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(02/15/95 10:00am)
The reluctance of students to come forward and press charges after being victims of crime is leaving the Division of Public Safety with its hands cuffed. At the same time, the University is increasingly being viewed as good hunting ground by criminals who realize that students often do not press charges, or feel too busy to get involved in the judicial system. One example of students' reluctance to come forward after being victims of crime occurred last month at 40th and Locust streets. Five students said they were accosted by a man with an "Uzi or a TEC-9" machine gun in the middle of the afternoon. They refused to come forward and aid police with their investigation, however. "What people have to recognize is that the criminal justice system was set up to be complaint driven," University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich said. "That means when something happens and someone wants something done about it, that's the system to be used." And while students blame police for not putting the criminals behind bars, Kuprevich said the police are powerless when the victim will not press charges. In most cases, a police officer cannot detain a suspect if the victim does not file a complaint. Often, students cite an act of retribution by the criminal as a major reason to not press charges. The students involved in the incident on Locust Street said they would not help Philadelphia Police with their investigation out of concern for their lives. But Kuprevich said the victim's fears are unfounded. "I don't know of any case here or in my 25 years of law enforcement where physical harm came to someone who testified in any of the cases I've been involved in," he said. "The occurrence of it is so minute. "It doesn't mean that [retribution] never happens," he added. "It is just not an excuse not to stand up." Kuprevich said that if a person who has testified feels afraid for his personal safety, University Police will pay "special attention to their area." In addition, if they call University Police, they will give it a "priority notice" status and treat the situation as a potential emergency. Victim Support and Special Services Director Maureen Rush said that besides fear, students often complain about the time involved in prosecution as a reason for not coming forward. "Fear I understand, but inconvenience gets me upset," she said. "Every person has a civic duty to work within the system." Victim Support provides counseling services and will transport the witness to and from court for the duration of the process. There have been promising cases recently, which may show a reverse in this the disturbing trend. Last Tuesday, for example, a female student and a woman in Steinberg-Dietrich Hall combined efforts with University Police Officer John Newton to arrest a man connected to several thefts in campus buildings. And earlier this month, a student came forward to identify a man who attempted to rob him at 36th and Market streets. The suspect in that case had been arrested earlier the same day for another robbery.
(02/15/95 10:00am)
Israeli Mediterranean music serves as a form of ethnic and political expression, combining the traditional music of the Middle East with Western rock 'n roll, according to Amy Horowitz, a professor in the Jerusalem Program at the Smithsonian Institute. And yesterday, Horowitz discussed this "Mizrahi" music with an audience of more than 15 students and faculty. Horowitz said Mizrahi music is performed by Israeli musicians of Sephardic background, connecting them to their Middle Eastern origins. She quoted the Israeli singer Avihu Medina, when she sang, "I sing the songs with which I was raised." "Medina is a Yemenite who composes with an Israeli soundtrack," she explained. Horowitz spoke about how the singers combined the music brought from Arab lands with European and American forms of composition. She also said the Mizrahi music provided a way of expressing both Israeli and Middle Eastern identities. Horowitz added that Mizrahi music reshapes the definition of Israeli identity and helps to make Israel a more heterogeneous society. She said the music also has an important political impact -- describing the discrimination which Mizrahi musicians were subjected to by the Israeli radio stations and record companies. Horowitz added that often, artists were allotted very little radio air time. She said these musicians and their distributors set up their own networks as an alternative means of producing Mizrahi songs. Like much in the Middle East, creating independent networks is also a political act. "The Mizrahi music and entrepreneurs, by setting up their own alternative network were essentially making a political statement through music," Horowitz explained. She also described how Mizrahi music -- until the 1980's -- had been listened to exclusively by Middle Eastern Jews. She said this form of music's emergence into the mainstream began in 1986 with Israeli singer Haim Moshe's Arabic song "Linda, Linda." Horowitz added that this music is also becoming accepted by Israeli folk dancers, signaling its acceptance by the larger Israeli population. Wharton senior David Eline said he learned a great deal from this lecture. "I never knew this music existed," he said. "Now I want to go out and buy some Mizrahi CDs."
(02/15/95 10:00am)
Will Old Philadelphia Be 'Disneyfied'? While Independence National Historical Park is often referred to as America's most historic square mile, few visitors spend more than an hour visiting the district which contains Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Trying to reverse this trend, Mayor Ed Rendell and park officials have released plans to enhance the tourist experience for visitors and city residents alike. And recently, everyone from architects and city planners to historians and academics have engaged in dialogue over the fate of the historic area. Currently on the table are six alternative plans devised by the National Park Service. One of the six plans or a combination of the plans will be tentatively accepted in late spring, but will remain open for public discussion. By December of 1995, however, the National Park Service will announce its final plan, which will be implemented in the next 10 to 15 years. Last month, the city and Mayor Ed Rendell unveiled their favored proposal. It calls for a $170 million high-tech Constitution Center to be built on Independence Mall. In addition, the plan recommends relocating the Visitor's Center. If Rendell's plan is accepted, the Liberty Bell would move to the north side of Market Street and would be enclosed in a new glass and steel pavilion. Rendell said he hopes to have Constitution Center plan completed by 1998. Under the Rendell plan, the Constitution Center would run above and below ground and be filled with the newest in museum technology, including multi-media exhibits, television town meetings, discussion theaters, educational galleries and a "Signer's Hall" where visitors can sign the Constitution with a laser pen. Political Science Professor William Harris said he vigorously endorses a home to celebrate the Constitution because it is the foundation and backbone of the United States. "This was the place where the nation was really founded, not by writing documents but by creating institutions," he said. "We need to try to recapture what it is like to make this constitution work in the first phase of its existence. That's the moment to focus on." He said that a constitution center should have the mission of educating the public, especially children. But he cautioned that a center should not be treated as a "shrine." "I don't see this just as commemoration," he added. "If it works, it works because it teaches citizens the capacity to deal with the kinds of problems the framers dealt with on their own terms." · The city's favored proposal -- the sixth proposed by the National Park Service -- has received the most attention, and has caused the most controversy. And although it is the city's plan that received the lion's share of publicity, the final decision will me made by the National Park Service. Independence Mall, the proposed home of the Constitution Center, was created between 1952 and 1969 as Independence Mall State Park by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia. In the process, three city blocks, containing 143 building dating from the 19th and 20th century, were demolished. And in the early 1970s, Pennsylvania turned the mall over to the National Park Service. Ann Marie DiSerafino, spokesperson for Independence Park, said that the National Park Service will not publicly endorse a plan yet, but is considering all the alternatives. She added that the overwhelming public response to the issue has been extremely helpful. While some architects favor the idea of a Constitution Center and increased building on Independence Mall, others are vehemently opposed to the idea. Former City Planning Commissioner Edmund Bacon, who is responsible for the design of Independence Mall, said he loves the idea of an underground Constitution Center. He added, however, that he strongly opposes proposals for buildings in the center of the mall area. "The purpose of the mall is to give dignity and a setting to Independence Hall," Bacon said. "There is no way you can put a major building in the center of mall, without making it overshadow the importance and dignity of Independence Hall." Bacon was passionate in describing the potential experience of an individual walking through the below ground Constitution Center and rising up a stairway to stare in awe at Independence Hall. He added that artificial light in the exhibit, will greatly add, rather than detract from the experience because the lighting can be controlled. "It will change this area from one which is dark and forbidding to one that is a magnet and very attractive." He also advocated the relocation of the Liberty Bell north of Market Street. But John Lawson, one of the designers of the original Liberty Bell pavilion, said he would be sad to see the Bell moved. "I thought it would be there forever," Lawson said. "I'm very upset about using the Liberty Bell as a pawn in a private individual's hand?" He said that from the beginning in 1974, he and his colleagues had envisioned the view of the Liberty Bell with Independence Hall in the background. George Thomas, professor of historic preservation and Philadelphia historian, strongly disagrees. Thomas, who lectures at the University, said there is no connection or "link" between the Liberty Bell pavilion and the history it is trying to portray. The real problem with Independence "Maul," as Thomas referred to it, is that it is a big open space with a "little tiny" 18th century brick building at one end. He added that some of the buildings that were demolished to create the mall were historically significant. "It's a sterile, never, never land shrined in green open space," he said. Deidri Gibson, a landscape architect for the National Park Service, said the problem is not with the mall itself, but with the surrounding buildings. "Classic ingredients for failure of a public space," Gibson said. Many officials agreed, and some cited the U.S. Federal Court House as an architectural disaster. Thomas stressed that the focus on a Constitution Center is placing the emphasis in the wrong area. It should be focused on the city of Philadelphia, Thomas said. He added that the Constitution is a "big yawn" and "has nothing to do with our day to day existence. "The tragedy of it it that they have such a small view of what's important about Philadelphia," Thomas said. "It is not just the Constitution, it's a whole series of revolutions. The modern world was invented in Philly and that's the tale their missing." · In comparison to Philadelphia, one of the most successful and educational tourist attractions in the country is Colonial Williamsburg. Thomas said that while Williamsburg had to be completely recreated, Philadelphia does not need to be rebuilt in this manner because it's home to many 17th and 18th century buildings already, with a huge collection in Society Hill. Milton Mark of the Preservation Committee agreed with Thomas, saying that other historic sites in Philadelphia are being slighted if they are not given more prominence by the city. He said the 19th century was a vital time in Philadelphia history, yet gets little attention. In addition, he said tourists should visit West Philadelphia, Germantown, and Eastern State Penitentiary. · One of the most controversial aspects of the new park plan is the prospect of commercialized history. When Mark heard rumors of the Constitution Center being "Disneyfied" like an attraction at Disney World, he said he was very disenchanted. "I was a little horrified at the the thought of it," Mark said. "I have a problem with contrived patriotism." The whole "Disney" issue has come to the forefront of the debate in the last week. Some see the the idea of glitzy Constitution Center as a move that will attract thousands of tourists to Philadelphia, increasing city revenues and spurring job growth. While others believe the Constitution Center should be less jazzy, and more on substance and meaning. Stuart Feldman, senior vice president of the National Constitution Center, has dedicated the last few years to the creation of a Constitution Center. He said the Disney argument is an attempt to dismantle his idea. And no arguments concerning Disney had been mentioned at the public forums. "We're not here to present Disneyland east," Feldman, a University alumnus said. "The Disney argument is a red-herring that is ridiculous." Feldman, like Harris, said the Constitution is a living document that must be examined for its impact not only on the past, but on present and future. "Those documents are not from ancient history, but affect us every day in our lives," he said. "The mall is largely deserted and we have to find a way to make this area be one of the best public spaces in the world." In order to fulfill these goals, there are plans for a massive television bulletin board with a constant flow of news emanating from it and for a public town meeting. Feldman is confident that his Constitution Center will be a reality. "We're confident the leadership of the Park Service will seize the significance of what were trying to do." Even though the Constitution Center has a price tag of around $200 million, he thinks fundraising efforts, similar to the $415 million raised for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, are plausible. The Constitution Heritage Act of 1988 also provides the Constitution Center with $250,000 a year. And challenge grants and federal funds could also be raised. "We believe Republicans will be as sympathetic to this project as the democrats," Feldman said. He stressed the importance of a new Visitor's Center to attract tourists and tell them about the wonders of the rest of the city, and added that he hopes to put restaurants and shops outside of the many "unsightly" office buildings. "I want to make this place come alive," Feldman said. But Craig Eisendrheh, former executive director of the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, is worried about the "Disneyfying" of the Constitution Center. "If were talking about $200 million we better know what we are doing," Eisendrheh said. "Simple building a glitz temple for the Constitution is not idea of what to do. "The Constitution is in somewhat of a crisis now," he added. "This is a time where we have to be taking seriously the mission of the Constitution." Harris agreed, and said that, "anything that makes it silly or cute is radically inconsistent with the Constitution." Eisendrheh worked at the National Constitution Center in 1987, but by 1990 had left along with other colleagues because of a difference in opinion over which direction the Constitution Center was headed. "We wanted to have some permanent legacy after the confetti," Eisendrheh said. He added that the Constitution is a complicated issue and has to be dealt with seriously. And issues that Congress is currently debating, such as the First and Fourth amendments, should be addressed. Like many other scholars and officials, Eisendrheh pointed to the U.S. Holocaust Museum as an example to be followed. And Ralph Appelbaum, leading designer of the Holocaust museum, is working on the effort. Karen Butler, an official working on the project in the Mayor's office, said she sees problems with teaching the Constitution. "We're not giving people the right kind of context," Butler said. "There is no common ground from which to absorb things." The Constitution center will fill that void and make that connection, Butler said. As for the Disney issue, Butler said many cities across the country are working hard to attract visitors, and Philadelphia should be no exception. "It's a matter of balance," Butler said. "I think we can use it to help us enhance the story."
(02/15/95 10:00am)
Since its closing last March, the Acme Supermarket building at 43rd and Locust streets has fallen into disrepair, leaving many in the the Spruce Hill community curious as to the property's future. "It's bad for the neighborhood, very bad," said Bob Koch, owner of Koch's Deli, which is located across the street from the old Acme. "I really hope something opens up over there soon." Edwin Spragg, vice president of sales and special marketing at Acme Supermarkets, said the decision to close the store was "agonized over for several years." "The primary reason it was closed was because it was doing a low volume of business and was unprofitable," he said. According to area property owners, the store has become a considerable eyesore. Koch even blames it for the difficulty he has had renting his upstairs apartment. "Nobody likes to see abandonment in any neighborhood," City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell yesterday. "Acme said they just couldn't make a dollar there." And many in the community are anxious about the fate of the property. "[Developers] would have to consult local communities [about future development]," Blackwell said. "There are a lot of concerned, committed community groups in this area." Blackwell and Koch both cited rumors that the Thriftway Supermarket at 43rd and Walnut streets has been looking at turning the property into a speciality store. "I am hoping Thriftway is interested," Blackwell said. "I liked the fact they had a market there." Officials from Thriftway refused to comment on these reports. There are also other rumors that the University was interested in the property. However, University Associate Treasurer Chris Mason flatly denied these rumors. University professor and Philadelphia historian George Thomas points out that stores closing in the area have a negative effect by eliminating competition in the area. "Losing [the Acme] had a big impact on the community," he stated. He also pointed out the building has a unique architectural presence. "In a weird way it has historic significance in the value of a store coming from the beginning of the food retail industry," he said. "But is it worth saving? Probably not."
(02/15/95 10:00am)
Sporting his "Penn Fag" sweatshirt and trademark nose ring, College senior Stephen Houghton posted his feelings about Valentine's Day on the Button yesterday morning. College junior Jen Manion accompanied Houghton. Their message was clear, spelled out in red and pink --"Love knows no gender." Manion and Houghton, inspired by Gloria Steinem's speech Monday night, had decided to make a statement. "Gloria Steinem said, 'Within the next 24 hours, do one outrageous thing for social justice,' and that's what we did," Manion said. So they spray-painted the snow behind College Hall late Monday evening, on College Green yesterday morning and taped signs on the Button in front of Van Pelt Library. Their signs -- which read "Queer Love" and "Gay still means happy"-- were meant to make gays on campus feel comfortable on the day that has historically been a "straight" celebration of sweethearts. "We're not going to let Valentine's Day be the epitome of heterosexual romance," Manion said. "We hope we made the fags and dykes on campus feel good for one day." The two students also wanted to maintain awareness within the heterosexual community of the University's gay population. "Day to day life is heterosexual," Houghton said. "People often forget about queer life on campus." Although Manion is the editor-in-chief of the women's magazine, Generation XX and Houghton is the former co-chair of the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Alliance, they said their activity was simply a statement by two individuals. "We're not affiliated with anything," Manion said. "It's just us as individuals and queer visibility is always a plus." Shortly after signs were taped to the button, passers-by began to show an interest. "This is nice to see," said College sophomore Melissa Krakowski, who is gay. "It's so rare this year to see anything out here. It's nice to see something new and different." Others were not happy about the means of communication used. "I don't like to see the art works on campus used as bulletin boards," said Karin Schaller, a Philadelphia resident. But Manion and Houghton disagreed. "We don't see it as defacing property," Manion said. "It's campus beautification." In fact, Manion said that it is the message that matters, not the reactions to it. Houghton agreed. "One of the things Gloria Steinem said last night was 'this is a revolution, not a [public relations] movement,'" he said. "So I don't worry about alienating the few. If the message is firm, it should stand on its own." At the end of the day, the friends were happy with their work. "I stood next to the Button watching and people were reading the signs," Manion said. "So that's good. And my gay friends loved it." Houghton also felt like he had accomplished his goals for the day. "Valentine's Day is for everyone," Houghton said. "We wanted to make that clear-- and queer."
(02/15/95 10:00am)
Cupid has been busy sharpening his arrows. And today, students from across the University will be feeling his sting. "Valentine's Day is a wonderful, wonderful holiday," College freshman Stan Parker said. "I think [it] is a great chance for everyone to get a little closer. "[But] it's a double-edged sword," he admitted. "It can either make you depressed or really happy. It depends on your situation in life. Hopefully this one will make more people happy." Other students plan to openly display their aversion to the so-called holiday. "I'll be wearing all black from head to toe in mourning for all lost loves and loves never had," College senior Michele Steinberger said. "All couples should stay indoors." College sophomore Monique Mogenson agreed. "I think Valentine's Day is a bad holiday," she said. "If you have someone who's important to you, you don't need a holiday to celebrate it. If you have someone you just got together with, it's awkward, and if you don't have anyone, it's depressing." But College freshman Alice Birnbaum argued otherwise. "It's a nice day," she said. "We're happy it's here." College freshman Timothy Wexler said he hopes everyone is affected by the spirit of the day. "I think Valentine's Day is a wonderful thing," he said. "I think that we should all love everyone else and I just wish and hope that everyone loves me." Others were quick to contend that individuals' personal love lives usually determine their feelings about the holiday. "It's kind of fun," Wharton junior Dave Dwares said. "It's a nice day to show people you care about how you feel -- you know, for some reassurance." Still other students argue that Valentine's Day is just a merchandising gimmick. "Valentine's Day is just a way for card stores and chocolate companies to make money," College and Wharton freshman Lucrecia Castro said. College sophomore Jen Lattanvio had her own sort of celebration planned for the evening. "I'll be at Casa Mexicana getting drunk with the girls," she said. "I'm a little bitter about Valentine's Day this year. It's sort of like Halloween --it's over-rated." College freshman Ben Dietz noted that Valentine's Day "overemphasizes the need to have somebody." "But it puts a nice emphasis on getting along and having harmonious relationships," he added.
(02/14/95 10:00am)
Initiatives could cost millions In an open letter printed in today's Almanac, University President Judith Rodin outlines core components of a master security plan designed to improve safety both on and off campus. However, the plan itself is still in a draft form and will not be released until after a group of safety experts visits the University next month and makes additional recommendations. Rodin's letter lists several "significant new steps toward our goal of a safer Penn," including the creation of a series of Community Walks throughout campus, the positioning of new security and information kiosks at strategic points on and off campus and the development of uniform safety standards for campus buildings and security personnel. Additionally, the Division of Public Safety will double its bicycle patrols -- putting 10 more officers on bikes. Three of these bikes will be purchased with funds allocated by the Undergraduate Assembly. Finally, an analysis of building-use patterns will probably lead to changes in hours of operation and security measures taken at certain campus locations. Rodin said she is pleased to be able to announce the new initiatives -- some of which will be implemented starting this week. She estimated that the cost of the proposed safety programs will be several million dollars. Work on the Community Walks is slated to begin as soon as possible, Rodin said. New signs will be installed to mark key campus arteries, tentatively identified as Locust Street from 33rd to 43rd streets, 36th Street from Chestnut Street to the Nursing Education Building and Walnut, Spruce and Pine streets between 39th and 43rd streets. Along these routes, lighting will be enhanced, more of blue light phones will be added and security patrols will be beefed up, Rodin added. The Community Walks will be dotted with security kiosks, designating the ends of campus, according to University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich. "We anticipate that we'll be putting in as many as five," he said, adding that the kiosks will increase safety because they will be visible, well-lit structures built of glass "with a cone kind of roof" -- similar to an extra set of "eyes and ears." The kiosks will be staffed by contract guards who will be in radio and telephone contact with Public Safety. These guards will probably be provided by Allied Security, the same company that currently staffs entrances to dormitories. The kiosks will also serve a dual purpose as "ambassadors for the University," Kuprevich said, since each structure will have an exterior blue light phone and will provide maps and other campus information for visitors. The increased bicycle patrols will be instituted because studies have shown that officers on bikes are community-friendly and are able to provide an immediate feeling of security, Rodin said. In the open letter, Rodin also discusses the dramatic increase in the number of police officers on campus since 1989 and the creation of PennWatch -- a student-run organization devoted to increasing pedestrian traffic in West Philadelphia. "We can never make the University secure by building a wall around its perimeter," she states. "Sealing Penn off, even if possible, would deprive it of the urban interaction that has historically produced much of its intellectual vigor and character." She adds that increased crime prevention and safety education efforts by students, faculty, staff and community members and economic development proposals targeted at the West Philadelphia area will improve security in University City as well. Among the experts set to advise Rodin and Kuprevich next month are former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Tucker and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge of Philadelphia Ernie Kun. The head of security for Johns Hopkins University and a special agent employed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation will also be on campus to offer suggestions, Rodin said. She cited connections she has made during her service on President Clinton's White House safety panel this fall as valuable in assembling the team.
(02/14/95 10:00am)
Amidst increased racial tension and concern over affirmative action policies nationwide, the man formerly known as Stokley Carmichael called for complete revolution yesterday in a speech at Irvine Auditorium. In the keynote address for the Greenfield Intercultural Center's celebration of African-American History Month, entitled "African American Student Movements, Yesterday and Today," Kwame Ture advocated organizing the African people to overthrow the American capitalist society. In the 1960s, as a prominent black activist, Ture -- then known as Carmichael -- founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, helped launch the Black Power Movement and was also a member of the Black Panthers. In fact, he is often credited with having coined the phrase "black power," although he said yesterday that he did not create it -- he only popularized it. Today --30 years later -- he is the founder of the All-African People's Revolutionary Party and lives in Guinea on the west coast of Africa. The party was originally formed in 1968. Ture prefaced his speech last night by establishing his credibility in the area of student protest. "When I speak of student movements, I speak of something not that I studied, but of that which I lived," he said. Ture described the importance of studying the values of society. He said students may either accept and perpetuate them or reject them and offer alternatives. "What are you for?" he asked. "Just saying you are against something doesn't do anything. It is what you are for." Ture stressed the importance of rejecting capitalism by calling it an "anti-human society that keeps its members unconscious of the values they are perpetuating." He also denounced the claim that conditions in the African-American community are more favorable today than 30 years ago because the representation of African Americans in universities and government has increased. "This progress is quantitative," he said. "Progress must be qualified to affect the masses of our people." Ture then told the audience not to underestimate the value of aggression in attaining revolution and urged the African-American community to "take violence and aim it at the enemy and be free." "No human advances are possible without the shedding of blood," he added.Ture then stressed the need for organization of the African-American community, especially students. "Student movements must have a strong nationalist base," he said. "They must be clear and precise. One must be willing to kill and die for it. " Ture said that every African American has a responsibility to get involved. "By your very act of inaction, you are against your people," he said. Many of the 200 audience members reacted favorably to Ture's speech. "[The speech was] right on point on the need for Africans to organize themselves," said Mel Davis, a member of the National African American Club. "Very good," Temple University senior Crystal Brown said. "We're always talking about what the problem is but not strategically planning how to solve it." Some white audience members said they felt uncomfortable, although they understood the speech. "I felt extremely self-conscious and sort of targeted," College senior Ian Glick said. "This audience is not for white folk," said Rev. Beverly Dale, director of the Christian Association. "But we all must learn. His critique of the capitalist system is right on target."
(02/14/95 10:00am)
Valentine's Day conjures up images of heart-shaped boxes filled with chocolate, candy conversation hearts, bright cards promising heartfelt wishes, dozens of long stemmed roses and blossoming romance. But for the Intermingle Club, Valentine's Day has become a time to give back to those in need. In many of the dining halls across campus, the club is offering Valentine mementos for a small price. They will give all proceeds to the Ralston House, a residence for the elderly, according to founding member of the club and College sophomore Inna Zdorovyak. She said members are selling chocolate roses, chocolate lips and condoms with lollipops. The members of Intermingle have dubbed their fundraiser "Project Heart," in honor of Valentine's Day. And for those who buy the club's Valentine treats, there is an added bonus. Names will be held in a raffle, and the winner will get a free concert from Chord On Blues for his or her Valentine, according to College sophomore Paige Greenlee, another founding member of the club. The Intermingle Club was started by Zdorovyak and Greenlee, along with fellow College sophomores Jill Loman and Jane Loman. It is intended to "get Penn students to appreciate what Philly has to offer as being one of the major cities in the country, and also to give back to the city?through community service projects," said Greenlee, who is the club's secretary. "We try to organize different events to get students off campus together as a group," she explained. "We want them to appreciate the city and not be afraid to go into the city?to explore." Previously, the Intermingle Club has participated in the October AIDS Walk and held a Thanksgiving food drive. Greenlee explained that Intermingle has "a stable board of about eight people," but has a very loose membership. Meetings are held once a month and are always open to all interested students. In addition, Intermingle's information network can be accessed through the Internet, where the club has its own newsgroup, Greenlee said.
(02/14/95 10:00am)
There is a place on 40th and Walnut streets that is a collage of Barnes & Noble, MegaVideo and a grammar school library mixed together with students, professors and West Philadelphia residents. It is called the Walnut Street West Branch of The Free Library of Philadelphia and it has adorned the corner since 1905. Despite the recently added neon sign that screams "Library," Head Librarian Sandra Owens said people still walk by wondering what that building is on the corner of 40th and Walnut. "We used to have a sign that was in good taste," she said. "Such good taste that a lot of people think it's a bank." The building is certainly not a bank. Rather, it is stock full of bestsellers, children's books, newspapers, magazines, current compact discs, videos and travel information -- to name a few of the library's treasures. Although Owens described the library as a "community place" that is used by people of every age, ethnicity, educational level and economic group, she said it is also an asset to University students, professors and other staff workers. For example, Graduate School of Education students use the library's children's collection to experiment with alternative teaching methods. By tutoring community children at the library, they learn to go beyond textbook education, according to Patti McLaughlin, the children's librarian. College sophomore Jeff Chow, a an elementary education and art history major who volunteers at the library said he uses it as tool to test new teaching techniques. College senior Asha Bahatiani, who organized a semester-long service project between the library and the co-ed honors fraternity Phi Sigma Pi, said volunteering at the library introduced her to West Philadelphia's community beyond the University. "When you live on the Penn campus, it becomes the Penn community and nothing else," she said. "It was great to meet some of the kids and parents from the community because on the Penn campus you can be kind of isolated from the rest of the world." McLaughlin said that Chow, like the other student volunteers, are essential to children's programs. "There are days when there can be 70 kids here and having them here acting as an adult is great," she said. Although McLaughlin said she is thankful for their help, she complained that students usually only volunteer during the last four months of their senior year and then leave. "I take what I can get, when I can get them," she said. The library not only offers educational resources because it is set up like a bookstore -- by category not by the Dewey Decimal number system -- but the travel section is also frequently used by students who are preparing to go abroad. The "user-friendly" set-up attracts browsers and gives people a place to relax at lunchtime, Owens said. The library was not always housed in the institution-like metal and glass building that now borders Superblock. For the library's first 54 years, passers-by marvelled at the library's Victorian architecture and readers sat beneath high ceilings, elaborate plaster work and sky lights. In 1959 architectural trends changed and flat, school-room lights replaced the big brass chandeliers. In 1987, however, the city discovered that lighting was not the only new addition from the 1959 renovation -- asbestos infested the building, Owens said. "They must have just stuffed the place full of asbestos," she said. For three years, tools and construction workers replaced books and readers in the Free Library. But when it reopened in 1987, the library's appearance was not the only aspect that changed. Owens said she became the head librarian to make the library a meeting place for the community. When the library closed in 1987, the circulation was 50,000. Since Owens was hired in 1990, the circulation has risen to 120,000.
(02/14/95 10:00am)
Gloria Steinem is 60 years old. Although her age now matches the turbulent decade during which she went from being simply a female writer to an outspoken feminist, Steinem has only gotten better in the intervening years. She was on campus yesterday evening to promote Moving Beyond Words, a collection of six major essays just published in paperback by Touchstone Books. At an intimate book-signing and speech sponsored by The Book Store and the Penn Women's Center, Steinem -- founder of Ms. magazine and the Women's Political Caucus -- further explained issues raised in the book and took questions from more than 200 of the mostly female fans crowded into a ballroom at the Penn Tower Hotel. "I think a lot of us feel like we know each other," Steinem began, adding that she hoped each person in attendance would leave with a new friend, idea, fact or feeling of support. Steinem then spoke about the importance of voting and political activism, urging audience members to cast ballots "so that we will no longer be controlled by these [Republican] ayatollahs who [get] out 90 percent of their vote." Moving Beyond Words is a "very weird book," Steinem said, filled with essays so long that each -- like a plant -- might grow into its own volume if water were poured onto it. Steinem focused on the phenomenon of race and gender reversal, a device that allows individuals to see life from others' perspectives and about which Steinem has written extensively. Steinem also said women should continue pressuring legislators to consider work in the home -- maintaining a household and raising children -- a full-time job, with appropriate value attributed to it. "The census decides what is visible," she said. "The national system of accounts decides what is valuable. We can change these mega-systems. "We have to remember that the caste systems of sex and race are intertwined, and there is no way to fight one without fighting the other," Steinem added. Reflecting on the progress of the feminist movement, Steinem said women should be proud of what has been accomplished and hopeful about what lies ahead. In response to a question about feminism's future potential and vitality, Steinem said the movement has more appeal than ever before. "In my opinion, being a feminist in the '60s was a joke," she said. "[Now] this is a revolution, not a public relations movement -- not everybody's going to love us." Steinem urged attendees to recapture the free spirits of their youth that existed before each conformed to society's dictates regarding traditional women's roles. "So many issues attracted me to her -- she has such a wonderful insight into all phases of women," said Libby Harwitz, director of Editorial Services for Medical Center Development, who brought a photo of her and Steinem taken at a 1984 book-signing to yesterday's event.
(02/14/95 10:00am)
There is a place on 40th and Walnut streets that is a collage of Barnes & Noble, MegaVideo and a grammar school library mixed together with students, professors and West Philadelphia residents. It is called the Walnut Street West Branch of The Free Library of Philadelphia and it has adorned the corner since 1905. Despite the recently added neon sign that screams "Library," Head Librarian Sandra Owens said people still walk by wondering what that building is on the corner of 40th and Walnut. "We used to have a sign that was in good taste," she said. "Such good taste that a lot of people think it's a bank." The building is certainly not a bank. Rather, it is stock full of bestsellers, children's books, newspapers, magazines, current compact discs, videos and travel information -- to name a few of the library's treasures. Although Owens described the library as a "community place" that is used by people of every age, ethnicity, educational level and economic group, she said it is also an asset to University students, professors and other staff workers. For example, Graduate School of Education students use the library's children's collection to experiment with alternative teaching methods. By tutoring community children at the library, they learn to go beyond textbook education, according to Patti McLaughlin, the children's librarian. College sophomore Jeff Chow, a an elementary education and art history major who volunteers at the library said he uses it as tool to test new teaching techniques. College senior Asha Bahatiani, who organized a semester-long service project between the library and the co-ed honors fraternity Phi Sigma Pi, said volunteering at the library introduced her to West Philadelphia's community beyond the University. "When you live on the Penn campus, it becomes the Penn community and nothing else," she said. "It was great to meet some of the kids and parents from the community because on the Penn campus you can be kind of isolated from the rest of the world." McLaughlin said that Chow, like the other student volunteers, are essential to children's programs. "There are days when there can be 70 kids here and having them here acting as an adult is great," she said. Although McLaughlin said she is thankful for their help, she complained that students usually only volunteer during the last four months of their senior year and then leave. "I take what I can get, when I can get them," she said. The library not only offers educational resources because it is set up like a bookstore -- by category not by the Dewey Decimal number system -- but the travel section is also frequently used by students who are preparing to go abroad. The "user-friendly" set-up attracts browsers and gives people a place to relax at lunchtime, Owens said. The library was not always housed in the institution-like metal and glass building that now borders Superblock. For the library's first 54 years, passers-by marvelled at the library's Victorian architecture and readers sat beneath high ceilings, elaborate plaster work and sky lights. In 1959 architectural trends changed and flat, school-room lights replaced the big brass chandeliers. In 1987, however, the city discovered that lighting was not the only new addition from the 1959 renovation -- asbestos infested the building, Owens said. "They must have just stuffed the place full of asbestos," she said. For three years, tools and construction workers replaced books and readers in the Free Library. But when it reopened in 1987, the library's appearance was not the only aspect that changed. Owens said she became the head librarian to make the library a meeting place for the community. When the library closed in 1987, the circulation was 50,000. Since Owens was hired in 1990, the circulation has risen to 120,000.
(02/14/95 10:00am)
Freshman and sophomore women looking forward to a second opportunity to rush with the colonization of a new sorority this spring will need to wait until next year at the earliest. No new sorority will be coming to the University this year, despite the disbandment of Kappa Delta last semester and the speculation that Sigma Kappa would colonize this semester, according to Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Tricia Phaup. A Panhellenic Council expansion committee held a roundtable meeting last week to vote on the issue and decided to postpone the colonization of Sigma Kappa, the fifth and final national sorority in an expansion plan developed by Panhel in March 1987. Members of the expansion committee, which includes Panhellenic chapter presidents and the executive board, will vote again next February. If representatives vote to colonize Sigma Kappa next year, the sorority would most likely hold rush in the fall of 1996. But Phaup added that the officers next year could hold off the decision again until the spring of 1997. Rumors began circulating among sorority rushees last month after some were told that Sigma Kappa may be coming to the University this semester. "During rush we were told that there was a possibility that there was a new sorority [that] would be colonizing this spring," said Melissa Donald, a College freshman pledging Sigma Delta Tau. Donald said rushees were told that "girls who didn't get bids or who choose not to rush, would have the opportunity to rush again in the spring." However, she added that the women were not given the information definitively, and were told that the possibility of a new sorority should not hinder any decision-making. "We did just lose one of our sororities, and it's tough whenever that happens," Phaup said. "We wanted to take some time to see where the system is before [moving on]." The committee was largely in agreement on the matter, according to Phaup. Housing issues were the primary concern among officers. "I definitely think that housing is an issue," said Wharton senior Jennifer Pollock, the former president of Pi Beta Phi. Pollack's sorority is currently in search of permanent housing while occupying a leased house since its colonization in 1991. A second issue concerns proposals of a new college house system -- a system that has the potential to affect the number of Greeks living in chapter houses. "That would make some changes as far as filling their houses," Phaup said. Ideas on the system came as a result of the 21st Century Undergraduate Education Initiative. Part of the plan involves combining residences with academics. Provost Stanley Chodorow also suggested a college house system as one possibility of how to carry out the plan. But so far, specifics of the plan have not been released. "The college house system may have an important impact on the Greek system depending on how it's designed," Greek Alumni Council Chairperson Andrea Dobin said. A third element of housing that is currently unresolved is the University's re-evaluation of funding for fraternity and sorority house renovation projects, Dobin said. Combined, the elements of housing make for an environment that could prove difficult for a new sorority. "It would be difficult to take them in, in such an unsettled arena," she said.
(02/14/95 10:00am)
Chaim Potok holds a place among those writersChaim Potok holds a place among those writersand Philosophers who influenced him most Ever since the late 1600s, when the novel first came into being in the Western world, authors have probed deeply into the lives and minds of everyday people. Sometimes these authors go further than the average reader would like, asking questions about painful issues such as sin and evil and how people handle -- or don't handle -- them. Chaim Potok, in his own writing and the seminar he is teaching at the University, General Honors 205, continues the search into the areas of ourselves that, he says, many would rather leave untouched. For the past 40 years Potok has remained an influential figure in the Jewish Community, holding positions at the Jewish Theological Seminary, the University of Judaism and on the editorial boards of several Jewish publications, as well as Bryn Mawr College. Since receiving his Ph.D. from the University in 1965, this is the fifth year Potok has taught a seminar. But Potok is most widely recognized for his writing, especially his eight novels. Ordained as a Conservative rabbi, Potok's love for literature proved difficult to reconcile with his family's Orthodox lifestyle -- a conflict which is clearly expressed in his work. In his award-winning book, The Chosen, Potok portrays a teenage boy, Danny Saunders, who finds himself caught between his family's expectation that he will replace his father as the leader of the Hasidic community, and his passion for Western culture. Twentieth Century Fox adapted The Chosen into a major motion picture. Asher Lev, the main character in Potok's My Name is Asher Lev, experiences similar tension with his Hasidic parents. A talented artist, Lev tries to attain a balance between his commitment to Judaism and his artistic instinct. Many of Potok's books reflect a conflict, on the surface specifically addressing religion, that everyone encounters: the struggle to define what one stands for and how one relates to the community. In Potok's eyes, a book's seminality -- a word he uses repeatedly in class -- makes it an extraordinary work, influencing readers years after it is written. Potok attributes the attention 20th century authors give to "the self" to the Industrial Revolution. Because of the industry boom, families were dislocated, and frequently separated. Villages' isolated worlds shattered, and news from other areas became interesting -- the impetus for the newspaper. People began reading about others like them, abandoning the idyllic lives of kings and queens. "That's why the Hemingway heroes are not very learned people," Potok said. "Because most of us are that way. There are, until very recently, few of us who went through college and graduate school." But the characters in novels like Ernest Hemingway's reflect more than just the economic and social trends of the time. With the technological developments came a new value system -- one that looked to technology and science for guidance, not God. The people most directly affected by the new uncertainty were the middle class. "They are the ones who are paying the price for the confusion," Potok said. "'The death of God' as Nietzsche said. The inner chaos, the inner turmoil. The attempt to seek identity. The sudden emptying out of the value system of the past. Therefore, what was happening with them is of interest to us." That struggle, however, has not subsided -- an idea that Potok hopes his students will understand and grapple with, themselves. People now have to find their place in society given the modern paradox. The self has become an entity that "wants to discover its own potential" regardless of the community's needs, but is still unable to live independently. "Well, if you're not going to build community on the basis of something that's rooted in God, what's the basis?" Potok asked, his forehead wrinkling pensively. "Why should there be any loyalty between one human being and another, and among a group of individuals? What's going to be the core value? What are you going to commit your self to?" he added, lingering on the word "self." While inner confusion and the potential for destruction have become an integral part of the modern period, people have achieved a self-awareness that was virtually impossible in a God-centered world -- an era that Potok said he would never go back to if given the choice. "Only on the part of a few individuals was there a notion that your individuality might have a destiny different from the destiny of the community," Potok said. "If you said it too often, they burned you for it." Out of the modern period, with all of its problems, comes a greater potential for creativity that Potok capitalizes on. In his seminar, he highlights the literary greats, such as Feodor Dostoevsky, Franz Kafka and Virginia Woolf, who have wrestled with the self and how it relates to community. The authors address what Potok calls the greatest problem of the modern period -- how to attain self-awareness without going insane from too much reflection. "You will say, 'how depressing, what an awful way to spend a semester,'" Potok told his students. "Well, let's see if you say that by the end of the semester. These are grim pictures of the self. But we ought to know these things about ourselves. "When you hit that kind of reading experience you know you're tapping into something very, very, very deep," Potok added, speaking more and more slowly. When he was younger, literature had a profound impact on Potok -- much like the one he tries to create for his students. Potok grew up primarily reading Evelyn Waugh, Sherwood Anderson, Mark Twain and James Joyce. But it is Joyce who evoked the strongest reaction. There is not a book or letter by Joyce that Potok has not read. When Potok was about 16 years old he read Joyce's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, a novel about a young man's battle to assert his identity as an artist in a rigid and judgmental Catholic society in Dublin. "I was going through a lot of the turmoil that Stephen Daedalus was experiencing, the religious turmoil and I couldn't put it into words," Potok said. "And lo and behold here's a novelist that through the power of the imagination he was shaping my inner world for me in language, in images in scenes. That's a powerful thing to do. "And if you're a 16 or 17 year old impressionable young person you're going to be overwhelmed by that experience. That's why I became a writer," he added, raising his index finger as he came to the conclusion. Potok took Joyce's example and and now uses his writing as a means to explore his own experiences. In finishing the last two chapters of his latest book, Potok continues to examine the process that people go through when searching for their identity. He traces the history of a Russian family whose father turned to Bolshevism in the 1900s. One of the major forces behind the Russian Revolution and opening China and Japan to Lenin, the man raised a son who became a leading dissident against Communism. Potok said he decided to write the novel after meeting the son in Russia during the 1980s. "There's an exploration of the self," Potok said. "A break [between the generations] in America is something you sort of expect -- it's a ho-hum kind of thing. But in the Soviet Union to have a break with your father the Bolshevik meant a break with the government. That repressive monster of a government. And I'm curious to know how the break occurred inch by inch, and what the price was." While Potok devotes much of his time to writing -- he likes to get up "very early" and does not like to be interrupted -- he said he needs an outlet from the isolated nature of being an author. He finds that outlet in teaching. "Writing is by definition lonely work, so you can lose touch," Potok said. "If you lose touch you're dead." Potok turns to teaching at the University, not only because he wants to learn how students feel about the issues he addresses in his writing, but also because he is especially interested in how students develop in a secular world. "As the class proceeds and some of the ordinary and expected deference and the distance wears off between student and professor, and they really start to talk that's when things get very interesting for everybody, including myself," he said.
(02/14/95 10:00am)
Business has boomed during the late night and early morning hours at Chats, the newest campus eatery located in Class of 1920 Commons. Although the lunch crowd remains small, students have chosen to study, eat or simply relax in the new facility at night -- often staying until closing hours. And when Without A Net performed Sunday night, a standing- room-only crowd filled the cafe's large center room. Before Chats opened, Dining Services Director William Canney had expressed some concern regarding weekend crowds. He said he was worried that students might choose parties or clubs over the quieter, more laid-back atmosphere of Chats. But Chats Manager Carl Devitz said Chats' first weekend in business was an overall success. "Friday night was slow," he said. "But [Saturday] night was really good." Devitz said he is entertaining the possibility of extending Chats' hours until 3 a.m. on the weekends. However, he said this would not take effect until next year. 1920 Commons Manager Angelo Buccat said many students either came early Saturday night after the basketball game, or much later. Chats was open until 2 a.m. during the weekend, and until midnight on Sunday. "I haven't left the building except for two hours or something like that since Friday night," said Buccat, an Engineering senior. "Lunch is still kind of slow but a lot of people have been coming." Although Without A Net's appearance brought many first-time customers, the entertainment did not please everyone, as students who were trying to study found the noise level obtrusive. "[Chats is] a good place to chat but not a good place to do quiet studying," College junior Seth Stoller said. Devitz said Sunday's event will not be a regular occurrence, adding that Without A Net representatives asked if they could perform in return for advertising Chats during their show. And many students who watched the performance said their first experience enticed them to want to come back. "It seems friendly," College sophomore Rachel Mudge said. "I'll definitely come again." But although many said they liked Chats' atmosphere, some students objected to the "cashless environment" of Chats. "It took the longest time because we couldn't use cash," Nursing freshman Stacey Hanberry said. "And it's almost too convenient -- we'll just run up our bursar bills." Some patrons also said Chats provides a safer environment than the Wawa Food Market at 38th and Spruce streets, since it faces Locust Walk and always has an Allied security guard on duty.
(02/14/95 10:00am)
Students who need an early morning cup of coffee or muffin but do not feel like walking to the My Favorite Muffin on 40th Street will finally have a more convenient solution. As of late March, The Book Store will house a smaller My Favorite Muffin, which will provide seating for 30. According to The Book Store Director Michael Knezic, construction will be completed around March 20, and the cafe will open soon after. The facility will include a cappuccino bar, gourmet coffees and an assortment of muffins. Unlike the restaurant on 40th Street, however, it will not sell sandwiches, Knezic said. The installation of My Favorite Muffin in The Book Store is a response to a recommendation from the Commission on Strengthening the Community that suggested the addition of a coffee and browsing area to The Book Store. With both My Favorite Muffin and the recent opening of Chats, an eatery in 1920 Commons, coffee houses will exist on both sides of the 38th Street bridge. But University officials say Chats will not hurt My Favorite Muffin's business, or vice versa. "I think they complement each other," Vice President of Business Services Steven Murray said, adding that the peak hours for the two facilities will differ. Chats has had most of its business in the late night and early morning hours. Murray said he expects The Book Store facility to be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., serving most of its customers during The Book Store's hours of operation. "It will be a nucleus on the western side of campus," Murray said. "It will eventually counterbalance the new student center." According to Knezic, Chats and The Book Store facility will "play well with each other." "Chats is a different type of business -- more of an after-hours type of place," he said. "This is more for people going to The Book Store." To accommodate the new addition, The Book Store underwent renovations and layout changes. The renovations will cost the University $200,000, Murray said. He added, though, that the end result is worth the price. "I love the feel of the place now," he said. "It's much more the feel of being in a bookstore."
(02/14/95 10:00am)
Red ribbons decorated the paneled walls and columns of Houston Hall's Hall of Flags yesterday as lunchtime crowds became the audience for "Words of Solidarity," a read-in promoting HIV/AIDS awareness. Sponsored by Facilitating Learning about Sexual Health, the Lesbian Bisexual Gay Association, and Student Health Service, the read-in was just one of many activities scheduled to observe HIV/AIDS Awareness Month at the University. The groups read poetry, letters and excerpts from speeches about AIDS. Health Educator Kurt Conklin explained that the educational session was "impromptu." He added that all those who felt inspired were encouraged to use the open microphone. Every 13 minutes, the peaceful setting was interrupted by the intense ringing of a gong. According to College junior and FLASH member Beth Sobol, the gong symbolized the fact that every 13 minutes, one person in the United States contracts the AIDS virus. In addition to pamphlets and flyers, books including selections about AIDS were displayed for browsing. Conklin stressed that the most important goal of the event was to educate students about HIV and AIDS, and to replace fear and ignorance with understanding. "I want people to understand these three things," Conklin said. "Everyone is at risk for AIDS. Everyone can do something to reduce that risk. And people with HIV can live full lives." Many students read books and talked amongst themselves during the readings. But College sophomore Angine Harriott said she thinks much of the apparent disinterest may have been caused by problems with scheduling. "I knew that [the read-in] was going to happen, but I forgot which day," she said. "It should have been on any other day besides Monday." Harriott also mentioned that people are usually not receptive to pertinent issues such as AIDS awareness. "When it comes to topics like AIDS awareness you need to make people listen even if they don't want to," she said.
(02/14/95 10:00am)
University administrators are being cautious in evaluating the effect President Clinton's budget proposal would have on financial aid and federally-funded research, stressing the months of congressional consideration that will occur before a final plan is approved. Assistant Vice President for Policy Planning David Morse said the proposal is "pretty good" with respect to higher education. He pointed to proposed tax deductions for tuition for post-secondary education and deductibility for interest on student loans as examples of this. In addition, the proposed budget would keep loans for in-school lending intact, Morse said. Student Financial Aid Director William Schilling said he favors the deduction for tuition. "I think it would relieve the parents and it would help schools allocate limited grant resources in a better way," Schilling said, adding that parents could contribute part of the savings toward education. He also supports the proposal to make interest on student loans deductible. "Student loans are becoming a more and more important part of financing higher education as grants fail to keep pace with the costs of higher education," Schilling said. But the Patricia Roberts Harris and Jacob Javits Fellowships, which are aimed at minority graduate students, are not included in Clinton's budget. Vice President for Community and Government Relations Carol Scheman wants to see this changed when a final budget is passed. "We're very determined to work to restore funding for the Harris and Javits Fellowships," she said. Funding for research is also left in relatively strong shape in the Clinton budget, with funding for the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health receiving increases of just under 4 percent, according to Morse. "Budgets for research are pretty good given the circumstances," he said. Morse was referring to the push to reduce federal spending, which has become one of the main issues on which the new Republican majorities in both houses of Congress have concentrated their efforts. The House Republicans' Contract With America calls for a balanced budget by the year 2002, and the House recently passed a draft constitutional amendment that would require this. Administrators were reluctant to predict what would eventually emerge from Congress after the bill goes through subcommittee and full committee hearings and mark-ups, floor consideration and is finally submitted for consideration by a conference composed of members of both chambers. "It will be somewhere between where the administration is and the draconian cuts that have been proposed by some members of Congress," Morse said. He said, however, that student aid programs and research funding have "an awful lot of support in the Congress and among the public" in comparison to other federal programs. "That augers well for the programs on which Penn students and faculty have a direct interest," Morse said. He said Congress will most likely not vote on a budget proposal until late summer.
(02/13/95 10:00am)
A White Dog Cafe manager was robbed at gunpoint yesterday in the restaurant at 34th and Sansom streets, owner Judy Wicks said last night. In the incident, which occurred at about 9:30 a.m., the suspect made off with $300 from a cash drawer in the restaurant's piano bar, Tales. Because of the time of day, there were no patrons in the cafe during the robbery, Wicks added. University Police Sergeant Tim Trucksess described the suspect as a "six-foot black male, in his 20s, wearing a red, white and blue ski jacket and a brown cap." The suspect was last seen fleeing west on Sansom Street carrying a blue nylon bag. Wicks, who was not in the restaurant during the incident, also said the suspect entered the cafe through a side door that was opened at 9 a.m. and left unlocked so employees could enter. A cafe manager, who found the man in the piano bar removing the locked drawer with "back-up change," asked the man what he was doing in the restaurant. The suspect responded by displaying a gun and said to the manager, "Don't mess with me, mister," Wicks added. She said the man then fled the restaurant, leaving through the same unlocked side door he had originally used to gain access to the restaurant. Trucksess said University Police responded to the armed robbery after a call was dispatched over Philadelphia Police radio as a "rape." In addition, Wicks said she does not want the incident to add to the high-crime reputation of West Philadelphia. "This is the first time we've ever had someone come in here and take money," Wicks said. "In the 22 years I've lived here, we've never had an armed robbery," she added. "It was the first time and hopefully the last."
(02/13/95 10:00am)
Braving sub-freezing temperatures, 11 members of Dessalines Haitian Student Association gathered for a candlelight vigil commemorating the history of independent Haiti last night. The ceremony began in front of High Rise East and proceeded to College Green, where the group assembled in front of the peace symbol near Van Pelt Library. Led by Dessalines President and College junior Colette Lamothe, the students talked and sang the Haitian national anthem. Upon reaching their destination, the members lit candles and read from a script prepared by the Ecumenical Program on Central America and the Caribbean. The script contained passages from the Bible and the writings of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and ranged in topic from the U.S. disarmament of the Haitian military to various Haitian martyrs. "The struggle of the Haitian people for self-determination and for freedom continues," Lamothe said. "For the second time this century and the first time in 60 years, Haiti is an occupied country. The United States has charged itself with disarming the Haitian military that it created during its first occupation from 1915 to 1934." According to tradition, water was poured for "those who have perished in the struggle for justice and democracy," Lamothe said. This is an African custom known as the Pouring of Libations. Aristide's return from exile was another focus of discussion. "Aristide's return to power was a harbinger for better things for the future," College senior Claude Jean-Pierre said. The ceremony concluded with the lighting of the Solidarity Candle and some closing remarks by Lamothe. "Let us go forth with the understanding that this is neither the beginning, nor the end, of our commitment to democracy in Haiti and for true democracy in the U.S.," she said. "Let us go forth in song, pledging to let the light of our solidarity shine brightly." The group then sang "This Little Light of Mine." The vigil marked the end of Haitian Solidarity Week, which began on February 5. The events of the past week have included Haitian speakers, an art exhibit, a sampling of Haitian food and the performance of Pike, a Haitian band. Dessalines is a two-year-old organization with approximately 20 active members. Its aim, according to Lamothe, is "to make people more aware of Haitian culture and history in the University and the surrounding community."
