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(06/30/95 9:00am)
Moravian Academy '93 Allentown, Pa. The University's Board of Trustees approved a 5.5 percent increase in tuition and fees for undergraduate students at its annual budget briefing in March. The jump, which is the lowest percentage increase in more than 20 years, raises the total cost of undergraduate tuition and fees from $18,856 for the 1994-95 academic year to $19,898 for 1995-96. University President Judith Rodin said the total proposed cost increase for undergraduates is only four percent, because neither Residential Living nor Dining Services charges will go up. The average total cost to undergraduates -- which includes tuition, mandatory fees, plus room and board -- will be $26,864 for the upcoming academic year. Vice President for Finance Stephen Golding said the University's Board of Trustees requested lower tuition hikes several years ago. "The Trustees have mandated that we have a declining rate of increase in our tuition, and we have tried to honor that for the last five to six years now," Golding said. He added that the University also has to consider declining or stagnant revenues from other sources of funding in determining tuition increases. "We're trying to decrease our overall rate of tuition [increases], but we're doing it with an eye toward the other revenues, which are not growing at the rates at which they grew a few years ago," Golding said. He pointed to potential cutbacks in federal indirect cost recoveries and static state funding as examples of such sources of funding. For the 1994-95 academic year, the University was the fourth most expensive school in the Ivy League, when all costs were taken into account. The University's 5.7 percent increase in tuition and mandatory fees for 1994-95 was on par with increases across the Ivy League, which saw an average tuition and fee hike of 5.8 percent. Acting Budget Director Ben Hoyle said the University would like to get the rate of growth in unrestricted funds -- donated money that the University can use for any purpose -- in line with increases in tuition and fees. He also wants more of the funding for financial aid to come from the University's endowment. "The faster the unrestricted fund grows, the less the University has to invest in other services," Hoyle said. Approximately $43 million of the total financial aid grant of $47.1 million comes from unrestricted funds, the main source of which is tuition, Hoyle said. This money is given primarily in the form of direct grants from the University to financially needy students, Hoyle said. The majority of financial aid comes from Penn Grant funds, he said. University-wide revenues are expected to rise by 4.7 percent for fiscal 1996, Hoyle said, despite the fact that the incoming Class of 1999 is expected to have 50 fewer students than the current freshman class. The reduction in class size has been mandated by the Trustees due to concern over the University's student-faculty ratio, which is higher than that of peer institutions.
(06/30/95 9:00am)
Moravian Academy '93 Allentown, Pa. Although seven of the 15 slots had yet to be filled one week prior to the February 24 deadline, applications poured in during the final week. The University was given the greatest number of slots to fill out of the 32 participating institutions in Pennsylvania, according to Frank Newhams, director of Pennsylvania Service Scholars. Students participating in the AmeriCorps program work on a service project for a total of 900 hours in exchange for financial support from the government. Penn Program for Public Service Associate Director Amy Cohen said the service project involves a seven- to 10-hour-a-week commitment for five semesters, as well as working for a summer. Newhams said students receive $2,363 from the National Service Trust upon completion of their service, and then receive a matching grant from the University. The money is then used to help the students defray the costs of their education. In addition, Newhams said, students receive a living stipend slightly above minimum wage. AmeriCorps was established in the summer of 1994 by the National Service Trust Act, which formed the Corporation for National and Community Service. The corporation administers funds for all AmeriCorps programs. AmeriCorps has come under attack recently as the Republican majority in both houses of Congress pushes to cut federal spending in order to reduce the federal deficit. Cohen, who coordinates AmeriCorps activities for the University, explained the unique nature of Pennsylvania Service Scholars. "AmeriCorps generally is not for students," she said. "The service is the only statewide higher education service corps in the country." Ira Harkavy, director of the Penn Program for Public Service, was enthusiastic about the students who were accepted as scholars. "I understand they've chosen absolutely outstanding undergraduates," he said. "I'm enormously impressed with their abilities, their interest and their education." Wharton sophomore John Seeg and College sophomore Abby Close -- two of the students who were accepted into the program in the spring semester -- became involved in the West Philadelphia Improvement Corps last September, teaching students at Shaw Middle School. They are co-coordinators of the school's Environmental Education Program, which Seeg said involves approximately 10 University students. Close said she saw joining AmeriCorps as a logical step because she was already fulfilling the service requirements, and receiving financial aid for the work she does was an obvious incentive. Seeg said he takes pride in being part of a nationwide service program. "It's very inspiring and motivating to be part of this national movement in volunteerism," he said.
(04/21/95 9:00am)
While some students have impressive World Wide Web home pages, most have probably not been accessed by people in Japan, Austria and Egypt. But users in those countries, and many more, have taken advantage of the internationally acclaimed home page of the University's African Studies Program. Outreach Coordinator Ali Dinar, who runs the home page, said that it was highly praised by the Library of Congress as the first resource on the Web devoted solely to African studies. Dinar said the page was created on PennInfo three years ago by Julie Sisskind, the former outreach coordinator, and was moved to a Web server last August. "Due to dedicated work and originality, we are now the number one site for resources for African studies worldwide," Dinar said. Among the materials on the home page is a "K-12 Africa Guide," which contains information used for classroom instruction about countries throughout Africa. This semester, Dinar is giving training sessions to area teachers and librarians to educate them about the K-12 Africa Guide. According to Dinar, the Multimedia Archive has received more document requests than any other area of the home page. The Archive includes various images of Africa, including flags, maps, artifacts and images of wildlife, among other items. Dinar pointed to the number of documents requested from the home page as evidence of its growth. In August 1994, a total of 18,367 documents were requested. Last month, the number of document requests was up to 97, 273. Dinar pointed to documents provided from a conference held earlier this month in Ethiopia as an example of the home page's accessibility. Abstracts of all the papers presented at the conference were given to the home page, making some papers available to users before actual publication. Full texts of all the papers have been sent to Dinar, and he is processing them to make them available on-line.
(04/18/95 9:00am)
Wharton and Engineering senior Matt Kratter admitted early this morning that he deleted newsgroup articles posted by three University students and a University employee without permission -- an act University officials say could violate acceptable electronic usage guidelines. In a post to the upenn.talk newsgroup yesterday, Kratter had denied deleting anyone's articles. Kratter, a past chairperson of the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education, was able to delete the posts from his School of Engineering and Applied Science electronic mail account. The deleted posts concerned a "flame war" between Kratter and College junior Thor Halvorssen which occurred between midnight and 2 a.m. yesterday, according to Halvorssen. A flame war is a debate within a newsgroup in which participants often hurl insults at one another. In a post sent early this morning, Kratter apologized for deleting the posts. "I was just being mischievous and arrogant," Kratter later said in a telephone interview. "I didn't realize initially the consequences of that, but when I did, I decided to issue an apology." In a post written yesterday, Halvorssen said he asked Kratter if he had deleted the posts. In his response, Kratter acknowledged that posts had been deleted, but he denied having deleted them and tried to put the debate to rest. Halvorssen said the deletion of posts from the thread made Kratter's position look stronger, while appearing to weaken his opponents' arguments. Halvorssen said posts were deleted in such a way as to "make Matt Kratter's article seem unassailable, at the same time making the critics of his argument look like fools." University employee Paul Lukasiak said he was upset when the original post on which he based his response was later deleted. "What bothers me is that the post I was referring to when I was critical was deleted, which makes me look like an idiot," Lukasiak said. Halvorssen said he spoke with a representative of the Student Dispute Resolution Center yesterday, but would not comment on whether he would continue to pursue the matter with the SDRC. Halvorssen also said he was not satisfied with Kratter's apologetic post on upenn.talk. "This is not an apology. It is an admission of guilt by someone who got caught in a deliberate, malicious and fraudulent attempt at violating a score of guidelines, laws, rules and regulations." Ira Winston, director of computing for the Engineering School, said in general deleting posts would likely constitute a violation of the school's "Policy on Ethical Behavior With Respect To the Electronic Information Environment." Wilson also said the action could lead to "disciplinary action under standard University rules for misconduct," which he said were established in July, 1993 and are given to every Engineering student who gets an e-mail account. But Winston, who spoke before Kratter issued his apology, said it is likely that the person will not receive any punishment from the Engineering School. He said the school usually gives students the benefit of the doubt on a first offense when people are not yet clear on all rules and regulations. Daniel Updegrove, executive director of Data Communications and Computing Services, said the deletions could be considered violations of electronic forgery policies. "Posting a cancel message with someone else's name on it is forgery," Updegrove said. "In this case, it's not particularly clever forgery. His electronic fingerprint is on [the deletions]," Updegrove added. According to Engineering junior and Internet expert Meng Weng Wong, the process by which Kratter deleted the posts from upenn.talk is relatively simple. "It's a very trusting kind of mechanism. If you tell the server anything, it will believe you," Wong said. Kratter essentially fooled the computer into thinking the cancellation messages originated from the owners of the targeted post. However, several students were able to access newsgroup log files which showed that although the cancel commands appeared to come from the legitimate authors of the canceled posts, the messages were actually coming from what appeared to be Kratter's e-mail account. The debate began with a post by College senior Gabriele Marcotti, former Daily Pennsylvanian editorial page editor, concerning the Eisenhower -- the first U.S. aircraft carrier to include both men and women -- on which 15 women allegedly became pregnant. Kratter responded with an attack on Marcotti's post, criticizing Marcotti -- an Italian citizen -- for what he'd written about the U.S. Navy. Halvorssen then defended Marcotti's right to have made the post, prompting the flame war and the subsequent deletions.
(04/13/95 9:00am)
While University freshmen spend orientation discussing the Penn Reading Project and learning about the University's rules and regulations, Harvard University freshmen are being warned about a religious cult that recruits on its campus. Yet the University is no stranger to alleged cult, the International Church of Christ. In fact, many Ivy League students have found themselves lured into cults, according to nationally renowned cult expert Rick Ross. And the International Church of Christ is especially aggressive in recruiting students. Ross, who spoke yesterday to several University students who have been part of the the Greater Philadelphia Church of Christ -- the local branch of Kip McKean's International Church of Christ -- said between 30 and 50 University students are part of the religious cult. The Greater Philadelphia Church of Christ has approximately 1,000 members. According to Ross, college students are particularly vulnerable to being pulled into cults. "Groups specifically have designated college campuses as their breeding ground," he said. Ross explained that cults target campuses because college students usually have to adjust to a new environment at the start of their college careers. "Frequently, they're away from home, on campus away from their normal support system of friends and families," Ross said. He added that the Church is particularly active on Ivy League campuses, where they can attract students who are "articulate, intelligent [and] dedicated." Ivy League students are also seen as being able to offer economic support to the group -- whether at present or in the future. But sometimes recruited students who do not have the money find a way to get it. Ross said students have sold personal belongings such as books and computers in order to support their cult. He said that while recruiting, cults often fail to inform students of the group's agenda or actual beliefs. And once students join a religious cult, they will typically devote more and more time to the group. Ross said that students often move out of campus housing at the group's behest. In addition, groups often advise members on whom they should date, and even whom and when they should marry. Ross added that students' academic performances often suffer after they join cults; cult leaders sometimes ask students if their schoolwork is as important as doing God's work. Ross offered the example of a University of California-Berkeley student who joined a cult and wound up on academic probation, failing every course he was taking.
(04/05/95 9:00am)
Nearly 24 percent cast ballots Wharton junior Lenny Chang was re-elected president of the Class of 1996 in this week's Senior Class Board elections. Chang, who has served as class president since his freshman year, defeated College juniors Eden Jacobowitz and Adam Miller. College junior Justin Feil was re-elected vice president, defeating College junior Melissa de Leon and Wharton junior Dan Debicella, the outgoing Undergraduate Assembly chairperson. Debicella said he plans to serve as an at-large member on the Senior Class Board. Unlike last week's Undergraduate Assembly elections, in which only 13.6 percent of students participated, approximately 24 percent of the junior class turned out to vote. Class of 1995 President Loren Mendell and Class Boards chairperson Jason Diaz, who served as co-chairs of the 1996 Class Board Elections, said they were very pleased with the results and the turnout. Diaz, a Wharton senior, said the turnout was especially good considering that students could only vote at one polling place -- located in front of Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. In the UA elections last week, at least two polling places were open each day. Unlike the past four years, no candidates contested this year's results, Diaz added, citing the Class Boards' elimination of its gag rule as a contributing factor. The gag rule had prohibited candidates from speaking to the press. Chang said he wants the class to continue on the same course he has set for it during his previous terms as president. "I just want to keep going with the flow," he said. Chang said Hey Day, which is scheduled for April 28, is his first priority for the immediate future. He added that he wants the Board to look for Ivy Day and Commencement speakers early in the year in order to get the best possible speakers. Diaz said Chang has done a great job in his previous terms as class president, and his re-election "shows that people have been happy" with Chang's performance. Mendell, a College senior, said Chang's experience will be an asset. "He knows the structure of government and knows the people in the administration who can help him get things done," he said. Other election winners include College junior Eliot Hyun, who defeated College junior Rahima Mamdani in the race for treasurer and College junior Rebecca Hornstein, who was elected secretary. College junior Caroline Berry was re-elected class historian. In unopposed races, Gene Yoon won as Wharton representative, and Engineering Representative Denis Chagnon and Nursing Representative Deborah Cooper were re-elected. Jana Fox and Stephanie Perron topped Michael Katz and Dena Rabinowitz to become the new College representatives.
(03/31/95 10:00am)
The Career Planning and Placement Service recently sent out a warning to Wharton undergraduates: Beware of the Wall Street Placement Company. CPPS Director Patricia Rose cautioned that her office has received calls from firms who are not hiring, asking if CPPS had given the companies' names to Wharton School of Business students. "These firms do not have jobs, and in some cases people who do not do hiring have been receiving as many as a dozen resumes a day from Penn students," Rose wrote in an electronic announcement sent through the Wharton School Undergraduate Division's Office of the Vice Dean. The Wall Street Placement Company, run by 1994 Wharton graduate Arjun Kochhar, is aimed at helping students apply for internships or jobs. Interested students send a cover letter to the placement company, and it then plugs in the prospective employer's name and other details. The completed letters are then returned to the students, who must attach their resumes to the letters. Also included in the package is a list of companies to which the resume and cover letter should be sent. But Rose said the Placement Company is a fraud. "Please be informed that you should not be paying anyone for a list of companies who allegedly have jobs," she wrote. "Students are being taken advantage of by a fellow student who runs this supposed service?" Kochhar defended the company, saying his database -- which contains the names of approximately 2,000 companies -- was updated in January. Of these, only 10 companies complained to CPPS, he said. Kochhar added that companies contacted CPPS because CPPS was mentioned in the students' cover letters, which students usually write themselves. Kochhar said he feels CPPS is publicizing these incidents as an "excuse" to destroy the Wall Street Placement Company's credibility. "Basically, they're upset about the fact that a student placement company is doing what CPPS is supposed to do," Kochhar said. But CPPS Associate Director Beverly Hamilton-Chandler said the problems with the Wall Street Placement Company are worse than Kochhar indicated. She said more than a dozen firms have complained to CPPS, and the calls have continued to pour in. "We've been receiving, every day, several more phone calls," Hamilton-Chandler said. She added that letters from the company are not being sent to the appropriate individuals, and the firms are "quite concerned." "They're very upset about it, and we're concerned about what impact that has on the students," Hamilton-Chandler said. Kochhar said he is worried that the Wall Street Placement Company's reputation is being damaged by CPPS. "Our credibility is more important to us right now than anything else," he said. "And CPPS is trying to attack exactly that." Two students who used the company expressed satisfaction with its work. Wharton freshman Javed Siddique said the company delivered what it promised. "They explain the service exactly how it is and that's how they do it," Siddique said, adding that although he did not get his summer internship using the company, he will use the addresses he was given in pursuing future internships and jobs. Siddique said he believes that if the Placement Company checks to make sure the positions exist and CPPS is not mentioned in the cover letter, then the company's services are "totally legit."
(03/30/95 10:00am)
The Black Student League violated the University's Guidelines on Open Expression when it barred two Daily Pennsylvanian staff members from attending a BSL forum February 23, the Committee on Open Expression stated in an advisory opinion Tuesday. The Committee decided that the BSL forum -- which featured a Rutgers University Black Student Union representative speaking on the racial controversy at Rutgers -- was an "event" and not a closed "meeting," and that the BSL erred in excluding the DP staff members from the forum. "[The Committee] concluded that any gathering where sponsors presented it to the entire Penn community, as we read the leaflet concerning the BSL's meeting to have done, is considered an event, which is public, and therefore the DP staff members had a right to attend," Committee Chairperson Larry Gross wrote in a letter to DP Executive Editor Charles Ornstein. After DP staff members were initially barred from the forum, Assistant Vice Provost for University Life Barbara Cassell was contacted about a possible violation of the guidelines. Then, during the forum, Cassell spoke with Terri White, BSL advisor and director of Academic Support Programs, a University-designated Open Expression monitor. But by the time Cassell spoke with White, who then warned BSL president Robyn Kent of the possible violation, the forum had already ended. Ornstein requested an advisory opinion last month from the Committee and received Gross's letter Tuesday. Kent, a College senior, disagreed with the ruling, saying the "forum" was in fact a "meeting." "It was a general meeting that we have once a month on Thursdays at that time," she said. Kent added that after the forum, she spoke to an administrator and several Open Expression monitors, who told her the leaflets "prove it was a meeting and not an event." Kent also said the function was not a forum because the "discussion" with the Rutgers BSU representative was only part of the "general meeting." Ornstein, on the other hand, said the decision was appropriate. "We have maintained that the function was open to the University community, including the press," Ornstein said. He added that he hopes the Committee's decision "sets a precedent" for advertising and admission to future events. Ornstein also said the DP and the BSL are working together to assure that such incidents do not occur in the future.
(03/24/95 10:00am)
Wharton junior Kendrick Cox was elected president of the Black Student League for the next academic year at a BSL meeting last night in DuBois College House. Cox defeated College junior Onyx Finney, College junior William Walton and College sophomore Obinna Adibe, who was later elected treasurer. College sophomore Anika Francis was elected vice president, also defeating Walton and Adibe. Cox, making his pitch to an audience of about 50 students -- 20 of whom are full members of the BSL and have voting privileges -- said his vision for the coming term is "Alive in '95." Cox said the BSL must increase its membership to make itself a more effective voice for African-American students. "I'm talking about a membership that cares," said Cox, who served as the BSL representative to the United Minorities Council in his freshman and sophomore years. Cox told the audience that he wants a membership drive at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters to help achieve his goal. He also said he will try to bring together various African-American organizations at the University to form a tutoring project, through which African-American students can tutor each other. Cox added that it is necessary for African-American students to take more leadership roles on campus so they can be leaders in the future. "How can we be future leaders if we're not leaders right now?" Cox asked. Outgoing BSL President Robyn Kent, a College senior, was enthusiastic about Cox's election. "As president, I think he'd represent the Black Student League and the black students here on campus very well," Kent said. "Hopefully, he will continue a lot of what was implemented in the last year, and in addition to that, add new things to what was done last year." Cox said he is "elated" by his victory, adding that he competed with "a great field" of candidates. "When you have four people running for one position alone, it's unprecedented," he said. Others elected to the BSL board include College freshman Kenna Wyllie, who will serve as the BSL representative to the Student Activities Council, and College sophomore Sean Coleman, who will be the BSL's United Minorities Council representative.
(03/22/95 10:00am)
Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign Fund, discussed her organization's efforts to advance the cause of gay and lesbian rights last night in Stiteler Hall as part of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian Awareness Days. Birch has been in her current position at HRCF -- the largest gay and lesbian political organization in the country -- for just eight weeks. This was her first visit to a college campus in that capacity. Birch, who formerly served as Worldwide Director of Litigation and Human Resources council for Apple Computer, said this move allows her to bring "very exciting, 21st century tools to the gay and lesbian movement." She spoke about her realization that she was a lesbian -- which came very early in her life while she lived in Canada. "I am one of those children that knew very, very early on about my sexuality, and it was unusual because I felt enormously special about it," she said. "Literally, I sprung whole on the Canadian prairie as a little tiny lesbian," Birch quipped to an audience of approximately 35. In speaking about her work, Birch said HRCF works within the political realm. HRCF "is about amassing power within the conventional American legislative and electoral processes," Birch said. She added that it is necessary for gays and lesbians to be able to influence legislators in both the Democratic and Republican parties. Birch also said gays and lesbians should work on establishing a political field operation in the United States, something which she said has not been done before. "We have never laid down the magical grid, so that?at the congressional district level, we build critical masses around each member [of Congress] to alter behavior at the top," Birch said. She explained that working to increase funding for AIDS research is among HRCF's top legislative priorities for the 104th Congress. In addition, Birch said HRCF will work to have the Employment Non-Discrimination Act introduced. She said that although she does not expect it to pass in the current session of Congress, it serves as an educational tool, and therefore could be passed in the future. Birch added that HRCF is trying to bring moderate Republicans to support their cause. She also said the best way to promote a bipartisan support is by talking about gays and lesbians in the workplace. "It is our best, most fertile ground to organize on right now," she said. She added that this is "an extremely hopeful time" for gays and lesbians in the United States. "This country is way ahead of Congress in terms of gay and lesbian and bisexual issues," she said. "This country has been transformed in the last two years." Birch pointed to the corporate world -- which she called "a very conservative part of American society" -- for evidence of this. She noted that more than half of the Fortune 1000 companies have non-discrimination policies, and about half of these have been implemented in the last year and a half.
(03/21/95 10:00am)
SPEC to dole out $10,080 It's on the house. The Undergraduate Assembly voted in favor of funding weekly "Bring Your Own Beer" fraternity parties on campus next fall at their UA budget meeting, a decision unprecedented in the history of the body. As Sunday stretched into Monday, the body decided to allocate an additional $10,080 to the Special Events Committee of the Social Planning and Events Committee for this purpose. The parties will be co-sponsored by SPEC, the Inter-Fraternity Council, Panhellenic Council and the Bi-Cultural Inter-Greek Council. The proposal is designed to salvage the University's social life, which Interfraternity Council Judicial Manager and UA representative Josh Gottheimer said has been lagging as a result of the BYOB policy that was implemented last semester. And the he said the parties are aimed at the entire University community -- not just the Greeks. Gottheimer, a College sophomore, said many students are not willing to pay a cover charge to attend a party when they must also pay for the alcohol they bring to the party. This has hurt fraternities, he said. He added that the money provided by SPEC would be used to help offset the costs of throwing a party. "We can't charge at the door anymore, so revenues have gone down the toilet," he said at the meeting. Gottheimer said a lottery will be held within the next few weeks to determine which fraternities will hold parties in the fall. UA representative Dan Schorr, a College senior, argued in favor of additional funding for SPEC. "Social life has been killed," Schorr said. "The Walk is dead." Panhel President Lissette Calderon said these parties will keep students on campus. "We find this a very feasible, safe way to keep Penn's students on campus, whether Greek or non-Greek," said the Wharton junior. UA representative Eric Tienou, a College junior who voted against the appeal, said he felt the plan, outlined only minutes before it was discussed, was too hastily considered. He also questioned whether the parties should be funded. Gottheimer estimated the cost of each party at approximately $700. He said there is currently discussion among the four Greek groups to determine how to pay for costs above those allotted for the party. He said the organizations will seek additional funding in the coming weeks. A "pilot" party, funded by SPEC, will be held this semester Originally, SPEC made an appeal for $26,040 to hold parties on some Thursdays and every Friday and Saturday. But the UA denied SPEC's request, and then a second plea for $20,160 to hold parties two nights a week, before the final appeal passed by a wide margin.
(03/14/95 10:00am)
Former New York Times columnist and best-selling author Anna Quindlen, who gave up her column last December, came to campus February 23 to talk to the University community in a segment of the on-going Annenberg Public Policy series. She took a few minutes out of her busy schedule to chat with Daily Pennsylvanian Staff Writers Jorie Green, Lisa Levenson and Ryan Papir. Daily Pennsylvanian: We're wondering how you decided to get into reporting. Anna Quindlen: I really wanted to be a fiction writer -- which seems ironic now -- and I pretty much figured out that you couldn't be a fiction writer and make a living out of it, and certain fiction writers that I knew said, "You know, what you should really do is take a job that would just pay the rent," but had nothing to do with writing, and that didn't sound like such a great idea to me. I was the editor-in-chief of my high school newspaper, so the summer after I graduated from high school I went to work as a copy girl at our local daily, the New Brunswick Home News in New Brunswick, New Jersey. They let me do some reporting in my spare time, and what I found as somebody who had been raised as a really good Catholic girl was that a job in which I got to ask people rude and intrusive questions, and go someplace where I would not normally be able to go was so seductive that the writing part of it was only half the fun, and the reporting was the other half of the fun. So once I got in, I didn't look back -- until last year? DP: Considering how seductive you found reporting, why did you move from news to editorial writing? AQ: Well, first of all, I think the very best editorial writing is founded on reporting. I very rarely did a column that I hadn't done a significant amount of reporting on first?So I never thought of doing a column as giving up the reporting -- although if I had, I might not have embraced it so whole-heartedly. But also street reporting is kind of a young person's game, and after you've covered a certain number of murders, and a certain number of city hall press conferences, and been to the White House press room enough times, hard as it is for you to believe, you think, "Been there, done that." And so one of the reasons that I was anxious to do the column is because it meant movement for me? DP: Can you tell us where you got your column ideas? AQ: Some of them I got from the daily newspaper, just picking it up in the morning. Some of them I got from Page 1, and some of them I got from three paragraphs off the AP Wire that ran at the bottom of some page. Some of them came in fits and starts, so that one of my kids would say something and I'd sort of store it up, and then three months later, there'd be something that would happen in the news and I'd think, "Gee, that reminds me of that thing that Quinn said," and then I'd do the reporting and I'd put it all together but I would be saving string on it over months?I sort of bounced around between those that were inspired by personal things, those that were inspired by political affairs, those that came off the news and those that were just something that I knew about because I'd been following certain areas of American public discourse. DP: At this point in your life, when most people would be thrilled to say, "Wow, now I've got a column, and it's a change and it's something that I've been looking forward to," you've decided to give yours up. Can you give us an idea of why? AQ: Well, I was thrilled, and for five years I had a great time, and I thought I did a real creditable job, but as I said, I think it's real useful to push yourself all the time, that when you've gotten pretty good at something and you feel comfortable with it, that's a real good sign that in a year or two you ought to be looking for something else. And also, finally, I'm in a position to be able to write fiction and make it pay, and I don't know of a serious writer who wouldn't jump at that opportunity? I wanted to get out before other people thought it was time for me to get out. DP: Many aspiring journalists and readers concerned about current issues consider you a role model. How do you feel about this, and who were your role models when you were training? AQ: Well, obviously it's a little daunting, you know, particularly when you're on the train screaming at your kids and you realize that some woman sitting across the aisle knows exactly who you are and exactly how she thinks you ought to be acting, but to the extent that I've tried to make both my work and my family a real priority and that I'm known as a feminist -- which is really important to me -- and as a liberal, I'm happy if people see that as something that mirrors their own interests and concerns, that part of it's fine with me. If some little girl looks at me and says, "I'm for equal treatment for women, too," I say, "Hey, I have earned my place on the planet this month." To the extent that people try to make one woman stand for all women -- that's always made me really uncomfortable -- this time around there was all this second-guessing of the decision that I made about my work, and what it meant for women, as opposed to just saying, "Gee, you know, this is a real quirky one." I'm the first person in the history of the New York Times to ever willingly give up an op-ed page column, just write it off as lunacy and let's get on to other things, as opposed to what it says about women? DP: Turning to the newspaper business generally, how do you think it's changed since you entered it? AQ: I think it's much better. I think stories are better written, I think there's more analysis, I think we offer more of something for everyone than we did when I first got into the business. I first got into the business in 1970, which was still either a very who-what-when-where-why-and-how kind of story, or features so light they practically qualified as "Nerf" stories. I think we have a whole lot more in-between now. We have a whole lot more hard news that has some color and some sense of life and place in it, and we have a lot more feature stories -- but that really tell you something about politics, about art, about the human condition, about the way we live now? DP: You've said that feminism is one of your big concerns, and I think Penn has kind of a unique place in terms of feminism and women because we have the first woman president in the Ivy League. I'm wondering about your opinion -- AQ: About whom we did a hideous piece, which I'm still reeling from. All over the country, women say to me, "Excuse me, but would you have put the piece about the male president of Harvard on the cover of the C section and would it have focused quite so unrelentingly on the way he looked and his marital history?" The answer is no. I thought that piece the Times ran on Judith Rodin was horrid because of the way it was played and because of the spin on it. You know, the Times doesn't do that too much anymore, but when it does do it, because it's such a serious paper, it really stands out. Anyhow, go ahead. DP: I was going to ask about the portrayal of women and the experiences of women in academia, in the workplace, in the public sphere. How have you seen those change? AQ: You mean "All feminists are ugly?" [She laughs.] No, but there still is some of that. I mean -- this is a horrible story to tell on myself -- but about three years ago, I guess, I was on Live with Regis & Kathie Lee, and I get ready to walk out, right? And my hair is bigger than it's ever been before because they do hair and make-up and I was sitting there in the chair thinking, "Whoa! Look out, this is great." And he does this whole introduction for me, "won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, is only the third woman to [have an op-ed column in the New York Times], and we found out today, her book has just debuted on the best-seller list at Number 7," and I walk out, and it's almost like a nervous tic, he says, "You're attractive!" And I said, "You know, I haven't thought about that smart woman, ugly thing since high school." One of the reasons why people still try to wage some last, losing battle against feminism is because feminism isn't a movement now -- it's our lives, it's our daily lives. It's the fact that little girls can be in Little League, and nobody even thinks twice about it anymore? It's the fact that we're at a stage where the president's wife can be smart and able and can get to do things, but we're not yet at the stage where everybody doesn't go berserk about the fact that she's doing things. So we're halfway through what I think it the greatest social revolution in 20th century America, and the fact is that there's still constant backlashes? DP: In general, what's your opinion on the political system in America? AQ: You know, I really feel like we need a cataclysmic act at this point, in some sense, and I think what that means is a major league charismatic leader, but I'm not sure if that's possible given the system of fund-raising and television advertising that we've come to be so dependent upon. I mean, what we see is this really destructive cycle every two, four, six years of "throw the bum out." Except that after "throw the bum out" comes, as Roger Daltry said, "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." And it happens over and over and over again?We've engineered this system in which candor and principle are believed to be a road to sure destruction. We don't know whether they're a road to sure destruction or not because nobody's tried them in so long that we don't know what would happen to that candidate. So I think we're in a real bad place politically. And it seems to me?that what we're looking for is an FDR. But where she comes from, I cannot tell you. DP: There's a lot of criticism of the Democratic party because of it's association with Hollywood and it's association with the disenfranchised -- some people say the Democrats have left the middle class. Do you think that's a valid criticism? AQ: I think there's some validity to that criticism, but I would add that I don't think anybody speaks to the middle class right now, and that's the source of some of the stress that we're talking about with American politics. The fact of the matter is that when you look at what their agenda is on the economy and on certain legislative measures, when you look at where their money comes from, the Republicans are still the party of the rich. That has not changed, and any attempt to suggest different just isn't so. But I think the Democrats have found it hard to look at legitimate complaints about ways in which programs for the disenfranchised have been handled in America. The difference, I think, clearly at this point between the Democrats and the Republicans, is that the Republicans want to dismember those programs, and the Democrats want to keep them. What the Democrats have to embrace is the idea of keeping some of them in quite different form and therefore playing off the Republicans?I think the Democrats have to look more at retooling than they have. But I think the chances of them doing that, and doing it successfully, are much greater than the chances of the Republicans successfully representing what I think is deep in the American character: some will to raise the disenfranchised up and help level the playing field. DP: How has being a reporter helped your fiction writing? Has there been a connection between them? AQ: Yes, it's helped it a lot. I think, if you get good at being a reporter, you develop a real sharp eye for the telling detail, the one or two things that really will make the reader feel as if they were in the room or on the street. You also get a real good ear for how real dialogue sounds. I mean, you can tell. I start to write down certain words coming out of people's mouths and I think, "No, no, no, that's a hyped quote. Go back and work on it again." I think those things really, really helped me. I mean, I think I'm a much better fiction writer because of having to be a reporter. And it also develops the sense of discipline in you. I mean, I don't get [writer's] block that much?When you're in the newspaper business, getting blocked is not an option. If you get blocked, you better take the LSAT. You've got to write on demand, and I think that's really helped me in writing fiction?
(03/01/95 10:00am)
A letter sent over two years ago is the cause of serious disagreement in the controversial removal and dumping of materials belonging to The Red and Blue Friday night. The issues and volumes -- with an estimated total value of over $100,000 -- were removed from their storage space in Irvine Auditorium by members of Penn Musicians Against Homelessness and Houston Hall employees. Many of the materials are thought to have had historical value. In a letter dated February 19, 1993, the Office of Student Life told groups that had had space in Irvine the previous year that applications for space renewal were due March 5, 1993. Student Life Director Fran Walker said The Red and Blue did not reapply for space. The letter states that student organizations failing to apply to renew space must remove all of their property by July 1, 1993. "Any materials left in the offices of departing groups will be considered abandoned and your organization will be billed for their removal," it states. Walker said the Houston Hall Board had a right to order the removal of the materials. "So far as anyone in the office or the Houston Hall Board knew, The Red and Blue wasn't in the office since the spring of '93," Walker said. But The Red and Blue Editorials Editor and College junior Thor Halvorssen said the Office of Student Life cannot prove the letter was sent or received. "We have no record of the letter ever being received," Halvorssen said. "They have no record that proves the letter was sent." But Walker said she believes the letter was sent. "It's sent to everybody -- it's routine," she said. "Do we have actual, provable, O.J. evidence that they sent it? I don't know. But there's no reason they shouldn't have." Halvorssen also questioned why the removal occurred when it did. "We cannot understand why the Office of Student Life would act two years late on something they say should have been done in 1993," he said."At any time they could have informed us of our 'illegal status.' They did not do so." He added that the fact that the decision was based on a "letter that is more than two years old laughable." Walker said the fact that the current Red and Blue editorial board was not in place in early 1993 did not obligate the Houston Hall Board to contact the magazine's current Editor-in-Chief, College junior Christopher Robbins. "We would have had no reason to notify Christopher Robbins because The Red and Blue wasn't supposed to be there," Walker said. In a statement released yesterday, Halvorssen made a formal request to Director of Special Collections of the University Libraries, Michael Ryan, "to place any and all surviving issues of The Red and Blue into protective custody immediately."
(02/27/95 10:00am)
The University is leading the state in AmeriCorps volunteers, topping its own goal of filling 15 Pennsylvania Service Scholars slots and extending to 23 the number of participants in the program. After the University filled all of its 15 allotted positions for the Pennsylvania Service Scholars division of the AmeriCorps program last week, the Pennsylvania Campus Compact gave it permission to increase the number of Scholars Although one week prior to Friday's deadline, seven of the 15 slots had yet to be filled, applications poured in towards the end of the week. Penn Program for Public Service Associate Director Amy Cohen said she interviewed about 30 students for the positions. She added that she had not expected to go over the University's allotted number of slots. The University received the greatest number of slots out of the 32 participating institutions in Pennsylvania. The University had to submit names of applicants by Friday. Any spots remaining unfilled at that time would be redistributed to other schools in the state. According to Cohen, 11 of the University's slots had been filled by Monday, but as the deadline approached she applications to the program surged. "During the rest of the week -- because of the deadline, I think -- I got quite a number of applicants toward the middle of the week," Cohen said. Cohen said all applications were in by Wednesday, and decisions were made by Friday. Cohen said that some students waited until the last few days to apply. The University was informed it had received AmeriCorps grants just before winter break and began recruiting students at the start of this semester. She added that stories in The Daily Pennsylvanian about the program may have helped increase the number of applicants. Participating students must work on a service project for 900 hours. In addition, they must take at least one service learning course. Upon completion of their service, they will receive $2,363 from the National Service Trust and a matching grant from the University. Students also receive a living stipend slightly above minimum wage. Director of the Penn Program for Public Service Ira Harkavy was enthusiastic about the students who were accepted as Scholars. "I understand they've chosen absolutely outstanding undergraduates," he said. "I'm enormously impressed with their abilities, their interest and their education." Cohen also strongly praised the Scholars. "I had really wonderful applicants," she said. Harkavy added that these students are "deeply interested in linking their interest in service and academic work to make West Philadelphia better." Harkavy said he feels Pennsylvania is leading the country by combining academics and service. "The University's being able to identify 23 outstanding Pennsylvania Service Scholars is illustrative of the University's leadership role in advancing academically-based community service, the linkage of service to teaching and research," Harkavy said. Cohen said earlier this month that the Pennsylvania Service Scholars program is unique among AmeriCorps programs in that it is linked to academics. "The service is the only statewide higher education service corps in the country," she said.
(02/24/95 10:00am)
In a lecture that was both witty and personal, former New York Times columnist Anna Quindlen spoke about journalism, health care and women's rights before a crowd of about 250 people yesterday in the Nursing Education Building. Quindlen, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1992, described how journalism has evolved since she started writing for newspapers over 20 years ago. "You basically had the news and the sports -- men wrote those stories. And you had the social pages -- written by women for women," she said. "Any newspaper that stuck to that formula is probably defunct today." Now, Quindlen said, there is a wide variety of stories in newspapers -- "everything from how to save a cream sauce to how to save Bosnia, with some 'Contract With America' thrown in." She also explained how newspapers have changed to the reader's advantage. "We learned to listen to the reader, and that saved the business," she said. Quindlen drew a parallel between past problems in journalism and present problems in health care. "Newspapers have lost the confidence of readers, audiences and consumers. And that's why we have a perceived crisis in health care too," she said. "Not just because of costs, not just because of insurance, but because a significant number of consumers believe that the system does not even see them." She talked about her experiences with health care, as well as those specifically dealing with her family. Quindlen's mother died shortly after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when Quindlen was 18 years old. She said her mother's care was insufficient, in large part because it seemed the doctors did not care about her mother or her family as human beings. "There was no attempt to talk to her or to us," Quindlen said. "The doctors saw themselves as clinicians, as though the cancer touched only her body -- not her mind, not her husband, not her children." In addition, her sister-in-law also died of cancer. Quindlen, who said she was a "constant, happy advocate for nurses" during the five years in which she was a columnist for the Times, discussed the importance of nurses in the future of health care. "Nurses will be the backbone of healthcare in America, as in fact they've always been," she said. She said nurses are being given greater authority today than in the past, and the public is in favor of this. "Now polls show that people are confident that with nurses, they will get something approaching tender loving care," she said. "And that's what they want." Quindlen said the "great social revolution of feminism" dovetails with the issue of health care. "Women have been at the forefront of demands for changes in the way health care is delivered," Quindlen said. "The reason why this should be so should be manifest. We've spoken up because we have had so much to talk about because we have so often been the patients." Ann-Marie Rafferty, a visiting fellow at the Center for Health Services Research and Policy Analysis, was enthusiastic about the speech. "It was a very riveting analysis," she said. "It was reflective of the kind of intensity and the passion and the value which she places on nursing. And hopefully that value will actually help form the perception of nursing in the public sphere." Quindlen's speech was the part of the Annenberg Public Policy Center's "Women in the Public Sphere" series.
(02/23/95 10:00am)
Wharton alumnus Arjun Kochhar had trouble finding a job when he graduated, and now he is trying to make the internship and job search easier for University students. Kochhar, founder of the Wall Street Placement Company, spoke before approximately 100 people last night in Vance Hall. The Placement Company, which is run out of Manhattan and also has a Philadelphia office, is aimed exclusively at University students looking for jobs and summer internships. Kochhar, who graduated from the University last year, explained that the difficulty he faced while applying for jobs provided the impetus to start the company. "When I was looking for a job two years ago, I found CPPS wasn't really working for me," he said. Students send a cover letter to the Placement Company, which then fills in information for companies in a specific area of business. He said the Placement Company provides a favorable alternative for students applying for summer internships or jobs by themselves. "You can either send out resumes yourself, or you can have us do it better, faster and cheaper," he said. Kochhar said the Placement Company has a "comprehensive database" in 11 fields of business, including investment banking, marketing and accounting. "We do a mail merge of our databases and your cover letter," he said. The Placement Company then sends completed letters targeted for specific companies to the students. Students must then attach their resumes to the letters. Also included in the package is a list of companies to whom the resume and cover letter should be sent. The Placement Company charges one dollar for each cover letter if the student requests between 50 and 200 cover letters. For students who request less than 50 cover letters, the charge is 80 cents each, and those who request more than 200 are charged $1.20 per cover letter. Kochhar said that after the presentation, 45 students signed up for individual meetings. Students in attendance seemed optimistic that the Placement Company could ease the application process for them. Wharton junior Adam Ferrin said that although he is "a little skeptical" about the company, he thinks it might help him. "I think at the very least they'll do a lot of the dirty work," Ferrin said. Wharton freshman Lainie Spierer said she hopes the Placement Company will help her because she needs an internship. "The resources they have are much more than I could acquire on my own," Spierer said. Wharton freshman Javed Siddique praised the Placement Company. "They're doing the main part of the job," he said. "And the main part of the job is finding the companies."
(02/22/95 10:00am)
Thirty national organizations have joined together to form the Alliance to Save Student Aid, a group fighting to prevent the cuts in student financial aid currently being discussed in Congress. Organizations involved in the Alliance include the American Council on Education, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and the United Negro College Fund. Terry Hartle, vice president for governmental relations for the American Council on Education, said the Alliance has several major objectives. These include highlighting proposals to reduce or eliminate student financial aid programs, alerting students and members of Congress about the potential consequences of these cuts and informing students of ways they can voice their opinions to legislators. "I think it's directly in response to the perceived threats to the federal student aid programs," Hartle said. In an effort to reduce federal spending, members of the Republican majority have proposed sweeping changes to financial aid. Some of these proposals, such as eliminating federal interest payments on student loans, could significantly increase the cost of a college education for students receiving federally-funded financial aid. Bill Schilling, the University's student financial aid director, said last month that this proposal would mean an additional debt of approximately $3,000 to students borrowing the maximum possible amount. Assistant Vice President for Policy Planning David Morse said the most an undergraduate student could borrow in guaranteed student loans is $17,125. Morse said this would amount to an increase in the student's debt total of approximately 20 percent. For graduate students, who borrow more than undergraduates and thus have a higher limit on the amount they can borrow, the affect would be even greater. "We're trying to use the Alliance to try to develop a coherent message that all the organizations can carry to the different folks they represent," Hartle said. "Otherwise, you'd have lots of organizations running around doing very similar things." The Alliance has published a "local organizing kit" informing people how to contact members of Congress about this issue. The group runs a telephone hotline through which callers are connected directly to Congressional offices. A fee of $3.65 is billed to the caller's credit card. The Alliance kit also includes a form letter urging legislators not to cut financial aid that students may send to members of Congress. In addition, a sample letter to the editor is included in the kit.
(02/21/95 10:00am)
The University will probably fill its 15 allotted positions for the Pennsylvania Service Scholars division of the AmeriCorps program by the deadline Friday, according to Associate Director of the Penn Program for Public Service Amy Cohen. Three more students signed up yesterday to become Pennsylvania Service Scholars. The program offers students financial aid in exchange for 900 hours of community service. The four remaining open positions are expected to be filled by Friday, Cohen said. "I plan to interview and hire the last four by the end of the week," she said. Cohen currently has interviews scheduled with four students interested in the program, and there could be more applicants than slots available. "At this point, I have somewhat over 15 vying for it," she said. College freshman Amber Hsu, who signed up for the program yesterday, said she heard about the program from College Junior Danny Gerber, who is the residential advisor for the Community Service Living-Learning Program. Although she found out about the program earlier this semester, Hsu waited and signed up yesterday, but only because the deadline was approaching. "I think it was just a matter of getting the application done," she said. Hsu is involved with the West Philadelphia Improvement Corps. Along with Gerber, she teaches arts and crafts to four-to-eight-year-old students. She said she eventually hopes to implement her own program. Another student who signed up yesterday was College sophomore Marc Leader. Leader, who learned about the program through the Penn Program for Public Service, said he had been thinking about becoming a Pennsylvania Service Scholar for the past few weeks. Leader is also part of the Community Service Living-Learning Program in which he has already been performing community service. "I was already fairly involved in community service, and the element of financial aid along with service was very attractive to me," Leader said. "One reason I signed up for it is it's a group that's going to be dedicated to meeting the community service movement on campus and perhaps nationally as well." Like Hsu, Leader is involved in WPIC and is WPIC's liaison to local Wilson Elementary School. Cohen said she thinks students heard about the Pennsylvania Service Scholars Program through people involved in the program or those who participate in community service in general, as well as from faculty members. In addition, she said students have also become aware of the program through sources such as the Internet. She explained why WPIC is one of the main organizations in which Pennsylvania Service Scholars are participating. "A lot of them will be working in WPIC programs because the primary focus of the Service Scholars program at the University is going to be around working with the public schools, which they've done quite a lot of and quite well," she said.
(02/17/95 10:00am)
The University has just one week to fill seven of its allotted 15 positions in the Pennsylvania Service Scholars division of the AmeriCorps program, which offers students an opportunity to receive financial aid in exchange for community service. Of the 32 schools participating state-wide, the University was allotted the largest number of AmeriCorps positions, according to Frank Newhams, director of Pennsylvania Service Scholars. But after February 24, the University will forfeit the additional positions if they are not filled. Pennsylvania Service Scholars funds 150 students in Pennsylvania, Newhams said. The University is one of three participating institutions that has not yet filled all of its positions. Newhams said he was optimistic that the school could fill the slots within the next week. The extensive commitment required of AmeriCorps volunteers may have discouraged some students from applying for the program, according to Amy Cohen, associate director of the Penn Program for Public Service. Cohen, who coordinates AmeriCorps activities for the University, added, however, that students "realize it's a flexible commitment" once she explains to them what the program actually entails. Cohen added that the timing of the announcement of recipients may have hurt the school. The University was informed that it received AmeriCorps grants just before winter break and could not begin recruiting until the start of this semester. Another contributing factor, according to Cohen, is the fact that the University has more positions to fill than do other schools. Newhams said failure to fill all 15 slots will not seriously hurt the programs in which students are participating. "I recognize that it will reduce the level of input," he said. "But you're not necessarily reducing the effectiveness of the level that you do put in." Under the AmeriCorps program, students work on a service project for a total of 900 hours, which Cohen said involves a seven to 10 hour a week commitment for five semesters -- as well as working for a summer. According to Newhams, students receive $2,363 from the National Service Trust upon completion of their service, and then receive a matching grant from the University. The money is used to help pay for the students' education. In addition, Newhams said, students receive a living stipend slightly above minimum wage. AmeriCorps was established in the summer of 1994 by the National Service Trust Act, which formed the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Corporation administers funds for all AmeriCorps programs. AmeriCorps has come under attack recently, as the new Republican majority in both chambers of Congress pushes to cut federal spending in order to reduce the federal deficit. The Corporation gave money to the state, which distributed it to various granting agencies throughout Pennsylvania. Those granting agencies -- such as Pennsylvania Campus Compact, of which Pennsylvania Service Scholars is a program -- donated money to schools. Cohen explained the unique nature of Pennsylvania Service Scholars. "AmeriCorps generally is not for students," she said. "The service is the only statewide higher education service corps in the country." Newhams said all of the institutions that Service Scholars is working with across the state have agreed to provide a service learning course for students. According to Cohen, the University's participants are required to take at least one of these courses. They include standard courses in areas such as nursing, anthropology and urban studies. "What we want?is to combine service and learning," Cohen said. Wharton sophomore John Seeg and College sophomore Abby Close became Pennsylvania Service Scholars this semester. Seeg and Close have been involved in the West Philadelphia Improvement Corps since September, teaching students at Shaw Middle School. They are co-coordinators of the school's Environmental Education Program, which Seeg said involves approximately 10 University students. Close said she saw joining AmeriCorps as a logical step because she was already fulfilling the service requirements, and receiving financial aid for the work she does was an obvious incentive. She said an AmeriCorps training session to be held later this month should add to what the students are already doing in the middle school program. Close also said she feels contact with participants in other Pennsylvania Service Scholars programs from around the state will be a "great resource." Seeg said he takes pride in being part of a nation-wide service program. "It's very inspiring and motivating to be part of this national movement in volunteerism," he said.
(02/14/95 10:00am)
University administrators are being cautious in evaluating the effect President Clinton's budget proposal would have on financial aid and federally-funded research, stressing the months of congressional consideration that will occur before a final plan is approved. Assistant Vice President for Policy Planning David Morse said the proposal is "pretty good" with respect to higher education. He pointed to proposed tax deductions for tuition for post-secondary education and deductibility for interest on student loans as examples of this. In addition, the proposed budget would keep loans for in-school lending intact, Morse said. Student Financial Aid Director William Schilling said he favors the deduction for tuition. "I think it would relieve the parents and it would help schools allocate limited grant resources in a better way," Schilling said, adding that parents could contribute part of the savings toward education. He also supports the proposal to make interest on student loans deductible. "Student loans are becoming a more and more important part of financing higher education as grants fail to keep pace with the costs of higher education," Schilling said. But the Patricia Roberts Harris and Jacob Javits Fellowships, which are aimed at minority graduate students, are not included in Clinton's budget. Vice President for Community and Government Relations Carol Scheman wants to see this changed when a final budget is passed. "We're very determined to work to restore funding for the Harris and Javits Fellowships," she said. Funding for research is also left in relatively strong shape in the Clinton budget, with funding for the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health receiving increases of just under 4 percent, according to Morse. "Budgets for research are pretty good given the circumstances," he said. Morse was referring to the push to reduce federal spending, which has become one of the main issues on which the new Republican majorities in both houses of Congress have concentrated their efforts. The House Republicans' Contract With America calls for a balanced budget by the year 2002, and the House recently passed a draft constitutional amendment that would require this. Administrators were reluctant to predict what would eventually emerge from Congress after the bill goes through subcommittee and full committee hearings and mark-ups, floor consideration and is finally submitted for consideration by a conference composed of members of both chambers. "It will be somewhere between where the administration is and the draconian cuts that have been proposed by some members of Congress," Morse said. He said, however, that student aid programs and research funding have "an awful lot of support in the Congress and among the public" in comparison to other federal programs. "That augers well for the programs on which Penn students and faculty have a direct interest," Morse said. He said Congress will most likely not vote on a budget proposal until late summer.
