Search Results
Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.
(09/04/92 9:00am)
Beleaguered by problems with the state police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, Smokey Joe's is down-sizing its 40th Street location and has closed the downstairs portion of the bar. "I'll sleep much better now," Smoke's owner Paul Ryan said of the changes. "It will be easier to control." Smoke's has hired University City Associates, a University subsidiary which manages several properties around campus, to help find a new tenant for the basement. As of the middle of this week, no new occupants had been named. Ryan said that Smoke's will now place a new emphasis on its restaurant business and will introduce a new menu later this summer. He said that the days of the "Rathskellar" have passed and a new type of bar business will prevail in the 1990s. "It's tough to have a bar on campus," Ryan said. "It's time to get smaller." Smoke's has been split between two levels since 1978. Ryan said that no decision has come from the Liquor Control Board regarding the status of the bar's liquor license, which was not renewed last year due to a number of liquor violations. But Ryan said he was confident the license would be renewed. A spokesperson with the LCB said that no decision has been made since the March appeal, but added that the examiner's recommendation reached Harrisburg June 15. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the appeal, Ryan said earlier this summer that he is going ahead with extensive renovations. To avoid losing the memories from the various tabletops and bar-counter space in the basement, a virtual shrine of carved wood, along with other pieces of memorabilia, has been placed in the lobby. Caricatures formerly located downstairs have been moved to a spot along the upstairs walls, and a 1940s sign, which hung outside the bar, is now lit up inside. "The fraternities used to steal the sign once a year," Ryan said. "They would steal it and it would be returned a couple days later." But Ryan said one time the sign was not so promptly returned and had to be retrieved covertly from a fraternity. "We got word that it was in a basement and we snuck out one night at 2:30 in the morning," Ryan said. "We broke into the fraternity and stole it back." Other organizations are getting pieces of Smoke's memories. The Penn Club in New York City is receiving some Smoke's wood that was carved-up as early as the 1930's, according to Ryan. In addition, fraternities with a special affinity for Smoke's are getting souveneirs. Ryan said that Theta Xi and Phi Kappa Sigma are each getting pieces of the bar for their houses. Also, walls have been removed from the upstairs room to allow light from the street to reach the dining room and bar. Other renovations include moving the stage down to the west end of the dining room and adding a small bar in the dining room. "We will be keeping most of the same features," Ryan said. "We will still have the same specials." Ryan added that a dance floor will be created upstairs on selected nights, and noted that a pool table could be put into the lobby.
(07/23/92 9:00am)
Beleaguered by problems with the state police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, Smokey Joe's is down-sizing its 40th Street location and has closed the downstairs portion of the bar. "I'll sleep much better now," Smoke's owner Paul Ryan said of the changes. "It will be easier to control." University City Associates, a University subsidiary which manages several properties around campus, has been hired by Smoke's to help find a new tenant for the basement. A UCA spokesperson would not name any possible occupants yesterday. Ryan said that Smoke's will now place a new emphasis on its restaurant business and will introduce a new menu later this summer. He said that the days of the "Rathskellar" have passed and a new type of bar business will prevail in the 1990's. "It's tough to have a bar on campus," Ryan said. "It's time to get smaller." Smoke's has been split between two levels since 1978. Ryan said that no decision has come from the Liquor Control Board regarding the status of the bar's liquor license, which was not renewed last year due to a number of liquor violations. But Ryan said he was confident the license would be renewed. A spokesperson with the LCB said yesterday that no decision has been made since the March appeal, but added that the examiner's recommendation reached Harrisburg June 15. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the appeal, Ryan is going ahead with extensive renovations. To avoid losing the memories from the various tabletops and bar-counter space in the basement, a virtual shrine of carved wood, along with other pieces of memorabilia, has been placed in the lobby. Caricatures formerly located downstairs have been moved to a spot along the upstairs walls, and a 1940's sign, which hung outside the bar, is now lit up inside. "The fraternities used to steal the sign once a year," Ryan said. "They would steal it and it would be returned a couple days later." But Ryan said one time the sign was not so promptly returned and had to be retrieved covertly from a fraternity. "We got word that it was in a basement and we snuck out one night at 2:30 in the morning," Ryan said. "We broke into the fraternity and stole it back." Other organizations are getting pieces of Smoke's memories. The Penn Club in New York City is receiving some Smoke's wood that was carved-up as early as the 1930's, according to Ryan. In addition fraternities with a special affinity for Smoke's are getting souveneirs. Ryan said that Theta Xi and Phi Kappa Sigma are each getting pieces of the bar for their houses. Also, walls have been removed from the upstairs room to allow light from the street to reach the dining room and bar. Other renovations include moving the stage down to the west end of the dining room and adding a small bar in the dining room. "We will be keeping most of the same features," Ryan said. "We will still have the same specials." Ryan added that a dance floor will be created upstairs on selected nights, and noted that a pool table could be put into the lobby.
(07/02/92 9:00am)
Kathleen Jamieson may have been surprised to find herself on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno last Thursday. Usually, she watches "Nightline" at that hour. But there she was, sitting on the couch next to actress Kim Basinger and singer James Taylor, chatting it up with late night host Jay Leno. The dean of the Annenberg School of Communication lectured to her largest audience ever, in an effort to pitch her forthcoming book Dirty Politics: Deception, Distraction and Democracy. "I have a peculiar area of expertise because I look at campaigns," Jamieson explained to Leno, the audience and millions of viewers. "I study debates, advertisements, speeches and news. Every four years the journalistic community -- some of whom are in your audience -- descend upon whatever university I am at, and I feel very popular. My self-esteem goes way up, and then they all go away on election day." Jamieson used her airtime to educate the audience in the same way she teaches classes at the University. Using a video monitor, she ran clips of advertisements from past presidential campaigns. "It was like teaching a class full of 'C' students," Jamieson said Friday. "At Penn I will have a class with mostly 'A' and 'B' students, so I had to keep the lecture simple on television." The University's name did not come up during the late night gab fest, although Annenberg was mentioned several times and Jamieson was introduced as the dean of the Annenberg School of Communication in Philadelphia. During the 15-minute segment, Jamieson used advertisements to illustrate that lack of substance and deception in advertising are not recent developments. The ads, which would be no surprise to students who have taken Communications 226, included one of the 1952 "Eisenhower Answers America" ads, in which Republican presidential candidate Dwight Eisenhower answers what seems to be an impromptu question from an audience member. In the commercial, a woman asks: "The Democrats have made mistakes, but aren't their intentions good?" Eisenhower responds, "Well, if the driver of your school bus runs into a truck, hits a lamp post, drives into a ditch, you don't say his intentions are good. You get a new bus driver." But as Jamieson told the audience that the ad was edited together and that Eisenhower's clever retort was scripted. But although Eisenhower's response was prepared, Jamieson said Leno's response was surprisingly impromptu. Leno dug into his political memory and recalled that one of Eisenhower's opponent, Adlai Stevenson, picked Estes Kefauver as his running mate. Leno noted that Kefauver came from Tennessee -- the same state as Al Gore, Bill Clinton's recent vice presidential pick. "He was right on, and that was something he could not have been prompted on," Jamieson said. "The only thing he got wrong was that Kefauver was Stevenon's runningmate in 1956, and the ad I showed was from '52." She also showed ad that used debate footage from the 1960 John Kennedy campaign, mixing Richard Nixon's worst moments with Kennedy strongest. Jamieson said Republicans cried foul over the ad, but reporters did not investigate the charges. Even in 1988, journalists failed to check now-famous Willie Horton and Boston Harbor ads, she said. Jamieson credited reporters with being more skeptical this election year. · This is truly Jamieson's busy season. She provided commentary for Cable News Network during the Democratic National Convention and has made appearances on "The Today Show." She said she also briefed the foreign press corp Sunday and appears on British Broadcasting Corporation at least once a month. Jamieson's new book will be released by the Oxford University Press next month. In the fall, Jamieson is teaching a University course in which undergraduates who performed well in one of her other classes will do research on the campaign up until the election. Students will mirror Jamieson, who will produce weekly spots on the Public Broadcasting System. Jamieson said students might even get a production credit if she uses material generated by the class.
(07/02/92 9:00am)
Elevating the scope of its commitment to community involvement, the University appointed Ira Harkavy as director of the new Center for Community Partnerships, to be run through the President's office, last week. Ira Harkavy, vice dean of the college and director of the Penn Program for Public Service, was named the director of the center. Harkavy, who has long had University-wide plans involving community service, will now be able to coordinate all of the University's community activities through one office. "One of my first tasks at the Center will be to create a 'map' of all that's going on in community service at Penn, so that these programs can work in concert more efficiently," Harkavy said. "With the map in hand, I will be actively looking for new areas where the University's intellectual resources can help solve Philadelphia's problems." Frances Walker, president and executive director of Parents Against Drugs, has worked extensively with different departments within the University. One of the most successful projects is the West Philadelphia Collaborative for Child Health, which works in conjunction with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the School of Social Work. Walker said that the creation of the new center should help coordinate all of the activities, and added that she is looking forward to working with Harkavy. "The University is providing a variety of services to the community," Walker said. "I dont think it has been in a coordinated fashion until now. I think this is a good idea." Through PPPS, Harkavy has organized the West Philadelphia Improvement Corps, a program which centers the community around area schools. University students volunteer at J.P. Turner Elementary Middle School and West Philadelphia High School, tutoring students during the week and teaching a Saturday school program. WEPIC has received national and international recognition for its design and implementation. President Sheldon Hackney first announced the formation of the center in 1990, during the 250th Anniversary. More than 4,000 Penn faculty, staff and students are involved with community service, ranging from tutoring public school children to advising small businesses.
(07/02/92 9:00am)
The University Police Department, in conjunction with the Philadelphia Police Department, had officers working overtime in trying to stem the tide of demonstrators at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. At press time more than 100 -- or one-fifth -- of the strikers had been arrested for violating a restraining order issued early Wednesday morning. Otherwise, it was a fairly peaceful week around campus, though limited details were available because officers were busy at CHOP. On Saturday there was a gunpoint robbery at 9:20 a.m. at the Thriftway at 4301 Walnut Street. No arrest was made. In an unrelated incident, there were two strong-arm robberies on Spruce Street last week. Early Friday morning, a strong-arm robbery on the 3400 block of Spruce Street was reported at 12:31 a.m. The other unrelated strong-arm robbery occurred later on Friday at 6:51 p.m. on the 3700 block of Spruce Street. No arrests were made in either incident. In another unrelated incident, there was an attempted knifepoint robbery at 38th and Walnut streets on Sunday at 9:58 a.m. Finally, thefts from campus athletic facilities continued to be reported. On Friday a wallet was reported stolen from Lott Tennis Courts at 1:33 a.m.
(06/25/92 9:00am)
University Police were busy last week with a high number of crimes reported on or near campus. A University employee was suspended last week for allegedly pulling a gun on another employee, according to police reports. And in unrelated incidents, there were eight muggings, two at gunpoint, near campus last week. Also, several thefts from University gymnasiums were reported. The incident which led to the suspension occurred last Thursday in the Clinical Research Building cafeteria at 8:50 p.m., according to University Police Lt. Susan Holmes. Holmes said one housekeeping employee alleges that a co-worker pulled a gun on him and "threatened to kill him." According to Carl Rausch, assistant director of operations, the accused employee was given a four-day suspension, and was back on the job yesterday. Rausch said that the suspension was lifted because "nothing had been proved." Rausch added that there was apparently a dispute about work conditions. University Police Det. Larry Singer said Wednesday that according to the victim, a small handgun was used. He added that the accused employee said a small tool could have been mistaken for a gun. No gun has been discovered. Singer said police are still looking for witnesses and added that without any, the incident is a case of "one guy's word against the other." The names of the employees were not released. · In an unrelated incident Friday night, three University students were held up at gunpoint on the 4000 block of Spruce Street by a group of male teenagers, according to Holmes. According to reports, each of the students had his wallet taken including a $3,000 personal check in one and a total of $85 cash. The incident occured at 11:50 p.m. and the suspects fled north on 41st Street in a light blue van and a beige Cadillac. In another unrelated incident, on June 17 at 8:50 a.m., a female University employee was robbed at gunpoint at 45th Street and Larchwood Avenue. The robber pointed a gun at the victim and took her backpack, according to the incident report. A female student was robbed at knifepoint early Tuesday morning according to reports. The student's purse, containing $80 cash and assorted credit cards, was taken on the 4200 block of Walnut Street at 1:25 a.m. · Five unrelated muggings were also reported: On Monday at 6:18 p.m., a University faculty member's wallet was taken by two males at 37th and Sansom Streets. On Friday at 11:48 p.m. a female University student reported $24 taken near 38th and Chestnut Streets, according to Holmes. The suspect fled in a drak blue car with partial license plate XMJ. On Monday, a woman was robbed at 41st Street and Baltimore Avenue, by two individuals, who pushed the victim to the ground and took her purse. The incident occured at 4:45 p.m. A woman had her purse taken on the 200 block of South St. Marks at 4:13 p.m. Monday, according to police reports. The assailant got out of a dark gray buick, grabbed the woman's purse and fled west on Walnut Street. On Sunday at 10:34 p.m. a robbery was reported at 42nd and Pine Street. No further details were available. · Several unrealted incidents were also reported at Gimbel and Hutchinson gymnasiums last week. On Friday, a Pine Street resident reported that his bag containing house keys and a PennCard was taken from Gimbel at 8:17 p.m. When the victim returned home, he found his apartment ransacked and cashand jewelry stolen, according to reports. No forse was used to enter the apartment. In an unrelated incident, On June 17, a University student caught an bike-napper red-handed at Hutch. The individual was take to the Philadelphia Police 18th District for processing. On Saturday, at 3:27 p.m. a University student reported that his wallet, which had been left unattended in the Hutch Gym basketball court was stolen. The wallet contained $4 cash and a drivers license. On Fridat at 5:34 p.m. a wallet was reported stolen from Gimbel Gym, And, on Monday at 10:08 p.m. an unattended napsack was reported stolen from Hutch Gym.
(06/11/92 9:00am)
While most area retailers see a sharp decline in business during the summer months when most students are away, video stores are reporting a steady flow of customers so far this summer. Although there are fewer students in the area, local video stores such as MegaVideo and Video Library now rent more videos more often, according to both store owners and student renters. Video Library, located in the Warehouse on the 4000 block of Locust Street and on the lower level of Houston Hall, has experienced only a slight decline in business overall and an actual increase in business on weekends, assistant manager Mike Eidle said yesterday. "Fewer people are coming in," he explained, "but they are renting more movies." College junior Tom Andrzejewski said he and his friends definitely rent more videos during the summer, for a variety of reasons. "When I'm in school, I don't have a VCR," Andrzejewski said. "Also, there is less to do during the weeknight -- I have no homework during the summer." Andrzejewski said he rents one or two movies a week during the summer, compared with none at all during the school year. He said he tends to rent "family movies like 'L.A. Story' " and comedies. Other students take advantage of relaxed summer schedules to catch up on the movies they miss during the school year. "Summer is a great time to catch up on the pop culture that has been happening around us during the year," College junior Danielle Kane said. Kane added that she rents movies several times a week and has had a membership at MegaVideo, located in the mall on the 3900 block of Walnut Street, since early this summer. "It is something you can do without spending too much time and money," College junior Jane Sung said. "There isn't anything else going on and you don't have to do school work." Some students disagree, noting that they would rather spend their leisure time on other hobbies. Engineering junior Donna Koczaja said she rents more movies during the summer, but not that many more than during the school year. "There are things I'd rather be doing than sitting around watching TV all day long," Koczaja said. Her list included cross-stiching and other hobbies that she doesn't have time to pursue during the school year. Matthew Agin, who graduated in May with a dual degree from the College and Wharton, said he also rents fewer movies during the summer. "During the summer we would be working, so we had to wake up much earlier than during the school year," Agin said. "So we didn't rent as much." Eidle, who has worked at Video Library for three years, said that rentals increase as the summer progresses. He theorized that people become more discouraged by the Philadelphia heat and are less willing to go out in July and August. "When people get sick of the hot weather, they start renting more stuff," Eidle said. "They would rather sit in an air-conditioned room watching a movie than go out."
(06/11/92 9:00am)
It's not the Hotel New Hampshire . . . Nor is it the Hotel California . . . But during the summer, the Department of Residential Living turns normal high rises dormitories into premium-priced lodging, complete with maid service. Call it the Hotel Pennsylvania. During the summer, when most students return home or opt to sublet off-campus, Residential Living turns standard dormitory rooms into hotel rooms for visitors to the University. "It's a busy and fun time of year for us," said Rebecca Perry, manager of conference and guest housing. "We are in the hotel business over the summer." Several groups which visit during the summer months are housed in dorm rooms on Superblock. Summer tenants include incoming freshmen, academics attending summer conferences and groups of high school students paricipating in Girl Scouts, the Pennsylvania Governor's School for Business and Upward Bound. To accomodate guests, Perry said her staff provides linen service and assures that bathrooms are properly attended to -- services which students during regular sessions don't receive. During the summer, only about 135 summer school students are housed in University dorms, according to Ellie Rupsis, the associate director for occupancy administration. Those students pay rent of $115 per week for the air-conditioned dorms. Perry said Low Rise North and High Rise South are currently open, and added that High Rise North will probably be opening in July. Complimentary housing is provided for 37 staff members, but the bulk of the occupants are conference members paying nightly rates, according to Perry. She said revenue generated from conference tenants helps offset the cost of on-campus living for students. She added that the high school groups get the same weekly rate. Off campus, the average rent for summer sublets is around $200 per month, according to local realtors. In addition, cheaper rents may be found in fraternity houses. The nightly rate in the high rises is $31 per person, according to Perry. While the rate is higher than the weekly arrangement, the cost is considerably lower than that of a full-time hotel in Philadelphia. Perry said she could not estimate the number of occupants on any given day, because the number changes so frequently; conferences are not on a regular schedule, and even the number of people who are taking summer classes varies with students changing their mind. In order to deal with sudden changes, six members of the summer conference housing staff receive free housing. Perry said they are on call 24 hours a day in order to serve guests. Perry said that others receiving complimentary housing include 15 residential advisors and eight full-time employees of residential living.
(06/11/92 9:00am)
Hoping to bring academics and ordinary citizens together, graduate students will address current issues in the black community during a conference tomorrow and Saturday. The conference, entitled "Theory, African American Studies and Black Community," is co-sponsored by the University's Afro-American Studies Program and the Center for the Study of Black Literature and Culture. The conference will include presentations based on more than 20 graduate student papers examining black popular culture, such as "Toni Morrison and the Body as Text." In addition, keynote speeches will be delivered by black scholars Wahneema Lublano and Marcellus Blount. Lublano, an assistant professor of English at Princeton University, has recently worked on the relationship in popular culture between the academic and non-academic community. Blount, currently an associate professor of English at Columbia University, taught at the University last year through an arrangement with the Center for the Study of Black Literature and Culture. According to Stephen Best, a doctoral candidate in English at the University and member of the conference's organizing committee, planning for the event began more than a year ago. "We conceptually wanted to look at what the consequences of theory were for the relationship between the academic and non-academic black community," Best said. "In addition, we wanted to look at emerging identity politics of sexuality and gender in the space of African American studies." Graduate students representing more than 15 schools from across the country will deliver papers at the conference. Conference registration takes place tomorrow and Saturday at 8:30 a.m. in Steinberg Dietrich Hall, room 351. The cost is $5 and PennCard holders will be admitted free of charge. The conference panels run from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with a one hour break for lunch.
(06/09/92 9:00am)
Last week's U.S. Supreme Court decision partly satisfied people on both sides of the abortion debate here at the University, but left all parties wanting more. Demie Kurz, co-director of the University's Women's Studies Program, said she was happy that Justices Sandra Day O'Conner, Anthony Kennedy and David Souter reaffirmed the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision in their majority decision. But she cautioned that it was being interpreted differently than originally intended. "While it is gratifying that they reaffirmed Roe, it is their version of Roe," Kurz said. "Roe said women have a fundamental right to abortion. Now there are restrictions." Kurz said the restrictions, which in Pennsylvania include a 24-hour waiting period, access to literature on abortion alternatives and parental consent for teenagers, will pose a burden primarily for young, rural and poor women. She said that University students will not in most cases be affected by the restrictions. But Kurz added that the issue is one of national importance and important in defining women's rights everywhere. Engineering sophomore Kevin Welch, co-president of Penn Coalition for Life, was pleased with the decision overall. "It is definately a start," Welch said of the decision. "I'm glad the decision came before the election, and I think they did as much as they could do." The Supreme Court struck down a provision in the Pennsylvania law which mandated spousal notification prior to an abortion. Welch added that he was glad the issue was back in the forefront and must now be dealt with by presidential candidates. Kurz said that the new "undue burden" standard included in the ruling creates a murky situation because of the way "undue burden" may be interpreted. According to the ruling, a restriction which places a "substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion before the fetus attains viability" is defined as an "undue burden," and will not be permitted by the Supreme Court. Only the spousal notification provision of the Pennsylvania law was considered to pose such a burden.
(06/04/92 9:00am)
On the last day of class this spring, American Civilization Lecturer Frank Luntz's students were debating which political party's policies can best solve America's problems. At the end of class, with Luntz steering the debate toward the Republican side -- where he is usually alligned -- one student interupted Luntz and remarked that President Bush is not offering the same policies. And, the student noted, Democrat Bill Clinton was not offering any sound alternatives. That was a point, like many others offered by students, which Luntz took to heart. And on that very day, Luntz decided to accept an offer from likely independent presidential candidate Ross Perot, to be his research director. In that capacity, Luntz -- who will still teach his class this fall on current conflicts in American society -- will provide Perot with the demographic analysis on which the Texas billionaire will build campaign strategy. "We are doing the most precise, detailed study of voters on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis ever done," Luntz said Tuesday night. Luntz is compiling data from surveys, the 1990 census, elections, voter registration and voter lists to produce a targeting plan for Perot. Luntz is no stranger to politics. In his own words, he has been a political junkie his whole life. Most recently, before signing on with Perot, he worked with Republican Patrick Buchanan's campaign, and in 1988 he served as an international consultant for Yitzhak Shamir, the current Israeli prime minister. While an undergraduate at the University, where he earned a B.A. in Political Science and honors in History in 1984, he also served as vice chair of the Undergraduate Assembly and as a speaker for the Penn Political Union. In 1982 he had set up his own company, which was involved with three Congressional campaigns and one Senatorial campaign. Five years later -- after earning a doctorate at Oxford -- Luntz opened his own consulting firm, Frank I. Luntz and Associates, in Arlington, Va. Then, in the fall of 1989, Luntz returned to the University and began to teach. "Politics was my drug of choice," Luntz said. "But I have seen too much from the inside. All I really want to do now is teach." In fact, Luntz has vowed to teach full time after the November election. "When this campaign is over, it is my hope and goal to teach full time at Penn," Luntz said. "I want to get out of politics. Hopefully, this campaign is sufficiently high-profile enough that the University would want it." Many of Luntz's students recognize and applaud his commitment to teaching. "He will stay up until 4 o'clock in the morning at the [House of Pancakes] with you and friends, and shoot the bull with you about poitics, about life in general or about the University," College senior Jefrey Pollock said. "It's great because he is a professor. He loves getting to meet students." In the classroom, Luntz takes a practical approach to teaching. He devotes classtime to debating issues, not lecturing. Last semester he took a group of his students up to New Hampshire for the first primary and connected them with political candidates. In addition, he helps his students get involved with campaigns. Mike Maslansky and Andy Snyder, who both graduated in May, as well as Pollack, will be working on the Perot campaign with Luntz starting about three weeks from now. Luntz has also placed several former students in internships in Washington, D.C. this summer. "He has given us a great chance -- the three of us," said Maslansky, who delayed entering Georgetown Law School so that he could work on the campaign. "This is an opportunity of a life time." Luntz's course this fall will be a similar opportunity, too, if he can help it. He promises to bring Perot. "I don't believe in theoretical courses on politics," Luntz said. "Penn students have a right to see how political campaigns are really waged." If the University is interested, Luntz would like to teach three courses in the spring after the campaign. He is planning to teach a course called "candidates, consultants and campaigns," which he taught until this spring, and a new seminar dealing with ethics in politics. But what if Perot wins the election? "If he wins, I still want to teach full time at Penn," Luntz said. "I believe in him, and even if he doesn't win, what he is doing is good for democracy. If he wins it will be too good to be true."
(05/28/92 9:00am)
Because of refinements to the Penn Automated Registration Information System, students sometimes heard the words, "To list your grades press six," within hours of taking a final exam last semester. According to University Registrar Ronald Sanders, grade sheets were due in his office by May 11. But because of technological advancements, grades which were turned in early were up on PARIS within hours after his office received them. "Before [the professors] are out the door, their grades could be available on the system," Sanders said Tuesday. Sanders explained that because his staff can now enter grades even while PARIS is available to students during the day, and also because the system now has its own optical scanner, individual grade sheets can be entered as they are dropped off and large groups can be run through the scanner in a batch every night. The Registrar's office used to have access to a scanner for just two hours a day, according to Sanders. But the advantages of the new system are greatest on deadline days. Sanders said 4,500 grade sheets were turned in during the last two days before deadline. But work which required six days only a couple of years ago can now completed in about two days, he said. Overall, the processing advancements translate to a month of difference for students. Before PARIS, students had to wait for grade reports to be sent home, a process which was completed approximately three weeks after the end of exams. Now students may learn their grades before leaving campus for the summer. "We know it is time to get grades up when we start receiving phone calls from students asking for them," Sanders said. "Because of demand, we usually start listing them right after the first exams are in." And Sanders said the new technology also speeds up the rate at which grade reports go out. By Tuesday morning -- two weeks after the last exam -- 17,499 grade reports had been sent out, according to Sanders. And many students received report cards by May 20. Although the speed of PARIS delights most students -- who remember having to wait weeks to get grades in years past -- the voice on the phone does not discriminate, and relates the good news as well as the bad in the same authoritative manner. But Sanders said he had not received any complaints from students. Sanders said that at any given time students can get grades from PARIS for their last three terms -- spring, summer and fall. He added that his office waits as long as possible before replacing grades from the previous year, so that students can go back and check them. PARIS was installed in the fall of 1989 to both praise and criticism. The PARIS software from AT&T; did not originally come with grade-listing abilities, but this feature was added for the first time in May 1991.
(04/23/92 9:00am)
When Carl Lewis called Penn Relays Director Tim Baker he was not calling about running in a race. The world-class sprinter was calling to get permission to sell his merchandise on a table outside Franklin Field during the carnival. But Baker, who would not have been able to help in past years, now knew just where to direct Lewis. For the first time, vendors outside of the Penn Relays will be regulated. Responding to the outbreak of violence last year, city officials have taken control of 33rd Street during the Penn Relays. The festive, carnival-like atmosphere of 33rd Street during the Penn Relays will start today. Citizens and vendors pack the street from sidewalk to sidewalk, from Walnut to Spruce streets every year -- buying shirts, carrying food, having a good time. But every year, according to city officials, there is a virtual turf war among vendors vying for position to peddle their wares. Last year, on the last night of the Relays, a fist fight turned to gunfire, and two bystanders were injured. "The Relays have a history with respect to vendors getting into fisticuffs and lives being threatened," said Ron Cuie, city deputy managing director for neighborhood services. "It has been a troublesome and unmanageable situation." In response to the violence, Cuie sat in on several meetings with officials from neigborhood groups, the University and the Civic Center, and tried to form a plan to prevent a similar outbreak again. "What generally happens is vendors come out and stake a claim," Cuie said. "It is like the old Gold Rush days. People come out one to two weeks in advance and have no concern for all the other issues." T. Milton Street, co-chairman of the Citywide African-American Vendors and brother of City Council President John Street, volunteered his services in planning the city's involvement, according to Cuie. Cuie said the chairman is renting space to street vendors this year to try and preserve the peace. In addition he is providing portable restrooms and sanitation equipment for the vendors. Milton Street could not be reached for comment. Cuie added that the Philadelphia Police Traffic Unit and members of the 55th District will be on hand to help curb the crowd. Baker said it was good that the city got involved. "It is not a matter of happy or sad," Baker said. "It is a matter that the city had made a decision. It was good to have that done." Also, next year the city will help enforce the legal use of the Penn Relay's logo. According to Baker, the University track teams sell Relays memorabilia with the official "swish track" logo. When merchandise is sold on the street without permission to use the logo, the track teams lose money, Baker said. "Last year, when we came out with the new Penn Relays logo, within an hour of the start of the Relays people had it out on the street," Baker said. This year, the city will just inform the merchants that they cannot use the logo. Cuie said enforcement will begin next year. So Carl Lewis had better watch his merchandise.
(04/23/92 9:00am)
Not all University students will be voting for the same state representatives in the primary election Tuesday. Students who live in University City may live in one of four State General Assembly Districts and in one of two State Senate Districts, according to the State Bureau of Elections and Legislation. Students who live in High Rise North, for example, are in the 188th General Assembly District and the 8th State Senate District. But neighbors who live one block away in High Rise East or High Rise South are in the 190th Assembly District -- as are those who live on the 4000 block of Locust Street. These students, however, are in the 7th Senate District. It sounds confusing because it is. But a look at district maps makes the process of voting less intimidating. For starters, none of the Republican state seats are being contested in any of the University City primary districts, according to the Philadelphia County Board of Elections. And, Democratic races in the 190th and 195th Assembly Districts are not being contested either. However, there is a race for the Democratic nomination in the 7th Senate District. So, registered Democrats who live west of 40th Street will need to choose among three candidates. Incumbent Chaka Fattah is being challenged by Marlene Marshall and Faye White for the nomination, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Elections said Monday. Fattah, a Wharton graduate, failed in his bid for the U.S. House Representatives as an independent cadidate last fall. He was first elected to the State Assembly in 1982 and to the State Senate in 1988. Information about the challengers could not be obtained. There are also Democratic races in both the 186th and 188th Assembly Districts. The 186th, which includes Hill House, covers the southeast corner of University City. In the 186th, incumbent Harold James is being challenged by Joseph Baxter and Sam Jones for the nomination. James, a Philadelphia Police officer from 1965 to 1987, is running for his third term in the Assembly. Most recently, James co-sponsored legislation which calls for a comprehensive state health care policy. Over the past term, James introduced legislation which mandates at least a one-year sentence for anyone convicted of selling drugs within 1000 feet of public housing. The 188th -- which includes the Quadrangle, Stouffer College House, High Rise North, DuBois College House, Graduate Towers and King's Court-English House -- is defined by a choppy diagonal line which runs through the middle of campus. In the 188th, incumbent James Roebuck is being challenged by Roger Jackson, Ronald Pugh and Aaron Finney. Roebuck, who lives at 46th and Larchwood has served on several neighborhood boards and has fought for increased state funding for education, according to Sheryl George-Macalpine, Democratic leader for the 27th Ward. The former Drexel professor has worked toward providing battered woman's shelters and police-mini stations in West Philadelphia since his election to the Assembly in 1984. Democrats Vincent Hughes in the 190th and Frank Oliver in the 195th Assembly Districts are unopposed incumbents. Republicans F. Malana Pettite, George Forrest, Edward Howell and David Thomsen are running unopposed in the 186th, 188th, 190th and 195th Assembly Districts, respectively. Lawrence Watson is the only Republican candidate for State Senate in the 7th District. Winners of the Tuesday primary will be on the ballot for their respective parties in the November general election in which all 203 State Assembly seats will be up for re-election. Half of State Senate seats will be up for re-election.
(04/23/92 9:00am)
Not all University students will be voting for the same state representatives in the primary election Tuesday. Students who live in University City may live in one of four State General Assembly Districts and in one of two State Senate Districts, according to the State Bureau of Elections and Legislation. Students who live in High Rise North, for example, are in the 188th General Assembly District and the 8th State Senate District. But neighbors who live one block away in High Rise East or High Rise South are in the 190th Assembly District -- as are those who live on the 4000 block of Locust Street. These students, however, are in the 7th Senate District. It sounds confusing because it is. But a look at district maps makes the process of voting less intimidating. For starters, none of the Republican state seats are being contested in any of the University City primary districts, according to the Philadelphia County Board of Elections. And, Democratic races in the 190th and 195th Assembly Districts are not being contested either. However, there is a race for the Democratic nomination in the 7th Senate District. So, registered Democrats who live west of 40th Street will need to choose among three candidates. Incumbent Chaka Fattah is being challenged by Marlene Marshall and Faye White for the nomination, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Elections said Monday. Fattah, a Wharton graduate, failed in his bid for the U.S. House Representatives as an independent cadidate last fall. He was first elected to the State Assembly in 1982 and to the State Senate in 1988. Information about the challengers could not be obtained. There are also Democratic races in both the 186th and 188th Assembly Districts. The 186th, which includes Hill House, covers the southeast corner of University City. In the 186th, incumbent Harold James is being challenged by Joseph Baxter and Sam Jones for the nomination. James, a Philadelphia Police officer from 1965 to 1987, is running for his third term in the Assembly. Most recently, James co-sponsored legislation which calls for a comprehensive state health care policy. Over the past term, James introduced legislation which mandates at least a one-year sentence for anyone convicted of selling drugs within 1000 feet of public housing. The 188th -- which includes the Quadrangle, Stouffer College House, High Rise North, DuBois College House, Graduate Towers and King's Court-English House -- is defined by a choppy diagonal line which runs through the middle of campus. In the 188th, incumbent James Roebuck is being challenged by Roger Jackson, Ronald Pugh and Aaron Finney. Roebuck, who lives at 46th and Larchwood has served on several neighborhood boards and has fought for increased state funding for education, according to Sheryl George-Macalpine, Democratic leader for the 27th Ward. The former Drexel professor has worked toward providing battered woman's shelters and police-mini stations in West Philadelphia since his election to the Assembly in 1984. Democrats Vincent Hughes in the 190th and Frank Oliver in the 195th Assembly Districts are unopposed incumbents. Republicans F. Malana Pettite, George Forrest, Edward Howell and David Thomsen are running unopposed in the 186th, 188th, 190th and 195th Assembly Districts, respectively. Lawrence Watson is the only Republican candidate for State Senate in the 7th District. Winners of the Tuesday primary will be on the ballot for their respective parties in the November general election in which all 203 State Assembly seats will be up for re-election. Half of State Senate seats will be up for re-election.
(04/17/92 9:00am)
and DWAYNE SYE Democratic Presidential Candidate Bill Clinton criticized President George Bush's inconsistency on economic policies and outlined the philosophical make-up of his own economic policy during his address on campus Wednesday. In a 45-minute speech, Clinton cited Bush's failure to plan for the long-term and focus on the future of the country, along with his inability to maintain a stance on many issues, including student loans, civil rights and arts funding. "A campaign conversion isn't the same as a lifetime of conviction and a commitment to change," Clinton told the packed Zellerbach Auditorium. "Today I want to talk about real change -- about the fundamental problems of leadership and organization that are holding our economy back." The Arkansas governor accepted the invitation of a Wharton graduate student's club and addressed a 750-member crowd which was 80 percent Wharton students and faculty. The address was also simulcast in the 380-seat Annenberg School Auditorium. Clinton proposed a three-part economic strategy to "fundamentally change the way we do business at home and around the world." First, Clinton said every American deserves to be educated. He stressed a need for a "national service trust," which would replace the college student loan system. The trust would be made available to college students and would be repaid as a small percentage of annual income at tax time, or through community service. "For those who wish to go to college we should reduce all financial bearings," Clinton said. "We should abolish the present student loan program . . . and substitute in its place a national service trust." Clinton said the price tag on such a program would be a net increase in $8.2 billion annually. Other education reforms included preschool for every child who needs it, a nationwide apprenticeship for high school students who decide not to attend college and teaching every adult to read. Second, Clinton said the economy needs to be rebuilt for the long-term. "As a nation we're spending more on the present and the past, and building less for the future," Clinton said. "We need a president who will turn our country and our culture around so that we once again begin to take the long view." Clinton proposed an investment tax credit and an enterprise credit to help stimulate investment. He said that such proposals were better than a capital gains tax cut being proposed by other candidates. Clinton also proposed a research and development tax credit and allocating dollars which had been earmarked for military R&D; during the Cold War to civilian research projects. Further, Clinton proposed refining the format in which the national budget is presented. He said the budget should be broken into past expenses -- including debt service and "cleaning up the [savings and loan] mess" -- present and future expenses. The third part of Clinton's plan called for social change throughout society. Clinton pointed to some infamous Wharton alumni and Wharton's reputation during the 1980s as a basis for change. "Wharton is home to much of America's economic potential . . . but Wharton is also a powerful symbol of what went wrong in the 1980s," Clinton said. "It was here at Wharton that Michael Milken got the idea to use junk bonds to leverage buyouts." Clinton also said that in 1987, the year the stock market crashed, 25 percent of Wharton graduates pursued "high incomes in high finance rather than in the apparently less-glamorous work of creating jobs, goods and services to make America richer." Clinton said 1980s government has to be reinvented. He scoffed at old partisan lines and said new platforms need to be formed. "The answers I offer aren't liberal or conservative," Clinton said. "They're both and they're different." He added, "If this Republican experiment in supply-side economics does not work, does not produce growth or create upward mobility, or prepare millions of Americans to compete and win in the world economy, neither will the old Democratic philosophy of tax and spend our way out of any problem." One propasal was to give the President the ability to veto line items of the national budget. "We should give the President -- and this is heresy for a Democrat to say -- line-item veto authority," Clinton said, to the applause of the crowd. Clinton also said change could not stop with the government. He proposed distributing training money more evenly throughout corporations so that all workers could receive continuing education. He said that 75 percent of the money spent on training goes to the top 10 percent of corporate employees. · Clinton's speech was well-received by University officials and students. "I haven't seen this much excitement around a presidential candidate since Kennedy," Provost Michael Aiken said. "I am pleased he chose the University for a major economic statement." Aiken was not the only person to invoke images of John Kennedy. Senator Harris Wofford (D--Pa.) introduced Clinton by saying that he had the "clearest and best view of the world." He added, "I said something like that once before, about John Kennedy. I actually said it when I was 10 years old about Franklin Roosevelt." Wharton Dean Thomas Gerrity said he was generally pleased with the overall content of the speech, and accepted the remarks about Wharton with a grain of salt. "That's a standard, age-old, tired dig [at Wharton]," Gerrity said. Annenberg Dean Kathleen Jamieson said Clinton was speaking off his "natural vocal pitch." Clinton had originally planned to speak on Tuesday, but postponed his visit because doctors were worried about damage to his vocal chords.
(04/16/92 9:00am)
Senator Harris Wofford (D-Pa.) will introduce Democratic Presidential Candidate Bill Clinton today in Zellerbach Auditorium. Because of the high demand for tickets to hear Clinton speak, the entire event, which begins at 11:45 a.m., will be simulcast next door in the Annenberg School Auditorium, Wharton Public Affairs Director Chris Hardwick said. Originally, Wharton Public Affairs said that the event would be simulcast in the smaller Annenberg Center Studio Theater. Hardwick said that tickets for the 380-seat Annenberg School Auditorium will be given out to University members on a first-come-first-served basis outside Zellerbach, begining at 11 a.m. Ticketholders for Zellerbach should arrive by 11:15 a.m., Hardwick said. Tickets for Zellerbach were distributed Monday, with 600 of 750 reserved for Wharton students and faculty. Just 50 tickets were allocated for non-Wharton students and faculty. The remaining 100 tickets were reserved for University officials. Clinton was invited by the Wharton Masters of Business Administration Public Policy and Non-Profit Management Club, which invited all the Presidential candidates. Only Clinton responded to the invitation, according to Club President Tim Tompkins. Clinton will deliver a major economic policy address, according to Wofford campaign officials. Hardwick said Wofford is expected to address similar issues in his introduction. "It's great," Tompkins said of the bonus appearance of Wofford. "I have never heard Senator Wofford live. I am really looking forward to what he has to say as well." Tompkins said both Wharton and Clinton's campaign were covering the costs of the simulcast. Hardwick said the broadcasting equipment is being rented. The total cost of the event has not been determined, Hardwick said.
(04/03/92 10:00am)
College junior Matthew Bronstein took his life yesterday morning, becoming the second University student in just over two weeks to commit suicide. The 20-year-old from the Virgin Islands jumped from his dormitory room on the 14th floor of High Rise East and moments later when an off-duty University Police officer found him, there were no visible signs of life, according to police reports. Bronstein was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital by the Philadelphia Fire & Safety Department, and was pronounced dead at 7:12 a.m., just seven minutes after he arrived, according to a spokesperson from Hahnemann. University Police officers, accompanied by Residential Living staff members, canvassed rooms on the southeast corner of the first through 21st floors of the High Rise for several hours, trying to identify the victim by asking residents to account for their roommates, Lieutenant Jerry Leddy said. According to Leddy, the incident occurred at around 6:35 a.m., when he and Officer Dave McDonald were just about to start their day. The officers were alerted by University Physical Plant employees working at Class of 1920 Commons. McDonald ran toward the south side of High Rise East, where he discovered the body on the grassy hill beside the brick patio. Leddy ran to University Police headquarters for assistance. Friends and roommates contacted last night declined to comment about Bronstein or his death, and details about Bronstein's life on campus were not available. Last month, College senior Steven Ochs, former editorial page editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian, jumped to his death from a bridge in Pittsburgh. University Life officials are coordinating counselling services on campus to reach out to students who may have been affected by the two deaths. Associate Vice Provost for Student Life Larry Moneta said yesterday that a coordinated counseling effort has been put in place to help students deal with their emotions. "Our message in general is that part of being healthy is having periods of distress and seeking help," Moneta said. "It does not matter what door you walk into -- Student Health or Counseling Service -- you will get to the right place." Moneta said the University is reaching out to people in a variety of ways. He said that individuals who knew Bronstein personally are being contacted, and that general counseling sessions were held last night in High Rise East. Moneta said that he and members of the various counseling staffs on campus were on call last night for assistance. And on Monday night, Residential Living, University Counseling Service and Student Health will co-sponsor a group meeting for High Rise East residents only, according to Ilene Rosenstein, director of University Counseling Service. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. "All of the units that can be helpful have come together to find as quick a response as possible," Moneta said.
(04/03/92 10:00am)
and DWAYNE SYE The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs will decide what actions to take against Phi Kappa Psi fraternity for the alleged violations of the University alcohol policy, an OFSA official said yesterday. In addition, University officials said the State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement raid at Phi Psi last Friday night was permissible. However, a former LCE attorney is not sure the actions were appropriate. During the raid, the LCE charged one fraternity brother with illegal sale of alcohol and issued 48 citations for underage drinking, possession or purchase. Also, LCE Lt. John McGeehan said his agents confiscated five kegs of beer from the house and that some of the underage drinkers were just 16 years old. According to OFSA Director Tricia Phaup, her office will determine what actions to take against the fraternity for serving alcohol to minors. "Because of the situation with the police, we know the policy was violated," Phaup said. "We are now deciding what to do . . . It would be premature for me to go over the possibilities." Phi Psi President Steven Cappiello, an Engineering junior, said yesterday the fraternity will take full responsibilty for its actions. Phaup said her office was not contacted prior to the raid. She said she has not spoken with the LCE. The University's alcohol policy prohibits the distribution of alcohol to minors. InterFraternity Council President Jeffrey Blount said representatives met Wednesday night and discussed the Phi Psi incident, although they passed no resolutions. "I would certainly think the State Police would have better things to worry about than raiding fraternity parties on a college campus," the Wharton junior said. It is unclear if the IFC will take any action against the fraternity through the Greek Peer Judicial Board. Its "bring your own booze" social policy prohibits "communal sources of alcohol" for guests at open parties such as kegs, but allows kegs in rooms restricted to brothers. Cappiello said police confiscated alcohol from areas of the fraternity's house that were off-limits to guests during the party. The BYOB policy also requires a professional doorman to check for legal-age identification. Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta said yesterday he is not aware of any University policy which deals with the LCE. "The University can't prohibit outside agencies from doing what they do," Moneta said. "In my experiences at other campuses . . . outside agencies typically do not inform the campus if they have legitimate reason [to take action]." Moneta came to the University last month. He has also worked at the University of Massachusetts and the University of Rochester. But, a former LCE prosecutor, is not sure the LCE acted within the intent of the law. Gary Di Vito, now a partner in the Philadelphia firm Goldstein, Friedberg, Kelly, Di Vito & Dubrow, worked for the LCE from 1982 to 1986. His firm is one of the largest defense firms for LCE violations in Pennsylvania. "I think their direction is wrong," Di Vito said of the LCE. "I don't think there is demand in society for them to go out and make hundreds of arrests and take away liquor licenses." Di Vito added that the law written to prevent the commercial sale of alcohol to the general public was not intended for fraternities. He said the law is intended to cover night clubs. However, LCE Lt. McGeehan said any sale of alcohol in high volume is essentially a commercial sale. "Any residence or any persons who set up a party and then charge admission to the party is within the [scope of the ] law," McGeehan said. "You are into a situation where they are a speak-easy or a business." McGeehan said raids have occurred at other area university fraternities, including Bloomsburg, West Chester, Drexel and Villanova universities. He said the State Police wants to hold information sessions with fraternity members to help instruct them how to hold safe parties. "Kids really need to protect themselves," McGeehan said. "They need to ask some questions: What are the laws? and what do we have to do to comply with laws?" Cappiello also suggested the incident could be a learning experience. "If anything good can come out of this . . . I hope national policies regarding underage drinking would be reconsidered," he said. "I think that's what every college student wants." However Di Vito encouraged prosecutorial discretion as an alternative. "I don't think there is widespread community outrage about underage drinking," Di Vito said. "I think people are more concerned about more serious problems such as crime and drugs."
(04/02/92 10:00am)
Student Health has not received calls in response to allegations that a Philadelphia businessman with AIDS had molested children -- even though callers have flooded AIDS hotlines across Philadelphia, a student health official said yesterday. Edward Savitz, a 1963 University graduate who has full-blown AIDS, is being held on $20 million bail for allegedly buying sex, soiled underwear and photos from young males. Kate Webster, a sexual health educator in the University's office of Student Health, said her office is open as usual to accept calls from concerned students. "I would certainly be more than willing to help someone deal with the really frightening issues connected with the front-page blitz of information," Webster said. "I don't want this particular case to make people forget the possible exposures that people come in contact with everyday." Webster said she is able to refer people who are concerned they have Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome to appropriate testing sites in the city. She said most people she speaks with opt for free, anonymous testing -- a service the University does not provide. "The man has some obvious problems that are separate from the fact that he is HIV-infected," the nurse-practitioner said. "Anyone with AIDS, whether it's Ed or Annette on campus, is the same. "Something like this hightens awareness, but also hightens irrational fears," Webster added. Savitz, who graduated from the College, has been charged by the District Attorney's office on 17 counts -- five each of sexual abuse of children and corrupting the morals of minors, three of indecent assault, and two each of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and promoting prostitution. The Philadelphia actuary graduated with honors and was involved in many campus organizations, including Men's Student Government and the Glee Club. According to Glee Club Director Bruce Montgomery, Savitz was a pianist for the club for just one year. "I really didn't know him other than as an accompianist," Mongomery said. "He was sort of a loner." Montgomery said he remembered Savitz being especially proud to accompany the club when Rise Stevens, from the Metropolitan Opera Company, sang at the group's centennial celebration. Montgomery said he thought Savitz was his former accompianist when he first heard the name, but wasn't completely sure until photographs hit newspapers. "The cleft in the chin pretty much settled it," Montgomery said of the photos. Another acquaintance of Savitz, who asked not to be identified, said Savitz was a bright student at every level of his education and observed Savitz from his days at Sayer Junior High School and West Philadelphia High School. "He was absolutely brilliant, quiet, popular -- reasonably popular, anyway -- and ethical," he said. "I guess he would fall into the broad category of nerd, but primarily brilliant. And in those days, brilliant people were ethical people." According to documents recovered from the Philadelphia City Archives, Savitz applied for a Mayor's Scholarship in 1960, but was not selected. Records indicate that Savitz was not asked back for an interview. The acquaintance said Savitz' entire family -- parents and three brothers -- were "high-quality" people. "As I recall [Savitz], he was very much interested in doing the right thing," the aquaintance said. "This guy was the last person you would have expected anything like this from." Staff Writer Stephen Glass and the Associated Press contributed to this story.
