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(12/08/95 10:00am)
Wharton junior George Holt was elected the new president of the Bi-Cultural InterGreek Council last night. He will replace outgoing president Trista Bridges, a Wharton senior. Holt, a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., ran unopposed. "A lot of people want to serve on the executive board on the Big-C, but do not have the desire to hold the president position," he said. "But I felt I could handle it." The Big-C also elected College junior Nicole George its new vice president and Engineering junior Jerome Hairston its new treasurer. Wharton junior Rachel Lawson will serve as recording secretary, and Wharton junior Arthur James has been chosen to serve as parliamentarian. College junior Elizabeth Valentin will be the Big-C's corresponding secretary. Holt said he is excited about the new board. "They are all wonderful people and I look forward to working with them," he said. Bridges said she had a satisfying term as president of the Big-C, an umbrella organization that joins the black and Latino Greek groups on campus. Primarily, Bridges said that under her leadership she has seen the Big-C fulfill the goal for which it was founded: service to the greater black and Latino community. She also said the University administration has begun to give the Big-C a more important role in campus life. When gathering student input, administrators will often turn to the Big-C as a representative of both black and Latino students -- and the Penn student body in general. But while in some ways she has laid a smooth path for Holt, Bridges warned that he will still have issues to address. "There is an ignorance about our organization in general," she said, explaining that many students incorrectly assume that members of the Big-C take part in traditional Greek pledging activities. Bridges said this ignorance was especially apparent in the general student reaction to an incident earlier this fall, in which High Rise North residents allegedly hurled a glass bottle and other objects at members of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. But Holt said he is prepared for any obstacle that might come his way. "It's still a little early," he said. "I'm waiting for things to pop up."
(11/22/95 10:00am)
and Alan Sepinwall The newsgroup "upenn.talk" bills itself as a "forum for discussion of Penn issues." But contrary to its founder's hopes that it would be "an intellectual nexus for the campus," the forum is only used regularly by a very small portion of the University community. School of Social Work administrative assistant Paul Lukasiak alone has written about 15 percent of the approximately 1,250 posts to the newsgroup this month. And more than 50 percent of the total posts have been contributed by only 18 other users. Lukasiak said he posts so frequently to "upenn.talk" in order to express his liberal views, and to respond to the largely conservative majority that utilizes the newsgroup. "I also like the newsgroups because I'm not very articulate in person," he said. "Newsgroups allow me to say what I want to say the way I want to say it." But the newsgroup's founder, Engineering senior Meng Weng Wong, said the quality of the posts has deteriorated since the creation of "upenn.talk" in March 1993. "Naturally, I had higher hopes for it," said Wong, who no longer posts to the group. "In the beginning, we used to have a bit more content with fewer words." College senior Mike Nadel, who has posted 45 messages to "upenn.talk" since October 26, said he also feels that much of the discussion on the newsgroup is lacking in intellectual value. " 'Upenn.talk' is place where a lot of bitter and reclusive people congregate and spout out non-facts," said Nadel, a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist. "The reason I post so much is to correct them, but I probably shouldn't be wasting my time." Engineering junior Chris Leonard, who posted 23 times this month, said Nadel's attempts at correction are probably futile. "No one really listens to [their] opponents' arguments and concession is rare," he said. "I don't believe that many people take 'upenn.talk' seriously, and I would feel sorry for anyone who did." Frequent posters to "upenn.talk" have varying opinions about the number of users who read the newsgroup but never post. College junior Jared Danziger, who has posted 27 times this month, estimated that less than 100 people read "upenn.talk." "I can't see people reading this regularly -- these letters tend to get personal," he said. "I think it's about as pertinent to the student body as the UA." But Lukasiak disagreed. "I have the feeling that there are quite a few that check it out occasionally," he said. "But I think a lot of people are afraid to post on '.talk', because people here have very strong opinions and express them rather forcefully at times." Nadel said he thinks frequent posters to "upenn.talk" mistakenly believe that their voices are heard by a large but silent audience. "A lot of people think it's central because it matters in their life," he said.
(11/20/95 10:00am)
Question cosmetics' place in Book Store and Amy Lipman Ever since the Clinique counter opened at The Book Store in March, Penn students have been seeing red -- Truly Red, Brava Red and Poppy Red, among others. And the approximately 15 demonstrators who protested the makeup counter Friday said they were tired of seeing lipstick shades outnumber the the Women's Studies texts sold in The Book Store. "The priorities are screwy here," College junior Clare Bayard said. Bayard was one of a group of eight students who helped make the demonstration a reality -- after some lengthy planning. But oddly enough, this group did not come together with the goal of protesting cosmetics, or even women's issues. They just wanted to protest?something. College junior Elliott Whitney explained that he and a few of his friends had been discussing the fact that Penn students today are simply not passionate about political issues. They met for a three-week period, discussing issues and hoping to pinpoint exactly what problem needed to be addressed the most. Their answer? The Book Store's objectification of women. "It was the most glaring problem," Whitney said. He said he hoped that the protest would serve as an "awareness-raising event." "We are looking to make people think about something -- an issue -- from several different angles, in ways that they might not already think," Whitney said. The demonstration was organized as a "dual protest." One group argued for "Books Not Blush," Whitney said. Another "facetious" counter-protest, also organized by the students, complained about the lack of cosmetics availability on campus, calling for "Lipstick Not Linguistics." The event, which lasted for about two hours, took on elements of street theater. The students wore unusual costumes and often switched their factions. Anti-cosmetics protesters called out "We want a book store, not a look store," while the "facetious" protesters' battle cry was "Two-four-six-eight, we came to Penn to get a mate." The students also hurled insults at the other side, telling the anti-cosmetics protesters that they were ugly. Some protesters pretended to cry, and at one point, a mock fight broke out between two demonstrators. Passersby were less than impressed, however. "I think this demonstration is more ridiculous than putting a Clinique counter in the middle of The Book Store," College junior Sabrina Flaum said. "This is hilarious," said Wharton senior Gil Beverly, adding sarcastically that "the intellectual level of this debate is overwhelming." But others admired the protesters' conviction. "I guess they're getting their point across," College junior Ines Rodriguez said. "People are stopping to listen." And this was the protesters' goal, Whitney said. "We just want people to think about an issue," he said. "If they come to the conclusion that makeup belongs in an Ivy League book store, then something, in my opinion, is wrong in society. Answers will not come at the protest. The means to answering questions will come."
(09/25/95 9:00am)
5 students taken to HUP Five Penn students were injured during a brawl at a Vietnamese Students Association Party early Saturday morning in Houston Hall, University Police Sgt. Larry Salotti confirmed last night. The fight was reported to have started when two intoxicated people bumped into each other on the dance floor in Bodek Lounge, Salotti said. Details of the fight are sketchy, since the lights were off for the duration of the incident. But according to a University Police report, one party guest challenged the other to a fist fight and the two began swinging at each other. In the midst of this violence, a chair was hurled at Wharton junior Winston Chow, who was serving as the disc jockey. Chow suffered minor head injuries and was treated and released from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania later that morning. Engineering junior Hubert Tong, who was standing near Chow during the fight, was also struck by a chair, creating a laceration on his face that had to be closed with stitches. He too was treated and released from HUP, at about 7 a.m. Saturday. Three other students at the party who tried to break up the fight also sustained injuries, which Salotti described as "minor." They were also treated and released from HUP Saturday. Chow and Tong said they were taken off guard by the assault, and did not get a chance to see who had attacked them. Witnesses to the fight, however, said they did not recognize the assailants and did not think they were Penn students. The VSA party, like most VSA social and cultural events, was advertised with posters in Chinatown as well as on the Penn and Drexel University campuses, VSA Historian Deacon Pham said. "I don't think advertising [in Chinatown] for any reason affected how the fight broke out," said Pham, a Wharton junior. But VSA President Kristen Dang, a College junior, said the VSA will have to "reevaluate" how it distributes its publicity in the future. In addition to the injuries, approximately $4,000 worth of Chow's technical equipment was destroyed during the brawl, Dang said. And Salotti said a window in Bodek Lounge was also broken. The VSA will meet with University officials and members of the Asian-Pacific Student Coalition and the Student Activities Council to discuss how Chow will be compensated, she added. Currently, the VSA does not have enough money in its budget to cover the cost of the equipment. Dang said that the brawl, while an "isolated incident," has left her stunned. "I'm very hurt," she said. "It's very disturbing to know that people can be so inconsiderate."
(09/01/95 9:00am)
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge signed a bill July 8 appropriating $35.5 million in state funding to the University for the 1995-1996 fiscal year. This figure, while significantly lower than the $49.8 million University President Judith Rodin had requested, is identical to the amount the state allocated to the University last year. The state budget appropriates $20.7 million to the Veterinary School, $4.28 million to the Medical School, and $9.5 million towards general instruction at the University. The Dental School clinic received slightly under $1 million. Vice Provost for Community and Government Relations Carol Scheman said the University did not expect to receive more than $35.5 million. The appropriations request "was based on what the University thought it could use," she said. Earlier this summer, Scheman said the University was "relieved" to be receiving what it did from the state. But if Rodin had been granted the full request, Scheman said, the funds would have gone toward lowering in-state tuition, and more money would have gone toward the Vet School. The Vet School was denied appropriations altogether for fiscal years 1993 and 1994, because many lawmakers felt the state should only fund public institutions. During this period, the Vet School suffered a severe deficit from which it has only recently begun to recover. Scheman said Rodin intends to meet with state leaders in the future in the hopes of further improving future appropriations.
(09/01/95 9:00am)
A Dental student was accidentally shot.A Dental student was accidentally shot.Three others died in one week. Four University students died in unrelated incidents this summer. Second-year Dental student Alexander Orig died August 8 after he was accidentally shot by a customs security officer at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the Philippines, according to Dental School Student Affairs Director Barb Helpin. College sophomore Emily Sachs died May 24 as a result of a heart attack triggered by an asthma attack. Joseph Walters, a 40-year-old part-time student in the Computer Information Science masters program in the School of Engineering, died May 29, also of a heart attack. And Bioengineering doctoral candidate John Marshall died on May 26 of natural causes. Orig, 22, was returning home from a vacation in the city of Manila in the Philippines with his family. Before he could depart on a flight back to the United States, however, he had to go through the airport's customs area, Helpin said. There, a security officer who was reloading his gun accidentally fired and fatally wounded Orig, she said. Orig is survived by his parents and one brother. Sachs was visiting friends on campus May 23 when she experienced an asthma attack, according to Assistant Vice Provost for University Life Barbara Cassel. Sachs had asked her friends to take her to the emergency room, where she was admitted and put on a respirator. During the course of the night, she suffered a cardiac arrest and could not be resuscitated. Her mother, Jo-Ann Sachs, said she cannot figure out why this happened. "I sent her off?perfectly healthy," she said in late May. "And then she died the next day. There was nothing wrong with her except asthma." Sachs was diagnosed with asthma at the age of two. But her friend College sophomore Marla Snyder, who described Sachs as "by far the most genuine human being I think I have ever met," said she never let her condition get in her way. "She accomplished more in 19 years than any of us could expect to accomplish in a lifetime," Snyder said. She said Sachs was always referred to as "little Em" because she was only five feet tall. "But she was definitely not small in spirit," she added. Snyder said she had never been as close with anyone as she was with Sachs. They often referred to each other as sisters, she said. The two were planning to live together next year. "We couldn't wait to decorate and hold dinner parties," Snyder said. Sachs, who was a member of the Chi Omega sorority, was an accomplished dancer and singer. She won both the Miss Dance Pennsylvania title and the Miss Teen Dance New York City title. "She was determined to be on Broadway," Snyder said. "And she would have been." Sachs's family set up a memorial fund at her temple. Contributions in her memory can be sent to the Har Zion Temple at the following address: 491 Bellvue Avenue, Trenton N. J., 08618. Walters was found dead in his hotel room in Cambridge, Mass., where he was attending a class for his job. He was a senior systems programmer. Marshall had taken a medical leave from the University last fall. Cassel said she did not know what his illness was. A memorial service for Orig will be held at 3 p.m. September 9 at the Newman Center Chapel.
(08/10/95 9:00am)
When Mumia Abu-Jamal was granted a stay of execution Tuesday, his supporters were astonished by their victory. The "Free Mumia" Campaign that has swept from Philadelphia to Hollywood was at last seeing its first glimmer of hope. But not everyone was surprised by Common Pleas Court Judge Albert Sabo's ruling, which allows Abu-Jamal more time to pursue state and federal appeals. Law School Lecturer David Rudovsky has served as Abu-Jamal's local counsel during his post-conviction hearing in front of Sabo -- the same judge who originally sentenced Abu-Jamal to death in 1982 for killing Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner at 13th and Locust streets. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge signed Abu-Jamal's death warrant earlier this summer. Rudovsky said he always expected Sabo to grant Abu-Jamal the stay of execution. He only wonders why the ruling took so long. "Nobody in the history of capital punishment has been executed this early," he said. "In any case involving the death penalty, everyone ought to be convinced that there was a fair trial." Many observers have indeed questioned whether justice prevailed at the 1982 murder trial. Demographics Professor Antonio McDaniel said it would have been a "miscarriage of justice" if Abu-Jamal had not been granted the stay of execution because Sabo had been biased by racial bigotry when he originally convicted Abu-Jamal. Sabo allowed Abu-Jamal's involvement in the Black Panthers Movement in the 1970's to be used as evidence of his guilt, McDaniel said, yet he found irrelevant the fact that the trajectory of the murder weapon did not match that of Abu-Jamal's gun. Many of Abu-Jamal's followers have also questioned Sabo's objectivity, as Sabo has sentenced more African Americans to death than any other judge in the country. "This case was fundamentally unfair," Rudovsky said. As Abu-Jamal's local counsel, Rudovsky will not be involved in appeals to higher courts. He added that Abu-Jamal is "very early in his appeals process." Rudovsky said Abu-Jamal's case has not been that different from other cases he has worked on during his career -- although it has been the most high-profile. Celebrities such as Whoopi Goldberg have come out in support of Abu-Jamal, and his book Live From Death Row has sold more than 35,000 copies. But at the core, Rudovsky said Abu-Jamal's case is merely one of many demonstrating problems with the capital punishment system. "When you strip it down to its essentials, there are the same serious questions of the fairness of the original trial [and] the effectiveness of the appointed counsel," he said. "I found the proficiency of the [appointed] defense counsel to be very weak." "These issues themselves point to the fact that the criminal justice system as a whole is unfair," he added. Rudovsky said the legislatures recent vote to slash all funding to legal resource centers aimed at those that cannot afford their own attorneys will only exacerbate matters. "Congress is running one way on the crime issue in order to appear that they are tough on crime," he said, "But their approach is dead wrong."
(08/03/95 9:00am)
The trial of Wharton evening student Douglas Murphy, who was caught carrying a loaded 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistol into class in April will begin Monday, according to Victim Support Director Maureen Rush. And the ethnic intimidation lawsuit filed by two South Asian students is scheduled to begin trial Tuesday, prosecuting attorney Brian Hood said. The students allege they were harassed by intoxicated Drexel University students in March. Murphy was charged by the District Attorney's Office with violating Pennsylvania's Uniform Firearms Act and with one count of harassment. Acting Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum said in April that the Murphy had been placed on an involuntary leave of absence. University Police brought Murphy into custody after they discovered that he was armed with a loaded gun in Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. The student who notified the police about the incident said he was assaulted by Murphy two weeks earlier. Another student in the class said that a "disagreement" during a class presentation led to the alleged assault two weeks prior. He said Murphy thought the victim was attempting to sabotage the presentation by removing transparencies and turing off the overhead projector before Murphy had finished with his speech. After class, the student said Murphy struck the victim and knocked him to the ground three times. The victim has filed a complaint with Philadelphia Police. In another University-related court case, Class of 1995 graduates Bela Shah and Monika Parikh claim they were harangued with racial epithets by Drexel students Gregory Rosenbaum and Victor Vencus. Shah and Parikh, then both residents of Hamilton Court, said they were awoken at 2 a.m. when they heard voices calling out a racial slur containing the words "Indian" and "7-11." When they asked Rosenbaum and Vencus to lower their voice, they were bombarded with more slurs for a period of about 15 minutes -- until University Police arrived at the scene after receiving about eight calls complaining of the noise. University Police took the Drexel students to Philadelphia Police Southwest Detectives for questioning. They were released at approximately 6 a.m. with no charges pressed, Shah and Parikh claimed the police mishandled the case, as they were not interviewed about the incident by detectives. While at Southwest, Shah said she overheard a discussion in the next room in which one person was urging another to release the students. Parikh said University Police officer Rudy Palmer told her that that the father of one of the Drexel students is an area police officer. Later that week, Rosenbaum turned himself into the police. He was charged with ethnic intimidation, harassment, conspiracy, disorderly conduct and open lewdness.
(08/03/95 9:00am)
and Amy Lipman The University is bringing its classrooms into the 21st century. Headed by English Undergraduate Chair Al Filreis, the Provost's Classroom Facilities Review Committee has been working for the past four years to upgrade classrooms so they are more accommodating to a learning environment. With a $1 million-per-year budget, members of the Committee have met each week with a common goal in mind -- to transform classrooms into "the kind of spaces in which the best possible teaching and learning can occur," Provost Stanley Chodorow said. Filreis said this sort of transformation requires the renovation of everything from the classroom walls and ceilings to the actual tools of teaching. "One of our main efforts is to integrate physical renovation with the installation of state-of-the-art projecting and computing technology -- the sort of technology that is rapidly changing the way we teach," Filreis said. He added that through this project, may courses have begun to meet on-line. English Professor Craig Saper said he has found the updated technology in the renovated classrooms in Williams Hall to be very helpful for his film studies courses. "When I helped design the classroom I use for film studies courses, we wanted to allow students to take notes during the screening of video clips," he said. "So, we designed a rear-projection system. The lights can remain on in the classroom without interfering with the image quality at all. "It is crucial to prepare classrooms at Penn for the video and electronic opportunities now available," Saper added. While improving undergraduate education has been the Committee's primary goal, the project has also served to accomplish something rather rare at the University -- the unification of all four undergraduate schools. Filreis explained that the Committee is a "central-administration project." It has not aimed at improving the classrooms utilized by one particular school, but by those in which the Registrar's Office schedules "central" courses. Committee member Ira Winston, who is also the director of computing for the Engineering School, agreed that the project has created more cohesion between the schools and the administration. "The communication between the schools and the central administration group responsible for central pool classrooms has improved dramatically." So far, classrooms in Williams Hall, the David Rittenhouse Laboratory, Bennett Hall, Meyerson B-1 and the Leidy Laboratory lecture hall have been renovated. Plans are underway to refurbish the Moore, Tender and Towne buildings. Wilson projected that the project will be completed at the beginning of the next century.
(06/29/95 9:00am)
New Orleans has always had its Mardi Gras, and New York City its New Year's Eve all-night decadence. Now finally Philadelphia, that often overlooked East Coast City with a reputation for being nasty to tourists, is hosting its own holiday party worthy of national stature -- "Welcome America." In principle, "Welcome America" resembles the patriotic national holiday known to most Americans as "Independence Day." But how an 11-day holiday, complete with an appearance by the Beach Boys and enough fireworks to forever tint the smog from the Schuylkill Expressway, be referred to by the name of a holiday only occurring one day a year? Last year, about a million tourists and city residents alike took part in a more modest, six-day version of the celebration. Welcome America spokesperson Caroline Piven estimated that this figure could more than double this year. "Sunoco Welcome America has two purposes," she said. "To celebrate America's birthday for everyone in the area, and to make Philadelphia a destination city." Today's first Welcome America activity, a "Summer Mummer's Parade," begins at 7 p.m. at the Gallery. Hundreds of Philadelphia famed New Years paraders will march from City Hall to the Liberty Bell. And as early as 6 a.m. Saturday, hot air balloons will be released into the air at the New Jersey waterfront and set adrift above the Delaware River. Too tired from all that booing and cheering at the Welcome America boxing fight between Prince Charles Williams and Merqui Susa at the Pennsylvania Convention Center Friday night? Don't worry -- the Moon Glow Balloon Festival will be repeated at 8:45 p.m. that evening, and at 6 a.m. each morning of the celebration. Other events on Saturday include the Liberty Lighted Boat Parade and Concert at Penn's Landing from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m., and late-night shopping in Center City. Shopping opportunities continue on South Street the next day with the "Great American South Street Skate, Picnic and Sidewalk Sale." At noon July 2, the Independence Seaport Museum at Penn's Landing will officially open its door to the public. And from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the concerto Soloists Concert Band will fill Independence National Historic Park at 5th and Market Streets with chamber music. Fireworks begin at 8 p.m. Monday night at Penn's Landing, Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell will honor United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees Sadako Ogata of Japan with the Philadelphia Liberty Medal at 5th and Chestnut streets. At 1:30 p.m., the Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the Revolution will present a band concert at Independence Square at 5th and Market streets. Touch the Liberty Bell at Independence Square, while at the same time a bell-ringing from the Centennial Bell in the Independence Hall Tower will begin and by the America Starts Here! parade at 20th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard. Welcome America festivities culminating later that Independence Day with fireworks at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway by the Art Museum at 8 p.m. The Beach Boys and the Philadelphia Orchestra will lull the lengthy celebration to a close with the "Sunoco Sweet Sounds of Liberty."
(05/19/95 9:00am)
After placing advertisements in area newspapers and holding a demonstration near campus, the American Anti-Vivisection Society is now claiming "victory" in the University's decision to stop demonstrating the harmful effects of narcotics on dogs. But University officials said last month that the decision to stop the demonstrations was made long before the AAVS launched its campaign against Medical School Professor Norig Ellison's use of dogs in laboratory classes. It was not until May 1, however, that the official termination papers were signed. University spokesperson Barbara Beck said she does not understand how the AAVS can take credit for the filing of these papers since the University had decided to end the dog laboratories in the fall. "They didn't win any victory. That's ridiculous," Beck said. But AAVS Outreach Director Andy Breslin said that although he had heard that there was talk of ending the labs earlier this year, "there is this kind of talk every year." It was only following the reaction from the society's advertisement, which provided Ellison's office phone number for those who wanted to complain about the labs, that the University decided to terminate the labs in writing, he said. Breslin said the ad, which ran in The Daily Pennsylvanian and City Paper, prompted Philadelphians to inundate Ellison's office with angry phone calls. "I had heard rumors that people made [bomb] threats," he added. "We didn't ever encourage anyone to make threats." Still, Breslin said, "that's what pushed them over the hill to cancel it." Breslin said AAVS contacted the University many times to find out if an official termination was in the works, and every time "we were hung up on – certified letters were ignored." Beck, however, said publicly in April that Ellison no longer used dogs in his class. "The University is constantly in search of new and different technology so animals don't have to be used at all," she said. But Breslin did not acknowledge Beck's statement. "Prior to our campaign, they would not make any official statement. I think they are trying to make us look like we are protesting a non-event," Breslin said. "I think they would strongly like to give the impression that it wasn't our victory." Beck said she wonders how the AAVS could use the word "victory" when human lives are in question. "The victory we are really talking about here is when animals are sometimes used and it results in a medical treatment that saves someone's life," she said. "We're not talking about the AAVS 'victory.' We're talking about the victory of medical research."
(04/18/95 9:00am)
Dies from gunshot and Amy Lipman College senior Jared Whitacre committed suicide in his off-campus residence at 24th and Spruce streets Friday evening. Whitacre's housemate, 1994 University graduate Stephen Dodd, discovered Whitacre's body at approximately 7 p.m. and then notified Philadelphia Police. According to Philadelphia Police Officer Liz Kries, responding officers found Whitacre lying on a bed on the third floor of the residence with a gunshot wound through his right temple. A .22 caliber Colt single-action revolver with one round spent was found near his body. Philadelphia Fire Rescue responded to the scene after being contacted by the police and found Whitacre dead upon arrival, Kries said. Dodd said that he was not satisfied with the way the police handled the situation, however. An officer had told Dodd that Philadelphia Police would contact Whitacre's parents. But Dodd said the police only left an ambiguous message with Whitacre's uncle in West Virginia, forcing Dodd to break the news to Whitacre's relatives himself. College senior Sandra Kim -- a close friend of Whitacre -- said he had been depressed since spring break, primarily because he was having trouble coping with family problems, coupled with mounting academic and financial pressures. Whitacre, whom Dodd characterized as being extremely industrious and intelligent, worked several jobs to pay for his tuition. And because Whitacre was a transfer student from the University of Miami, he had to take a demanding course load to make up transfer credits. "It's a shame that he didn't make it all the way," 1993 University graduate Mark Eggerts, also a housemate, said. "He worked hard for it." "Certainly harder than most people," Dodd added. Because Whitacre spent so much time working part-time jobs, he did not have an active social life and at times seemed very withdrawn, Dodd continued. "He had the the ability to keep his distance," Dodd said. "He was independent in good ways and bad ways." Housemate and 1994 University graduate Jen Kaus added that Whitacre "really did have a great sense of humor when you finally sat down to get to know him." And Kim said Whitacre was "fun loving," despite his depression. "He was good to be with," she said. "He really liked to talk to people, and he liked to listen also. He understood people, and that's how I remember him." Assistant Vice Provost for University Life Barbara Cassel acknowledged that many students are under stress, particularly during this time of year. "I think it's important that they know of the resources available on campus through Student Health, the Women's Center and religious resources so they feel free to be in touch with [them] when they are feeling pressure and stressful," she said last night. Eggerts said he and his housemates have all been contacted by Cassel since Friday. He added that he was satisfied with the University's response to the situation. Kries said Philadelphia Police detectives are continuing to investigate the death. Daily Pennsylvanian staff writer Josh Fineman contributed to this article.
(03/29/95 10:00am)
The Nursing School may be disbanded on July 1, 1996, if a proposal authored by Provost Stanley Chodorow and Admissions Dean Lee Stetson is approved by the University Board of Trustees at an "emergency" meeting tonight. In an effort to "streamline the University," Chodorow and Stetson have proposed that all funds allocated to the running of the Nursing School be transferred to the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. And Trustees Chairperson Roy Vagelos said he does not expect the proposal to be contested at tonight's meeting. "It's a matter of priorities," Chodorow said of the plan. "Of course, I respect the leadership and brilliance of our Nursing faculty. But the Engineering School is nationally renowned -- truly up-and-coming. "You can say many fine things about the Nursing School, but you can't say that," he added. According to the plan, Nursing professors and administrators would be relocated to Drexel University, where a "Professional Nursing Center" would be constructed. Nursing graduates and undergraduates would be given the option of transferring to the Professional Nursing Center or to the Community College of Philadelphia -- at which a "highly acclaimed" nursing and medical assistants program exists, Chodorow said. If the plan is approved -- as Chodorow expects it will be -- Nursing courses would be offered for the last time at the University during the spring 1996 semester, he added. Nursing Dean Mary Naylor refused to comment last night. But Nursing Dean Emerita Claire Fagin said she is "crushed and flabbergasted" by Chodorow's proposal. Chodorow said he and Stetson began planning to close the school when they discovered that there was a 25 percent decrease in applications to the Nursing School this year, while there was a five percent increase in the number of high school seniors applying to the Engineering School. "This may seem a bit drastic, but it's necessary," Stetson said last night. "We are an excellent University, and we should strive towards even more excellence. Excellent excellence, if you will. And the Nursing School was more in the 'slightly excellent' category." University President Judith Rodin described the proposal as "necessary and enchanting." She said she saw the plan as a means to improve the surrounding University City community. "With the relocation of our fine Nursing School, we are spreading a little bit of ourselves to the intellectually-needy academic environment at Drexel," she said. "It is a strengthening of the University of Pennsylvania, and a gift to our less-privileged neighboring college." But many Nursing students are outraged by possibility of being uprooted from the school they have come to think of as their home. "Oh, please say you're joking!" Nursing sophomore Kathleen Vaccine shrieked to this Daily Pennsylvanian reporter when informed of the plan. "This has to be the joke issue." But, sadly, Vaccine was wrong. And the Nursing Undergraduate Advisory Board is planning a candlelight vigil on College Green at 8 p.m. tomorrow night to protest what UAB members see as "a proposed Holocaust of health-care workers." "This is nothing short of blatant sexism, racism and homophobia from a group of straight white males," UAB member and Nursing junior Therma Mometer said. "I'm so sad, I may just blow up College Hall." But Engineering Dean Gregory Farrington said the plan is "just what we need to succeed." "It's a shame that it's come down to an us-against-them type of mentality [between the Engineering School and the Nursing School]," he said. "But the tension has always been there, albeit subtly, and I'm really glad that those damn nurses will soon be gone. It's about time."
(03/23/95 10:00am)
The Panhellenic Council voted unanimously last night to endorse the InterFraternity Council's "Bring Your Own Beer" policy. According to Panhel President Lissette Calderon, this is the first time Panhel has ever voted to endorse BYOB. Past Panhel councils have hesitated to support the policy because they questioned whether it could be adequately enforced, she explained. This Panhel decided it was time to "take a stand," however, and to vote in favor of the policy because "something had to be done." "The bottom line is that it's all an issue of liability for any drinking accidents that might occur," the Wharton junior said. Calderon also said Panhel's vote marks a new trend in the council. "It was a big step for the Panhel," she said. "It's encouraging for us to stand up for our actions. For a long time we just followed the wave of what the IFC was doing. "It's no longer IFC's policy, it's also our policy," she continued, adding that Panhel and the IFC will work closely together to enforce BYOB "to the best of our ability." Calderon acknowledged, though, that there have been problems with enforcing the policy so far. "We're definitely in a stage of transition," she said. Greek Alumni Council officers enforce BYOB policy. But Calderon said Panhel plans to work with GAC "to the best of our ability."
(03/17/95 10:00am)
Hoops fans in agony over final defeat As the final buzzer sounded, an anguished groan echoed across campus that was so loud and intense it was nearly impossible to hear the clenched-jawed curses of more resigned Quaker fans who seemed to be fighting to keep their emotions under control. There were kicked-over barstools, though. And a few people were even seen hanging their heads down, hiding their faces in their hands, after the Quakers' 91-85 loss to the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in overtime. "The dream is over," lamented Wharton junior Neil Shah. But Shah said despite his ardent following of the Quaker season, he was still able to put the loss in perspective. "I'm bummed out," he said, adding, though, with a half-smile that because the most talented players this year are graduating seniors, "the Ivy League season will be more competitive next year -- more exciting." But Shah, who walked home -- alone -- from Cavanaugh's Restaurant at 39th and Sansom streets, said that most of the 20 students who watched the game with him were not taking Alabama's defeat of the Quakers quite as philosophically. At first, he said, his friends screamed and cursed. Some even yelled out ironic shouts of "Go Quakers!" And then there was silence. "There was a lot of depression," Shah said. "People were just zoning out, in a state of shock." An Allied walking guard patrolling Superblock at the time of the game's conclusion also said that campus seemed to be unusually "quiet" for a Thursday night. Even stunned. One student emptied a bag of jelly beans out of a window in High Rise North. The Allied guard, who would not disclose his name, said the sound of the candy striking the ground was "the most noise I heard all night." Such pained silence comes in stark contrast to students' reactions after the Quakers' win over the Michigan Wolverines in December. That night, wild fans blared victory music, shrieked out declarations of love to senior guard Jerome Allen and littered the campus with streamers and confetti. "I think people had a lot of expectations this year," Engineering sophomore Edward Son said. "There was too much pressure on them, because it was their last year." Those fans who were not sulking alone -- resigning themselves to finish the night catching up on studying -- decided to vent their pain the old-fashioned way. "I have to go drink our troubles away," called out one student, dashing away south on Superblock before he could give his name. It was unclear if the student would not comment on the game because recounting the experience was too painful, or because he was in a hurry to get to the nearest bar. But other students, sober and straight-faced, seemed strangely unemotional. That is, unless they were in denial. "The sun will come up tomorrow," College junior Jay Atkinson said. His friend Wharton junior Anthony Fusco, however, insisted that Atkinson was actually the biggest Quaker fan out of anyone he knows.
(03/14/95 10:00am)
Former New York Times columnist and best-selling author Anna Quindlen, who gave up her column last December, came to campus February 23 to talk to the University community in a segment of the on-going Annenberg Public Policy series. She took a few minutes out of her busy schedule to chat with Daily Pennsylvanian Staff Writers Jorie Green, Lisa Levenson and Ryan Papir. Daily Pennsylvanian: We're wondering how you decided to get into reporting. Anna Quindlen: I really wanted to be a fiction writer -- which seems ironic now -- and I pretty much figured out that you couldn't be a fiction writer and make a living out of it, and certain fiction writers that I knew said, "You know, what you should really do is take a job that would just pay the rent," but had nothing to do with writing, and that didn't sound like such a great idea to me. I was the editor-in-chief of my high school newspaper, so the summer after I graduated from high school I went to work as a copy girl at our local daily, the New Brunswick Home News in New Brunswick, New Jersey. They let me do some reporting in my spare time, and what I found as somebody who had been raised as a really good Catholic girl was that a job in which I got to ask people rude and intrusive questions, and go someplace where I would not normally be able to go was so seductive that the writing part of it was only half the fun, and the reporting was the other half of the fun. So once I got in, I didn't look back -- until last year? DP: Considering how seductive you found reporting, why did you move from news to editorial writing? AQ: Well, first of all, I think the very best editorial writing is founded on reporting. I very rarely did a column that I hadn't done a significant amount of reporting on first?So I never thought of doing a column as giving up the reporting -- although if I had, I might not have embraced it so whole-heartedly. But also street reporting is kind of a young person's game, and after you've covered a certain number of murders, and a certain number of city hall press conferences, and been to the White House press room enough times, hard as it is for you to believe, you think, "Been there, done that." And so one of the reasons that I was anxious to do the column is because it meant movement for me? DP: Can you tell us where you got your column ideas? AQ: Some of them I got from the daily newspaper, just picking it up in the morning. Some of them I got from Page 1, and some of them I got from three paragraphs off the AP Wire that ran at the bottom of some page. Some of them came in fits and starts, so that one of my kids would say something and I'd sort of store it up, and then three months later, there'd be something that would happen in the news and I'd think, "Gee, that reminds me of that thing that Quinn said," and then I'd do the reporting and I'd put it all together but I would be saving string on it over months?I sort of bounced around between those that were inspired by personal things, those that were inspired by political affairs, those that came off the news and those that were just something that I knew about because I'd been following certain areas of American public discourse. DP: At this point in your life, when most people would be thrilled to say, "Wow, now I've got a column, and it's a change and it's something that I've been looking forward to," you've decided to give yours up. Can you give us an idea of why? AQ: Well, I was thrilled, and for five years I had a great time, and I thought I did a real creditable job, but as I said, I think it's real useful to push yourself all the time, that when you've gotten pretty good at something and you feel comfortable with it, that's a real good sign that in a year or two you ought to be looking for something else. And also, finally, I'm in a position to be able to write fiction and make it pay, and I don't know of a serious writer who wouldn't jump at that opportunity? I wanted to get out before other people thought it was time for me to get out. DP: Many aspiring journalists and readers concerned about current issues consider you a role model. How do you feel about this, and who were your role models when you were training? AQ: Well, obviously it's a little daunting, you know, particularly when you're on the train screaming at your kids and you realize that some woman sitting across the aisle knows exactly who you are and exactly how she thinks you ought to be acting, but to the extent that I've tried to make both my work and my family a real priority and that I'm known as a feminist -- which is really important to me -- and as a liberal, I'm happy if people see that as something that mirrors their own interests and concerns, that part of it's fine with me. If some little girl looks at me and says, "I'm for equal treatment for women, too," I say, "Hey, I have earned my place on the planet this month." To the extent that people try to make one woman stand for all women -- that's always made me really uncomfortable -- this time around there was all this second-guessing of the decision that I made about my work, and what it meant for women, as opposed to just saying, "Gee, you know, this is a real quirky one." I'm the first person in the history of the New York Times to ever willingly give up an op-ed page column, just write it off as lunacy and let's get on to other things, as opposed to what it says about women? DP: Turning to the newspaper business generally, how do you think it's changed since you entered it? AQ: I think it's much better. I think stories are better written, I think there's more analysis, I think we offer more of something for everyone than we did when I first got into the business. I first got into the business in 1970, which was still either a very who-what-when-where-why-and-how kind of story, or features so light they practically qualified as "Nerf" stories. I think we have a whole lot more in-between now. We have a whole lot more hard news that has some color and some sense of life and place in it, and we have a lot more feature stories -- but that really tell you something about politics, about art, about the human condition, about the way we live now? DP: You've said that feminism is one of your big concerns, and I think Penn has kind of a unique place in terms of feminism and women because we have the first woman president in the Ivy League. I'm wondering about your opinion -- AQ: About whom we did a hideous piece, which I'm still reeling from. All over the country, women say to me, "Excuse me, but would you have put the piece about the male president of Harvard on the cover of the C section and would it have focused quite so unrelentingly on the way he looked and his marital history?" The answer is no. I thought that piece the Times ran on Judith Rodin was horrid because of the way it was played and because of the spin on it. You know, the Times doesn't do that too much anymore, but when it does do it, because it's such a serious paper, it really stands out. Anyhow, go ahead. DP: I was going to ask about the portrayal of women and the experiences of women in academia, in the workplace, in the public sphere. How have you seen those change? AQ: You mean "All feminists are ugly?" [She laughs.] No, but there still is some of that. I mean -- this is a horrible story to tell on myself -- but about three years ago, I guess, I was on Live with Regis & Kathie Lee, and I get ready to walk out, right? And my hair is bigger than it's ever been before because they do hair and make-up and I was sitting there in the chair thinking, "Whoa! Look out, this is great." And he does this whole introduction for me, "won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, is only the third woman to [have an op-ed column in the New York Times], and we found out today, her book has just debuted on the best-seller list at Number 7," and I walk out, and it's almost like a nervous tic, he says, "You're attractive!" And I said, "You know, I haven't thought about that smart woman, ugly thing since high school." One of the reasons why people still try to wage some last, losing battle against feminism is because feminism isn't a movement now -- it's our lives, it's our daily lives. It's the fact that little girls can be in Little League, and nobody even thinks twice about it anymore? It's the fact that we're at a stage where the president's wife can be smart and able and can get to do things, but we're not yet at the stage where everybody doesn't go berserk about the fact that she's doing things. So we're halfway through what I think it the greatest social revolution in 20th century America, and the fact is that there's still constant backlashes? DP: In general, what's your opinion on the political system in America? AQ: You know, I really feel like we need a cataclysmic act at this point, in some sense, and I think what that means is a major league charismatic leader, but I'm not sure if that's possible given the system of fund-raising and television advertising that we've come to be so dependent upon. I mean, what we see is this really destructive cycle every two, four, six years of "throw the bum out." Except that after "throw the bum out" comes, as Roger Daltry said, "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." And it happens over and over and over again?We've engineered this system in which candor and principle are believed to be a road to sure destruction. We don't know whether they're a road to sure destruction or not because nobody's tried them in so long that we don't know what would happen to that candidate. So I think we're in a real bad place politically. And it seems to me?that what we're looking for is an FDR. But where she comes from, I cannot tell you. DP: There's a lot of criticism of the Democratic party because of it's association with Hollywood and it's association with the disenfranchised -- some people say the Democrats have left the middle class. Do you think that's a valid criticism? AQ: I think there's some validity to that criticism, but I would add that I don't think anybody speaks to the middle class right now, and that's the source of some of the stress that we're talking about with American politics. The fact of the matter is that when you look at what their agenda is on the economy and on certain legislative measures, when you look at where their money comes from, the Republicans are still the party of the rich. That has not changed, and any attempt to suggest different just isn't so. But I think the Democrats have found it hard to look at legitimate complaints about ways in which programs for the disenfranchised have been handled in America. The difference, I think, clearly at this point between the Democrats and the Republicans, is that the Republicans want to dismember those programs, and the Democrats want to keep them. What the Democrats have to embrace is the idea of keeping some of them in quite different form and therefore playing off the Republicans?I think the Democrats have to look more at retooling than they have. But I think the chances of them doing that, and doing it successfully, are much greater than the chances of the Republicans successfully representing what I think is deep in the American character: some will to raise the disenfranchised up and help level the playing field. DP: How has being a reporter helped your fiction writing? Has there been a connection between them? AQ: Yes, it's helped it a lot. I think, if you get good at being a reporter, you develop a real sharp eye for the telling detail, the one or two things that really will make the reader feel as if they were in the room or on the street. You also get a real good ear for how real dialogue sounds. I mean, you can tell. I start to write down certain words coming out of people's mouths and I think, "No, no, no, that's a hyped quote. Go back and work on it again." I think those things really, really helped me. I mean, I think I'm a much better fiction writer because of having to be a reporter. And it also develops the sense of discipline in you. I mean, I don't get [writer's] block that much?When you're in the newspaper business, getting blocked is not an option. If you get blocked, you better take the LSAT. You've got to write on demand, and I think that's really helped me in writing fiction?
(12/15/94 10:00am)
It was "PENNdemonium" all over again. Screaming and jumping about in a confetti-littered Superblock reminiscent of a ticker-tape parade, many students said the Penn men's basketball team's defeat of the Michigan Wolverines was the best thing that ever happened to them at college. Or at least the best thing that has happened to them since the Quakers beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the first round of the NCAA basketball tournament last year. "This is better than sex," said College junior Eden Jacobowitz. "It doesn't get any better than this," College junior Nick Benz agreed, adding, though, that he would not mind seeing the Quakers "go a little farther in the second round of the NCAA tournament this year." As "Rock and Roll Part Two" blared out of an open window in High Rise North, students hugged and kissed one another, crying out "Jerome Allen!" in voices hoarse from cheering. "Jerome was like Christ rising on the third day," said Wharton junior Eric Leathers. "It was an amazing game," College senior Brandon Fogel added. "We never did anything like that before -- we came through in a clutch. Allen made an amazing play." In celebration of a victory that took many by surprise, some fans partying in the Quadrangle raced to Franklin Field, aiming to hurl the football goal posts into the Schuylkill River. But because the Quaker football season is over, the goal posts had been removed from the stadium. This did not put an end to these fans' PENNdemonium, however, as several students pushed a soccer goal into the bleachers instead. "This is mob mentality at its best," said College sophomore Brett Lovins. Within minutes, though, University Police forced the students to leave Franklin Field. Although some students were annoyed because the hubbub on campus was disturbing their studies, others said the game actually "inspired" them to study for finals. "Even though I didn't do any of the reading all semester, I, too, can make a game-winning shot in the last second," College senior Rajan George said. "I never felt more prepared than after Jerome took it to the hole." But College senior Craig Weiss said after the game, finals were the last thing on his mind. "The Penn game is much more important than any final," he said. "I've got to go celebrate this."
(12/09/94 10:00am)
For 34 years, Murphy's Tavern has been University City's answer to "Cheers" -- a low key, neighborhood bar frequented by students, locals and alumni. But now the social hotspot may be shut down by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board by the end of the year for charges of underage drinking. Located at 44th and Spruce streets, Murph's is one of 15 establishments in Philadelphia that had its liquor license renewal challenged by the LCB on October 31. Murph's co-owner Joe Murphy will appear at a hearing before the LCB in the near future. Murphy said he has not yet been notified when the hearing will take place, but refused to comment further on the proceedings. If he loses his case, Murphy will either be forced to stop selling alcoholic beverages -- or shut down the tavern entirely. Murphy said this move by the LCB has taken him by surprise because the LCB has not caught any underage drinkers in the bar since last January. "They've been in here, but they haven't caught anybody, [so] evidently we've done a pretty good job," he said. "I've chased out lots and lots of people trying to come in." Now Murph's, notorious among underage students as the "freshman drinking hangout," requires two forms of identification of anyone who "looks under 50," Murphy said. He said bouncers are requesting driver's licenses and social security cards. A third form of identification or a signed affidavit stating that the patron in question is over 21 may be requested if the patron does not appear to be of legal drinking age to the bouncer. The affidavits may only be used as a bar owner's defense if they are in fact signed by patrons who are of age, according to Bill Pawliczeck, former president of the Licensed Beverage Association and the owner of Cavanaugh's Restaurant at 39th and Sansom streets. Murph's has seen a decline in customers since bouncers began requiring more identification, Murphy said. Pawliczeck said the best safeguard against underage drinking may be in an establishment's reputation. He said Murph's is known as a place that lets in underage drinkers, whereas Cavanaugh's and Smokey Joe's at 40th and Walnut streets attract an "older crowd." Murphy said, though, that he wonders how a college bar could possibly attract such a group. "I don't think there's a bar in University City that attracts an older crowd," he said. Murphy added that although he realizes that LCB officials are "just doing their job," he does not understand why they do not focus on more serious problems, like drinking and driving. "When people leave my bar, I always ask them if they're driving," Murphy said.
(12/01/94 10:00am)
As a child, College freshman Holly Johnson carefully studied the moves of National Basketball Association mascots. She knew she could do better. "I didn't really have a role model," said Johnson, who was one of four students to attend an introductory session at the Palestra last night for people interested in becoming the next Penn mascot. "I think you have to be your own role model," Johnson continued. "You have to just go out there and see what the audience wants, and give it to them." She said if chosen as mascot, she might take a few hints from University President Judith Rodin. "If we have a woman president, we could have a woman Quaker," Johnson said. Quaker candidate Tina Lopez, a College sophomore, agreed. She said she was pleased the ratio of female Quaker candidates to male Quaker candidates was three to one. The only male who attended was College junior Daniel Gingiss, a Daily Pennsylvanian staff writer. "It's the Year of the Woman Quaker," Lopez said. "It's the '90s." Johnson added one of the reasons she is so interested in the position is because she likes the idea of wearing men's clothing. "I was looking for a legitimate way to cross-dress at Penn," she said. "I am exploring the androgynous aspects of the Pennsylvania Quaker." But Penn cheerleading coach Marci Sartor said she does not care whether the mascot is male or female -- as long as the Quaker "holds her own." "I want to see them be able to work with [the cheerleaders] and with the crowd," Sartor said. "My main objective is crowd response -- sometimes it's pivotal to our game." According to Cheerleading captain and College senior Brian Coyne, the need for a new mascot arose when current Quaker Rick Miller decided he could not dedicate as much time to the position in the future. Johnson said she thinks she has what it takes to get a crowd excited. "I have always been a ham. I have always liked to perform in front of large audiences," she said, adding she starred as "Helena" in A Midsummer's Night Dream in high school. College junior Shelly Waldman, who also attended the meeting, said competing in national gymnastic contests before crowds of hundreds has prepared her to face rowdy sports fans at Quaker games. Waldman said if she is selected as the Quaker, she hopes Sartor will revamp the Quaker's outfit -- hopefully by adding a mask. Sartor said she thought only four students attended the meeting because she thinks people are uncomfortable performing without a mask. But Johnson said she thinks performing bare-faced is ideal. "You have to be able to transcend your costume," she said. "When you have [a mask], it's a persona you present as opposed to real facial expressions."
(11/30/94 10:00am)
Carnival vendors may be selling matzoh brie and macaroons instead of cotton candy and french fries at next year's Spring Fling. Fling has been scheduled for April 22 and 23, 1995, which coincides with the last day of the eight-day Jewish holiday Passover. Fran Walker, director of the Office of Student Life, Activities and Facilities, said the time conflict was unavoidable. "What was the other alternative?" she said. "Because of where Easter falls and where finals fall, and because it usually snows the first weekend in April, there was nothing else we could do. This is not a great year for scheduling." Walker added that this year's Fling falls on a Saturday and Sunday, instead of the usual Friday and Saturday. This way, the party weekend will only overlap with the last day of Passover on Saturday. Religious Jews traditionally eat matzoh, or unleavened bread, in observance of Passover. To accommodate these students, vendors will sell Kosher-for-Passover food along with the usual hot dogs and french fries, Spring Fling Coordinator and Wharton junior Gil Beverly said. "We want to try to accommodate as many people as possible," he said. "Hopefully those who are deeply religious will miss a day and party with everyone else [Sunday]." Beverly added that he has received a few complaints from students who think this year's scheduling is "unfair." "People are expressing concerns, and rightfully so," he said. But Hillel Director Jeremy Brochin said he does not fault Walker or Beverly for the time conflict. "They were in a bind," he said. "They did the best that they could." Brochin said he appreciates that special measures were taken to insure that Fling would coincide with only one day of Passover, instead of two. "The weekend before would have been disastrous," he said. "At least [only] one day is a Jewish celebration." Passover celebrates the Jewish flight from Egypt recounted in Exodus, the second book of the Old Testament.
