Search Results
Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.
(03/01/94 10:00am)
Though Skimmer Day happened over last year's Homecoming Weekend, its effects are still being felt today by Junior Class Board President Jason Diaz. Diaz, who was issued three tickets for driving the "Tigermobile" down Locust Walk in November, won his case to have them dismissed last week in Philadelphia Traffic Court. The "Tigermobile" was a 1974 Ford Maverick, which was painted black and orange by the Junior Class Board. The words "Penn Sucks" were printed on the trunk. Diaz, a College junior, was ticketed for careless driving, driving an unregistered vehicle and driving without a license. "We thought that within the theme of homecoming and the Princeton-Penn rivalry, we'd buy a car, paint it and smash it as a symbol of the spirit of the weekend," Diaz said last week. "We started driving up Locust to Steinberg Dietrich when the police stopped me halfway there." Diaz said he obtained permission to drive and park the car on Locust Walk from Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta and from Physical Plant. "The cops were never notified so they gave me the three tickets," he said. The fines which arose from the tickets totaled $334. If Diaz had been found guilty, his insurance premiums would also have gone up $300 a year for three years. "For me, the situation was very serious given the losses I faced," he said. Diaz's lawyer, Alan Tauber, of the Philadelphia firm Fineman and Bach, agreed to take the case on a pro bono basis, Diaz said. Tauber serves as the attorney for the Undergraduate Assembly. Tauber fought the case by refuting the three charges, Diaz said, and Judge Charles Cuffeld proceeded to dismiss them. Diaz's witness, College junior Jerome Schneider, was one of the people who helped clear Locust Walk in order for Diaz to drive the car. "We went through all the proper channels and because we cleared the way, we didn't get the careless driving ticket," he said. "We ended up prevailing," added Schneider, who was Skimmer Day chairperson. "I am really relieved that this whole thing is over," Diaz said. "We're now ready to plan for next year's Skimmer Day. "You never know," he added. "There may even be another Tigermobile."
(02/28/94 10:00am)
Red tape bureaucracy leads many student groups funded by SAC to establish outside bank accounts. The two words "SAC funded" appear on almost every poster which graces the campus, usually in small print at the bottom or in a corner. But what exactly do these two words mean and what is the process used to determine who gets SAC funding? The Student Activities Council dispenses the money it receives from the Undergraduate Assembly to 143 recognized campus organizations. The grant allocations made by Council members, which total $291,055, range from Connaisance's $81,230 all the way down to nothing. But SAC committee members and various activity representatives have found problems inherent in the system of funding, ranging from the flood of paperwork to the limits SAC imposes on how much money activities can spend on certain items. And questions have arisen over the use and placement of revenue funds which many SAC funded organizations receive. SAC is made up of a Steering Committee, a Finance Committee and a representative body composed of members of its recognized groups. The Finance Committee makes up the center of the budgetary process. After each activity submits a proposed budget with its requests, the Finance Committee interviews each representative. The Committee then takes its recommendation to the Council as a whole which discusses and then approves a final budget. The process is tedious according to some SAC Finance Committee members, and unfair in the eyes of many representatives. "I know that people on SAC Finance were biased to certain groups and I'm sure that that has affected funding," said a performing arts group representative who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Once they get all the data, they make very random decisions." "There's very little sense of history and how groups have been funded in the past," said College senior Jim Walsh, the Penn Glee Club representative to SAC. The performing arts groups have had particular difficulty receiving funding from SAC. Last year, SAC stopped funding the seven a cappella groups because the Finance Committee did not want to "double charge" students. Students had been paying $5 for each show they attended. And a portion of their annual general fee also went toward the SAC funded activities. So, when those activities received funding, students were paying twice. The performing arts groups have expressed displeasure with SAC's decision. "We're [now] paying for University space and that money is going to the University and now they're making money off of us," said Performing Arts Council outgoing Financial Secretary Sean Aherne, a member of Counterparts. "They thought we were making too much, but that's not up to them. "I've been really fed up," he added. "They also don't come to a lot of our shows so they don't know what we're all about." Engineering junior In-yup Park, representative of the Academic Societies of Engineers, said SAC gives less priority to academically-oriented groups. "There has to be some way to fund academic activities also," he said. "[SAC] has to decide if money should be spent on social groups or academic groups." But College senior Jodi Bromberg, co-chairperson of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Alliance, said she has not had any problems with SAC or its Finance Committee. "As long as you read through the material and ask questions, they'll be able to do an excellent job," she said. "They've been really helpful." Undergraduate Assembly Treasurer Ashley Magids, who sits on the SAC Finance Committee, said the committee is very "professional" in its decision making. "There's no personal opinions involved," she said. "I think it's a very fair process." Other SAC representatives said that while the council attempts to be fair, it does not succeed. "I think they really try to be just and equitable but they sometimes can't see things from the club's point of view," said Wharton junior and Punch Bowl Editor-in-Chief Samir Shah. "And there's definitely too much bureaucracy." This "bureaucracy" was also an issue which both SAC representatives and committee members discussed. "One of the things that's a problem is that it's so bureaucratic to get money out of the system," SAC Steering Committee Chairperson Grace Estaban said. "And I think the University itself just adds to the bureaucracy. Magids, a College sophomore, voiced similar sentiments. "I think the core of the problem is the way the University operates," she said. "There's a lot of red tape," said College sophomore Kim Siegal, former treasurer of Penn Dance. "Sometimes I have to fill out nine forms for one thing," Shah said. The bureaucracy and financial problems also stem from SAC's vast size. "There's an incredible number of new groups," Magids said. "A small SAC council may not be able to handle it if things continue in this direction." Despite problems some SAC members alluded to, many others say they feel strict policies are necessary. "There has to be a certain amount of red tape," admitted Aherne, a College senior. "Money is involved." "We can keep better track this way," said College junior David West, chairperson of the SAC Finance Committee. "You need to have the receipts even though some groups complain about that. "The rules need to exist," he added. Issues of fairness and bureaucracy both contribute to the attempts made by various activities to to control their money. In fact, some groups have admitted to keeping revenue in outside bank accounts. These actions are strictly against SAC policy. "All activities receiving funds from the Activities Council must maintain all funds and income within the University accounting system," SAC funding policies state. "Deviations from this system must be approved by the Activities Council." Several SAC representatives say they have opened bank accounts in Mellon Bank or elsewhere in the area, despite the clear prohibition of their actions. "We put alumni donations and revenue in outside bank accounts and we hide it," said a SAC representative, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "I think [SAC] has good reasons for what they do, but I can rationalize what we do also." The representative added that many groups put money in off-campus bank accounts in order to purchase things SAC refuses to fund. "Probably most of the performing arts groups do," he said. "I would assume that most groups, falsely or otherwise, believe there exists an incentive to have off-campus bank accounts to hide money from SAC." But Aherne said he knew nothing about the existence of non-SAC accounts. "Hypothetically, if anyone did have an outside account, it would be a hell of a lot easier to get out the money," he added. College sophomore Chris Robbins, editor-in-chief of the Red and Blue, said his publication has an outside bank account because SAC has refused to fund it. "But if we took money from SAC, I'd still want to have my own account," he added. "When they don't allocate money for a certain reason, there's always a way to find a way around it." The performing arts representative of SAC said a majority of groups have outside accounts. "They do social-related functions," he said. "The money they need comes from dues or revenue, and I'm sure it goes into an outside account." Debate Council President Jonathan Cohn said the Debate Council had an outside bank account until last year. The former president, Eric Swanson, disposed of the account and put the $3000 which had been in it into the Debate Council's SAC account. "The supposed reason was that they needed readily accessible money," he said. "But although it's been tougher, we haven't had severe problems." Cohn, a Wharton senior, added that he did not know how long the account had been in existence. Bromberg said outside bank accounts are "a way of getting around it and not doing everything." She would not comment further, though, regarding the existence of off-campus accounts. SAC Steering and Finance Committee representatives said they know outside bank accounts exist, but they say they cannot do anything about the situation because they do not have enough evidence to take action. Though none of them knows exactly how many groups hold these extra accounts, almost everyone agrees they are a major problem. And no one has a solution. "I think that student groups have trouble accessing their money and that is why they get outside bank accounts," said Estaban, a College senior. "It's a really difficult problem because if we were to give them easy access, it would be a problem for us." Estaban added that allowing for outside bank accounts within SAC rules would hurt the Council's ability to control funds. Magids said SAC could not and should not keep an extremely watchful eye on every activity. "I think there's a point where it would be a far too activist role and too administrative on [the groups]," Magids said. "Occasionally a group will make a slip up and that's the only way we've been checking." Finance Committee members say it is nearly impossible to find the groups who break the SAC rule, accuse them and then punish them. "Diplomatically, you can't barge in and say 'you guys are doing this'," Estaban said. "And very few students would disclose the fact that they have an outside bank account." Financial Administrator for the Office of Student Life, Activities and Facilities Lynn Moller said she can make the assumption that one third of all SAC groups have outside bank accounts. "It's gotten worse over the past five years," she said. "[But] there's really nothing that can be done." "I know there are outside bank accounts," said Student Life Director Fran Walker. "But unless your bank statements are sent to the office, there's no way we would know because it's a privacy question." Outside bank accounts are only one of several problems which exist between SAC and its represented activities. When examining the activities' budgets, several discrepancies are apparent. First, the paperwork is often not filled out correctly or completely. Sometimes, entire forms are left blank. The total amount is filled out in every budget, but the breakdown is sometimes not shown. Such is the case for Intuitons, a campus alternative performing arts group. Groups also leave the breakdowns for use of revenue blank, as the Gospel Choir and Intuitons did in their most recent budgets. The second problem with many activities' budgets is in the area of revenue explanation. Often, the "total non-SAC revenue" did not equal the "total non-SAC revenue used" in the 1993-1994 budgets. In some cases, the totals balance by adding the suggested carry over money for 1994-1995 to the total used money. In several others, though, the numbers simply do not balance. More than 40 groups have total revenue used not equalling total revenue. These discrepancies remain unaccounted for, though Moller did say that the discrepancy may be due to the failure to indicate spring tournaments, shows or programs. "I don't know what accounts for the discrepancy," she said. "Sometimes they don't predict accurately, and sometimes it's just stupidity." Walker said some groups might not know how to properly prepare their budgets. But Moller said each group's representative is given a packet of instructions and policy information. In addition, each activity is given a Finance Committee liaison who is available to help answer questions. "Most of the groups don't go to their finance liaisons," she said. "There are groups that just don't have any interest in [the budgetary process] and there are others that have good business management." Despite the problems and lack of solutions in SAC's organization, procedures and financing methods, SAC Finance Committee members say they continuously attempt to properly and fairly allocate SAC money to the many activities which fall under its jurisdiction. The Committee is currently in the process of interviewing groups, reviewing budgets and deciding on recommendations. The final budgetary allocations will be made at the SAC general meeting on April 20.
(02/28/94 10:00am)
and DANIEL GINGISS The University of Pennsylvania Emergency Medical Service -- a student-run organization staffed with Emergency Medical Technicians and trainees -- is asking for student support in its quest for University funding and sponsorship. And today and tomorrow, students will have the chance to voice that support. A referendum, which will decide if UPEMS should receive funding, will appear on the Undergraduate Assembly's ballot, Chairperson of Elections for the Nominations and Elections Committee Jim Strangio said. If UPEMS is established officially at the University, it will aim to provide a quicker ambulance response service than is already provided by the city of Philadelphia. "We think that this is a program that will greatly enhance the pre-hospital care and response services in the University and for the University community," said UPEMS Chief and second-year Medical student Todd Fruchterman. He added that the ambulance service would be used to transport victims to Student Health Services or the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, in the event of minor or serious injuries. According to the UA ballot, if the referendum is passed, "it would indicate that the undergraduate community feels that the University should provide funding and/or fundraising for UPEMS? [but] would not require the University to provide funding." While most University officials have lent their support to the program, at least one was critical of the program. One of the program's main supporters is University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich, who helped students start a similar program at Brown University. "I support the concept of a volunteer, student-based EMS operation," Kuprevich said. "We in the campus police department [are] willing to be a central dispatch and record-keeping entity for them, in coordination with the delivery of emergency services." Kuprevich added that University Police officers -- some of whom are also EMT's -- would be willing to assist UPEMS members in the event of an emergency. But Sarah Stahmer, director of clinical operations in the Emergency Department at HUP, said she has many concerns about the program, among them that it has "a lot of kinks." "No one in the medical field has taken it on and fully voiced support," she said. "I think it might potentially compromise patient care." Stahmer added that the program "could be a potential mess with undergraduates caring for patients," especially from a liability standpoint if an undergraduate were to be sued. But Rich Herschberger, flight paramedic for PennSTAR, said the potential speed of UPEMS could only be beneficial for the University. "I think anytime you can put emergency services in your backyard, it's going to be the most rapid response," he said. Herschberger added that since the program teaches students "the backbone skills of medicine," the participants also stand to gain from their acquired knowledge. Kuprevich said that "the funding issue has been a major concern" for UPEMS, which currently does not receive money from the University. Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta said the group is looking for "a large sum of money," in the range of $300,000. But, Moneta said, "it's hard to put a price tag on the increased support that the program would provide." Another question critics have raised is whether the University needs a program like UPEMS. Stahmer said Philadelphia EMS does everything UPEMS plans to do. "Why create a new system when the old system really works?" Stahmer said. "We have an emergency response system -- they would have to interface with Philadelphia EMS and that is an enormous amount of responsibility." Members of UPEMS say, however, that the city's emergency response system takes up to 30 minutes to respond in many cases. "[They] want to volunteer time and work with city rescue units as well," Kuprevich said. "If this does take effect and it becomes a reality, it would be a positive interaction with them, not to replace them." UPEMS Captain Jonathan Slotkin, a College sophomore, said the program helps the EMT's as much as it helps the other students. "For an undergraduate, it's great experience to learn how to deal with people and learn about medical situations and learn to feel compassion for those in need," he said. "There's no way you can teach that in a classroom." Slotkin added that the passage of the referendum would "enhance our standing as a group." Several student government leaders said the referendum will have significant effect on the University's ultimate decision. "I hope everyone takes it seriously," said NEC Chairperson Sharon Dunn, a Wharton senior. "It'll mean something if the undergraduates stand behind it."
(02/28/94 10:00am)
Elections for members of the Undergraduate Assembly and University Council begin today and will continue through tomorrow. Undergraduates have the opportunity to vote for representatives within their school, but only positions in the College of Arts and Sciences and The Wharton School are being contested in this year's UA elections. Eighteen students are running for the 15 spots available in the College and nine students will vie for the six Wharton spaces. The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences has three representatives on the UA, but only two students running for them. And no one is running for the one available spot for the School of Nursing. Ten candidates are also running for the two University Council representative positions. Chairperson of Elections for the Nominations and Elections Committee Jim Strangio, an Engineering junior, said students in the Engineering and Nursing schools can conduct write-in campaigns to fill the empty spots. He added that he is hoping for a "higher voter turnout," despite the low number of candidates. "There is apathy about student government on campus," he said last week. "But I hope the election runs smoothly and fairly and I hope a higher voter turnout occurs." Last year, 23.5 percent, or about 1,540, of the eligible undergraduates voted in the elections. UA candidates said last night they are not sure whether there will be a large turnout. "I hope people come out to vote," said a UA candidate, who asked that his name not be used because of an NEC rule prohibiting candidates from speaking to the press. "But the small candidate pool is indicative that people aren't interested this year." NEC Chairperson Sharon Dunn said voting is even more important than usual in this election. "Every vote is very, very important, especially because of the number of candidates we have," she said last night. "I hope the cold weather doesn't stop anyone from voting." But students said last night they are not deterred by the weather, but by the UA itself. "I don't think [the elections are] really important," College sophomore Sean Lucan said. "I don't know what the UA does and the candidates who have been coming around to me seem like complete idiots. "It seems like we're going to be screwed either way," he added. Lucan said he is not planning on voting and did not know that elections are occurring today. Polling locations today are in the Hill House Dining area, the Quadrangle, Class of 1920 Commons and in front of Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. Voting will take place between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. today. Tomorrow, polling will take place between noon and 5 p.m. outside Steinberg-Dietrich Hall.
(02/24/94 10:00am)
More than half of the 33 current Undergraduate Assembly members are not seeking re-election this year. And aside from the five seniors who are graduating, the remainder of the 21 members who have decided not to run again have various reasons for doing so. Wharton junior Eric Leathers currently serves as the UA Budget Committee's chairperson. He has been on the UA since his freshman year but has decided not to run again. "I've accomplished some of the things I set out to accomplish," he said last night. "I wouldn't want to be on the UA if I didn't think I could steer it in the direction I want it to go in." Leathers, who ran for UA Chairperson last spring and lost to current chairperson and College junior Seth Hamalian, said since he does not want to run for chairperson again this year, he does not want to run at all. "I don't think it is a body I want to be a part of," he added. "I don't want to sit by as a member anymore." UA member and Engineering junior Ha Nguyen said she began her term on the UA with vigor and hopefulness, but her expectations have been left unfulfilled. "I wanted to make the UA a strong body that the students would respect," she said. "[But] there's a lot of red tape and playing parliamentary procedure within the body itself and I don't feel the body can get anything done because we can't get organized. "When we held the rally for the VPUL [last December], we didn't get the support we thought we were going to get," she added. "If the body can't get student support, how can it do anything?" Some UA members said they were not seeking re-election because of the time committment involved. "It's my senior year and I have to concentrate on other things, like academics," UA member and Engineering junior Gaurang Shah said. "I am in the [Management and Technology] program and I don't want to make those sacrifices." Shah, who has served one term on the UA, admitted he was "frustrated" by this year's UA. "I've found some things enlightening, but there were some times where I was frustrated and angry at the body," he added. Wharton freshman and UA member Riley McCormack also cited the time committment as reason for not continuing his UA tenure. McCormack also said he is "very surprised" by the "large number of people not running again." Several UA members voiced similar sentiments. And some said they had expected more members of the Coalition for Responsive Student Government, a group begun in December 1992 hoping to improve student government on campus, to campaign again. The Coalition ran a slate of 20 students in last spring's election, 10 of whom won seats on the UA. Only one Coalition member, College sophomore Miae Oh, will be running for re-election this year. "I thought some of those people would be excited enough to run again," Leathers said. "The fact that people who were only there a year got that disillusioned is a little scary and very unfortunate." UA and Coalition member Sarah Manning said she is "disenchanted." "I was excited about the Coalition when I came in because I felt change was in the air and we were going to make it happen," she said. "[But] the aspirations of the Coalition were disbanded when the Coalition was disbanded, when we got into office." But Nguyen said she expected the lack of incumbents on the UA ballot all along. "A lot of people felt the body wasn't capable of doing anything," she said. "There was a lot of negative feeling between members and toward the body itself." Nguyen added that there was a division within the UA this year between "people who wanted to get things done and people who just wanted to put it on their resumes." Manning, a College junior, said the reasons why she and others are not running again should provide the goals for the next UA. "I see the reasons why people were disenchanted," she said. "It's those reasons that should motivate the next group for change."
(02/23/94 10:00am)
Only 29 students filed petitions by the Monday deadline announcing their intentions to run for the 25 seats available on the Undergraduate Assembly. And this number is barely half as many students as applied for the body last year. Chairperson of Elections on the Nominations and Elections Committee Jim Strangio said last night that 21 out of the 33 current UA members are not seeking reelection this year. Both Strangio and UA Chairperson Seth Hamalian said they are surprised with the low interest in running for the assembly this year. "It was less than I expected," said Strangio, an Engineering junior. "It was surprising because the same amount of advertising went in that always went in. "I'm still trying to figure it out," he added. Hamalian, a College junior, gave three main reasons as to why such a large percentage of incumbents are not running again. Seniors who are graduating and those who could not make the time commitment are two of those categories. "A lot of people saw the UA as too divided," Hamalian cited as his third reason. "They didn't want to put their time and effort into an organization which was distraught with apparent, but not necessarily actual, division." Strangio said last year's 55 candidates was an unusually high pool for an election. That number can be attributed to the development of the Coalition for Responsive Student Government, an organization started in December 1992, which hoped to improve student government on campus. Strangio said the normal year-to-year comparison should not be based, though, on last year's figures which included 20 candidates who ran on the Coalition's slate. "This year is really typical," he said. "It's sad but true." "It is probably due to the apathy of the student body and the feeling about student government on campus," Strangio added. Eighteen candidates are vying for the 15 seats available in the College of Arts and Sciences. Nine candidates will run for the six UA positions from the Wharton School of Business. But only two people are running for the three seats in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. No Nursing School students are participating in this year's election to fill the one available seat. Strangio said write-in campaigns could fill these positions, though. If 28 Engineering students or 13 Nursing students vote for a write-in candidate from their respective schools, that candidate could win the election. "Unless there are enough write-in votes, the spots will go empty until the fall elections," Strangio said. "Freshmen run for the freshmen seats then, and non-freshmen would be allowed to run for the Engineering and Nursing spots."
(02/23/94 10:00am)
When the 25 Undergraduate Assembly members were elected last spring, they hoped for a solid year of change and accomplishment. They pledged to look carefully at the system and strive to meet the goals they set out for themselves. After being elected UA Vice Chairperson last April, College senior Scott Sher said he wanted student government to do more than just pass resolutions. But at the group's meeting last Sunday night, UA members were unable to pass any resolutions, let alone do more than that. And since last spring, the UA has done little more than pass resolutions and debate issues. At Sunday's meeting, the UA debated the recommendation from the preliminary report of the Commission on Strengthening the Community's to postpone fraternity and sorority rush until sophomore year. Originally, UA member and Wharton sophomore Quang O submitted an open letter to the Commission denouncing the postponed rush plan. UA member and Wharton sophomore Dan Debicella amended the letter to support the study of second semester freshman year rush as an alternative solution. A 13-12 vote supported the amendment Supporters of the original letter became angry and withdrew their support of the new letter. What ensued was a complicated set of parliamentary procedures, motions, debate and amendments. No vote was taken on the letter, no resolution was made and nothing substantial was accomplished. Several UA members were disillusioned and disappointed after Sunday night's meeting. "It made me furious," UA Chairperson and College junior Seth Hamalian said. "All year, I and other people have had the burden of expressing an opinion held by the minority well enough so we would get majority support." "These people, when faced with the same task, quit and manipulated parliamentary procedure to their advantage," he added. UA member and College senior Kirsten Bartok voiced similar sentiments. "They spent an extra hour bickering, boosting their own reputations, and getting nothing accomplished," she said. And UA member and College sophomore Dan Schorr said he was "disgusted at the state of the UA right now." "The UA right now can't deal with an issue without everyone attacking each other," he said. "Unless there's major changes, the UA won't get anything done." Those who supported the original proposal said their actions are justified. "I had no problems with [the parliamentary procedures]," said UA Campus and Facilities Chairperson David Heimann, a College senior. "I didn't think we were trying to manhandle the situation and I didn't feel exasperated by what was happening." UA member and College freshman Josh Gottheimer perhaps characterized the group's "system" best. "That's how the system works," he said. During the past year, the UA has been divided on almost every issue it has discussed, from speech codes to assigned housing. And this division has made it difficult for the body to take concrete action. Most recently, this inaction can be seen in the group's response to a letter proposed by College freshman and UA member Adam Strunk advocating the Commission's proposal on assigned housing. By a vote of 20-9, the UA voted not to send the letter. Orderly debate, although vehement, took place during this meeting and a vote was held without delay or parliamentary procedures. Votes without major parliamentary procedural motions have been held on other controversial issues as well. Last fall, for instance, the UA debated the Racial Harassment Policy. Sher submitted a resolution that supported the existence of a so-called speech code and asked Interim President Claire Fagin to develop an alternative plan to Part II of the Racial Harassment Policy. The motion passed after much debate and after Hamalian cast the tie-breaking vote. One of the few unified actions taken by the group was the approval of a letter asking Fagin to decide on a new racial harassment policy by April 1. And although there are several others, Sunday night's meeting is the culmination of a divisive year in which the UA had great difficulty in acting as a united body. Though everything was done legally at Sunday night's meeting, UA Budget Committee Chairperson and Wharton junior Eric Leathers said parliamentary procedure was not used for its proper purpose. "Parliamentary procedures' main goal is to protect the integrity and order of the body," he said. "Some people were just trying to block something from coming to the floor." Bartok, a UA veteran, said this is common for the UA. "They do it sometimes when it's not necessary," she said. "It's pretty typical and I'm used to it by now." UA members said this meeting may have added to the disillusionment some members of the body already felt. "There are a lot of intelligent people who have seen this and other things, and take it as a bad experience," Schorr said. Hamalian said Sunday's meeting "was an appropriate conclusion to the year." Beginning on a promise for action, the UA slipped into a pattern of indecisiviness and inaction, failing to meet the expectations which Sher envisioned last spring.
(02/22/94 10:00am)
The Undergraduate Assembly made its second attempt to officially respond to the Commission on Strengthening the Community's preliminary report Sunday night, but failed to take action. UA member Quang O proposed an open letter to the Commission denouncing its proposal to delay Greek rush to sophomore year. After over an hour of amendments, motions, parliamentary procedures and debate, the letter was withdrawn from consideration and no final vote occurred. Two weeks ago, UA member Adam Strunk, a College freshman, proposed a letter advocating the Commission's randomized housing proposal. The letter was voted down, 20-9. In his presentation to the UA, O, a Wharton sophomore, said postponing rush would be detrimental to the future of the Greek system. "By deferring rush, we're hurting the people power and the financial situation of the houses," he said. "The Greek system is too important for this." After O's presentation, UA member Dan Debicella, a Wharton sophomore, proposed two amendments. Though one was a minor change in wording, the other asked to include a paragraph advocating the study of second semester freshman rush as an alternative solution. Debicella spoke first in the debate on his amendment, and said the current system forces freshmen to make a decision too quickly. "But I agree that moving rush to sophomore year is detrimental," he added. "Moving it to the second semester is getting the best of both worlds." In response, O said the UA should not "negotiate" with the Commission. He reasserted his claim that housing would remain a problem even if rush is moved to second semester. UA member Kirsten Bartok, a College senior, presented the second affirmative argument, saying a second semester rush would not be problematic. "It would give those students a little more time to meet students, find out what they want to do and find out about the other organizations on campus," she said. UA member Jessica Pollock, a College junior, completed the debate on the amendment by saying that sororities currently have problems filling their houses because they conduct second semester rush. "It could lead to closing their houses, then ending their charters," she said. "That will be the beginning of the end of the Greek system." Though a motion was made to extend debate, it failed. A 13-12 vote then passed the amendment. But, after a five minute caucus, O motioned to reconsider the amendment. After the body voted not to reconsider the amendment, O withdrew his letter from the table. "It isn't my letter anymore and this isn't what I want," he said. Debicella then reintroduced the letter with his amendment. UA Campus and Facilities Chairperson and College senior David Heimann motioned to table the issue until March 20, the UA's next meeting. That motion also failed. Heimann then motioned to divide the question, requesting two separate votes -- one on Debicella's amendment and one on the original letter. The motion to divide the question passed by a 13-12 vote. But before its approval, O motioned to adjourn the meeting. However, UA Chairperson and College junior Seth Hamalian overruled O's motion. "Either grab your balls and vote on it or don't and get out of here," he said. Though the body was prepared to vote on the divided question, Debicella withdrew the letter completely, ending the meeting. UA members were divided last night regarding the meeting's impact. "We're here to represent our constituency," UA member and College freshman Josh Gottheimer said. "Sometimes you have to use parliamentary procedures and delay things. "The whole meeting gave me more confidence in the system," he added. But Sher said the UA meeting was "disgraceful." "The UA did a tremendous disservice to the student body by not voting on the Commission report," Sher said. "We were not elected to manipulate parliamentary procedure at the expense of substantive debate." Andhe said he is "disgusted at the state of the UA right now." "Unless there are major changes, the UA won't get anything done," he added.
(02/21/94 10:00am)
The Undergraduate Assembly unanimously supported "cost-effective" recommendations for the University Dining Services' budget last night at its meeting. Wharton sophomore Dan Debicella, a member of the UA Budget Committee, presented the report containing the recommendations, along with a fact sheet detailing the Dining Services' budget. "This is something that affects 50 percent of the student body," he said. "It's important for everyone." The report advocated four changes in Dining Services: increasing the number of work-study students, seeking corporate sponsorships, reducing redundant advertising expenses and analyzing the usefulness of several lesser known programs. According to Debicella, the first recommendation is the most important. Because unionized Dining Services' workers make almost $3 million in salaries, the UA report advocates the hiring of more work study students, who earn at least $4 less per hour, and placing a hiring freeze on the union workers. Debicella admits that logistical problems with scheduling work-study students might occur when more students are hired. "[But] the cost of scheduling is minimal compared with the savings you'll get," he added. The second recommendation dealt with "monotony breakers" -- specialty nights which feature food from Pizzeria Uno, Nabisco or other companies. These meals currently cost $68,293. To cut costs, the UA report suggests corporate sponsorship in which the companies would receive free publicity in exchange for their specialty meals. The third recommendation details a reduction in advertising expenses. Debicella gave the example of the Hill House Hoagie Bar which advertises in the Hill House Dining Hall itself. "Things like that are just inefficient and should be done away with," he said. The last recommendation asks for the analysis of various programs' usefulness. This includes the "box lunches" program, which, according to Debicella, is unknown to most students. "They should look into it and see if a lot of students use it or if it needs more publicity," he added. UA Chairperson and College junior Seth Hamalian said a report on Residential Living's budget will be released by the end of the year. But other budget reports are not forthcoming. Debicella said his committee requested budgets from the four undergraduate schools, but was turned down by each of them. "I think you can contrast the helpfulness of [Dining Services Director] Bill Canney with the disinterest and cold heartedness of the four undergraduate schools," he said. "I think it's abhorrent that the four schools have withheld their budgets from the most important members of their community -- the students." Budget Committee Chairperson Eric Leathers voiced similar sentiments. "We wanted to give them feedback and attack it from a student body's viewpoint," he said. "But the schools saw fit to call one another and then withhold their budgets from the committee." At last night's meeting the UA also heard reports from the Class Boards and the Social Planning and Events Committee in preparation for its March 20 budget meeting. They also discussed the Commission on Strengthening the Community's recommendation to postpone fraternity and sorority rush to sophomore year. Though the members voted 13-12 to support second semester freshman year rush, they did not reach a final conclusion on the issue and did not vote on whether to send a letter to the Commission detailing their position.
(02/15/94 10:00am)
Some went out for a romantic dinner last night. Others bought flowers, cards and chocolates for their boyfriends or girlfriends. Many students walked around campus yesterday wearing red and pink. But others did not celebrate Valentine's Day at all. Some students did not have a partner with whom to share the holiday. Others said the holiday had religious origins which conflict with their own beliefs. And many students treated it like any other weekday. College freshman Lisa Hernandez said Valentine's Day was a difficult day for those who are single. "I hate Valentine's Day because all I've seen all day is people with flowers and big red balloons and it's all I could do to keep from popping the balloons," she said last night. "I think there are a lot more people who don't celebrate it then do. "If you don't have anybody to share it with, then all you do is watch other people," she added. College sophomore Sara Gibbons agreed. "I'd like it if I had a valentine," she said. "This year I wore black and red so it was in between [between hating it and loving it] but I think it's really a holiday that's been created by Hallmark." Some celebrated Valentine's Day without a couples-only atmosphere. The Pi Beta Phi sorority, for instance, showed several "female bonding" movies, including Thelma and Louise, for sisters and pledges whose boyfriends lived far away or who were unattached. "Instead of being depressed on Valentine's Day, we decided to do something fun," said Pi Phi sister and College sophomore Deborah Chasan. "After all, who needs guys to have a good time?" Chasan said her boyfriend lives in Washington D.C. and the separation was especially difficult yesterday. "I've been sort of lonely walking around campus all day," she said. "It seems like everybody is carrying a flower around except for me." Some students treated Valentine's Day no different than any other day. "I've never had a very serious girlfriend on Valentine's Day, so it has never meant anything to me," Wharton senior Ethan Falkove said. "I'm not missing anything as far as I see [and] I really don't think about the holiday too much." Several University students said they did not celebrate the holiday because of its religious significance as a holiday commemorating Saint Valentine, a Catholic martyr. "In the Jewish religion, we don't celebrate Saint Valentine's Day," College sophomore Hal Luria said. "Although the holiday has become very secularized it is based on a Christian martyr." Luria said he and his girlfriend, a College freshman, do not need the holiday to celebrate their love. "We decided not to celebrate it because of its history and we can celebrate our love for each other in other ways," he said. "We just don't need it." Hernandez agreed with Luria's sentiments. "If you're in a loving relationship, you shouldn't need one day to show them how much you love them," she said. "I think it's slightly overrated."
(02/15/94 10:00am)
Three University students spent last weekend savoring the sun-drenched beaches of Florida after winning a raffle sponsored by the Junior Class Board. College junior Vinod Valloppillil won the raffle at the Junior Class Board's Florida Beach Party, held at the Christian Association between midnight and 2 a.m. Friday. Valloppillil and his two roommates, Wharton junior John Im and Engineering junior Foo-Sing Wong boarded a USAir flight to Orlando five hours after winning the tickets, at 7 a.m. The Florida package included two round trip airline tickets to Orlando, hotel accommodations, Universal Studios and Wet & Wild passes, and admission to Church Street Station, a mall with various theme-oriented restaurants and nightclub shows, Wong said last night. After winning the contest, Valloppillil could not decide which of his two roommates to take with him. So, he chose to go with both, splitting the cost of the extra person's expenses among the three. Their USAir flight was the last to leave Philadelphia before USAir closed down due to weather conditions. Valloppillil and Wong left on that plane and Im joined them Saturday night. The three returned yesterday morning. Co-Chairperson of the party Ari Pundit, a College and Wharton junior said last night Valloppillil and his roommates took the tickets and information, but left so quickly with their prize that no one from the Junior Class Board could take down their names. "We meant to get [the names] but it was such a mob scene that we never got them," she said. "I was trying to explain everything but it was really hectic and it just didn't happen. Wong said a throng of people surrounded him when he was declared the raffle winner. The party's attendees desperately attempted to bid for the prize. The Florida package was actually worth $780, Pundit said. The three roommates said it was 85 degrees and "very sunny" in Florida on Friday, with some rain Saturday. "The weather was incredible and it was kind of like an early spring break," Valloppillil said. "It was great to be outside in the middle of the day playing tennis." Approximately 200 students bought tickets for the Florida Beach Party, Wharton junior and Junior Class Board President Jason Diaz said Sunday night. The actual turnout was much lower due to the weather conditions and the party's atmosphere.
(02/11/94 10:00am)
Student leaders said they had mixed feelings about the administration's decision to move the College of Arts and Sciences' office into Houston Hall. Acting Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum announced Monday the plans will also move the VPUL office to the Mellon Bank Building and the Office of Student Life, Activities and Facilities to an unknown location. All student government offices are currently located in Houston Hall, and student leaders said they are worried the moves will adversely affect them. "I'd hate to see our office be moved because we are a student organization and we need a central location," said Nominations and Elections Committee Chairperson Sharon Dunn, a Wharton senior. "It might be good for the College students, but they should look into keeping the offices that are in Houston Hall in Houston Hall." But according to McCoullum, student services will not be affected by the moves. Despite this, the unknown status of the Office of Student Life's future, however, worries many student leaders. "Both the VPUL and the College should be able to maximize their space," Undergraduate Assembly member David Heimann said. "The question is going to come down to how much of Houston Hall the College needs and how much room the VPUL needs. The Office of Student Life will probably go wherever there's space. "We have to make sure it's not just stuck in a corner where students can't get to it easily," he added. Student Committee on Undergraduate Education chairperson Matthew Kratter, an Engineering and Wharton junior, agreed. "The Office of Student Life must stay in Houston Hall," he said. Social Planning and Events Committee Chairperson Lissette Monge suggested the University move the Office of Student Life to the Theta Xi house. "A lot of students go through [to the Office of Student Life] because SAC and the SPEC advisor are there," she said. "How could you get more diverse than that?" Monge said wherever the office ended up, it should be in a "bigger and better place." Even though these student leaders said they worried about the future of their offices, they did say that the move does "makes sense" for the College. "Now that it seems that Revlon is a go, I think the move makes sense," Heimann said. "When Revlon was up in the air, it scared students because it seemed there was a lack of committment. Now it seems like the right thing to do." Heimann, a College senior who is chairperson of the UA's Campus and Facilities Committee, added that the College's new location might allow its advising system to become more "user-friendly." Monge, a College junior, said the College move was "necessary." "The College is definitely moving to a better place," she said. "I think it's good that it's moving to Houston Hall because Houston Hall won't ever lose the student atmosphere." Each student government member said they were prepared to watch and react to the situation. "This will affect offices that students use, and at times you wonder if students on this campus know what's happening," Heimann said. "They should definitely keep an eye on it, and I think it's very important that the UA and other student leaders keep an eye on what's happening as well."
(02/09/94 10:00am)
When Quadrangle streakers bared all Monday morning during their two -minute run, they expected other students to hang out their windows waiting for them to pass by. They were ready for those who gathered on the junior balcony or in the various campus lounges. They even decorated their backs to get the attention of The Daily Pennsylvanian photographer. But what they were not expecting was a University Television camera, which caught the three women and fifteen men who participated in the annual streak -- from the frontal angle. UTV-13 aired footage of the streak "from every angle" at six different times last night, station President and General Manager Todd Donovan said last night. "It was a wide angle and it was far away," he added. "Nothing graphic was used but no special effects to cover anything up were used either." The film appeared on the news program Tuesday Digest, which originally aired live at 7 p.m. yesterday and was continually aired every two hours last night and into this morning. College freshman Dan Kay filmed the streak. And, as producer and host of The Show, UTV's comedic talk show patterned after David Letterman's The Late Show, Kay will use the footage again Thursday, Feb. 24 during an interview with some of the streakers, Donovan said. "I was just getting any type of shot I could for my television show," Kay said last night. "I won't use a frontal shot that would embarrass or harm anybody. "I consider it a newsworthy item, and my show revolves around humorous and interesting campus events," he added. Several streakers said, though, they were very angry with UTV for filming from the frontal angle. "I'm pretty pissed off actually," Wharton junior Stephen Barry said. "It really kills the whole spirit of the event and it's not the way to keep a good tradition going." "Oh my God!" College junior Caitlin Riley said when she found out about the show. "He had no right to do that!" Riley said Kay promised the streakers he would not use the frontal footage and would only show the interviews he conducted afterwards. Wharton sophomore Clive Brown confirmed Riley's statement. "[The girls] complained and it was showed anyway," he said. "That's really wrong." Barry said the UTV audience differed from the students who came to watch. "The people who came out and watched at seven in the morning were there to cheer us on," he said. "But UTV was just exploiting it." Barry's roommate and College junior Cres Pellecchia also participated in the streak and said the streakers were angry that the cameras were there at all. "As we were running towards the cameras, we were talking about how amazed we were that they were there," he said. "We were upset that anyone videotaped it." The streakers also complained about the effects the taping would have on the streak's future. "It's a Penn tradition and now UTV's actions will scare people off," Pellecchia said. "It might even deter me from doing it again." "I think if they had told us about it beforehand, some people wouldn't have done it," Wharton junior Mark Pan said. And College and Wharton junior Joe Tansey said UTV's taping of the streak changed its traditional purpose and meaning. "I was in the streak two years ago and it was much more anonymous then," he said. "This has changed a lot of what the streak stood for." Despite the negative attitudes of most streakers, Brown said it was really "no big deal." "I'm not going to cry over it or go crazy over it," he said. Several of the streakers said they were considering various responses to UTV's actions. And Riley said that Kay should "watch out." "There are going to be three very angry girls out there," she said. "There's common courtesy involved and UTV violated the complete spirit of the tradition."
(02/08/94 10:00am)
Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum confirmed plans for the College of Arts and Sciences' office space to move to Houston Hall yesterday morning. The decision came less than 24 hours after Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson said plans to move were not definite and were simply being discussed. He said a proposal will be announced within two weeks. Under the new plan, the College offices will move from the Mellon Bank Building mezzanine to Houston Hall before the 1994-95 school year begins. As a result, the VPUL office will leave Houston Hall and move into the Mellon Bank Building. And the Office of Student Life, Activities and Facilities will be moved from its current Houston Hall location on the first floor. McCoullum said a new location for the office has not been decided. She said by the time plans are finalized, other offices may be affected as well. A task force will be established to evaluate the space available and "determine the specifics of where everything is going to be," said Assistant Director of the Office of Student Life Kathy Krautter last night. "I've been given the impression that the major thrust behind the task force is to work with representatives from the College, the University Life division and the student body," she added. "That is certainly a step in the right direction." "We'll be sorting out who will be going where," McCoullum said. Director of the Office of Student Life Fran Walker said she wants to "wait and see" about the space issue before voicing an opinion on the moves. McCoullum said she is "excited" that VPUL offices will have more space and will be close to the future site of the Revlon precinct. "We're finally going to press forward," she said. "This symbolizes the first of the Revlon precinct moves. "We want to create a new, livelier North campus," she added. Santirocco said the College wants its own precinct. "The SAS deserves a campus area too," he said yesterday. "With Logan Hall, Williams Hall, College Hall, and now Houston Hall, it will be appropriate that the SAS be located in its own precinct. "The largest student service on this campus is the College," he added. Both Santirocco and McCoullum said their current offices are in poor condition. "We need quarters that are more properly configured for students," Santirocco said. "We have inadequate space because we're located in the mezzanine level of Mellon." "I think there are real opportunities to upgrade our facilities," McCoullum said. "It means an expansion of space for the VPUL offices." But Krautter said she is unhappy with the changes. "It is difficult for people like myself whose whole lives have been spent working to enhance the extra- curricular life of students to watch the place they call their student center becoming academic," she said. "The oldest student center in the country is moving away from providing for the interaction of students, faculty and staff beyond academics." But McCoullum said no student services or student offices will be moved from Houston Hall. Krautter is also disappointed with the lack of communication preceding the decision. "I had no opportunity to express my concerns about the issue," she said. "Knowing that the decision has been made without that is difficult." "I have been briefing my central staff every week," McCoullum said in response. "I think some of the directors did not tell some of their staff members but I want them to follow the pattern I have established." As one of those directors, Walker said she will adopt open methods. "There is going to be more discussion from now on, and that is the important thing," Walker said. Lazerson was unavailable for comment.
(02/07/94 10:00am)
Within the next two weeks, plans to rearrange the current office set-up of Houston Hall will be proposed, Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson said last night. One plan under discussion includes moving the offices of the College of Arts and Sciences from the Mellon Bank building to Houston Hall. The Office of the Vice Provost for University Life would then be moved to Mellon Bank and the Office of Student Life, Activities and Facilities would take the VPUL's current location in Houston Hall. "The College is talking about its desire to become more centrally located on campus," Lazerson said. "I think building a real College of Arts and Sciences precinct is what matters -- a place that arts and sciences students can call home. "I think we're going to see many plans redefining the campus over the next few months," he added. Fran Walker, director of the Office of Student Life, said space constraints would force someone to relocate if the College offices are moved. "The assumption is, when the College talked about coming into Houston Hall, there isn't room for everyone, so someone has to move," Walker said. "Certain moves will definitely be necessary." Though Lazerson stressed that the rearrangement of offices is only part of a general discussion right now, and not a definitive move, School of Arts and Sciences Associate Undergraduate Dean Matthew Santirocco said the move will happen. "Yes, the College is moving into Houston Hall," he said last night. "The exact configuration of our space and that of the people who are already there has yet to be discussed. "We don't want any student services to be displaced," Santirocco added. "I've been working very hard to create a student-oriented campus and this move is both symbolically and practically a means of achieving that end." But Assistant Director of Student Life, Activities and Facilities Kathy Krautter said she is concerned about the moves and their implications. "The space in Houston Hall is meant to be a common area for students, faculty and staff for life outside of academics," she said. "At a University that claims to be a community -- that wants to have a sense of inclusion in the community -- decisions like this are an obvious indication that that's not always true." Lazerson said a great deal of discussion has taken place and will continue to occur over the next two weeks about the various options available to those offices. "There's a whole set of discussions going on," he said. But Krautter said her office has not been consulted about the issue. "The fact that it's been discussed without our involvement is disappointing," she said. "There are potentially some hard feelings because we haven't been consulted. "I think it is unfortunate that it is as much of a surprise to all of us as it is to the students," she added. "It really has been a surprise to everyone." Many administrators were unsure of plans' certainty. "There's been some discussion but I don't know if it's a definite," Assistant Vice Provost for University Life Barbara Cassel said. "I think it's a fine idea," she added. Santirocco said the move would be very "appropriate." "The College serves 6,000 students," he said. "It's appropriate to be on campus and in a building associated with students because it will enable us to give the best services to students." "It will also symbolically represent the centrality of the College in student life," he added. Santirocco said he hopes the changes would occur "soon." "The College can't wait until [the Revlon Center] is built to move," he said. Krautter said if the moves are made, they will occur before this summer. Acting VPUL Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum could not be reached for comment.
(02/07/94 10:00am)
By a vote of 20-9 with one abstention the Undergraduate Assembly voted last night not to voice support for the Commission on Strengthening the Community's recommendation on "randomized housing." College freshman Adam Strunk proposed that the UA adopt a letter advocating section D.1 a-e of the Commission's report, which discusses assigning housing for first-year students, to the extent that they would not be able to participate in living-learning programs. "We are concerned that currently freshman housing is segmented along racial lines," the letter stated. "This detracts from race relations on our campus because a community is founded on people sharing common experiences." The UA vote determined not to endorse the letter which was addressed to Gloria Chisum, chairperson of the Commission and vice chairperson of the University's Board of Trustees. UA Chairperson and College junior Seth Hamalian, along with Vice Chairperson and College senior Scott Sher, passed control of the meeting to Treasurer and College sophomore Ashley Magids during the randomized housing discussion. "I feel so strongly about this issue that I'm not sure I can be impartial," Hamalian said. "I also want to speak for my constituency." The last time the gavel was passed from Hamalian to Sher to Magids was in the fall when the UA debated the Racial Harassment Policy. After some discussion about the Commission's definitions and the addition of two amendments to the letter, the floor was opened to four pro and four con arguments. College sophomore Mike Nadel, who is not a member of the UA, spoke about his experience as a member of the Commission's Communications working group, which proposed the idea of randomized housing. "You have a window of opportunity to take a firm step to improve race relations," he said. "You should give freshmen the opportunity to be diversified and not segregated." "This is the most important issue that this UA will deal with," he added. Speaking against the motion, College freshman Mosi Bennett said the UA was really debating the existence of W.E.B. DuBois House. "I think that comfort level is very important," he said. "You can't force integration and besides, changing where people live does not necessarily change attitudes." Engineering junior Ha Nguyen, said there are other outlets for ethnic groups to stay together and randomized housing would allow them to mix. Sher, who spoke against randomized housing, argued that because five freshman classes would have to deal with randomized housing, it was not such a temporary issue. "Students are paying $25,000 a year to come here, so they should have the choice as to where they want to live," he added. "People in exercise videos say 'No pain, no gain,' " said Wharton sophomore Dan Debicella. "If we're all comfortable living in each of our communities, diversity will not occur." Hamalian said this is the wrong approach for Residential Living to take. "The environment that students are going to have to go home to? is not going to be hospitable," he said. "Most minority students dealt with white people all their lives. They don't need to learn from us, we need to learn from them and I don't see them being paid for that service." Strunk said the nine members who endorsed the letter would send it to Chisum with their signatures.
(02/04/94 10:00am)
Students living off campus often find themselves in a quandary. They are not on a University meal plan and they do not want to go to WaWa or Thriftway to buy food. Yet, they want something fast and cheap to eat. What do they do? Most find themselves walking to the nearest fast food restaurant or bar, switching between the various eateries within walking distance. "I live at 39th and Chestnut, so I'm close to a lot of places," College junior Brian Flieder said. "There's Chili's and Domino's right here." But Flieder's favorite choice for dinner is Cavanaugh's. "It's got good food and the prices aren't bad," he added. According to Cavanaugh's owner Bill Pawliczek, the restaurant relies on students who live near it. "They are a good part of business," he said. "We get students who live all around here and we have a lot of frequent customers who enjoy eating here. "We cater to that market by doing daily specials and having TV's for watching sporting events," he added. Engineering and College senior Geoffrey Ott, who lives at 42nd and Pine streets, has a different selection of places to eat. "There's Murph's and Colonial Pizza, and sometimes tacos from the WaWa," he said. "I also walk to Subway sometimes but that is really far away. "It just depends on where I'm willing to walk on a given night," he added. Off-campus students often order take out, especially during finals, Allegro's owner Joseph Scarpa, said. "I think a good percentage of off-campus students definitely pick up the phone when they are cramming or they just don't have food," he said. "A lot of business comes from students who live off campus and don't have anywhere else to eat." Though many take advantage of the local establishments, those who have access to cars often drive further distances for food. "I have a car and so I go out to the suburbs a lot," Nursing senior Elizabeth Rappold said. "There are a lot of different places to eat and they're better than the ones here."
(02/04/94 10:00am)
If University students had to decide whether Tonya Harding should attend the Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway, the U.S. figure skater would most likely be forced to stay home. Olympic officials are still mulling over Harding's fate, but just days ago, her ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, implicated her in the Jan. 6 attack of fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan. On that day, an unidentified assailant attacked Kerrigan at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit. While the U.S. Olympic Committee has not decided Harding's fate, many University students who have followed the ongoing saga have already formed their own opinions. "I think that Harding should not be in the Olympics because I don't think she's a good representative of the U.S.," College sophomore Patti Ducoff said last night. "But I don't know if she's guilty or not." Many other students voiced similar sentiments. "I don't think she should be allowed to skate," College freshman Stacie Brensilver said. "I think it would cause a lot of bad sentiment for the US. team if she skated." "There is doubt so she probably shouldn't be allowed to skate," College freshman Shana Seldin said. "But it doesn't seem fair either way. If she gets to skate and she was involved, that's not fair. If she doesn't get to skate and she wasn't involved, that's not fair either." Some students still believe, though, that Harding should be "innocent until proven guilty." "She doesn't have any direct involvement in it that anyone knows of," Engineering sophomore Timothy Gobran said. "If she hasn't done anything wrong, she should be allowed to skate." "Nothing's been proven so they can't take that away from her," Wharton sophomore Jennifer Silva said. "She might want to drop out on her own under these circumstances, but you can't not allow her to skate." Despite the debate over Harding's participation in the Olympics, most University students said last night they believed Harding was involved. "I'd like to think she's innocent, but I think she's guilty," Silva said. "I think she knows more than she's telling," Brensilver said. "I don't think she was involved in it in the beginning, but I think she knew it was going to happen." And many students said they are rooting for Kerrigan. "I hope Nancy Kerrigan will be able to skate well because I think she's a terrific skater in general," Wharton senior Ana Jimenez said. "I think everyone would root for Kerrigan as a sentimental favorite," Gobran said. Pearlman worried that Kerrigan might not do as well as some are expecting. "I just hope she doesn't use the accident as an excuse if she doesn't do well," he said. But most students said Kerrigan might skate even better after going through her ordeal. "I think she's going to come out of this on top," Ducoff said. "I think she'll do well because I think she's more determined now," Brensilver said. "As long as I don't have too much work, I'll be watching [the Olympics] and rooting for her." The figure skating championships begin Feb. 23 in Lillehammer. The Olympics officially get under way Feb. 11.
(02/03/94 10:00am)
Student government leaders had mixed reactions last night to the Commission on Strengthening the Community's preliminary report released yesterday in Almanac. And Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson and College junior Seth Hamalian said last night he was vehemently opposed to the Commission's recommendation on "randomized housing." "The suggestion of randomized housing makes me furious," he said. "It dilutes the diversity that exists on this campus and robs freshmen of their right to determine where they'll be most comfortable." The randomized housing issue caused the most debate and controversy among the leaders of student government. But, the Commission did not advocate complete randomized housing. Instead, the report advocated ending freshmen's opportunity to choose a college house or living/learning program. "I think it's a good idea," said College junior and UA member Dan Schorr, who is also a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist. "It's a good way to stop segregation which has happened immediately to freshmen when they get here. "Making originally heterogeneous communities is a great idea," he added. Despite the anger and debate surrounding the housing issue, many student leaders said they were surprised by the "concrete" proposals put forth in the report. "I am honestly pleasantly shocked," said Wharton sophomore Daniel Debicella, a UA representative. "I thought it was going to come out with a lot of politically correct, trite solutions but there were some really good ideas and sweeping changes in it." College junior Eric Stock, vice-chairperson of the Student Committee of Undergraduate Education, voiced similar sentiments. "The Commission exceeded my expectations," he said. "I think they did an admirable job." Engineering and Wharton junior and SCUE chair Matthew Kratter said he was "pleasantly surprised." "I like the support of the college house system, the Revlon Center and the approval of the coffee house/bookstore," he said. "I also really like the recommendation which says faculty members should take a more active part in campus life." Most student leaders also supported the Commission's proposals for increased faculty-student interaction. "Proposals of getting faculty more involved are essential," Debicella said. Despite the surprise of some student leaders, UA member and College senior David Heimann said the report "was what I thought it would be." "I question whether or not some of it is realistic or will contribute to the success of the community," he added. Heimann specifically disagreed with the movement of fraternity and sorority rush to first semester of sophomore year. "I don't understand the advantage of it," he said. "I don't see it as a good goal to work on." UA Vice Chairperson Scott Sher said he was happy that the Commission advocated funding more student sponsored activities and events. "That's a good thing for immediate implementation," said Sher, a College senior. "It also lends credibility to the Commission in its dealings with students." UA members also focused on the Commission's facility proposals. "The coffee house on Locust Walk is one of the best recommendations," Debicella said. "And once the Revlon Center is built, it can prove as the focus for the University community." The judicial system was also an important topic to student leaders. "The one thing that should be implemented is a student run judicial system," Debicella said. "That wasn't really in the Commission's report." "I do appreciate their suggestions to improve the judicial system and to encourage an environment where academic integrity is of the utmost importance," Hamalian said. The Commission's stance on free speech, which advocates the removal of regulations on speech, including racial epithets and slurs, brought mixed opinions from student leaders. "My belief is that the damage done to someone by telling them they can't call someone a racial slur is much less than the benefit of affording students that protection," Hamalian said. "I don't see how [allowing racial epithets] contributes towards strengthening the community." He added that his views on free speech were not incompatible with his opinions on randomized housing. Schorr, who began the First Amendment Task Force last year, said the Commission's recommendation caught him off guard. "I was surprised they said that speech codes don't work, but they are absolutely right," he said. Student leaders said they would be discussing their ideas with the Commission. Kratter said SCUE would make a statement within a week. But Hamalian said he was not sure if the UA would make suggestions as a body, or on an individual basis.
(02/02/94 10:00am)
As the Commission on Strengthening the Community awaits the University's response to its preliminary report, members of the Commission's four working groups discussed the plan's formulation with mixed feelings. The four working groups -- faculty-student-staff interaction, judicial policy, communication and student life -- spent months interviewing University community members and conducting a telephone survey to complete and confirm their research. Earlier this month, they reported their findings to the entire Commission, which combined them into its preliminary report. One undergraduate student and one graduate student participated on each committee, along with several other faculty and staff members. School of Arts and Sciences graduate student Karen Schiff, a member of the student-faculty-staff interaction committee, said Monday night that she is concerned because the report does not specifically address graduate students' concerns. "Everyone was looking at undergraduate education and residential situations with undergrad dorms," she said. "No one was looking at grad housing or other graduate concerns." According to Schiff, issues of insurance, taxes, library hours and teaching assistant guidelines were not directly or fully addressed in the report. "TA guidelines?have to do with faculty-student interaction -- my group -- and we didn't really talk about it," Schiff said. She added that the process in preparing the report was "slow" and "bureaucratic." "The effects of it will come really slowly, but that's just the way it is," she said. "It makes me a little sad to see people who really want things to be better being frustrated by [the bureaucracy]." Schiff said consultation with the University community had positive and negative aspects to it. "To the Commission's credit, they had people go to all different groups to get every perspective and tried to combine the top-down and bottom-up approaches," she said. Schiff added, though, that she was upset that the telephone survey did not initially include students from the Medical or Veterinary Schools. Donna Samuel, the manager of the Executive Master of Science in Engineering Program, also participated on the faculty-students-staff interaction committee. She described her experiences as "very positive." "It was a worthwhile effort," she said. "I think the report had good suggestions in it which the University community can benefit from." Samuel said she hopes to be involved in the next steps of the process, as well. "I hope it will be an ongoing process so the important issues will be continually discussed," she said. "I hope I will be really involved in that process." College sophomore Michael Nadel, the undergraduate representative on the communication committee, elaborated on the issue of student involvement in the Commission. "The Commission report would have been more legitimate if there was more student involvement," he said. "No one has ever given a good reason as to why there was only one student on the main committee." Despite this concern, Nadel said his committee's contributions were very positive. "On the whole I was very happy with the way my work-group worked," he said. "A lot of good ideas came from our work-group such as the idea of random freshman housing?the compromise of putting off freshman rush to second semester or sophomore year?. [and] accepting the University Council's idea to have the 24-hour bookstore/coffeehouse." Nadel added that the communication working group wants the entire University community to have easy access to the report. "I want it printed up in a more accessible format than just in the Almanac so that all students and faculty can debate the issue," he said. "How can you have that kind of debate if it's only published in the Almanac?" Ancil George, director of the Rosengarten Reserve Room and a member of the communication working group voiced some concern about the attendance of his committee's members. "Some people weren't able to attend all the meetings," he said. "I even missed a couple of meetings which I wish I could have attended. "It would have been better to have the input of everybody all the time," George added. On the whole, though, George said he was generally "impressed" with the group. College junior Beth Hirschfelder, the undergraduate representative on the judicial policy working group, said she hopes the report will destigmatize the judicial system. "We made recommendations regarding policies and procedures and the Code on Academic Integrity," she said. "We wanted to make the system more user-friendly and I hope that some of the recommendations will take the stigma off of the judicial system." Hirschfelder said she considered working with the Commission an "enjoyable" learning experience. "It's always interesting to get a different perspective on things that are ongoing on throughout the University and how other people perceive the events," she said. "Things [came] to light that aren't necessarily positive, but we tried to remedy those things so it made the experience even that much more positive," Hirschfelder added. The student members of the working groups will not be involved in the development of the final report, Schiff said.
