Search Results
Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.
(03/26/97 10:00am)
This article appeared in the joke issue. 34th Street Magazine Proving once again that they could care less about student's lives or pocketbooks, University administrators last night announced the institution of a $100 per month fee for maintaining their e-mail accounts. According to Noam Arzt, executive director of administration and info systems, the University is unwilling to support Internet surfing habits of "thousands of horny undergraduates." When asked to elaborate upon his statement, Arzt explained, "Everyone knows that students spend hours online looking for pornography. Frankly, this has to end, and hopefully, with the institution of this fee, students will think twice about using the Internet for their perverted fantasies." Arzt added that student misuse of the Internet was the primary motivation behind the institution of the fee. "These students are in direct conflict with a number of University policies, including but not limited to the 21st Century Plan, the Perelman Quadrangle and the Agenda for Excellence," he huffed. Arzt added that administrators decided to charge $100 fee after considering a "number of factors," including how much a trip to Bermuda is going for these days. "I've always wanted to go to Bermuda, and my wife was able to get off work, so hopefully the students will start paying up ASAP so I can get that instant kickback President Rodin promised me," he said. The fee, which is effective immediately, was greeted with dismay from students. "I'm pretty pissed," said a Nursing sophomore. "How am I going to get to the Asian Babe of the Month Club homepage?" But Computer Science geeks, oops I mean majors, were the most perturbed about the fee. "I'm online at least 10 hours a day, but I don't have an extra hundred bucks just to line the pockets of the University administrators," said one Engineering senior. The fee comes in addition to the University's "General" and "Technology" fees, both of which will be maintained. "They're sucking us dry," complained a College freshman. "Soon I'm not even going to be able to afford Murph's, much less the Get-Laidium." The fee will not affect faculty, staff or adminstrators, although several anonymous administrators expressed concern about continuing to allow free Net access to staff members. "Can't we do something about Paul Lukasiak?" President Rodin asked in a fit of desperation. "He's always talking shit about me on upenn.talk. Why does the staff need e-mail anyway?"
(10/25/96 9:00am)
Sportscaster tellsSportscaster tellsaudience to 'makeSportscaster tellsaudience to 'makegood' in their lives He has called college basketball games from New York to Los Angeles -- but never before has Dick Vitale made a visit to the Palestra. In front of an enthusiastic crowd of about 2,000 students, the man known as "Dickie V" revved up the University for the upcoming basketball season and shared the folk wisdom he has picked up over the years. After introducing the men's and women's basketball teams with the help of a spotlight, Vitale then led the teams through a series of lay-up drills, teasing the players about being able to "shoot the rock." The introduction culminated in a three-point shooting contest between women's basketball team member Colleen Kelly, a College junior, and men's team member Matt Langel, a Wharton freshman. Langel came out the victor, making nine treys in 45 seconds as compared to Kelly's six. While the subject of Vitale's speech had been billed as gender equity, he mostly focused on the road he had taken to success and attempted to inspire the crowd to "make good" in life. The hour-long speech was sprinkled with stories about his own experiences. "I've tried to live a dream," Vitale said in his opening remarks. "My dream has been very simple -- to do whatever I do with energy and excitement." He reminded the crowd that everyone in attendance, by virtue of attending Penn, was a "bona-fide high achiever." And Vitale evoked memories from his childhood when he spoke about learning that "in America, if you do your best and have dreams and goals, you will succeed." By his own account, Vitale seems to be living proof of his adage. Working as a sixth-grade teacher in the 1960s and coaching high school basketball, Vitale said, he never believed that his dream of coaching at the collegiate level would come true. But when he was hired by Rutgers University as its men's basketball assistant coach in the early 1970s, he began to see how he could shape a team into a winning one, leading the team to the NCAA Final Four in 1976. "When you do something you love, the best happens," he said. Vitale drew cheers from the crowd when he reminisced about the Quakers' December 1994 victory over a heavily favored Michigan team. Vitale was an ESPN commentator for the game. "[Coach Fran] Dunphy gets an E for effort, an A for attitude and a T for toughness," Vitale remarked as he commended the coach and the team for their performance that evening. Vitale reminded the crowd that self-esteem and self-confidence can have either a positive or detrimental effect on achievement. "If you think you're mediocre, you're mediocre," he said. "If you think you're special, you're special." And his motivational tone seemed well-received by the audience. "The speech was very inspiring," Wharton sophomore Jamarr Delauney said. "He made me realize my problems aren't as bad as I think."
(10/21/96 9:00am)
Sportscaster will alsoSportscaster will alsoaddress gender equity The Palestra will play host to one of the biggest names in sportscasting Thursday night -- Dick Vitale. But the night is shaping up to be much more than just a speech, according to Connaissance Co-Director Rich Archer. "The way we're selling it is the Dick Vitale basketball rally," explained Archer, a Wharton senior. "He's one of the nation's premier motivational speakers -- he can be a big boost in morale for the University." Archer said Vitale will call each member of the men's and women's basketball team onto the floor, while a spotlight tracks each player. The team members will also participate in several drills and have a three-point shooting contest. And Vitale will speak about gender equality in collegiate athletics, focusing on Title IX. "He had five things he wanted to talk about, but we thought Title IX was the most applicable to Penn," Archer added. Women's basketball coach Julie Soriero said she thinks Vitale's talk will help people understand the issues involved in athletics gender equity. "I think the more we can educate people, the more people will understand the inequities that do exist and some of the changes that have occurred," Soriero explained. "[The team] is excited to be a part of this event just to be a part of it, not to be the torchbearer for women's athletics." Women's basketball team member Michelle Maldonado, a College junior, said she was looking forward to participating in the evening and to hearing Vitale speak. "[Vitale] is a big name in men's basketball," Maldonado said. "For him to be concerned about gender equity is a nice thing." According to Archer, the evening will also include a raffle to raise money for the Valvano Foundation, which benefits cancer patients and was started in memory of long-time college basketball coach Jim Valvano. Prizes include a $325 QuakerCard and gift certificates from area business like The Gap, Metro Hair and The Book Store. Vitale will receive $15,000 for the appearance, which Archer said was relatively low for a high-profile speaker. "People in [the] caliber of Sylvester Stallone will go for hundreds of thousands," Archer said. "Oprah Winfrey is ungodly." Seating for the event is general admission and free tickets can be picked up on Locust Walk today until Thursday.
(10/07/96 9:00am)
Candidates focus on past actionsCandidates focus on past actionswith few specifics on future, butCandidates focus on past actionswith few specifics on future, butvoter allegiances seem unchanged The 1996 presidential campaign intensified last night with the first of two debates between President Bill Clinton and Republican challenger Bob Dole. Held in Hartford, Conn., and hosted by Public Broadcasting Service newscaster Jim Lehrer, the 90-minute debate was the first opportunity for many Americans to get an uncensored impression of the candidates. The debate covered predictable ground, from taxes and foreign policy to Medicare and assault weapons. And in what may be perceived as furthering the generation gap between the two candidates, Dole referred to Clinton at least three times as "scaring senior citizens." But neither candidate uttered a memorable phrase that will be remembered as emblematic of the evening -- like vice-presidential candidate Lloyd Bentsen's "You're no Jack Kennedy" remark to Dan Quayle in 1988. Indeed, this debate is likely to be remembered more for what the candidates did not say than what they did. Neither candidate gave specifics on his plans for the future, relying rather on "the record" of past political decisions. Dole repeatedly attacked Clinton as "exaggerating" claims of having eased the deficit and cut unemployment, while Clinton brought up Dole's votes for tobacco interests and against Medicare and assault weapons bans as examples of how a Dole presidency would hurt the nation. At one point, Dole accused Clinton of having a "photo-op foreign policy," which Clinton countered with examples of his administration's work in Bosnia, Haiti, Kuwait and Israel. When the issue of drugs was raised, Dole stated he would "train the National Guard to come in across the border" to stop the flow of drugs from Mexico. And in a pointed attack on Clinton's drug record, Dole added that he "wouldn't comment on things that have happened in [Clinton's] administration." Students watching the debate at the Annenberg School for Communication last night said Clinton's obvious comfort with the issues indicated he was the unofficial winner of the contest. Still, CNN called Dole the evening's victor and several newscasters last night said the contest was an "even draw." But College senior Karla Lozano said Dole appeared nervous on stage. "Clinton seemed very confident," Lozano explained. "His statements were clear." In a CBS poll immediately following the debate, more than 90 percent of viewers said they did not switch their allegiances after watching the debate -- a sentiment also echoed by students. "It reinforced what I already felt," College sophomore Emily Lieff. "But it was interesting to see the candidates up close and not through the eyes of the media." Lieff added that Dole should concentrate on relating to Americans more in the next debate, which is scheduled for October 16.
(09/25/96 9:00am)
As Connaissance's fall speaker, sports commentator Dick Vitale will speak and sign copies of his book He is world famous as a boisterous, feisty commentator who has never shied away from the spotlight -- and now Dick Vitale is "headed for Penn, baby," as he might say. Vitale will come to the Palestra on October 24 as Connaissance's annual fall speaker, according to Co-Director Rich Archer, a Wharton senior. Known as "Dickie V" to his legions of fans, Vitale runs commentary for college basketball games on ESPN and for other events on ABC Sports. Archer said he hopes to involve the men's and women's basketball teams in the event. "We want to turn it into a Penn Pride evening," Archer explained. The evening will also be a fund raiser for the Make-a-Wish foundation -- Vitale's favorite charity, Connaissance Co-Director Sean Steinmarc said. Steinmarc, a College junior, explained that the event will incorporate a raffle and a book signing. He added that Connaissance plans to buy numerous copies of Vitale's most recent book, Holding Court: Reflections on the Game I Love, directly from the publisher. The organization will sell them to students, who can then have the books autographed at the speech. "We're hoping to make it more than just a lecture," Steinmarc said. "We're trying to make it into an all-around extravaganza." An ESPN announcer since 1979, Vitale began his sports career coaching high school basketball in 1964. Though most famous for his work in front of the microphone, Vitale worked his way through the ranks of college basketball to lead the Rutgers University men's team to the NCAA Final Four in 1976. In 1978, he coached the Detroit Pistons for just more than one season. According to Archer, Vitale's strong connection to college basketball helped cement him as Connaissance's choice. "We're hoping he will talk a little about the Penn-Michigan game at the second round of the NCAA tournament," Archer said, referring to the December 1994 matchup that Vitale called for ESPN. Explaining that Vitale knows "quite a bit" about women's collegiate sports as well as men's, Archer said he hopes Vitale will speak about the future for women in sports. Connaissance chose Vitale at the end of last year from a field of 40 people, according to Archer. "We could bring in eight or 10 speakers that cost a lot less, but we choose to bring a bigger name speaker once a semester," he said. "For this fall, it came down to Spike Lee, Stephen King and Dick Vitale." Originally, Connaissance wanted King to speak on Halloween. However, Archer said King was "completely booked." Vitale, on the other hand, was available within Connaissance's desired time frame and was also a "very nice man [whose] agent was great -- we couldn't pass that up," Archer said. According to Steinmarc, the evening is still in the preliminary planning stages. Any member of the University community with questions, comments or suggestions for the evening can e-mail Connaissance at connlect@dolphin, Steinmarc said. In addition, an open meeting to discuss the events surrounding Vitale's speech will be held at 7 p.m. today in Annenberg room 109.
(09/20/96 9:00am)
Book contributors readBook contributors readfrom their work at eventBook contributors readfrom their work at eventheld last night at Borders' They have seen the future -- and it is on the World Wide Web. Last year, Information Systems and Computing employees David Deifer and Leah Sheppard were looking for places to publish their writing. But instead of submitting pieces to established literary journals, the pair founded their own magazine -- on line. The project -- called CrossConnect -- has recently expanded onto the national writing scene with the June publication of its first print anthology, Writers of the Information Age. Writers was compiled from CrossConnect's first four on-line issues. Last night, CrossConnect contributors read selections from the magazine at Borders' Book Shop on Walnut Street in Center City. The event followed a reading last week at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in New York City. The featured writers included Sheppard, Writers House Residential Coordinator Shawn Walker, New York University Professor Raina Von Waldenburg and Penn post-doctoral student Sharon Jaeger, among others. With the smell of coffee from the Borders cafZ wafting through the room, approximately 75 people turned out for the hour-long reading. Copies of Writers -- which is being distributed by Tower Books, Borders and Barnes & Noble -- were also on sale last night. According to Deifer, the magazine is growing exponentially, with staff across the country. "We have nine national editors now," he said. "We're the real deal." The magazine originally solicited contributions from members of the University and West Philadelphia communities. As CrossConnect grew, Sheppard explained, manuscripts began filtering in from across the country -- especially after the print edition came out. "It's amazing the credibility that being in print gives you," she said. "We estimate that we've only been publishing two percent of the people who send us material." But as Sheppard remarked, the journal is really a "labor of love," since no one involved in the project receives a penny. The project's founders needed some outside sources to get off the ground. "It couldn't have started without contributions from people -- we had no up-front money," Deifer said. "If things go really well, we'll be publishing books by individual authors that we've sort of promoted through our publication. "That's for two or three years down the road -- right now it's our ambition to be as successful as possible," he added. Deifer said the magazine's staff is currently deciding whether to reprint Writers or to go forward with another print issue. The next on-line issue will go up in October. Out of the nine editors on staff, College senior Alex Edelman is currently the only undergraduate working for the magazine. Edelman said he was hired last year to bring student writing to the publication. His work evolved into a spinoff journal called Local Access -- the University's only on-line creative writing magazine. But Local Access ceased publication at the end of last year. "It's too much work for one person, least of all a busy undergraduate," Edelman said, explaining that CrossConnect plans to hire additional students in the near future. Edelman said the Writers House staff, especially Walker, may help to "revive" the Local Access project. "The Writers House program has a support system that could make the on-line magazine succeed," he said. CrossConnect can be found on the World Wide Web at "http://tech1.dccs.upenn.edu/~xconnect/".
(09/13/96 9:00am)
'A Real Moveable Feast' was a corollary to the Reading Project Reading from James Joyce's Ulysses, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio, students, faculty and staff gathered for "A Real Moveable Feast" at the Writers House Wednesday night. English Professor Al Filreis said the evening was conceived as a corollary to this year's Penn Reading Project, which centered around Ernest Hemingway's A Moveable Feast. About 10 students and faculty read aloud from works of literature whose authors are mentioned in Hemingway's memoir. "Since the Writers House will always be offering a kind of real moveable feast, we thought it a perfect follow-up to this year's Penn Reading Project," Filreis explained. College senior Elliott Witney, a member of the Writers House planning committee, said the group wanted to show that the house is open to everyone at the University. "It's an entirely accessible community for people, before and after what they have to do for school," Witney said. Writers House, located at 38th Street and Locust Walk, opened last year as a non-residential college house program. Throughout the year, it sponsors events such as poetry slams and open microphone nights, as well as writing workshops. Writers House Residential Coordinator Shawn Walker said this event marked the beginning of the program's first full year. "We'll be having something basically every night," she said. "We'll be open every day from noon to 11 p.m." College junior Kathleen Hoffman, a resident advisor in King's Court, oversees the residence's humanities program and brought two students in the program with her to Wednesday's reading. Hoffman said many of her freshman residents were looking for the avant-garde at the University and thought they might find it at the Writers House. One of Hoffman's students, College freshman Hema Sarangapani, said she would "definitely come to more events." Sarangapani added that she is interested in the Writers House's general readings. Filreis said the Writers House exemplifies the goals laid out in the administration's 21st Century Project, which include the further development of an intellectual community at the University. Filreis explained that the Writers House is a place where students can expand upon their academic curricula with a non-academic program. "It's a place that feels very much like a loft or studio," he added. Walker, a 1996 College graduate, runs the daily operations of the program and is aided by three work-study students and the house's planning committee. She emphasized that events are student-based and often connected to the University's English and creative writing programs. Open mike nights will be held Saturday nights from 9-11 p.m., Filreis said.
(09/09/96 9:00am)
Almost half of the Class of 2000 spent Saturday doing something decidedly unusual for the typical Penn student. They did not roll out of bed at noon. They did not toss frisbees around the Quadrangle all afternoon. They did not even go to the Food Court for lunch. Instead, about 1,000 freshmen woke up at 9:30 a.m. to volunteer at more than 50 sites throughout the city as part of Penn's annual Into the Streets orientation program. College freshmen Mia Levine and Hannah Cannom worked at an elementary school at 52nd and Spruce streets, painting over graffiti-sprayed doors. "It was pretty disturbing to see a schoolyard with so much graffiti," Levine said. Cannom said she thought it was "sobering" to spend the day at the school. "It's so close to Center City, but worlds apart," she added. This year, freshmen in groups led by their resident advisors volunteered at a variety of sites, including nursing homes, Habitat for Humanity building sites and West Philadelphia's Clark Park. College senior Cara Weinstein, the program's coordinator, said Into the Streets serves as an introduction to community service for the freshman class. "It's one way of spurring students to do community service," Weinstein said. "They come back from a meaningful and enjoyable project, then go back in a week or a month for more." Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs Carol Scheman called the program an important way to empower students living in an urban environment for the first time. According to Scheman, the program can help make students feel less helpless about their neighborhood and its problems. "This gives them a sense that they can do something on a one-time, episodic, or ongoing basis to make a difference," she said. "It's important that people know there's an opportunity to get involved in the community." After a day of service around the city, the participants returned to the Quad for a celebratory picnic, complete with free T-shirts, hoagies, entertainment and speeches by local politicians, including Mayor Ed Rendell and City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell. College senior Batya Kaufman, who worked on the program, said she was pleased with the turnout at the picnic. She added that the University's performing arts groups -- Mask and Wig, Pennsylvania 6-5000 and Penn Band -- were particularly well-received by the students. "A lot of first-years hadn't heard any of them yet," Kaufman said. "The picnic added a lot of closure to the day." During his speech, Rendell congratulated the students, calling Into the Streets "a great program." "When I went to school we had no relationship with the city," said the Penn graduate. "This class can really make a difference in the city, in the daily lives of a lot of people." He noted that community service throughout Philadelphia has increased during his tenure as mayor, citing the volunteers who staff the 50 city library branches on Saturday mornings and those who work to keep Fairmount Park clean all year round. Rendell also encouraged students to register to vote in Philadelphia. "Quality of life issues are just as important to you as to the people who live here," he added.
(09/06/96 9:00am)
U. administration working to provide additional rooms As performing arts groups gear up for this weekend's Freshman Performing Arts Night, they are finding themselves once again in dire need of additional rehearsal space. But University administrators are making efforts to provide additional rooms for the performing arts community. "There are a lot of performing arts groups and we seem to be getting more and more squeezed for rehearsal space," said Peter Whinnery, technical advisor for performing arts students. According to Carolyn Noone, coordinator for student performing arts, the University has recently proposed new spaces, including St. Mary's Church on Locust Walk and 40th Street and the Divinity School on Spruce Street, which Noone is scheduled to inspect next week. "The provost's office has seen that space [in the Divinity School] and they are very pleased with it," Noone said. In a search for more space, the Performing Arts Council is renting the Movement Theater International building at 37th and Chestnut streets for rehearsals this year. And performing arts groups will use International House, also located at 37th and Chestnut. PAC Chairperson Katherine Minarik explained at the group's meeting Wednesday that PAC will be charged a $40 fee each time a group uses the space because International House is not a University-owned building. The building's availability poses another problem, since PAC groups can only use it on Monday and Tuesday nights, said Minarik, a College junior. "It's not just a lack of rehearsal space, it's a lack of space for any group on campus," she said. "We have over 30 performing arts groups, so there's always going to be some shuffling." The shortage of rehearsal space will get worse in the coming years, as a number of buildings undergo renovations or are shut down. Construction related to the Perelman Quad will begin in Irvine Auditorium this spring, while Houston Hall -- ideal for music and theater groups' rehearsals -- will start renovations in 1998, also for the Perelman project. The Annenberg School Theater, historically a popular performance and rehearsal space, will close this spring so the Annenberg Public Policy Center can use the space. There are no plans to reopen the theater. Finding space that groups can actually use is getting harder and harder, said Laura Hammons, administrative assistant for student performing arts. "The particular things that are tricky are groups that are large, dance groups who need floors suitable to dance and singing groups that need pianos," Hammons explained. In September 1994, the University purchased the First Church of Christ Scientist -- also called the Rotunda -- at 4012 Walnut Street for $850,000, with the intention of using it for performing arts groups. However, the University has not renovated the building fully because of lack of funds, according to Hammons. "We're working to try and make that into a more productive rehearsal space," she said. But the building -- which is "very very old," according to Noone -- needs so much renovation that it did not even have working toilets until this fall. In November 1995, then-PAC Chairperson Pat Ede, who graduated last May, said the University would have to spend at least $3 million to adequately renovate the building. "The Rotunda space is not ready for performances at this point," Hammons said. The off-campus location of the former church also poses a safety concern. But Hammons explained that there is now a campus phone inside the church so students can call Escort services. She added that the University has also installed additional lighting outside the building. "Campus police are aware of the fact that there are students there --we've had no problems so far," she said. She attributed the lack of incidents to the fact that very few groups have actually used the space yet. The University has a history of announcing projects to renovate buildings for performing arts use and then abandoning them. One plan, proposed by the Undergraduate Assembly last year, involved renovating the former Eric 3 theater on Walnut Street, which closed in 1994, at a cost of $2-3 million dollars. In November 1994, then-UA member Dan Schorr, who graduated in 1995, said Provost Stanley Chodorow had verbally agreed to the idea. "We have orally detailed the proposal to the provost and vice-provost," Schorr said at the time. "They have committed in theory to the idea."
(06/30/96 9:00am)
Brookline, MA He is known to millions of fans around the world as a multi-talented singer and pianist, writer of more than 200 songs and producer of more than 10 albums. But for last night's Irvine Auditorium audience, Billy Joel will always be remembered as the Entertainer. With his trademark New York accent, Joel joked and sang his way through three hours and 25 minutes of intimacy with 1,800 lucky fans. While the evening was billed as a lecture, rather than a concert, Joel delighted the audience with renditions of his familiar classics. He even introduced the beginnings of a new song he is in the process of composing. He likened the experience to observing the birth and growth of a child. "My way of writing is that the music always comes first," he explained, adding that the idea behind "River of Dreams" actually came to him in a dream -- which he expanded upon in the shower. "We do this alchemy with noise," he said. "It happens somewhere between the head and the groin." He added that moments of genius often come from genuine mistakes. "Only you can screw up in your own unique, individual way," he said. Joel played selections from each of his 14 albums, while also showing the crowd that he has not lost his sense of humor after 25 years in the music business. He joked about everything from his ex-wives, to his first gig in a piano bar, to his most embarrassing moment onstage. "My pants ripped -- and I wasn't wearing any underwear," he explained to a roaring crowd. And to open the show, Joel was dragged onstage in imitation of the heart attack he supposedly suffered on March 26, as reported in The Daily Pennsylvanian's annual joke issue. All joking aside, though, the highlight of the evening -- at least gauging by the audience response -- was when Joel performed his own work. In response to the question, "How has your music changed over your career?", Joel played songs from most of his albums, beginning with 1971's Cold Spring Harbor and ending with 1993's River of Dreams -- an unprecedented medley, he told the crowd. The emotion and power of his songs reminded everyone why Joel has sold millions of records worldwide and won six Grammy awards. After singing part of "Allentown," he referred to 1982's The Nylon Curtain as a "transitional" album, and the one he is most proud of. His rendition of 1986's "This is the Time" brought cheers from the crowd -- as did the performance of "And So it Goes," off of 1989's Storm Front. Joel's performance was not limited to songs from his own albums, however. He played selections ranging from a Gilbert and Sullivan opera in which his parents had met as college actors to the first piece he ever played on the piano at age four. Joel accepted many questions from the crowd, including a request from Media, Pa., resident Mike Krissinger. Krissinger told Joel that it had always been his dream to play the Beatles' "Oh, Darling" with the singer -- who then invited the awestruck fan onstage to play with him. Following Krissinger's lead, College junior Jonathan Zucker requested to play and sing onstage with Joel -- much to the crowd's chagrin, who seemed amused by Zucker's attempts to compete with Joel's vocals. But when University of Connecticut freshman Joe Giacometti played "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" with Joel, the audience greeted Giacometti's efforts on the piano with a standing ovation. The evening had its somber moments too -- such as when Joel alluded to suicidal thoughts as a young adult, when he wrote 1971's "Tomorrow is Today." And on another more serious note, Joel reminded the crowd to "try to do what you love -- or else you're wasting a lot of time." To conclude the evening of "Questions and Answers? and a little bit of music," Joel played "Piano Man" -- harmonica and all -- perhaps his best-known song. It was not nine o'clock, and it wasn't a Saturday, but the time will be remembered as a night for many to hold onto for many years to come.
(06/30/96 9:00am)
The crowd leapt to its feet as the ball completed a 50-foot arc from mid-court to the basket with a thud and a swish. Twice. Friday night, Wharton junior Omar Gonzalez successfully landed a shot from halfcourt of the Palestra during halftime of the Penn-Harvard basketball game, winning $5,000. And defying all laws of probability, Engineering sophomore Jarid Lukin repeated the feat Saturday during halftime of the Penn-Dartmouth game. "It's safe to say that Friday night was the first time ever," said Fran Connors, Athletic Department assistant director of public relations and marketing. "Certainly, it being hit on consecutive nights has to be a record." The shots were part of a contest sponsored by PNC Bank that challenges fans from the stands to hit four different shots in 35 seconds -- a layup, a free throw, a three-pointer and a half-court shot. If the participant makes the lay-up, he wins a Penn Quakers pin. If they hit the free throw, they get a Penn basketball media guide signed by Coach Fran Dunphy, Connors said. "The PNC representatives were ecstatic," Connors said. "The whole point of the contest is that they'll hit it." In fact, Gonzalez had already won a $100 gift certificate to The Book Store for making the three-pointer when he attempted his half-court shot. "To me, it happened so quickly," he explained. "I saw the ball hit the backboard and go in and I fell to the floor. I had a smile from ear to ear." Gonzalez added that he plays basketball "all the time" at Gimbel Gymnasium -- but he had not been specifically practicing the half-court shot. College sophomore David Glick, a friend of Gonzalez's, said the crowd's reaction to the shot was "crazy." "The place went nuts," he said. "When he hit it I just ran out into the court." For Lukin, the experience was slightly different. He said last night that he had not played basketball for more than a year. Not only was he out of practice -- but he even missed the layup. And the free throw. And then Lukin missed the three pointer. "I was really nervous," he explained. "My adrenaline was pumping, and just shot way too hard." When he made it to the halfcourt line, Lukin said he didn't think what he did mattered anymore. "I had already made a fool out of myself," he said sheepishly. Indeed, the crowd was hardly paying attention when the unimaginable happened. "As soon as it was off my hands, I knew it was in," he said. Lukin competed in the halftime contest because he was chosen in a lottery sponsored by the Residential Advisory Board. He said he noticed a newsgroup posting with the subject, "Want to win $5,000?" After he e-mailed the board to enter the lottery, Lukin received notice that he was going to participate. The two winners will each receive checks for $5,000, which they said are in the mail. "My mom's just freaking out," Gonzalez said. "I guess I'll be a legend for a week." Lukin said that while he has no plans for the money yet, he is considering using it for a spring break vacation. "But right now I'm getting phone calls from random people congratulating me," he said. Lukin said his parents did not believe him about his success. He called them Friday night to tell them he was shooting, he explained, and when he called them Saturday after the game, they thought he was lying about his achievement.
(04/23/96 9:00am)
It was not the return of the Unabomber. And it was not a note demanding $1 million in ransom money. But many male University students received an odd item in their mailboxes yesterday -- an anonymous letter. In part, the writer of the letter stated, "While I am attracted to guys, I dislike all the gays I have met. It has gradually dawned on me that it might be a long shot for me to find someone I like?. To change the odds, I decided to try the unorthodox approach of a mass mailing." It is unknown how the writer got the addresses of the students to whom he sent the letter or the number of students who received it. This unexpected mail was dismissed as "ridiculous" and "shocking" by several students who received the letter. "When I first read it, I thought he had singled me out for some reason," Wharton sophomore Anthony Bozza said. "I didn't realize that a whole lot of other people had gotten it." Wharton sophomore Seth Charnow said the letter had the potential to offend people. He explained that he found the letter to be "in your face." "I just think there are so many stereotypes, and this isn't helping the situation," Charnow remarked. "I was expecting to see a punch line at the end of the thing." The letter explains that the writer is a college graduate who finds gay people "crude" and who thinks that a "peculiar lewdness" characterizes gay life. The author continued to say that he feels he could "instantly become close to anyone gay as long as he is decent." Engineering sophomore Dan Weiner, co-chair elect of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Alliance, said he was concerned about the letter's effect on the gay community at the University. "It's important to remember that one gay man who does something like this is not a representative of the entire gay community," Weiner cautioned. "I think it would be a mistake to view all people in the LGBT community as having the same perspective as this individual." Weiner added that he is also worried about the letter's effect on students at the University who are "in the closet." He explained that the letter may be the only knowledge a closeted individual has of gay life. While the writer of the letter stated he is a homosexual, the tone of the letter was clearly homophobic. The author wrote, "Most [gay men] strike me as effeminate in speech, mannerisms, and looks?. I also find depressing the crudeness of the gays I have seen." The man concluded by recounting his interests and hobbies (tennis and soccer, old movies and debate), his political views (right-leaning) and his favorite authors (Dostoevsky and Tolstoy). He also said that students should contact him if their situation is similar to his -- or if they are interested in his message. The anonymous writer then gave a post office box in Cambridge, Ma. as his address.
(04/22/96 9:00am)
Thousands of University students flung themselves back into the '80s during Spring Fling festivities over the weekend. Spring Fling Co-Director Melissa Schaefer, a College junior, said this year's Fling was the smoothest in recent memory from an organizational point of view. "Everyone seemed to be really happy and having a great time," she explained. Schaefer attributed the weekend's success to a combination of good weather and hard work by the Fling committee. The two-day affair kicked off with festivities in the Quadrangle on Friday morning. More than 30 bands and University performing arts groups performed in the Upper and Lower Quads during Fling, including rapper Schooly D, the Mask and Wig Band and major-label signee Ben Arnold. Students clutching opaque water bottles danced to music that ranged from ska to retro-'80s and participated in numerous games around the Quad. One especially popular game involved two students fighting each other like sumo wrestlers -- wearing inflated suits mimicking the weight of the real wrestlers. And a dunking booth run by Tau Epsilon Phi was also popular among anyone who did not mind being submerged in freezing cold water -- including Quaker basketball players Tim Krug, Ira Bowman and Cedric Laster and football players Miles Macik and Mark Fabish. According to Spring Fling Co-Director Gil Beverly, a Wharton senior, the quality and variety of music in the Quad was better than in past years. Beverly said the vendors were also an improvement over last year. "We got completely new stuff," he said. "There was just so much going on -- it was great." For the first time, the Quad had a vendor selling ice cream and also a haircutting booth, Beverly added. The annual Spring Fling concert on Friday night was also a success, according to College senior Mike Parker, co-director of concerts for the Social Planning and Events Committee. The show featured moe., the Skatellites, the Pharcyde and the Violent Femmes. "From a production standpoint it was super," Parker explained. "We'll never be able to please every single person each time. But it was clear that for people who were there, it was a phenomenal time." The Skatellites' mellow, reggae-like sound was the perfect complement to the Pharcyde's hip-hop beat. And the Femmes provided a rousing finale for the estimated 4,000 people in attendance. The band played their classic, "Add it Up," for their final encore -- with the entire audience singing along to the familiar lyrics. Beverly said the committee had made an accurate projection of the show's attendance. "It was less than last year, but it was also a smaller show in terms of names," he explained. Last year's concert featured the Roots, the Samples, Sonic Youth and Parliament-Funkadelic. While this year's concert was less crowded than last year, the Superblock carnival was a "huge success," according to Schaefer. The wind at the 1995 carnival was so strong that the karaoke booth was forced to shut down. This year's carnival also featured a step show for the first time. "The step show was a really big success," Beverly said. "It was very exciting to have something new and completely different. "It also brought a section of campus that might not have been interested otherwise," he added. "It was good to have that happen." The committee also brought in better rides, which may have helped contribute to the carnival's success, Beverly said. A sizeable crowd also attended performances by the Avalons and Munk wit da Funk. The Avalons' surfer-rock sound is a favorite among University students, who sang along with classic tunes like "Hey Mickey" and "Tequila!" Beverly said the only negative aspect of the weekend was the strict enforcement of underage drinking laws by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control and Enforcement Board. "It seems like the whole thing was pretty harsh," he said. "It's a tough time not to be 21."
(04/18/96 9:00am)
More than 2,000 students will begin their Spring Fling partying tonight -- but it's all for a good cause. The seventh annual Penn Rocks Against Homelessness benefit concert will be held outdoors this evening at the Sylvia Arms Courtyard at 41st and Walnut streets. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the party will continue until 2 a.m. Two of the seven bands featured in tonight's lineup are comprised of University students -- Spruce Street Revival and the Disco Biscuits. The other groups playing include Jazz Hole, Dr. Ketchup, Renaissance Bitch, Tiajuana Caravan and Mariner Nine. Penn Rocks Executive Director Pete Weidman said last year's concert raised over $16,000. "We've been growing a lot," he explained, adding that Rolling Rock is sponsoring this year's concert. Other corporate sponsors include Campus Apartments and modern-rock radio station 103.9 WDRE-FM, he added. And Weidman said the organization filed for tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service this year, allowing Penn Rocks to become a fully incorporated non-profit organization. Therefore, all contributions made to the group are now tax-deductible. Contributions usually make up approximately 20 percent of the group's revenue, Weidman explained -- revenue that is entirely contributed to local charities. This year's chosen charities are Empty the Shelters and the People's Emergency Shelter. College junior Jill Weisberg, Penn Rocks assistant talent coordinator, said the show always sells out. "We get a diverse group of bands who are all really talented," she said. "It's a fun night on the social side, but it's also for a good cause." The first Penn Rocks concert was organized in 1990 by 1992 College graduate Cathy Levene and 1991 College graduate Elysa Marco. In the past seven years, it has raised over $75,000 for various charities, according to Weidman. For the first time ever, the group sponsored a party this winter at the Melange restaurant in Center City to raise money for homelessness. "It was a very successful fundraiser," Weisberg explained. "We decided to this year to enlarge for more than just the concert only."
(04/18/96 9:00am)
The final preparations have begun for Spring Fling 1996. One of the highlights of this year's Fling is the Friday night concert on Hill Field that will feature the Violent Femmes, the Pharcyde, the Skatalites and moe. College senior Mike Parker, co-director of concerts for the Social Planning and Events Committee, said tickets are still available for the show. "For everyone's sanity, the sooner people buy them, the better," he warned. "Huge lines at the door are never fun." Parker explained that tickets are $15 for all students, regardless of whether or not they attend the University. Tickets for the general public are $20. All tickets will be available today on Locust Walk and tomorrow in the Quadrangle. They are also available through the Annenberg Center and TicketMaster. Parker cautioned that security guards will conduct periodic sweeps of Hill Field during the show. "People can bring blankets, but we'd prefer no bags," he said. "And no glass bottles or dangerous objects." Also on Friday, Fling festivities will begin in the Quadrangle. Spring Fling Co-Director Joe Riggio, a Wharton senior, said modern-rock radio station 103.9 WDRE-FM will play music in the Quad on Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. And from 3:30 to 4:10 p.m., rap group Schooly D will perform. "They're one of the original gangsta rap groups," Riggio explained. On Saturday, bands will perform on two stages in the Quad throughout the day. And Saturday night, the Superblock carnival will begin at 8 p.m., including approximately nine rides, Riggio said. And in a first for a Fling carnival, there will also be a step show Saturday night. One of the problems with the carnival in the past has been the wind tunnel in Superblock. To remedy the situation, Spring Fling Committee members decided to move the rides away from the center of Superblock this year, according to Riggio.
(04/17/96 9:00am)
Wharton School of Business alumnus Brian Roberts will be this year's Ivy Day speaker, University President Judith Rodin announced yesterday. Roberts is the president of Comcast, a Philadelphia-based telecommunications company. He graduated from Penn in 1971. This spring marks his class's 25th reunion. "Comcast is one of the remarkable success stories of the cable industry," Rodin said. "In the last month, it has purchased the [Philadelphia] 76ers, the Flyers and the Spectrum." Roberts began his career at Comcast in 1982 and was named its president in 1990. He is a board member of the Turner Broadcasting System, QVC and Viewer's Choice. Roberts is chairperson of the National Cable Television Association and vice-chairperson of the Walter Kaitz Foundation, which trains minorities for employment in the cable television industry. He is also an executive committee member of CableLabs, a non-profit organization committed to technology research for the cable industry. He has focused on the future of telecommunications and the Telecommunications Reform Act of 1995 during speeches he has given in the past. But Rodin said Roberts would speak about his experiences at the University and his life after graduation, in addition to "strategic planning," during his Ivy Day speech. "He's a wonderful speaker," she said. "We're very pleased." University spokesperson Barbara Beck called Roberts an excellent choice. "He has been able to take what he has learned here and has become an enormously successful businessman," Beck explained. Senior Class President Lenny Chang said the Senior Class Board was primarily responsible for choosing Roberts. Chang, a Wharton senior, explained that the board brainstormed about speakers and also asked members of the class for ideas. "We ask anyone that might have a good Ivy Day speaker candidate," he said. Wharton Dean Thomas Gerrity formally asked Roberts to speak, Chang added. He said Roberts was selected because of his close relationship with the University and his "prestigious position in a dynamic industry." The Ivy Day celebration is held annually on the Saturday before Commencement. This year, it will take place at 4 p.m. on May 18 in Irvine Auditorium. Honored at the festivities are four male and four female seniors who are chosen by their classmates for overall excellence and campus involvement. "Ivy Day is a longstanding tradition at the University," Chang said. "It's all about commemorating the senior class." Also during the ceremonies, the graduating class will unveil its Ivy Stone, and the eight award winners will plant ivy near the stone. The stone will be placed on Houston Hall this year, according to Chang.
(04/11/96 9:00am)
For nearly four hours,For nearly four hours,musician Billy JoelFor nearly four hours,musician Billy Joelcaptivates a full house He is known to millions of fans around the world as a multi-talented singer and pianist, writer of more than 200 songs and producer of more than 10 albums. But for last night's Irvine Auditorium audience, Billy Joel will always be remembered as the Entertainer. With his trademark New York accent, Joel joked and sang his way through three hours and 25 minutes of intimacy with 1,800 lucky fans. While the evening was billed as a lecture, rather than a concert, Joel delighted the audience with renditions of his familiar classics. He even introduced the beginnings of a new song he is in the process of composing. He likened the experience to observing the birth and growth of a child. "My way of writing is that the music always comes first," he explained, adding that the idea behind "River of Dreams" actually came to him in a dream -- which he expanded upon in the shower. "We do this alchemy with noise," he said. "It happens somewhere between the head and the groin." He added that moments of genius often come from genuine mistakes. "Only you can screw up in your own unique, individual way," he said. Joel played selections from each of his 14 albums, while also showing the crowd that he has not lost his sense of humor after 25 years in the music business. He joked about everything from his ex-wives, to his first gig in a piano bar, to his most embarrassing moment onstage. "My pants ripped -- and I wasn't wearing any underwear," he explained to a roaring crowd. And to open the show, Joel was dragged onstage in imitation of the heart attack he supposedly suffered on March 26, as reported in The Daily Pennsylvanian's annual joke issue. All joking aside, though, the highlight of the evening -- at least gauging by the audience response -- was when Joel performed his own work. In response to the question, "How has your music changed over your career?", Joel played songs from most of his albums, beginning with 1971's Cold Spring Harbor and ending with 1993's River of Dreams -- an unprecedented medley, he told the crowd. The emotion and power of his songs reminded everyone why Joel has sold millions of records worldwide and won six Grammy awards. After singing part of "Allentown," he referred to 1982's The Nylon Curtain as a "transitional" album, and the one he is most proud of. His rendition of 1986's "This is the Time" brought cheers from the crowd -- as did the performance of "And So it Goes," off of 1989's Storm Front. Joel's performance was not limited to songs from his own albums, however. He played selections ranging from a Gilbert and Sullivan opera in which his parents had met as college actors to the first piece he ever played on the piano at age four. Joel accepted many questions from the crowd, including a request from Media, Pa., resident Mike Krissinger. Krissinger told Joel that it had always been his dream to play the Beatles' "Oh, Darling" with the singer -- who then invited the awestruck fan onstage to play with him. Following Krissinger's lead, College junior Jonathan Zucker requested to play and sing onstage with Joel -- much to the crowd's chagrin, who seemed amused by Zucker's attempts to compete with Joel's vocals. But when University of Connecticut freshman Joe Giacometti played "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" with Joel, the audience greeted Giacometti's efforts on the piano with a standing ovation. The evening had its somber moments too -- such as when Joel alluded to suicidal thoughts as a young adult, when he wrote 1971's "Tomorrow is Today." And on another more serious note, Joel reminded the crowd to "try to do what you love -- or else you're wasting a lot of time." To conclude the evening of "Questions and Answers? and a little bit of music," Joel played "Piano Man" -- harmonica and all -- perhaps his best-known song. It was not nine o'clock, and it wasn't a Saturday, but the time will be remembered as a night for many to hold onto for many years to come.
(04/08/96 9:00am)
A final Connaissance contest will allow some students to win tickets to tomorrow's Billy Joel lecture that were not picked up by the winners of the original raffle. The first 39 undergraduate students to e-mail Joel@route66.resnet. upenn.edu at 4 a.m. Tuesday morning will win the remaining tickets to the show. "Thirty-nine raffle winners didn't pick up the tickets," explained Connaissance Co-Director Rich Archer, a Wharton junior. "We felt that this was the most efficient way to distribute the leftovers." Connaissance leaders also thought this contest would "cut some of the scalping out" because it is being held so close to the performance, Archer added. He said the deadline for winners to pick up their tickets was 3 p.m. Wednesday. Connaissance did not make exceptions for people who could not pick up their tickets, Archer added. "There were so many people with different reasons for why they couldn't come," he said. "We had to stick with policy." For the e-mail contest, students must include their name, phone number and class year in their message. And for the subject line, they must write which song they think Joel will play last tomorrow night. "Without giving the answer away, there's one song that Joel likes to finish all his concerts with," Archer explained. "It's the song he's most comfortable with -- a transition to say goodbye." Archer added that during the course of the lecture, if someone asks a question about this particular song, Joel will play it and most likely end the show -- regardless of how long the lecture has lasted. Archer said he and other Connaissance co-directors hope no one will ask a question about this song. Connaissance will notify winners of the e-mail contest by noon tomorrow. Doors will open at Irvine Auditorium tomorrow night at 7 p.m., with the show beginning at 7:30. No bags, cameras or recording equipment will be allowed inside Irvine. "If we see anyone with any of these things, he or she will be asked to leave," Archer warned. "It's in the contract, and also out of respect for a superstar." He added that audience members will not be allowed to re-enter if they choose to leave the lecture.
(04/04/96 10:00am)
The upcoming auction by the Mask and Wig Club of a significant work by American artist Maxfield Parrish has raised eyebrows throughout the art world. The club is selling the painting, entitled "Old King Cole," May 23 at Christie's in New York to help alleviate financial difficulties, according to 1984 College graduate Craig Klofach, president of the Mask and Wig Graduate Club. Klofach said the club's debts stem from maintenance and insurance payments on their 100-year-old Center City clubhouse and the costs of putting on annual productions. "The club has eaten through a great quantity of assets," Klofach said. "We've run out of assets that we can eat through." But 1962 College graduate Lawrence Cutler, the exclusive representative of the Maxfield Parrish Family Trust, said he was "appalled" that the club is auctioning the Parrish painting. Cutler explained that the Parrish work is a "unique milestone piece by one of the greatest artists this country has ever produced." "I think the club really jumped the gun by going to auction," he added. "Auction is usually a last resort -- I don't think the club investigated alternatives other than auction." According to Cutler, had Mask and Wig considered "other routes," a private buyer could have been found who would be willing to donate the artwork to the University. "They should have looked at more simple ways to handle a complicated situation," Cutler added. But according to Klofach, the club thought "long and hard" about auctioning the piece. He said the board of Mask and Wig contemplated selling the painting 10 years ago, but the idea was voted down. "But we weren't in the financial position that we're in today," Klofach explained. "And the decision is one that the entire board is in agreement with." In a letter to the March 26 edition of the Almanac, Klofach wrote that the Board of Governors of Mask and Wig had "carefully studied the options" since July 1995 regarding its financial woes. "Sale of the Mask and Wig Club's Parrish art has not been a sudden, whimsical decision," he wrote. Because the University has so few pieces of major artwork, the drive to keep the Parrish within the University community has intensified. According to Art History Professor and Graduate Chairperson David Brownlee, the University owns a "couple works of great art," including the Thomas Aikens painting in the Medical School, and a "small handful of valuable paintings." "For a major university, we have a very small collection of art," he said. "Parrish's significance seems relatively greater because the institution is so poor in such things." But in a sentiment echoed by Treasurer Scott Lederman, Brownlee explained that it is "difficult" to rationalize spending nearly $1 million to save "Old King Cole." "It's very difficult for us to justify raising money for that mural, given all the needs we have for academic program development," Lederman said. "We don't have the funds." Indeed, the only way the painting will stay at the University is if an alumnus purchases it at auction and donates it to the University -- because a private sale is no longer an option, according to Cutler. The auction cannot be called off, Cutler said. But he added that Christie's is willing to help work out a payment or financing schedule for buyers if the painting's "ultimate destination would be to reside again at the University."
(04/03/96 10:00am)
If you did not win a ticket to Billy Joel's Tuesday lecture during the Connaissance raffle, don't despair. You could always buy one -- for $75 or more. Several students who won tickets in the raffle are now selling them over Internet newsgroups for more than 10 times the original ticket price. One post on the upenn.forsale newsgroup from College senior Jake Glaser reads, "For all you sorry folks that didn't win the tickets, I have two that I am selling? I've already been offered $175 for both!" A post by College senior Andrew Kramar on the same newsgroup says, "It is a simple matter of whoever bids the most for them, gets them." Kramar's post continued, "I have already been offered $40 apiece for them already, so let's start the bidding there (saves us both time)." Anti-scalping laws in Pennsylvania limit markups to 110 percent of the original ticket price, according to a post on upenn.forsale by Wharton senior Jim Maceiko. Therefore, the highest price the tickets could legally be sold for would be $5.50. According to Connaissance co-Director Rich Archer, a Wharton junior, scalping is something the group cannot control. "We discussed handing out the tickets later in the week but decided scalping was going to happen anyway," he explained. "The black market's going to arise no matter what we do." But in a post to upenn.forsale, Wharton junior Cyrus Mehta wrote it was "pretty damn scummy" for students to sell their tickets at such high markups. "How about giving the tickets to a couple of friends who just weren't lucky enough to get tickets, but are lucky enough to know you?" he asked. Archer said that approximately 4,000 students attempted to win tickets from Connaissance for the lecture. Of those 4,000 students, 900 won two tickets each. An additional 100 students won seats in the first 10 rows by explaining why they were Billy Joel fans. "My favorite one was by [Wharton junior] Matt Schneider," Archer said. "He wrote that his parents met at a Billy Joel concert, and he really needs to find a wife." Archer added that another entrant downloaded a baby picture of Joel off the Internet, and other students wrote top 10 lists of reasons they should be given the tickets. One student -- who won tickets in the front rows by writing an essay -- posted to alt.music.billy-joel, offering to sell her tickets. "It saddened me to see that someone who claimed to be a big Billy Joel fan would be willing to sell one of her seats," Archer said.
