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(03/29/00 10:00am)
Even though Pedro Ramos today holds one of the highest positions in Philadelphia's education system, he still occasionally feels the same type of isolation he experienced as a Penn student more than 20 years ago. Ramos, the president of Philadelphia's Board of Education, spoke to about 30 students yesterday afternoon as part of the week-long Festival Latino 2000, a program which he himself helped launch when he attended Penn. Ramos' half-hour lecture focused on how his experiences at Penn as a minority student influenced his desire to find a sense of community on campus. "Getting to Penn was literally like landing on Mars," Ramos said regarding his experience of arriving on Penn's campus in his family's 1974 Chevy Impala his freshman year. "I saw all these cars that I had only seen on TV." Ramos attributed his difficult transition to college life to his upbringing in an insular Puerto Rican community. At Penn, Ramos continued, he found very few other students who were like him. Ramos, a Philadelphia native and the first Latino president of the Board of Education, described his experience at the University as his first introduction to mainstream American culture. It was also the place where he learned the true meaning of bureaucracy. "What was more shocking to me besides this sense of isolation was when you reached out to people and you felt this competitiveness," he said. But, Ramos said, he learned that in order to adjust, he had to immerse himself in activities that would allow him to meet people and replicate the strong sense of community he experienced at home with his family. As a result, he soon became involved in organizations for Latino and Chicano students like La Asociacion Cultural de Estudiantes Latino Americanos and El Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, which were much smaller at the time than they are today. Through these groups, he began to realize that he was not only Puerto Rican but Latino, as well. Ramos, along with other students, began a push for more Latino faculty members and a Latin-American studies program. When it looked less and less likely that these two needs would be met, the students decided to instead work on the creation of the Latin American Living and Learning Program. Today, the program occupies two floors in Harnwell College House and provides a housing option for Latino students to live together. "If you are tenacious enough, they eventually give," Ramos said. One of Ramos' guiding principles is to "never let them see you fight." For a lobbying group's members to at least seem unified is of great importance, according to Ramos. Several students said they were moved by Ramos' speech, especially by the fact that he had once been exactly where they are now. "His speech shed some light on his experience as a Latino and experiences for me that are yet to come," College junior Duare Valenzuela said. In introducing Ramos, College junior Jeff Camarillo, who has been working with Ramos for the past two months as an Urban Studies major, described Ramos as "a true role model for me in every sense." Ramos closed the night by discussing his experiences in the education system. "When you go someplace, someone remembers that you were helpful and, to me, that is so important," he said.
(01/21/00 10:00am)
Although the keynote speaker of last night's Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Program spent the duration of the event in an airplane miles away from Philadelphia, about 150 Penn students and area residents still found good reason to convene in commemoration of the slain civil rights leader. The highly anticipated program, part of the two-week series of events devoted to honoring King's legacy, was supposed to feature William Gray, president and chief executive officer of the United Negro College Fund. At the start of the evening, however, University Chaplain William Gipson stepped up to the microphone and announced that Gray was currently on a delayed plane coming from Washington, D.C. "As much as he wants to be with us this evening, that probably will not happen. However, there are lots of good reasons to bring him back," Gipson said to the audience in his welcome speech. Despite Gray's absence, the remainder of the program -- which included the presentation of awards to select Penn community members and West Philadelphia residents -- went on as scheduled. As part of the University's 2000 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration and Symposium on Social Change, the Annenberg Center's Harold Prince Theatre hosted a program entitled "The Importance of King's Philosophy and Action for the 21st Century." University President Judith Rodin spoke at the event, discussing the importance of Penn's involvement in serving the community, particularly as it relates to King's ideals. "It is not enough to expand the intellect of our students? if we fail to arouse service in their souls," Rodin said. She then asked the audience what Penn, as an urban university, could do to institute the idea of service in students. "For Penn," she continued, "society begins right here in West Philadelphia?. I believe that we can be the national model for building a beloved community." In addition, Penn Hillel Director Jeremy Brochin, who spoke after Gipson, discussed the theme of a universal religious servitude to God and to others. "Our service in the community is grounded in God, the creator of us all," Brochin said. Brochin's speech was followed by a performance by the Jewish a cappella group R'nanah, whose songs were all based on Biblical psalms. The 20-minute award presentation at the end of the evening honored five members of the community for their commitment to King's legacy through their community service. Included among the recipients were Penn Urban Studies Professor Ira Harkavy, College senior and former United Minorities Council Chairman Chaz Howard and Philadelphia Police Sgt. John Wylie. After a performance by the Penn gospel choir New Spirit of Penn, Jack Lewis, chairman of the Executive MLK Planning Committee, gave the evening's closing remarks. Though student attendance was low, one Penn student who did attend said she thought the event served an important purpose in honoring King. "It's good to have programs like these to commemorate the life of such a worthy man as Dr. King," College freshman Harnel Paraison said.
(11/22/99 10:00am)
Bright lights, designer clothing, dance and music all added to the energy of the nearly packed Irvine Auditorium Saturday night for the 10th annual Black Student League Fashion Show, "Rapper's Delight." About 300 students from Penn and other area schools attended the performances, which celebrated black culture and chronicled the evolution of hip-hop through a combination of poetry, music and dance. In addition to students modeling everything from evening gowns and tuxedos to jeans and pajamas, the show included the performances of several campus groups. The show was named after the popular hit song "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang. According to College sophomore Natasha Williams, who co-produced and spoke at the show, the song "taught the record industry that there was a new genre for black music." "'Cause it sounds so nice, hip-hop, you the love of my life. We 'bout to take it to the top," were the words echoed in Irvine by the rap group The Roots as the night began. The show opened with a performance by African Rhythms and a spirit-provoking performance with poetry and song by the group Assata, which was followed by students modeling the clothing of designer Vernest Moore. All scenes in the modeling told stories that were choreographed by students as well. In Scene Four, called "La Di Da Di," students modeled to the song "Bedtime Stories" by rapper Slick Rick and followed the theme of the song by including students dressed as little girls in pajamas, listening to the story acted out on the stage in the background. The final scene, which was entitled, "The Last Dance," featured students in formal clothing. Men presented roses to women as the couples slow-danced to the popular rap song "I Need Love" by L.L. Cool J. Other designers featured in the show included French Connection, Nine West, I. Goldberg, Amera Archie -- designed by College sophomore Shafeqah Archie -- Don Don, Mad Gear and Formal Dimensions. The show's theme centered around hip-hop's place in contemporary society. Thus, music accompanied the models throughout the night and speakers talked about the influence of hip-hop music around the world. According to Williams, she and co-producer College sophomore Tanji Gilliam decided over the summer that they wanted to make the show a dedication to hip-hop. "We thought of the first commercial rap song released, 'Rapper's Delight,' and wanted to use that as the theme for the show," Williams said. Planning for the show first began in late April. According to Williams, students interested in trying out were judged on whether or not they could do the routine and had the right attitude. About 50 students tried out and 28 earned a place in the final show. Practices were held three times a week, in which students learned the steps choreographed for each scene. "I was just amazed to see how almost every African American on campus was somehow involved in the show," Wharton freshman Lorenzo Brown said. "It was a night of black teens giving their different talents to make a great night for a good cause."
(11/17/99 10:00am)
Kelly Writers House was a literary haven on Saturday as the College of General Studies held its fifth annual Writers' Conference at Penn. About 130 people -- most of whom were community members who hope to become professional writers -- attended the various writing workshops, co-sponsored by the Writers House and the Penn Humanities Forum, throughout the day. Portions of the event were also held in Williams and Logan Halls. "The conference was an opportunity for writers to meet other writers," said Emy Halpert, who coordinated the event. Stephen Fried, editor-in-chief of Philadelphia magazine, gave the keynote address entitled "Bitter Pills and Inside Stories: When Personal Writing Meets the Facts." Following the speech, attendees broke into groups for several different workshops throughout the day. An average of about 15 people attended each workshop. Workshops included topics ranging from "Story and Structure: Tricks of the Trade" -- which focused on how to write about intriguing characters and events in a structured way -- to "Did the Critic See the Same Show That I Did?" in which Janet Anderson, dance critic for The Philadelphia Daily News, shared tips on how to write good and unbiased reviews of artistic performances with a group of aspiring writers. Adrienne Miller, literary editor of Esquire magazine, led a workshop called "Publishing Short Fiction in Major Magazines." The workshop focused on how to get published as well as fine-tuning skills for writing fiction for magazines. Participants were asked to submit their own work before the workshop for discussion and feedback. Miller spoke about the role of the editor in giving positive and negative feedback to the writer and emphasized the importance of a well-written, original story. Those involved in the group were advised about how to submit their work to contests for magazines. The day ended with individual critiques by published writers of works submitted by the participants. Sessions were 20 minutes long and focused on how to improve non-fiction and fiction writing. According to Halpert, bringing all participants together was a valuable experience. "It was an inspirational event because most people who attended do their work in a solitary situation, outside of work, and they were able to get tips on better ways to write," she said.
(09/30/99 9:00am)
Imagine reading a book two days earlier than expected and having time left over to edit a paper before it's due. These are the type of time management skills many students only wish they could master. But with the help of Penn's Tutoring and Learning Resources, those skills can be fine-tuned under the guidance of professional learning instructors with one-on-one tutoring or group sessions. Tutoring and Learning Resources, sponsored by the Department of Academic Support Services, is staffed primarily by students from the Graduate School of Education and is open to all University undergraduate and graduate students. "The program's main focus is to find more strategies for students to study well," said Grace Choe, a student in GSE and a learning instructor in Tutoring and Learning Resources. The program has featured a Study Strategies Workshop Series since the start of the school year and will continue to provide group settings for students. The next workshop will focus on exam preparation for midterms. One of the time-management strategies the group teaches is called "Juggling the Responsibilities of Student Life." Tutors instruct students to make a list of everyone who expects something from them -- ranging from instructors and coaches to family and friends -- and prioritize the list based on who is most important and who causes the most stress. Other instruction booklets the program offers students include "One of These Days I'll Stop Procrastinating," "I Just Can't Seem to Concentrate" and "How Will I Learn All This Information?" Students can also receive help in areas ranging from test-taking strategies to discussion skills. The program's office is located in Harnwell College House and walk-ins are welcome Monday to Friday from noon to 3 p.m., though appointments are recommended. The program -- which marks its 60th anniversary this year -- was originally started in response to the Wharton School's request to "test incoming boys" and help students who were having academic difficulties, according to Myrna Cohen, the program's associate director. Today, however, all students are welcome to receive help with any problem they are facing with their studies. All sessions are free and confidential and cater to the needs of all students. "It is important to us that students have a balanced life," Cohen said. "This is not like a junior high school resource center. This is very much academic-orientated and presents a whole new way of thinking."
