`DP' prepares to swear in new editors, managers
(01/18/02 10:00am)
After witnessing the biggest news story of their lives, members of The Daily Pennsylvanian staff will make some news of their own tomorrow.
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Red and blue, in black and white
(08/30/01 9:00am)
When I came to Penn as a freshman, I craved to be a part of some larger body of history and tradition. But my first walk through campus introduced me to only a brand new bookstore and a Wawa. Convocation, Hey Day and three years later, I now know that this university is full of traditions and institutions much stronger than I first perceived.
The taxpayer's dilemma
(04/18/01 9:00am)
If you haven't yet filed your annual income tax forms, stop reading. You're an idiot. Last Monday morning, 26 million Americans woke up in their beds, and, just like you, hadn't filed either. And two days later, I'm sure some of them are still lying there. As I get older, I just can't help but be scared by one of the qualities that makes the United States one of the most developed countries in the world: tax season. Like the opening of the monster truck season or a WWF match, it seems to bring out America's "best." I've determined that there are four major types of American taxpayers, starting with some basic level of intelligence and then dropping off quickly. First, there are those of us who, when we received our W-2s at the end of January, decided to file then. I signed my name, sent in my 1040, and by February 16, had my refund electronically deposited into my bank account. No hassle. No worries. And no crowded wait at the post office to make the midnight deadline. Then there's those certain individuals who add and multiply all their numbers and find that they have a refund check coming their way. Surprise! Wrong. What bugs me most about these people is that they don't understand this country's tax system. A poll on CNN's Web site -- asking users what their expectations were for this tax season -- listed four choices. Thirty-four percent rightly indicated that they will pay some amount of tax. Another 57 percent commented that they will receive a refund -- in essence, free money from the government. Wrong again. All of these people have in fact been paying taxes all year. The former simply had too little withheld from each of their precious paychecks, while the latter had too much taken out by Uncle Sam. Some refundees even go as far every year as to have so much withheld by the government just to guarantee that, come April, they'll get their own money back -- without interest. At least this group, however, has slightly more brainpower than the next: those who have to pay additional taxes. These dutiful citizens believe that an injustice has been cast down upon them. Big, bad government is out to get them all. Ever wonder who are the ones with the picket signs calling for the abolition of the Internal Revenue Service? It's this group of bright men and women. No, I don't think that you've paid enough already. Yes, someone must have the job of collecting other people's money to fund our nation's government and services. And yes, the government actually needs your 200 additional dollars. Believe me. I used to work at the IRS. But then, at the bottom of the totem pole, there's that segment of our fellow Americans who want to do things their own way. April 16, 2001 -- this year's tax deadline, adjusted for a Sunday -- didn't mean anything to many of them. Why file income taxes and tell the government that you've been working all year long? It's not like they can figure it out. Wrong again. It doesn't take more than common sense to know that the government keeps records about these types of things. Many more have seen the recent news about the desensitization of the IRS, and want to cash in. I'm sorry, but I'm sure that they'll catch your $36,000 deduction for a lump-sum donation to an educational charity. Try again next year. And then there exists those who will file for an extension and prolong the above torture. Masochists. With tax day now behind us, you'd think the government would move on and revisit this sore subject in a year's time. But not our President Bush. Riding on the momentum of his $900,000 earnings in 2000, Bush has decided that the government should give him some of his money back. He's introduced his new budget, that includes substantial tax cuts that he believes are in order. But how will Americans view this political move? Our on-time taxpaying friends will evaluate the plan in a careful manner and formulate an educated opinion. Our refund-searchers will call for increased social spending and giant refunds at the same time. Sorry, that's impossible. The taxpayers will see it as too little, too late. They don't understand why the government has to take any of their cash. And finally there's the cheaters and the scam artists. They think that they'll be getting money too, even though they never paid a dime. Idiots.
Looking for direction
(03/28/01 10:00am)
The Student Committee on Undergraduate Education is Penn's newest proud parent. The chief student academic organization has emerged once again from obscurity with its newest child -- a sweet bundle of ideas born of five years work. The tightly wrapped White Paper has now been passed on to University administrators. The document's fate, however, is far from known. I fear that as a student I will never hear of it again. Right now, a few key administrators have it on the edge of their desks, likely with a Post-it note reminding them to read it. I know I did. It took me two days after I secured a copy to read it. And I did so because I have a profound interest in the academic mission of this University -- because I'm a student, and because I have no idea what that mission is. What are the challenges facing Penn's student body? And who will address these concerns? SCUE is Penn's most active student academic organization. Their body meets regularly, its members sit on University committees and its steering committee works energetically to change policies. At the same time, however, the organization and its work is virtually unknown on College Green. This obscurity, however, is not uncommon when it comes to our academic institutions. Who holds the chief academic office at this University? And whose name appears on that door in College Hall? Only 32 percent of Penn students knew the answer -- Provost Robert Barchi -- when The Daily Pennsylvanian asked in May 2000. Barchi took over the post of provost in February 1999, boldly moving from his quiet Medical School office to a post which demanded an outspoken presence on virtually all matters concerning the University. Immediately, he responded to those demands, as he kicked off his term by engaging undergraduates in a number of discussions about their educational experiences at Penn. From the start, he noted his desire to "strengthen the academic infrastructure" within the University and create a "community of scholars." But since then, Barchi -- along with his counterpart in the president's office -- hasn't been the best at articulating his academic vision. That all seemed to change recently, however, with the creation of the Provost's Lecture Series and the Undergraduate Assembly's Fireside Chats. When I saw that the first chat was to deal with the academic vision of the University, I knew that I had to attend. What I expected to hear was our chief academic official explaining his mission for Penn students. And I further expected to hear students expressing the unfortunate viewpoint that Penn lacks the academic reputation of many of its Ivy League peers. I expected a large crowd of undergraduates at Houston Hall, anxious to know how the provost was going to solve the issues of technology in classrooms and what his plan was to foster community in impersonal college houses. What I got was a panel of students drilling their provost about individualized majors and community activism. I heard thoughts on why professors need to encourage the use of office hours. Worst of all, I found the UA showcasing only the fact that they finally figured out a way to get Barchi out of his office. And ironically, at a discussion dealing with academics, not a single member of SCUE was present. Give the provost and the UA a month, I said, and the second Fireside Chat would improve upon the failings of the first. At that meeting, the group spoke a great deal about stimulating academic discussion on a seemingly apathetic campus. They even proposed that the DP be used for this purpose. My response? Start creating dialogue and then you'll find students involved. And that means SCUE and Barchi need to start coming out the woodwork. If academics aren't to be discussed now -- with the Agenda for Excellence, Barchi's own focus on research initiatives and SCUE's White Paper all taking particularly timely and important places in the University's discourse -- when will they be? Students must make their own educations a focus as well, since even the best efforts of SCUE and the provost would go nowhere without active community involvement. So read the White Paper. And then let's have a series of discussions to advance those themes -- along with SCUE, the provost and the entire student body in full force. Only then can we change the face of learning at Penn.
Destroying the art that defined a culture
(03/07/01 10:00am)
There are many things in this world that can transcend the borders of individual nations. Music, religion and language, for instance, all bring distinct people together. Yet no concept or practice has more power to bridge cultural divides than art. The cultures of people around the globe have for centuries been manifested in art form. In the caves of Altamira, Spain, a nomadic people painted on cave walls hoping for protection and success in hunting. Christians have built towering Gothic cathedrals, indicative of the importance of God in their lives. Even Americans, in their short history, have erected architectural masterpieces in Monticello, Independence Hall and the buildings of Washington, D.C. Today, some of the world's most precious and priceless pieces of heritage are most being lost. Over the weekend, Afghanistan's Taliban militia destroyed two Buddhist statues believed to date back to the third century. The 125-foot and 174-foot sandstone figures of Buddha were carved into the side of a cliff overlooking the town of Bamiyan, in the country that was once considered a center of Buddhist pilgrimage and education. The statues are additionally unique in that they incorporate the ideals of both the Asian and European arts -- a rarity. An edict deeming the statues a violation of Islamic law was passed by Mullah Mohammed Omar -- the leader of Afghanistan's fundamentalist Taliban -- and approved by the legislative Shuria council. That edict set in motion the plans for destruction of the cultural symbols. The world community reacted in force with both Eastern and Western governments crying foul, as well as non-governmental organizations such as New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, which offered to salvage the wonders at their own expense. Their cause fell on deaf ears. Armed with missile launchers, the Taliban attacked the two pieces of art. On top of this, they destroyed countless pieces in museums across the country in a showing of brute force. Combined, the extent of the destruction is beyond estimation. The world is appalled, and rightly so, at the decisions by the ignorant leaders of the Taliban regime -- a government, mind you, that is only recognized by only three of the world's countries. The dictates of Omar offend because of his disrespect for universal heritage and culture. These pieces of art do not exist devoid of meaning to the modern viewer, but rather carry a centuries-old weight that express the sentiments, understandings and mores of the time in which they were created. Although from a different religion, Omar should have considered the fact that the land over which he rules -- many feel without mandate -- was not always the land that he sees before him. Bamiyan was once a flowering commercial center linking two continents and these two figures were a tribute to that past. Reports from Afghanistan indicate that the decision to destroy the sculptures by the Shuria council was not initially unanimous, but only passed because certain members of the body were upset that the United Nations was calling for Afghanistan to turn over suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden. The council even disregarded pleas from other Islamic governments, including Pakistan, a country it counts among its extremely short list of allies. When Iran proposed that it remove or pay for the removal of the figures, Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil indicated that Afghanistan "is not in the business of selling its cultural or architectural heritages." Apparently, it prefers to destroy them. Modern society approximates nothing that existed centuries ago. Mankind has learned lessons from its ancestors -- many of them from past artwork -- and will hopefully not need to encounter those same situations in the future. This is not cause, however, for us to destroy the images of the past. Especially when we disagree with what they stand for. The world will remember this weekend's episodes as one of its worst feats. And it springs forth from the fundamental misunderstanding of the concept of art. Do not mistake this message for a critique of the teachings of Islam, or other religions, against the use of idols. Some of the world's most precious keepsakes are not found in museums, nor in places where they have the recognition as such. But if the actions of the Taliban do not offend you inherently as a human being, imagine the combined destruction of the White House, the Western Wall and the banks of the Seine. Maybe then you will come to understand the true loss the world has faced.
A new tradition for new priorities
(02/07/01 10:00am)
Hey Day. Spring Fling. We should probably add one more Penn tradition to the lot -- resume drop. Tomorrow, hundreds of Penn students will log onto the Career Services Web site, hoping to see a list of companies appear, craving the chance to interview for that lucrative summer internship. Although this reality may fail to shock us, it highlights the astonishing findings of a recent annual survey of college freshmen around the country. The results of the 269,413-person study -- conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles -- warn of a shift of priorities away from political engagement and a focus on the world around us, and toward more inward-looking issues. Frighteningly, topping that list of introspective concerns is the desire to be financially well-off. When asked what reasons were important in deciding to go to college, 70 percent of the freshmen responded, "To be able to make more money," falling short only to two other criteria. In deciding upon a course of study, more men and women are majoring in business disciplines than in any other field. And when asked what objectives of higher education are viewed as essential or very important, only one response stands out with 73.4 percent in agreement -- "being very well off financially." So much for what Ben Franklin once hailed as the true goal of higher learning. The economic prosperity of the Clinton years seems to have produced a new generation of students unlike any of those before. College students in the 1960s and 1970s gave their energies to political rallies or social causes. And even the rise of Ronald Reagan and the capitalist spirit of the 1980s didn't cause such a concern for the bottom line as we see today. Despite this, I refuse to believe that a new collegiate class has emerged. We all love a buck or two. And we would all like to be financially secure at some point in our lives. The cause of this sudden change in viewpoint can be found in the very institutions that we attend. University and college tuition has risen to such astronomical levels that virtually all students, specifically those at top-tier schools like Penn, must pay more for one year of education than some elementary school teachers make over the same period. Students are forced to focus on monetary concerns, financial aid packages and job paychecks. Gone are the days when a free thinker can wander onto a campus to pursue the study of knowledge. Now we must endure accumulating debt that await us after graduation. No wonder freshmen start thinking about getting that high-paying job and accompanying signing bonus as soon as they get to campus. Other results of the survey report a lack of student involvement in political affairs, a number that generally spikes with election cycles. This year the level hit an all-time low, causing great concerns in many communities. At the same time, though, students have increased their support of gun control, shaped their opinions on the death penalty and become more liberal in many ways. To me, this indicates a level of activism much higher than the survey concludes. How then do we begin an even stronger discourse and spark debate? How can we replace some of the visions of dollar bills with those of insightful learning? The institutions of our society have begun to attach a pricetag to everything we do, including the pursuit an education. Let's try our best to tear the tag off. Princeton University recently announced that it will be dipping into its extremely successful endowment fund and passing along the benefits to the students. With $16 million headed for undergraduate financial aid, I applaud the fact that many Princeton students no longer must be significantly burdened with worries about tuition payments and living expenses. We're never going to get rid of the hopes and dreams of being rich. After all, it was only the third most popular reason for going to college. Thankfully, "To learn more about things that interest me" tops the list with 76.6 percent. Still, the statistic that scares me is that more freshman feel that the objective of higher education is to become well-off. Fortune may be the outcome of education but it should never be the objective. Academics are concerned over the recent findings of the study, and for good reason. I'm glad to see they're worried and hope changes to the system, like at Princeton, will be the result. But as students, we should be warned that should the desire to become learned not appear at the top of the college education objective list soon, we may become even more money-grubbing than we are now. Are you ready for resume drop 2002?
Our mission is to serve
(01/22/01 10:00am)
They said that in the year 2001, everything would change. But at this time every January since 1885, the incoming executive editor of this newspaper has introduced himself or herself on this page. And now, as The Daily Pennsylvanian enters its 117th year under a new team of leaders and a new vision for our future, I would like to do the same. Everyday, tens of thousands of members of our community read the DP and visit dailypennsylvanian.com. Thursdays bring 34th Street, our award-winning arts and entertainment magazine. And on Tuesdays The Weekly Pennsylvanian, a news digest, is mailed to parents and alumni around the country. This year, as in all those before, we will continue to pursue excellence. In all four of our publications, we strive for depth of coverage, accuracy of content and visual strength. In each of these areas, we pledge continued effort throughout the year. In order to grow as a news organization and to adapt to the needs of our readers, we are willing to change. Yet through that change, we will not forget the single most important factor in our century-long history -- you, our stakeholders. You are our readers, who browse our pages on a daily basis. You are our advertisers, who see the value in the services we provide. You are our online visitors, who come to us in cyberspace, seeking the latest news from the Penn and Philadelphia communities. From 9 a.m. -- when the doors of our office first open -- to 3 a.m. that night -- when we send the paper to our printer -- members of the DP's dedicated team pledge their energy and their time to deliver our publications. Our mission at the DP is to serve. Accordingly, we are ready to continue taking on the responsibilities that come with your readership. We understand that our media has significant power and that the printed word can be mighty. We will strive to use this force appropriately and we continue to invite your confidence. We pledge our dedication to the highest journalistic standards. Over the course of the coming year, there will be times that your confidence may waver. If we inadvertently err, we ask that you don't stop reading our pages. Instead, challenge us at our word and let us know where we have let you down. Our organization will only be strengthened by this interaction. And you will grow stronger as well by actively exercising your own voice. Today, the DP is entering another year of new leadership, and it does so as one of the best collegiate news organizations in the country. This success is due to the fact that many of you have crossed the line from reader to DP staff member. You have demanded the same quality and excellence as reporters, advertising reps, photographers and finance staff members that you have as readers. Many came because they felt journalism calling. Others wanted to run a $1.5 million corporation. But no matter the reasons, DPers now labor out of a desire to contribute to our community and to continue a tradition now 117 years in the making. I commend these people because they choose to participate -- they make a conscious choice to pick up their pens and act. In order to address the wide variety of issues in our community, we need a diverse group to help us serve you. To those of you who read our publications, we thank you for your trust and we promise to continue our daily tradition of bringing a broad spectrum of news to you quickly and comprehensively. And to those who are interested in becoming part of the history, we encourage you to join us. Become a writer, a designer, a credit representative, anything that suits you. Our organization is shaped by the people who come through its doors. And it is only with you that we can grow even further. The DPwill hold its informational meetings on January 23 at our offices at 4015 Walnut Street. Without you, we cannot continue our decades of success nor push forward to create new traditions. Tomorrow, come and visit our Pink Palace. I know that you will enjoy your stay.