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(09/22/98 9:00am)
While Penn must raise money to boost its aid program, other Ivies can rely on hefty endowments. Harvard University's long-awaited announcement last week that it was joining the elite-school race to increase student financial aid has drawn positive but cautious reaction from administrators at Penn -- which has yet to make its move. When it comes to offering competitive financial aid packages to students, Harvard upped the ante in a big way. The Cambridge, Mass., school announced it will increase financial aid by an unprecedented 20 percent and throw in an extra $2,000 annual grant for all undergraduate financial aid recipients. The race began last January when Princeton University announced sweeping changes to its financial aid policy, eliminating loans for students whose families make less than $40,000 annually and reducing the loan portion of the financial aid package for students whose families make up to $57,500 a year. For both groups, these loans are replaced with institutional grants. Although Penn Student Financial Aid Director William Schilling congratulated Harvard for "making it easier for students from low- and middle-income backgrounds to attend the college of their choice," he cautioned that financial aid competition may lead students to choose a college based on the price tag rather than academic and extra-curricular opportunities. "In terms of choosing the right school, the danger lies in the fact that the richer schools will be able to offer lower prices," Schilling explained. "That may negatively influence the students' decisions." Since Ivy League schools and some peer institutions do not offer athletic or any other type of merit-based scholarships, students who cannot afford the $30,000-a-year price tag must pay their way with the help of a mix of grants and loans. In an effort to decrease student indebtedness and maintain a competitive edge, the race is on to create attractive financial aid packages offering more grants than loans. Although Harvard is able to offer the most substantial aid with its $13 billion endowment -- the largest of any U.S. university -- its move is only the latest instance in 1998. Princeton, Yale and Stanford universities as well as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have made similar strides this year. And Penn, likewise, is in the middle of an "aggressive" campaign, spearheaded by Board of Trustees Chairperson Roy Vagelos, to increase undergraduate financial aid that comes out of the school's endowment, rather than the operating budget. Schilling said he was "encouraged" by the results the fundraising has produced over the last 12 to 18 months, although pledges are still being secured and final figures are not yet available. With Harvard's new policy in place -- effective immediately -- the school will spend an estimated $90 million on financial aid in the upcoming year, compared to Penn's $50 million aid budget. But with nearly 3,000 more undergraduates than Harvard's 6,600, Penn must stretch its financial aid dollars further. Although Harvard Undergraduate Director of Financial Aid Jim Miller acknowledged that similar moves at peer schools may have played a part in the decision to bolster aid, he insisted that the main impetus was the "increasing concern about the issue of student loans." "We felt that our students were being asked to do a lot, and sometimes being asked to forgo extra-curricular and academic opportunities in order to juggle work-study jobs," Miller said. And Princeton officials were not hesitant to accept credit for paving the way in the quest to "make college more affordable." "Although the timing may have been coincidental for some of the colleges, it is safe to say that not nearly as much would have happened had not Princeton made the first move," Don Betterton, Princeton's director of undergraduate financial aid, said in a statement. The Princeton announcement did set off a cascade of similar initiatives at other elite institutions. In March, MIT unveiled plans to increase scholarship grants to students by 14 percent, as well as to reduce the loan and work-study component by $1,000 per student. And around the same time, Stanford's Board of Trustees voted to assist middle-income families by limiting the impact of home equity when calculating financial aid eligibility. The school also changed how it considers outside scholarships when determining undergraduate financial aid packages. Such scholarships often reduce a student's aid package, as is the current case at Penn. Although officials have not yet announced specific plans to change Penn's financial aid policy, administrators stressed that fundraising is high on the to-do list. Last week, University President Judith Rodin called it the "single highest priority for our fundraising this year." And Admissions Dean Lee Stetson expressed concern about the implications of Harvard's announcement on admissions at Penn. "This could become a trend and it's something that could affect us more than we might anticipate," Stetson said. "This is something we need to take a serious look at, honestly and aggressively." Daily Pennsylvanian staff writer Edward Sherwin contributed to this article.
(09/04/98 9:00am)
After a year marked by nearly across-the-board application increases and tougher than ever competition, Ivy League admissions offices reported increases in the percent of admitted students choosing to attend as freshmen. Penn saw only a one percent increase in the number of accepted students choosing to attend Penn, putting it near the bottom of the Ivy pile. As of late May, approximately 50 percent of the 4,837 students offered admission to Penn had chosen to attend, and according to Admissions Dean Lee Stetson, wait-list activity was not expected. Last year, 49 percent of the 4,793 students admitted chose to matriculate. Columbia University in New York City saw a 6 percent jump in their yield -- by far the biggest increase in the Ivies. This year, approximately 55 percent of the 1,742 students admitted to Columbia chose to matriculate, up from 49 percent of the 1,958 accepted last year. "We may have a little wait-list activity," Columbia Undergraduate Admissions Director Eric Furda said at the time. "But we're not expecting all that much more." Dartmouth College and Harvard University tied for the second biggest increases in yield at 4 percent each. Karl Furstenburg, Dartmouth's dean of admissions, reported that 52 percent of the 2,176 students receiving acceptance letters this year have decided to attend the Hanover, N.H., college, up from 48 percent of the 2,235 offered admission in 1997. "We're very pleased that our yield is better this year," Furstenburg said at the time. "And we're not taking anyone from the wait-list." Harvard University also reported a 4 percent increase in the number of students electing to matriculate, although the Cambridge, Mass., school's yield is far higher than that of Dartmouth. David Evans, a senior admissions officer at Harvard, said 80 percent of the 2,073 students accepted this year have promised to enroll, up from 76 percent of the 2,153 students admitted last year. Evans also noted that Harvard will probably not accept anyone from the wait-list. Brown University saw a 3 percent increase in its yield this year, according to the admissions office at the Providence, R.I., college. Of the 2,610 students offered admission to Brown's class of 2002, 56 percent have accepted, up from 53 percent of last year's admitted pool of 2,674. According to the admissions office, no additional students will be accepted from the wait-list. There was another tie between Penn and Cornell, with both universities reporting a 1 percent increase in students choosing to matriculate, although Penn's overall yield is a bit higher. Cornell's admissions office also saw a 1 percent increase in its yield with 47 percent of the 6,838 students admitted promising to attend. Last year, 46 percent of the 6,715 pool chose to enroll at the Ithaca, N.Y., university. Cornell admissions officials noted that they are still waiting to hear from a few students who were granted extensions due to financial aid decisions. However, they also said no further wait-list activity is expected as the number of students that decided to attend was higher than expected. Margaret Dahl, director of undergraduate admission at Yale University, reported a current yield increase of only about .3 percent for the New Haven, Conn., school. Approximately 1,276 of the 2,083 students accepted this year have chosen to attend, up only slightly from the 1,307 out of 2,144 that chose to matriculate last year. Dahl noted that because Yale's target class size is approximately 1,300, some wait-list acceptances are likely, which will bring the yield up to 62 percent -- representing a full 1 percent increase from last year. Princeton Admissions Dean Fred Hargadon did not return repeated phone calls requesting matriculation rates over the summer. Last year, 66 percent of the 1,723 students offered admission to the New Jersey school chose to matriculate.
(09/04/98 9:00am)
and Edward Sherwin Not all Penn students, faculty and staff took a break over the summer. Instead, one Penn affiliate travelled to Mongolia, another prepared to blast off into outer space and a third found something surprising in his pants. · Garrett Reisman, a 1991 graduate of the Management and Technology program, was chosen in June by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as a member of this year's astronaut candidate class. He began 1 1/2 years of training and evaluation at the Johnson Space Center in Houston in late August. Only 100 of the 2,600 applicants for this year's candidate class were even granted interviews for the elite 25-member group. "It was sort of a long shot -- no pun intended," Reisman said of his chances for acceptance into the competitive program. After training, Reisman and his 24 classmates will receive technical assignments within the Astronaut Office before actually voyaging beyond the earth's atmosphere. He said he could be in line for a mission within three or four years. After a childhood of model rockets and movies of the Apollo missions, Reisman, 30, majored in mechanical engineering and economics while at Penn. An Alpha Tau Omega brother, he served as president of the InterFraternity Council in 1989. After graduation, Reisman received his master's degree and doctorate in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. A native of New Jersey, he currently works as a spacecraft engineer in the Space and Electronics Group of Redondo Beach, Calif.-based TRW Inc. · Amanda Fine, a 1997 graduate of Penn's School of Veterinary Medicine, will travel to Mongolia in September to spend a year as a fellow at the Veterinary Research Institute in Ulaan Bator. Fine, from Bristol, Pa., is one of only 17 winning applicants selected as a Luce Scholar for the 1998-1999 year from among 125 to 130 candidates. The highly competitive fellowship, established by the Henry Luce Foundation in 1974, "enables young Americans of exceptional promise to live and work in nations throughout east and southeast Asia for one year." Fine received her bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pa., in 1993 before coming to Penn. And Fine is no stranger to the kind of first-hand research in which she will take part in Mongolia. In 1992, she spent four months in South Africa researching parasites of importance to the livestock industry. Sixty-seven colleges and universities across the United States submitted nominations to the program this year. · Only a few months out of school himself, 1998 College graduate Harold Shields is already hard at work, figuring out how to make good on his recent pledge to help send a group of youngsters to college. Shields -- who attended the University on a full scholarship, as part of the "Say Yes to Education" program -- was searching for a way to give back when he announced his plan to start a scholarship fund for the graduating fifth-grade class of Philadelphia's Belmont Elementary School. Shields' announcement at Belmont's June graduation ceremony came exactly 11 years after University alumnus George Weiss made an offer of his own to the 1987 graduating class at Belmont, of which Shields was a part. The elementary school went up to sixth grade at the time. When Weiss, a Connecticut philanthropist, offered to send all 112 members of the class to college, for free, Shields took full advantage of the offer. And more than a decade later, armed with a degree in psychology, he is out to make an impact on the lives of the next generation -- insofar as he is able. Shields may not yet have the means to provide a free ride for every deserving student, but he has promised to put aside $30 a week for seven years -- enough for 10 scholarships of $1,000 each. And that's not even counting investment income and community help which he has solicited -- and received. Shields said he has received several donations since his June announcement, ranging from $12 to $10,000. In light of the additional funds, he said he hopes to be able to help a greater portion of the 58-member class. "The response has been great so far," Shields said. "It would be great if we could get a scholarship for each and every one of the students." Before taking his proposal to the public, Shields confided his idea in April to both Weiss and Graduate School of Education Fellow Norman Newberg, who is the executive director of Say Yes. Although Newberg said he was initially concerned that Shields might be taking on too much for a young person, he soon discovered what he described as Shields' "unfaltering determination." Weiss, who was in attendance for Shields' announcement, echoed Newberg's feelings of pride. "I think it's phenomenal, it's exactly what I'm always trying to teach to the Say Yes kids," Weiss explained. "If someone makes a change in your life, you should try to turn around and make a change in someone else's life." · Some laud him as a hero, others deem him a role model, but Brett Bonfield said he was "just doing the right thing" when he returned a $1,850 wad of cash to its rightful owner. Bonfield -- a staff writer in the communications department of the Office of Development and Alumni Relations -- was shopping with his fiancZe, Beth Filla, at Thrift for AIDS on South Street when he found the money in an old pair of pants early last month. "I saw some pants that looked interesting, but they seemed too big," explained Bonfield. "But as I held them up, I felt something in the pocket that felt like an old wallet. Well, I reached in and pulled out a wad of cash, including several hundred dollar bills." Bonfield, 28, claimed that he didn't even stop to think as he headed up to the register -- the money in one hand, the pants in the other. "What I did took about 15 seconds and it took that long only because my knees were shaking," he said. "There was no decision time. I was just thinking, 'This is Thrift for AIDS, the money isn't mine and I should give it back'." The thrift store, located at 633 South Street, is a non-profit organization whose proceeds go to assist those with HIV and AIDS. A deposit slip found with the money was used to track down the rightful owner, according to Mike Martino, the store's executive director. It turns out that Javier Kuehnle, the owner of a company that makes automotive components, had donated the pants only a week before, although he had lost the money two years ago. "I was very pleasantly surprised when the thrift store called," Kuehnle told The Philadelphia Daily News last weekend. "I was actually shocked that the money showed up after all this time." To show his appreciation for the returned money, Kuehnle gave Bonfield a $500 reward. Thrift for AIDS has also given him a $100 store gift certificate.
(09/04/98 9:00am)
The Law School will soon have a new venue for a variety of academic and social gatherings, thanks to a $2 million gift from 1972 Law graduate Paul Levy and his wife Karen. School officials announced plans this summer to use the funds to establish a new facility -- to be named the Paul and Karen Levy Conference Center -- in Sharswood Hall, the south reading room of the old Biddle Law Library. According to Law Dean Colin Diver, the Levys made the commitment in May and have already put $700,000 into the project. The remaining $1.3 million will be paid over the next two years, and the conference center is expected to be completed in the fall of 1999. Although the Law School originally came up with the idea to build a new conference center, Diver said the suggestion "appealed a great deal" to the Levys. The renovations, which will be done mainly between March and November of 1999, will be in conjunction with the overall restoration of the newly-named Silverman Hall, formerly known as Lewis Hall. In February, University Trustee and 1964 Penn Law graduate Henry Silverman made a $15 million donation to the school -- the largest gift ever given to an American law school. Between one-third and one-half of the gift will be used to restore Silverman Hall, the original Law School building on 34th Street between Sansom and Chestnut streets. The Levy facility will include a state-of-the-art lecture hall, a multi-purpose reception hall and a full-service kitchen. The conference center will be used on a day-to-day basis for regular law school classes, moot court sessions, guest lectures, conferences and symposia, as well as for social engagements like receptions, lunches and dinners. Currently, these kinds of activities are held at various places around the school, according to Diver, including the unrenovated Sharswood Hall, the moot courtroom on the first floor of Silverman Hall and the Great Hall area, also located on the first floor of Silverman Hall. "The Levy Conference Center will give the Penn Law School a superbly equipped and elegant facility to accommodate a variety of internal and external meetings, groups and conferences," Diver said in announcing the gift. Levy is managing general partner of Joseph Littlejohn & Levy, a turnaround firm established in 1988. He is also chairman and chief executive officer of Lancer Industries, a holding company whose main subsidiary makes high-precision gears and other gear systems. Levy lives in New York with his wife and two daughters. He is also a member of the Law School's Board of Overseers.
(09/04/98 9:00am)
and Ben Geldon Bridgette Black, the confessed killer of University scientist Vladimir Sled, was sentenced to five to 12 years in prison July 31 for her part in the 1996 murder. Black, 27, of the 5100 block of Reno Street, was convicted of third-degree murder by Common Pleas Judge Carolyn Temin, after pleading guilty to a general charge of murder. The other two defendants charged in connection with the crime received mixed verdicts in separate May trials, in which Black was the star prosecution witness. Yvette Stewart, 30, who drove the getaway car and allegedly shot a gun during the struggle, was convicted of third-degree murder in addition to the robbery charges. She faces up to 94 years in jail and will be sentenced September 17. Eugene "Sultan" Harrison, 33, who started the incident by attempting to snatch Sled's fiancee's purse, was acquitted of the murder but convicted of robbery and other charges. He faces up to 65 years in prison at his scheduling September 10. Harrison and Stewart were also convicted of robbing a Philadelphia Daily News driver earlier on the same day as the Sled incident. Black was not involved in the prior robbery. Common Pleas Judge Eugene Clarke, who presided over both trials, will also decide on sentencing for Stewart and Harrison. Harrison's attorney, Tariq El-Shabazz, said at the time that Harrison was "very, very pleased" by the verdict. El Shabazz had told the jury during opening and closing arguments that Harrison was not contesting the robberies, but should not be held accountable for Black's actions. Then-Assistant District Attorney Dick Carroll, who prosecuted all three defendants before entering private practice in July, said after the trials that his case against Stewart was stronger because of testimony that she fired a gun. Both trials relied heavily on testimony by Black and Sled's fiancee, former University researcher Cecilia Hagerhall. Sled, a popular and well-respected researcher who came to Penn from Russia in 1992, was stabbed to death on October 31, 1996, four days after his 38th birthday, on the 4300 block of Larchwood Avenue. Sled and Hagerhall, were walking home when Harrison jumped on Hagerhall and tried to take her purse. When the purse strap refused to break, Sled struggled with Harrison and attempted to protect Hagerhall. In the melee that ensued, Black got out of Harrison's stolen sedan and swung her knife around, stabbing Sled five times. Stewart drove the car up and allegedly fired a gun into the air before the trio fled the scene. State sentencing guidelines called for Black to be sentenced to 20 to 40 years, but judges in Pennsylvania have a lot of discretion in determining sentencing. Lawyers for either side can appeal a sentence that is lower or higher than the guidelines. Temin cited Black's abusive childhood, substance addiction and life on the streets as a prostitute in dealing her a light sentence. Black has expressed extreme remorse for the incident since she found out she was responsible for Sled's death. She maintained in her testimony that she only meant to "scare" Sled, and emerged from the getaway car only after finding out Stewart started to head towards the struggle with a gun. She also said she did know the wounds she inflicted on Sled were fatal until her arrest. The fact that Black testified for the prosecution may have also played into Temin's sentence, although Fred Goodman, one of Black's court-appointed attorneys, said last month that Black cooperated because "she believed it was the right thing to do." Assistant District Attorney Mark Gibson, who took over for Carroll, said in August he was "extremely disappointed" by the verdicts, and the D.A.'s office filed a petition August 5 to vacate the sentencing. Carroll's expectations about the punishments the three would receive steadily declined following the trio's November 1996 arrests. Early in the legal proceedings, he told The Daily Pennsylvanian that he had an open-and-shut case for first-degree murder and would probably seek the death penalty for all three defendants. As the trial dates approached, however, it became clearer and clearer that the prosecution had no evidence of first degree murder and would have a hard time even proving second- or third-degree murder without Black's cooperation. To convict any of the three of second-degree murder, prosecutors had to prove that all of the suspects planned the robbery and killed Sled when he got in the way. Stewart and Black both said they didn't know Harrison planned to rob the couple, and Harrison said he had no idea Black had a weapon.
(09/04/98 9:00am)
and Scott Lanman A citywide transit strike threw Philadelphia into a fit for 40 days this summer, leaving many streets jammed with cars and taxis as about 435,000 regular SEPTA riders struggled to find other ways to get to work. The strike was one of the longest in SEPTA history and the first since 1995. After threatening to strike for months, the Transport Workers Union finally walked off of their jobs June 1 after deciding that the on-and-off negotiations were unlikely to bridge the differences between the two sides. SEPTA and the union were arguing over the issues of workers' compensation and the hiring of part-time workers. City buses, subways and trolleys were all grounded during the strike. Regional rail trains were running as usual because workers on those lines are members of a different union that did not strike, though TWU picketers managed to shut down some lines occasionally during the strike. Officials from the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and the TWU Local 234 reached a tentative oral agreement on July 10 to end the strike. The two sides, however, still had not reached a written agreement as of Tuesday. No deadline has been set in the latest negotiations, said union spokesperson Tony Lieggi. Both the union and SEPTA's 17-member board would have to ratify the proposed contract. "We're hopeful though [about a new contract]," SEPTA spokesperson Stephan Rosenfeld said in late July. "What is important is that the system is operating and the passengers are being served." The University was ready for the strike. Transportation officials arranged to ferry 25,000 riders at a cost of $24,000 during the walkout. "It was relatively cheap when you look at it.? It cost less than $1 a person," Transportation Services Manager Ron Ward said in July. "I think we did a bang-up job. And if there's another strike in three years we'll be even better prepared." After the strike ended, SEPTA provided free rides for a few days and then for the three remaining Fridays in July in an effort to win back customers. Although the two sides thought they had resolved the two key sticking points -- that of part-time drivers and workers' compensation -- the issues resurfaced in the process of drawing up a final contract. On July 10, SEPTA and TWU leaders finally agreed to limit workers' compensation benefits and also to send the most troublesome issue of part-time drivers to binding arbitration. However, the two sides have spent the interim fighting over the precise limitations to compensation benefits as well as the exact number of part-timers the arbitrator can consider in the decision. Rosenfeld said he expects that the remaining disputes will be resolved through ongoing discussions between SEPTA and TWU. "We believe that our requests are reasonable," he said in July. "All we're asking them to do is agree to what they agreed to on July 10." It remains to be seen whether SEPTA ridership will return to pre-strike levels. "We'll have to wait and see" if SEPTA can win back riders, TWU business agent Bruce Bodner said in July. "I think it will be hard and it will probably take years to win them all back." The 5,200-member union had been working for almost 2 1/2 months without a contract -- which expired March 15 -- before walking off the job, citing no progress in negotiations. The contract proposal calls for 3 percent annual raises. It will increase pension benefits by about 32 percent for the average worker. Pension compensation is typically determined by a worker's salary at the time of retirement -- the greater the earnings, the greater the pension. Under the new contract, pensions will be calculated by looking at the last six years of service and using only the three best. SEPTA had originally wanted to use only the final three years, which the union protested because older workers typically cannot put in as much overtime as their younger counterparts and therefore earn less as they approach retirement. But in an effort to cut costs, SEPTA also set out to cap workers' compensation for injured employees, who currently receive benefits indefinitely. The two sides finally agreed on a year of benefits for new employees and for veteran employees, 9 weeks of coverage for every year of service. The two sides also agreed to send the most troublesome issue -- the hiring of part-timers -- to binding arbitration. The union had previously offered to send the entire dispute to arbitration -- an offer SEPTA refused. Although union and SEPTA officials would not single out any specific individual to credit in bringing about a settlement, Mayor Ed Rendell was emphatic in his praise of Congressman Bob Brady (D.-Pa.), who held the negotiations together in the last 48 hours. "I want to single out the work of Bob Brady," Rendell said at a July 10 news conference marking the re-opening of the transit system. "Make no mistake, Bob Brady got us back on track." But Brady -- a former leader from the carpenter's union and chairperson of the local Democratic party -- was hesitant to accept the credit. "I was just trying to keep people talking, that's all I did," Brady said during the week after the strike ended. "Both sides just needed someone to keep them talking and get rid of egos." Bodner and Rosenfeld agreed that it was the duration of the strike and its effect on the city which finally produced a settlement. "[The strike] was hurting the city and so officials, namely the mayor, had to face their responsibility and help get a contract to get things moving again," Bodner said. Also during the strike, members of the Democratic National Committee were slated to visit Philadelphia to examine it as a possible site for the 2000 Democratic National Convention. The visitors, however, refused to cross picket lines and packed their bags not long after they arrived. The DNC has rescheduled its visit for September 15-17.
(09/04/98 9:00am)
After a year marked by nearly across-the-board application increases and tougher than ever competition, Ivy League admissions offices reported increases in the percent of admitted students choosing to attend as freshmen. Penn saw only a one percent increase in the number of accepted students choosing to attend Penn, putting it near the bottom of the Ivy pile. As of late May, approximately 50 percent of the 4,837 students offered admission to Penn had chosen to attend, and according to Admissions Dean Lee Stetson, wait-list activity was not expected. Last year, 49 percent of the 4,793 students admitted chose to matriculate. Columbia University in New York City saw a 6 percent jump in their yield -- by far the biggest increase in the Ivies. This year, approximately 55 percent of the 1,742 students admitted to Columbia chose to matriculate, up from 49 percent of the 1,958 accepted last year. "We may have a little wait-list activity," Columbia Undergraduate Admissions Director Eric Furda said at the time. "But we're not expecting all that much more." Dartmouth College and Harvard University tied for the second biggest increases in yield at 4 percent each. Karl Furstenburg, Dartmouth's dean of admissions, reported that 52 percent of the 2,176 students receiving acceptance letters this year have decided to attend the Hanover, N.H., college, up from 48 percent of the 2,235 offered admission in 1997. "We're very pleased that our yield is better this year," Furstenburg said at the time. "And we're not taking anyone from the wait-list." Harvard University also reported a 4 percent increase in the number of students electing to matriculate, although the Cambridge, Mass., school's yield is far higher than that of Dartmouth. David Evans, a senior admissions officer at Harvard, said 80 percent of the 2,073 students accepted this year have promised to enroll, up from 76 percent of the 2,153 students admitted last year. Evans also noted that Harvard will probably not accept anyone from the wait-list. Brown University saw a 3 percent increase in its yield this year, according to the admissions office at the Providence, R.I., college. Of the 2,610 students offered admission to Brown's class of 2002, 56 percent have accepted, up from 53 percent of last year's admitted pool of 2,674. According to the admissions office, no additional students will be accepted from the wait-list. There was another tie between Penn and Cornell, with both universities reporting a 1 percent increase in students choosing to matriculate, although Penn's overall yield is a bit higher. Cornell's admissions office also saw a 1 percent increase in its yield with 47 percent of the 6,838 students admitted promising to attend. Last year, 46 percent of the 6,715 pool chose to enroll at the Ithaca, N.Y., university. Cornell admissions officials noted that they are still waiting to hear from a few students who were granted extensions due to financial aid decisions. However, they also said no further wait-list activity is expected as the number of students that decided to attend was higher than expected. Margaret Dahl, director of undergraduate admission at Yale University, reported a current yield increase of only about .3 percent for the New Haven, Conn., school. Approximately 1,276 of the 2,083 students accepted this year have chosen to attend, up only slightly from the 1,307 out of 2,144 that chose to matriculate last year. Dahl noted that because Yale's target class size is approximately 1,300, some wait-list acceptances are likely, which will bring the yield up to 62 percent -- representing a full 1 percent increase from last year. Princeton Admissions Dean Fred Hargadon did not return repeated phone calls requesting matriculation rates over the summer. Last year, 66 percent of the 1,723 students offered admission to the New Jersey school chose to matriculate.
(08/06/98 9:00am)
The Law School will soon have a new venue for a myriad of academic and social gatherings, thanks to a $2 million gift from 1972 Law School graduate Paul Levy and his wife Karen. Law School officials recently announced plans to use the funds to establish a new facility -- to be named the Paul and Karen Levy Conference Center -- in Sharswood Hall, the south reading room of the old Biddle Law Library. According to Law School Dean Colin Diver, the Levys made the commitment in May and have already put $700,000 into the project. The remaining $1.3 million will be paid over the next two years and the conference center is expected to be completed in the fall of 1998. Although the Law School originally came up with the idea to build a new conference center, Diver said the suggestion "appealed a great deal" to the Levys. The renovations, which will be done mainly between March and November of 1999, will be in conjunction with the overall restoration of the newly-named Silverman Hall, formerly known as Lewis Hall. In February, University Trustee and and 1964 Penn Law graduate Henry Silverman made a $15 million donation to the school -- the largest gift ever given to an American law school. Between 1/3 and 1/2 of the gift will be used to restore Silverman Hall, the original Law School building on 34th Street between Sansom and Chestnut streets. The Levy facility will include a state-of-the-art lecture hall, a multi-purpose reception hall and a full service kitchen. The conference center will be used on a day-to-day basis for regular law school classes, moot court sessions, guest lectures, conferences and symposia, as well as for social engagements like receptions, lunches and dinners. At present, these sort of activities are held at various places around the school, according to Diver, including the unrenovated Sharswood Hall, the moot courtroom on the first floor of Silverman Hall and the Great Hall area, also located on the first floor of Silverman Hall. "The Levy Conference Center will give the Penn Law School a superbly equipped and elegant facility to accommodate a variety of internal and external meetings, groups and conferences," Diver said in announcing the gift. Levy is managing general partner of Joseph Littlejohn & Levy, a turnaround firm established in 1988. He is also chairman and chief executive officer of Lancer Industries, a holding company whose principle subsidiary manufactures high precision gears and planetary gear systems. Levy, who lives in New York with his wife and two daughters, is also a member of the Law School's Board of Overseers.
(08/06/98 9:00am)
Amanda Fine, a 1997 graduate of Penn's School of Veterinary Medicine, will travel to Mongolia in September to spend a year as a fellow at the Veterinary Research Institute in Ulaan Bator. Fine, from Bristol, Pa., is one of only 17 winning applicants selected as a Luce Scholar for the 1998-1999 year from among 125 to 130 candidates. The highly competitive international fellowship, established by the Henry Luce Foundation in 1974, "enables young Americans of exceptional promise to live and work in nations throughout east and southeast Asia for one year." "The goal of the Luce Scholars program is to create greater understanding of the cultures of Asia among young men and women who will assume leading roles in American society," said Henry Luce III, chairperson and CEO of the foundation, in a recent statement. The Luce Scholars will leave for Asia in September, taking with them a basic stipend and cost of living allowance, as well as expenses for language study and travel. Fine received her bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pa., in 1993 before coming to the University. And Fine is no stranger to the kind of first-hand research in which she will take part in Mongolia. In fact, she has been involved in several outside research projects during and prior to her years at Penn. In 1992, She spent four months in South Africa at the University of Pretoria School of Veterinary Medicine where she conducted research on parasites of importance to the livestock industry. And her interest in animal life apparently developed when she was a child, helping to herd sheep and goats in rural communities of Jerusalem and the West Bank, where her parents were involved in relief work. Before coming to Penn, Fine worked during the summers with researchers in the Vet School. Francis Ashton, a research associate in cellular and developmental biology, said Fine seemed particularly interested in large animal and wild animal veterinary medicine. "She was extremely good at everything she did," Ashton said. "I'm sure that she'll find Mongolia very interesting." Ashton, whose research focuses on parasitic worms, also added that Fine is now at the University studying the Mongolian language in preparation for her upcoming departure. Although Fine could not be reached for comment yesterday, she expressed her anticipation in a recent statement. "I envision the Luce Scholars Program as a year in which I may begin to determine what role I will play as a veterinarian in our global community," she said. Sixty-seven colleges and universities across the United States submitted nominations to the program this year. The scholars are chosen through a vigorous selection process by a distinguished committee. The San-Francisco-based Asia Foundation, which has field representatives in Asian capitals, administers the Asian aspects of the program under a cooperative agreement with the Luce Foundation. The Henry Luce Foundation itself was established in 1936 by the late Henry Luce, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Time Inc. With assets of more than $700 million, the foundation supports programs focusing on American art, Asia, higher education, public affairs, theology, and women in science.
(08/06/98 9:00am)
Bridgette Black will serve less than the 20 to 40 years she could have received for killing a Penn researcher in 1996. Common Pleas Judge Carolyn Temin last week decided the fate of 27-year-old Bridget Black, the confessed killer of University biochemist Vladimir Sled. Although she stabbed Sled five times in the 1996 incident, Black will spend only five to 12 years behind bars. The sentence, rendered last Wednesday, came as a surprise to many who expected Black to receive substantially more time for the third-degree murder conviction. But citing Black's abusive childhood, substance addiction and life on the streets as a prostitute, Temin showed compassion and dealt her a sentence near the lower end allowed by state guidelines. A third-degree conviction normally carries a suggested sentence of 20 to 40 years, according to the sentencing guidelines. Black, of the 5100 block of Reno Street, was convicted on June 5 for her role in the October 31 death of Sled near 43rd Street and Larchwood Avenue. Black had earlier pled guilty to general charge of murder, leaving it up to Temin to determine her degree of guilt. The other two defendants charged with the murder, Eugene "Sultan" Harrison, 34, of the 5200 block of Arch Street, and Yvette Stewart, 30, of the 500 block of North Allison Street, were tried in May. A 12-person jury convicted Harrison on several charges of robbery but acquitted him of murder. He faces 32 1/2 to 65 years in prison. Stewart, on the other hand, was convicted of third-degree murder for her role, as well as the robbery charges and faces 47 to 94 years. The fact that Black testified as a prosecution witness in both of her co-defendants' trials may have also played into Temin's sentencing decision, although Fred Goodman -- one of Black's court-appointed defense attorneys -- emphasized that Black cooperated because she "believed it was the right thing to do." But Goodman noted that in his close to 20 years as a public defender, he has never witnessed "a criminal defendant cooperate with no deal whatsoever." "As soon as [Black] knew she was wanted, she turned herself in and told the truth from the beginning," Goodman explained. "She was also phenomenally remorseful." Although Goodman termed the sentencing decision "legally correct," Assistant District Attorney Mark Gilson said he was "extremely disappointed" with the outcome and will seek an appeal. "I thought the sentence was too lenient and it didn't take into account the fact that [Black] was the self-confessed killer and that Sled was stabbed multiple times," Gilson said. "Judge Temin did give a lot of weight to the defendant's tragic childhood." Although the D.A.'s Office filed a petition yesterday to vacate the sentencing and request a new hearing, former Assistant D.A. Dick Carroll said it may take up to year for a new hearing to be granted, if it is found that there are, indeed, grounds for one. Carroll -- who prosecuted all three defendants before moving to a private practice -- had more trouble finding fault with Temin's decision than did Gilson who only handled the sentencing. "I can't be critical of [Temin's] reasoning process," Carroll said. "It's a judgement call many people would have made differently? some judges might have given [Black] two or three times what Temin gave her." Carroll also agreed that Black's background and mental state at the time of the murder played heavily into the decision. "Much of the reasoning focused on Ms. Black's background as an abused child with little or no adult guidance who ended up on the streets," Carroll explained. "Judge Temin viewed that as almost a medical condition like some people consider alcoholism a disease." Despite obvious differences, both the prosecution and defense shared an unwavering faith in Temin's judgement and adherence to the letter of the law. "Anyone who knows Judge Temin knows she's a stickler for following the law," Goodman said. "The verdict itself was not unfair.? anything else would have been a terrible injustice." And Carroll agreed emphatically. "[Temin] is a sensitive, compassionate and intelligent woman who knows the law very well," he said. "She considered all the factors in her decision." Black's sentence also carries with it a concurrent nine years of probation which will extend her jail time should she be found in violation. "Ms. Black is severely damaged goods and we're not sure if she can be fixed," Carroll said. "If she can't be fixed, she will go back to jail and stay there." Harrison and Stewart are awaiting sentencing in early September by Common Pleas Judge Eugene Clark, who presided over both their cases. The hearings are scheduled for September 10 and September 17, respectively, although Gilson noted the dates are subject to change. Although Gilson and Goodman declined the speculate on the outcome of the co-defendants' sentencing, Carroll had some predictions of his own. "I'm not sure what Clark will do with Harrison, but I'm quite sure Yvette Stewart -- whose record is not good -- won't get the break Bridget got," he said. "When you add the third-degree conviction to her two violent robbery convictions, she could very well do 25 to 50 years."
(07/30/98 9:00am)
The tentative July 10 agreement between SEPTA officials and Transport Workers Union leaders to end the 40-day strike may have placated the 435,000 area residents left stranded by the transit freeze, but there is still a major bone to pick between SEPTA and the TWU. Although the two sides were able to reach a mutually acceptable oral agreement three weeks ago, there is now dispute as to the exact terms of the legally-binding written version. "There isn't a deal right now," SEPTA spokesperson Stephan Rosenfeld said. "We're hopeful though.? what is important is that the system is operating and the passengers are being served." Alleging that the TWU's version of the three-year contract was substantially different from the one orally agreed upon, the 15-member SEPTA board refused to vote on the contract ratified by the union Friday. The proposed contract passed through the 5,200-member Local 234 by a three-to-one margin. "What was approved by the [TWU] leadership on July 10 and found to be acceptable is now not entirely acceptable," Rosenfeld explained. The tentative accord, which came after several false starts earlier this month, put an end to the on-again, off-again negotiations which characterized the heated stand-off between SEPTA and its largest union since the strike began June 1. Although the two sides thought they had resolved the two key sticking points -- that of part-time drivers and workers' compensation -- the issues have resurfaced in the process of drawing up a final contract. On July 10, SEPTA and TWU leaders finally agreed to limit workers' compensation benefits and also to send the most troublesome issue of part-time drivers to binding arbitration. However, the two sides have spent the interim fighting over the precise limitations to compensation benefits as well as the exact number of part-timers the arbitrator can consider in the decision. But according to Rosenfeld, the problems with the contract go beyond part-timers and workers' compensation. "The problem is really fundamental," he said. "There is an inconsistency between the tentative agreement and what is now being sought as a formal binding agreement." Rosenfeld added that SEPTA has been consistent in its expectations. "I don't fault the union for trying to get more, but they have to realize that negotiations are now over," he said. But union leaders are equally hesitant to sign SEPTA's 50-page version contract, counter-alleging that SEPTA went back on several terms of the oral agreement. The transit authority has begun a concerted effort to persuade union leaders to sign their version of the deal. The tentative accord, which includes 3 percent annual raises for union members, cannot be implemented without the signatures of both sides to a memorandum of agreement outlining the terms of the informal agreement. Rosenfeld said he expects that the remaining disputes will be resolved through continued discussion between SEPTA and TWU. "We believe that our requests are reasonable," he said. "All we're asking them to do is agree to what they agreed to on July 10th." Union leaders did not return repeated telephone calls for comment yesterday.
(07/30/98 9:00am)
Whether you're a student in the College, Wharton, the Engineering School or the School of Nursing, everyone knows that Wharton's Steinberg-Deitrich Hall houses one of the few 24-hour computer labs on campus. It doesn't matter that Steiny-D, as it's fondly known, is officially a Wharton building -- or does it? Well, now it does. In an effort to combat lab overcrowding and security problems, Wharton officials recently announced a decision to close Wharton computer labs to all students not enrolled in a Wharton course. According to Wharton Vice Dean Richard Herring, the rationale behind the new policy is two-fold. First, Herring explained that because information technology is now such an important part of Wharton's undergraduate curriculum it is essential that its students have access to the specialized computer programs available only in Wharton labs. "We've received complaints from our students that they can't get into the lab when they need to," he said. "We need to make sure that they have the access to get done what they need to get done." Herring also cited several instances of what he termed "egregious misuse" of Wharton computers, which include everything from forgery to cases of harassment to the downloading of illegal files, such as child pornography. "We've actually had some of our machines seized by federal agencies because they were implicated in some nasty business," he said. The new policy, effective immediately, was instituted when the computer labs were shut down recently for extensive equipment upgrades, according to Herring. In the past year, Wharton has invested more than $750,000 in technology upgrades to support its curricular developments. Unlike Engineering, which allows non-Engineering students to log on as "guest users," the Wharton labs will be completely restricted. Herring added that the new policy will introduce an element of "accountability" to computer use in Wharton computer labs, as students will now be prompted to enter an authentication number at the start of their session. "Because technology has become an important mechanism for doing lots of things, both good and evil, there has to be accountability," he said. Wharton has come under pressure recently from campus security to implement the policy, according to Herring, as the obligatory log-in process will allow any inappropriate actions to be easily traced. Although the new policy was designed to benefit those taking Wharton classes, both Wharton and non-Wharton students expressed some dissatisfaction with the move. "It is unfortunate that Penn insists on blatantly distinguishing between its different schools, but I'm certain it is done for good reasons," Wharton junior Angie Whittenburg said. "I have no problems with it as long as a computer lab for College students is set up very soon." College senior and former Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson Noah Bilenker was equally adamant in his objection. "They could rectify [the misuse] problems if they require that a Penn student log on with any upenn.edu account.? that would eliminate any of the harassing e-mails or child pornography," Bilenker said. "The problem of overcrowding is ridiculous considering the thousands of new square feet of Wharton building they're adding." Herring did admit, however, that outside students weren't the only ones guilty of equipment misuse, noting that there have been cases of Wharton students using the computers for unauthorized purposes. He also added that the new policy is not an attempt by Wharton to section themselves off the other undergraduate schools. "There is a notion that it would be great to have universal access to everything everywhere," he said. "But unfortunately, I think it's simply impractical in this situation."
(07/30/98 9:00am)
Although the Wistar Institute is widely regarded as a world-class medical research facility, without a formal tenure process it has had trouble recruiting and retaining senior researchers. Up until now, that is. This month Wistar Director Giovanni Rovera and the Institute's board of managers announced the establishment of Wistar's first endowed faculty chair -- the Hilary Koprowski Endowed Professorship. Koprowski, for whom the professorship is named, served as Wistar's director from 1957 until 1991. He was also integral in the 1990 establishment of the Wistar Science Trust Fund which will -- together with Wistar itself -- provide the $2 million in funding for the professorship. He explained that although the funds were established in 1990, they were dispersed on an as-needed basis from year to year. "The funds were set up for Wistar-specific studies, but it recently came to our attention that they might be better used in the establishment of a chair," Koprowski said. "I'm very happy about it." According to Rovera, the professorship will serve a two-fold purpose. "It is an opportunity to honor the best director the institute has ever had," Rovera explained. "And we also hope it will serve as an example for other people to set up endowed chairs." Despite its location near the heart of Penn's campus at 36th and Spruce streets, Wistar is entirely independent of the University. It was, in fact, the first independent medical research facility in the country when it was established in 1892. The selection of the first chair holder will be made by Koprowski, Rovera and former University Vice Provost for Research Barry Cooperman, now co-chairperson of Wistar's Scientific Advisory Committee. Both Rovera and Koprowski cited "scientific excellence" and "outstanding research" as essential qualities for any prospective recipient. "We will be looking for a top quality scientist," Koprowski added. "That's really the most important thing." The selection committee will meet in the fall, according to Rovera, and will begin a screening process, looking first at current Wistar scientists. "If we find someone at Wistar, the process will be reasonably fast," he said. "If we need to do some more recruitment, I expect it will be at least a year." The professorship's endowment can be used both as a "slush fund" to supplement research funding from other agencies and as a source of salary support. "There's a good amount of flexibility for those funds," Rovera noted. "It really depends entirely on the needs of the individual." Both Rovera and Koprowski said they hoped more chairs would be established in the near future to support additional research ventures. "My objective is to set up as many chairs as possible," Rovera added. "A chair a year for the next several years would be great."
(07/30/98 9:00am)
Mark Spivey, 29 allegedly held up three women in off-campus incidents. An on-going joint investigation by the University and Philadelphia police departments came to a head Tuesday night when officers arrested 29-year-old Mark Spivey of West Philadelphia, the suspect of a recent string of armed robberies near campus. Spivey -- who initially identified himself to police as Mark Lawson -- was arrested at approximately 10:51 p.m. when University Police Det. John Peterson observed a car parked at 38th and Lancaster streets matching the description given by victims in all three related robberies this month. The license number on the vehicle -- a 1987 light blue Plymouth sedan -- also matched the partial tag number given to police by a female University student who was the victim of the initial July 8 robbery. Spivey was transported to the Philadelphia Police Department's Southwest Detectives bureau where he was positively identified in connection with a Tuesday afternoon robbery at gunpoint on the 4300 block of Sansom Street. The incident, which occurred at about 1:25 p.m., happened in the rear lot of the Thriftway Supermarket building. A woman reported that a man approached her with a gun, stealing her purse and an identification car before fleeing by car. The victim described the car as an older model four-door Dodge Aris sedan, light blue in color. She was also able to provide police with a detailed description of her alleged assailant: a 5'6", 160-pound black male in his early 20s with a medium complexion and short cropped hair. She also reported that he was wearing a white T-shirt and blue denim shorts. The first robbery in which Spivey is suspected occurred outside 4211 Pine Street at approximately 5:58 p.m. on July 8. The victim, a female graduate student at Penn, reported that she was held up by a 5'10", 150-pound black male, who pointed an object wrapped in plastic at her, demanding her purse. She also described her assailant as approximately 20 to 25 years old, with short black hair and a goatee. The woman was able to provide police with a partial license plate number of the getaway car, which University Police Det. Joseph Hasara said was integral to Spivey's eventual arrest. "She was great.? she was dynamite," Hasara said of the victim. "Her information was one of the reasons we caught [Spivey]." The student also described the suspect's vehicle as a light-blue, American-made, mid-size four-door. The second robbery in which Spivey was allegedly involved occurred on July 23 at about 3:50 p.m. at 42nd and Locust streets. A 28-year-old female summer student at the University reported that a black male with a gun approached her as she was driving. The victim said the suspect stole her brown leather purse before getting back into his car, which she described as a light-blue Chevy four-door with Pennsylvania license plates. The second victim also described the suspect as 5'7", approximately 170 pounds, with a brown complexion, sideburns and wearing a black and white striped shirt, black shorts, white socks and sneakers. Hasara said that an investigation was launched based on similarities in the three incidents. "Based on the information received on the robberies involving a light blue car, there was an investigation by our unit," he explained As of yesterday night, Spivey had only been charged with Tuesday's incident in the Thriftway lot, although Hasara said he is currently under investigation for the other two robberies.
(07/23/98 9:00am)
There are those who have no idea what the UA is or does -- i.e. 90 percent of the student body; those who couldn't care less about what it does (the administration); and finally, you have your other branches of student government, who like to obsess over every little thing the UA does or doesn't do. So, who's to blame for all of this? Well, it all depends on who you talk to. For those pre-frosh not yet acquainted with the wonderful world of Penn politics, here's lesson number one: there is always someone to blame. And remember this next rule, you must always, always complain about something, but never, ever do anything about it. When in doubt, just pass the blame on. In the last few semesters, this blame passing has become so prevalent that it is now the official "sport" of the student government here at Penn, and the cycle begins anew with each Sunday night UA meeting. Members of the body may spend an entire 50-minute session debating and voting on an issue, only to have the resulting resolution completely disregarded by both their fellow students and the administration. For example, when the UA passed a resolution in February opposing the vending ordinance the University had recently submitted to City Council, it had absolutely no bearing whatsoever on the decision process. In fact, vending has been severely limited on campus due to the same bill that the UA voted to oppose ("UA criticizes U. over vending ordinance," DP, 2/17/98). With no evident progress from week to week, the UA is touted as "ineffective" and the search for a scapegoat begins. While the UA faults the administration for not taking student views into account, it's hard to blame University President Judith Rodin for choosing to ignore the advice of a body which is a fairly homogenous and an inaccurate representation of the student body. And the mud-slinging simply can't end there, as non-Greek members of student government point to the heavy Greek presence on the UA as the underlying reason behind the body's general futility, further dividing the campus among already pronounced partisan lines. Well, for once, maybe, just maybe, no one is at fault. Try as it may, without fundamental changes, the UA will never be able to achieve the necessary results to placate its critics. In its role as an advisory board without any direct legislative power, the UA -- and its student body constituents -- are at the mercy of the administration and will never have a real voice in the issues that matter. The current infrastructure of the UA is simply not effective, but unfortunately, the remedy is out of the hands of its members. The only road to empowerment for the UA is to get one of its members appointed to the body where the real decisions are made -- the University Board of Trustees. In 1994, the Board of Trustees approved the appointment of four non-elected Pennsylvania officials in return for $35 million in state funding. So, if the the state can have a four-fold say in University issues, why can't we the students, who pay hundreds of millions a year in tuition, have just one voice?
(07/23/98 9:00am)
Termination clauses, future rents and possible forced relocations face vendors in the plazas. and Edward Sherwin With only 12 days left before the city ordinance regulating street and sidewalk vending in the University City area goes into effect, the discord between the Penn administration and the displaced vendors is only growing with the summer heat. As the anticipated August 4 date rapidly approaches, construction crews are hard at work completing the University's five fresh air food plazas, but the allocation of spaces to vendors -- and the terms of their leases -- are still the subject of controversy. After joining forces with the City Council in an effort to curb vending on campus, the University is building five food plazas on its property to help house some of the displaced vendors after the April 23 City Council ordinance banned vending on most streets and sidewalks in the area. According to officials, the University's plight to restrict vending stemmed from its desire to improve campus appearance. The five plazas are located at 40th Street between Walnut and Locust streets, between Gimbel Gymnasium and the parking garage on the 3700 block of Walnut Street, at 34th and Walnut streets behind to Meyerson Hall, at 33rd and South streets by Franklin Field and 34th and Spruce streets by the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Earlier this month, the University notified the 47 vendors who were granted spaces in the food plazas of their future locations. Meanwhile, all of those denied plaza slots in the application process -- along with the vendors who desired to stay on or near their current street locations -- are waiting for word from the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections as to the future of their businesses. Jack Shannon, the University's top economic development official, said that Penn is now "working with the vendors" to ensure compliance with requirements for licensing and truck and cart design and maintenance. But based on the contentious details of the leases, many vendors are upset with the treatment they have received at the hands of the University. "A lot of things in the contract weren't fair," said Ralph DiLuzio, owner of Ralph's Lunch Truck on the 3400 block of Walnut Street. "No vendors say it was fair. DiLuzio -- who will be moving his truck into a food plaza next month -- said that in order to express their grievances, several vendors held a meeting Monday night with Shannon and a University lawyer. "We told them what our beef was and they told us theirs," he said. "I hope we can come to some kind of agreement." Several provisions of the food plaza leases have drawn the particular ire of the vendors. One of the clauses allows the University to terminate a vendor's contract for not showing up for two consecutive weeks. "What if you get sick or hurt, it's not fair," said Lac Nguyen, owner of George's Super Lunch on the 3600 block of Walnut Street. "What if something happens to my father or my mother, I have to go be with them first. It's not fair enough." But Nguyen, who was awarded a location in the food plaza next to Gimbel, considers himself fortunate compared to other vendors. "Actually, I think I was lucky to get the spot," he said, adding that vendors who get spaces through the city may have difficulty because "people won't know where they are located and in bad weather people won't want to walk far." For the first five years of the leases, the University will charge all of the vendors in the plazas $1 a month while providing them with sanitation, lighting, water lines and electrical hook-ups. For the vendors who get spaces on the street through the city, trucks will be charged $2700 a year and carts will not be charged. But after the first five years, the rents will increase substantially, though they will still be "below market rate rent," Shannon said. He explained that rates were proposed to the vendors, but declined to say what they were as they had not been finalized. "The rents that will be charged will be far below the rents charged to the tenants of the 3401 Walnut Street food court," Shannon said. But Haywood Davis, owner of Veda's Vegetarian Delights food cart on the 3700 block of Spruce Street, did not see how outdoor vendors and food court retailers could be compared. "With the weather and all, you might be out of work from November until March, you never know," he said. "And now they want to charge rent that the vendors might not even have." Davis, who was denied a food plaza location due to excessive demand, noted that he is still waiting to hear from the city as to whether he will be permitted to remain in his current location, which he has held since February. "[L&I;] really hasn't contacted me yet, but as far as I know, this is my spot," Davis said. "Everything's really up in the air right now.? no one really knows where they are going to be." Davis also expressed his dissatisfaction with the vending ordinance itself, which he said aims to restrict "free enterprise." "You can't fight City Hall and you can't fight the University, and they put their heads together and passed an ordinance which never should have been passed in the first place," he said. "The University snowballed City Council in a way, making all sorts of promises to make the ordinance look good so that Jannie Blackwell would pass it.? the University employs a lot of people and so they have a lot of power with City Council. Money talks and that's sad."
(07/23/98 9:00am)
The Walnut Street West branch moved due to structural problems in its original home at 40th and Walnut streets. After nearly two years of waiting and uncertainty, patrons of the Walnut Street West Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia were finally able to put their library cards back to use Monday at the dedication of the branch's new temporary location at 3927 Walnut Street. A number of officials were on hand for the ceremony, including the five-person ribbon-cutting team composed of Penn Executive Vice President John Fry; Jack Shannon, the University's top economic development official; City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell; Judy Harvey, the area administrator with the West Philadelphia Libraries; and Jennifer Suder, head branch librarian. Community members have been without a library since the the original building, located at 40th and Walnut streets, closed its doors in October 1996 for installation of computer wiring. It was expected to open within six months. However, six months quickly turned into a year as electricians deemed the 90-year old building's foundation structurally unsound and were forced to close the work site. Although community groups lobbied for the building's restoration, Free Library official officials announced in May that the library would never reopen. The decision was made after several engineering firms put renovation costs at more than $6 million -- just to make the building safe. As a result, the University agreed in February to rent the Walnut Street location -- which used to house the Student Employment Office -- to the library for $1 a year. "You'll see the University of Pennsylvania logo on the sign outside because they gave us the building," Harvey said to applause at Monday's ceremony. "We expect to be here for two years while the University helps us in the selection of a permanent site for the full-service branch." Harvey added that the library is currently looking into a number of prospects with the University and has "actually gotten to the point of looking at sites." According to Friends of Walnut West President Beth Ann Johnson, the Free Library has looked at two possible locations -- the old Acme supermarket building at 43 and Locust streets as well as the chapel on the grounds of the former Divinity School at 42nd and Spruce streets. Johnson said the University-owned Spruce property was deemed inappropriate by library officials because of the University's recently-announced plan to build a new elementary school at the location. "One of the things you never want to have is a library next to a school, because kids from other schools will never be able to use it," Johnson said. "[The library] becomes owned by the kids and the school. It becomes a turf war." Johnson said the old library was optimal due to its "neutral" location. "The library was equidistant form all the schools, so it was perceived as completely neutral," she said. Although the temporary location is a significantly scaled-down version of the original library, it is equipped with Internet access, according to officials. Library policy prohibits the use of e-mail, but the temporary branch does house nine computers for educational use and research. Suder said library staff is still in the process of integrating materials from the previous location into the temporary site. "The laws of physics of course prohibit bringing the whole collection over," she explained. "But a lot of the materials at the old site have become outdated in the two years since it closed." The temporary branch has held shortened hours -- from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. -- during its first week of operation and will be open for full-service beginning Monday, with hours from noon to 8 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Suder said the community response has been positive since the branch's opening. "We've had quite a few people for only being open for four hours in the afternoon," she said. "The opening was much anticipated and we definitely expect an increased number next week."
(07/16/98 9:00am)
However, the 1950s-style diner will not be open 24 hours as first planned. A little bit of the 1950s snuck back onto the western edge of campus this week as the Eat at Joe's diner officially opened it doors for business after months of anticipation. The establishment -- located on the 3900 block of Walnut Street -- is operated by CosCo Management, which also owns La Pastabilities, Philly Steak and Gyro Co., the newly opened Salad Creations and the Eat of Joe's Express in the food court at 3401 Walnut Street. The company's chief executive, Andy Cosenza, is a 1990 graduate of Drexel University. Although Eat at Joe's was originally scheduled to open New Year's Eve, it was postponed several times due to design issues and construction delays, according to University and CosCo officials. The impetus for the diner came from a student body survey conducted by the Undergraduate Assembly in the fall of 1997. When the results revealed an overwhelming desire for more late-night dining options on campus, University officials set about recruiting a diner to fill the bill. Although the diner did not officially open until Tuesday, there has been a steady stream of people filing into the establishment over the weekend. According to CosCo Director of Operations Steve Malamut, the diner was training staff over the weekend and those who happened to pop in were treated to a free meal. "Things went very well and we fed everyone for free," Malamut said. "They could order anything on the menu." But when the diner opened for business Tuesday, it was not with round-the-clock service as originally planned. Although the UA survey indicated that 97 percent of students wanted a 24-hour dining venue, Eat at Joe's will hold less exhaustive business hours -- at least for now. Malamut explained that due to uncertain demand, the summer hours will run from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. during the week, with extended service until midnight or 1 a.m. on weekends. He also noted that the hours will be further extended for the school year. "I'd love to have to be open for 24 hours because of demand," Malamut said. "If the demand is there, we'll stay open, but we also need University approval because there are safety concerns." College senior and UA member Samara Barend admitted that daily 24-hour service may not be necessary. "The diner will still serve the purpose of Penn students if its hours are adjusted to their late-night demands accordingly during various days of the week," the former UA vice-chairperson said. "It's hard for us to expect it to stay open 24 hours on early weekday nights when demand would likely be minimal." And although Tom Lussenhop, Penn's managing director for real estate, maintained that 24-hour operation "is still a possibility," he echoed Malamut's concerns of security and demand. He explained that as the establishment occupies a University-owned building, Penn has influence over the operating hours of the diner. "The operating hours are part of the lease agreement, so [Eat at Joe's] has to abide by them," he said. "So, we do have control in that sense." Lussenhop did add, that as of now, the diner is set to stay open from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m. during the school year, closing down for only three hours a day.
(07/16/98 9:00am)
Only a few months out of school himself, 1998 College graduate Harold Shields is already hard at work, figuring out how to make good on his recent pledge to help send a group of youngsters to college. Shields -- who attended the University on a full scholarship, as part of the "Say Yes to Education" program -- was searching for a way to give back when he announced his plan to start a scholarship fund for the graduating fifth-grade class of Philadelphia's Belmont Elementary School. Shields' announcement at Belmont's June graduation ceremony came exactly 11 years after University alumnus George Weiss made an offer of his own to the 1987 graduating class at Belmont, of which Shields was a part. The elementary school went up to sixth grade at the time. When Weiss, a Connecticut philanthropist, offered to send all 112 members of the class to college, for free, Shields took full advantage of the offer. And more than a decade later, armed with a degree in psychology, he is out to make an impact on the lives of the next generation -- insofar as he is able. Weiss has already poured over $5 million into the Say Yes program, which was designed to encourage students to stay in school. Although Shields is one of only seven members of the original class to have received a bachelor's degree so far, Weiss said he expects another 34 will graduate in the coming year. Shields may not yet have the means to provide a free ride for every deserving student, but he has promised to put aside $30 a week for seven years -- enough for 10 scholarships of $1,000 each. And that's not even counting investment income and community help which he has solicited -- and received. Shields said he has received several donations since his June announcement, ranging from $12 to $10,000. Relying on his own $10,000, Shields had initially thought he would only have enough to offer the 10 "most promising" students a scholarship, but in light of the additional funds, he said he hopes to be able to help a greater portion of the 58-member class. "The response has been great so far," Shields said. "It would be great if we could get a scholarship for each and every one of the students." Before taking his proposal to the public, Shields confided his idea in April to both Weiss and Graduate School of Education Fellow Norman Newberg, who is the executive director of Say Yes. Newberg, who helped develop the Say Yes program, called Shields' offer "magnificent." "Harold has always been a very thoughtful person, so his offer doesn't surprise me at some level," Newberg said. "When I interviewed him in 1996, he said was interested in giving back to the community in some way -- he was one of the few Say Yes kids that said that." Although Newberg said he was initially concerned that Shields might be taking on too much for a young person, he soon discovered what he described as "an "unfaltering determination" in Shields. "I was overwhelmed," Newberg explained. "I mean, this is what you hope for -- that people who have been given a lot will find some way to give back." Weiss, who was in attendance for Shields' announcement, echoed Newberg's feelings of pride. "I think it's phenomenal, it's exactly what I'm always trying to teach to the Say Yes kids," Weiss explained. "If someone makes a change in your life, you should try to turn around and make a change in someone else's life." But both Newberg and Weiss were adamant that although they will offer administrative advice, the responsibility will lie entirely with Shields to raise the funds. "Harold's got to run with this on his own," Weiss said. "He asked me if I would match him. I said no."
(07/16/98 9:00am)
An agreement between management and the striking union ended the 40-day walkout. Have you been woken up the past few mornings by a strange, unidentifiable roar of what seems to be heavy machinery on the street outside your window? Don't worry, although the noises may seem a bit alien after a 40-day hiatus, they are only SEPTA buses resuming their usual pre-strike schedules. You'll get used to it soon. City buses, trolleys and subways were dusted off this weekend after SEPTA and the Transport Workers Union Local 234 reached a tentative contract agreement Friday evening, ending the city-debilitating strike. The transit authority was officially back in business by Saturday morning. Although buses, subways and trolleys were rolling before dawn, SEPTA was not collecting any fares. In an effort to win back disgruntled customers, SEPTA offered free rides through this past Tuesday, with complementary chocolate and newspapers to sweeten the deal. The perks are part of SEPTA's $5 million "Welcome Back" campaign, funded, in part, by a $2 million, one-time gift from the city. The transit authority plans to offer free rides every Friday throughout the month of July and is set to announce more incentives for August. Although SEPTA officials admitted a slight decrease in ridership since full service was reinstated Monday, they are optimistic that the aggressive campaign will eventually win back riders. "Yes, I do think they'll come back, but coming from me that's probably an expectedly optimistic statement," SEPTA spokesperson Stephan Rosenfeld said. "We have a lot going in our favor though -- the level of investment we're willing to make, a good economy in our areas of operation and impressive new equipment that we'll be introducing over the next few years." But union officials were a bit more cautious in their predictions for the restoration of ridership. "We'll have to wait and see" if SEPTA can win back riders, TWU business agent Bruce Bodner said. "I think it will be hard and it will probably take years to win them all back." Friday evening's announcement, which came after several false starts throughout the afternoon, put an end to the on-again, off-again negotiations which have characterized the heated stand-off between SEPTA and its largest union since the strike began June 1. The 5,200-member union had been working for nearly two and a half months without a contract -- which expired March 15 -- before walking off the job, citing no progress in negotiations. At issue were SEPTA's plans to hire more part-time workers, lower the starting wages for new employees and make changes in pensions. Although the proposed three-year contract will not become official until it passes a full-union ratification vote on July 24, Bodner was already claiming victory for the TWU. "I think it's a very good contract -- we got the fundamental issues in our favor and most of [SEPTA's] demands were turned aside," Bodner explained. "What SEPTA got was marginal change in things like workers comp and drug and alcohol policy.? We were most interested in job security." Both SEPTA and union officials agree that the contract should have no trouble passing a union vote next week. "I think it will pass overwhelmingly," Bodner added. "The workers are happy to get back to work and are satisfied with the contract they have won." The contract proposal calls for three percent annual raises and will increase pension benefits by about 32 percent for the average worker. Pension compensation is typically determined by a worker's salary at the time of retirement -- the greater the earnings, the greater the pension.Under the new contract, pensions will be calculated by looking at the last six years of service and using only the three best. SEPTA had originally wanted to use only the final three years, which the union protested because older workers typically cannot put in as much overtime as their younger counterparts and therefore earn less as they approach retirement. But in an effort to cut costs, SEPTA also set out to cap workers compensation for injured employees, who currently receive benefits indefinitely. The two sides finally agreed on a year of benefits for new employees and for veteran employees, 9 weeks of coverage for every year of service. The two sides also agreed to send the most troublesome issue -- the hiring of part-timers -- to binding arbitration. The union had previously offered to send the entire dispute to arbitration, to SEPTA's refusal. Although Bodner declined to speculate on the outcome of the arbitration, he was adamant that SEPTA has "no case." "It's hard to predict, but I don't think that SEPTA can make a good case for their proposal," he explained. "Part-timers aren't necessary in Philadelphia -- there's just no need. For SEPTA, it's all about being able to pay lower wages and give less worker comp." Although union and SEPTA officials would not single out any specific individual to credit in bringing about a settlement, Mayor Ed Rendell was emphatic in his praise of Congressman Bob Brady (D.-Pa.), who held the negotiations together in the last 48 hours. "I want to single out the work of Bob Brady," Rendell said at a news conference Friday marking the re-opening of the transit system. "Make no mistake, Bob Brady got us back on track." But Brady -- a former leader from the carpenter's union and chairperson of the local Democratic party -- was hesitant to accept the credit. "I was just trying to keep people talking, that's all I did," Brady said yesterday. "Both sides just needed someone to keep them talking and get rid of egos." Brady -- who along with Rendell served as an intermediary between Local 234 president Steve Brookens and SEPTA general manager John Leary -- said he did not find Brookens hard to deal with at all. Many SEPTA negotiators have blasted Brookens as being "uncooperative" during negotiations and accused the union president of rejecting reasonable settlements in an effort to win re-election. "Steve Brookens is a man committed to the union membership that put him in office," Brady said. "He set out to get the best possible settlement for them, and that's what he did." Bodner and Rosenfeld agreed that it was the duration of the strike and its effect on the city which finally produced a settlement. "[The strike] was hurting the city and so officials, namely the mayor, had to face their responsibility and help get a contract to get things moving again," Bodner added. But City Council President John Street has suggested that it was his lawsuit calling for state mediation that helped to produce a contract. Street had recently filed the lawsuit in a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court in an effort to restart stalled negotiations. "It's certainly clear to all observers that there was a definite relationship between the timing of Council President Street's announcement [planning to file a lawsuit] and the increase in the frequency and intensity of negotiations," Street spokesperson Bruce Crawley said yesterday. But Rosenfeld disagreed that Street's suit had anything to do with the final outcome, noting that "In a word, I can fully understand why [Street] would think so." With the ending of the strike and union picketers finally placated, Philadelphia will soon welcome back members of the Democratic National Committee, in hopes of landing the 2000 Democratic National Convention. Rather than cross union picket lines during their initial visit at the end of June, the DNC site-selection committee was sent packing just hours after its arrival. According to city officials, the committee will return to Philadelphia before Labor Day, although a specific date has not yet been set. "We're still talking to folks at the DNC to hammer out a date," said David Yarkin, the mayor's press secretary. "One thing we do know for sure is that they will be back and that Philadelphia is absolutely still in the running." And the end of the strike also finds University transport officials -- who arranged to transport a total of 25,000 people at a cost of $24,000 during the walkout -- breathing a bit easier. "It was relatively cheap when you look at it.? it cost less than $1 a person," Transportation Services Manager Ron Ward noted. "I think we did a bang-up job and if there's another strike in three years we'll be ever better prepared." And Ward's utter confidence in the University's transportation system even induced him to offer SEPTA an unbeatable offer. "If SEPTA's willing to pay us, we'll come in and manage their system for them and make it as efficient as Penn's," he said.
