771 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(10/11/95 9:00am)
Searching for ways to improve relations with the student body, the Undergraduate Assembly discussed implementation of a blueprint for communication with its constituency at its meeting Sunday. The UA also discussed the possibility of endorsing the changes to the judicial charter made by the First Amendment Task Force. No decisions were finalized. Communication was stressed as an important goal of the UA, one which was deemed "vital to our body's success" in the blueprint. Though the members did not unanimously support the concept, the blueprint -- which was co-authored by UA Chairperson and College senior Lance Rogers and College senior Christian Hensley -- was generally well-accepted. Rogers was very excited by the idea of putting such a plan together, pointing out that it has never been attempted before. "I think it is safe to say that we are definitely going to play a more interactive role this year with the students," he said. Rogers added that this blueprint will require hard work on the part of the members. "I don't want to see you guys wussing out three months down the line," he said. "I think that by this time next year, people will really know who the UA is." Some of the ideas outlined in the plan include increased opportunities for students to address the UA -- including forums in which students can have coffee or donuts with members of the body -- having individual representatives attend Residential Advisor and Greek meetings and maintaining a home page on the World Wide Web. Rogers said these are all ideas that have been around for awhile. A common opposition to the concept was that it required too much time from the UA representatives. "[The plan is] too idealistic and not really feasible," said Matt Brletich, an Engineering sophomore. But most members of the body seemed to be willing to exert the effort. Additional concepts were also discussed and added to the tentative list of ways to improve communication, such as posting the minutes of UA meetings on the UA newsgroup. Later in the meeting, the body discussed the first of the forum events, which will be called "Conversations," slated to be held November 2 in Bodek Lounge. The reception, which is being planned by UA Vice Chairperson and Wharton senior Gil Beverly, "will bring students and student leaders together to encourage open dialogue about campus-related issues and ideas," according to the blueprint. And while nothing has been approved yet, Rogers said he is optimistic that the Student Planning and Events Committee will fund the event. "It's good to see SPEC and the UA working together to try and bring more students into the student government process," Rogers said. Also at the meeting, College senior Mike Nadel presented the First Amendment Task Force's version of the judicial charter, in hopes that the UA would endorse the plan. Their charter recommended taking much of the direct power away from the provost and giving it to the chair of the Faculty Senate. It also insisted that the provost be held more accountable for the decisions made by the judicial board. When questioned why the Task Force chose the chair of the Faculty Senate to take over much of the decision making, Nadel said the fact that senate members are tenured will make them unbiased judges. "I don't have an overwhelming respect for the faculty," he added. "But it is more important for us to take power out of the provost's hands than who we give it to." While the majority of the body supported the Task Force's changes, they opted to refer the vote to the steering committee, since the UA passed a very similar resolution two weeks ago. The resolution is currently under consideration by the deans of the undergraduate schools, the provost, the Faculty Senate and the Graduate and Professional School Assembly.
(09/29/95 9:00am)
The 43-year tradition of pigskin prognostication. The quotes are real. So are the turbans. Speaking of humorous, we called Rob Hodgson's room for advice, and ironically, in deciding this weekend's Penn matchup he just couldn't make up his mind. He went back and forth, and back and forth, and back and forth, and even after being given a ridiculously long time to decide, he opted for Penn, and then changed his mind again. Thanks for nothing Rob?. After flying our magic carpets to last week's drubbing of Lafayette in the not-so-friendly confines of Easton, Pa., this week's game is home on the Franklin Field turf. The band, still thoroughly exhausted from its not-so-lengthy performance last weekend, hopes to get out a note or two this weekend. We Swamis lift our turbans to their efforts and hope that Columbia, traveling to Lafayette this weekend, is not shut up by the monsters that wouldn't let our band play on. Roll on Columbia, roll on. In looking for answers on this weekend's slate of games, especially Penn versus the Bison of Bucknell, we boarded our magic carpets and whisked off to Bucknell Power Tool and to Bison Productions in L.A., but neither seemed to have any answers. The not-so-ironic coincidence that a company might have the words "Bison" and "tool" in the same sentence has been duly noted by us powers that be. Thus, in our search for advice on how to handle the not-so-fearsome Bisons, and our desire to drown our sorrows in a couple of brews, we flew our carpets straight for good old Smokey Joe's. We ran into bartender and guest Swami Joe Whelpi, who claimed this weekend's game is no contest: Penn will dominate because "the Bison is a lowly beast." Joe, we couldn't agree more. The swami posse flew throughout the Penn campus in search of Penn characters to give sage advice, bypassing Rosengarten Man, the peace-loving naked dancing lady, Fly-Man, the Quaker Shaker, Alex and the girls of 803 HRE, and Mr. Murph himself. All seemed otherwise occupied, but confident of a Penn victory. While we swamis realize that the result of the Penn game seems in little doubt, perhaps the score is the question. How much will Penn win by seems to be the question at hand. We consulted with our pal and doctor of engineering, a math whiz in his own mind, Johnny B. Good. Johnny (no not Cochran, silly) claimed the final score was incalculable due to several factors including random numbers, wind direction and astrological signs.
(09/28/95 9:00am)
David Arnett stared intently at the boy sitting across from him. The timer to his right ticked down the seconds as the eight-year-old carefully selected his next move. Rook to king 7. Checkmate. In only 16 moves, Arnett had beaten Josh Waitzkin, the chess prodigy featured in Searching for Bobby Fischer, a movie released in 1993. And now, Arnett, a Wharton freshman, is the 10th-ranked chess player in the nation's under-21 division. He began learning chess from his father in New York City at the age of four. After one year, Arnett was beating his father consistently. At seven, Arnett made his debut on a third grade-and-under tour in the National Championships. He was named the best first-grade player in the country. The next year, Arnett won the entire tournament. "The championships were my first real tournaments, and the first place where I went up against my future best friend, Josh Waitzkin," Arnett said. Arnett beat Waitzkin, in a tense matchup which was depicted in Bobby Fischer. The rapidly improving competitor also played on nine national championship teams, won two individual championships, has been on the all-American team for each of the last 10 years and was the National High School Champion last year. "I play more like the [New York] Giants' 1986 championship team, which rarely made mistakes, as opposed to the current [San Francisco] 49ers team which lives and dies by the big play," Arnett explained. "I don't always win pretty, but I usually win." John Lituinchuk, Arnett's 10-year coach from Yale University, was key to teaching this patient style. Arnett wanted to learn chess because at an early age he enjoyed both math and games. "I think chess has changed the way I look at the world," he said, adding that he has decided to give lessons in chess fundamentals and strategies. Arnett tries to share his passion with his students, who range in age from five to 65. Eventually, Arnett said he would like to write a book. Between winning tournaments and tutoring, Arnett has earned about $10,000 from chess. Last January, Arnett attended the Mermaid Ratings Tournament in Bermuda, where he tied for second place and earned $333.33. "Other than the fact that I had to play chess, it was an all-expense paid, 10-day vacation, by myself, in Bermuda during the middle of the school year," he said. But Arnett insists there is more to his life than chess. "I'm not going to pursue only chess because there is not enough money [in it]," he explained. "In order to make any sort of life I would have to teach, write many books, publish and work daily on my chess skills as well." Arnett hopes to organize a group of University students to attend this year's National Collegiate Tournament. There are two other highly ranked players attending the University, Wharton junior Marc Berman and Engineering sophomore Anna Khan. But even as Arnett becomes increasingly involved in life at the University, his friends say chess remains foremost in his mind. "My roommate and I can't get him to stop talking about chess -- even at three o'clock in the morning," said his suitemate, College freshman Michelle Weinberg.
(09/15/95 9:00am)
The University's presence on the World Wide Web will take on a new look today, making it more responsive to users' needs as well as more aesthetically pleasing. The new home page will debut at the same address as before -- http://www. upenn.edu. It can be accessed through Netscape, a Web-browsing program, or through Lynx, a non-graphical interface. Dan Updegrove, associate vice provost for information systems and computing, said the page will include different points of interest for different user groups. For example, alumni will be able to click on a section that includes links of interest to them. And prospective students will have a separate view of the University geared toward their interests. Updegrove, a member of the steering committee that oversaw the creation of the page, said the new home page is an index to Penn Web, the University's information system on the Internet. It will let users obtain the same information as the previous one. Fellow steering committee member Ira Winston, director of computing for the School of Engineering and Applied Science, said the major difference between the two pages is the ease in which this information can be found. Several new features, such as a calendar, a guide to creating personal home pages and a search function, have also been added. The new home page was created in June by the six-person steering committee, a design group and an advisory team of about three dozen people from numerous areas around the University. Updegrove said he felt the upgrade was needed because the old home page averaged 300,000 hits -- or people visiting the site -- per month last year. Almost half of those access requests came from outside of the University. Because of the variety of users -- students, faculty, alumni, perspective students and people unaffiliated with the University -- the new home page provides five "views." Each one will contain links to pages which mirror the interests of the user. The user will be able to set a specific view to appear whenever he or she accesses the World Wide Web. Another new feature of Penn Web is an interactive calendar, developed by Engineering junior Michael Berry, along with the design team. University Secretary Barbara Stevens, who is also a steering committee member, said every school and resource center in the University has access to the calendar. It will be updated constantly and can be set to display any type of activity the user desires. Updegrove said he is not aware of any other calendar like this on the Internet. Another enhanced feature of Penn Web will be its graphics. For example, incoming freshmen will be able to see several pictures of the University on pages designed for them. "Think about what a high school junior can learn about Penn on these pages," said Updegrove. "No more glossy brochures or quick campus tours." The problem was incorporating the complex graphics with the desired speed. "We wanted something quick to load," said vice provost for graduate education and steering committee member Janice Madden. "We had prettier things [which took too long]." The Steering Committee expects the home page to be a constantly changing entity. And Updegrove said moving images may be incorporated before long. "This is the beginning, not the final Penn Web," said steering committee member Michael Eleey, associate vice provost for information systems and computing. Updegrove expressed his hope that the features offered by Penn Web will eliminate some of the University's bureaucracy. "Dealing with the institution can be a big problem," he said. "Penn Web can make information available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, wherever you are, even if you spend a semester abroad."
(09/12/95 9:00am)
Each semester, transfer students from colleges around the world come to the University in search of a change. Some are looking for a new social setting, others for a different academic environment. A large, closely knit group of past transfer students is always waiting to help make their transition to the University as smooth as possible. This semester, 200 new transfers came to the University, selected from an applicant pool of more than 1,200. In cooperation with the directors of the Office of Transfer Admissions, organizers of the student-run Transfer Orientation ensure that each semester new students become involved in the University community quickly. The orientation advisors also organize events that allow transfers to meet other new students. "It's a great way for new and old transfers to get together and spend time in a relaxed setting," said College senior and co-Director of Fall Transfer Orientation Amy Korn, a transfer student from Brandeis University. College sophomore Karalyn Stanley said she has had a smooth transition to the University from the University of Chicago. "I really appreciated the great opportunity to get acclimated to the University," Stanley added. In addition to numerous information sessions about transfer credit and academic advising with University officials, the Fall Transfer Orientation Program included a pizza dinner, campus and city tours, a scavenger hunt and a bash at the 23rd Street Cafe. Engineering junior and transfer advisor Andy Apple added that orientation was a great chance to get involved on campus. Shelley Krause, director of the Office of Transfer Admission, said "Penn is unusual because it brings in transfers as a group in and of itself." Krause said her main goal is to educate the incoming class as to the status of their credit. She also said her office will serve as an advocate to transfer students if University departments deny worthy students transfer credit. Max Jacobs, a College senior and 1993 transfer from Washington University, said he returned as an orientation advisor because of the "help it gave me as an incoming student." And College sophomore Lucy Shanno, a transfer from Vanderbilt University, said she enjoyed dancing at the 23rd Street Cafe, where she met many new friends. Krause said transfer students are often super-motivated and eager to assimilate into the University community. "As a transfer, you often struggle with resistance about your change, on the part of family or friends," she said. "These are people who are capable of overcoming resistance, taking a proactive role and making their education what they want it to be."
(09/08/95 9:00am)
To the Editor: I can only ask, to what end? In a world that you believe to be without ultimate answers, how can the search for answers possibly bring fulfillment? Fulfillment implies some sort of attainment or completion. And yet, Morrison would have us believe, the only thing attainable, and the only thing worth attaining after all, is a love of learning, the thrill of the chase. But all I see that this search can provide is distraction, a temporary respite from a sense of ultimate futility. Quoth Qoheleth: "This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." The more interesting question to me is why do we have this need for fulfillment? Why should a determinate universe spawn such a being that cares about being complete, being fulfilled? Would it not have been much better for the survival of the species that we not have a fixation on meaning and purpose? Wouldn't we better be served by minds unfettered by philosophy, that we might focus on what apparently matters most of all, propagating our genes? Or could it be, as Qoheleth puts it, that "God has put eternity in the hearts of men?" That the longing for the chase has been purposefully put there, by the one who IS the fulfillment of that very desire? It is one of the tragedies of post-modern thought that people have given up the hope of attaining Eden. For Morrison is all too correct about the "need to know." But such people are stuck in a hamster wheel, thoroughly enjoying the run, but going nowhere. I choose to take to the road that has an end. Titiimaea Alailima Engineering Graduate student Well Done To the Editor: Kudos to the DP staff for including the Guide to the DP in the Back to School issue. I applaud your genuine interest in informing students (and all readers) about the structure of the various elements of the DP as a way of inviting informed commentary and community participation. I look forward to a great year on campus and outstanding contributions from The Daily Pennsylvanian. Good luck with all your new initiatives. Larry Moneta Associate Vice Provost for University Life
(05/03/95 9:00am)
Serious efforts to select a permanent Vice Provost for University Life will begin this week when a faculty-student search committee appointed to screen prospective candidates has its first meeting. Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, who has served as acting VPUL for the past 18 months, said last week that she is a candidate for the permanent position. Characterizing her term to date as "the most invigorating [experience] of my entire professional life," McCoullum said that as VPUL, she has enjoyed working with diverse constituencies and that she would like to continue contributing to campus life. But last March, when then-interim Provost Martin Lazerson extended McCoullum's tenure as VPUL for the 1994-95 academic year, she told The Daily Pennsylvanian that her term would "definitely end on June 30, 1995." McCoullum was unavailable for comment regarding her decision to seek the VPUL position on a permanent basis. Associate VPUL Larry Moneta refused to comment when asked whether he is seeking the position of permanent VPUL. According to Executive Assistant to the Provost Linda Koons, Mathematics Professor Dennis DeTurck, Religious Studies Professor Ann Matter, Microbiology Professor Helen Davies and Operations and Information Management Professor James Laing will serve on the VPUL Search Committee. Medical student Erick Santos and Engineering doctoral student Charles Roe will also participate in the committee's deliberations, and Koons said she expects to receive the names of undergraduates who will serve on the committee from Nominations and Elections Committee Chairperson Rick Gresh, a College senior, this week. Provost Stanley Chodorow said he decided to search internally for a permanent VPUL because of his desire to have "someone in the job who knows Penn well and who is known." He added that he does not want an outsider to make the changes in the Division of University Life that have been recommended by the Coopers & Lybrand report on administrative restructuring and will be recommended in the forthcoming report of the Provost's Council on Undergraduate Education. "I want change to be natural -- an outgrowth of how we have provided student services and of how Penn as a whole does what it does," he said. Implementation of these recommendations is expected to alter the organization of the Division of University Life and the way it delivers services to students over the next few years. But Chodorow said it is impossible to speculate on precisely how the responsibilities of the VPUL will change. "[PCUE] is setting up a process for the development of some aspects of the existing experience and of some new things," he said. "The University Life division and the job of the VPUL will help shape and be shaped by those new and expanded elements of the experience." Chodorow said the goal of reorganizing the Division of University Life is to better integrate student services into the academic programs available on campus -- thereby improving all programs. A timetable for the search process has not yet been set, and Chodorow said the pace of the search committee's progress depends on how long it takes to review candidates' files and interview them.
(05/03/95 9:00am)
Serious efforts to select a permanent Vice Provost for University Life will begin this week when a faculty-student search committee appointed to screen prospective candidates has its first meeting. Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, who has served as acting VPUL for the past 18 months, said last week that she is a candidate for the permanent position. Characterizing her term to date as "the most invigorating [experience] of my entire professional life," McCoullum said that as VPUL, she has enjoyed working with diverse constituencies and that she would like to continue contributing to campus life. But last March, when then-interim Provost Martin Lazerson extended McCoullum's tenure as VPUL for the 1994-95 academic year, she told The Daily Pennsylvanian that her term would "definitely end on June 30, 1995." McCoullum was unavailable for comment regarding her decision to seek the VPUL position on a permanent basis. Associate VPUL Larry Moneta refused to comment when asked whether he is seeking the position of permanent VPUL. According to Executive Assistant to the Provost Linda Koons, Mathematics Professor Dennis DeTurck, Religious Studies Professor Ann Matter, Microbiology Professor Helen Davies and Operations and Information Management Professor James Laing will serve on the VPUL Search Committee. Medical student Erick Santos and Engineering doctoral student Charles Roe will also participate in the committee's deliberations, and Koons said she expects to receive the names of undergraduates who will serve on the committee from Nominations and Elections Committee Chairperson Rick Gresh, a College senior, this week. Provost Stanley Chodorow said he decided to search internally for a permanent VPUL because of his desire to have "someone in the job who knows Penn well and who is known." He added that he does not want an outsider to make the changes in the Division of University Life that have been recommended by the Coopers & Lybrand report on administrative restructuring and will be recommended in the forthcoming report of the Provost's Council on Undergraduate Education. "I want change to be natural -- an outgrowth of how we have provided student services and of how Penn as a whole does what it does," he said. Implementation of these recommendations is expected to alter the organization of the Division of University Life and the way it delivers services to students over the next few years. But Chodorow said it is impossible to speculate on precisely how the responsibilities of the VPUL will change. "[PCUE] is setting up a process for the development of some aspects of the existing experience and of some new things," he said. "The University Life division and the job of the VPUL will help shape and be shaped by those new and expanded elements of the experience." Chodorow said the goal of reorganizing the Division of University Life is to better integrate student services into the academic programs available on campus -- thereby improving all programs. A timetable for the search process has not yet been set, and Chodorow said the pace of the search committee's progress depends on how long it takes to review candidates' files and interview them.
(04/28/95 9:00am)
To the Editor:I am writing this letter in regard to the bombing in Oklahoma City and the front page article in the DP ("Nation Shocked By Oklahoma Blast," DP 4/20/95). I, like every American, was utterly shocked and dismayed by the senseless killing of innocent people. I grieved the death of the men, women and especially children who were indiscriminately slaughtered by people whose actions defy explanation. I searched my heart for an answer to the question everyone was asking: Why? Why must innocent people die so senselessly and so indiscriminately to make a political statement? With these thoughts I struggled to fall asleep last Wednesday night. Thursday morning I picked up the DP and read the article on the tragedy. When I read this article my heart was broken a second time, this time not by the tragedy but by the accusations of guilt. How is it that I could have had any connection with this senseless tragedy? How is it possible that I would even think of condoning such an act? As shocking as these questions may seem, this is precisely what the article alleges. Being a Muslim, I was very hurt by the rather indiscriminate allegations made by Professor Stephen Gale. The article made no attempt to explain that the vast majority of Muslims here in the United States and through out the world have not, do not, and will not condone or support terrorist activities. In fact, Professor Gale, when he made the comment that there are a lot of Muslim fundamentalists in Oklahoma City and that until now there has never been any problem between them and the general public, went out of his way to give the impression that average Muslim Americans do condone and support such activities. This statement gives the impression that the Muslims of Oklahoma City were responsible for this tragedy. In reporting on this tragedy the least that the DP could have done is to give the Muslims on this campus the opportunity to respond and give there point of view. The lack of such a viewpoint makes the article nothing more than an editorial that was badly out placed on the front page. This article, like many other things, including the exclusion of Muslims from the Prayer Services on Sunday, points to the growing racism against Muslims here in the United States. The saddest part of this growing trend is that the racism is popularized and legitimized by the biased media and its so called "experts." I would like to end this letter with two caveats. This event shows us that we should in the future refrain from jumping to conclusions based on such racist notions. It also points out the need for us as Americans to re-evaluate our stereotypes; there is enough hatred and violence in the world today, we do not need to add fuel to the fire. I hope we, as tomorrow's leaders, will take these admonitions to heart. Shabeer Abubucker Engineering '97 Muslim Students Association Publicity Director An Irrelevant Color To the Editor: In the Tuesday issue of the DP, Jamil Smith ("Interpreting the Color of Jesus," DP 4/25/95) wrote a column in order to prove that Jesus was a man of color. Whether he was or not is irrelevant! What is relevant is how and what exactly he tried to prove. Jamil was so fanatical about proving history wrong that he misconstrued and quoted out of context the most sacred piece of his religion, the Bible. In his column, Jamil cites two sections of the Bible in which it says "hairs?like wool." Well, he was right, it said that. However, in order to get his point across he neglects to quote fully: "The hair of his head was a white as snow-white wool." (The actual Revelation 1:14) The point is that some of us Christians might get slightly offended when you try to rewrite the bible. Also, try not to sacrifice the journalistic integrity that any newspaper columnist should respect when putting a quotation in print. Now, the more important point is -- who cares what color he is? Jamil, and any other people who are really pondering what color he is should sit down and really think about what Jesus's life was all about. If you did, then you would realize that it is the values and the beliefs that this incredible man left behind that should really matter. Anyone who calls themself a Christian, black, white, or purple, should only care about leading the life that Jesus taught us to lead. If a Christian is really worried about the color of Jesus than he or she is totally missing the point. Jamil, if the color of Jesus is really that important to you than maybe you should go back to Sunday school and learn what it really means to be a Christian. Anthony Napoli Engineering '98 Too Little, Too Late To the Editor: In response to the DP's appeal to the University to voluntarily open the tenure process and its records to the public before the next "unpopular decision," it appears it's too late! Kenneth Keltai Fine Arts graduate student '96 (one signature follows) No Longer the Editor To the Editor: We are writing in reference to a comment in this week's 34th Street Magazine. In "Street Society" there is a reference made to J. Christopher Robbins and a photograph under which he is referred to as an "Editor" of The Red and Blue. We would like to make it clear to the Penn community that J. Christopher Robbins and Jeremy Hildreth have no ties whatsoever to the new editorial board of The Red and Blue. We wish to put on record the fact that J. Christopher Robbins and Jeremy Hildreth are neither members of our Editorial Board nor officers of the publication in any capacity. Contrary to information that appeared in the DP on Thursday, April 13th 1995, J. Christopher Robbins is not a "Senior Editor." Such an appointment was never made, in fact, such a position does not even exist within our organizational framework or constitution. We would also like to make it clear that the group known as "The Red and Blue Society," which is headed by J. Christopher Robbins, is in no way connected to The Red and Blue. J. Christopher Robbins's tenure as Editor-in-Chief of The Red and Blue ended at the beginning of April and he will not be representing or working for the publication in the future. We are happy to inform the campus that the next issue will be distributed at the beginning of next week and hope that you will judge the new board of editors on the basis of the May 1995 issue. Thor Halvorssen Editor-in-Chief, The Red and Blue (2 signatures follow)
(04/28/95 9:00am)
Ending a day of Holocaust remembrance, more than 150 people crowded Houston Hall's Bodek Lounge last night to hear a speech by Holocaust survivor and filmmaker Zev Kedem. Kedem, who was rescued from death by Oskar Schindler, served as a consultant to Steven Spielberg in the creation of last year's Academy Award-winning Schindler's List. While relating his Holocaust experiences, Kedem spoke in a calm, steady voice with a British accent. "I was born in Poland in 1934," he said. "I came from a Jewish family that was totally assimilated." Kedem explained that he was five years old when the Germans entered Poland. That was when things started to change, he said, explaining that some of his family was placed in a ghetto in Poland. "People started losing control of their existence," he said. "The Jewish area was surrounded by walls and barbed wire. Communication by television or radio was punishable by automatic death." The Jews in this ghetto were also stripped of their identity, Kedem explained. "We had to wear the yellow stars of David, and any show of culture such as a beard was considered objectionable and for that you could get beaten up," he said. Kedem added that those in the ghetto had to give up their personal belongings -- such as fur coats -- for the war effort. He also said that when deportation began, nobody under the age of 13 or too old to work was allowed to stay in the ghetto. The families thought that they had been taken for resettlement, but later learned that the deported were sent to death camps. The last deportation took place when Kedem was eight or nine years old. He said that when this deportation started, some of his family hid in a pigeon coop. "There was nothing else to do there but sit in fear and listen to what was going on outside," he said, describing the sounds of yelling and occasional gunshots. Kedem said those with work permits were forced to dig up Jewish graves and turn over gold teeth and other valuables found to the Germans. He added that the children who were too young or weak to be deported were systematically executed. When the Germans searched the building in which they were hiding, his grandparents were prepared to take poison rather than be taken to concentration camps. Kedem said that his mother knew that deportation would mean death for him, and that the only way to save his life was to put him among the workers by smuggling him into a concentration camp. He was hidden in a wagon filled with jewelry and smuggled into a camp. "I started work in a brush factory," he said. "I would produce more brush than anyone. It was a competition to stay alive." He added that he surrounded himself with older boys and sat up higher than anyone else -- so as not to be killed because of his youth. Kedem said people brought into the camps were forced to strip naked and stand in the cold. They were then forced to walk over lime-covered corpses in a demonstration of complete control by the Nazis. He added that the prisoners were given small pieces of bread covered in sawdust to eat, along with soup devoid of solids. He explained that when Oskar Schindler created his fictitious factory, Kedem's adopted father got him on the famous list of people who were "purchased" to work for him. But because of his age, Kedem was sent back to Auschwitz. He said that when he was given a tattooed number, he had tears of not only discomfort but happiness -- because it meant he would live a little longer. He said that at night, he had to strap on his boots tightly to keep them from being stolen. He also had to cover his body in mud to keep from being eaten by rats. Kedem explained that he was liberated two weeks before his 11th birthday. He then moved to England, received an Oxford degree in engineering and moved to Israel. He was reunited with his sister 20 years after liberation, and with his mother another 20 years later.
(04/21/95 9:00am)
The personnel changes began slowly, even before University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow officially assumed their positions. Former Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson became Vice Provost in the Provost's Office in December 1993. She is now co-executive director of the 21st Century Project on the Undergraduate Experience. Deputy Provost Walter Wales said last spring he would resign from his post and return to teaching, and former Assistants to the President Nicholas Constan and Ira Harkavy followed suit in the summer and fall, respectively. Predictably, the pace of change sped up as the year progressed. Former Executive Director of the President's Office Linda Hyatt left the University in November. She was replaced by Chief of Staff Stephen Schutt, Deputy to the President Jean Morse and Director of the President's Office Linda Gilvear. The latest on the list of those seeking employment opportunities elsewhere is University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich, who last week announced his resignation, effective July 31. "I think that with a new administration there's the inevitable turnover, and new people come," Rodin said this week. "We don't have [additional] large-scale expectations for change in personnel, but there is always that possibility." She added that searches are still underway for the director of the African-American Resource Center, vice president for human resources and assistant director for the Office of Affirmative Action. While all of the vacancies in Rodin's office are now filled, Chodorow has just begun to look for a permanent Vice Provost for University Life. Acting VPUL Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum has occupied the post since Morrisson's departure, although she originally agreed to serve for only six months. Chodorow said the VPUL search will be internal, adding that he is looking for "someone who knows Penn and who can manage in a changing environment." "I am concerned to ensure that the VPUL keep up with the results of PCUE and with the re-engineering efforts we are undertaking, all the while making sure that students receive better service than they receive now," he said. "In other words, I want a divinity who can perform miracles." The new job description, advertised in this week's "Job Opportunities at Penn" listing found in the merged Almanac and Compass, states that the individual selected as VPUL will be "responsible for all non-academic aspects of the undergraduate, graduate and professional student life," in addition to promoting "a supportive and humane campus community" for students, faculty and staff. A faculty/student screening committee that has not yet been formed will recommend candidates for the position to Chodorow, according to Executive Assistant to the Provost Linda Koons. McCollum said she is a candidate for the permanent position.
(04/21/95 9:00am)
From Mike Nadel's "Give 'em Hell," Fall '95 From Mike Nadel's "Give 'em Hell," Fall '95Ron Perelman, the multi-millionaire who leads the Revlon Corporation, has made a decision. Perelman has decided to give President Rodin and Provost Chodorow the go-ahead for plans to construct their proposed new student center, Perelman Quadrangle. Students learned of the Perelman Quad through a DP leak instead of through an announcement from the President's office. This is because the administration did not want to declare the Revlon Center dead until Mr. Perelman had agreed to the new idea. Four months passed without word from Mr. Perelman. Until this week. Before yesterday, the make-up mogul has been conspicuously absent from the pages of this newspaper, and a Lexis/Nexis search reveals little more about his activities during this semester. Apparently Mr. Perelman was caught in a fire at New York's posh Four Seasons restaurant. And, as has been frequently reported, his ex-wife held a press conference to announce that she is in love with Alphonse D'amato, the famously unsexy senator from New York. Just goes to show, there's no accounting for taste. Actually, that age-old axiom helps explain the administration's support for the Perelman Quad in the first place. Perelman Quad is to student centers what Al D'amato is to choices in husbands. When I first saw the DP headline in January and read about the new proposal, I was angry. As a junior in high school back in 1991, the University had told me that the Revlon Center would be open by the fall of my freshman year. Now word had trickled out that it was not to be built at all. Something must be done about this, I thought. But the next day, Provost Chodorow called a meeting of student leaders, and he discussed his plan. He put up the blueprints, he explained how everything fit together, and he talked about how much the Trustees liked this new vision. The provost's enthusiasm was infectious. We were sold. Or rather, sold out. Fortunately, only two days have gone by since Mr. Perelman decided to give the project his approval. Nothing irrevocable has been done yet. There is still time to step back and examine the concept of the Perelman Quad. Having done so, I now see that my initial reaction was correct. Perelman Quad is greatly flawed. Consider the aesthetics. The plan calls for Logan Hall and Williams Hall to be joined by a glass atrium. Logan Hall, with its beautiful and newly refurbished stone, was constructed in a time before electricity. It is considered to be a campus gem. Williams Hall is made of the cold red brick of the 1960s. And we're going to connect them with a strange glass structure? Think how it will look! Why would we do that to our campus? Then there is the question of money. Administration estimates place the total cost of Perelman Quad, which is to be built in phases, at $60 million. But consider this: The University spent $15 million just to remove the green stuff from the exteriors of Logan and College Halls. If it costs that much just to renovate the outsides of two buildings, how can it possibly cost only $60 million to completely renovate and restructure the interior of four buildings and create underground tunnels beneath an entire city block? Even if the $60 million figure is accurate, the money still isn't there. Perelman has pledged $20 million. The rest, President Rodin said Wednesday, will come from "fundraising." It is difficult to see how fixing up four old buildings and giving a block of campus a new name will engender the excitement needed to raise $40 million more. Since no new buildings are involved, this project could be stopped whenever it goes over budget, thus leaving students once again without a student center. Not that Perelman Quad will be much of a student center. These buildings simply cannot be changed from what they are into top-notch facilities. Irvine Auditorium may be a historical treasure, but it is useless as an auditorium. Everyone who has seen presentations by Penn Film Society or who saw Ben and Jerry speak last week knows that the acoustics in the building are beyond rehabilitation. Irvine is the wrong answer to the lack of performing arts space on campus. Perelman Quad calls for the classroom from hell, Logan 17, to be turned into a concert hall. Yet the two enormous pillars and eighteenth century design, which make it an inadequate learning space, doom it to failure as a place for theatrical events. All of these buildings are ancient. The electrical wiring changes needed to bring them into the next century will be extremely difficult and prohibitively expensive. The engineers who are currently struggling to fix College Hall right now can confirm this. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, is the issue of location. Perelman Quad was designed under the premise that this area is the center of campus. But it is not. Many Nursing students, most Wharton students and some College students rarely go past 36th Street during the day. And at night, when most extracurricular activity occurs, the center of campus shifts even further west. Student organizations increasingly avoid Houston Hall as a meeting place, not just because of the condition of the building, but because it is too far out of the way. Most non-freshmen live west of 38th Street. A six-block walk is not relished in the dead of winter. This is why the Hall of Flags is increasingly empty while business at Chats is booming. Whether this indicates laziness or not is irrelevant; it is realty. The president and the provost had only been at the University for a few months when they dreamed up Perelman Quad, so they may not realize the problems with the idea. But as students, we should. I have taken foreign language classes in Williams Hall for three years. I know it can't be rehabilitated and filled with music practice rooms. I've been to countless events in Irvine that would have been better if they'd been somewhere else. I took Psych 1 in Logan 17, and many times I was among the substantial portion of the class that couldn't see the professor from behind the pillars. Over and over again, I've heard people complain about having to make the trip to Houston Hall for a meeting. Many times they've just decided it wasn't worth going. If students do not go to the new student center, it will fail. And if we're going to invest $60 million to get our new toy, we should be sure it's going to work. So I have a plea for Mr. Perelman: Change your mind. Nix Perelman Quad. It is not to late to send the president and the provost back to the drawing board to create a real student center. Ask them to present a proposal that is not merely satisfactory but that is thrilling. Ask them to do it right away. Yes, such a course of action will cause embarrassment for President Rodin and maybe even for you as well. But Perelman Quad is the wrong thing for this campus. It is a mistake you should not allow the University to make. Let's begin again. An appropriate location to consider for a new student center might be Superblock. A building could be constructed to form an "L" around High Rise East, replacing 1920 Commons, the parking garage and Mayer Hall. There is plenty of room to create a building that meets student needs and is a lot closer to where most of us live. Throughout April, juniors in high school visit Penn. This year's visitors will one day comprise the Class of 2000. Let's keep the promises that were broken for us. We don't have to give them the inevitable disappointment of Perelman Quad. Let's build them a truly spectacular student center. Mr. Perelman, it's up to you.
(04/07/95 9:00am)
Two Hill House graduate fellows have been disciplined by a senior staff disciplinary review board after they accused two students of smoking marijuana in their dorm rooms in February, Hill House Assistant Dean Steve Feld said yesterday. "There obviously was behavior inconsistent with what we expect from our graduate fellows," Feld said. "We reached some determinations and acted accordingly." Although Feld would not comment on the details of the disciplinary action, he acknowledged that the GFs did receive a punishment. College freshman Sarah Davies, who was one of the students questioned about using marijuana, said Feld told her that Lance Dunlop, one of the GFs, was moved from Hill House to the Graduate Towers. Davies added that she was not sure if Dunlop -- a first-year Psychology graduate student -- moved out of Hill House or was told to leave by the disciplinary board. She said that she is waiting for a letter from Hill House explaining the actions of the disciplinary board. "There's obviously some circumstances or decisions we don't know about," Davies said. And Davies said that Prasad Veluchamy, the other GF and a third-year Wharton and Engineering graduate student, would not be invited back to Hill House next year. Feld said that he hoped the incident would be a helpful learning experience. In the future, he added GFs will practice role playing so they understand what actions to take if a similar situation occurs. Although Davies said she was a little surprised the board's decision was so strict, she believes they took the correct actions. "It does make you wonder about the people they give positions of power to," Davies said. "[Veluchamy] has a big problem with responsibility and power. Someone who abuses their power doesn't deserve to continue carrying a position like that." Veluchamy declined comment and Dunlop could not be reached for comment last night. A third GF, Tammy Leftcourt, was exonerated by the disciplinary board, according to Feld.
(03/22/95 10:00am)
With just 18 days remaining until its first Ivy League game, the Penn softball team is looking to get some valuable game experience against non-conference opponents. The Quakers, who only have four starters returning at their natural positions this year, hope to improve defensively and get consistent pitching before taking on conference rivals. Offensive production has not been a problem for Penn. But when the Quakers take on Lehigh today in a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader in Bethlehem, they will need to cut down their mistakes in the field. Penn's defense up the middle is especially vulnerable. With the recent injury to sophomore Sam Smithson, freshman Rachel Benepe has been handling the catching duties. Sophomore shortstop Laurie Nestler has been given the difficult task of learning how to play the infield after starting in left field last year. An all-Ivy selection last season, Nestler has averaged over an error per game this year. Freshman Amy Malerba takes over at second base. Penn coach Linda Carothers hopes the next two-and-a-half weeks will be enough time for the infield to gel, as the players get a better feel for their new positions and for each other. "Getting a young team to play together is going to take some time," she said. "What was nice for us is that from the first game to the last game they looked like a different team they executed a whole lot better." Concerns about pitching depth, although still lingering, have begun to disappear. During the spring break trip to Florida, only one of the four pitchers Carothers sent to the mound -- Vicki Moore -- came away with a win. At the time, depth of pitching looked to be a sore sport for the Quakers. But Melanie Bolt helped alleviate that fear, pitching a strong game when Penn took the second game of a doubleheader against Long Island upon returning north last weekend. The Quakers still need freshman Jen Strawley and senior Dawn Kulp to step up. Until then, Carothers will tinker with the staff, searching for the best rotation. "My pitching staff's going to be consistent," she said. "But we haven't settled into a definite rotation. When we get into our season, when it's a regular Wednesday-Saturday-Sunday, that rotation will take care of itself. But what I think we're probably going to be doing is maybe using more relief this year." Carothers will be quick to go to her bench, at least until the team gets into the conference schedule. With most of the pitchers also playing the field, Penn will need some bench players to contribute. Lisa Zelnick has been especially valuable when Dawn Kulp leaves her spot in right field to take the mound. "Lisa Zelnick has been a super first off the bench in the outfield," Carothers said. "And everybody has played, so everybody's gotten their feet wet." As the youngest team in the conference, expectations are low. But the Quakers are hoping to use the underdog role to their advantage. "The goals that we have are going to be relevant to being real young," Carothers said. "We don't have anything to prove. So we're not looking to finish first in the Ivies. We're not looking to finish last in the Ivies. We're looking to get into every game, stay in every game and play well." If Penn can get on a roll by winning non-conference games such as today's twin bill versus the Engineers, Carothers believes anything can happen once the Ivy season rolls around. "With a young team, who knows what's going to happen?" she said.
(03/03/95 10:00am)
For sale -- Panama City Beach, Cancun, Myrtle Beach, Montego Bay -- for the duration of one month. Contact your travel agent for prices. Believe it or not, many cities literally sell themselves to college students during the month of March. Travel agencies and independent business owners spend large amounts of money targeting college students across the United States and Canada, according to a news release from ConciergeConsultants of Fort Lauderdale. The businesses post flyers and take out advertisements in campus newspapers promoting the "rental" of their cities to students looking for vacation sites. Flyers promising white sand beaches, blue waters, night clubs, hot sun and hotter bods -- what the companies dub as paradise -- are all a part of the publicity campaigns for the promotion of Spring Break tourist spots. These business owners have probably learned a lesson from the Fort Lauderdale's decision to discourage the annual gathering in their city. In 1989, city politicians in Fort Lauderdale decided they no longer wished to have their city invaded by college students during Spring Break, according to the ConciergeConsultants news release. Students got the message. They left Fort Lauderdale and took with them more than $175 million in revenue, a loss from which the beach community has never recovered. Now private business owners in the area have started their own campaign to bring back the students and with them, economic stability. A flyer promoting package deals to Cancun and the Bahamas caught the eye of College sophomore Amy Rosenberg. Seeing it prompted her to search for more information about the hot spots advertised. Rosenberg and seven of her friends plan to stay in the Bahamas during the week of Spring Break. "I actually wanted to go to Cancun," Rosenberg said. "But one person in our group was dead set against it, so we are going to the Bahamas." Wharton junior Dave Coughlin started planning to go away last semester. However, it was just a week and a half ago that he and his friends decided their destination would be Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. He heard about the area from friends who had been there previously. "We chose Myrtle Beach because it is shorter in terms of distance than other places, so we were saving gas and time," Coughlin said. "It is also not a typical Spring Break spot so we got a good deal with the hotel." College sophomore Mike Barrett, founder of the Penn Spring Break Club, was also attracted by the idea of a vacation spot that was not frequented by many people. "Cancun has too much of a club atmosphere -- loud nonstop partying," he said. "I have been planning to go to Nassau since last year because it is very relaxing." While some students looked for beach vacations, others chose alternative places. Wharton and Engineering sophomore Matt Finkelstein plans to go skiing in Vermont with some friends. "We were going to go to Mexico or Florida, but those ideas never panned out," Finkelstein said. "Then we all decided that we wanted to go skiing." College sophomore Leslie Metzger sums up the Spring Break attitude for all students -- whether renting out a typical Spring Break city, hiding at an unknown beach spot, skiing or even going home. "I just basically want to give my brain a rest," Metzger said.
(02/24/95 10:00am)
From lack of rehearsal space to losing members, student bands face many obstacles The buzzing patrons slowly filter in. Everybody recognizes a familiar face and settles into small groups around the scattered tables. The band warms up, sending screeching microphone feedback through the amplifiers. As the first strains of the solo acoustic guitar drift to the back of the room, the small tables rapidly begin to fill. And the parade of student bands keeps the audience -- devoted followers of the University music scene -- blithely satisfied. The vast majority of campus bands remain invisible to the average student. Only the music scene's insiders monitor the rise and fall of University bands. And anonymity is the least of the problems a young group must face. Questions of style, where and when to rehearse, and the simple matter of chemistry must all be confronted before a new band can get going. Most campus bands are fragile creatures, easily shattered by members' graduations or simple conflicts of interest. This volatility dims the long term prospects of many bands. The University's only ska band, the Lidds, was one of the few bands to achieve campus-wide familiarity. But even such a high profile group made an inauspicious debut. Engineering senior John Cole, the group's saxophonist, hadn't played the instrument for over two years before he was asked to join the band. And the group's lead singer, former University student Jerrold "Rock" Johnson, was asked to join while out jogging one day. Their first public performance together was similarly disorganized. Former University student Jeremy Fish, the band's drummer, "came in and told us that we had a gig, and we only had three songs at the time," Cole said. The group managed to write five more songs before their first performance, but still had one wrinkle to iron out before taking the stage. "It took until the day we were performing for the first time to come up with The Lidds," said Johnson, who currently works for the University's School of Veterinary Medicine. After more than a year together, the group broke up in November having lost several members to graduation. Johnson and his fellow former Lidds, Cole and College senior Bart Milkenburger, decided to form an entirely new group rather than attempt to replace the missing pieces. "Bart and I pretty much went out and found these musicians," Cole said. "They were basically the hottest freshman coming in." But the new band will have to deal with the same problems that confronted the Lidds over a year ago. And compounded by the impending graduation of Cole and Milkenburger, the band's prospects for success are still questionable. "I don't really know if this band is going to get going," Cole said. If it gels, the new group plans to dabble in funk music, but ska fans still have one more chance to see the Lidds in action. The group is planning to hold a reunion at this year's Spring Fling. "It'll be our last official get together," Johnson said. He added that he hopes the new group can match or even surpass the Lidds' success. "Optimally, I'd like to get a band that is actually going somewhere," he said. Cole said he is also considering making a career out of his music, but is realistic about his prospects. "Its a long shot," he said. With the demise of the Lidds, the alternative rock/punk group Splendorbin has moved to the forefront of the campus music scene. The year-and-a-half old band, who's music is self-described as "melodic punk," is one of the few University bands to establish a reputation off-campus. In fact, the band rarely makes appearances on campus. When they do, it is invariably at the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity house which was described as "the best place to play in West Philadelphia" by Wharton senior Bill Elliot, one of the band's guitarists. But Splendorbin's goals extend far beyond merely becoming the best band on campus. They have already independently produced and distributed two cassettes, and recently teamed up with Static Records to produce their first seven inch disk. Unlike many bands, they don't intend to let graduation interfere with their success. The all-senior band plans to stay together next year and may even go on tour this summer. Another up and coming alternative rock band is Synapse. But like the Lidds, band members can remember how tough it was starting out. "We played in the Quad until we got kicked out," recalled Wharton sophomore Jason Seldon, Synapse's lead guitarist. Since that time, the band has found a home in the basement of the Pi Lam fraternity house, where several of the members are brothers. And with their newfound stability has come success. Synapse played at Spring Fling last year and are planning to do so again this year. They are also trying to independently publish a seven inch disk on which they hope to put three of their original songs. "Everybody in the band has different record company connections," Seldon said. "So we'll just have to see who will help us." Recently, the band took several months off while searching for a new drummer until Splendorbin's drummer, College senior Jason McKibben, agreed to fill in. Band members are enthusiastic about the change. "Since he's joined, our sound has changed a lot," said College sophomore Ben Morgan, the group's bassist. "It has become a lot more punk." The band hopes to mirror Splendorbin's off-campus success, but has yet to garner the same respect in the Philadelphia music scene. "We haven't been able to play off campus yet," Morgan said. "It's very tough for Penn bands." This summer, they plan to tour the East Coast. But many of the problems that plague University bands do not affect groups based off-campus. College senior Ricardo Richards has played bass in his family's band, The Sons of Ace, for 15 years. "My dad is Ace," Richards explained. "And with me and my brothers, we are The Sons of Ace." Although the band's roots are in reggae and Ace himself was deeply involved in Bob Marley's first album, Richards noted that they are all classically-trained musicians capable of playing many styles. In past years, the group played on campus at fraternity parties and made several appearances at the Castle. Currently, they play every Thursday night at the Ups & Down Bar on 5th Street and have recently finished their third CD, titled Falasha. PARMESAN, a student group dedicated to assisting the University's musical community, is also giving local bands stage exposure in their weekly performances. It is a non-profit group, dependent on volunteers who work to support the musical community. "Its a great way to get the music scene going," said Wharton junior Daryl Marco, the group's leader. PARMESAN tries to schedule bands from across the musical spectrum, according to Marco. At a recent show, the acts ranged from a solo acoustic guitarist to a bizarre keyboard band called Umbilical Corduroy, which featured a song dedicated to the infamous "Mad Shitter," the yet-to-be-identified person who has smeared bathrooms in the Quadrangle with feces. "We try to run the gamut of styles," said College sophomore Marc Sand, one of the PARMESAN assistants. "It gets really boring if we just run the same brands of music every week." Sand, whose brother helped start the organization, said that on a good night, nearly 200 people pack into the High Rise North Rathskellar Lounge. He also noted that many of the most successful student bands over the past few years played on the PARMESAN stage on their way up. The shows, performed every Thursday, are especially helpful for younger bands. They provide a social atmosphere for those people interested in music, and can also give a new band their first opportunity to perform in public. "One of the things that we try to do is help bands form," Marco said. College sophomore Amy Lebow is the lead singer for one newly formed pop/rock band that has taken advantage of the "open mike" opportunity at PARMESAN. "We played PARMESAN twice last semester," Lebow said. "The first time it was just me and my guitarist Danny. There just aren't many other options for open-mike experience." The group's guitarist, College freshman Danny Barria, began to put together the group soon after arriving to campus in September. "I'd had a band back home," Barria said. "So I posted on a newsgroup and it just sprang from there." Lebow was the first to respond to the posting, but after a long search, the group discovered a bassist in the most unlikely of places. "The bassist is actually the guitarist's next door neighbor," said Lebow. The last member of the group was the most difficult to find. "It's hardest to find a drummer," Lebow said. "And there are no drumsets on campus." When asked about their goals now that the group had finally been assembled, the members of the band were realistic. Barria said he would like to "play a couple of parties and maybe a bar or two," but added that "anything bigger than that would be unnecessary." "My goal is basically just to write a few songs and play them," Lebow said, explaining that the band had not yet played together as a group. "Before we could just practice in one of our rooms," she added. "But now it is much harder." "It's just really tough to get a band started, especially with on-campus housing," Barria said. Despite the challenges that University bands face, there remain a relatively small but dedicated group of musicians who help keep the scene going. Because of their size, many of these veteran musicians have had the opportunity to play together. Before he joined the Lidds, Johnson was the lead singer for a group called the Groove Merchants. He was recruited by Fish, the former drummer for the popular campus band Rhino Lift. Fish also recruited Cole. And when not running PARMESAN, Marco himself is involved in a number of bands. The most successful of these is a group called Nimbus Burn, whose style he described as "jammy guitar pop." Cole once played alongside Marco in Nimbus Burn. In fact, Cole also teamed up with College senior Robert Markoff to form Benevolent Ensemble. But he is far from the most prolific musician on campus. That distinction may well fall to Marco. "At this point in time I only belong to three bands," Marco said. "But at my worst I belonged to four or five."
(02/17/95 10:00am)
Faced with the Interfraternity Council's strict enforcement of the "Bring Your Own Beer" policy coupled with the recent crackdown by the Liquor Control Board, some students are finding the University's revamped social scene a little hard to swallow. Last month, the IFC passed a revised BYOB policy, making what was once a farce into a definite reality. Now, instead of free-flowing kegs complementing the smoky, music-filled hallways of these weekend hot spots, partygoers must tote their own thirst quenchers as they head out for the evening. College freshman Daniel Unger said that he believes the move toward under-21 sobriety is resulting in the downfall of the fraternity party, and is merely influencing minors to drink elsewhere. Now that drinks are no longer on the house, there exists little motivation for celebrating in the Greek tradition, Unger said. "If you have to buy beer on your own anyway, you might as well drink it with friends rather than go to a party," Unger said. "I think the parties suck since BYOB started," he added. "Turnout's been bad because people don't want to go [to fraternity parties] and not be able to get beer." Wharton freshman Daniel Mizukovski agreed. "People are going to stop coming," he said. "People would rather buy alcohol, go to their rooms and have parties in their rooms." Mizukovski said he believes a giant variable in the fraternity party equation is the availability of free alcohol with a relatively small cover charge -- taking that factor away essentially removes any notion of enjoyment. "When I first came to Penn, it was the traditional frat party -- unlimited beer, get wasted," Mizukovski said. "Now, you can't call it a frat party. I don't know what it is. "[At the] couple of frat parties I've been at, I couldn't get any alcohol," he added. "Altogether it was terrible, and everyone was scrounging around for tickets. So instead of having fun, you're concentrating on getting tickets." Joe Ryan, owner of the popular campus bar Smokey Joe's, reports no increase in incidences of minors attempting to gain entrance into his establishment, given the lack of beer at parties and the surprise of police officials at other bars. However, Ryan attributes this to his bar's reputation as "21 and over only." "I think our reputation is pretty hard core," Ryan said. Josh Gottheimer, Alpha Epsilon Pi president and IFC judicial manager, said he believes alcohol consumption should not be the sole purpose behind attending fraternity parties, adding that attractions other than beer should continue to lure students to their doors. "I'm hoping people don't go to fraternities only for the alcohol," said Gottheimer, a College sophomore. "Fraternities are beyond the alcohol. So you bring the beer with you -- it's no big deal. You come for the band, to see your friends. "If you come to have a good time, that's definitely still there," he said. Gottheimer said his impressions of the party scene at his own fraternity residence are substantially more positive than those of Unger and Mizukovski. Admitting that the house's first post-policy party was a bit shaky, Gottheimer added that he believes the University needs time to make it through the adjustment phase, and that, with time, BYOB will become a successful routine. "We had a party this weekend. Upwards of 65 percent [of the people who attended] brought beer, and we had a great crowd," he said. "It takes time for a campus to get used to something like this," he explained. "No one would disagree that it has an impact on Greek life right now. But I think that eventually, people will get used to it, and the campus will be fine." Tau Epsilon Phi Social Chair Mike Lembeck said he thinks the key to the transition lies in next year's incoming class, which arrives with few preconceived notions concerning alcohol on campus. Rather than adjusting, Lembeck said, new students will simply be accepting the policy as a given. "I think it's going to be a slow transition," he said. "When the new freshmen come in and the first thing they see is BYOB, this will make it work. "I don't think it's going to become a reality until next year," Lembeck added. "It's hard to change something you're accustomed to." However, he admitted that he harbors reservations about the policy, and foresees a definite decline in party attendance once BYOB becomes an unquestionable addition to University life. "The people that came [to the parties thus far] are still skeptical about [them] being BYOB," he said. "I think that's why it hasn't affected attendance yet. "But if it really solidifies itself -- if BYOB really becomes a fact and no longer an expectation, attendance will definitely decline," he added. But College freshman Kara Messner said she does not perceive any sort of attendance problem at fraternity parties, although she added that she has not seen the law being enforced. "[BYOB] doesn't seem to be in effect," Messner said. "I think the same amount [of people] are still going to frats. I've seen cops standing around, but they're not usually doing anything about it. "They realize that students are going to drink, and unless it gets out of control, I don't think they have a problem with it," she added. IFC President David Treat is placing his faith in the precedents set by other colleges and universities across the country. Citing the widespread move to BYOB, Treat said that campuses experimenting with the policy are finding it favorable. "This is not a local process, this is a nationwide process," said Treat, a College junior. "On the campuses where they've already gotten through the transition, [BYOB] works very well. "That's what we expect here -- just a transition period until we get to that," Treat added. "There's been a lot of progress and we're not there yet, but we hope to be soon." In the meantime, Engineering freshman Jason Pareti said he is "looking for things to do" as alternatives to fraternity party-hopping. Pareti, like Unger and Mizukovski, agrees that the fraternity parties have begun to lose their appeal. "Recently I haven't been to too many fraternity parties, in part due to the BYOB policy," Pareti said. "Definitely, the parties aren't as much fun as they used to be. It is a let-down." Pareti added that his social life has suffered a double blow due to the recent raid on Murph's, which he now no longer frequents. "[My friends and I] haven't been there for a while, since the problems," he said. Pareti does not necessarily represent the majority viewpoint, however. One College freshman, who asked that her name by withheld, said that her weekend plans have not been hurt by the recent lockouts on underage drinking. While she said the BYOB policy has been in effect, she added that procurement of alcohol has not been a problem. In fact, she admitted to regarding the policy as a positive because it eliminates the cover charge. "It hasn't really affected my social life," she said. "I still think that alcohol is accessible no matter what. "And I do find that the policy is in effect," she added. "People are more conscientious of having to provide their own drinks. "Everyone's been bringing six-packs, and you don't have to pay to get in," she said. College senior Kimberly May reflected on how the new restrictions would have impacted her social life as a minor. She said she probably would have headed downtown in search of a weekend night diversion. "I think it would have sent me downtown, which I would have thought was a good thing," May said. "There's a lot of stuff going on downtown that I would have investigated more carefully." May said, however, that the restrictions would not have stopped her from gaining access to alcohol. "I probably would have searched a lot harder for a fake ID," she said. "I would have spent more time investigating other sources of alcohol in places downtown. [And] I would have gone to off campus parties more."
(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.
(01/30/95 10:00am)
A wave of forged and obscene newsgroup posting has raised questions about Internet security on campus. Data Communications and Computing Services has recently received at least six complaints concerning false return addresses on postings within the "Newswatcher" and "Trumpet" newsgroup programs, according to Associate Vice Provost of Information System and Computing Dan Updegrove. These computer-lab-run programs -- which are easier to use than the commonly used "tin" program -- allow students to post without logging on to one of the University's servers. The hacking incidents have reportedly originated in the High Rise South and Stouffer College House computer labs. And the messages have been posted on newsgroups such as upenn.talk, upenn.food and upenn.forsale, according to College junior Meng Weng Wong, an Internet expert. These programs, which allow posting without actually logging on, have led to forged messages, including obscenities and misrepresentations of University organizations such as the Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity and the Daily Pennsylvanian. "I've been alive 46 years and I've never read words like this," Updegrove said. "If someone needs psychological help, then we'd like to get them psychological help." When College senior and President of Alpha Phi Omega Desiree Ramirez was writing a response to one obscene message that claimed to represent her fraternity, two more appeared on the newsgroup that claimed to be from her. She said she feels hurt and bewildered. "What did I do?" she said. "I didn't do anything. Why would this happen to poor little me?" Updegrove said that CDDS knew that abuse of these programs was always a possibility, but trusted Internet users to use the system wisely. According to Director of Planning and Engineering at DCCS George McKenna, it is extremely difficult to track individuals who abuse the system because they do not log on before they post. Wong, however, said that the University does have the ability to track the abuser. "He could be found and punished," Wong said. "I doubt the University has the balls to do it." McKenna said that educating other Internet users is also difficult. "You can teach people how to recognize a forged message, but even that's hard because they rip the headers off," he said. To combat the problem, Updegrove sent out a memo to all University computer labs Thursday essentially recommending they stop posting through programs which do not require identification. "We basically informed all the lab managers Thursday night that if they would like to have unauthenticated posting from the lab disabled to just let us know," he said. "One or two actors have spoiled it for the rest of the community," he said, adding that Internet hacking violates state and federal laws -- along with the Student Code of Conduct. Updegrove added that he is not limiting his search to University students, but considering staff and faculty as well.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
Although most of them traveled to campus by plane for the traditional two-day round of winter meetings, members of the University's Board of Trustees also found time for a trip on the information superhighway during their visit last week. While much of their time was consumed by committee meetings and briefings on the financial and academic state of the University, the Trustees attended a plenary session on Thursday entitled "The University in the Information Age." At this program, Engineering School Dean Gregory Farrington offered the Trustees an audio-visual glimpse of the Internet's potential for innovation in education, focusing on how technology has dramatically changed the processing, transmission and storage of information. Classics Professor James O'Donnell, who taught a seminar exclusively on the Internet this fall, and English Professor Alan Filreis, who created a computer listserv to encourage continuous discussion in his Literature of the Holocaust course, showed the Trustees how the use of information technology has expanded the frontiers of the classroom. Filreis, who is also the English Department's undergraduate chairperson, said he hopes the World Wide Web component of the Internet will help the department to become "paperless" by June 30, 1996 -- and to solve the problems of "uncreative course-taking" by students and "weak advising." Dental School Dean Raymond Fonesca said he anticipates using the Internet to develop a "life-long learning" and continuing education program to keep alumni involved in the Dental School's affairs. Farrington summed up the Internet as a combination of the best of the American educational system -- because it teaches large numbers of students at reasonable cost -- and the British Oxbridge model that emphasizes personal contact with faculty. Trustee Myles Tannenbaum called the demonstration "mind-blowing." "It's incredible," he said, referring to the Internet. "[Its] opportunities and what it will mean are every bit as significant as the printing press in terms of implication." At Friday's Stated Meeting, the Trustees approved the minutes of their October 20, 1994 meeting along with resolutions providing for an increased number of term trustees until December 31, 1996. The Trustees also heard reports from University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow on the current status of administrative restructuring, action on recommendations made last year by the Commission on Strengthening the Community, results of recently-completed dean searches and the 21st Century Project on Undergraduate Education. Acting Executive Vice President Jack Freeman said the University expects to break even financially this fiscal year, with the Schools of Nursing, Social Work and Graduate School of Education posting surpluses and the Annenberg School and Athletics Department running deficits. General Counsel Shelley Green updated the Trustees on the University's compliance with anti-trust laws, stemming from litigation first brought against the Ivy Overlap Group in 1989 that was related to the sharing of financial aid data for admissions purposes. The Budget and Finance Committee approved resolutions creating the TeleQuest radiology consortium, to be based at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, in addition to capital improvements to a planned Convention Avenue SEPTA stop near the Penn Tower Hotel. Purchases of computer equipment for the National Scalable Cluster Project and of several residential properties near campus were also ratified. Before adjourning, the Trustees discussed the proposed student judicial charter and the increasing internationalization of the University's student body. Rodin said she was pleased with the accomplishments that occurred during this cycle of meetings. "We always get a good deal of hard questioning and wise counsel from the Trustees," she said, adding that the Board now includes four new alumni Trustees and two Trustees appointed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. "This meeting was typical," she added. Trustees Chairperson Roy Vagelos agreed with Rodin. "When you're a Trustee it's your job to worry, because you're fiscally responsible," he said. "[But] this meeting went exceedingly well.?I'm always exhilarated by my time at Penn."
