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(01/22/93 10:00am)
Joshua Goldwert was picked up once by police with a prostitute. At least that is how long-time friend Craig Wellen explains the situation. Goldwert, the new Weekly Pennsylvanian Editor, went to Shea Stadium for a fourth of July fireworks display with a couple of friends and one friend's father. As the group left the stadium, Goldwert separated from the rest of the people when he was knocked over by the onrush of spectators, College sophomore Wellen said this week. The ever-resourceful Goldwert went to one of New York's finest and, when his friends nearly lost all hope of ever seeing him again, he rode up in a police car accompanied by a prostitute. Goldwert would not comment this week on the incident. But the College sophomore will use some of those same resources as new WP Editor. Goldwert has been placed atop the DP's weekly summary which is sent home to alumni and parents. Arthur Goldwert described his son as "wonderfully intense, very intense," adding that "his mother thinks he's wonderful." At age eight, Goldwert booked himself on the television show Child's Play, appearing almost a dozen times on the program and winning over $2000 in prizes, his father said. Wellen had a less flattering comment to make about his friend. "He'll hit on anything that moves," Wellen said.
(12/03/92 10:00am)
The University's need blind financial aid policy could be in jeopardy if the University loses its legal battle over the Mayor's Scholarships, Acting Executive Vice President John Gould said last night. Under the current need-blind admissions policy, the University accepts students based solely on merit. Financial aid packages including grants, loans and work study jobs are awarded later based on the student's ability to pay. Supporters of the policy have maintained that it allows the University to select a more diverse social and economic pool of students. If Judge Nelson Diaz rules in favor of the University, this policy would be unaffected. The Common Pleas Court trial is supposed to settle a lawsuit filed in October 1991 against the University over the number of scholarships the University is required to distribute annually to Philadelphia students. The lawsuit, filed by labor unions, student groups and several individuals, claims that a 1977 city ordinance requires the University to award 125 scholarships to Philadelphia high school graduates in each University class, for a total of 500 at a time. The University, however, maintains that it is required by the disputed ordinance to provide 125 scholarships at a time in return for rent-free city land. Court testimony from both sides ended last Wednesday. It is unclear when Diaz will make his decision. Gould said that any institution faced with a similar situation would be forced to re-evaluate its financial aid policy. "[If the University loses] we would have to revisit our financial aid policy and make some decisions about what we would be able to do," Gould said. A loss in the courts, requiring the University to fund an additional 375 scholarships, "would affect virtually all institutions like Penn which maintain need blind financial aid and need based financial aid," Gould said. And if the University loses its legal battle over the future of the Mayor's Scholarships, it would be forced to make up to $70 million in back payments. The University would also be required to spend $7.6 million yearly in order to finance the 500 scholarships the plaintiffs contend the University must support. But Thomas Gilhool, the plaintiff's attorney, said yesterday that the University has exaggerated the true cost of funding the additional scholarships. The University could, in effect, avoid spending any extra money if it shifts some of the $33 million in financial aid now used to support non-Philadelphia students, Gilhool said. University General Counsel Shelley Green said yesterday that the University would not shift funding of non-city residents to support the additional 375 students if the Univeristy loses the suit. "The plaintiffs are talking about a complete transformation of the University," Green said, adding that the University will not reapportion its financial aid to compensate for the Mayor's Scholarships. But Green said the University is confident that it has a strong case. The University currently supports 125 Mayor Scholarships valued at almost $1.9 million. An additional 375 scholarships would be worth almost $5.7 million. If the University were to follow Gilhool's prescription, it would need to divert $5.7 million in aid from support for out-of-city students. Assuming the University loses and must fund 500 Mayor's Scholarships, the University would end up spending almost one fourth of its undergraduate financial aid budget on students from Philadelphia. Gilhool said that the analysis is flawed because the University could easily include the additional students without causing a significant increase in costs. Harvard Professor Gary Orfield, an expert on financial aid and the accessibility of higher education for the disadvantaged, agreed last week in his testimony at the Mayor's Scholarship trial. Olfield, testifying for PILCOP, said "you don't have to build a new library for that many new students." He added that the University will receive approximately $4,000 per student in the form of government aid. With recent budget constraints, the future of the need-blind policy has been questioned by some observers. But President Sheldon Hackney has maintained that the University has no current plans to alter the policy.
(11/23/92 10:00am)
About two dozen students, staff and faculty gathered at the Houston Hall Bowl Room last week to hold a memorial for three students who were killed in separate incidents during the 1980s and to remind the University that violence and racism are still a threat in the community. The event, sponsored by the Penn Women's Center and organized by Andrea Casarow, a social work intern at the center, was an hour-long memorial dedicated to Meera Ananthakrishnan, Cyril Leung and Tyrone Robertson each of whom were victims of violence. Three speakers commemorated the lives of the three University students. Elena DiLapi, director of the Penn Women's Center, called Ananthakrishnan "a very bright woman" who "took great risks to come to America." "She was the most vulnerable, she was an international scholar, she was an international woman," DiLapi said, adding that "she was a woman of color" who was "particularly susceptible to violence." Ananthakrishnan was stabbed to death in her Graduate Towers apartment over Thanksgiving break in 1985. Ananthakrishnan, a physics graduate student, was "in a male dominated field," DiLapi added. College sophomore Su Suh, of the Penn Asian Circle, spoke about Cyril Leung, an economics graduate student from Hong Kong. "Throughout American history, there has always been racism," Suh said, adding that Leung was the victim of a racial crime. He was beaten with a tree limb after playing touch football with friends, she said. Leung was beaten to death in October 1980 by Clark Park. And Cora Ingrum, director of Engineering minority programs, said Tyrone Robertson, a freshman Engineering student who was shot in Chester, Pennsylvania, was "cut down in the prime of life." "He really was one who was interested in making something of himself," Ingrum said and then asked Robertson's family to stand. Assistant to the Vice Provost for University Life Barbara Cassel called the occasion "a reminder for all of us to reach out." And Joyce Randolph, director of international programs, said that international students are "marginalized" and are held out as show pieces, but are ignored by a large part of the University population. "The presence of international students is marginalized on campus, as are persons of color," she said, adding that international students comprise 14 percent of the University population. Former Victim Support Services Director Ruth Wells said "we express our thanks for the lives of Cyril, Meera and Tyrone." Calling them the "cream of the crop," she said "we all feel a lot of pain" for their deaths. "How do we deal with pain?" she asked. "We re-commit ourselves to make a change." She stressed that the University must maintain a separate budget for Victim Support Services. "Victim Support [Services] must always belong to the women's community, to the students of this University," Wells said. During the last section of the memorial, Robertson's brother stood up to speak to the group. "I extend my thanks to the University [for the memorial service]," he said. "There is no answer to violence." He stressed that students must remember to take precautions when they walk through campus. Casarow said she was pleased with the memorial, but said she wished more people had turned out for the event.
(11/20/92 10:00am)
A former housekeeper, acquitted this fall of raping a co-worker, has filed a grievance with the University demanding that the University reinstate him and pay him 14 months in back wages. Warren Timbers, who was dismissed from his position as a University housekeeper after being accused and arrested for raping a co-worker on August 26 of last year, said he filed the grievance last year but has had no response from the University. University officials were closed-mouthed this week about the filing of the grievance and the incident. University Labor Relations Director Jack Heuer and University Assistant General Counsel Neil Hamburg said yesterday they could not comment on the case. Hamburg cited the "employee-employer confidentiality" rule which prohibits the University from commenting on matters involving specific labor relations. And Heuer similarly refused to comment adding that he could not confirm "whether [Timbers] has filed a grievance or not." Timbers, 36, was arrested last August after being accused by a fellow housekeeper of raping her in a Hill House lounge during a work break. The North Philadelphian, who according to Philadelphia Police had a prior rape conviction, was arrested outside Hill House the same afternoon. Timbers discounted his prior conviction last week, saying that he "was only a teenager" when it happened. Timbers, who has maintained his innocence since his arrest, said this month that the University treated him unfairly from the beginning. · On August 26, the day of his arrest, Timbers says he was sent a letter by the University indicating that he was suspended from his position "pending a review" of the incident. Just four days later, the University issued another statement, Timber says, stating that he was "terminated as a result of [his] assault on a University employee that took place in a University building." Timbers contends that the University unfairly terminated his employment without ever having questioned him about the incident. "I was incarcerated [during the time of the University's review]," Timbers contends. "I didn't get out until September 10." "They didn't even talk to me," he said, adding that he received a letter from the University notifying him of the decision. And Timbers says the University review found him guilty of an "assault," but after he was found not guilty of the crime by a criminal court, the University changed the reason for his dismissal. Timbers says the University now contends he was fired for having had sex on the job, something he says he did not admit to until the September 1992 trial. · Timbers's version of the incident last August 26 is very different from the one printed in local papers during the time of the incident. Police told The Daily Pennsylvanian at the time of the arrest that Timbers raped the woman and then was unable to leave the room because the door was stuck. After a fellow worker pried the door open, Timbers fled, police say, and was finally caught outside Hill House. But Timbers tells a different story. He and the 37-year-old woman were relaxing in a Hill House lounge after completing the morning's work, he recalls, when he nodded off. Timbers said he awoke to find the woman lying next to him on the couch in the lounge, he said. According to Timbers, he told the woman that "there wasn't enough room on the couch" for both of them and that she should get up, but, instead, the woman began to undress in front of him and pulled him towards her. He and the woman began having sex, Timbers said. He got up to close the lounge door so that no one would walk in on the two, but another housekeeper interrupted them, he said. He said that after being interrupted, he went out of the building to get lunch and when he returned, he was arrested by Philadelphia Police. He said he believes the woman accused him of rape because "she is white and I'm black." The woman, according to Timbers, is still on the University payroll. · But Timbers has been unemployed since the incident. Burton Rose, Timbers' lawyer during the trial, said last week, "I think it is only right that the man be reinstated with back pay." Timbers said his union, Teamster's Local 115, initially tried to convince him not to file the grievance. A union official last night refused to comment on the case. But, having been unable to find another job, Timbers says that he is desperate and has faced one crisis after another since the incident. Timbers said he has been unable to pay for his son's treatment for sickle cell anemia, a genetic blood disease. "What the University should have done is to hire me back [after the trial], pay me my back pay and then fire me," Timbers said. Timbers accuses the University of stalling, adding that after his unemployment benefits run out in April, he will be left with no income. Medical bills for his son have been piling up, Timbers added, saying that he is a single parent trying to raise a young son. Zemoria Brandon, executive director of the Sickle Cell Genetic Disease Council, said last night that she knows Timbers from his visits with his son to her organization. Timbers is "a concerned and responsible father caring for this child who has the sickle cell disease," Brandon said. "He is the victim of circumstance on this occasion. He is running into a lot of obstacles." "He is a very loving father," she added. "He is a single parent -- that speaks for itself." "It's important he get his job back so that he can take care of his son," Brandon stressed. "I hope the University will be fair and do the right thing." Penn's Women Center Director Elena Dilapi said last night that, while she is not familiar with the specifics of the case, women who accuse men of rape generally tell the truth. She said the fact that Timbers was acquitted by a jury means little, adding that rape victims seldom get justice.
(11/20/92 10:00am)
That will be one cheeseburger, two cokes and a little baby to go. A woman went into labor outside the Burger King at 40th and Walnut streets last night after witnessing a fight between her sister and an employee of the restaurant. Witnesses said last night that a fight started between the employee and customer inside the restaurant around 7:30 p.m. They said they do not know what the fight was about, but that the customer threw a drink at the employee and left. The employee began fighting with another employee, and then the customer walked back in and started fighting again. The women went outside to continue the fight, witnesses said. Police arrived at the scene soon after and the two women were separated. As police were handling the dispute, bystanders pointed to a car with a baby in it and yelled, "the baby, the baby," University Police Sergeant Larry Salotti said last night. The officers turned and found a baby in a jeep by itself. They took the baby, who belonged to the fighting customer, out of the car and put it into a police car, Salotti said. The mother of the baby and two of her cousins, misinterpreted the officer's intentions and attacked him, scratching his eye and damaging the police car, Salotti said. At that point, the customer's sister -- who was eight months pregnant -- went into labor. Police rushed the pregnant woman, her sister and the baby to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. A witness, Darryl Jones of West Philadelphia, said he saw that one of the women had a knife, but police did not confirm this. Salotti said that although some bystanders might have thought a serious crime had occured, it was simply a minor dispute with a happy ending. Dozens of onlookers gathered around 40th and Walnut streets to watch the scene. Staff Writer Cara Tanamachi contributed to this story.
(11/19/92 10:00am)
Dena and Lena Najafi were not expecting to be on television -- much less on television with Bill Cosby -- when they went shopping on South Street this summer. But after being spotted by a producer for the comedian's new show, You Bet Your Life, the University twins were selected from dozens of other sets of twins to be on the show. The sisters, both sophomores in the College, were interviewed in Philadelphia during the summer. The tapes were then sent to the production center in Los Angeles to be reviewed by producers of the show, Lena Najafi said. Lena said she and her sister were selected to be on an episode focused on twins. The twins won $900 out of a possible $10,000, but Lena said that they still enjoyed their time on the show. She said that the real thrill of the experience was the 40-minute chat the twins had with Cosby. Cosby, whose show began earlier this fall, talked to the two about the University, their work as "cell technicians" at the Medical School and their experiences as twins, Lena said. The 40-minute discussion will be cut down into about five minutes of usable airtime, Lena said. Lena said that Cosby kissed both her and her sister after she praised his school, Temple University, and mentioned that her brother attends Temple. And she said Cosby "kept laughing at us" because when she starts a sentence, her sister finishes the story. Dena blamed her sister for interrupting their winning streak. She said the twins had agreed to bet dollar amounts with a 21 in them and that they had been successful doing that. But she said her sister then convinced her to bet $381 on their final question and they lost. Dena said she joked with her sister that they lost because they did not bet their lucky number. But she added that "it was a great experience, it was really neat meeting Bill Cosby." "We were nervous, but once we were on stage, we were relaxed," Dena said.
(11/17/92 10:00am)
to revive campus patrols PennWatch, a student-run cam - pus safety organization, will offer interactive presentations next & semester designed to increase stu - dent awareness of security issues, PennWatch directors said & yesterday. And directors said last night they hope to restore the nightly patrols, which were discontinued this & semester due to a lack of & volunteers. The group, which has been spon - sored largely by the Greek system, will begin the educational program next semester, Director Meredith Grabois said yesterday. The College senior said Pen - nWatch is working with the Univer - sity's Victim Support Services to de - sign a program which will inform students about crime at the & University. She said the program will teach students what they should do to & avoid falling victim to crime and what they must do once they have victimized. Director Doug Epstein said that "we are keeping the patrols, that hasn't changed, but what we did change was that we added on an education system to include all stu - dents campus-wide." "We hope that the seminars will publicize & safety concerns at Penn and there - fore will make this a safer campus," Grabois said. Grabois said that last year she took time to "think about where & PennWatch was heading" and con - cluded that, along with the patrols, the organization needed to "be - come more interactive with stu - dents in expressing concerns about safety." Grabois said that the program & will initially be presented to the In - terFraternity Council and the Pan - hellenic Council, as well as residen - tial advisors, who will then evaluate the program. She said she hopes that, after the initial presentation, PennWatch & will be able to hold presentations in University residences and in frater - nity and sorority houses. She added that, if next semester's program proves successful, she & hopes to have PennWatch give a large presentation during next & year's New Student Orientation & week. PennWatch is working with Vic - tim Support Services, the branch of the University Police Department which provides services to victims of crimes, to develop the program the group will present to students, Grabois said. "[Victim Support Services'] re - sponse has been extremely suppor - tive," Grabois said. "I think Penn Police have encouraged us to go out and reach students." Wharton junior Epstein, who & coordinates the patrol branch of & PennWatch, said the group has con - sidered a number of options to in - crease participation in patrols. He said some type of compensa - tion could be given to participants, although he refrained from saying that volunteers would be paid for their services. He suggested that PennWatch & could establish a contest between Greek houses, who comprise the core of PennWatch, and that the house with the best participation would receive a prize at the end of the year. "The idea of an incentive prog - ram, in my personal opinion, is the way to go," Epstein said. Grabois said she has not heard of similar programs at other schools. "Actually I have never heard of anything like this being tried out," Grabois said, adding that the group is still developing the seminar.
(11/16/92 10:00am)
Although the University's $1 billion dollar capital campaign is set to end in two years, the administration plans to maintain the pace of the fundraising campaign throughout the decade, Senior Vice President for Planning and Development Rick Nahm said last week. The campaign will officially end in December 1992, but Nahm said that the University will surpass the overall $1 billion goal sometime next summer. "If we assume there will be no single gift larger than $2 million, we would be on a trajectory to reach $1 billion between July and September," Nahm said. "It's always difficult to tell exactly," Nahm said. "A big gift can throw you over [the $1 billion mark] very quickly." Nahm said that as of Wednesday, $877 million had been pledged to the University as part of the capital campaign. The campaign, begun two years ago, has been a four-year project to both increase the University's endowment and to raise money for specific projects. Nahm said that although the University will reach its goal well before the deadline, the University will continue the campaign until the December 1994 deadline. "Once you have a campaign running full speed, it's wise to continue it full steam until you have solicited all the people who are prospects," Nahm said. Acting Executive Vice President John Gould said last week that "we were at a meeting the other night and one of the deans of the major schools said it would be crazy to dismantle one of the best fundraising systems in the country." Gould said the resources the University invests in the capital campaign are well worth the result. "It's one of the few areas in the University where an increase in staff has an extraordinary increase in revenues," Gould said. And Nahm said that, while the $1 billion goal will be reached this summer, "it doesn't mean we have met all of the subgoals." The "subgoals" include fundraising for specific schools and projects. And Nahm said the University will not slow down even after the official end of the campaign. "It is our expectation that we will keep the development program or fundraising program at its current level of activity for the rest of the decade," Nahm said. "What we will do is concentrate on fundraising that supports the new five year plans that the schools are currently planning." The "five year plans" are development plans drawn up by each school at the University. "This next cycle of five year plans will form the foundation for the development after the campaign, like the previous five year plans guided the current campaign," Nahm said. "In terms of overall level of fundraising, we hope to maintain this level of fundraising," Nahm said. President Sheldon Hackney, the second-longest serving president in the Ivy League, said this summer that he plans to remain in office at least through the end of the University's $1 billion capital campaign. Some have speculated that, because of the Hackney family's relationship with the Clinton family and Hackney's rare endorsement of Clinton a week before the election, Hackney may be offered a job in the new administration. An early fulfillment of the capital campaign goal would allow Hackney to keep his promise and to leave the University early.
(11/11/92 10:00am)
The University has decided to accept next year's Veterinary School class despite the possibility that the University may not receive state funding again next year. University Budget Director Stephen Golding said yesterday that the University "made [the decision] on the basis that it would be unfair to [not accept a class] without a determination from the state about funding." Golding said that, if the state does not return funding to the Vet School in the upcoming budget, the University is prepared run a deficit again next year. This year, the University is running a $16.5 million deficit to finance the Vet School, but Golding has said in the past that it would be "fiscally unwise" for the University to continue the policy of maintaining a deficit keep the Vet School afloat. He said yesterday, however, that the University has an obligation to notify faculty and potential applicants far enough in advance so that they can make plans. Acting Executive Vice President John Gould said last night that the University has not changed its position. "I think what we said initially is correct," Gould said. "Over the long term we cannot sustain [a deficit] because the overhead cost to the rest of the Univeristy would be too great." But Gould said that the University wants to show that it is committed to the Vet School and is willing to finance another deficit. Gould said he remains "hopeful" about the future of state appropriations to the University and said it is important "that we send a message of confidence." Golding said earlier this semester that, if prospects for a return of state funding were bleak, the University might not accept an incoming class of veterinary students. But Vet School Spokesperson Thelma Weeks said yesterday that the school will accept a full class. She said that the student applications for next year's incoming class have been arriving at the University and that the school's admissions office has seen no noticeable decrease in the number of applications received. Generally, the school receives a flood of applications during the final week before the applications deadline. This year's admissions application deadline for the school is December 1. "The bulk of the applications come in in the last couple of days," Weeks said. "Whatever is coming in is the same as it has been in the past." The future of the Vet School was placed into question when Gov. Robert Casey cut all state funding to the University last spring. The budget was approved over the summer by the State Assembly.
(11/02/92 10:00am)
Students who believe they are registered to vote in the City of Philadelphia may not be registered to vote in tomorrow's election. Election Board member Scott Sher made a rough estimate last night that between 200 and 300 students who submitted their registration forms to the city, are not on the city's voter rolls, and are, therefore, not registered to vote. Sher blamed the city for the problem, saying it did not prepare for the overwhelming number of new registrations the city received this fall. Jessica Lieberman, publicity chairperson for Vote for a Change, said last night that she submitted her registration card but has still not received confirmation that she is registered. Lieberman said that when she called the city election board late last week, they told her that they had no record of her registration. The official told her to call again today, because the city is still processing registration forms, she said. Election Commissioner Margaret Tartaglione said last night that student groups who perform voter registration drives are not affiliated with the city. Students who have received confirmation cards from the city indicating that they are registered should bring the card to the polling place, officials said. If their name is not on the voter rolls, the card will allow them to vote. Students who have submitted a registration form, but have not received the confirmation card and are not on the voter rolls must swear before a judge that they have registered to vote. The elections courts are located at each city police station. The closest station to the University is the 18th District at 55th and Pine streets. Sheryl George-MacAlpine, the 27th Ward Democratic leader, said last night that the local election board will provide transportation for students who find they are not registered to vote. College senior Sher, who is one of 15 University students who sits on the election board for University City, said last night that he is hoping to have the University's Escort Service take students every half-hour to the election court at 39th and Lancaster streets. Tataglione said that students can call the election board at 686-3460 today to confirm that they are registered.
(10/29/92 10:00am)
Thankfully for President Bush, Tuesday's presidential election will not be confined to the Ivy League. For if that were the case, Bush's chief rival, Democratic Presidential Candidate Bill Clinton would trounce the President by 48 percentage points, according to The Daily Pennsylvanian/Ivy League poll conducted by seven of the eight Ivy League newspapers last week. Polling 1,803 students out of a total undergraduate population of about 40,000 students, the poll found that Bush would garner just 17 percent of the student vote. Sixty-five percent of the students polled said they would vote for Clinton if the election were held today. In a setting where registered independents outnumber Republicans by 50 percent, it would be difficult for Bush to win. Independent Candidate Ross Perot, however, fares even worse than Bush, the Ivy poll indicates. Sampling 4.5 percent of the total Ivy League undergraduate population at seven Ivies, the poll found that Perot would win just seven percent of the vote. Only at the University does Perot break into double digits. If any single trend seems to jump off the page, it is the fact that students seem committed to their candidates. Just nine percent were undecided about who they would vote for at the time of the poll. The poll also indicates that the University is the most politically conservative school in the Ivy League. Of the University students polled, 20 percent said they would vote for Bush and 23 percent said they had registered as Republicans. And Bush would lose by just 30 percent to Clinton. A defeat by 30 percentage points may seem devastating, but, when compared to several of the other Ivy League schools, such a loss would is mild for Bush. The poll indicates that at Brown University, Clinton would win by 70 percent. At Harvard University, Bush could expect to lose by 60 percent. And in a comparatively competitive race, Bush would lose by 55 percent at Yale University. Brown appears to be the most liberal school in the Ivies, while the University and Princeton University are nearer to the conservative end of the political spectrum. Of the three responses in the poll -- not important, somewhat important or very important -- at least 90 percent of the students polled last week said that each of the five issues asked about was either somewhat or very important in influencing their decision. But most important in their minds were concerns about education and the job market. Across the Ivy League, at least 67 percent of the students polled said that the candidates' stands on the economy were "very important" in their decision. And 72 percent of the students said education will play a "very important" role in their decision when they step into the voting booth on Tuesday. Shawn Landres, a junior at Columbia University and national steering chairperson of Students for Clinton/Gore, said this week that he is not surprised by the results of the DP/Ivy poll. "Students are very concerned about the economy," he said. "People come up to me and say 'I don't know what I'm going to do when I get out of here.' " Landres, who also lobbies on behalf of students for financial aid, said that "more student financial aid is a major concern of students on campus." The poll shows that students place health care issues last among the list of concerns they have. At Princeton University, only six percent of the students polled felt that the health care issue was "very important" in their decision, although 75 percent said it will influence their decision in some way. "Students have a sense of immortality," Landres said. "They ask 'Why do I need health insurance?' " The DP/Ivy Poll may confirm what many believe about universities -- that they are more liberal that the rest of society. But Ashley Heyer, a member of Columbia's College Republicans, criticized the poll, saying that the questions brought out issues on which Clinton is strong and ignored Bush's strengths. "I think it is really sad that you didn't say anything about international relations [in the poll]," Heyer said. "You didn't ask about international relations, international trade, and character." Heyer said she feels support for Clinton is especially weak at Columbia and that students are only expressing support for Clinton out of protest against Bush. She said that at Columbia, "where people will protest or rally for anything," rallies for Clinton have only drawn 200 people in the past several weeks.
(10/28/92 10:00am)
President Sheldon Hackney and two other University administrators, along with 220 fellow college administrators nationwide, endorsed Democratic Presidential Candidate Bill Clinton Monday. In what Clinton spokesperson Jim Whitney called "a rare move," the administrators endorsed the candidate in an "open letter" printed in today's Chronicle of Higher Education as a paid advertisement by the Clinton campaign. Saying this "is the first time I've ever" endorsed a candidate, Hackney said last night "I think the country is in need of a new direction and new leadership and I think that [Clinton's] notions about where we ought to be going are correct." "The economy is weak and the cities are full of drugs and violence and society is divided into . . . into different groups that don't see a common purpose," Hackney said. "I think Bill Clinton sees a common purpose for society and sees how we might get the economy growing again." Hackney stressed that his endorsement was a personal statement and not a statement about the stance of the University. And he defended Clinton's record as Governor of Arkansas, saying "the rate of improvement [in education] there has been dramatic." The supporters, who also included Assistant Vice President David Morse and Director of the Institute for Research on Higher Education Robert Zemsky, wrote in the letter that "we stand at a crossroads." "American higher education is showing the strain of rising costs, diminishing resources and the consequences of failed national leadership," the letter, dated October 24, reads. Citing Clinton's "boldness of mind" and "stamina and resolve," the 220 university presidents, deans and trustees endorsed Clinton and his running-mate Al Gore as candidates who "will provide the leadership needed to reinvigorate America's most important intellectual and economic resources." The administrators stress in the letter that they write "in our personal, individual capacities, speaking only for ourselves, and not for any institution which we are, or have been, affiliated." Arguing that "every American must have the opportunity to prepare for the demands of the future," the supporters endorse Clinton's plans to restructure the federal financial aid programs to allow students to repay their loans by performing community service. Assistant Vice President for Policy Planning Morse said last night that his decision to endorse Clinton was "purely personal." Morse, who worked as a Republican staffer in Congress, said "that if you take a look at the last several years . . . you see an administration which has used itself as a bully-pulpit to bash higher education, and has done very little to help it." Morse said, however, that the current administration's efforts to give tax breaks for charitable gifts has been beneficial to higher education. But he added that President Bush's administration has cut student financial aid, cut minority scholarship funds and provided "less than adequate" research funding. Morse said that the Clinton platform for higher education "proposes new directions, not all of which I agree with." He said that he does agree with the Clinton plan to restructure federal student financial aid. Clinton campaign spokesperson for Pennsylvania Whitney said yesterday that the endorsement by top university administrators is unusual because generally they like to stay out of politics. Whitney said he believes the endorsement is important because the new Clinton supporters are all respected people in their fields. The names of each of the supporters is listed in the advertisement with the person's home town. The supporters' affiliations are not mentioned. Bryn Mawr College President Mary McPherson, Haverford College President Tom Kessinger and Drexel Provost Eli Fromm also were among those who endorsed Clinton. (CUT LINE) Please see ENDORSE, page 2 ENDORSE, from page 1
(10/12/92 9:00am)
The University may not accept any Veterinary School students for next year's class if the state legislature does not restore the University's appropriation, University Budget Director Stephen Golding said Friday. Golding said the University will decide by November 1 -- probably before the state decides if it will fund the school -- whether or not to accept a new class of Vet School students for next year. Golding said the University needs to notify students by the beginning of next month because potential students need to know about the future of the school before the planned December 1 application deadline. "It's a question of communicating to potential students that the Vet School is open and operating," Golding said. "If [state legislators] choose to wait until after the election to make the decision concerning our appropriations . . .the Trustees will need to determine whether they will enter another class." University Trustees, along with President Sheldon Hackney and Provost Michael Aiken, would evaluate the financial risk of accepting another class of Vet School students, Golding said. The Vet School could refuse to accept next year's class, but, if the state appropriation to the University is restored, the school would reopen its doors to another class the year after. But Golding stressed that "we're not going to make any final decision" until the University is confident of its relationship with the state. Golding said that "conversations are going on now" between the budget officials, the Committee to Save the Vet School -- a group of representatives from the state's large agricultural community which is urging lawmakers to restore the Vet School appropriation -- and the University's lobbyist Paul Cribbins. "We have indicated to the Committee to Save the Vet School that there is support on the part of the president and provost . . . for the University to admit another Vet School class," Golding said. The state legislature placed the immediate future of the school in question this summer when it eliminated its entire state appropriation to the University, including 40 percent of the Vet School's $49 million expenditure. "The president has always said once we know what our relationship with the Commonwealth is, the University will make a decision" about whether it can afford the school, Golding said. University lobbyists and the Agricultural Committee are "telling us that they are having conversations with the legislators and that the legislature is very supportive of the Vet School," he said. But, despite the cost of subsidizing the school, the state would be actually saving money in the long run, he said. If the state fails to restore the Vet School appropriation, which includes funding for the New Bolton Center and the Veterinary Hospital, the University may be forced to shut down the entire operation. And if the state were to someday decide it needed another veterinary school to support the state's large agricultural community, it would have to begin the operation from scratch. Judging by the Vet School's $300 million physical plant -- a figure which includes the New Bolton Center and the Veterinary Hospital -- starting all over would be an expensive proposition, officials said. "They are getting a first class school for 40 cents on the dollar," Golding said. Vet School Dean Edwin Andrews said last week that he is "very optimistic" about the future of the school. In order to keep the school's doors open last year, the University ran a deficit, $16.5 million of which was directly related to Vet School operations. Golding has said in the past that it would be fiscally unwise for the University to continue running a deficit.
(10/12/92 9:00am)
Students of all political stripes gathered in dormitory rooms, apartments and classrooms to watch the first presidential debate of this election. And although there was one debate last night, students came away from the hour and a half debate with many different impressions about how the candidates had fared. About 50 students gathered in the Houston Hall Bowl Room last night to paint signs and cheer on Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Clinton during the first of three presidential debates. The students from Vote For A Change and Penn Pro-Choice spent the half-hour before the debate relaxing, chatting and coloring posters. But once the debate began, attention shifted to the room's large-screen television. For the next hour and a half students watched Clinton, President George Bush, and independent candidate Ross Perot deliver their visions for the future of America and occasionally spar amongst themselves. According to College senior Marcia Zabusky, co-chairperson of the Vote For A Change campus group, "We're here to show our support for Bill Clinton." She added that the students had also gathered to "prepare our efforts for Tuesday's rally," which she expects will draw at least 2000 people. Tuesday's rally, sponsored by both Vote for a Change and Penn Pro-Choice and funded by Hollywood Women's Political Committee and the College Democrats of America, will feature television stars Rhea Perlman of Cheers and University alumnus Ken Olin and Patricia Wettig, both of thirtysomething. As student prepared signs which read "Even Wharton is for Clinton" and "Read My Lips 'Bill Clinton,' " they cheered after many of Bill Clinton's answers and laughed at Ross Perot. "I think Clinton did a great job," College freshman Seth Rosenberg said after one exchange. "He confronted the issues." College junior Scott Sher, president of College Democrats, said the turnout for last night's viewing of the debate proves that "the general Penn populace supports Clinton." While most, if not all, of the students gathered in Houston Hall supported Clinton, across campus in the Annenberg School for Communications, a politically-mixed group of students watched the debate. The hundred-strong group of students, many of whom are in Annenberg Dean Kathleen Jamieson's Communications 326 class, watched the debate in three different classrooms and filled out pre-test and post-test forms to determine how the debate affected their opinion of the candidates. And in Perot supporter and Wharton senior Aron Schwartz's off-campus apartment, about 20 students watched the debate. After the program, Schwartz said, "While the other two candidates proved that they were out of touch with the American people . . . Ross Perot has proven that he is a viable candidate." "People recognize that ideology should not be running this country, pragmatism should," Schwartz added. (CUT LINE) Please see DEBATES, page 5 DEBATES, from page 1 'I think Clinton did a great job. He confronted the issues.' Seth Rosenberg College freshman
(10/08/92 9:00am)
The federal government this summer enacted a five-year reauthorization of the Higher Education Act to govern the way federal student aid programs operate and set the qualifications students must fulfill before receiving financial aid. The Act establishes guidelines for student financial aid procedures, but is still not completely understood by college administrators. Among a number of changes, the Act raises the aid cap on Pell Grants and requires students to fill out an additional form to receive federal aid. But the most radical change in the five-year reauthorization is the creation of a pilot program which will eliminate the need for third-party lenders. In the past, students who received Guaranteed Student Loans dealt with three separate groups: the university they attended, the government or guarantor and an outside lending agency such as a bank. That system will continue under the new act, but the 1992 Higher Education reauthorization has created a pilot program of 300 schools which will eliminate the lending agency. For those institutions, which will be selected by the Department of Education, the government will borrow and fund federally-guaranteed student loans. Under the test system, universities will still determine the financial need of students based on pre-existing federally-determined guidelines. But, instead of receiving money through a bank to give the students, universities will get money directly from the federal government, said Jean Frohlicher of the National Council of Higher Education Loan Programs. Frohlich, who is president of the NCHELP, said that the new funding procedures seek to solve two problems: to make the loan program appear cheaper and to simplify the process. Currently, federally-funded student aid programs are recorded as part of the budget and therefore add to the national debt. But under the pilot programs, the government would be able to borrow money from lending institutions without recording the transactions as part of the deficit. Supporters of the pilot program said they hope it will simplify the processing procedure by removing an entire party -- the lending institution -- from the system. But Frohlicher said yesterday that she believes the pilot program will merely serve to complicate the work for universities, who would handle loan applications. "I think that it will be a lot of additional work for schools to ensure that everything is done correctly," Frohlicher said. Director of Student Financial Aid William Schilling said yesterday that colleges can volunteer or be drafted into the pilot program by the Department of Education. "Congress has mandated that there be a sample, a cross-section including large schools, small schools, private schools," Schilling said. The selection of schools and the specific regulations relating to the pilot program will be released this April, Schilling said. At the end of the five-year term of the Act, the pilot program will be evaluated by Congress, Frohlicher said. But five years may not be long enough to evaluate the effectiveness of the program, Schilling said. Although students are generally in college for four years, there is an additional repayment period of six years. Therefore, it would take a 10-year-long pilot program to truly test the system, he said. Frohlicher said that at the end of the first five years, Congress may decide to extend the length of the program. The pilot program, set to begin during the 1994-5 academic year, has a $500 million funding limit. Moreover, the Higher Education Act has added to the paperwork students must complete. The Financial Aid Form, which some students may still be required to complete, is handled by the College Scholarship Service, a multi-data entry firm. The form is processed by CSS, which then sends the information to schools indicated by the student. But, in an effort to eliminate the cost of applying for federal aid programs, Congress created a separate form which asks aid applicants for the same information, but which has no fee. University students who apply for aid will still be required to complete the FAF form, Schilling said. Finally, Congress altered the funding for Pell Grants, a type of aid which is based on student financial need. In the past, a $2,100 cap was placed on the aid, but some in Congress sought to change the Pell system into an entitlement program, Frohlicher said. An entitlement program is one which fully funds recipients regardless of the amount of money it will cost the government. After President Bush threatened to veto the bill and congressmen threatened to oppose the measure, the plan to create a new Pell entitlement program was scrapped. The Pell Grant has been re-instituted in its previous form. In a concessionary move, the aid limit was raised from $2,100 to $2,700 in yearly aid per student, Frohlicher said. But the $2,700 cap is illusory, Frohlicher and Schilling said. Even at the $2,100, Congress has failed to appropriate enough funds to allow students to receive that funding. And despite the higher cap, Congress has appropriated even less funds this year, so that the largest grant any one student would receive would be $1,300. The complexity of the new law has led the Department of Education to release a 128-page "Dear Colleague" letter, to be released later this winter, spelling out its interpretation of grey areas in the new law.
(10/08/92 9:00am)
It might have been a sign from God. Some High Rise North residents who observed Yom Kippur yesterday were unable to cheat by drinking tapwater during their day-long fast. A water pipe leak on the 24th floor of the building forced residential maintenance workers to shut off water to rooms on the ninth floor and above, Director of Residential Living Gigi Simeone said yesterday. The leak, which forced the emergency shutdown at about 4 p.m., was found in a riser pipe -- a pipe which carries water up through the building, according to officials. Simeone said she expected water to be turned back on at about 8 p.m. after workers soldered the pipe. She said that the department had not received many complaints from students and that, upon learning of the disruption in service, Residential Living posted notices advising students of the problem. "It's kind of a coincidence that it happened on Yom Kippur because just when you're tempted to turn on the water, nothing comes out," College junior Adam Rosenbluth said. Rosenbluth said that he noticed the problem around 4 p.m. High Rise North receptionist Susan Siegel said she only had about five calls from students in the hour following the shutdown. "Most people thought it was just a problem in their rooms," she said. (CUT LINE) Please see WATER, page 2 WATER, from page 1 'It's kind of a coincidence that it happened on Yom Kippur because just when you're tempted to turn on the water, nothing comes out.' College junior Adam Rosenbluth College junior
(09/29/92 9:00am)
Endowment The stock market could push the University's endowment past the $1 billion mark sometime this semester, moving the University into an elite group of schools with similarly high endowments, University officials said. Vice President of Development Rick Nahm said the milestone could be this semester with some favorable moves in the stock exchange. Nahm, who has directed the University's Capital Campaign -- a project aimed at raising $1 billion in donations in four years -- since its beginning almost three years ago, said that "symbolically it would put the University in the group of a dozen or so other institutions with $1 billion endowments." The University invests the endowment primarily in common stocks and fixed income securities from which it draws five percent each year to fund research, professorships and other projects. The principal remains untouched in perpetuity. A large endowment allows universities to lure more professors, more students and provide better facilities. Therefore, the best universities generally have large endowments. For Nahm, much of whose work has been tied to increasing the endowment, the day on which the endowment reaches $1 billion will be a "benchmark," he said. Nahm said that "its hard to tell [when the endowment will reach $1 billion] because much of it is linked to the stock market." But he said that the value of the endowment could slip over $1 billion for several days and fall back below that mark, depending on how well the investments perform. Much of the endowment is invested in equity investments whose value fluctuates daily with moves in the stock market. "It could happen within a couple of weeks, but the market had a bad week last week," Nahm said. "It's a matter of keeping an eye on it." At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees two weeks ago, Investment Board Chairperson John Neff told Trustees that his board believes the University's Associated Investments Fund, part of which is endowment money, is undervalued. But he said it is difficult to predict the near future of the fund because of the recent economic volatility in Europe. One important reason for the reinvigorated endowment is the success of the Capital Campaign. The campaign, kicked off in 1988, has been one of the most ambitious project's in the University's financial history. The campaign is the four-year-long attempt by the University to actively attract donations and investments to the University. Part of the campaign is directed towards increasing the endowment. As of this month, the capital campaign has reached $847 million and is ahead of its overall schedule. Donors have pledged $400 million to the endowment, but as of yesterday, the University has received $220 million, Nahm said. That $220 million has already been calculated into the endowment figure. The University has been criticized in the past for being under-endowed considering the number of students who attend the University.
(09/28/92 9:00am)
The Executive Committee of the University Trustees approved every resolution placed before it without discussion during a half-hour meeting on Friday. The committee, responsible for approving major decisions made by the University, rubber stamped resolutions ranging from the appointment, promotion and resignation of several dozen professors to a request by administrators that money be allocated for the planning of the proposed Revlon Center. Trustees and administrators alike also heaped praise upon outgoing Executive Vice President Marna Whittington. "There really is no need for me to tell this group how important she has been to the University," President Sheldon Hackney said, calling on the Trustees to "gather with all of the people across the campus who want to say a fond farewell to Marna as she rides off," to her new job in the private sector. Hackney announced that, during the interim period, while a replacement is being sought, John Gould, executive director of the office of the president, will serve as acting executive vice present. Linda Hyatt will assume Gould's duties until a new executive vice president is found. In his report, Hackney updated the Trustees on the progress of the Philadelphia Mayor's Scholarship controversy which has pitted the University against the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia over the number of scholarships the University is required to provide to Philadelphia students. Hackney told the Trustees that, in spite of this week's court ruling paving the way for a trial, he is "quite confident of the legal merits of [the University's] case." The University is working with the city to "strengthen our implementation of the Mayor's Scholarship fund and to intensify our recruitment of students from the local community." Executive Vice President Whittington reported that, despite the elimination of state funding, the University's budgetary surplus in unrestricted funds was $25,000. And John Neff, chairman of the Trustee's Investment Board, reported that the University's endowment, valued at $875,300,000, fell by $6,700,000 by the end of August. But the endowment has grown by $730,000,000 since its 1979 level of $133,900,000. Neff said that, fortunately, the University has been isolated from the recent volatility in European markets because the University has avoided overseas investments. And the Trustees approved the election of Steven Murray to Vice President of Business Services. Administrators said the move is merely a change in title. Finally, the Trustees approved several resolutions permitting the administration to carry through with the building of an additional floor to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania's planned swing building. The additional floor is expected to cost almost $6 million and will bring the total cost of the Hospital's new building to $54.7 million.
(09/24/92 9:00am)
The resignation of University Lobbyist James Shada will have little effect on the University's efforts to restore state funding this year, several state legislators said yesterday. State Senator Richard Tilghman, whose district includes portions of West Philadelphia, said yesterday that, while Shada will be missed in Harrisburg, the resignation should have little bearing on the outcome of the state budget. "Jim [Shada] had been around for 20 years and obviously you get to know a lot of people on a first name basis," Tilghman said. "Knowing the people you are speaking to on a first name basis is very important." Shada, who has spearheaded University lobbying efforts for the University since 1973, will resign at the end of the month. His assistant, Paul Cribbins, will take over until a replacement is found. Tilghman said that Shada "did a great job" in Harrisburg, but said that his resignation "won't have any bearing on" the next state budget. He said he views the issue as one which affects all schools in the state and is not particular to the University. He added that the decision to fund or not fund the University will not hinge on Shada's resignation. Senator Allyson Schwartz (D), whose district includes portions of northwest Philadelphia, said yesterday that from her "perspective as someone who is a newcomer . . .I think someone new coming in can learn their way around [and] can speak on behalf of the University if they have an agenda." A spokesperson for Senator Hardy Williams (D), who represents South Philadelphia, said yesterday that the "University is definitely losing a great lobbyist, and he will be sadly missed." Warren Cooper, the spokesperson, said that "Mr. Shada's contribution and presence were very much in the forefront, but the senator doesn't necessarily feel that his absence will have much of an impact." The resignation of Executive Vice President Marna Whittington may also affect University relations with the Commonwealth. Whittington, who served as state deputy secretary of education in the early 1980s, brought an intimate knowledge of the workings of the government to the University.
(09/24/92 9:00am)
Several Pennsylvania legislators said yesterday that they think the state will restore some funding to the University this year. The state government cut the University's funding of $36 million this year and scaled back funding of every state school including Temple, Thomas Jefferson and Pennsylvania State universities. But despite State Budget Director Michael Harshock's warning last year that institutions should not expect to recover funding cuts, some legislators said that the state will allocate some money to the University. Senator Richard Tilghman (R), whose district includes parts of West Philadelphia, said yesterday that he believes the University will recoup at least 90 percent of its funding in the upcoming budget. "I don't think that [the loss of funding] will be the final outcome," Tilghman said. "I don't think you can take a university like Penn and lop off $36 million." Last year, Governor Robert Casey ignored a University request for $41.2 million, and this summer the state legislature approved the budget. Casey, although approving $176,000 for the University Museum, cut funding to the Veterinary School, which depends heavily upon the state for funding. The loss of funding has left the future of the Veterinary School, the only one of its kind in the state, in doubt. But legislators said the state cannot afford to ignore the University, which is the largest private employer in the city and an integral part of the local economy. Tilghman cited the University's telephone bill, which he said is one of the largest private bills in the state, as an example of the extent of the impact the University has on the local economy. He said that if the state plans to cut funding -- an option he does not necessarily support -- "they should cut it over a period of years." And he said that after last year's cut in funding, "a lot of pressure was placed on [Governor Casey]." There is "an obligation that government has to fund such institutions" today, although the government may have avoided funding universities in the past, Tilghman said. "A lot of people connected with these institutions have been talking to Governor Casey and the Democrats," Tilghman said. Echoing Tilghman, Senator Allyson Schwartz said that "the University of Pennsylvania is not alone in its position." Schwartz, who also represents parts of West Philadelphia, said she supports some restoration of funding for universities in Pennsylvania and added that, particularly in Philadelphia, universities are important economically. But pressure to restore state funding to the University and other state schools has not just come from politicians. Last spring, the University released an independent study which examined the University's economic role on a city, regional and state level. According to the report, the University generates $2.5 billion to the state's economy. It also showed that for every $1 million invested in the University, 50 jobs are created. In an effort to increase the pressure on lawmakers, the University distributed copies of the report to local and state politicians in the spring. Tilghman said that local unions could also have an impact on funding for universities. He has received calls from local Teamsters union officials who seem concerned about the future of union jobs at city universities now that funding has been cut. When Casey announced his proposal to slash state funding to the University, he said last year that "our public universities and institutions must come first," and added that "we only have enough money to take care of the public's own." In cutting funding, Casey ended a centuries-long relationship between the state and the University.
