Members of Penn's Jewish community | Support Palestine Writes: An open letter to university administrators
(09/22/23 2:27pm)
Dear President Magill, Provost Jackson, and Dean Fluharty,
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Guest Column by College Republicans Communications Director | Let Thomas Homan speak
(01/27/20 2:33am)
On Tuesday, Jan. 28, former United States. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Thomas Homan will speak at an event hosted by Penn College Republicans. He deserves to be heard.
STAFF EDITORIAL: U. needs expansion policy
(10/12/99 9:00am)
Putting 4106 Locust Street to academic use is fine, but Penn's long-term vision for the area must be clarified. And it is Penn's implicit but all important commitment to keeping the campus' western boundary at 40th Street that has made the relationship work. Now, with the announcement of plans to use a newly purchased building at 4106 Locust Street for academic purposes, it is time for Penn to make its implicit commitment an explicit one. With a neighborhood to the west of campus and largely abandoned industrial infrastructure to the east, Penn's stated desire to focus on expanding toward the Schuylkill makes perfect sense. And Penn's demonstrated commitment to revitalizing the West Philadelphia community through home-ownership incentives, cleaner streets, new schools and a variety of other measures is laudable. But given the troubled history of University-community relations, neighbors are justified in feeling slightly uneasy at news that Penn is planning to use a building in the middle of the neighborhood for academic purposes. For that reason alone, the University should have known better than to handle the recent announcement in the manner that it did. To assuage those fears -- even if they are entirely groundless -- the University needs to be open with its neighbors, and clearly articulate when and where it will consider westward expansion of academic facilities. But Penn's relationship with the community -- and, ultimately, the success of its revitalization efforts -- will only suffer if the community sees the University as an unpredictable adversary rather than a friend.
STAFF EDITORIAL: Keep Special Services strong
(09/23/99 9:00am)
Now is the time for Penn to demonstrate its continued commitment to offering strong victim support. The recent resignation of its director, Susan Hawkins, and the reassignment of much of its staff have raised campus-wide concern about the unit's future. We hope that officials put such concerns to rest with unequivocal action in the month's to come. The Division of Public Safety, under which the unit falls, would do a fundamental disservice to the Penn community by sapping the unit's strength. Instead, this is an opportune moment for Thomas Seamon, vice president for Public Safety, to seize the initiative and demonstrate his commitment to the unit's future. That would be unfortunate. While it is important that Special Services work in close conjunction with the University Police -- a priority that is well-served by their close physical proximity in police headquarters at 4040 Chestnut Street -- it is also important that the unit retain a degree of autonomy. While the police must necessarily focus on investigating crimes, Special Services plays a more complex role -- one that would be compromised by an undue focus on the criminals rather than the victims. And serving that role effectively requires that the unit maintain its traditional autonomy. Hawkins was the unit's first director without a background in police work; a trained psychologist whose appointment won the approval of the University community. By again focusing on winning the community's approval for whoever is selected as the next Special Services director, the University has the opportunity to demonstrate its long-term commitment to the unit and its unique mission.
COLUMN: Mentally ill have only prison to turn to for care
(04/01/99 10:00am)
From Nadia Dowshen's, "Urban Guerrilla," Fall '99 From Nadia Dowshen's, "Urban Guerrilla," Fall '99Living across the street from a mental health facility at 40th and Pine has drastically increased my awareness of mental illness. Every morning, I walk by the same gray-haired woman asking me for a quarter or a cigarette and then pass her on the way home as she screams incomprehensibly to someone that I cannot see. I often worry that she, like so many people with biologically based brain illnesses, will end up in jail or homeless. Not only are the mentally ill ending up homeless but many are incarcerated, costing taxpayers billions of dollars annually and leading to inhumane treatment. In California alone, the government spends over $1.5 billion annually on corrections, law enforcement and court costs for the mentally ill. Clinical studies suggest that 6 to 15 percent of persons in city and county jails and 10 to 15 percent of people in state prisons have a severe mental illness. And a greater portion of mentally ill people are arrested and incarcerated than in the general population. Once incarcerated, prisons fail to meet the special needs of mentally ill inmates. Ninety-five percent of the mentally ill persons who are incarcerated were receiving no treatment at the time of their arrest. In jail, rules and policies are focused on punishment rather than rehabilitation. Few prison guards receive special training to deal with mentally ill inmates and consequently do not know how to respond to inmates who are incapable of comprehending and following the rules because of mental illness. As a result, many mentally ill inmates find themselves in solitary confinement. Also, it may take weeks for a mentally ill inmate to see a psychiatrist, during which time their medication is typically discontinued. These kinds of conditions can make mental illness substantially worse for many inmates. And incarceration may have even more deleterious effects on young mentally ill persons, who are estimated to comprise over 20 percent of juveniles in prison. So why are so many of our nation's mentally ill falling through the cracks? Some blame the failure of deinstitutionalization at the state level, pointing to the 79 percent decline in the population of mental hospitals, primarily triggered by the creation of federal funding for community mental health centers in 1963. The discovery of anti-psychotic drugs facilitated the shift to community-based mental health services and increased concern over the comparatively inhumane conditions at state mental hospitals. Due to the lack of funding, jails have become the primary institutions open 24 hours to those who are both mentally ill and poor. People with mental illnesses deserve treatment, not punishment and life on the streets. Mentally ill people need comprehensive, coordinated services and they need to be treated with dignity and respect.
COLUMN: Taking a language, learning nothing
(03/19/99 10:00am)
From Nadia Dowshen's, "Urban Guerrilla," Fall '99 From Nadia Dowshen's, "Urban Guerrilla," Fall '99On the island of Puerto Rico, people speak Spanish. Unfortunately, though I'm proficient by Penn standards, I do not. I know the essentials: how to get a hotel room, order vegetarian food and find a bathroom. But I am often mistaken for a native speaker and at times during the week people began speaking to me in Spanish, leaving me embarrassed when I couldn't respond. Expending the effort to formulate a question or comment in Spanish and then getting a response that I could not comprehend frustrated me even more. My Puerto Rico experience made me realize the importance of knowing another language -- and knowing it well. I admire Penn's efforts to ensure that its students learn other languages but I don't think most of us learn them in a way that prepares us to communicate with clients, friends, patients and colleagues that happen to speak a different language. In my experience with Penn's Spanish language program, the courses leading up to the proficiency focus mostly on reading, writing and grammar. But the only way to learn to communicate in another language is to practice speaking it. Even though I disappointed myself in Puerto Rico, I learned more Spanish then and during a one-month trip to Guatemala than I did in my entire four semesters at Penn. Although many language classes do not emphasize speaking skills, Penn does provide opportunities for many students to become fluent through study abroad programs in almost every country in the world. Many of these programs also teach students to negotiate the cultural differences that come along with the language gap. However, I don't think we need to be shipped off to other countries to learn how to communicate across language and cultural barriers. We should take advantage of the linguistic diversity in our own backyard. Asian, Latino and other immigrant communities now make up a large portion of Philadelphia's population. Coincidentally, many of these immigrant groups need to learn English in order to acculturate and to be successful in the job market. Penn undergrads could learn a great deal about how to communicate with people who speak other languages by exchanging English for these immigrants native languages. It's time that universities and our educational system as a whole get serious about teaching people to communicate across language and culture. Knowing another language -- and how to speak it well -- is a marketable skill and makes cross-cultural and language experiences more meaningful. Indeed, most other countries begin to teach their children multiple languages at a younger age than we do in the United States. No woman or man is an island and at the rate that our nation's population is diversifying linguistically, your cross-cultural communication will be severely limited if you don't know how to speak another language. Last week my limited Spanish speaking ability may have made my vacation a little less enjoyable, but as a future physician, in a few years not being able to speak Spanish may well render me incapable of doing my job -- providing health care services to people who may or may not speak English.
OPEN LETTER: A new Faculty Club offer
(01/27/99 10:00am)
The fact is, the Faculty Club also is staffed by managers and non-union administrative staff. DoubleTree Hotels, who will operate the Inn at Penn, is prepared to offer employment to 70 percent of those full-time eligible managers and administrative staff who apply to work at the Inn at Penn. In addition, those managers and administrative staff hired to work at the Inn at Penn will be eligible for a tuition benefit for a 10-year period with provisions substantially comparable to the University tuition benefit in effect at the time it is used as long as they are employed by DoubleTree at the Inn at Penn. For those choosing not to apply, or who are not hired, the University severance program would apply. The Faculty Club is a non-profit corporation whose membership consists of a number of faculty and administrators. The University of Pennsylvania had a collective bargaining agreement with Local 274, Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees -- an AFL-CIO member -- which expired on July 31, 1998. The University and the union agreed to extend the term of the contract. This agreement covers certain employees who provide food and beverage services to the Faculty Club at the facility located at Skinner Hall on campus. The union is the exclusive representative of the employees in question and it is our obligation under the National Labor Relations Act to deal only with the union regarding terms and conditions of employment. Those are undeniable facts. More than six months ago, both prior to and during negotiations for a new agreement, the University advised the union that the Faculty Club functions would be served in the newly-constructed hotel to be known as the Inn at Penn, which will open in September 1999. At the Inn at Penn, food and beverage service for the Faculty Club would be provided by the hotel operator, DoubleTree, using its own employees. The DoubleTree employees providing this service would be part of a much larger food and beverage operation in connection with its overall hotel operation. Did the University consult with the appropriate representative groups? Yes, consultation has been, in fact, an important part of this decision and we have consulted extensively with both the Faculty Club Board of Governors and the leadership of the Faculty Senate. The fact is that this issue has been public since November 1997. The union employees and the campus community-at-large will have been notified at least one year prior to the planned closing of the Faculty Club in Skinner Hall this summer. These, too, are undeniable facts. The University and the union have been in formal negotiations since the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement; the union has not presented its economic proposals as of this writing. Indeed, we have been waiting almost six months for its proposal. On numerous occasions, the Penn negotiating team has invited the union to discuss proposals about economic issues or the effect of the closure on its membership. The union has refused to do so in each instance. The University asked a federal mediator to help facilitate an agreement. And, even though the union has not requested an economic package, the University, in an effort to settle the contract, made what we believe is a very competitive offer via the federal mediator to the union on Oct. 5, 1998, with the specifics as follows: · 3 percent wage increases to all non-tipped Club employees. · A $500 lump sum signing bonus to each employee, if the proposed contract was ratified by 5 p.m., October 19, 1998. · A union pension fund increase -- most staff are under the terms of the Union's pension plan. · Two unpaid days for union shop steward education. · One week severance pay for each full year of service. · Interviews for staff interested in working at the Inn at Penn, which will be facilitated by DoubleTree at the request of the University. This offer -- an offer we believe to be fair -- remains on the table. But, the fact is the union has not responded as of this writing. Again, we are waiting for a response; it's now been more than three months. The union has demanded, however, that its current contract apply to employees at the Inn at Penn, where the number of employees will be much greater than the current Faculty Club. The fact is, DoubleTree, not Penn, will be the employer at the Inn at Penn. DoubleTree will run a much different business -- a 250-room hotel, not simply a private club. We simply cannot, indeed it's improper, for the University to force terms and conditions of employment and a pre-determined staff on DoubleTree and its many other employees. Unhappily the union will move no further and has refused to make even the most basic economic demands. It is rigid in its stand that its contract apply to present staff who work for DoubleTree at the Faculty Club's new location. The union has refused to discuss any "effects" issues such as severance. Last fall, the University notified the union that DoubleTree indicated that it may offer positions to a number of the current Club employees. Since then, the University has informed the union that DoubleTree will hire at least 70 percent of the current full-time Faculty Club staff who apply to work at the Inn at Penn. In addition, despite the union's refusal to bargain, the University has recently supplemented its basic offer in an attempt to reach an amicable resolution. Penn has offered, for current full-time Faculty Club employees hired by DoubleTree to work at the Inn at Penn, eligibility for a tuition benefit for a 10-year period, with provisions substantially comparable to the University tuition benefit in effect at the time it is used, as long as they are employed by DoubleTree at the Inn at Penn. We think it is most unfortunate that the union will not respond to Penn's proposals but instead is engaging in misleading communication. Nevertheless, we will continue to bargain in good faith to reach a fair and equitable agreement for its employees. That is our commitment to this campus community.
COLUMN: The depths of intolerance
(11/20/98 10:00am)
From Lindsay Faber's, "From Russia With love," Fall '98 From Lindsay Faber's, "From Russia With love," Fall '98Do you know what a zhid is? I A zhid is not a nationality, but is instead a profession. Zhidy are the avaricious bloodsuckers who feed on the misfortunes and downfall of others. They attempt mercilessly to paralyze the indigenous people of the state. In Yiddish these people are called Yids; in French, juif; and in English, Jews. That's all news to me. I found this out recently when Communist Duma Deputy Albert Makashov lashed out with this series of despicable anti-Semitic remarks, and Communist leaders twisted and turned to avoid condemning him, blatantly skirting the issue of their support for anti-Semitism. At two public rallies last month, Makashov blamed Jews for Russia's economic collapse, and encouraged the masses to stake out the Jews and jail them. Parliament debated censuring Makashov last week, but the Communist Party blocked approval of that resolution. In not so many words, the Communists are showing support for Makashov's anti-Semitic remarks. Makashov continued to add wood to his fire by saying there are too few ethnic Russians -- and too many Jews -- holding high positions in the Russian government. He added, incidentally, that he advocates creating quotas which would limit the number of Jewish officeholders. Alarm bells went off in my head as this controversy stirred, and as the media took it to the highest level of coverage. Anti-Semitism was declared illegal in the new and democratic Russia, which works under a constitution which supports -- or so it says -- equality for all nationalities in the Russian Federation (Judaism is a nationality here). With the Communists still dominating the Duma, what could this mean for the future of Russian democracy? Russian Communists charge the West with trying to bring Russia to its knees by proposing capitalist experiments that have simply failed here. These same Communists regard Jews as the conduits of Western influence, and therefore blame Jews, in part, for the economic crisis that continues to ravage Russia. I am both Jewish and from the West. Apparently, I would also be considered a zhid if I lived in Russia. Although I have never been directly victimized by anti-Semitism here, I still feel at times -- and especially at these times -- like I am a target. I shiver with fright and disbelief as I walk past packs of skinheads on the streets, as the swastikas on their T-shirts and armbands glare out at me as constant reminders of the persecution Jews have endured in the past and will continue to face in the future. At a recent rally marking the anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, one protestor's placard read, "Yeltsin surrendered Russia to be robbed by Zion." I would like to think that the new millennium could be a time of change and tolerance, but I am constantly reminded that rabid animals like Makashov, his Communist counterparts, skinheads and other anti-Semites still roam this planet, searching for something more "pure." Thousands of Russian Jews have already -- now and in the past -- emigrated to Israel, Canada or the United States, hoping to find a more distinct religious freedom. It is likely that another emigration spree will follow this recent explosion of anti-Semitism. What to do with these Communists who are still trying to flex their political muscles and grab Russia's reins? Russia's capitalist oligarchs have gone so far as to suggest that Communists be banned. While I am both disgusted and angry over the party's fascist behavior and Makashov's freedom to say his noxious comments over national television, I believe that a legal ban would just inflame, intensify and increase the frequency of such public behavior. Intolerance was the hallmark of the Soviet past; to encourage it again would be to repeat the same mistake twice. The very point behind Russia's new constitution, in fact, is that people do not have the right to ban other people. I do take comfort, however, in the evident ignorance of the Communist Party, because I think it has just committed a grave political mistake. The enigmatic statements made by left-wing leaders actually raise questions about whether the Communists are even aiming to win the support of the majority, or if they are instead looking for easier, more tyrannical ways to come to power. Perhaps they are scared of not having a shot at a democratic victory. Cowards. Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov's favorite catch phrase these days is: "We are the party of the future." What kind of future party are we looking at exactly? It seems that we are looking directly into the past.
AROUND HIGHER EDUCATION: Date rape drugs hit college campuses
(07/30/98 9:00am)
The Associated Press Congressional hearings on date rape drugs Rohypnol and GHB will begin today, but local colleges are already warning students about the dangers. ''It is important for other members of the community to know the drug is available and being used in State College and that its ingestion can result in death,'' Police Lt. Diane Conrad said in a statement. The House subcommittee on crime will have hearings today to examine whether Rohypnol and GHB should be added to the list of federally controlled substances, said Terry Tarham, a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration's office of public affairs. Both drugs have been called date-rape drugs following reports of the drugs being slipped into drinks to facilitate rape. Eleven states have passed laws imposing stiff penalties for possessing or distributing the drug; Pennsylvania is not one of them. GHB, short for gamma hydroxybutyric acid, is legal in Europe but was outlawed by the Federal Drug Administration in 1990 after several GHB-related illnesses were reported, according to the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information. The drug can cause vomiting, dizziness, tremors and seizures and often involves hospitalization. The two 20-year-old Penn State students ingested GHB intentionally to get high, police said. And on Memorial Day, a 16-year-old Boalsburg girl was also admitted to a hospital after ingesting the drug. Penn State students are warned about the potential danger of date-rape drugs at orientation programs, said Peggy Spear, director of university health services. ''We try to share accurate information with the students about the substances,'' Spear said. She said she did not know what impact Sunday's hospitalizations would have on the program. Recent media attention has prompted Widener University to include information about GHB in their orientation for resident assistants, said spokesperson Linda Freeman. But at Temple University, reports on the dangers of GHB come as no surprise, officials said. ''GHB has been around a lot longer than these headlines,'' said Lori Vargo, assistant coordinator of Temple's drug and alcohol education program. She said that Temple has no current plans to specifically address GHB, and if they did it would be in the form of ''a few sentences added'' to existing literature on the more widely known Rohypnol. At the University of Pittsburgh, GHB and Rohypnol are mentioned but not given special emphasis in the drug and alcohol awareness programs, said spokesperson Ron Cichowicz. ''We tell them if you're at a party, get your own drinks,'' Cichowicz said.
EDITORIAL: Can less really mean more?
(06/11/98 9:00am)
Despite the advent of a Spectaguard bike patrol, fewer guards raise concerns about campus safety. Now, Spectaguard officers will join the ranks of Penn Police and University City District safety ambassadors who use bicycles to look out for crime and increase residents' feelings of safety. But the strategy will only be effective if the simultaneous cuts in Spectaguard's walking force do not serve to make the campus and community less safe. Students and other community residents have not only grown accustomed to seeking Spectaguards in the areas where they live, but the security officers' very presence is viewed by many as a sign of safety. Walking around campus in the middle of the night, it is not uncommon to see at least one Spectaguard on patrol. And that's the way it should be. Crime has, in general, seen a consistent marked decrease since the fall 1996 crime wave. It would be a shame if cutbacks now made criminals feel welcome in the area around campus. We should not have to wait for another string of robberies in order to have the proper number of Spectaguards. Hopefully, the new Spectaguard bike patrol will fill the void by allowing guards to be more mobile and cover a greater amount of space in less time. But if that is not the case, we encourage the Division of Public Safety to bring back additional guards.
GUEST COLUMNIST: For a greener University City
(06/11/98 9:00am)
This summer we're focusing on landscaping as a means to the same end: safer streets and a stronger sense of community. The new initiative, UC Green, is a comprehensive, collaborative approach to tackling several problems such as: · how to maintain University City's existing green spaces, · how to beautify existing empty spaces like vacant lots, sidewalks and those little plots of concrete or dirt that try to pass for front yards, · how to bring together different groups that do not often work together on common problems (i.e. residents, landlords, student tenants, local community groups and the University) and · how to create and maintain relationships between academic theory and practice in the local community which provide excellent learning opportunities for students. Penn courses that incorporate these goals already exist, such as those through the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning or Anne Spirn's West Philadelphia Landscape Project. In order to achieve this, we started by targeting a dozen public and semi-public spaces in distress. We then identified people who could be interested in the initiative and asked them what kind of help they may need to turn those eyesores into urban assets. And then we tried to get them what they need, usually by linking them to someone else in the community who is doing something similar or who has already done it. One of our priorities is addressing the problem of how to maintain a well-landscaped residential street where there are few or no homeowners (read: lots of transient student tenants). This summer we will be exploring how to use economies of scale to make tending a residential street worthwhile. Perhaps we can hire local high school students as urban gardeners as their after-school job. Like UC Brite, this would require a coordinated effort among residents, landlords and even student tenants. You might wonder what makes greening so important. How did we move from lights to plants? It's actually quite logical. After putting up the lights with UC Brite, we noticed that with some houses (namely the ones that students live in) all we did was illuminate an ugly street. Weeds were growing in front yards and between bricks and sidewalks were desolate concrete strips. But on some of the blocks further out into the community, where there are more permanent residents who take the time to care for their street, the lights illuminated beautiful shrubbery, flowers and community gardens. The nice feel of a street like the 4600 block of Osage Avenue should also exist at 39th and Baltimore. We've already seen the results of what some surface improvements can do -- just look at the Hamilton Village Shops or Beige Block. Imagine what this neighborhood -- our neighborhood -- would look like with some nice flowers, trees and even a bench or two. Further, experience has proven that a nice looking street can even be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Well-groomed streets attract less trash and less crime. UC Green has a lot of potential to make a visible impact in University City. The best part is that it is a work in progress, constantly open to new ideas, new projects and new partners. At this stage, UC Green is simply several sets of people who are all working on different projects in the community, whether it's landscaping a vacant lot by the Paul Robeson House at 50th and Walnut or installing flower boxes at 39th and Sansom. The UC Green network just provides the access to information and assistance. So what can you do as a student? Start off by taking care of your own space. Contact your landlord to see how to make your home --Eand your block -- more attractive. Even if you're only subletting for the summer, remember that this is your neighborhood, too. And UC Green is here to support you. Whether you need rakes and shovels or the names of other interested community members, all you have to do is contact us.
GUEST COLUMNIST: In the dark on the 'why' behind residential changes
(04/21/98 9:00am)
It is hard to escape the news that something is going on with respect to Community House -- something very odd. Not only are the current and prospective House residents and staff concerned, but large numbers of students who have lived in Community House over the past four years are as well. Normally, the process of collegial discussion and consultation provides the channel for the open expression of disagreements and their resolution. Now, for the first time, it appears that I am involved in a process in which there are few signs of either collegiality or consultation -- and, quite frankly, I don't know why. In order to try to stimulate the type of open discussion and review that has always prevailed at Penn, I think that it is time that the residents of Community House and the Penn community are provided with answers to the questions that have been raised in The Daily Pennsylvanian and elsewhere. Why was the Community House assistant dean of residence forced out of the house dean review process? After working with Diana Koros in Community House for four years, I feel that I have a reasonably good sense of her strengths (and weaknesses). Nonetheless, throughout the entire review process, I have never been asked to provide any information about Koros' performance. Nor, for that matter, were any of the house residents or staff. One argument is that the house dean position is entirely new and requires altogether different qualities than the ADRs. But even this argument does not hold water since, even in the charge to the review committee, it was clear that experience in Penn's residences was a central element of the review. As I was told by the chairperson, the intent was to "bend over backwards" to ensure that the current job holders had every opportunity to go forward to the next step in the review process. The result: Other internal candidates were put forward with only a Bachelor's degree and, in one case, only one year of experience in residence at Penn. What is of concern here, however, is just how Koros could have failed to make the "cut" -- since she has four years of experience in residence and very strong academic qualifications (dissertation status, seven years as a teaching assistant for Women's Studies and the departments of Regional Science, Political Science and English, plus extensive advising experience in the College and the house). What I have been told by three members of the committee is that Koros had "all of the necessary academic qualifications and residential experience" and that she was "smart and articulate" but lacked "other qualifications." When I asked what those "other qualifications" were, however, I was told only that the committee's work was confidential. Confidential or not, Koros is the current ADR, and I would expect that I am entitled to information that could affect the house -- all the more so since I also learned that no malfeasance, like the types of financial and morale problems that existed when I became faculty master, was even suggested. I now have only questions and a belief that several members of an otherwise excellent committee were allowed to use the committee to meet their own needs rather than those of the house residents. In the absence of collegiality and consultation, the questions about Koros' status thus remain unanswered. Why does it appear that Community House is opposed to the new college house plan? This question is particularly vexing since Community House has been one of the strongest supporters of the new program. Indeed, in a plan prepared by a house committee in December 1996, we proposed many of the same changes for Community House as were proposed this past September in Al Filreis' plan. Our plan called for the formation of Benjamin Franklin College House from the existing Community House units and Butcher. Already we have instituted an essay as part of the application to the house; designed the house educational program; provided extensive academic support services; implemented a house dining room; recruited upperclassmen as residents; designed University-wide programs such as PennWatch; and implemented comprehensive house-based governance procedures. Interestingly, virtually all of the Community House initiatives were guided by Koros. If anything, the house residents and staff believed we were in the vanguard in our support for the college house plan. Those concerns the house had with the new plan for the residences stemmed, almost exclusively, from what we felt to be arbitrary decisions that had been made entirely without consultation. These include the ratio of RAs to GAs -- which forced us to use both RAs and GAs exclusively for floor support rather than use GAs to develop the house educational programs -- and the almost complete absence of attention to the special needs of those houses that would continue, in the near term, to house freshmen. Community House may not be a "first-year house," but, at least for next year, more than 90 percent of the residents will be freshmen. Surely, collegial discussion and consultation could have easily remedied these concerns. But to date, no member of Community House has received invitation to participate in any of the planning discussions -- not even its faculty master! The question should thus be restated as: Just who is it that wants it to appear that Community House is opposed to the new college house plan -- and why? Why has Community House been singled out for this "special" attention? Or rather, Why has Community House been the subject of all this controversy? It is true that the house has always prided itself on its independence, but then so have Hill, DuBois, Modern Language and Van Pelt. It is true that the house has been known for creating new educational programs and initiatives that have at times been at odds with the leadership of residential living. It is true that the house students, staff and faculty leadership have often been outspoken with their concerns with respect to the extraordinary level of micromanagement which has been exercised toward the house. But if I read the Brownlee Report correctly, this is precisely the goal of the new residential program: to create strong, independent houses with educational programs dedicated to the support of the students' educational needs. Certainly, from all that I have been told (which, admittedly, is very little) the recent controversy with respect to Community House has not focussed on any concerns about the house educational programs or the dedication of the students, staff and faculty. If anything (at least judging by the applications to the house and the enormous number of calls we have received from parents wanting to know how new students can secure a room in the house), Community House is well-known and well-regarded as a place to live, learn and develop a community of friends -- perhaps the residence of choice for freshmen wishing to live in the Quad. Again, I must point at the absence of collegiality and consultation for an answer; at least at this point, no member of Academic Programs and Residence Life, the Residential Faculty Council or the administration has approached me (or any of the house students and staff) to discuss any specific concerns or misgivings with respect to the house. My point here is thus very simple. As with most issues concerning the design and implementation of educational programs, there are often differences of opinion and style. Academic tradition holds that these differences should be resolved by both collegial discussion and review and consultation with the administrators responsible for the operation of the University's educational programs. Over the past year, I have repeatedly asked to engage in this process. But without such collegiality and without the opportunity for consultation, all that remains is speculation, rumor and innuendo. My interest is in seeing Penn's standards of mutual respect and collegial support re-instituted with respect to the decisions about Community House. Any less will leave all of us only with suspicions and a belief that our single most important initiative for all of Penn's undergraduates has been tainted from the outset.
GUEST COLUMNIST: Statements on vending misleading
(03/06/98 10:00am)
While University Council Petyk claims that "the proposed ordinance will make only modest changes to vending in University City," the truth is that vending would be banned entirely on Walnut, 34th, 36th, 37th and Chestnut streets, as well as on Spruce Street east of 36th Street and on the east side of 38th Street. And while the ordinance would allow 100 vendors in University City, 48 of them would be relegated either to Market Street or to spots well south of the hospital complex. Scheman, vice president for government, community and public affairs, and Executive Vice President Fry assert that "The University has spent countless hours during the past six months negotiating with community groups, the Penn Consumers Alliance and the [University City] Vendors Alliance on the vending ordinance." This is not true. The administration has made presentations to various campus constituencies about the "fresh air food plazas," which are not in the ordinance or guaranteed in any way. Attendees of these meetings unanimously report that the administration neither negotiated nor discussed the provisions of the proposed ordinance. Since September, the administration has used the food plazas to divert attention from the ordinance. Scheman has gone so far as to claim (falsely) that they are part of the ordinance ("Response on vending," Almanac, 1/27/98). Yet the administration has refused to add a contingency clause that would provide adequate vending spaces near the central campus if the plazas are not built, and it has not yet put forth a reasonable, secure lease offer to the vendors. Discussion of the ordinance has occurred only during a few meetings between the PCA and Managing Director for Economic Development Jack Shannon. Shannon set up the meetings as presentations about the food plazas; the ordinance was discussed only at PCA's insistence. Aside from getting the University City cap raised from 75 to 100, no provision of the ordinance has been successfully negotiated between the administration and any campus constituency in any of these meetings. Scheman and Fry state, "The assertion that the University has not negotiated in a forthright way is? false. We have negotiated? our remaining differences are not for lack of good faith efforts." These statements are themselves false. In January, after soliciting ordinance proposals from PCA and the University City Vendors Alliance, City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell called upon the administration, PCA and UCVA to negotiate. After the administration refused to attend two meetings convened by the PCA with a neutral moderator, Blackwell called the groups together on February 9. At that meeting, we reached agreement on a number of important issues, and Blackwell urged us to continue negotiating unresolved items. The administration then reneged on more than half the agreements and refused to meet with us again. Now the administration washes its hands of the problem, stating that "The vending ordinance is now a legislative matter" (Scheman and Fry). Petyk argues that "a good case can be made that the University should reduce the total number of vendors in University City over the next five to 10 years -- especially as more space for moderately-priced restaurants becomes available." He exemplifies the administration's indifference to the campus community's needs in the assumption that "moderately-priced restaurants" could fill the need for the kind of fast, diverse, inexpensive service our vendors have provided for more than a century. As Petyk indicates, and as Fry has admitted at University Council, the administration wants to capture a larger share of the campus food market, replacing vending with a relatively small number of Penn-controlled retail establishments that will charge consumers $2, $3, $5 more for a meal than vendors do. The University will "compete" with the unique benefits offered by the vendors by legislating (or failing that, litigating) them out of business. In contrast to the administration, the PCA represents the interests of the students, staff and faculty who purchase thousands of lunches every day from the vendors. PCA invited representatives from the UA, GAPSA, A-1s, A-3s, unionized staff, the African American Association, the Faculty Senate and the Spruce Hill Community Association to every public meeting, including the one with Blackwell. We have never hidden our motives: We want vending to remain diverse, convenient and accessible. Nor have we or UCVA ever been a force for the "anarchy" Petyk cites. Both groups support safety regulations, design standards and bans on vending near hospital entrances, ambulance parking and the space in front of Sansom Common and local retail businesses. PCA is ready and willing to talk about the vending issue anytime, anywhere, in public. The administration has refused to participate in any public forum on vending. We urge readers to demand a public accounting from Rodin and ask Blackwell to withdraw the current ordinance.
Students write fact and fiction
(12/11/97 10:00am)
and Lamont Taylor The Community Times Lynch, who is in the International Studies and Business Program at the University of Pennsylvania, formed the Creative Writing Club at the beginning of the school year. The club, which is open to all members of the Academic Innovative Multimedia community, also known as AIM, currently has about 40 students. Lynch noted that the program offers a wide range of activities, including drawing art, writing poetry and letters and even making pictures to go with poems. Lynch created the club -- and likes leading it -- because she wanted to share her enjoyment of poetry and art with students. She said she also likes exposing the students she works with to different cultures and ideas, such as Japanese haikus, African-American authors and art by Vincent Van Gogh. Noting Lynch's kindness toward them, many Shaw students said they have learned a lot from her and have enjoyed spending time with her. "Cathy is nice and caring and an understanding person," sixth-grade student Ebony Archer said. In the Journalism Club, Shaw students work to create their own articles, which are published in The Community Times. They conduct interviews, do research and write the articles themselves -- with the assistance of Lynch. In the past, students have written about interesting Shaw teachers and special programs at Shaw. About 15 Shaw students currently participate in the journalism program. The Creative Writing and Journalism clubs take place in Shaw's AIM community because they are focused on computers and desktop publishing. Students in the clubs said they like the idea of creating their own works. The clubs also help the students learn the true meaning of partnership and togetherness.
GUEST COLUMNIST: Build a community service center
(12/05/97 10:00am)
Michael Cunningham Michael Cunningham Crumbling row houses and a weak public infrastructure are only the surface indications that West Philadelphia has been disinvested from by society. Too many residents confront their circumstances with a mediocre education system and vastly circumscribed employment prospects. How University policies have contributed to the current state of affairs is debatable but pause for a moment to consider the consequences of how the University will be organized not too far down the road. The construction of Sansom Common does provide some jobs, even if only short-term ones. But despite qualms about the direction Penn is moving, it is true reversing the fortune of West Philadelphia cannot be done single-handedly by the University. Nevertheless, as you progress though school and graduate, is Penn's future legacy -- indeed, yours -- one that you can be proud of supporting? Reducing the number of decent jobs available directly undermines Penn's interest in fostering a healthy and secure community. The plans the University has publicized in the last year, however, do offer some reason for optimism if implemented correctly. The key is to ensure that as the University reorganizes itself to save money, it must reinvest that money, and probably should invest much more, to counter any detrimental impact on the community. One valuable first step Penn can take to show its support for the community is in the creation of a Community Service Learning Center. A proposal has been drafted by the an ad hoc Community Service Center committee with input and support from numerous campus organizations including the Penn Volunteer Network. As envisioned, the center would provide centrally located space for community service groups to hold meetings, store belongings and provide a library resource room for tutoring. As an integrated center for community service, it could provide an office for the Program for Student- Community Involvement. In addition, it will hopefully aid in Penn's work as a leader in academically based community service classes by providing high quality seminar space for classes and conferences. Most importantly, the center will be a vital resource facilitating interaction between service groups while encouraging and enabling all organizations on campus to carry out more effective projects. The idea of a Community Service Learning Center fits neatly in the direction the University is moving with the creation of the Perelman Quadrangle, themed college houses and the preservation of the Castle living-learning program. If Penn needs an added incentive, most other Ivy League schools already have central locations for community service. For example, Harvard University has the Philips Brooks House and Yale University has Dwight Hall. If nothing else, a Community Service Learning Center might encourage Penn students through their interaction with community residents to gain insight and a critical consciousness of West Philadelphia, its problems and potential. Finally, and crucially, those who participate in the center experience may remember when they leave Penn, that they have an obligation to consider what is needed and what really matters for urban neighborhoods like West Philly in their economic and political decisions. If you would like to assist in the formation of a Community Service Learning Center, e-mail comhub@dolphin.upenn.edu
GUEST COLUMNIST: Finding an acceptable community
(02/24/97 10:00am)
It has been a year since I wrote about this. Since I wrote about coming out to my fraternity. There have been some changes since then. Some good and some bad. I find this experience so hard to put into words. Concealed whispers and muffled insults are often harder to write about and even worse to understand. It has been a long year. I have been questioning my brotherhood and myself. I wanted to be the "big man" on campus; so I joined clubs and continued with my fraternity. For a time I thought I should hide my sexuality. I told my brothers -- if I couldn't tell them who could I tell. So I came out. I sent a letter to the house and it was read during a chapter meeting. The response was fine. No names, no bashing, no fights. They took it better than I had expected. I attended functions after coming out. I had dinner at the house and went to meetings. But no matter how hard I tried, there was always a wall separating me from my brothers. I couldn't tell them about guys I was dating. I had to edit my weekend and become what I had often been told "the straightest gay man I know." Every time I ate dinner at the house, it was inevitable. I would hear "You know, he is such a fuckin' fag?no offense, Ron." Eventually I stopped going to the house. I couldn't take the jokes or the "unintentional insults" -- those backhanded compliments always begin,"Well, Ron, I don't mean to offend you but?" and they would always wind in fag or dyke or nigger. I found myself forcing the fraternity into my life. And it happened the night we had to choose who to give bids to. I sat on the couch in the living room and several brothers were talking about the rushes. "How is he with chicks?" "Well, look at him he is such a fuckin' fag?" "He's such a pansy-ass fag, he's such tool." And there it began. I felt betrayed and hurt. More than I ever tell people. I wanted to yell. But it continued. "Who else is rushing him? Don't worry they're all fags; he'll come here." I didn't know what to do -- cry or kick ass. I did neither. I closed my eyes and hoped that someone other than me would say something. I hoped someone realized what they were saying and how much it hurt. And then he began speaking -- the only guy I thought would educate my brothers that what they were saying was wrong. He didn't, he added to the fire. "Well when I was on that team they said all frat guys were fags. And you know that none of us are fags so I think that we should take him from them." One tear and I left. I haven't been back since. During that week brothers asked, "Ron, are you still pissed off?" "Don't be so sensitive," they said. "You know that we were joking around," others added. I am not angry. Just disappointed. And one of the things that hurt the most was in that group of 40 there are some who weren't joking around. Last week, a brother called wanting to know if I needed a T-shirt to commemorate one of our mixers with a certain sorority. I didn't want a T-shirt. I wanted a brotherhood. I wanted to know when I wear my letters there are guys who will stand by me when times are rough. I have lots of T-shirts but I don't have a brotherhood. After the adversity, I found a group, a community. I discovered friends I had lost. I thank the community here at Penn -- the people who have supported me and other gays from things like this. In the end, I suppose I did find the brotherhood I was searching for. I find it ironic sometimes. I see freshman men and women running around blindfolded and carrying lunchboxes. I hope they know and understand what they are getting into and are allowed to grow into independent students. Not the quiet souls who sit on the sidelines and become part of the group. It is my hope they find a vibrant supportive community at Penn, one that challenges them to think and not just do. This is the bond that is unconditional. Soon I will be leaving Penn for the real world of work. I will take a few memories with me. Perhaps speaking at the B-GLAD (Bisexual Gay and Lesbian Awareness Days) rally, or dancing till 3 a.m. with my Club 111 and Asian party buddies, but few will be about the fraternity. My fraternity was a moment in which I learned about myself and the brotherhood. It taught me little about real life a lot about the real me.
GUEST COLUMN: One nation, separate and unequal
(10/07/96 9:00am)
opportunity doesn't exist in America, thanks to lack of education and family breakdown. For as long as I can remember, I have been intrigued by the plight of minority communities in America. I've often wondered why I care so much, and I've concluded that this country's most important ideal is equal opportunity. Throughout grade school, I read with amazement the history of the Jim Crow laws in the south. I always felt the most terrible thing a government could do is to deny a people the opportunity to work to the best of their ability and make the most out of every day of their lives. Contrary to contemporary liberal thought, however, I was never moved by simply reading about the poverty-stricken living conditions of most blacks in the post-Civil War era. "Poverty" is just a word describing a state of being, such as "hot," "cold," "wet" or "dry." What shocked me was how an entire class of people was actively prevented from escaping poverty. To continue the analogy would be to say that an entire group of cold, wet people were forcibly restrained from drying off and seeking warmth. The distinction between one's state and one's ability to leave that state is of vital importance. As a kid, I was a firm believer in the old saying, "It doesn't matter from where you come, all that matters is where you're going." Any chains forcibly placed on someone to restrict his personal advancement bothered me, and these restrictions were abundant in all the history books. As I was growing up, consciously aware of these restrictions, I paid special attention to people around me. Those of us who worked the hardest throughout our school days now look forward to more rewarding lives. Within my large, multiracial public high school of 2,200, for example, the harder workers made it to college and the hardest workers went to the best universities. Statistics will show that people with prestigious names on their degrees will likely be the most successful, at least in a financial sense. Throughout my life I've never seen many significant barriers blocking the connection between hard work and success for anyone, be they black, Hispanic or white. Sure, I've seen the ugly face of racism expose itself in the words and actions of more than a few people I've met, but I've never been convinced that these episodes are responsible for the fact that more black males are currently in prison than in college. I was not born until 1975, and I never saw the days when the Klu Klux Klan was much more than a bunch of old geezers hiding behind bedsheets. But I am confused by modern African American leaders such as Jesse Jackson and Cornel West, who repeatedly place all blame for our country's racial economic disparity on white society. Throughout my admittedly short life, I've seen both whites and blacks grow into adulthood with levels of success relative only to the amount of hard work, sweat and tears it took to get there. I've watched my black neighbors lazily mope through grade school and graduate to the world of drug-running, and I've also watched my black high school classmate Reginald Hubbard graduate as president of the Yale University Class of 1996. If it is true, then, that in today's America there isn't an enormous, racial burden holding back every black individual and preventing him or her from leading a fulfilling life, what is preventing the great majority of the African American community from escaping what West, an African American Studies professor at Harvard, describes as "such a sad state of affairs?" Searching for an answer to this question, I worked 40 hours a week for 10 weeks in Pioneer City, a 99 percent African American community of housing projects in Severn, Md. Taking an objective look at the problem, I conversed with parents, community association directors, police, landlords and several dozen children. Contemporary liberals would like us to believe that the people in these projects are stuck there because of white society's racism and discrimination. But what I saw throughout my experience is a community of people that is not likely to ever escape from poverty -- not because of the color of their skin, but because of two major handicaps unrelated to race: A profound ignorance of the critical importance of education, and a 100 percent breakdown in family values. On the other hand, the parents I met in the poverty-stricken community where I worked refused to take the time to sit down and read to their children. It is no wonder that a lot the fourth-grade students in those neighborhoods still can't read a word. How can we expect the young girls to have any desire to learn when their mothers show no interest in the education of their children? And how can we expect the young boys to grow up to be caring fathers when 90 percent of them are born out of wedlock, never observing proper behavior from their own fathers? Increasing the size of welfare checks, passing out more food stamps and whining about the white man's racism are not going to solve the persistent problem of poverty in the African American community. Teaching the importance of family and education is the only way to truly fix the situation.
GUEST COLUMN: "Time for a fresh start"
(08/30/96 9:00am)
Leigh Bauer says it's time for students - and faculty - to start picking up after themselves. Many things have happened since I joined the faculty in 1962. Buildings have been built and landscaped walks have replaced traffic-choked streets. Greater change, however, has occurred in the quantity of litter. Many, though not all, in our community think nothing of littering the classroom, as well as College Green. Several times a year, members of the community go off campus to do good works. They feel good about themselves. They get favorable attention from the media. They help their neighbors. What about the days we are on campus, ignoring as best we can the trash on Locust Walk, the cigarette butts at building entrances and the debris littering the classrooms? My challenge is not to the litterers, but to the rest of us -- to those who don't contribute to the problem, but who don't do anything to improve the campus environment, either. My challenge has as its hypothesis the belief that if each of us picked up several pieces of other people's litter daily, a marked change would result. If each faculty member, with his or her class, pledged that the classroom they entered would be cleaner when they left than when they arrived, a marked change would result. If litterers see others acting in a considerate and responsible manner, unconsciously their own habits would improve and a marked change would result. I hereby pledge to pick up other people's litter every day I am on campus, and to ask my students to do likewise. If enough of us will take this pledge, we can expect to have a campus we can be proud of, instead of one that is embarrassing to show our guests. We can expect favorable coverage from the national media. We can expect a deepened understanding of the fact that the smallest effort, on a daily basis, can change a community. I am available to help in any way I can. I invite you to call me at 898-3020 with ideas on how to combat the litter crisis. If the campus leaders care, we can transform the campus by Thanksgiving. If they don't, the rest of us can do the job for them by then, one piece of paper and can at a time.
GUEST COLUMN: "Internet Pornography"
(07/06/95 9:00am)
Author and journalist Jonathan Rauch quoted a U. Penn "administrator" in the May 1995 issue of Harper's Magazine on the environment of campus prejudice. The administrator said "We at the University of Pennsylvania have guranteed students and the community that they can live in a community free of sexism, racism, and homophobia." Yet Penn also provides uncensored computer services which contain pornographic material degrading to women. Anyone with a Penn ID has access to the Internet's Usenet, the set of computer discussion groups in which these images appear. A survey conducted by student Martin Rimm at Carnegie-Mellon University found 83.5% of all images posted on the Usenet to be pornographic. While pornographic images alone do not create sexists, the two are closely intertwined. Feminists originated the idea that in addition to being a form of expression, pornography encourages males to treat women in a more hostile manner. It seems a contradiction that a school that gurantees freedom from sexism offers its students technology that transmits images which encourage that prejudice. The administration has several choices. They could ignore the problem (or deny it exists), acknowledge the problem and choose to censor the offensive newsgroups, or acknowledge the problem and reconcile it with the school's goals. The first option is the cowardly way out. It leaves a contradiction of policy and seriously questions the administration's sincerity in wanting to provide a sexism-free (and other-isms free) campus. Ignoring and denying the problem fall in the same category because decision-makers can hide behind the authority of their positions. Trying to find the appropriate people to ask simple questions about the issues can be almost impossible at Penn. The second option is censorship. This is an extremely touchy matter, especially when concerning the new, uncharted territory of cyberspace regulation. Currently, it is possible for the overseeing subscriber (in this case, the University of Pennsylvania) to choose not to allow certain Usenet groups to appear. The University could choose to edit out the groups that specialize in pornographic imagery. Unfortunately, this could encourage the University or any other group in power to edit out any material opposed to their own views. This is a very useful tool for high schools and parents who wish to protect children from the inappropriate (and often illegal) material, but not for universities who are dealing with lawful adults. Censorship also brings up the issue of freedom of speech. Calling pornographic images 'speech' is a stretch of the definition, but pornography is a form of expression. The First Amendment has traditionally been stretched to protect reasonable freedom of expression, for example: the freedom to express ideas in writing. Pornography also expresses ideas, if questionable ones. This issue is only applicable to the Internet, not the other forms of expression that the University controls. Television wiring is also controlled by the University, and can contain pornography. But the difference is that television is an established form of media that the people have already encountered and the courts have dealt with. The the Internet is new to mainstream culture, and firm guidelines have not been set for its use and restrictions. Three weeks ago, the Senate passed the Communications Decency Act in an attempt to remove "obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy or indecent" materials from computer networking. In the meantime, as the House deliberates, it is up to individuals to make their own judgements. Essentially, it should be left up to students to decide if they want to be part of online pornography. This follows the philosophies of lawfully permissive states, which 'allow people to be stupid.' If someone wants to satisfy their urges through dirty, secretive photography, that is their own choice. The wisest choice would be for the University to acknowledge the potential for a problem and take non-invasive action to deal with it. Most of the University's concern will be to reconcile school goals with the reality of life. Sexism will exist on and off campus whether or not there is pornography on the Internet. But the administration needs to recognize that the material can promote sexism, and condemn it. If the University makes it clear that the option is there but not with the administration's approval, then the school can not be held liable for promoting an activity that encourages sexism.
GUEST COLUMN: OPINION: "Building Community Ties," Working Hard
(02/22/95 10:00am)
Nevertheless, it is remarkable that the university is rarely credited for its many community service activities. There is, in fact, an enormous array of activities going on every day involving virtually every part of the university. These activities are part of volunteer service--by staff, facult, or students; part of academic or research programs; or represent the involvement of the "corporate" function of the university. Those who work with "us" in our communities are invariably enthusiastic about that interaction, but often still conclude that "Penn itself just isn't there." While what we do and who we are in our communities occurs all over the institution and involves many different individuals with divergent agendas, neither is our "community" by any means homogeneous. One of the factors that makes our city an exciting place to live is its diversity. There are many different groups, some of which--like those of us within the university, work together in coalition; others of which have conflicting or competing agendas. In fact, there is no single community--there are many communities. These communities have many legitimate spokespeople, many varied and legitimate agendas. They can do make enormous demands on the institution. While many of these demands on the may be legitimate and reasonable , they can also be substantial, and require a careful consideration about how the university decides to expend resources. Our various communities can and do approach the university in coalitions to ask for the cooperative interactions. Our various communities also can and do appraoch the university with conflicting requests and expectations. For all these reasons it is essential for the university to develop a comprehensive sense of what is going on at this complex institution. It requires genuine, substantive interactions with many community groups and individual spokespeople, whether they are elected or appointed officials, community leaders, or individual neighbors, to define and to agree upon the nature and scope of various community interactions. Members of the Penn community carry out, in cooperation with our many communities, a variety of programs and activities. These include, but are not limited to the DP's work with the Shaw Middle School and University City High School to produce the recent student newspaper, "Class Act." To illustrate this point further, let me cite some additional activities at the Shaw Middle School, one of a number of West Philadelphia public school sites which both volunteer and academic service have been combined. Student volunteers have been helping to staff a WEPIC Evening Community School and have been involved in Shaw Community Council cleanup activities. Penn staff members are involved in a career mentoring program with tweny-one Shaw students. Shaw teachers ans students are working with Penn faculty and students on environmental imporvement activities. Robert Giegengack, Professor of Geology and Director of Penn's Institute of Environmental Science, is teaching a seminar on Urban Health which involves Penn undergraduates and Shaw students in cooperative research and health promotion activites. These programs build upon "Keeping Teens Healthy" in which the Schools of Medicine, Nursing and Social Work have provided health counseling, education and referral fro Shaw students and their families since 1992. We also work closely with our communities as a "corporate" entity on such initiatives as: