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(04/02/92 10:00am)
South Asian Regional Studies Professor Peter Gaeffke and Bard College President Leon Botstein discussed the importance of multiculturalism within the undergraduate curriculum yesterday as part of SCUE's Education Week '92. Political Science Professor William Harris moderated the event and presented the two panelists as people with different opinions that "were not at far extremes." Gaeffke said that the credentials which qualify him to be a spokesman on multicultural issues include his studying in Germany, teaching in Holland, living in India, having a son-in-law who is a "Jew from Mexico" and a Muslim daughter-in-law. His argument concentrated on the inclusion of multicultural study in a college education. He said that, because of the omnipresence of Asian students in Western schools, American educators must now deal with multicultural issues much more forcefully than they did in the past. Gaeffke said that students should be able to choose their special interests within the broad topic of multiculturalism without being forced by administrators to fulfill requirements. "Multiculturalism shouldn't be a compulsive requirement and shouldn't be taught in a confrontational way," Gaeffke said. Botstein argued in favor of a required undergraduate multicultural curriculum. He stated that American sensibility is becoming less European-based and that economic exchange is global in nature. According to Botstein, these "historical realities" deem necessary a more diverse curriculum. Botstein, speaking to the 50 students in attendance, stressed that it is increasingly relevant for today's college student to study non-Western and non-European cultures. "French and British history are irrelevancies to the nature of your culture except indirectly through the eyes of Shakespeare . . . perhaps," Botstein said. The main question Botstein presented concerned the type of thinking that should be stimulated in the mind of the 1990s undergraduate. Arts and Sciences graduate student Savita Nair said it was interesting to note that the speakers chosen to discuss multiculturalism were white males. But Botstein said that his background qualified him to discuss multicultural issues despite his race and gender. "You don't have to be a woman to teach feminist materials, and you don't have to be Catholic to teach Catholic theology," Botstein said. In response to a student's question about the difficulty of trying to get a complete understanding of another culture in only four years, Gaeffke said that his search for multicultural knowledge has been a lifelong project. "It has taken me 60 years to understand culture," Gaeffke said. SCUE Education Week co-chairpeople and Wharton juniors Liz Rabii and Stephen Jamison said that they were pleased with student turnout at the event. Rabii said that they tried to get two speakers with "different angles" but "the same ideas." "The week has been successful so far," Rabbii said. "Each event brings different people with different concerns." Jamison said that their main interest was to present the real issues from a common middle ground, rather than having two speakers with radically contrasting positions. "We wanted to raise student consciousness about these issues," Jamison said. As an additional part of SCUE's Education Week, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education John Childers will be speaking today at 3:30 p.m. in College Hall 200.
(02/20/92 10:00am)
Last semester, College sophomore Kirsten Bartok traveled to Maine to visit her father many times. She wanted to see him because he was suffering from lung cancer. So when Wharton sophomore Jonathan Rodbell suggested the idea of a Benefit Ball to raise money for the American Cancer Society, it grabbed Bartok's attention, not only because of her personal connection with the disease, but also because cancer is the number one killer of women and the number two killer of men in the United States. Rodbell was interested in planning a benefit for this year, but he said he realized that he would not be able to do all the work alone. Bartok said she was eager to plan the event, and over Winter Break, Bartok and Rodbell contacted lawyers, caterers and places for the benefit to be held. Within two weeks, all of their hard work had paid off. The First Annual PENN Against Cancer Benefit Ball for the American Cancer Society was no longer just an idea. It had become a reality. "Here at Penn, people get caught up with their academics," Rodbell said. "But this gives people a chance to go out and have fun and also be able to help support a good cause." The Benefit Ball will be held on Thursday, February 27 in The Grand Rotunda at The Shops at Liberty Place. The donation for the evening is $30 per person. The ball will feature an open bar, appetizers and musical entertainment by Silver Sound from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. Bartok stressed that black tie is optional. "The emphasis is much more on getting people to come to the event than on wearing a black tie," Bartok said. The two also said that this will not be a date function. This is a private event, which is not affiliated with the University or any other University group. Bartok said that everyone is encouraged to attend the Benefit Ball. "Right now, we're focusing on the Penn community, but eventually we hope to work with alumni," she said. Because the event is being billed as the first annual benefit, Bartok and Rodbell hope to see it continue year after year. "We'd like to see this continue. That is contingent on success this year," Rodbell said. "More important than that, we'd like to raise a lot of money for cancer research." With the help of a committee made of more than 30 people, Bartok and Rodbell will deliver tickets to peoples' residences upon request. Bartok and Rodbell expect over 400 people to attend the Ball. Tickets will be sold on Locust Walk today and Friday. Ticket sales end Sunday, and checks should be made out to Penn Against Cancer. Anyone interested in purchasing tickets or volunteering for the event should call Bartok at 222-7256 or Rodbell at 222-7565.
(10/07/91 9:00am)
Using anecdotes to illustrate race and class differences between social workers and their clients, Washington University professor Larry Davis addressed nearly 70 people in the Faculty Club last night. Davis' speech, entitled "Inroads to Race and Social Class: Implications for Social Work Practice," dealt primarily with the major concerns of poor or minority clients and practitioners' responses to those concerns. "America is experiencing a demographic crisis. Both race and class are increasing in their levels of importance," Davis said, adding that this trend will have "profound social and political implications for the rest of our professional lives." He explained these implications through both racial and social factors. According to Davis, one-fifth of the American population was composed of minorities in 1980, while minorities make up one-fourth of the population today. Davis, an associate professor of social work and psychology at Washington, said that despite the recent dramatic increase in the proportion of minorities in the population, racial segregation is becoming progressively more visible. "Different races are often said to live in different worlds and to subsequently have different world views," Davis said. Relating this discussion on segregation to the field of social work, Davis explained that minorities and the poor who go to social service agencies tend to distrust the practitioners working in the agencies. He said that minority clients may fear renewed racial rejection from practitioners, which would disallow any possibility of positive interaction between worker and client. Davis discussed the three most common concerns that clients have about their social service workers. First, clients wonder if the worker is "of good will." Next, the client will question the worker's credentials. Davis said he believes the worker will be able to negate the client's first two concerns, but the third concern is the most critical to race and class relationships. This deals with whether the practitioner can relate to the social conditions in which the client lives. Davis called this "healthy skepticism," a term describing the client's question of whether the worker can help because of ignorance about the client's cultural, social or language differences. Once the clients' concerns are expressed, Davis proposed that a specific course of action be taken. He forwarded several suggestions for the social worker to follow in order to foster a better relationship with his client. He reminded the audience that "all behavior is purposeful," and told them to "go with the client, because people engage in behaviors that make sense to them." He also said that workers need to demonstrate respect for their clients, examine their own beliefs, have appropriate "helping" skills and knowledge of resources, and to constantly anticipate success. He added that it is impossible for whites to always work with whites, and minorities to always work with minorities. "Reality will tolerate fantasy, but it will not spare it," Davis said. Davis's lecture was made possible by a grant from the Fred Maytag Family Foundation, and is part of the Kenneth Pray Lecture Series. The next Pray Lecture will deal with feminist social work and will take place on April 9.
(04/15/91 9:00am)
According to West Philadelphia resident Victor Harris, his three-story home needed rehabilitation "from front to back." Saturday, 35 people descended on his house on the 4600 block of Locust Street to install new plumbing and electrical systems. And to patch the porch ceiling. And to replace the porch floor. And to repaint the entire interior of the house. The repairs to Harris' house were part of a 600-person volunteer effort Saturday to rehabilitate 20 homes of elderly, handicapped and low-income families in West and North Philadelphia called Christmas in April. Volunteers included Wharton MBA students and University Physical Plant workers, joined by Temple University Basketball Coach John Chaney and Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Hersey Hawkins. "This is like a dream come true," Harris said. "I'm flabbergasted -- I don't have enough words to describe it." Harris' name was submitted to the Christmas in April House Selection Committee by a friend, and he was then interviewed by the committee which decided his home was worthy of renovation. Harris, a 58-year-old Philadelphia native who became paralyzed when he was 17, has been living in his home for eighteen years and has been unable to complete the necessary repairs. The Philadelphia chapter of Christmas in April was founded in 1988 by a group of University graduate students and Physical Plant workers. A committee of 90 students has been planning the event "literally since the day after last year's program," according to Wharton second-year MBA student and chapter Executive Director Patrick Walsh. "It's very gratifying to see it coming together," Walsh said. "This is the thousand points of light that President Bush is talking about." Walsh, who has been working together with about ten other students on the event for up to 20 hours each week since last fall, said planning the event helped him to develop more leadership skills than any class. The students raised over $50,000 and received both labor and material donations from several local suppliers, according to first-year MBA student Leslie Morgan. Philadelphia 76er Hawkins did a little scraping and painting, but admitted that he's "good at giving direction." "I think it's great when people are willing to spend time to help others -- that's the ultimate," Hawkins said. Temple Coach Chaney said that government should step in to foster programs like Christmas in April. "This gives a renewed spirit to what people are all about," Chaney said. The volunteers installed heating and electrical wiring, repaired plumbing, painted and plastered ceilings and walls, and replaced faulty locks as part of their renovations. A house selection committee was given a list of homes in need of repair from local churches and social service agencies. Eighteen homes in West Philadelphia and two in North Philadelphia were selected from the 70 recommended. Morgan said she had never done volunteer work before. "I think this is a critical part of our education," she said. "It starts a tradition of volunteerism among students. This has changed my life." Morgan added that she believes that even though the Philadelphia homeowners have benefitted, "Wharton students get just as much out of this." Budget Rent-A-Car worker John Lanfranchi was assigned to fix the second-floor bathroom in Harris' home. He sanded, plastered and painted the room with co-worker Eric Schlanger, who said he felt the event was a "worthwhile, fun experience."
(01/17/91 10:00am)
What began as a quiet gathering of students at Houston Hall to protest American involvement in the Persian Gulf soon became an angry, and at times confrontational, rally as close to 300 students marched through the campus and eventually into Center City. Beginning with reasoned speeches by organizers, the crowd quickly snowballed into a massive, impromptu rally of students making peace signs and imploring others to join their cause. The students marched through darkness and pouring rain across the campus, calling the war "morally hypocritical" and saying they were not willing to fight a war for oil while domestic issues were ignored. The crowd marched from Houston Hall to the Quad, Superblock, and President Hackney's House on the 3800 block of Walnut Street, then back down Locust Walk to College Green and Hill House before finally heading towards Center City. The assemblage finally ended up joining another group of city residents protesting at Independence Mall, at 6th and Market streets. While on campus, the protesters encountered some opposition from students who came out of dormitory rooms or fraternity houses to support U.S. action and troops. These confrontations were mostly peaceful, but some erupted into shouting matches on a few occasions. The meeting began at 7:30 p.m. with about 100 students gathering in Houston Hall. After discussing and debating ways to respond to the U.S. attack for about an hour, they voted to demand a stop in the war effort, a recall of all U.S. troops immediately and for government expenditures on "human needs" and not war. After voting to demand the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, calls for a march to the Liberty Bell filled the room. Within minutes, the crowd of activists stormed out of the room and onto Spruce Street, chanting, "Hell no, we won't go, we won't fight for Texaco." Walking through the pouring rain, the crowd marched across Spruce, stopping traffic, and through the lower Quad gate -- in defiance of the helpless security guard. As the protesters continued chanting, armed with bullhorns and anti-war posters, several pro-Bush bystanders jeered the crowd with cries of "Go back to Baghdad." The protesters largely ignored the hecklers who remained peaceful at all times. One protester shot back, "There's a plane at the airport." "Do you want to die?" another asked the hecklers. As the angry students crossed the 38th Street bridge to Superblock, they continued chanting and calling on High Rise residents to join their march. Shouting over the deafening crowd, College freshman Prakash Khenlani asserted "this is not a war to find a solution, it's a war to create war." After regrouping, the activists circled the High Rises, and assembled in front of President Sheldon Hackney's home, chanting, "Where do you stand?" Hackney was in New York at the time. Across Walnut Street, fraternity members from Acacia, Sigma Nu, and Sigma Alpha Mu yelled back "USA, USA . . . free Kuwait, free Kuwait." "The U.S. is definitely right for what it's done," Acacia junior Alex Mouray yelled angrily. "It's about time we got in and Iraq got out of Kuwait." The marchers quickly moved down Locust Walk toward Hill House, and again met students who disagreed with them. Theta Xi President Chris Ohl draped an American flag outside the fraternity house as soon as he heard news of the war. "I think everyone should have an American flag out," said Ohl, whose fraternity brothers held a moment of silence for those serving abroad. Phi Gamma Delta President David Murphy calmly explained, "We're [opposing protesters] to support our country." He insisted that he was speaking on his own behalf, and not that of the fraternity. The protesters halted on College Green, where College sophomore Amadee Braxton directed them toward City Hall. The students entered Hill House, but were challenged by an angry Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps sophomore Jonathan Held, who was restrained by a friend. Although some students dropped out of the group along the route, others joined in as they went along. With replenished ranks, the protesters proceeded east on Chestnut, linking hands. After crossing the Schuylkill River and moving into Center City, they asked local residents to join their cause and soon jammed the streets. City police monitored traffic on cross streets and followed the group of students with two paddy-wagons, but never moved in to interrupt the rally. "I don't want this war," College junior Elizabeth Wiggy said as they marched. "Bush didn't ask the people, he only asked himself." Psychology graduate student Barbara Gault agreed with Wiggy. "I don't support the war in the Middle East," she said. "The United States must get out as soon as possible. I'm very upset." As they approached 18th street, Robert Feorleger, who had been leading the crowd carrying a garbage bag, announced "I am a conscientious objector. I don't believe in war. Period." At ninth street, students met up with Loretta Desvernina, a member of Philadelphia's AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, who told the students 200 more protesters were already at Independence Mall and redirected them. "I'm here because the war began," she said. "It's an atrocity. We should be fighting the wars we have going on in this country." When the students arrived at Independence Mall, over 200 more protesters were on the green and across the streets, rallying as police and local television crews watched. One resident was clad in a gas mask and full body anti-chemical gear, saying it might some day become common attire. Creating a circle, the protesters linked hands and joined in chants, including, "Support our troops, bring them home," and "The people united can never be divided." In a show of both defiance and unity, the circle collapsed into a mob of protesters raising a large, altered American flag. The flag was hung upside-down and a peace sign had been painted over the stars. United Cab driver Michael Samara, who watched the rally from his taxi, said he agreed with the protesters. He said his brother is serving in Saudi Arabia with the Navy. "Honestly, I feel that we have the wrong president for this country," Samara said. "We're not supposed to fight for oil. I drive a taxi-cab and I would pay three dollars a gallon before I would want to see one life lost." The protesters planned another rally for today. They are scheduled to meet at the Christian Association building at 9 a.m. for an organizational meeting, then will rally at noon on College Green. A Center City march is planned for 3:30 p.m.
(01/17/91 10:00am)
For several students, the United Nations' attack on Iraq marked the end of their "untouchable" years. They said they were realizing for the first time that their generation is fighting a war -- one that will directly affect their lives. And although many students said they were expecting such a strike, they added that the move still shocked them. Across campus, friends and strangers congregated around any available television set or radio, waiting anxiously for new information about the massive air raid. Students gathered together in a somber silence, which was broken only by occasional jokes about Peter Jenning's anchoring gaffes and George Bush's description of Kuwait as a "small and helpless nation." And for many students, thoughts of the crisis automatically include concern for the safety of family and friends in the Persian Gulf. For many others, they include the spectre of the draft, as many men said last night that they would not evade a draft. · During the first announcements of the bombings, the University's Model United Nations was meeting in a Vance Hall lecture room to organize for an upcoming conference and to hold elections. But members left the meeting to discuss both Gulf events and organizational issues. At the other end of the hall, a television set was tuned to news coverage of the crisis. Across the street at the Theta Xi fraternity house, chapter president Chris Ohl placed an American flag over the red door of the house to show his support for American forces -- some of whom are Theta Xi alumni from his chapter. Ohl said he believes that everyone at the University should put up a flag, observe a moment of silence, or make some other show of support for American troops. "Even though we are not fighting ourselves, we shouldn't think 'it's not my job ]to support troops in the Gulf],' " he said. At Smokey Joe's Tavern, patrons gathered around both the downstairs and upstairs bars to watch the first ABC News accounts, discarding pitchers and glasses of beer. Though the bartender tried occasionally to lighten the atmosphere in the normally jovial restaurant and bar, students and West Philadelphia residents alike kept a silent vigil in front of the television. West Philadelphia resident Jeff McFarlan said he was convinced the allied forces would win a war. While at Smoke's, he kept a legal pad in front of him on the bar where he scribbled notes about countries involved in the Gulf, oil, and various notes comparing allied forces' and Iraqi military strengths. "It's a very good cause," McFarlan said. "We should be over there -- it's what the U.S. stands for. We have the air and sea power . . . There's no way in the world they can beat us." Also in residence halls across campus, students gathered together in front of their televisions, calling their parents and friends, and discussing the night's actions. At High Rise North, students awaiting more information were ejected from the building by a security guard when a fire alarm sounded. The guard had to ask the students several times before any of them would stand up to leave. Some students said they were relieved that the allied forces had attacked. Others said they expected the attack to come sooner. "I'm terrified, but I'm glad that this waiting period is finally over," College junior Tova Rubin said less than an hour after the attack began. "I'm scared for Israel -- no one knows what's going on there." Several students said they supported President Bush -- even those who did not agree with him. "It's pretty shocking," College junior Michael Oh said. "It's the first real war I've been alive for." "I support what the President is doing," Oh added later. "Even if we don't support his policies, we owe our support to the American troops." "I absolutely support the President," College sophomore Steve Rice said last night. "It seems like we learned from Vietnam that we're going to massively attack them and get it over quickly." However, others said they wanted the troops to leave Iraq and that the Bush administration forced a war by not giving economic sanctions against Iraq time to work. "I was hoping for a peaceful solution, but in the back of my mind I knew this was coming," College freshman Brad Rosenberg said. "Peaceful solutions are harder to come by, and it seems as if George Bush has taken the easy way out." "The January 15 deadline never should have been passed," he added. "It put us in a corner and never gave the sanctions the time it needed to work." Just after the strike was announced, 15 people sat in the Quadrangle's Ashurst lounge waiting for more information to appear on television. Some students were biting their lips, others sat with their heads in their hands, speaking very little. Others, attempting to study in Bodine Lounge, said they were concerned that their generation was in the Gulf. "I'm scared that someone I know could go there, especially at such a young age," Wharton freshman Mee Kyung Yoo said.
(11/02/90 10:00am)
And although the panel was composed of highly-visible jazz figures such as jazz conductor Gunther Schuller, critic and author Francis Davis, pianist Trudy Pitts, only 20 people trekked to Bodek Lounge last night for the event. The Penn Jazz Festival started planning for this week's events last February, when the student executive committee decided on the general topic of the evening's discussion panel. Composer Schuller who led most of the discussions said that too often, artists stray from creating innovative music and instead write music for the general public. "Commercialism in jazz, or for that matter, in any music endeavor, is the story of temptations," Schuller added. "Commercialism is a great temptation to succumb to certain materialistic pressures." Schuller praised jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis for resisting the urge to "commercialize." Marsalis will perform tonight at Irvine Auditorium at 8 p.m. "I revere and admire and cherish him because he fights the whole establishment," he added. Drexel University Music Professor George Starks said that jazz music has deviated from its black origins and that machines now take the place of artists. He emphasized a need to re-develop the jazz industry and find its roots. "There ain't no humanity in a drum machine," Starks said. Sherry Riesner, a vice-chair of the Festival, was disappointed with the small turnout, but was "pleased with the results and glad that dialogue was sparked." The jazz festival continues today with a speech by Marsalis at 4 p.m. in Bodek Lounge. That will be followed by the concert this evening at Irvine Auditorium. Tickets are $16 for students.
(09/24/90 9:00am)
Dancing the Cueca and munching on empanada, approximately 75 students and family members celebrated the anniversary of Chile's independence from Spain at a party held Saturday evening at the Christian Association. "Viva Chile!" said Fernando Carrizo, a 17-year-old Chilean-American from Allentown, Pa. who attended the party with his family to celebrate Chile's independence and to meet other Latin-Americans. The evening's activities were structured after a "pena," a type of coffee house that originated in Chile, where people get together to eat, sing, dance and read poetry. Both Chilean committees have been in existence since 1973, when the legally elected President of Chile, Salvador Allende, was overthrown by Augusto Pinochet. According to Vivian Schatz, a University graduate who has worked for the Penn Chile Committee since its start in 1973, this year's celebration was especially important. This is the first Chilean Independence Day celebration in 17 years without the dictatorship rule of Pinochet, who was voted out of office last year. "The Chileans can finally have a real celebration," Schatz said. Juan Figueroa, also a University graduate and member of the Penn Chile Committee, spoke during the evening celebration, detailing the historical importance of Chilean Independence Day, and introduced the evenings activities. The three-hour celebration included traditional Chilean food, music and dancing. Pia Nicolini, a Chilean-American whose recipes have been featured in the Food section of the Philadelphia Inquirer, did some of the cooking. The foods were typical of Chilean Independence Day. They included: empanada, a dish made of raisins olives and onions in a fried dough; pastel de choclo, a spicy corn and chicken pie; salad, and cake. Gill Smith, who works for the Chilean Committee for Human Rights, passed around a petition asking for the release of political prisoners in Chile. The petition will be presented to Patricio Aylwin, the president of Chile, next month at the United Nations. "Tonight is an important event to bring together activists who are concerned with human rights and Latin America," said Milagros Cisneros, a second-year graduate student at Temple University.
