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(04/03/95 9:00am)
The Committee for Judicial Reform released final recommendations for a new Judicial Charter late last week, calling its proposal "a new system with greater and direct student and faculty involvement." The new document also creates a mediation center and increases the authority of student-faculty hearing boards. But before it can begin to impact students facing disciplinary action, it must be approved by Provost Stanley Chodorow, the General Counsel's Office and the deans. According to College junior Wilton Levine, chairperson of the working group that developed the new Charter, after Chodorow and University lawyers have appraised and made changes to the Charter, they will return it to Levine and the rest of the CJR for final acceptance. "Our main concern is keeping the spirit the same," Levine said, adding that his working group wants to insure the document's language remains simplistic enough for students to understand without the assistance of multiple lawyers. The final recommendations stand in contrast to the preliminary Charter the group released for comment in January. University Council remanded that document in February -- despite its verbose explanations and high degree of complexity -- because Council members believed it was an incomplete outline. The document Chodorow and the General Counsel's Office received last week incorporates some of the suggestions made by Council and during public forums held by the CJR. Thirteen students, rather than 11, would serve on the Student Judicial Council if the new version of the Charter is adopted. The complainant would not be a party involved in the hearing, unless he or she is called as a witness. Advisers, under the new system, would be "any member of the University community." The status of the hearing board's decision remains unresolved. While the working group still advocates the finality of the board's rulings "failing appeal," Chodorow has said he would prefer to use the hearing board's finding as a recommendation to him or his designee. "The Committee [on Judicial Reform] decided in the end to present its view of the Charter and not to try to accommodate my views," Chodorow said. "I think that is best. I will give my view a final form in the course of working through the details, because it is in the details that many issues can be worked out." Levine said last night his group has accomplished major reform even if Chodorow chooses to take the hearing board's work as a recommendation instead of a ruling. By forming a standing, permanent Student Judicial Council -- to meet every month for discussion of existing cases and to hold mock hearings for practice -- and having the SJC executive committee meet weekly with the Judicial Officer to monitor the system, Levine said the new Charter will deal with problems in the judicial system before they become overwhelming. "They're going to be efficient, they're going to be trained, and they're going to be consistent because they're going to have practice [handling cases]," he said, referring to members of the SJC. Levine said he hopes the Charter will be ready for implementation July 1, but said September 1 may be a more realistic date due to the conferences that must occur before all involved parties agree to its terms.
(04/03/95 9:00am)
Traffic snarls could become even worse if Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority union employees attempt to blockade suburban riders from boarding what is left of SEPTA's regional rail service today. Fears of a protest -- and even violence -- emerged after rumors began to circulate that members of Transport Workers Union Local 234 were going to picket the suburban rail lines, possibly placing a stranglehold on the remaining operational parts of the region's mass transportation network. And with tensions rising, it appears that the SEPTA strike, moving into its seventh day today, will not end any time soon. The SEPTA strike has shut down all city bus, trolley and subway service lines, affecting about 300,000 transit users. SEPTA's suburban Red Arrow division went on strike at 12:02 a.m. yesterday, which will probably strand about 21,500 suburban riders this morning. University faculty, staff, and students have also been affected by the strike and are using any means necessary to get to the University. The Red Arrow division includes the Norristown High Speed Line, the Media and Sharon Hill trolleys and bus routes that operate from the Victory District in Upper Darby. And in order to better deal with the strike, the University will continue implementing its contingency plan. Free shuttle bus service is operating in conjunction with Drexel University, providing transportation between the campus and a few strategic transit stops in the Philadelphia area. All faculty, staff and students with PennCards are eligible to ride the shuttle. However, University spokesperson Barbara Beck said she was not informed about any new contingency plans stemming from the Red Arrow strike. She added that University employees have been coping well with the strike and managers are being "flexible" with employees' lateness. "Penn employees are fairly resourceful and have been finding ways to get in," Beck said. "No one's happy about it. You figure out how to do it." Interim Vice President for Human Resources John Gould agreed, saying that managers are providing flexible hours to their workers. "It's been difficult for some folks, but so far we're doing pretty well," Gould said.
(04/03/95 9:00am)
First Michael Jordan, and now baseball. The nine-month-long professional baseball strike has ended, and according to many students, it's about time. "The best thing about it is that we won't have a generation of Americans growing up without having baseball," College and Wharton senior Jon Brolin said. "It's important to give children the opportunity to have these players as heroes." However, Engineering sophomore Deniz Cultu said he had actually hoped the strike would have lasted longer. "I wanted to see it go on for another year so that the new soccer league could pick up publicity," he said. College sophomore Adam Illfelder said that although he is happy that the strike is over, he is uncertain about the quality of the play and the future of player-owner relations. "The players haven't played for almost a year, and they still don't have a long term contract," he said. Wharton junior Rick Burt, a catcher on the Penn baseball team, expressed similar concerns. "I'm happy that its over, but it doesn't sound like anything is going to be resolved -- there will probably be another strike," he said. Brolin said that the players' and owner's differences will be resolved naturally as the season progresses. "Baseball is about hit and runs and suicide squeezes, not about collective bargaining agreements," Brolin said. He added that he believes baseball will continue smoothly because "the players realize that baseball may no longer be on a pedestal." "If owners and players do not realize the treasure that baseball is, they are in danger of not passing on those riches to future generations," he said. And College sophomore Ben Silverman said he did not think the strike will keep fans away from the all-American sport. "The fans will come back in droves. I'll watch baseball because I'm a baseball fan -- I'm still excited to see [Phillies outfielder] Len Dykstra," he said. However, Illfelder said many former fans felt alienated by the strike. "Growing up you could always turn on the television and see baseball," he said. "This fall it wasn't there and it was a really empty feeling." And College junior Jon Slotkin said "I just hope that they get their bats and balls on the field."
(04/03/95 9:00am)
Mayor Ed Rendell, the Center City District and 7-Eleven Stores announced plans earlier this month to join forces in support of the mayor's "Campaign for Real Change" in a combined effort to combat homelessness. The campaign -- which was founded by Rendell in 1993 -- is an attempt to encourage people to stop giving change to panhandlers and instead to send donations to service providers. According to CCD Director of Public Information Nancy Goldenberg, 7-Eleven gave $10,000 to finance a series of public service announcements that have been running on TV and radio. She added that 7-Eleven is also running collections in all their stores across the region for the cause. "Certainly the visibility will carry the 'Campaign for Real Change' beyond the borders of Center City," she said. Last year, according to Goldenberg, the CCD raised $7,670. And she said that although the project was developed in Center City, it will also benefit areas throughout the region and city, including University City. "We had a wonderful experience working with the people at the CCD," 7-Eleven Public Relations Manager Margaret Chabris said. "By working with them we can make real change and actually provide significant help." According to Chabris, planning for the project began last October and featured close interaction between the different groups. "In order to serve our customers right, you have to be a part of the community," Chabris said. She added that recently the chain has begun branching out to help deal with problems like illiteracy, awareness of cultural issues and various social problems. "The CCD has done a marvelous job?[and] we thought maybe we could help," she said. "The neat thing is that the CCD already has solutions." She added that 7-Eleven is also participating in similar programs concerning the homeless in Richmond, Va., and Los Angeles.
(03/31/95 10:00am)
The University, with new President Judith Rodin at the helm, is uniquely positioned to help catapult the Philadelphia area back into national prominence, urban affairs expert and syndicated columnist Neil Peirce concluded in a study published in last Sunday's Philadelphia Inquirer. During the last decade, Peirce has criss-crossed the country emphasizing the power of innovation. Only by tapping existing creative potential -- and encouraging communities to see beyond their perceived shortcomings and failures -- can urban centers and their burgeoning suburbs be revitalized, Peirce believes. A Philadelphia native, Peirce and colleague Curtis Johnson have worked their magic in places like Dallas, Baltimore, Seattle and Phoenix, Ariz., spreading the gospel of the economically unified, environmentally respectful and intellectually advanced "citistate" wherever they go. When the Inquirer published Peirce's "Reinventing the Region" report, residents of the City of Brotherly Love and its surrounding suburbs were given a choice: embrace each other to create a dynamic and empowered region -- or face slow, steady and sure decline as the turn of the century approaches. The report offers a glimpse at the state of the city and lists suggestions for improvement culled from focus groups held throughout the past year, with the assistance of area businesswoman Beverly Harper and public relations consultant Nancy Mohr. "Reinventing the Region" centers on the citistate's neighborhoods, educational system, work force, culture, environment and government, with stories and graphics about patterns of migration in the area filling 12 broadsheet pages -- the largest outside commentary section the Inquirer has ever printed. "Maybe our ideas aren't specific or the right ones, but get with it guys, think forward," Peirce said yesterday from his home in Washington, referring to public officials in the region. "I am convinced that regions that rest on their oars will drift into unpleasant eddies. They'll be backwater regions in the next century." The University is integral to Peirce's plan for the 21st century citistate, because of its human capital, physical plant and involvement with the community. Peirce cited its advanced technological and information processing capabilities, as well as its specialized medical expertise, as particularly "stunning." "Penn occupies a role as a lead institution [nationwide]," he said. "It should not be a dictator to others, but with its intellectual depth and capacity it can set a pace as an example." However, Peirce is quick to point out that his team's prescription for the Philadelphia citistate is only a recommendation. "We're trying to open people's minds to the possibilities of collective or joint action, but not to say to them do our blueprint or you're lost," he said. "If you believe -- as we do -- that the answers come out of the process of people finding answers, who are we to say we have all the answers?" Ira Harkavy, director of the University's Center for Community Partnerships, said he enthusiastically supports Peirce's notion of regionalism. Since 1985, Harkavy has taught a seminar about the University's relationship with West Philadelphia, where enrolled students undertake original research projects in the community. For the fall 1995 semester, Harkavy said 15 departments are offering 28 courses incorporating some component of service learning. "American universities can have a fundamental effect on improving their neighborhoods," he said. "By engaging [University students] in solving real-world problems, we remain true to Franklin's mission."
(03/31/95 10:00am)
The Nominations and Elections Committee announced the results of this year's election for Undergraduate Assembly members at last night's Fair Practices Code hearing. The top vote-getter in the College of Arts and Sciences was College junior Lance Rogers, an incumbent UA member. As a result, Rogers, who received 217 votes, will have a seat on the University Council. Other University Council seats will go to Engineering freshman and current UA member Alex Malek, Wharton junior Gil Beverly, Nursing sophomore and incumbent UA member Lisa Aspinwall, College freshman and current UA member Tal Golomb, Wharton freshman Alan Danzig, also an incumbent UA member, College freshman Meredith Hertz, College junior Avi Stieglitz, a 34th Street film editor, and College freshman Steve Schorr, a Daily Pennsylvanian sports writer. Incumbent UA members who won re-election for next year include College freshmen Larry Kamin and Corey Lambert, College sophomore Laurie Moldawer, College juniors Miae Oh and Eric Tienou and Wharton freshman Hester Wong. UA members whose first term will begin next year include College freshmen Meredith Hertz, Wendy Mongillo, Meredith Peters and Jessica Wilson, College sophomore Shannon Richardson, College junior Christian Hensley, Wharton freshman Charles Margosian, Wharton sophomore Tamas Foldesi and Engineering freshmen Matthew Brletich, Michael Hyzer and Roman Krislav. The new UA members will officially take office on April 6, at the annual UA transition meeting, to be held at 9 p.m. in the UTV-13 studio. At this meeting, the body will elect next year's chairperson. And although there have been several rumors as to candidates for that office, none of the newly elected UA representatives declared their candidacy last night. Outgoing UA Chairperson Dan Debicella, a Wharton junior, said he had high hopes for next year's UA. "The quality of the people on next year's UA will be very high," he said. "My warning to them will just be, 'If you start fighting amongst yourselves, if you let the politics of personality dominate your year, that can be a horrible experience.' " Debicella said he had mixed feelings about his term coming to an end. "I am a lame-duck president now," he said. "Part of me is going to be glad to get out of the public eye. Another part of me says we've done a terrific job this year. I'm going to keep busy." Other student leaders echoed Debicella's optimism for next year's UA. "I think it's time to clean house," Rogers said. "It's time to finally, once and for all, get in touch with the students." Tienou offered one piece of caution to next year's body. "Last year we did so many things so quickly that we got burned out early," he said. "We have to temper the enthusiasm and look at what we can do. If we take it progressively and take it slowly we can work on really improving undergraduate life at the University."
(03/31/95 10:00am)
Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) officially threw his hat into the ring yesterday, becoming the fifth Republican officially to declare his candidacy for president of the United States. "I [announce my presidency] humbly, in the presence of the monuments of America's great presidents, especially Abraham Lincoln, the founder of the Republican Party," Specter, a University alumnus, said. Specter, who is Jewish, is generally considered a moderate Republican who believes in abortion rights, a view that separates him from many in his party who are anti-abortion. "There are those in our party who would lead us down a different path, and squander this unique moment in our nation's history by using our political capital to pursue a radical social agenda which would end a women's right to choose and mandate school prayer," Specter said. One of Specter's more controversial views is his proposal for a 20 percent flat tax rate for both individuals and businesses. Specter is entering the presidential arena after a long history of public service. During his political career, Specter played a large role in the Warren Commission, and was Philadelphia's District Attorney for 12 years. More recently, however, Specter came under fire for his role as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and his questioning of Anita Hill during the infamous Clarence Thomas nomination hearings. In addition, Specter's wife, Joan, is a Philadelphia city councilwoman. Reaction to Specter's declaration of his candidacy was mixed among professors and students yesterday. Political Science Professor Marissa Golden said the fact that Specter is a moderate is an asset rather than a liability. "I think he's a longshot because I don't think this country will elect a Jewish president," Golden said. "That is his biggest liability. "[But] I think the press is wrong to discount him as not being a serious candidate," she added. Golden said Specter's largest challenge will be the initial primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire. She speculated that he will not do well in either state and that that could harm him. In addition, Golden said the primaries attract a more extreme voter than the general elections, which could potentially impede Specter's chances. College freshman and College Republicans member Dan Silvers agreed, saying the odds are against Specter in the tough primary season. "I didn't see him as terribly viable, but especially now that Pete Wilson has entered?[Specter] should add something interesting to the debate," he said. Other Republican candidates include Texas Sen. Phil Gramm, former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander, political commentator Pat Buchanan and former Reagan administrator Alan Keyes. Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas and Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar are also expected to enter the race in April. And California Gov. Pete Wilson has announced his plans to enter the fray in May. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
(03/31/95 10:00am)
To the disappointment of many University residents, campus events -- and not pornography -- are scheduled to air on Resnet channel 24 from now on. Students may have thought Debbie was doing Resnet -- and not Dallas -- when a pornographic movie was broadcast on the channel earlier this week. But Resnet Video Programming and Academic Video Network Coordinator Chris Cook said that various measures have been taken to ensure that such material is never aired again. The unexpected broadcast is currently under investigation, he added. "We're revisiting security issues, changing locks and that kind of thing," said Cook, who was on vacation when the pornographic film aired between 6:30 and 8 p.m. Monday night. In the future, when channel 24 is not broadcasting campus events, color bars will appear on the screen. This prevents the channel from being available to pirate broadcasts, Cook said. He added that both the administration and Wade Cablevision -- the cable company contracted by the University -- are investigating Monday evening's botched programming. "It doesn't seem likely that anyone will be caught, though," Cook said. "But there will not be a future reoccurrence. "We're confident and satisfied that no one associated with Resnet or Annenberg was responsible [for the broadcast]," Cook said. Although many students were amused by the mishap, Cook said that he and the administration deeply regret that such material was aired on Resnet. "This is something that we take very seriously," he said. "Some people may have been made uncomfortable by this, and it was completely unauthorized. We're very serious about investigating how it happened."
(03/31/95 10:00am)
NEC drops all charges of fair practice violations The movement for constitutional reform of the University's student government died last night with the Nominations and Elections Committee's announcement that only 13.6 percent of eligible voters turned out for Tuesday and Wednesday's elections. In order for any referendum to be binding, at least 20 percent of the University's full-time undergraduate population must vote. But neither the A1 nor the A2 constitution proposal received a majority vote from the students who did turn up at the polls, meaning that neither constitution would have been adopted regardless of voter turnout. Two amendments to the current Undergraduate Assembly constitution failed as well, both because of the low voter turnout and a lack of support from voters. As a result, UA elections will not be carried out on a geographic basis and the Social Planning and Events Committee will not gain autonomy from the UA. The election results were announced at last night's NEC Fair Practices Code hearing which began with the NEC's decision to press charges against several A1 supporters -- after College junior Michael Hartman, who originally filed similar charges, failed to attend the meeting. But in the end, NEC Chairperson of Elections Roy Fu, a College senior, said the NEC had decided that none of the charges biased the election in any way. As a result, all the referenda were still considered valid. According to Fu, out of 8,605 full-time undergraduate students, only 1,171 voted on the referenda -- a turnout of only 13.6 percent. This is an even lower figure than the turnout in last year's referendum on the University of Pennsylvania Emergency Medical Service. But even if 20 percent of students had voted, every proposal on the ballot was short of a majority of those who voted. A1 received only 36.6 percent of the vote on the A referendum. More students voted for "neither" (35.5 percent) than for A2 (28 percent). In the B referendum, which would have established geographic voting districts, only 29.5 percent of voters checked "yes" on their ballots. The C referendum, which would increase SPEC's standing relative to other branches of student government, garnered 47.3 percent of the vote. Student leaders had varied opinions on the results of the election. "I'm disappointed that more people didn't participate in the election," Dan Schorr, co-author of the A1 proposal and a College senior, said. "Apathy was definitely one factor." UA Chairperson and Wharton junior Dan Debicella, who did not seek re-election to the body, said he saw the results as an affirmation of the current system of government. "The low voter turnout was totally a result of people seeing that A1 was a poor constitution," he said. "I like to think that this is an affirmation of the job that this UA has done over the past year. People were saying that this UA has made a difference by doing student advocacy."
(03/31/95 10:00am)
The Career Planning and Placement Service recently sent out a warning to Wharton undergraduates: Beware of the Wall Street Placement Company. CPPS Director Patricia Rose cautioned that her office has received calls from firms who are not hiring, asking if CPPS had given the companies' names to Wharton School of Business students. "These firms do not have jobs, and in some cases people who do not do hiring have been receiving as many as a dozen resumes a day from Penn students," Rose wrote in an electronic announcement sent through the Wharton School Undergraduate Division's Office of the Vice Dean. The Wall Street Placement Company, run by 1994 Wharton graduate Arjun Kochhar, is aimed at helping students apply for internships or jobs. Interested students send a cover letter to the placement company, and it then plugs in the prospective employer's name and other details. The completed letters are then returned to the students, who must attach their resumes to the letters. Also included in the package is a list of companies to which the resume and cover letter should be sent. But Rose said the Placement Company is a fraud. "Please be informed that you should not be paying anyone for a list of companies who allegedly have jobs," she wrote. "Students are being taken advantage of by a fellow student who runs this supposed service?" Kochhar defended the company, saying his database -- which contains the names of approximately 2,000 companies -- was updated in January. Of these, only 10 companies complained to CPPS, he said. Kochhar added that companies contacted CPPS because CPPS was mentioned in the students' cover letters, which students usually write themselves. Kochhar said he feels CPPS is publicizing these incidents as an "excuse" to destroy the Wall Street Placement Company's credibility. "Basically, they're upset about the fact that a student placement company is doing what CPPS is supposed to do," Kochhar said. But CPPS Associate Director Beverly Hamilton-Chandler said the problems with the Wall Street Placement Company are worse than Kochhar indicated. She said more than a dozen firms have complained to CPPS, and the calls have continued to pour in. "We've been receiving, every day, several more phone calls," Hamilton-Chandler said. She added that letters from the company are not being sent to the appropriate individuals, and the firms are "quite concerned." "They're very upset about it, and we're concerned about what impact that has on the students," Hamilton-Chandler said. Kochhar said he is worried that the Wall Street Placement Company's reputation is being damaged by CPPS. "Our credibility is more important to us right now than anything else," he said. "And CPPS is trying to attack exactly that." Two students who used the company expressed satisfaction with its work. Wharton freshman Javed Siddique said the company delivered what it promised. "They explain the service exactly how it is and that's how they do it," Siddique said, adding that although he did not get his summer internship using the company, he will use the addresses he was given in pursuing future internships and jobs. Siddique said he believes that if the Placement Company checks to make sure the positions exist and CPPS is not mentioned in the cover letter, then the company's services are "totally legit."
(03/31/95 10:00am)
Young professionals planning for their careers, financial futures or cheap vacations can now look to a new magazine, Point of View, for help. POV Editor and University alumnus Randall Lane said the magazine is targeting "twenty- somethings" who are just launching their careers. The purpose is "to entertain and help young professionals," he said. "All the writers are in their 20s and early 30s and are coming from the same perspective as the readers." The first issue contained articles about up-and-coming careers, inexpensive vacations to Turkey and affordable mutual funds. The magazine's staff currently consists of nine University graduates. Writer and University alumnus Stephan Fatsis said that POV is organized by "a remarkably strong contingent of recent Penn grads." "I think it says a lot about Penn that you could recruit enough recent graduates to help fill a magazine," he said. Lane, a full-time writer for Forbes magazine, works on POV as a side job. He graduated from the University in 1990 with a double major in history and political science. Fatsis, a freelance writer and former Associated Press columnist, reported from Greece and covered events on Wall Street. He contributed an article to POV on career opportunities in today's job market. Fatsis graduated in 1985 as an American Civilization major. "I majored in Am. Civ.," he said. "But I really majored in the [Daily Pennsylvanian]." Cheryl Family currently works as the editorial director of cable networks MTV, VH-1 and Nickelodeon. She graduated from the University in 1991 with an English major. Family created a campaign targeting prospective media buyers purchasing ads in magazines. She explained that most media buyers are women in their 20s, many of whom watch the television show Melrose Place. She devised the motto, "'Melrose Place is T.V., POV is reality," and based the campaign on the weekly episodes of the show. Lane said that financing was the most difficult aspect of starting the magazine. "It's a very daunting task starting something without deep pockets behind you," he said. "But we had the right idea and that will help you overcome the lack of financial resources." Family agreed that raising money for POV was very difficult. "There are so many magazines out there, some competing for twentysomethings," she added. "We were competing for the same ad dollars." Fatsis said POV has had a good initial reception. He has already been interviewed by CBS Radio and paragraphs from his POV story were printed on the front page of the "Life" section of USA Today. Lane added that the magazine will be printed twice more in 1995, six times in 1996 and on a monthly basis in 1997. "[Our purpose is] to start slow. We're going to slowly build up a readership," he said.
(03/31/95 10:00am)
As trucks rumbled by on 34th Street, Wendy Steiner sat in her cluttered third floor office in Bennett Hall and recounted her seemingly endless history at the University. "I've been here forever," the English professor said, her hands folded neatly in her lap. The Canadian native started as an assistant professor in 1979 after teaching a few years at the University of Michigan, and has since worked her way through the ranks to become a Richard L. Fisher Professor with a salary funded entirely from an endowment. And this July, she will take over the English chair from Professor John Richetti. "I must say that this school has been very very good to me, very supportive all along and very understanding," she said. Steiner added that she was gratified when she was made chair "because it was so painlessly done." "It was like the Godfather sort of thing," she said. "A year ago people started coming to me and saying [I should be chair]. "Gradually they plant an idea in your head and they kind of look eager and you start thinking about it," she added. "And that's the first fatal flaw. They sort of set me up to think about it." Although Richetti said he believes Steiner is the first woman to ever have this job, she said she is not sure of this fact. There is a picture of Rosamund Ture -- a famous 17th century settler -- outside of the chair's office along with pictures of former chairs, she explained. "I would bet you anything that she came here, was chair for eight months, couldn't stand it and died," Steiner added. And if being chairperson of the English Department doesn't work out?well, there's always Bruce Willis. Steiner explained that she has ambitions of writing a "Bruce Willis sort of novel that can be sold to the movies." "I kid to myself that the way to get through the chairmanship is to everyday when I come into the office write for an hour about life-threatening adventures and then get to work," she said. But she said she still supports the idea of women in academia. "I think it's important for other people to feel that women can succeed in various levels of academia," she said. Steiner added that she has big plans for the department. She said she wants to increase the amount of interaction graduate students have with other aspects of culture. "I would like all of our students to come out of here understanding the relationship between cultures that we deal with," Steiner said. Her suggestion is to "take our graduate students out and put them in touch with those areas in the general culture that aren't directly relevant to their various studies, like public education and journalism." Steiner will hold the chair for three years, with an option to extend it for another two years. Although she has been working with the current department chairpersons on making the transition, she is not certain what lays ahead. "People warn me that I'm going to be miserable," she said. Steiner currently sits on several committees, including a Dean's committee that discusses departments and programs. She cited this committee as one of her favorite parts of the job, attributing this to her "coffee sensitivity." "I sit around and drink coffee and I feel so good and it just feels like such a great time we are having discussing all of these things," she said. "So you can see you take great pleasure in small things in this business." Steiner has an extensive background in writing. Not only does she write literary reviews for the New York Times, but she has also published three books. "I like to write," she explained. "I really like it -- it's not just that I do it to get ahead or anything." She just finished a non-fiction book that "she is very excited about," which will come out in the fall called The Scandal of Pleasure. "It is about all of the various scandals in the arts that recently have taken place," she said.
(03/31/95 10:00am)
Since Sunday night, several fires have been set in the stairwells of High Rise North, charring posters in different locations throughout the building. And University officials have no concrete clues and divergent theories as to who the culprit -- or culprits -- may be. Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone speculated that the burnt posters may be related the Undergraduate Assembly elections. But Fire and Occupational Safety Director Jim Miller said he thought the fires may be an attack on the Penn Hillel Foundation. "Predominately, the posters not lit were from Hillel announcing some program they're doing," he added. "The assumption is that the posters [burned] are Hillel's [as well]." Simeone said those responsible may not have actually set the fires concurrently because the ash and scorch marks could have been left over from earlier this week. According to Miller, the first fire was ignited Sunday night, in the west stairwell between the first and second floors. Ash from burnt paper was discovered and reported Monday morning. Monday night, scorch marks were found in the west stairwell on the fourth, fifth and sixth floors of High Rise North, Miller added. The perpetrator switched to the east fire stairs on Tuesday -- burned papers and scorch marks were found on the second, fourth and 16th floors, along with the landing between the 10th and 11th floors. But the same night, posters were burned on the west side as well -- on the fourth and fifth floors, along with the landings between the second and third floors, the fifth and sixth floors and seventh and eighth floors. Simeone and Miller said they consider the situation extremely worrisome and dangerous. "This is not the kind of thing we like to see in a residential building," Miller said. "It's a dangerous, dangerous practice and any fire that's taken place in a residential building is a felony under Pennsylvania penal code." He added that whoever is committing the crimes is "worse than a guy running around with a gun in his hand." And Simeone said her department is "very worried and very concerned." "It is stupid," she said. "It is putting other students in danger." University Police and the Philadelphia Fire Department are also investigating the incidents. Simeone said she plans to send a letter to students living in all residences asking for their help in catching whoever is responsible. "It is really important that we get whoever is doing it," she added. "The consequences of this could be just tragic." Miller said he believes someone will eventually come forward, adding that whoever it is will be in "serious trouble." He stressed that to catch the perpetrators, his department and others "must show a presence" in High Rise North in order to convey the seriousness of the situation. Along those lines, officials of the Philadelphia Fire Department came to the University yesterday to begin its investigation. Miller said that in the meantime, no posters should be put up in the stairwells at all, given the potential danger involved.
(03/31/95 10:00am)
Kenia Puig, a female Cuban youth leader, said she feels that Americans have no business telling other democratic countries how to run their democracies. Her message was displayed clearly on a banner behind her: "U.S. Hands off Cuba. End the Embargo. U.S. out of Guantanomo." Puig's speech had resonance among the contemporary Cuban young people at last night's lecture, part of the week-long "Festival Latino de Penn" celebration. Puig's visit was co-sponsored by the Asociaci-n Cultural de Estudiantes Latino Americanos and the Philadelphian Cuban Coalition, a group that is working to end the U.S. embargo against trade with Cuba. She spoke -- in Spanish while her words were translated -- about how the United States continues to promote anti-Cuban sentiments. Puig argued that the United States and Israel are the only countries which maintain a trade embargo against Cuba. However, she said, Israel still maintains economic relations, while America has cut off all ties and proposed even more drastic measures. "A lot of news in the U.S. emphasizes the lack of democracy in Cuba, because there are no formal elections," said Rebecca Finch, a linguistics research coordinator. "But, in fact, there seem to be many avenues of democratic discussion." Puig agreed. "It is not logical that the U.S. should not support another democratic country," she said. "We have many problems and [the Cuban people] seriously discuss them among themselves in order to develop solutions." She also talked about "the important role young people [in Cuba] have to play." Puig added that the role of young people today is "very important" because they must solve the country's problems. In Cuba, the voting age is 16 and the earliest age to serve in the Parliament -- the country's most powerful political organization -- is 18. Today, 8 percent of the Parliament is under the age of 30. Seven percent are college-aged, she added. "There are so many problems to deal with. There is little time for recreation," Puig said. "In sugar mills, young people without their engineering degrees are saving the harvests with their efforts. In biotechnology centers, young people work 20 hours at a stretch trying to solve problems. "The worst thing that this generation could do would be to forget their history," she added.
(03/31/95 10:00am)
More than 100 women from around the world are coming to the University this weekend to explore the twisted relationship between sexuality and violence. The international symposium, entitled "Women, Sexuality and Violence: Re-Visioning Public Policy," is the culmination of a year-long project that focuses on women in the public sphere, according to Annenberg School for Communication Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. The conference, which is sponsored by the center, cuts across cultural and national barriers to bring together activists, scholars and public policy planners from different ethnic and racial backgrounds. Together, they will discuss the array of problems that women must face as age, class, gender, sexuality, race, religion and violence intersect, according to Law Professor Susan Sturm. Jamieson said that the conference is only one of 13 events being sponsored at the University. Each school within the University has been allocated funds in order to bring back women alumnae to discuss their roles in the public sphere. Yesterday morning at Irvine Auditorium, Jamieson opened the symposium by introducing conference coordinators Sturm and Carroll Smith-Rosenberg, a professor of history and women's studies. "Sexuality and violence color the pages of our papers," Smith-Rosenberg said. She spoke about the diverse participants from Bangladesh, Argentina and Chile. She made special note of courageous participant Nermina Zildzo, who was miraculously able to escape from war-torn Sarajevo and obtain a visa. Zildzo will be speaking on a panel about rape, torture and other "Affairs of the State" Saturday afternoon. Smith-Rosenberg suggested the participants attend panels that are comparative and international. She recommended "Religious Fundamentalism and Terrorism Against Women," which places abortion violence in perspective with what is occurring in other countries such as India and Africa. "The conference offers a rare opportunity to address head-on the issue of relationships between the academy, activists and policy makers concerned about sexuality and violence," Sturm said. "There are also theory panels which allow people to stand back and rethink the ideas and structures that reframe how we think about sex and violence." Two other events will take place this weekend as part of the Women in the Public Sphere series. "Women Creating Public Space," organized by the Fine Arts and Architecture Schools, will introduce women architects to the campus. And the School of Engineering and Applied Science will be bringing students from elementary and secondary schools to campus tomorrow to learn about the "Challenge of Engineering."
(03/31/95 10:00am)
The Philomathean Society's week-long symposium entitled "The University in the Information Age" got off to a rocky start last night. The problems began several days ago with the theft of the computer slated to be used in the series' first lecture. They continued yesterday when scheduled speaker Janet Murray cancelled only hours before her presentation was to begin due to illness. On short notice, the Society asked Religious Studies Professor Robert Kraft to speak during the "Emerging Genres and Methodologies of Cyberspace" segment of the symposium yesterday afternoon. Kraft, who said he has been integrating computers into his classes for years, spoke to an audience of about 20 students and faculty members concerning the role of interactive technology in the classroom. "It is a very interesting tool which is much more flexible and has many more uses than a book whether in a classroom or for a researcher," he said. Predicting that "in a few years CD-ROMs will be the textbooks," Kraft said he looks forward to the increasing integration that better technology will provide. "One of the biggest frustrations in the electronic world is being aware of all that is out there," Kraft said. "But not being able to always get it." Kraft also emphasized that making use of the World Wide Web and Internet technology has its advantages outside of the classroom as well. "It's like having a museum in your living room," he said. Engineering junior Carter Page said that when he came up with the theme of the symposium, he was primarily concerned with addressing professors' fear of technology. "The whole series is primarily focused at the professors and secondarily at the students," he said. Page said his inspiration came from the dissatisfaction he felt with the many "learn and regurgitate" classes at the lower levels of the University. "If their job is nothing more than pouring information into us, they're going to go extinct as educators," he added.
(03/30/95 10:00am)
WASHINGTON -- From the University of Pennsylvania to Pennsylvania Avenue, National Endowment for the Humanities Chairperson and former University President Sheldon Hackney is fighting to keep his organization alive in the face of proposed Congressional cutbacks. Yet, as evidenced by the multitude of University posters and plaques decorating his spacious office, Hackney still has a soft spot for the red and blue, despite all the red tape. Last Wednesday, Hackney took time out of his schedule and heartily welcomed the University's Washington Semester students into his office for a visit. The four students, along with Political Science Professor Russell Riley, spent over an hour with Hackney discussing the NEH, politics, the Washington Semester program and, of course, the University. Hackney began the group discussion by questioning students about their internship placements, an integral part of the Washington Program. To accommodate a variety of interests, participants are responsible for finding their own internships while writing a major research paper on a related topic. Students this semester are working in the White House, on Capitol Hill and in the service sector. College junior Julia Keleher, who is doing work for the Corporation for National Service, said interning through this program is "an opportunity to have a real-life experience, while being protected by the fact that we're still students. I'm learning things earlier than I would have if I'd waited until after college to go into the work force." Hackney agreed, adding that the Washington Semester is "a wonderful idea. It's like a semester abroad in that Washington is a very different culture. An experience here is a good thing for a student." He then told the students about the National Endowment for the Humanities, explaining that it is an independent agency charged to authorize progress in the humanities, which includes many disciplines. Much of his effort is devoted to his pet project, a National Conversation on American Pluralism and Identity, which includes many programs designed to help "Americans of all backgrounds study, learn, and speak face-to-face about our differences." Hackney was very candid with the students when questioned about the precarious position of the NEH, whose budget may be severely trimmed or cut altogether by Congress. "We are seen by Newt Gingrich as a cultural institution which has not been friendly to conservatives, but that's not true," he explained. Hackney admitted that he is worried, but he passionately defended his organization. "The humanities are about citizenship -- the Jeffersonian notion that citizens must understand society in order to play a democratic role," he said. "Without the NEH, the humanities would solely be an elite experience." Students said they thought Hackney's talk was enlightening. "I thought that Dr. Hackney did a good job of explaining how the NEH works to improve the quality of the lives of American citizens," said College sophomore Molly Duncan, who works for Sen. Hank Brown (R-Colo.). When asked if he missed the University, Hackney emphatically answered that "being in the Penn community, even when there's friction, is great because you still know you belong." "It's not the same intellectual community down here," he said. "But I've enjoyed the NEH a lot -- it's a good organization with good people. Washington is an entirely different community, though." Hackney is only one of many political figures with whom Washington Semester students have been able to meet. The students see senators daily, talk to diplomats and cabinet secretaries over the phone, and one has even run into the Clintons a few times in the corridors of the West Wing. "For people interested in Political Science, it's the be-all, end-all for a semester abroad," one student said.
(03/30/95 10:00am)
The two Jewish students who were threatened at shotgun-point by two other University students early Friday morning have decided not to press charges, according to University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich. Kuprevich said, however, that the case was passed on to the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, where prosecutors could potentially bring charges against the assailants, although it is rare for the DA to do so. "Nine times out of 10 times they will not prosecute," Kuprevich said, adding that the police department cannot press a complaint for another person unless it is a capital offense, such as a homicide. He did say, however, that the case was referred to the Student Dispute Resolution Center, which is currently gathering facts as part of its ongoing investigation. The incident occurred Friday when the Jewish students were walking near 39th and Pine streets and were taunted with ethnic slurs by two other University students. At the time, University Police records indicated the incident was being investigated as an "ethnic intimidation." Victim Support and Special Services Director Maureen Rush had said the incident began with an "exchange of words" when the two Jewish students, who were on their way home, walked past the residence of the other two students. She said the two Jewish students, whose names have not been released, were called "Jew-boys" by the other students, who were sitting on the front steps of their Pine Street home. An argument subsequently ensued and one of the students went inside his home and returned with a shotgun and pointed it at the Jewish students. The Jewish students then fled and called University Police, who found the two students with the shotgun and brought them into custody. They were then transferred to Philadelphia Police's Southwest Detectives, where they were questioned, but not charged. This is the second case involving allegations of ethnic intimidation in recent days. Last Thursday morning, two University students claimed four Drexel University students and one other man yelled ethnic slurs at them.
(03/30/95 10:00am)
The Student Activities Council re-recognized The Red and Blue at its meeting Tuesday night after adopting a revised set of guidelines for funding political organizations. This means that the magazine can once again pursue SAC funding. But a vote on whether to grant The Red and Blue's funding request of $11,094 did not come to the floor, because less than two-thirds of the body voted in favor of hearing the magazine's plea. Also, SAC elected a new Steering Committee -- and voted against giving Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson and Wharton junior Dan Debicella a seat on it. Re-recognition of The Red and Blue was not originally slated for Tuesday night's agenda. But early in the meeting, Student Life Assistant Director Scott Reikofski criticized the body's recent decision to permanently deny funding to the magazine. "Power without responsibility leads to abuse of everybody's rights," he said in an address to the body. "If one group's freedom is restricted, nothing is to stop that from happening to your group as well." The body passed amendments to the SAC constitution that clarified the definition of "political" for funding purposes. In the aftermath of The Red and Blue's loss of full recognition, University President Judith Rodin had asked SAC Steering Committee Chairperson Richard Chow, a Wharton senior, to revise the funding guidelines. The new guidelines prohibit the body from making funding determinations on the basis of "the content of the speech or expression of such organization." Student groups that advocate a particular political party or candidate, that seek to influence legislation, or that promote religious ideologies will still not be considered eligible for funding. The body granted full recognition to the Undergraduate Economics Society, Without a Net, Phi Beta Lambda, the Student National Medical Association, the John Marshall Pre-Law Society and the Penn Transfer Organization before the results of the vote on the amendments were known. And, at the end of the Steering portion of the meeting, Thor Halvorssen, a Red and Blue spokesperson and a College junior, moved that the body re-recognize the magazine and grant its original request of $11,094. Re-recognition required a two-thirds majority to pass. After a short debate, the body voted overwhelmingly in favor of restoring The Red and Blue's funding eligibility. But because the magazine had not been able to submit a budget request to the SAC Finance Committee before the meeting, a two-thirds majority vote was also required for the body to even deliberate on whether or not to give The Red and Blue any money. Several SAC leaders, including Finance Committee Chairperson David Shapiro, a College and Wharton sophomore, told the body that restoring The Red and Blue's funding eligibility did not necessarily obligate SAC to fund the magazine. Shortly thereafter, the motion by Debicella to vote on deliberating the magazine's funding request failed to reach the required two-thirds majority. Among those elected to the new SAC Steering Committee were College sophomore Angine Harriott, College junior Norm Hetrick, College junior Graham Robinson and College junior Jon Teitel.
(03/30/95 10:00am)
Most students' idea of a study break entails playing video games or snacking on nachos. But for College senior Susane Colasanti, posing nude in a hot tub for Playboy magazine was the best way to put off studying for her chemistry exam. Colasanti, who will be featured in the magazine's October spread, "Women of the Ivy League," received $500 for being photographed completely naked. Colasanti had to make a difficult choice when she found out about that Playboy wanted her for the photo spread. "They said 'We're shooting today.' I told them I had to study for a chem test. Since they had to shoot on Sunday, I didn't study for the test," she said. Colasanti was taken to a club in Philadelphia for the final shoot. She was photographed in two outfits: a see-through body suit and a low-cut black slip. She said she arranged the clothing according to the wishes of Playboy photographer David Chan. Piece by piece, she displayed her entire body. "Not all of the polaroids were of me naked," she said. "But enough of them were." Colasanti said her decision to pose in Playboy was impulsive, something not especially unfamiliar to a woman standing in a bedroom with poetry recklessly scrawled upon the walls. "I got a feeling to do it, and I did it," she said. "There's no big reason." Colasanti admitted she was a little scared by the thought of removing her clothes in front of the camera. "I was nervous on the first day of the shoot," she said. "But I wasn't for the other two days." This self-confidence most likely helped her through the shoots. "I kind of knew I'd be picked," she added. Playboy conducted a preliminary "interview" on March 14 and 15. Approximately 50 students either brought spring break pictures of themselves in scanty clothing or bathing suits, or were photographed in bikinis at the interview. Students who made the first cut were called back on March 16. They were photographed again -- but this time in both bikinis and in see-through body suits. The poses in the body suits were "basically nude photos," according to Colasanti. Finally, Colasanti and three other accepted applicants were contacted on March 19. They were taken to different sites, where they were photographed for October issue. The women who auditioned each had their own reasons for participating. "People criticized me," said an applicant who did not want her name disclosed. "I felt that if you have a good body, there's nothing wrong with showing it off." But even with such "good bodies," some students had to be cut. "It didn't bother me," College freshman Christina McGuire said. "I wasn't doing it to get into the magazine. It was curiosity, probably." Chan made sure the women who were photographed did not come into contact with the other applicants. "They spaced out the interviews," said the female student who did not want her name used. "They didn't want the people to see each other." Chan also coordinated the salaries of the women. "They said they paid me $500 because they were going to use the naked shot," Colasanti explained. "They give you $100 if you are wearing clothes, and $250 if you are topless." Following their shoot at the University, the Playboy photographers headed to Columbia University to continue their Ivy League photo tour.
