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(11/27/96 10:00am)
Other students expressed anger over officials' response to the allegations. A first-year female Medical student accused a male classmate of acquaintance rape last week, filing a complaint with the Medical School on November 19. Vice Dean for Education Gail Morrison has initiated an internal investigation into the incident in accordance with the School's Policy of Governing Medical Student Academic Progress and Conduct. As of last night, the alleged victim had not chosen to file any criminal charges with University or Philadelphia Police, Medical School spokesperson Rebecca Harmon said, adding that allegations like this have "never happened before." During the past several days, Medical students have complained that the school's response to the incident was inadequate, said second-year Medical student Louis Littman, who serves as his class's co-chairperson in the Medical Student Government. "The perception was that the administration had been insensitive and wasn't doing anything," he added. "The reality was extremely different." To allay the concerns, Morrison held a meeting yesterday in Stemmler Hall's Dunlop Auditorium, which was attended by more than 400 Medical students, Littman added. He said the alleged victim announced her allegations and concerns about administrators' response at a meeting of the Women Medical Student Association on Monday to a crowd of about 100. After the meeting, the crowd held a 15-minute sit-in in the Medical School's main office in Stemmler Hall, Littman said. In response, Morrison announced she would hold the open meeting. "[The meeting] put an end to rumors and innuendos that can certainly develop and did in this instance," Harmon said. "It was quite fruitful in identifying? what the process is and its significance." But Littman said some students are still "really incensed." Whenever a student files charges within the Medical School, the parties involved first attempt to reach an informal resolution, Harmon explained. In this case, administrators have decided to pursue a full investigation into the charges, she added. "Given the seriousness of the allegation, we have stepped up our investigative efforts so that this issue may be resolved quickly and appropriately," Morrison said in a statement released yesterday. "However, we will continue to work within the guidelines of our established process to ensure the fair and responsible treatment of both individuals involved." Harmon said an internally-selected investigative officer will oversee the case, working with the two parties toward reaching a formal settlement. If that is impossible, a hearing panel made up of students and faculty will listen to both sides and make a recommendation to Morrison, who is ultimately responsible for the process and its resolution.
(11/06/96 10:00am)
The president stood up to an abusive stepfather at age 14, lost his first bid for gubernatorial reelection and more recently, faced many character attacks. Bill Clinton is no stranger to difficult times. Although the character-based attacks he faced in this year's campaign have sometimes hit hard, Clinton's childhood was no less onerous. Born William Jefferson Blythe IV on August 19, 1946, he never knew his father, who died in a car accident several months before his birth. For several years, he lived with his grandparents while his mother attended nursing school. And once his mother remarried -- to Roger Clinton, whose name the future president would assume -- Clinton had to stand up to an alcoholic, abusive stepfather. Highlighting his high school years, Clinton was elected as one of two delegates from Arkansas to Boys Nation -- a government study program for young people. There, he met former President John Kennedy in the White House's Rose Garden -- an event he has cited as inspirational. Clinton graduated from Georgetown University in 1968, then spent two years at Oxford University in England on a Rhodes Scholarship. Studying for a law degree at Yale University after his stint at Oxford, Clinton met and began dating Hillary Rodham. After graduating in 1973, Clinton began teaching at the University of Arkansas Law School. He and Rodham married on October 11, 1975. Chelsea was born five years later. Clinton's political career began in 1974, when he ran for a U.S. House of Representatives seat against Republican Rep. John Paul Hammerschmidt. Although expected to beat Clinton easily, the incumbent won with only 52 percent of the vote. The closeness of the race, however, earned him statewide attention and Clinton won the 1976 attorney general election -- without any Republican opposition. Two years later, Clinton became one of Arkansas's youngest governors, at age 32. In his first term as governor, Clinton focused on developing the state's resources -- a task that proved costly, forcing him to raise state taxes. He also alienated the lumber and paper-making industries with a pro-environment stance on clear-cutting trees in national forests. Clinton lost his reelection bid in 1980 to Republican Frank White. But the "comeback kid," as he was known after winning the Democratic nomination in 1992, quickly returned to the political scene, facing White again in 1982's gubernatorial election -- this time, emerging victorious. During his following four terms in office, Clinton focused on education, economic development and job creation. Clinton's original run for president began in October 1991. An early front-runner among the Democratic candidates, Clinton attempted to focus on domestic issues throughout his campaign. But in early 1992, Clinton's personal life grabbed headlines, and the candidate found himself constantly on the defense against character attacks. Throughout the primaries and into the general election, Clinton faced allegations of an extramarital affair with the now-infamous Gennifer Flowers and accusations of marijuana use and draft-dodging. But after attacking former President George Bush primarily on his economic record and campaigning on the theme of "putting people first," Clinton won the 1992 election with 43 percent of the popular vote and was inaugurated on January 20, 1993. During his first term, he faced difficulties in many of the domestic issues he tackled -- from health care reform to military policy on gays. Again on the personal front, the president dealt with surfacing charges about business dealings he and his wife had in Arkansas, especially a real estate venture called Whitewater. On the foreign policy front, Clinton ordered unpopular missions in Somalia and Bosnia, although he had more success in Haiti and the Middle East. In an election that many considered a mandate on Clinton's performance during his first two years in office, the Republican Party took over both the House of Representatives and the Senate in 1994. Since then, Clinton has clashed with Congress on many issues, including balancing the budget and welfare reform. The impasse over the budget led to a partial shutdown of the federal government. Throughout the 1996 campaign, Dole has focused his attacks on Clinton on trust, character and decisiveness.
(08/30/96 9:00am)
After years of searching and months of scientific and economic analysis, Executive Director of Physical Plant James Wargo finally found his gem -- a paver that can effectively replace the worn bluestones on Locust Walk. The central walkway of the University, along with several campus structures, has undergone major renovations this summer -- and they are continuing even as students return to campus. Beginning in June, the bluestones that line Locust Walk were replaced with bituminous paver. Wargo said installing the paver will cost half as much as installing new bluestones. Each three-by-four-foot block of bluestone costs $500, he explained. The project is scheduled to be completed by the beginning of winter. The other major project scheduled for completion this fall involves the transformation of the former Theta Xi fraternity house at 3643 Locust Walk into the Penn Women's Center. "The construction project was designed to be sympathetic to its historic character, yet it is not a restoration," Facilities Management Vice President Art Gravina said. "We paid special attention to color selection, porch replacement, windows and roof." Additions to the building include air conditioning, new electric service, additional lighting and a handicap ramp to make the first floor accessible to all. Gravina noted that the Women's Center's move from its offices in Houston Hall will allow "us to move forward with Perelman Quad." When the Women's Center move was originally announced, it came under some scrutiny from those who thought the center only catered to a small percentage of students. But Women's Center Director Elena DiLapi said she is thrilled because the move creates a presence of women at the center of campus. The Locust Walk project began because the current bluestones deteriorated only 10 years after the University installed them in 1977, with the expectation that the material would last 30 years. Wargo said the bluestone damage resulted from several influences. "Over the years, more and more vehicles were accessing the Walk for whatever reasons," Wargo said. "But that was a problem because Locust Walk was specifically made for walking." Also, the 1977 plans called for three-inch thick bluestone, but the University used stones that were approximately two inches because of "availability problems," Wargo said. The disappointing bluestone expenditure led the University on a 19-year search to find the best replacement for Locust Walk. Wargo visited quarries in several states for a solution. "I brought back samples that we performed tests on," Wargo explained. "We had University geologists do freeze-thaw simulations and tested what salt did to them." The search for the perfect rock ended when the University decided that bituminous paver was the best replacement. The paver from Hasting was placed on the 38th Street bridge five years ago and Wargo said the material is holding up well. Hasting paver is a coal product that is mostly composed of tar, but also has a mixture of various stones. "I learned a whole lot about stones and the University definitely made an informed choice," Wargo said. "I think the paver will save the University money in the long run and it will be maintainable." Bluestone will remain in certain sections of the campus, such as the Perelman Quadrangle and the Annenberg Center. According to Wargo, future vehicular traffic will be restricted on Locust Walk.
(08/08/96 9:00am)
while politics and world news may not be as exciting as the Olympics, they are just as important. After the pageantry of the Olympics, returning to regular programming on NBC is almost a letdown for many people, including me, this week. Millions of viewers tuned in to see Kerri Strug hop on one leg, Michael Johnson run like the wind and Amy Van Dyken swim her way to multiple golds. For two weeks, despite all the complaining about commercialism, NBC's coverage and Atlanta's transportation problems, nothing else mattered. I'd come home from work, and immediately flip on the television. Then my family and I would sit, completely enamored of the entire spectacle, for hours on end. Families across the country did the same thing. Now, all of that has come to an end. But now, I wonder, how many of those viewers who spent night after night cheering their favorites on, will tune into the main event in television coverage next week? How many even know that the Republican Convention is beginning in San Diego on Monday? How many, more importantly, care? It's incredible to me that for two weeks, Americans can be as patriotic as they come, shouting "Go USA" at their TV sets, while in the next few weeks, those very same people will have no or little interest in the future of the country they support so vigorously. It's ironic, in a way, that the Summer Olympics coincide with presidential election years. After all, no matter how much campaign stumping Bob Dole has done in the last two weeks, how many bills Congress was trying to pass or how many times President Bill Clinton was trying to act presidential in the hopes of getting votes, most American citizens could really care less since they have something supposedly more important to watch. Instead of choosing presidential candidates, they've been trying to decide which sport they like best: softball, diving, rowing or table tennis. Welfare reform? What's that? There's nothing wrong with putting life aside to get caught up in something like the Olympics, though it would be nice if people realized that life throughout the world went on even when athletes were gathering to participate in world competition. But now the Olympics are over. And sadly, I think many people -- way too many people -- are not going to pay any more attention to news, politics and the world around them now than they did during the Olympics, when what mattered most was who the Dream Team was going to beat next? November is only a few short months away and the presidential election is usually first shaped by the upcoming conventions. In 1992, President George Bush found himself in a deep quandary when Pat Buchanan angered many and offended others with his convention speech. President Clinton, however, showed himself to be a "new" candidate ready for change. Vice President Al Gore didn't even look as stiff during those few days. But for most Americans, the next important thing on television will be fall premieres of their favorite sitcoms. News-wise, the only piece of important information to many fans of the USA is whether Kerri Strug will give up her amateur status -- or maybe, just maybe, the results of the TWA Flight 800 investigation. Neither convention gets gavel to gavel coverage on a station like NBC -- you can only get that on CSPAN, or maybe CNN. And they aren't as exciting or invigorating as Johnson's 200 meter dash. But they're just as important -- if not more so -- to us as Americans. A quick look at The Daily Pennsylvanian or even, if you're brave, The Philadelphia Inquirer or The New York Times might help, even if you can no longer check the medal count list. Call me a political science nerd or just call me a journalist, but I know that I will be glued to my television set as Dole announces his running mate, and Clinton tries to salvage a presidency that's received such mixed reviews. They may not have the drama or tears of an Olympian's dreams, but the conventions and campaigning and debating will determine, at least in part, the direction our country will take in the next four years -- where we'll be when we are gearing up for the Olympics in Sydney. At least give it a flip of the remote. Then maybe stay there for a few minutes and watch. The Republican convention starts on Monday and the Democrats begin their hurrah on August 26. Stay tuned.
(12/14/95 10:00am)
As the winds of winter began to die down and the seasons started to change, reform was in the air in March. Controversy continued to surround The Red and Blue after the Student Activities Council denied the magazine funding in February. The Red and Blue obtained legal counsel and discussed the possibility of filing a lawsuit. But the issue resolved itself once SAC decided to change its funding criteria and later re-recognized The Red and Blue, taking the first step toward actually giving money to the publication. Also on the student government front, the Undergraduate Assembly spent March debating constitutional reform and preparing for elections, which occurred at the end of the month. Four referenda were placed on the UA ballot --Etwo asked for completely replacing the UA's constitution, while the other two involving electoral reform and the UA's power over the Social Planning and Events Committee. But all four failed when only 13.6 percent of eligible voters turned out to vote in the UA elections. A voter turnout of 20 percent was needed for the referenda to be binding. Also in March, the InterFraternity Council approved the reinstatement of Psi Upsilon, a fraternity that had occupied the Castle at 36th and Locust streets before being kicked off campus in 1990. Playboy magazine scoured the University looking for women to pose nude for its Women of the Ivy League Issue. Students celebrated an Ivy League champion men's basketball team for the third year in a row, but their ecstasy ended too quickly as the Quakers fell to the University of Alabama Crimson Tide in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, that was not the least of the University's troubles during March. College junior Justin Koppel was killed in a car accident during a spring break trip in Florida. Popular English professor Gregg Camfield was denied tenure by the University. The decision came in the face of a favorable recommendation from the English Department, and drew outrage from many students. And Chaplain Stanley Johnson announced his retirement after more than 30 years at the University. While Johnson was leaving the University, Coopers & Lybrand partner John Fry was coming in, as he became executive vice president. Elevator vandalism and the annual lottery for housing dominated the lives of students living on-campus. And the arrival of a Clinique counter in The Book Store was a big hit among all University students, no matter where they lived. Also during March, a Women's Center group called White Women Against Racism came under scrutiny when the group refused to allow a black woman to participate in its event. And rapper Sister Souljah spoke at a controversial "First Amendment and Rap" discussion late in the month.
(12/11/95 10:00am)
Throughout the semester, administrators have promoted four pilot programs that would present students with opportunities to learn outside the classroom and bring academics into their social and residential lives. But students and faculty members on the planning committees and in the focus groups for these programs have raised several concerns about them. Last year, when the University first initiated efforts to combine academics and residential life, administrators described the project as something that the University had never tried before. And last October, upon first announcing the 21st Century Project, University President Judith Rodin earmarked $1 million in funds for the pilot programs and other temporary initiatives geared toward improving undergraduate education. "We intend to use some of those funds for testing innovations," Rodin said at the time. "This is the moment in which we really need to think about the 21st century and the Penn undergraduate experience in the 21st century." Last spring, the Residential Faculty Council and the Provost's Council on Undergraduate Education proposed systems to accomplish Rodin's goals. They developed ideas such as "virtual colleges" and "collegiate clusters," which would include students on- and off-campus with common interests. The pilot programs, which are in different stages of the implementation process, are attempts to try out some of these ideas. The pilots are scheduled to be in place by next fall. The collegiate planning program, along with the entire 21st Century Project, will be permanently instituted in the fall of 1997. English Professor Robert Lucid, who chairs the collegiate planning effort, said earlier this fall that these programs have a "constituency that wants it, needs it and is waiting for it." And many students are saying the ideas behind the pilot programs are good ones. But some have noted that the pilots are similar to residential college houses and living and learning programs already in existence. For example, the Science and Technology pilot program bears much resemblance to the Science and Technology Wing based in Kings Court/English House. "I am just continuing the normal enhancement of STWing," the program's director, Jorge Santiago-Aviles, said recently. Earlier this fall, Lucid emphasized that the science and technology pilot will place a special emphasis on involving students who live off-campus. "We will use it as a base to reach out to Penn students in West Philadelphia," Lucid said at the time. "It is the project that will show us if we can link up what is now a broken link." But Santiago-Aviles, an electrical engineering professor, said he does not plan to focus on the off-campus community in his development of the Science and Technology pilot program. Instead, he said, he wants to keep a "sense of belonging and intimacy" in the program. Some say the Civic College House pilot program also overlaps with the currently existing Community Service Living-Learning Program. In response to those concerns, English Professor Peter Conn, who is directing the Civic College House project next year, is quick to point out the academic component of the new pilot -- which does not exist in the Castle. But College sophomore Elizabeth Theoharis said most Castle residents do take service-learning courses or other community service related classes because of their interest in the subject matter. The Center for Advanced Undergraduate Study and Exploration, also known as CAUSE, does not face that same issue, since currently there is no place on campus for students doing research to congregate. But CAUSE still does not have a definitive location and specific criteria for admission into the program have yet to be determined. The fourth pilot program -- known as the Writers House -- also does not have any precedent at the University. Although the premise for collegiate planning has always been combining academics and the residences, students and faculty will not be living in the Writers House, which will be located in the chaplain's former residence. Other issues involving the Writers House are still on the table, ranging from its relationship with the Philomathean Society to renovations that must be made to its location. Everyone directly associated with any of the four pilot programs has expressed nothing but positive sentiments and excitement about their efforts. But with many practical and theoretical issues still unresolved, administrators, faculty and students are very aware of the difficulties they may have to face. The programs could become extremely successful, serving as paradigms for the collegiate planning program's final product. But if the concerns and apparent contradictions raised thus far are not resolved soon, the administration may have to go back to the drawing board next year.
(12/07/95 10:00am)
The administration has consistently promoted combining academics and residence halls through its collegiate planning effort. But neither students nor faculty will live in the Writers House pilot program, intended to offer students literary and publishing opportunities. But those on the pilot's planning committee are hoping that the Writers House will feel like a home to those affiliated with it, especially since its planned location is the former residence of the University chaplain, at 3805 Locust Walk. One person may live in the house, serving as an advisor and coordinator of the project. The Writers House -- formerly known as the Hub -- will include a "writers' cafe" where those affiliated with the house can socialize or hold poetry readings and other events. The house will also contain meeting and classroom space, along with rooms specifically designated for desktop publishing and other computer work. According to English Undergraduate Chairperson Al Filreis, who is directing the pilot program, all campus publications have been invited to participate in the Writers House. Filreis stressed that the program will incorporate all types of writing, including fiction and non-fiction. University publication editors and writers would be able to hold meetings, collect submissions and even edit and lay out their magazines or newspapers within the confines of the House. Those who are not involved with specific writing-related University activities on campus can still be affiliated with the house, by attending poetry readings and participating in the program's other activities. College senior Elliott Witney said the activities will provide a way of "empowering" writers on campus, by making them feel they are part of a well-defined community. The planning committee hopes to attract outside writers and other lecturers to complement its internal programming. Data Communications and Computing Senior Network Specialist David Deifer, a member of the Writers House planning committee, said local writers will play an integral role in the program. "It gives students an opportunity to experience more of the literary culture of Philadelphia," said Deifer, who is managing the technological aspects of the program. "There would definitely be something added in the educational experience." In addition, the Writers House will contain one classroom that could be used for writing-related seminars. College senior Shawn Walker, who has coordinated many of the program's planning efforts, said she hopes to see "people who are interested in writing at any level or degree hanging out [at the house] to share their common interests and socialize." Currently, the Philomathean Society has some programming similar to proposed Writers House activities. Witney, the group's moderator, said he had some "concern that Philo's job is being taken over largely." "A lot of what Philo does could easily be done at this house," Witney said. "I don't necessarily think this is a problem. Whether both groups are working against or with each other, the community's going to benefit." Filreis said Philo and the Writers House will not overlap or conflict with one another. He noted that the two could actually work together in creating a complete schedule of writing events on campus. "They have programs and we are enabling programs to happen," he explained. Filreis said he also hopes to involve the other pilot programs -- which are focused on research, science and technology and community service -- with the work of the Writers House. Joining with these programs would allow the house to live up to its former name -- the Hub. The Writers House would work with the Civic College House in reaching out to West Philadelphia children. And its use of technology looks toward the Science and Technology Wing for inspiration. The former chaplain's residence will need to be renovated to serve effectively as the Writers House. "The most frustrating thing has been that there already is a space," Witney said. "The fact that we have the house is good and now we're trying to figure out what to do with it. It would work better if we could figure out what we want to do and then find a space that works." Facilities Management is planning to make major improvements to the house's electrical wiring and capacity, including the installation of an Ethernet network for computers. Many of the rooms and pieces of furniture also need basic repairs and painting, Physical Plant Director Jim Wargo said. Computers and furniture must be purchased for the house as well. The planning committee is also debating knocking down two walls to create a bigger space for the writers' cafe. The cost of these renovations has yet to be determined, Filreis said. Although the Writers House is currently only a pilot project without any definitive permanent future, Filreis said Facilities Management plans to go ahead with these renovations.
(12/06/95 10:00am)
In an attempt to lure prospective students, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions holds daily tours and information sessions. But now pre-freshman who want a more impartial sense of Penn life have another option. The Klass Report, a company developed by Christopher Klass, has created a series of videos, each focusing on a different college or university -- including Penn. Currently, the organization has produced 41 videos, geared toward students who want an objective view of a particular school. It is also helpful to those who are unable to visit the institution. Klass said he started the series because he had a negative college experience at Northeastern University. "It wasn't the school for me," he recalled. "I'd gone on the campus tour but the only person you speak to is the tour guide, who is biased. Had I had an unbiased way of finding out about the school, I would have made a different decision." Penn's half-hour-long video includes scenes on and off campus, student interviews and information about housing, safety and classes. Klass said the videos provide a balanced view of the institutions. "We have candid student interviews but we also don't slam these schools," he said. University Admissions Dean Lee Stetson said he had not heard of the program and had not dealt with any Klass Report staff members while they filmed on campus. At least one student who was interviewed, however, works in the Admissions Office and serves as a tour guide for the University. College junior Lina Panackal said she happened to be sitting near Van Pelt Library last spring when Klass Report staff members approached her to discuss security on the video. Panackal said her involvement with the Admissions Office was simply a coincidence. "I honestly had no idea what they were doing," she said. Klass said he plans to continue creating videos for schools throughout the country. He also hopes to update those videos already on the market. "Schools should not be afraid of us," he said. "Students will be able to feel comfortable to apply even if they live far away." The Klass Report can be purchased for $20 plus a $6 shipping and handling charge by calling 1-800-699-1330.
(12/04/95 10:00am)
The possibility that students could cause a university's entire e-mail system to crash is not all that far-fetched. And a student at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J., may have proven it. Federal Bureau of Investigation officials are accusing Monmouth junior Dominick LaScala of sending 24,000 e-mail messages to two Monmouth University administrators from a non-university account, crashing the university's system for five hours. Because he allegedly sent the messages from a non-university account, LaScala is being brought up on federal charges of using a computer to send data he knew would damage a system. He is also being charged with using a computer with reckless disregard and "computer-assisted revenge." The FBI became involved as soon as Monmouth received the massive influx of messages. FBI agents and Monmouth system operators tracked the messages to LaScala. LaScala's messages contained random text and were sent by an "e-mail bomb" program, which will automatically send repeated messages to a single account. Federal investigators traced the messages to Internet accounts in two states and to another Monmouth student's account, eventually leading them to LaScala. According to Penn Data Communications and Computing Services Executive Director Dan Updegrove, a similar incident could easily occur here. "It's quite possible for someone to do nasty stuff here," he said. "It isn't all that tough to write a program that sends repeated messages and the system is designed to accept messages from whoever sends them." Updegrove compared the incident with making thousands of photocopies of a flier -- a much more difficult, expensive and time-consuming endeavor. "It isn't that hard to send 10,000 copies of electronic mail," he added. "It's the power of a computer, and we have to deal with the occasional misbehavior." Noting that an incident like this is "one of the risks of doing academic business in an electronic world," Updegrove said universities generally have user-friendly e-mail systems. But this can lead to security lapses, he said. "It's unfortunate to make systems harder to use because a couple of people misbehave," he added. Depending on how fast the messages are sent and the capacity of the system's storage disk, an e-mail bomb could either cause a slowdown in the system or a complete overload, Updegrove said. "It might be different depending on which system at Penn crashed, or if it were multiple systems, but all the major systems have backups," Updegrove said. "I doubt it would take five hours to restore." But Updegrove stressed that people who try to destroy the system can often be easily traced. According to Updegrove, the Monmouth student's prank would be classified as a violation of the "policy on ethical behavior with respect to the electronic information environment" at Penn. While Monmouth administrators are still debating whether LaScala will face internal disciplinary charges, he faces six years in prison and a $350,000 fine if convicted on the federal charges. Updegrove said that if LaScala, or any other student who committed these violations, used an internal school-based account, the case would most likely be handled internally. "It doesn't go without saying that a misbehavior within the institution wouldn't be brought to external authorities," he said. "But it's more likely it would be handled internally." LaScala's university computer privileges had previously been suspended because he posted commercial messages on inappropriate parts of the Internet.
(11/30/95 10:00am)
Murphy brought loaded gun to class in Steinberg-Dietrich Former Wharton evening student Douglas Murphy, who was caught in class with a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol last April, was convicted Tuesday of violating Pennsylvania's Uniform Firearms Act, along with 10 other charges. Murphy was also convicted of various counts of harassment, ethnic intimidation, simple assault, terroristic threats, stalking and recklessly endangering another person. Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Harvey Robbins presided over the two-hour trial and sentenced Murphy to three-and-a-half years of probation, along with an evaluation focusing on drug and alcohol use. Murphy's attorney, Donald Marino, has already filed an appeal in Philadelphia's Court of Common Pleas. Murphy is also facing possible disciplinary action by the University. Student Dispute Resolution Center Acting Director Michele Goldfarb said she could not comment on the University's involvement with Murphy's case. But Victim Support and Special Services Director Maureen Rush said the University's judicial proceedings will not continue while the appeal is being processed. During Tuesday's Municipal Court trial, complainant Michael Sanford, a former Penn student, testified about three separate confrontations with Murphy, Assistant District Attorney Nate Andrisani said. The first two arguments between Murphy and Sanford culminated in the April 11 incident, when Murphy was found in possession of a loaded gun during a night class held in Steinberg-Dietrich Hall, Andrisani said. Murphy sat right behind Sanford when he had the gun in class, Andrisani said, alluding to a relationship between Murphy's weapon possession and Sanford's presence in the class. But according to Defense Attorney Donald Marino, the incident involving the gun had nothing to do with Sanford. Murphy testified that he had been doing business in a bad neighborhood of Philadelphia before class, and felt the need to bring a gun for protection. Since Murphy did not want to leave his gun in his car, he kept it in his jacket pocket when he went to class, Marino said. A student saw the gun and the police were called to the scene. University Police Sgt. Tom Rambo and officer Michael Sylvester, both of whom testified at the trial, arrived at the scene and arrested Murphy. Wharton evening student William Ruane, Murphy's classmate, also testified about the incident. University Police Capt. John Richardson said the most important issue in this case is that Murphy violated University policy regarding guns. "If he felt that wherever he was, it was necessary for him to carry a weapon, fine," Richardson said. "However, when he came back into this community, that was a violation of the rules of this University," The University's Policies and Procedures manual prohibits "the possession of dangerous articles (such as firearms, explosive materials, etc.) on University property." During the first confrontation between Murphy and Sanford, Andrisani said Murphy punched the complainant approximately seven times. But Marino is quick to point out that no official report was filed afterward and Sanford did not seek medical attention as a result of the alleged incident. Andrisani said Murphy also directed ethnic slurs at Sanford. "The evidence presented was that the defendant on more than one occasion referred to the complainant as a 'Jew bastard,' " Andrisani said. "It was coupled with a violent attack and that's where the ethnic intimidation came in." But Marino said he thought many of the charges, including those of ethnic intimidation, were not valid. "I think the ethnic intimidation and stalking and terroristic threats should not have been sustained," Marino said. "If some fair judge would just take a look at what happened here, I think he or she would come to a reasonable conclusion which we could all live with. "Some small period of non-reporting probation would be more than enough," he added. "[Murphy] has said he was wrong and he is sorry." Both attorneys said they found the incident upsetting. "It's odd and scary that something like this could happen, that it could cross into ethnic slurs and that it would involve violence and carrying a gun," Andrisani said. Murphy is currently not attending classes at the University, and Marino said he does not expect him to ever return to Wharton. "The Wharton School meant everything to him," Marino said. "It's something that should have never happened." Goldfarb said she felt the case was presented "confidently and professionally" by the District Attorney's Office. "It appeared from his reaction that the judge took it very seriously," she said, adding that during his sentencing, the judge said Murphy and the situation worried him. "We also take cases of this nature very seriously," Goldfarb added. Daily Pennsylvanian reporter Josh Fineman contributed to this article.
(11/29/95 10:00am)
The InterFraternity Council elected College junior Josh Gottheimer as its new president at a closed meeting last night. He will begin his term in January, replacing current IFC President and College senior David Treat. Gottheimer, an Alpha Epsilon Pi brother who served as IFC judicial manager this year, promised that under his leadership the IFC board would be "incredibly aggressive." "The administration will hear us loud and clear," he said. "We'll show that the Greeks are here and here to stay." Gottheimer's largest project involves developing and publicizing a proposal that would redefine the Greek system's role within the University. He added that he hopes University President Judith Rodin will consider the proposal when planning and developing the 21st Century Project during the upcoming year. Gottheimer said he also wants the IFC to emphasize community service, Greek mentoring programs and other "positive activity" during the upcoming year. He said the Greek system must also play a major role in keeping undergraduate social life on campus. A former member of the Undergraduate Assembly, Gottheimer said he hopes to hold more University- wide parties such as the "Breaking Down the Walls" event last month. Also at last night's meeting, Wharton juniors Tim Lash and Nick Lemen were elected the IFC's executive vice president and vice president for rush, respectively. College sophomore Matt Baker was elected to secretary and College junior Matt Veneri will serve as treasurer. College junior Dave Lewis will be the IFC judicial manager and Wharton sophomore Charles Margosian will fill the member-at-large position.
(11/29/95 10:00am)
Students who plan to study in High Rise North's rooftop lounge during the next several weeks will be greeted with damage and repair work, thanks to vandals who attacked the lounge during Thanksgiving break. And repairs to the lounge could cost up to $10,000, according to University officials. An Allied security guard discovered a broken window and damaged furniture in the lounge Saturday night while making his regular rounds, Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone said yesterday. There are no suspects and no one has been apprehended in the incident. The case has been turned over to University Police, Simeone said. Several sofas and chairs had "deep gash marks" in their cushions, ruining the upholstery and the cushions themselves, Simeone said. Two tables were also damaged -- one had a missing leg and the other "looked like someone had jumped on it," Simeone added. The window replacement itself could cost anywhere from $3,500 to $8,000, depending on how the glass is installed, Residential Maintenance Associate Director Al Zuino said. Residential Maintenance officials have contacted a glass contractor, who has yet to determine whether the repair will be done from the interior or the exterior of the building, Zuino said. That decision will be made early next week. The missing window has been boarded up in the interim. Replacing and repairing the furniture could cost an additional $1,000 to $2,000. "It ended up being a very, very expensive proposition," Simeone said. The repairs -- especially those involving the window replacement -- could take several weeks to schedule, Zuino said. Simeone said the vandals were able to get away with ransacking the lounge because of the low occupancy during the Thanksgiving weekend. "One could probably make the assumption that this kind of thing might be more likely to happen when there were fewer people around," she added. "But we feel we need to leave the residences open to accommodate student need." Many students who live far away from the University stay on campus for the four-day break, so closing dorms is not a real option during the shorter vacations, Simeone explained. The possibility of closing facilities such as the rooftop lounges during vacations has been considered, but is not feasible physically or financially, Simeone said. "It is a shame for students here over break periods to have facilities closed off," she added. Increased patrolling is also not the solution, Simeone said. "We can't be in every place at every moment," she said. Although Simeone was quick to point out that the severity of this event is rare and extreme, she noted that the vandalism was only the most recent act in an ongoing problem. "I think it is a real sign of disrespect toward other students," she said. "It is extremely hard for me to comprehend what would drive someone to do something like this." Simeone urged anyone who has any information to contact their resident advisor or the Residential Living department.
(11/28/95 10:00am)
When English Professor Robert Lucid, who chairs the collegiate planning board, announced the development of four collegiate planning pilot programs, he said they would be unlike anything the University had ever seen. But one of the pilots is simply a continuation of a program currently in operation. The program oriented toward science and technology is little more than an extension of the Science and Technology Wing based in King's Court/English House, according to the program's committee chairperson, Jorge Santiago-Aviles, an electrical engineering professor. For five years, students have had the option of living in an environment focused on science and technology -- either as freshmen in King's Court/English House or as upperclassmen clustered together in the high rises. Next year that program, known as Science and Technology Wing, will serve as one of the four pilot programs for the University's collegiate planning project. It will not differ in any way from the wing's current format. "I am just continuing the normal enhancing of STWing," said Santiago-Aviles. The wing currently offers programs, dinner discussions and events involving the Internet, various sciences and other technology-related issues. And in its current format, the program has been popular among students. After starting with 12 students five years ago, the wing has grown to include 150 undergraduates. When the pilot programs were first announced in September, Lucid said the science and technology program would reach out to students living off campus as well. "It is the program that will show us if we can link up what is now a broken link," he said at the time. But Santiago-Aviles said he is not planning to target that audience next year. "Right now, we're trying to have a self-assessment of STWing," he said. "We're trying to understand what motivates [students] to invest so much energy and so much of their time in this sort of endeavor." To do that, members of the wing developed statements on the program's philosophy, history and ambitions for administrators. Santiago-Aviles added that the program could only be expanded to an extent, since the students involved wanted to keep a "sense of belonging and intimacy" within the group. Engineering and Wharton senior Eric Fitzpatrick, who has been part of the program since his freshman year, said he saw a problem with involving many off-campus students in the program. "So far, the off-campus thing has been sketchy," he said. "We've tried, but people who live off campus come on for the day and then go back off. And a lot aren't on meal plan and we eat together." The only real change that could occur in the wing would affect the residential location of its upperclass program. Next year, upperclassmen involved in the program may live in the graduate towers in order to be in close proximity to the freshmen. The graduate towers were also considered as a possible site for the Civic College House, a community service-related pilot program. But students on the Civic College House committee vetoed the idea because they did not want undergraduates living in a building of graduate students. Santiago-Aviles said he did not think that would be a problem for his program. "As long as they preserve their sense of unity and identity, I don't think it would be a great disturbance," he said. "But it's still being evaluated." Fitzpatrick brought up several problems with the graduate towers, including the fact that they are not currently wired for ResNet. University administrators have told Science and Technology Wing members that the graduate towers are scheduled to be wired over the summer, Fitzpatrick said. But College junior Kushol Gupta, a member of the wing, said he did not envision upperclassmen from the wing moving into the graduate towers next year. Gupta said that besides ResNet, price and atmosphere are issues that may deter the Science and Technology Wing from moving into the graduate towers. "STWing has a very social atmosphere and grad towers [have] a reputation for being anti-undergraduate and isolated," Gupta said. He added that rent in the graduate towers is more expensive than in the high rises. The wing's student-run organizational council, called the Continuum, will work with Santiago-Aviles and Lucid on future Science and Technology Wing pilot program plans.
(11/21/95 10:00am)
Prof overcomes first obstacle in reapplying for tenure English Professor Gregg Camfield has received a second chance. The English Department tenured faculty voted by secret ballot in favor of resubmitting Camfield's tenure case to the School of Arts of Sciences Personnel Committee, English Department Chairperson Wendy Steiner said last night. The faculty members have had the past week to decide and vote on the matter. Voting ended at 5 p.m. yesterday. Steiner said she could not reveal the final vote tally. "More than half the department indicated that there was new information?that needed to be taken into account," Steiner said. Issues of teaching, scholarship and citizenship are key in the tenure process, she added. According to Camfield, the most important new information comes in the form of his recently signed third book contract. "They solicited it from me [and] came to me with the possibility," Camfield said. "That's the biggest piece of evidence in terms of my scholarship." Besides the book, which will be about Mark Twain, Camfield said he has also written several smaller papers since his tenure was denied last spring. In addition, Camfield said he has attended several conferences that have allowed him to increase his visibility. Student support has also contributed to Camfield's case. Last spring's denial of Camfield's tenure was met with an outpouring of anger and dismay on the part of his students and the English Undergraduate Advisory Board. This fall, when the English Department began deciding whether or not to reopen Camfield's case, the UAB and the Undergraduate Assembly released statements advocating the case's resubmission. Students said last night they were pleased with department's decision, but they expressed reservations regarding the case's future. "It's a very long journey and we need to keep our eyes on the prize," College junior Alex Edelman said. Edelman, a UAB member, added that he feels "hopeful" about Camfield's future with the University. "It's comforting that at least the department still believes in him," he said. "It keeps momentum going." College senior and UAB member Ellona Wilner said she is "ecstatic" about the department's decision. "He's just above and beyond in terms of his duty to undergraduates," said Wilner, who has had Camfield as a professor and adviser. "He makes you feel like you're a worthwhile part of his routine -- no matter what you're doing with him." According to Steiner, the tenured faculty handled the decision with "great care and great concern for all the issues involved." "A lot of soul-searching and professionalism comes out strongly in these things," she said. English Professor Robert Lucid said he was also pleased with the outcome of the tenured faculty vote. "I think that's very fine," Lucid said. But Camfield was quick to point out that this vote is only the beginning of a long battle. According to Steiner, the entire process could take "months and months."
(11/21/95 10:00am)
Four Cornell University freshmen wrote an e-mail entitled "75 reasons why women should not have freedom of speech" last month. They sent the list -- which they said was intended to be a joke -- to 20 of their friends, who then passed it on to many other people throughout the United States and Canada. Cornell officials debated citing the students under the school's Code of Conduct, but decided that the freshmen did not violate the code, especially given their rights to freedom of speech. Instead, the four students will have to do 50 hours of community service, attend a "Sex at 7:00" health education program and apologize personally to a group of senior Cornell administrators. But Penn Data Communications and Computing Services Executive Director Dan Updegrove said he was surprised the students received any punishment at all. "It's hard for me to imagine taking any action at all against the authors," he said yesterday. "We have seen some cases that are substantially more egregious that have been judged to be free speech." The e-mail included lines such as "If she can't speak, she can't cry rape" and "Of course, if she can't speak, she can't say 'no.' " According to a statement released by Cornell Judicial Administrator Barbara Krause, her office received "many complaints" about the e-mail message. She added, however, that since Cornell does not have "a hate speech code," the students could only be prosecuted under the Code of Conduct if they engaged in sexual harassment or misused computer resources. Neither situation was proven in this case, according to Krause. "Although I do not find a violation of the Campus Code of Conduct based upon the facts in this case, the students themselves recognize that they have caused great anger and hurt to many people," Krause said in the statement. "They deeply regret their actions and want to begin the process of restoring their reputations and the community's confidence in them." The four students wrote a letter of apology published in the Cornell Daily Sun, Cornell's student newspaper. In the letter, the students said they "had no idea that [they] were really being taken seriously and seriously offending people." "We are not trying to blame anything on society, we just wish to convey to you that we never meant any of the things we wrote," they wrote. "All we can do is take responsibility for our stupid actions, and hope that everyone who reads our list and this can have an open mind and accept our deepest apology." Updegrove said no policy is currently in place for dealing with controversial and offensive e-mail at the University. "I think that most university administrators agree that the solution to speech is more speech," Updegrove added."If no one ever said anything, e-mailed anything or posted anything that they thought might offend any part of the population, there wouldn't be a whole lot of discourse."
(11/15/95 10:00am)
Many of this year's early decision applicants knew about the University because of the increased publicity it has received in the last year. And some were impressed by the University's high standing in the U.S. News and World Report college rankings released in September. The University placed 11th -- its highest ranking ever. But prospective freshmen should not take those and other similar reports as fact, according to University administrators. When the rankings came out, Admissions Dean Lee Stetson said they were flawed. "The fact that a school like Johns Hopkins can go from 22 to 10 shows that the method is flawed," Stetson said at the time. "Institutions inherently don't change that quickly." And Assistant Vice President for Planning Susan Shaman, who analyzes the methods and results of surveys like U.S. News and World Report, said much significance should not be placed on the rankings. Shaman oversees the University's institutional research department, which compiles information for the various magazines, college handbooks and other publications that rank and analyze colleges and universities. The department also studies the surveys that the University receives from those publications and the results themselves. And from the work of the four-person institutional research staff, Shaman has been able to understand the significance of the rankings and what they mean to the University. "They are important because they shape public opinion about institutions," Shaman said. "As a result, it is really important that we, as an institution, be considered up there among the top schools in the nation." But Shaman added that the surveys are often very arbitrary, emphasizing different aspects of the institutions that may seem unimportant to the research staff. Each spring, U.S. News and World Report sends out a survey to be completed by every president, provost and dean of admissions of institutions throughout the country. Shaman said some administrators do not express honest opinions on those surveys, putting their institutions higher than they should, or placing every other college or university extremely low on the list. "There are some institutions that don't put Penn in the top quarter," Shaman said. "They also don't put Harvard or Yale or Stanford [there]. It's that absurd. "I have to assume that our president, provost and admissions dean would not purposely rank our competition low," she added. Each school also must fill out a data sheet, which requires statistics in categories such as student selectivity, retention rate and alumni satisfaction. Every year, however, the percentage that each category counts in determining a school's final ranking changes. And many of the categories are questionable or subjective, Shaman added. Alumni satisfaction, for instance, is solely based on monetary contributions. And when analyzing student-faculty ratios, each publication has different cut-off points as to what is favorable and what is not. In some instances, the University will submit different quantitative or qualitative information than that found in the official documentation it provides. The researchers will footnote those passages, explaining where the discrepancy occurred, Shaman said. Often, researchers will contact those who put the rankings together to make clarifications or to lobby them to change the percentage breakdown of categories -- or the survey itself. Since the rankings are arbitrary, Shaman said each school's standing fluctuates from year to year. Depending on what is emphasized in a given survey, the University could be in the top 10 or much lower than that, she added. "There's no reason to think we shouldn't be in the top 10," Shaman said. "But if we fell to 16th or 18th because of something structural in the change in the survey, I wouldn't be altogether shocked -- just disappointed."
(11/15/95 10:00am)
Since 1991, students with a strong interest in community service have had the opportunity to live in the Castle at 36th Street and Locust Walk. But beginning next year, the Castle -- which houses the Community Service Living and Learning Program -- will no longer be the only option. As part of the University's collegiate planning efforts, four pilot programs will be launched next year that will combine academics and residences. As one of these pilot programs, the Civic College House will allow students interested in taking community service-oriented courses to live on a specifically designated floor of High Rise East. The Civic College House will differ from the Castle in that it will require those living in the pilot residence to take one course per semester that is related to service-learning or the community, according to English Professor Peter Conn, who is leading the Civic College House sub-committee of the collegiate planning board. More than 30 courses are applicable to the program, according to former Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson, who is serving as a consultant to the collegiate planning board. Some of these classes are categorized as "service-learning" courses. Others, including some in the Urban Studies Department, relate to community affairs. A "high degree of interaction" is expected to take place between the Civic College House and the Castle, Conn said. But the Civic College House and the Castle will not really overlap because many Castle residents may not be interested in the academic requirement involved. Those who live in the Castle, however, say that the vast majority of residents do take community service-related classes. "We don't have to take classes, but it becomes somewhat similar in that most of us are taking classes that are Urban Studies or service-learning," College sophomore Elizabeth Theoharis said. Theoharis also said that the Castle residents who do not take those courses often cannot fit them into their schedules. But English Professor Robert Lucid, who chairs the collegiate planning board, said the major difference between the Civic College House and the Castle is that the latter "specifically rejects" the idea of having a curricular requirement. Matt Sipple, the resident program director, said the college house would simply "replace the service requirement [in the Castle] with an academic one." "I think they could definitely co-exist," Sipple added. He disagreed with Theoharis about Castle residents' interest in the academic component. "The Castle attracts people not interested in doing [community-related] academic work," said Sipple, a first-year history graduate student. He added that if Psi Upsilon -- a fraternity that was kicked out of the Castle in 1990 -- were to recolonize and take over the Castle again, the Civic College House would become even more necessary. Some have argued that the current college houses and other existing programs like the Castle should serve as the models the administration needs -- instead of the four pilot programs being proposed. Theoharis said the Castle itself could serve as a model to the collegiate planning board. "The Castle is a good example of how such a program or community would work," she said. Although faculty members will be active in the program through the classes they teach, there will be no faculty-in-residence next year. Instead, Conn said there will be a faculty member in charge of the program, who will serve as an advisor and leader. Although he would not specify who that professor might be, Conn said that it would definitely not be him. "I think the ideal model for a program like this would include a residential faculty member," he explained. "Students and faculty will compete to participate in this exciting and innovative program in new and productive ways." Originally the Civic College House was slated to fill a floor of the Graduate Towers. After seriously considering this option, however, the sub-committee decided against it, especially since undergraduates expressed concern that their peers would not want to live in a graduate environment.
(11/13/95 10:00am)
As the English Department faculty prepares to discuss English Professor Gregg Camfield's tenure case once again today, another professor is hoping that his tenure case will be reopened as well. Geology Professor George Boyajian, who was denied tenure just weeks before Camfield last spring, is attempting to improve and expand his portfolio to give his department enough evidence to resubmit his case. Boyajian, like Camfield, is beloved among his students and colleagues. By denying him tenure, the School of Arts and Sciences Personnel Committee rejected a unanimous recommendation from the tenured faculty of the Geology Department. "The department has been very supportive and very encouraging to me," Boyajian said. "The department is not the problem." The professor added that his students have also written letters and protested the decision. "But that's not the issue in this situation," Boyajian said. He said anything from his credentials to quotas could be at the root of the personnel committee's decision. At this point, the department is delaying its discussion of the case until Boyajian's improved portfolio is completed. "We want to delay as long as possible so my file is as strong as possible," Boyajian said. "There is substantial work that has finally come to fruition." He added that he received positive reaction when he presented his papers at a conference in New Orleans last week. "We'll have to wait and see what happens," he said. "I'd like to stay at Penn and I've been working long and hard for this but it's out of my hands." There is no specific timetable as to when Boyajian's case will come up for review again by his department. But Camfield's case is already at the top of the English tenured faculty's agenda. Last week, the group discussed the case and decided to wait until today's meeting to complete its analysis. According to English Professor Robert Lucid, the faculty needs to "come up with a sufficiently stronger and better case than the one we have already submitted and had rejected" in order to even resubmit it to the personnel committee. Lucid said student input is very important to Camfield's tenure case, especially since the case has been so strong. Both the English Undergraduate Advisory Board and the Undergraduate Assembly have issued statements advocating the resubmission of Camfield's case.
(11/09/95 10:00am)
Yesterday marked the second time the Faculty Senate Executive Committee gathered to discuss the student judicial charter. And like its last meeting, the group did not pass any resolutions or come to any firm conclusions. Provost Stanley Chodorow attended most of the meeting to hear feedback on the charter from the senate members. Senate Past Chairperson David Hildebrand, a statistics professor, said the idea of passing a resolution was not even considered. He added that the meeting was "as thoughtful and hard-working as one could hope for." At its October meeting, SEC formed a three-person subcommittee to evaluate the issues and come to the body with recommendations. Now that same subcommittee -- made up of Political Science Professor Will Harris, Radiology Professor David Hackney and Microbiology Professor Helen Davies -- will work with Provost Stanley Chodorow to iron out "the few remaining unresolved areas," Hildebrand said. With Chodorow's help, the committee will write up a report on its findings. That report will be considered in the drafting of the next version of the charter, Senate Chairperson William Kissick said. "There are some issues that still aren't resolved but we're getting there," Hildebrand added. SEC member Larry Gross said he did not think yesterday's meeting resolved any issues. But he added that the subcommittee made "significant progress" since SEC's last meeting. "What is emerging seemed to me to be a big improvement over the earlier drafts we had seen," said Gross, a communications professor. "Certainly the provost seemed to be really responsive." Issues on the table range from the role of the advisor -- and who that advisor should be -- to whether the provost should have the power to increase the severity of a sanction imposed by the hearing board. Despite the lack of a conclusion at the meeting, SEC "behaved responsibly," according to Kissick, a Medical School professor. "SEC addressed the issue and did their homework," Kissick said. "The discussion was open and frank, there was no animosity and there was a respect for everybody's position." Many SEC members lauded the subcommittee, saying its members analyzed the issues thoroughly and fulfilled its mission properly. Although Chodorow was unavailable for comment, Hildebrand said the provost probably would not predict a date of completion for the charter. "I think on this one he's got a fairly severe allergy to timetables," Hildebrand said. Since the ultimate decisions reside with the provost, Chodorow must make final revisions to the charter. It will then be sent to the four undergraduate schools for approval. The Faculty Senate, as a body, is not planning on discussing the issue any further, Hildebrand said.
(11/08/95 10:00am)
Technically, Colin Powell was not making a campaign stop yesterday when he spoke before thousands at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City. But with his rhetoric and gestures, the former chairperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff acted no differently than a presidential candidate. Powell served as the keynote speaker of a week-long conference of the American Society of Travel Agents. And although he has not yet committed to a 1996 run for the presidency, Powell spent much of his half-hour speech focusing on his past experiences in leadership and his vision of the future. "I know that there is a role for each and every one of us to play," Powell said. "I am searching for the role I should play." Powell said President Bill Clinton and the Democratic Party took over when people were looking for a change. But that change did not come, he explained. "Two years later, that party was not giving the American people what they wanted," Powell said, adding that the election of a Republican Congress was the public's response to Clinton's presidency. "At the end of that process, we are beginning a new journey into a new government," Powell said. Although Powell voiced support for the basic tenets of the Contract for America, he added that he did not want to see "less service" become the cost for "less government." In his speech, Powell displayed marked contrast to his traditionally stoic image, interspersing humor with more serious commentary. Powell first spoke seriously about the need for Fidel Castro to leave Cuba in order to achieve democracy in the country. He then quipped that during Castro's recent visit to New York, he wished someone had brought the Cuban leader to a publisher who would "offer him a book contract." "Trust me, I know," said Powell, who has just completed his own book tour. "He'll be gone in a week." Powell also joked about the first night of the Persian Gulf War. When he received a favorable report from General Norman Schwarzkopf, Powell said he had refused to trust it, turning instead to CNN "to see what was really going on." "[The public was] watching CNN, so that helped me to handle what was happening at home," he added on a more serious note. On the international front, Powell discussed the degree of change that various regions of the world have seen in recent history. On growing up in an age obsessed with Communism, Powell said he had difficulty accepting the possibility that the Cold War could end. He explained that he faced the same situation when apartheid ended in South Africa. He also paid tribute to slain Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated last weekend. "We lost a great citizen of the world," Powell said, adding that he believes the peace process will proceed. Powell briefly discussed his memoirs -- entitled My American Journey. He emphasized that the personal stories in the book meant more to him than the political incidents and leaders he discussed. "The story is the America which made it possible for a young, ordinary black youngster?to move up," said Powell, who has recently been criticized by GOP leaders for his advocacy of affirmative action. Powell stressed the importance of family -- both personally and nationally. The American people, he said, should come together and form a similar familial structure. "Keep believing with all your heart and soul in this great land, this great place which we are proud to call America," Powell said in a conclusion that resembled Clinton's campaign focus on a "place called Hope." Before speaking to the American Society of Travel Agents delegates, Powell attended a private gathering at the University Museum. American Express sponsored both events. According to the Associated Press, Powell was originally scheduled to speak at a small Missouri college. He canceled, however, saying he needed time to mull over his presidential candidacy decision. Yet Powell accepted American Express' invitation to speak in Philadelphia yesterday, receiving an undisclosed speaking fee that could be as high as $50,000, the AP said.
