, with half elected in October and half in February. Since one member resigned earlier this year, five seats were up for election last night. Out of the eight people who ran, the winners were College sophomore Jason Ackerman, Wharton junior Sang Cha, Engineering and College junior Vanessa Moses, Wharton junior Erick Wollschlager, and College sophomore Charles Howard.
(12/09/96 10:00am)
The Student Activities Council elected eight members to its executive committee Wednesday night. SAC also voted on five amendments proposed by its executive committee at an October 29 meeting. However, only one of the proposals received the two-thirds majority necessary to amend the SAC constitution. The group voted overwhelmingly in favor of an amendment that will divide future elections. The council will choose four members to serve full-year terms on the executive committee beginning in January, and an additional four members to serve full-year terms beginning in October. Until now, all eight members have been elected in December. SAC Chairperson and Engineering senior Paul Wilder said the Executive Committee proposed the amendment to facilitate continuity on the committee. "It is an internal training mechanism to ensure that there are always at least four people who have been there before," Wilder said. SAC amended this year's elections to ensure that four of those selected on Wednesday will serve terms lasting through next October. The others will serve terms ending in February. SAC members nominated 13 people for positions on the executive committee. College junior Adena Galinsky, College sophomore Debbie Posner, College junior Keith Blackman and Wharton sophomore Sang Cha were chosen to serve until October, while Wharton sophomore Curtis Redding, Wharton senior Imani Dawson, College senior Joe Cruz and Wilder were elected to terms ending in February. The council also voted to recognize the Wharton Futures, Options and Hedging Strategies Club, a group which already has 60 members. In recognizing the group, the body went against a recommendation from the executive committee, which said the group overlaps with pre-existing clubs such as the Penn Investment Alliance. And in an unusual move, SAC did not allocate any money during the meeting because its $30,000 contigency fund for the fall term had already been depleted and the body voted not to use money from its spring term or emergency funds.
(11/20/96 10:00am)
For the past decade, passers-by have heard grunts and yells emanating from Hill House's Upper East Lounge four days a week. The martial arts club that makes those noises -- accompanied by kicks, punches and blocks -- is celebrating its 10th year on campus this semester. Club Dojo specializes in teaching students self-defense through ryukyu kempo --Ea Japanese martial art that emphasizes attacks on pressure points. Chas Terry, the club's shihan, or teacher, founded the group as a College freshman and Hill House resident in 1986. He is now a fifth-degree black belt and a resident doctor at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. "I try to give [students] a hard workout," Terry said. "I strive to make the time spent as efficient as possible." About 40 students dressed in white or black martial arts outfits -- called gi -- attend the weekly sessions. Classes are divided into a one-hour sections for beginners and another hour for advanced students, with a 30-minute overlap for calisthenics. "It's a great way to meet a lot of friends and get in shape? as we build confidence in ourselves," College senior and brown belt Matt Taff said. Club Dojo Vice President Polina Yampolska, a College sophomore, said class attendance was up this year, but didn't cite any reason for the increase. She added that she's glad to see an increase in women in the club this year. Terry not only teaches ryukyu kempo, but also modern arnis -- Filipino stick fighting -- and kenjutsu -- Japanese sword fighting. His medical background enables him to modify the traditional martial arts approach to engage participants in repetitive exercises that help boost fitness, he said. But increasing the heart rate isn't the class's only activity. Students also learn kata, memorized self-defense routines that have many applications, and engage in sparring, or organized fighting with strict limitations. Terry emphasized that students should "never lose sight of the self-defense aspect" of martial arts. So Club Dojo places special emphasis on practical application of skills. Students mainly learn what to do in "the real world," Terry explained. So 40 voices can be heard yelling -- the most powerful defense, Terry says -- from the lounge, and students learn how to avoid confrontation and act safely at all times before they take a single punch. The training seems to pay off in confidence. "I feel I have a much better chance of defending myself in the street than if I had not taken martial arts," Yampolska said. The class works to encourage discipline and respect as well. Students try to advance through a series of seven belts, from white to black. Black belts are known as sensei and are the most highly regarded. It takes three to four years to graduate to black belt level, and Terry is proud that 16 of his students in the past decade have made this honor. "Real training starts to take place [at this level]," Terry said. He dispelled the myth that a black belt is the highest level of martial arts: It is in fact a stepping stone for more advanced degrees, though they're hard to come by. Grandmasters of different martial techniques can be black belts of the 10th degree, but in his 22 years of learning, Terry has only trained with three people at this level.
(12/08/95 10:00am)
To the Editor: While I wholeheartedly agree that the president should try to increase the time she spends talking with students, I also think that your editorial does not give President Rodin full credit for the efforts she does make to get input from representatives of the student body. Every month, both the president and provost spend several hours in meetings with representatives of the Graduate and Professional Assembly and the Undergraduate Assembly. In monthly University Council, meetings, for example, the president and provost receive advice on the daily and long-term management of the University from representatives from Penn's student body, administration, faculty and other constituencies. This consultative body has few peers among top universities. President Rodin, and many senior officials in her administration, have also let me know personally on several occasions that their doors are always open to discuss any concerns of students. While I would like to see more regular, scheduled, exclusive meetings with student leaders, I think the president does deserve credit for the efforts she has made to build bridges with student government organizations at Penn. Victor Prince Wharton graduate student Graduate and Professional Student Assembly chairperson Is it Discrimination? To the Editor: I was handed a copy of Generation XX today on Locust Walk. I commend the magazine for some very interesting and informative articles. However, a deeper view of the publication shows that Generation XX is not making adequate efforts to stay in compliance with the University's non-discrimination policy. A quick look at Generation XX's Staff shows 19 members, all of whom are female. There is one article in the entire publication written by a male, Eric Austin, but for some reason he is not listed in the publication as a member of the staff or as a writer. When questioned about this problem, Generation XX Editor-in-Chief Colleen Mastony replied that, "He should have been listed." No question?he should have been. As a SAC and University funded group, Generation XX must comply with the University's policy on non- discrimination. Are they making every effort to do so when their organization is all female? When asked why there were only female members, a group member answered (I paraphrase), I have been to every meeting, no men have come out. In my opinion, the onus is on all student groups to make people of any gender or race feel welcome. No where in Generation XX's publication does it say that men are welcome to come to meetings, or to contribute. I would think that it would be in Generation XX's best interest to attract male members to further their worthy cause, but a reading of their paper shows no such effort. How are men supposed to feel welcome in an organization when all 19 members listed are female, and when one male does contribute, he is not listed as a member or writer? I call upon Generation XX to state in their publication that men are welcome to contribute, and to state that the organization if firmly committed to the University's policy on non-discrimination. Jonathan Slotkin College '96 Kudos to Penn Police To the Editor: The DP article "Penn Watch Aids in Arrest" (DP 12/6/95) finally gives the police department, as well as Penn Watch, the credit they are long overdue. Officer Al Sulpizio, who is mentioned in the article, spent one and a half hours in the freezing rain last spring apprehending the burglar of my apartment at 41st and Walnut St. They responded promptly and acted professionally throughout the incident. An officer at the scene claimed, and I quote, "Al always gets his man." These days, police departments around the country, as well as right here at Penn, are continually under attack for a variety of reasons. I do not mean to suggest that the Penn Police department does not have any problems, it does, but it is good to know that there are still officers like Al Sulpizio who continually show their professionalism and determination on the job. Chas Parsons College '96
(02/10/95 10:00am)
For many students, martial arts is less a meansFor many students, martial arts is less a meansof self-defense than a search for balance within the self. They began with meditation. Then, in two straight lines, they simultaneously sliced the air with their powerful kicks. Thirteen strong voices counted aloud in Japanese, accenting the movement of their legs. But the Ryukyu Kempo Club had just warmed up. As part of the large network of martial arts organizations, their class was designed to teach students methods of self defense. The Ryukyu Kempo Club was founded by former University student Chas Terry, who has a black belt in three different styles of karate. His sister, Drexel University graduate Linda Terry, is a very enthusiastic club member who joined last October. Linda Terry was involved in a different style of karate 16 years ago and quit after gaining her green belt. She only became interested in the martial arts again after attending a seminar called "Weekend With the Masters," last October. "I had learned more in seven hours than I had in my whole entire life," she said. Terry's motivation to start studying Kempo stems from its emphasis on the attitude and spirit in the art -- in addition to the skills themselves. "I don't know how many styles [of martial arts] break down even the most simple initial techniques," she said. Terry said she attempts to focus on the uniqueness of Ryukyu Kempo. She added that Kempo's primary objective lies in the pressure point theory. "Pressure points are very effective," she said. "There are three levels -- they can create distraction or pain, knock someone out or least desirable of all, kill." Terry said that pressure points lie where the nerves cross, meet and end -- like the tips of fingers. "The ways to activate these pressure points are by rubbing, touching, and striking," she added. She emphasized that martial arts do not teach students how to kill. She said they are mainly for self-defense, and killing is in no way part of the teaching. "It's just to defend yourself," Terry said. "You never, never, never want to kill. The major philosophy is self-defense -- quick and effective -- and the goal is not to kill. "Karate is strictly self-defense. Anything else is a bad attitude," she added. "The main point is to get the offender out of commission so you can run. You want to do the very least while being effective." The ranking system of belt color for Kempo is similar to the system for other forms of karate. The order -- from least experience to most -- is white, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, and then black, Terry said. "If you practiced and worked very hard it's possible to get a first degree black belt in three and a half years," she said. "It all depends on how hard you are willing to work." People should be careful not to put too much faith into the ranking system, though, she said. It is simply a means to measure progress, and a black belt does not necessarily indicate proficiency. "It's sort of like competing with yourself -- a sign of what you have accomplished," Terry said. "Being a black belt does not mean you are an expert. It just means you have a solid foundation and understanding." The Ryukyu Kempo Club does not believe in all work and no play, though. Terry said it is like a family, and the students always hang out on weekends. "Actually most of the people I go to the movies with and do stuff with are from the club," she said. Wharton and Engineering senior Vandit Kalia is a board member of the club who was inspired to study martial arts by his father. "My dad is a black belt in Judo, and he thought it would be a good thing for me to do," Kalia said. "[But] Judo has more to do with grappling and throwing, while karate has a more kicking and punching emphasis." Kalia said his interest lies with the mental benefits of Kempo as well as the obvious physical benefits. "It calms you down and clears your mind which helps in everyday life," he said. "It's a good way to stay healthy." Martial arts originated in China and were brought to Japan in the Okinawan Islands where they were further developed, Kalia explained. This modified and simplified version of Kempo is known as karate. It is less lethal. Kalia added that karate is more sports-oriented than self-defense oriented. "We are teaching the original form-the stuff that hasn't been taught is what we do," he said. According to Club President Jeff Sparkman, Ryukyu Kempo is an Okinawan style of karate which is based on the use of nerve strikes for effective self-defense. "What most styles teach to be an obvious block or punch assumes a whole new meaning in light of pressure point strikes," he said. Sparkman also highlighted the social aspects of the club. "We have pizza and karate movie nights, martial arts rap sessions, attend seminars together, or just hang out together," he said. College sophomore Andrew Simonian said he joined the club for self-defense purposes and has been involved in Ryukyu Kempo since his freshman year. "I always wanted to do it, and I never had the chance before," Simonian said. "I knew I'd be able to continue for a long time." He added that Ryukyu Kempo is actually the predecessor to karate, which was invented so that it could be passed on to Westerners without revealing any of the art's secrets. Wharton sophomore Justin Faust is another member of the Ryukyu Kempo Club who started when he came to the University. "I wanted to take some sort of self-defense," Faust said. "I just went to two classes, and I became interested." He added that he usually practices four times a week for one to two hours -- which includes a hard workout and some calisthenics techniques. A typical beginner's Kempo class usually begins with a short meditation session followed ten minutes is devoted of stretching. Much of the rest of the hour is spent doing a series of kicks, punches and blocks. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, there are also several self-defense demonstrations. For example, a common attack consists of being grabbed by the lapel. The best way out of this predicament is to bend the attacker's thumb backward. This technique exemplifies the simplicity and effectiveness of Kempo. One of the instructors, Engineering senior Avinash Parashar, only began studying martial arts when he was in high school. "I wanted to learn how to fight, and I thought it sounded cool," he said. "I did Tae Kwon Do in high school and wanted to try a different style when I came here." The Tae Kwon Do Club is another popular outlet for martial arts fanatics. Felice Macera is a first degree black belt who has been instructing the University Tae Kwon Do Club for nine months. He said it took him eight months to reach his present level. He added that the main attraction for him lies in the mental aspect of Tae Kwon Do. "Traditionally the martial arts began as a conservative art form," he said. "It became more of a mental condition than a physical condition. Our club does more mental conditioning." He said his class usually meets five days a week for about one to two hour s in Houston Hall. Engineering junior Alex Miller, who is another Tae Kwon Do instructor, said his group has been very successful in competition. "[The Tae Kwon Do Club] is currently ranked second in the Northeast despite the fact that all the other schools have instructors that are paid to teach the clubs and ours is entirely student run," he said, adding that he views Tae Kwon Do as mainly a competition sport.
(09/14/92 9:00am)
At the Second Annual Asian American Leadership Conference held this weekend, local Asian leaders and University students discussed the problems facing Asian Americans entering law and politics. Director of the Asian Law Center David Oh, the chief organizer of the event, said the conference was established to provide Asian Americans with the necessary information, assistance and, especially, inspiration to enter public service fields. Oh said that Asian Americans have not had the kind of impact in public service areas that they have had in other fields such as science or business. "Asians are a new community in this country and they're often very materialistic," he said. "However, they haven't always had the opportunity or inclination to participate in certain fields, because they are outside the loop of information." The two-day conference consisted of appearances by a variety of public figures and panel discussions and seminars. Among the speakers was twelve-year Republican Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, who said he is familiar with the difficulties facing Asian Americans by explaining that he, too, was the son of immigrants. "My mother and father were five and 18, respectively, when they came to this country," he said. "As Russian Jew immigrants they faced the problems all immigrants must face." Specter went on to stress his commitment to women's issues by stating that he had "a better record than ninety-nine senators." Pennsylvania Democratic Senatorial candidate Lynn Yeakel was also scheduled to speak, but was unable to make it. On Friday, the Honorable Ida Chen, the first Asian American elected to the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, discussed her difficulties in running for office. She said that nobody assisted her or taught her how to run, but that through sheer will-power and hard work she was elected. Joseph Kohn, Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania Attorney General, offered his election pitch to the conference on Friday by explaining that he plans to fight "for the little guys." "The attorney general should be a people's lawyer," Kohn said. Kohn stressed his record on anti-racketeering and consumer and environment protection and attacked current Attorney General Ernie Preate. Sunday's speakers included the film-maker Peter Wang, whose film A Great Wall received critical acclaim as one of the ten best films of 1986. Wang emphasized the importance of understanding other cultures as a way for Asians to reaffirm themselves, and encouraged all Asians to reach out and make their presence felt across the board. "We are still voiceless and faceless," he said. "Yet we have so much to offer . . . we will redefine Americanism." Other speakers included Grace Uyehara, one of the main lobbyists behind the bill that offered compensation to Japanese Americans interned during the war; Philadelphia Deputy Police Commissioner Al Lewis, George Bush's 178th point of light; and Dong Sup Cha, president of the Federation of Korean American Associations in the United States. Oh said afterwards that he was satisfied with the conference, especially the fact that it was all volunteer-run and -funded. "The opening budget was zero," he said. "The response was great and we were able to put it all together." Other participants said they were also pleased with the speakers, particularly with Chen, whom they said was a role model for Asian Americans.
