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(02/07/95 10:00am)
Millions of dollars are at stake in the battle over the allocation of federal resources for government-sponsored university research. Cuts in funding for indirect costs could result in the loss of funding for research universities. According to David Morse, assistant vice president for policy planning, what have traditionally been labeled indirect costs are "really the costs of infrastructure." Included among these are costs for the construction and maintenance of buildings and salaries for technicians and other assistants. Vice President for Community and Government Relations Carol Scheman, an administrator who rejects the term "indirect costs," argues that the term minimizes the importance of money used for purposes essential to research. "The issue has always been and continues to be how you reimburse a university for costs incurred," she said, adding that costs are retroactively reimbursed. Scheman said an enormous portion of costs incurred by universities is due to federal regulations. As a result, a deduction in reimbursements constitutes an unfunded mandate. One plan, proposed last year by current House Budget Committee Chairperson John Kasich (R-Ohio) as part of his budget proposal, asked for savings of $1.6 billion in indirect costs. Kasich proposed accomplishing this by putting a 46 to 50 percent cap on indirect cost rates or a 10 percent reduction in indirect costs across the board. Morse said the former would have meant $6 to 7 million in lost funds to the University's $230 to 250 million research base, while the latter would have resulted in losses of $14 to 17 million. In addition, last year the Clinton administration proposed entirely capping all money for infrastructure. Morse said cuts in federal research funding would have a "dramatic impact" on facilities. "If one of these very important tools is removed or dramatically reduced, it makes it all the more difficult for us to maintain the quality of our research program," Morse said. He said half the University's research base is concentrated in the Medical School, so that area would probably be hit hardest by the cuts. Scheman stressed the importance of the issue of indirect costs to the University, while at the same time explaining why it is not more widely discussed. "It is for the University in this appropriations cycle one of the most important issues," Scheman said. "It is also genuinely boring."
(02/07/95 10:00am)
College freshman David Forlander has resigned from his position as president of the Freshman Class Board. He is being replaced by Engineering freshman Brett Lasher, who was elected vice president of the Board last fall. According to Lasher, Forlander resigned two weeks ago after a meeting of the Board, at which time Lasher was offered -- and accepted -- the presidency. Lasher added that Forlander has since taken a leave of absence from the University to deal with "personal problems- basically, a lot of stress." However, some of Forlander's friends have told Lasher that Forlander plans to be back at the University in the fall, he said. Lasher said that while he is glad to assume the position of Board president, the circumstances of his ascension to the post have tempered his emotions. "I accept the role -- I hope to turn this thing around," Lasher said. "I hope to continue his successes, I'm just sorry to see him leave school." Among Forlander's successes, Lasher cited the halftime show at Penn-Princeton basketball game, which the Freshman Class Board organized with the Sophomore, Junior and Senior Class Boards. Upcoming Freshman Class Board events include a freshman class night at the Class of 1923 Ice Skating Rink, Lasher said. But while the Board is attempting to maintain stability following Forlander's departure, his abrupt exit continues to cause problems for the remaining Board members. College freshman Josh Rockoff, whom Forlander appointed as freshman class public relations officer, said he plans to resign at today's Board meeting -- although he will continue serving as an advisor to the Board. "I'm leaving because I feel my duties can be helpful in another area," Rockoff said, adding that he plans to devote his time to a volunteer corporate sponsorship position with the Burger King/American Society of Civil Engineers 'Buy a Burger, Build a Playground' program. But Rockoff said he does not regret serving on the Freshman Class Board. "I am very happy and glad that I was able to work with such a fine group of students," he said. "I know that I am leaving the present Class Board in good hands?I feel very strongly that they can do a good job."
(02/07/95 10:00am)
Disciplinary action may result Consensual sexual relations between faculty members and their students would be prohibited under a proposed policy drafted by a subcommittee of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee released in today's Almanac. If passed, this proposal would make the University one of only a few academic institutions in the country to have such a strict policy. The subcommittee's proposal attempts to clarify the University's Sexual Harassment Policy, which does not "enforce an absolute prohibition" against consensual sexual relations between faculty and students. In a report that accompanies the proposal, the subcommittee criticizes the current policy because it is "studiously ambiguous" and could lead to "inconsistent enforcement of the policy." Consensual sexual relations deserve separate attention from sexual harassment, the subcommittee concluded, because "other students, in particular, may doubt whether evaluations can be fair when a teacher is sexually involved with a student." Acknowledging that sexual relations between teachers and students can impair professors' judgement regarding academic matters, the proposed policy states that "any sexual relations between a teacher and a student during the period of the teacher/student relationship are prohibited." The subcommittee also considered forbidding sexual relations between all faculty and undergraduates. "Undergraduates may be inexperienced and impressionable," the subcommittee explained in its report. "Moreover, although it is often said that in loco parentis is a thing of the past, we not sure that undergraduates' parents would, or that they should, agree, when told that their sons or daughters were sleeping with professors." The University has intensely scrutinized the issue of sexual relations between teachers and students in the past few years -- particularly after last year, when former student Lisa Topol accused former Assistant English Professor Malcom Woodfield of sexual harassment. Topol claimed that she had sexual relations with Woodfield in 1992 when she was his student. She is currently suing Woodfield and the University, alleging that her case was not addressed quickly enough. Complaints and controversy concerning teacher-student relations have also come from within departments. Economics Professor David Cass allegedly was not appointed to be the graduate chairperson of his department last semester because he had dated at least one economics graduate student. The University has been under fire for the way it handled both cases. With its proposal, the SEC subcommittee hopes to end any future confusion over how to resolve such incidents. The subcommittee's guidelines apply to faculty, graduate and professional students, academic advisors, program directors and "all others who have supervisory academic responsibility for a student." Other employees, such as coaches -- whom the subcommittee suggested "may not in any event read the Handbook" that outlines all University policies -- were excluded from the proposal. The subcommittee recommended that a similar policy should be implemented for these individuals. Calling on the provost, deans, department chairs and other administrators to investigate any reports of consensual sexual relations, the subcommittee suggested that "appropriate disciplinary action" be taken. According to Emeritus Finance Professor Jean Crockett, who served on the subcommittee, the form of discipline "hasn't been spelled out." But Crockett said she thinks the teacher would face a hearing and that the president and the provost would make the ultimate decision. The proposal is published for comment. The SEC will discuss it at its next meeting on March 1.
(02/07/95 10:00am)
Pamela Maraldo, president of the Planned Parenthood Foundation of America, yesterday called for the University nursing community to "use their voices" to fight for women's rights in health care. Her lecture -- sponsored by the School of Nursing as part of the Annenberg Public Policy Center's series on Women in the Public Sphere -- was entitled "Women's Voices: Women's Choices, Nursing Responds." "We must be the change that we wish to see in the world," Maraldo quoted from Mahatma Gandhi. It was this is the philosophy that Maraldo emphasized as she addressed Nursing students at the Nursing Education Building yesterday. Maraldo said women's health in general is a "vast area of neglect." She explained that women's issues -- including depression, domestic violence, and breast cancer -- are "basically ignored." Opening speaker Ann O'Sullivan, an associate professor of nursing, said men must take responsibility for the women they impregnate. "It's not just the woman's responsibility," she said. Maraldo said abortion is the an issue that the government uses to control women, adding that it serves as an "organizing issue" in our society. "Controlling means of reproduction in society betrays democracy," Maraldo said. She explained that while the government tries to control women through abortion legislation, the health of women suffers. Maraldo added that the pro-choice movement must shift from a legal right to a political view. This would allow women to have more freedom and equality. She said the Catholic Church does not have the right to make decisions about issues concerning women's health. "Obligations of faith can be observed with obligations to the general population," she said. Those who attempt to illegalize abortion are trying to put "women in submission," Maraldo said. Their behavior scares drug companies, who are afraid of boycotts. This fear has hurt women, since the "morning after" pill, which has been available since 1982, is not widely used because it was only marginally marketed, she said. The pill, if used regularly, would be responsible for 1.7 million less pregnancies, and 800,000 less abortions, she added. Planned Parenthood is an organization which provides health care, education, and counseling services to nearly five million individuals each year.
(02/07/95 10:00am)
Jack Frost's efforts did not hinder Physical Plant's snow crews from cleaning streets and sidewalks on and near campus Saturday morning. The crews worked through the night Friday and well into Saturday, starting just before midnight and finishing up at about 7 p.m., Director of Environmental Service Norman O'Connor said. And the 35 Physical Plant workers were well prepared for the snow storm -- better prepared than last year when the University was bombarded with a series of ice and snow storms. "Last year we were pressed harder than any year before that," O'Connor said. He also said his workers did a "heck of job" plowing and shoveling after the storm that dumped about nine inches of snow on Philadelphia. But O'Connor said there was one trouble spot. A fraternity, which he refused to identify, pelted his employees with snowballs causing them to avoid the area. In addition, he said that this year the University had bought more heavy equipment, including a front-end loader and three bulldozers in anticipation of snow storms. And Physical Plant had contractors lined up in advance, to help with the clean-up, and had access to a bigger salt supply than in previous years. As for future blizzards, O'Connor said his crew is willing and ready to meet any challenge. "We can't wait," he said. "We get better as we go. People in Syracuse are probably very good at it because they do it all the time. It's good to keep us in practice." In addition to the Physical Plant workers, house keeping and automotive employees put in extra hours on the weekend, O'Connor said. Superintendent of Hardsur-face/Athletic Grounds Mike Ferraiolo said his crews were also more prepared than last year. "We been really fortunate so far," Ferraiolo said. "We're prepared to take on as many storms as possible this year. We don't want to be caught up like we did last year." Even the City of Philadelphia seemed to have its act together. Cynthia Brooks, a spokesperson for the Streets Department, said the city had received a lot of praise from citizens and the press for its handling of the snow "It makes us feel good and we're gonna let our folks know what a great job we did," Brooks said. The city had about 435 employees working on the clean-up effort over the weekend.
(02/07/95 10:00am)
Sixteen years ago when Playboy came to the University in search of students for its Women of the Ivy League issue, 60 students demonstrated. Next month, Playboy will return to the University hoping to find women for its new Women of the Ivy League photo spread. According to students, however, this time the magazine will be greeted with open minds instead of signs printed with "Protest, don't pose" and "Why not men in Playboy." "I think the women at Penn can do whatever they want as long as they are aware of the message they're sending," said College junior Jennifer Manion, the editor-in-chief of the campus women's magazine Generation XX . "And if they're willing to have themselves used like that or if it's worth it to them, it's their prerogative. "I think there is a popular myth that feminists object to sexual things," added the self-proclaimed feminist. "And I think the women's community is divided over the role of pornography." Other female students agreed with Manion. Although they did not say they supported the magazine, they said it was the decision of an individual to use her body however she feels comfortable. "I feel that if a woman from Penn wants to do that its fine," said College junior Colleen Mastony, also a Generation XX editor. "I don't think there is anything wrong with a beautiful woman being looked at. It's all about choice." Gons Nachman, a third-year law student said he believed Playboy's presentation of women was "not ideal." But if the woman agrees beforehand, posing nude is fine, he added. Nachman, who is the president of the Naturist Society, added that as the head of a group whose main purpose is to "raise the issue of body-consciousness," it would be unfair for him to judge women who pose for Playboy's Ivy spread. "I think it would be judgmental for me to tell a woman as a male what's right and what's wrong for her," he said. "I am the youngest of 11 children who are all women. I grew up listening to them and I respect women. But also from my own experience with the Naturist Society, I know that people are very quick to judge." College freshman Brendan McGeever agreed. "As far as the morality of it, I think there is nothing wrong with people who are proud of what they are born with and what they have worked for physically," he said. Nevertheless, not everyone will be welcoming the Playboy talent scouts to campus. "When pimps like Hugh Hefner and Christie Hefner are themselves willing to pose nude in silly, demeaning and unnatural positions for their magazine then maybe we can talk about sexual equality," said graduate student Lesley Rimmel, a member of The Penn Coalition against Sexual Exploitation. "But Penn women are worth a lot more than the measly pennies that Playboy offers and their prospects are too great for this to be some big opportunity." Rimmel, who works with women's groups on campus, was one of the Coalition members to protest a lecture given by Christie Hefner, chairperson and chief executive officer of Playboy Enterprises, Inc. Hefner defended Playboy's portrayal of women, saying last year that the magazine does not treat them as sexual objects. "I don't feel it is hurtful or limiting," Hefner said last February. "We need to take a step back from the male/female issue. [We must] understand that sexual freedom is equal to personal freedom." Rimmel added that she is infuriated by the magazine's continuing exploitation of women -- as well as their return to the University . "Were not in the 1950s any more," she said. "Even if Playboy still is." College sophomore Ross Levitt disagreed with Rimmel. "Hugh Hefner should get a raise." he said.
(02/07/95 10:00am)
and Tammy Polonsky President Clinton released his 1996 federal budget in Washington yesterday -- and according to University President Judith Rodin, the proposed cuts that could affect higher education are not as extensive as University officials had feared. Assistant Vice President for Policy Planning David Morse -- who lobbies for the University in Washington -- said under Clinton's plan, funding for student loans and research remains largely intact. But Rodin said until the budget is finalized and approved by Congress, the University will not be able to determine the exact effects of funding changes on financial aid packages, need-blind admissions or basic research activities. If the budget passes as it now stands, appropriations for the National Institutes of Health would increase by four percent in 1996, while funding for the National Science Foundation would increase by one percent, Morse said. "From what I know, the administration has come forward with a budget which is relatively gentle to the programs that we care about -- student aid and research funding," said Vice President for Government and Community Relations Carol Scheman. But she added that two "tremendously important" graduate fellowships for minority students -- Patricia Roberts Harris and Jacob Javits Fellowships -- have been "defunded" by the proposed budget. "The important thing to note is that this is the beginning of the budget cycle," Scheman said, emphasizing the importance of House Appropriations Committee hearings that will be held on the budget in the coming months. The hearings offer government agencies and the public a chance to voice their concerns about funding for various programs to lawmakers. "The word is that the administration proposes and the Congress disposes," she added. "We have to see what the disposition is." Morse shared Scheman's sentiments, saying that the budget proposal is as much a political document as it is an economic plan. Although the Clinton budget would not balance the federal books by the year 2002 -- as mandated by a draft constitutional amendment the U.S. House of Representatives has approved -- it makes substantial cuts in allocations for the Departments of Labor, Energy and Housing and Urban Development, Morse said. Also, Clinton's proposed budget is not expected to alienate any major constituencies such as students and middle-class families -- which could prove crucial for him as he attempts to work with a Republican-dominated Congress. "Usually the president proposes cuts that the Congress won't do," Morse said. "This year, Congress will take the president's proposals as a baseline and cut from there."
(02/07/95 10:00am)
Yesterday at an open forum, the Undergraduate Assembly offered students an opportunity to question University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow about their priorities for the University. But only about 30 students showed up -- and nearly half of them were UA members. Their questions focused on all of the current campus issues, ranging from the future of need-blind admissions to the proposed Perelman Quadrangle student center. With the release of the federal budget yesterday, financial concerns were on the minds of UA members College junior Lance Rogers and Wharton sophomore Seth Gribetz. Rogers asked Chodorow about a University policy requiring students to pay summer tuition to receive academic credit for unpaid internships. Gribetz inquired about the costs of studying abroad in University-approved programs -- which he said can be higher than the host school's actual tuition and fees. Chodorow replied that he would look into both situations, adding that changes making the University's study-abroad policy less flexible with respect to financial aid were made before his arrival this summer. College senior Dan Schorr, also a UA member, then assailed the proposed student judicial charter as unfair to students because it does not provide for a presumption of innocence or allow a student's advisor to speak during judicial proceedings. Schorr's remarks provoked prolonged debate between students and administrators as to the intent of the proposed revisions -- which would make the judicial system less legalistic and more mediation-oriented. "It is not a legal system we're trying to create here, not an adversarial system, [but] a system that allows the institution to pursue its academic mission," Chodorow said. He later added that the suggested changes to the judicial process are "not about fairness, [but] about effectiveness." College junior Jennifer Manion, who is editor-in-chief the women's magazine Generation XX, asked Rodin how the experience of minority students would be affected by the implementation of the 21st Century Project on Undergraduate Education. Rodin said the Provost's Committee on Undergraduate Education -- which is working to draft recommendations for undergraduate education reform at the University -- recognizes that there is no "universal or unilateral undergraduate." Instead, according to Rodin, PCUE's aim is to create an "even more differentiated and detailed undergraduate experience." Rodin and Chodorow were also asked about the role of technology on campus in the next century, efforts to recruit and retain minority faculty members, the progress of renovations to the Hutchinson Gymnasium weight room and the planned move of the Penn Women's Center to Locust Walk. College junior Tamara Dubowitz, vice chairperson of the UA, inquired about relations between the University and the West Philadelphia community. Rodin spoke briefly about two new initiatives she will implement this semester -- Communiversity Days, in which neighborhood kids will be invited to spend a day on campus participating in student activities, and a President's Forum intended to recognize the community service and volunteer efforts of University students, faculty and staff. Despite the low turnout at the forum, UA Chairperson and Wharton junior Dan Debicella said he was pleased with the discussion and interaction that occurred. "I think the questions that were asked were excellent, I wish that more people would have showed up," he said. "With our Program for Student Advocacy we really tried to reach out to students this year, and it's a shame they don't take advantage of these opportunities."
(02/07/95 10:00am)
With little fanfare and few customers, the newest hang-out on campus opened on Locust Walk yesterday. Chats, a non-alcoholic, smoke-free "food court" located in Class of 1920 Commons, flung open its doors for the first time yesterday morning. But the Taco Bell Express, Gene's Beans coffee shop and bakery that make up the new facility welcomed only a handful of patrons, with employees themselves serving as most of the afternoon's customers. "We're holding a low key opening," Dining Services Director William Canney said, adding that he is planning a "grand opening" for the week after spring break. But employees and administrators did not seem deterred by the lack of customers, saying they were surprised by the low turnout and eventually expect the facility to achieve enormous success. "I foresee this being a very successful unit," said Andrea Monroe, Taco Bell Express's operations manager for the Northeast. "I think this will turn into a major hang-out later on." During the course of the afternoon, "Mr. Taco," Taco Bell Express's mascot, teetered unsteadily throughout the facility, talking with employees with a huge mask covering his face. College senior Fayad Abbasi, who serves as a cashier for the beverages section of the facility, said students might not come to Chats because of its association with Dining Services. "Most people think this is part of dining service but you don't have to be on meal plan to come here," he said. Chats accepts three methods of "cashless" payment. Students can use their Penncards and put their purchases on their bursar bill, open a Chats debit account, or put money on their Penncard using a system similar to a copy card machine. "We're hoping the card system will deter burglaries," said College junior Chan Park, the student general manager for Dining Services. "It's a little bit of a hassle for students but I think it will go our way." Park emphasized safety as an important feature of Chats. "We want to have a safe place for students to come," he said. Canney said he expects two very different groups to use Chats at various times of the day. During lunchtime, he said, students using the convenience of Chats to get something to eat will come. "But during the late night hours, we'll get a type of group who is not on the go and want a place to stay," he added. The few students who did come in and looked around said they liked what they saw. "It's fantastic," College senior Andrea Kemp said. "It's somewhere to go instead of Wawa." Kemp said she thought more students would use the facility during the late night hours rather than throughout the day. "Eventually, they might want to only have it open in the evening," she added. In addition to food, two of Chats' three rooms will have televisions and a computer with access to PennNet, Park said. Performing arts groups will appear occasionally to provide additional entertainment. Renovations to the facility began in mid-December and totalled approximately $240,000, Canney said.
(02/07/95 10:00am)
A South Street symbol has fallen. The two-story Tower Records sign broke off from the building and fell to the street at about 5 p.m. Saturday because of the weight of the snow, Tower Record's employee Kathleine Diange said. As a result, Tower, one of the largest record stores in Philadelphia, was closed for the rest of Saturday and did not reopen until 9 a.m. Sunday. Diange said that in addition, some of the sign fell onto the roof of Tower's neighbor, Foot Locker. When a crane was brought in to fully dismantle the sign, police blocked off the 600 block of South Street for over five hours. No one was hurt by the incident, Diange said, adding that a lot of spectators came to witness the fallen symbol. "I had a bad day until the sign fell off," she said. "Usually all the good things happened when I'm on shift. Diange added that she predicted the sign would come down one day because of the stress put on it through seven Philly winters. And she now has a memento of Tower history, thanks to a small piece of the sign she acquired after the collapse. She joked that she was annoyed, however, because her shift ended at 5 p.m., and the employees on the late shift were paid even though they did not have to work. Tower Sales Manager Joe Pile said he was shocked when he received a phone call telling him the about the fallen sign. "It was horror, shock and surprise," Pile side. "I'm really glad nobody got hurt and there was no property damage to speak of." Pile added that he was not sure when the company would get a new sign because Tower's parent company is headquartered in California.
(02/06/95 10:00am)
The Undergraduate Assembly approved 21 of the 25 proposals in Project 2000 at its meeting last night. Three recommendations in the five-year plan for improving the University were referred back to their authors, and one of the proposals was voted down. Throughout the meeting, there was consistent opposition to many of the proposals. Ten of the 25 proposals were voted against by at least one-fifth of the members present. UA Chairperson and Wharton junior Dan Debicella said last night's approval of most of the plan marked a significant success for the UA. "This is the most substantial thing the UA has done this decade," he said. "It is the capstone of our success on this UA." But some members of the UA said the plan was unimportant, and voiced objections to some of the recommendations during debate. Many recommendations passed with little resistance, with most UA representatives saying they agree that the plans will improve University life. But some proposals met stiff opposition. A recommendation that students vote on a tuition increase to pay for a new campus center did not pass. UA members said in debate that they disagreed with the basic principle behind the proposal. "I know my constituents didn't send me here to raise their tuition," College senior Dan Schorr said. Three other proposals were sent back to their authors for clarification or reworking. These included a plan to reform academic advising in the College and Wharton, a recommendation to convince University faculty to live in West Philadelphia, and a proposal on building the new campus center. Debicella said he thought a vote on the campus center proposal was postponed because of the administration's recent decision to build the Perelman Quadrangle instead of the Revlon Center, and not because of UA opposition to the recommendation. After the meeting, some UA members said they were not as pleased by the project's approval as Debicella. "Some of the proposals gave new meaning to the words 'mental masturbation'," UA representative and College junior Lance Rogers said. "I think we need to focus more on students' immediate needs and things that will affect their daily lives now." UA Vice Chairperson Tamara Dubowitz, a College junior, said some of the resistance to the plan resulted from an "opposing force" in the body that has consistently caused tension throughout this year. Dubowitz added that although Debicella has received most of the criticism for Project 2000, it is not a reflection on him alone, but rather on the whole body. Debicella said Project 2000 has the potential to greatly improve student life at the University. But he added that the UA must continue to lobby the administration for the plan's passage. "If the UA just forgets about Project 2000 now, then obviously it's going to be meaningless," he said. "We have to push for the ideas in Project 2000." But some UA members said they doubt that Project 2000 will have any importance no matter what the administration decides to do with the recommendations. "I think it's mostly irrelevant," Schorr said. "But I hope it succeeds and improves the University."
(02/06/95 10:00am)
Snow flakes floated into West Philadelphia last Friday night, bringing the first significant accumulation of the winter. As the magical blanket coated the Quadrangle, students filled the lower courtyard with football games, snowballs, joyful screams and silliness. "It was an outside party," College freshman Christopher Riley said. "I was in a very big snowball fight on Friday night," he added. "For an hour and a half there was a bunch of people throwing snowballs at each other." While other students said they were content just to walk around in the snow, some students were more ambitious. The array of artistic snow-sculptures decorating the Quad by Saturday afternoon showed their talents. The largest statue was a big mound of beer-spattered snow with empty beer cans. The statue's three creators dubbed the mound, "A Tribute to Bad Beer." An anatomically-correct snow man seated in front of McClelland Hall offered to teach new students anything they did not already know about -- well -- anatomy. But the sculptures were not confined to the Quad. Snowballs and statues inundated campus. "Whenever I was walking, I'd fall into a snow ball fight," College freshman Elliot Diamond said. In front of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house on Locust Walk, a snow sphinx greeted those who ventured out for a walk in the wintry weather. College freshman Randy Hicks and Wharton freshman Will Simmons built also built a snow figure in front of their fraternity house. From the front, the statue looks like a man. He is stout like Paul Bunyan, and wears a top hat with two beer caps as his eyes.The statue grips a Yuengling Porter beer in his right hand, a plunger in his left. His rear view, however, reveals a dinosaur-like tail. "Originally we were going to build a big dinosaur, but it turned into a Lincolnosaur," Simmons said. "That's what somebody said." Hicks gave a more detailed description of the statue, which he said was nearly 8 feet tall. "It's like a mix of a dinosaur, a bunny rabbit with huge feet and Abe Lincoln," he said.
(02/06/95 10:00am)
University President Judith Rodin will be back at work in her College Hall office today, following meetings with elected officials in both Harrisburg and Washington last week. Rodin traveled to Harrisburg on Thursday to meet with Governor Tom Ridge and other members of the Keystone Committee, an advisory body composed of civic leaders from across the state. Ridge created the Keystone Committee before he took office. Its task is to examine policy reforms that have been successfully implemented in other states. The Committee will conduct study missions to these states with the intention of using their innovative ideas to solve Pennsylvania's problems. The experts serving on the Committee were drawn from business, policy and academic circles across Pennsylvania. They represent professions ranging from banking to law and hold positions in private corporations and the public sector. At Thursday's meeting, each Committee member selected the states and policy areas he or she will focus on during the body's term. According to Vice President for Government and Community Relations Carol Scheman, Rodin will work with two Keystone subcommittees -- one dealing with economic development and education in South Carolina, and the other studying economic development, education and health care in Massachusetts. Rodin said she picked South Carolina and Massachusetts because both states have been heavily impacted by changes in education and health care policy that have the potential to affect Pennsylvania and the University as well. "I chose the states [and] areas where I feel I have the greatest expertise and the most to offer the Committee," she said. On Friday, Rodin was in Washington, where she had planned to meet with members of Pennsylvania's Senatorial delegation. But the threat of this winter's first big snowstorm led many public officials to clear out of the capital early, forcing many cancellations, Rodin said. "It's very frustrating," she said. "I'm going to reschedule -- we got a few things accomplished but not as much as I would've liked." Rodin said she plans to make up the missed meetings as soon as possible.
(02/06/95 10:00am)
Weather keeps GAC away Fraternities that adhered to the InterFraternity Council's new "Bring Your Own Beer" policy this weekend were disappointed when alumni monitors did not attend events Saturday -- presumably due to the inclement weather. And while sources said last night that at least one chapter violated the rules by purchasing alcohol for a large event, no violations were officially recorded. "Our party [Saturday] night was strictly BYOB," Sigma Alpha Epsilon President and College junior Joe Ayoob said last night. "We were a little disappointed that monitors didn't show up?[because] it's kind of hard to prove it when there aren't monitors." A second house holding a BYOB party Saturday reported problems after alcohol ran short. "We did everything by the book, because it's not worth getting in trouble," said Phi Gamma Delta pledge Randall Braunfeld, a College freshman. But the Fiji event Saturday was affected by both the cold weather and a shortage of drinks, according to pledges. "Around 1 o'clock, there [were] a lot of people," Braunfeld said. "But all the sudden, the beer ran out and people left." IFC officers said last month that the success of BYOB depended on the participation of those attending events as well as the chapters. Part of that participation, they said, included bringing enough beer. "A lot of people don't want to get [beer] themselves," said Fiji pledge Steve Gross, an Engineering freshman. Gross worked the door at Fiji Saturday and also saw no monitors that night. "People didn't bring enough beer, it's not our fault, it's not their fault, the system sucks," Braunfeld said. Fiji President Michael Pratt, a Wharton junior, would not comment last night on the event. IFC President David Treat said chapters are still working together to make BYOB happen with both the houses and their partygoers. Last month, the College junior said officers were expecting a transition period before BYOB would begin to run smoothly. "We had some good, long discussions about it," Treat said last night. "More and more houses are really buying into it and saying it will make everything easier?there's been a lot of good effort across the board." Despite negative wind chills and one unofficial report of a BYOB violation Saturday, Ayoob's chapter reported a successful BYOB event with a good turnout -- including Joe Murphy, owner of Murphy's Tavern. Ayoob said SAE's social chair and pledges invited Murphy to the party. "I was there for about an hour?it was nice," Murphy said. He added that about 200 students attended the event, although he would not comment on whether BYOB was enforced. Ayoob added that students attending his event did in fact cooperate with the new rules by bringing alcohol to the party. BYOB was first adopted by the IFC in 1991, in response to increasing liability insurance costs and insurance company mandates. On January 17, the IFC ratified a more clearly defined policy, developed in part with the Greek Alumni Council, and announced a dedication to enforcement of BYOB at the University. "We're all trying to make this system work, we're enforcing it," Ayoob said.
(02/06/95 10:00am)
Complex and veiled in secrecy, sorority rush requires a lot of hard work and planning in order to be successful Andrea Dobin's roommate was an art student, which made rushing sororities a great deal easier for her. The roommate made the costumes, Dobin wore them. She had it easy. In years past, rushees at Dobin's alma mater, Cornell University, had to wear a different costume to each of the 14 houses there -- every night. Dobin, though, needed only one costume each night. And, while now the rushees were permitted to change inside the houses, before "they were changing in the bushes," she said. "It's January, it's ten degrees, and there are ten inches of snow on the ground." Archaic, she said. A lot has changed since undergraduate days at Cornell for Dobin, an Alpha Phi alumnus who now directs the Greek Alumni Council here at the University. Cornell sororities' rushees now dress in ordinary clothes, and interestingly, follow a rush process very similar to the one that the University's Panhellenic Council runs, according to Mary Alice Lee, a Cornell senior and president of Alpha Phi there. In fact, sororities at many Ivy League Universities and most other colleges around the country follow the National Panhellenic rush -- each with their own traditions. "The Panhel rush system is determined on the national level," Dobin said. But for students outside the Greek system, and for many of the 386 freshman and sophomore women new to Panhel this year, one thing has not changed. Rush is as much a mystery to outsiders now as it always has been. For two weeks every year, groups of female students are seen walking around campus in packs. On some days, their dress is informal. Other times, it looks like a business convention. Each year, The Daily Pennsylvanian reports the number of women who rush and the number of women who receive bids. "Did they make quota?" is a common question. For the participants, there are equally as many unknowns. Panhel's sorority rush is distinct from fraternity rush -- partly because there is a great deal of centralized, behind-the-scenes organization. "I don't think [even] the rushees quite understand how it works," Dobin said. And while most outsiders and many pledges only see the results -- the rho chis, the presentations, the skits, and the invites and bids -- Panhel rush is actually a massive, complicated effort. "It's like a double-sided process, because you have what's going on the surface and behind the scenes," said Liz Shain, Panhel vice president of rush and a College senior. Through the entire two week process, Panhel board members and alumni work on "tons of administrative things" -- all leading to the final day, when rushees open a single envelop that will determine both the woman's future and that of her house. And this 12-day event is orchestrated every year by dedicated undergraduates and alumni -- not only at the University, but at hundreds of Panhel schools around the country. Cornell's Lee said in the Northeast, many campuses share similar rush traditions. "But in the South, its pretty different," she said. Very different. "Our system at UT is very notorious ?very malicious and impersonal," said Leith Ann Stock, a University of Texas senior and president of the Alpha Phi chapter there. Students here at the University who complained last week that the first events of rush were, literally, too "rushed" may not have heard about UT. Freshmen and sophomores at the Austin, Texas campus of 32,000 have quite a few people to visit in one night. And it is the tough selection process -- not the sheer numbers -- that makes UT famous. University of Texas sororities participate in two rushes each year, a formal system in the fall and a more easy-going second round in January. "If you don't get your full pledge class in the fall, you [hold rush] in the spring," she said. Like Texas, Panhel rush at Princeton University is in the fall -- for good reason. "We have exams in January," said Kappa Alpha Theta President and Princeton senior Megan Wellford. "It gets really chaotic." Princeton rush, though, is a great deal less stressful than those at larger schools. Parties on the first night last as long as 45 minutes, according to Wellford, who added that Princeton only has three sororities. "We obviously don't have ten houses to go to," she said. Amidst complaints over the years that rush is too stressful, Panhellenic organizations at some schools have moved to make rush easier for their first and second year students -- many of whom compare rush to the first week of college all over again. "At some campuses its a big production?our Panhel at Cornell has tried to make it a more paired-down, kind of no-frills rush," Lee said. Despite efforts to make rush more palatable for new students, one of the most stressful aspects of the process -- choosing one or two houses after only a short exposure to each -- is universal. It was early last Sunday morning when a group of alumni gathered in High Rise North to perform the enormous task of matching women with houses. It is called "bid matching," and it is a process veiled in secrecy. Undergraduates are forbidden from participating in the process -- instead, it takes a team of experienced alumni. "You gotta get pros," Dobin said. In fact, the details of how each pledge gets matched with a house is understood only by the few alumni that take part year after year. And the computer. Imagine trying to please 400 women on the verge of a new part of life, and at the same time thousands of women representing eight organizations each with their own preferences. No pressure, really. Dobin said even the computer does not produce perfect results -- the alumni take the computer's work and work with it even more. But somehow, the system is a success every year. "Its amazing...the percentage of sorority rushees that get their first house because their first house wants them," Dobin said. "It's designed that way." The "system" began this year as it does every year -- with over 500 girls who virtually have no idea what the next two weeks will bring them. After a two-day whirlwind of "open parties" events begin to take shape. Houses begin to organize "theme" events; rushees spend more time at each house. "Then after that, on Sunday the rushees were allowed to rank out of the houses that they saw?their first four preferences," Shain said of this year's rush. Yet the stress is sometimes not limited to the rushees. Rush is a crucial time for every sorority -- their strategy is important because cutting too many rushees can be dangerous, but cutting too few can cause trouble also. And just as women waiting for invites face the prospect of rejection, sororities -- already over a week into the process when they receive the results of rushees' preferences -- face the possibility of low turnout. "Last year Kappa was new and a lot of people wanted not to go back to Kappa," Princeton's Wellford said. But she said this year the sorority worked with their Panhellenic Council and came through with a large turnout. At the University last semester, Kappa Delta was forced to declare dormancy and place its members on alumni status after years of difficulty recruiting new members. For alumni like Dobin, rush is a time to come back to the house and help out -- and an opportunity to see what has changed. "The girls laugh at me when they hear what I went through," she said.
(02/06/95 10:00am)
Students in the College of Arts and Sciences will not have to go any further than the nearest computer the next time they need academic advising. According to College Dean Robert Rescorla, there is a new electronic mail account set up specifically to answer students' questions. This account can be accessed directly by sending questions to "advising@mail.sas" or through the new College Web, a set of pages on the World Wide Web that provides information about the University. Rescorla added that the College has set up the direct address to make it easier for the average student. "A lot more students know how to e-mail than use the Web," he said. College Information Management Specialist Susan Quant said students can post questions in specific pages on the Web. "Questions of a general nature get automatically directed towards this account," she said. Diane Frey, director of advising services for the College, said the feature has been operating since last Wednesday. "We haven't gotten any messages yet," she said. But Quant said she is not pessimistic about the lack of initial response. "It is a work in progress and it is growing everyday," she said. Rescorla said he hopes the new advising system will be a time-saver for students. "Our goal is to be able to give students rapid response to questions," he said. "If the question they pose is simple, they get a rapid response -- if it is more complex, they will get a note saying to come in." Some of the questions may be answered by information posted on the College Web, Rescorla said. He added that the advisors will be encouraging students to venture into the Web. Under this system, the account will be monitored twice a day by one of the department's 10 advisors, Frey said. "We each take a shift to make sure we can answer [all of the questions] within 24 hours," she said. Rescorla said they will increase the number of times the account is monitored if they get a lot of queries. He added that this is not supposed to be a substitute for face-to-face meetings with advisors. "This is only intended to clear up minor confusions or answer small questions for students," he said. Quant reiterated this point. "I think it is really important for people to come in and see advisors in person," she said. "But if you have a quick question or you just need to be pointed in the the right direction, this is a feature off the College Web that will hopefully be useful to people." Frey said her department attempted to set up an advising system through e-mail last summer for incoming freshman. "We got a grand total of four messages," she said. "But we are more likely to get questions from Penn students [already enrolled]." Frey said the advisors are excited about using this new feature. "We are all waiting for the messages to come," she said.
(02/06/95 10:00am)
Wilbur "Bud" Pittinger's sudden departure from the University's Medical Center has caused a flurry of rumors to spread throughout the University. Pittinger, former executive director of the Hospital of University of Pennsylvania and senior vice president for Health Services, left the University after five years of service last month. Medical Center spokesperson Rebecca Harmon said Pittinger left because he could not agree on a new contract. "The parties involved were not able to come to terms," Harmon said in January. "Bud's going to pursue some other professional interests." But others say this is not the case. One source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, claimed that Pittinger's quick departure is connected to an embezzlement scandal. Both Pittinger and medical officials deny this accusation, and Pittinger has responded to the rumors which have spread amongst medical students and throughout the administration. Pittinger said rumors of "misappropriation, embezzlement, malfeasance," are completely untrue. He added that he is very proud of his accomplishments while at HUP because HUP is one of the national success stories in the "turnaround" of teaching hospitals. "It's important to get the facts correct and they stand for themselves," Pittinger said Friday. "There has been no wrongdoing on my part. I'm glad to have been able to serve the University." When Pittinger came to the University in 1989, HUP had lost $28 million, but in the last fiscal year HUP had $96 million in its operating budget, according to Pittinger. Pittinger said he is proud of his record of employee recruitment and employee morale. He added, though, that he is uncertain of his future professional plans. Medical Center spokesperson Lori Doyle said Pittinger was escorted out of his office by security guards. But she added that this is a common security practice. Harmon said she "assumes" Pittinger was able to take his personal possessions with him upon his departure. Pittinger would not respond to inquires into why rumors have been spreading concerning his departure. HUP Deputy Director Donald Snell was appointed as interim director of HUP, Medical Center Chief Executive Officer and Medical School Dean William Kelley announced last week. Harmon said the Medical Center will be recruiting a new senior vice president for Health Systems. She added that Pittinger's job will be split into two separate offices. Harmon also said the University made a strong effort to explain Pittinger's sudden leave through a Medical Center statement and a presentation given by Kelley to top Medical Center officials last month. Prior to joining the University, Pittinger spent ten years at the University of Michigan Medical Center as chief operating officer of the department of internal medicine.
(02/06/95 10:00am)
An overwhelmingly low percentage of children under the age of two in the United States receive proper immunizations. To address this national problem, the American Medical Student Association's pre-med chapter at the University has adopted a national awareness project. About 25 students attended a meeting about childhood immunizations sponsored by AMSA and held on-campus last week. A panel of three experts gave presentations on the subject. "Our national project is a way to collectively address an issue such as childhood immunization," said Anu Sharma, president of the University's AMSA pre-med chapter and a College of General Studies student. "It becomes a real problem -- especially with so many children entering day care programs." Due to the easy accessibility of medical care today, people have begun to take preventative measures for granted, according to Barbara Watson, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics and director of vaccine trials at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "We need a strong government to kill a disease," said Watson, who spoke at the panel. "Cooperation is spelled in two letters: 'WE.'" She added that part of this problem stems from the fact that only 47 percent of all medical schools in the country teach immunization properly. According to Judith Thalheimer, who also spoke at the panel, pre-school children are most at risk. "Ninety to 100 percent of school-age children get the necessary immunizations," said Thalheimer, coordinator of the Immunization Action Plan for the Division of Disease Control at the Philadelphia Department of Health. "The problem is that many kids are not getting the immunizations they need at the times they need them," she said. Communications Professor Robert Hornik, director of the Annenberg School for Communication's Center for International Health and Development Communications, also spoke on the international repercussions of childhood immunization problems.
(02/06/95 10:00am)
The first college-run South Asian television show ever created, Entertainment India, will debut on the University's UTV13 today at 6 p.m. The hour-long program-- which is unaffiliated with the South Asia Society-- will feature community and world South Asian news, a cooking segment and one half-hour of modern South Asian music videos, according to Wharton sophomore Toral Mehta, the show's creator. Although the show is produced by and for the South Asian community, other students may benefit as well. "The show is targeted towards South Asian students and students who are interested in learning about their culture," said Heather Dorf, a College junior and vice president of production and programming. Dorf said she chose the show from a group of submitted proposals because of its originality and UTV13's drive towards diversity in programming. Although the show is entitled Entertainment India, Mehta said the show is targeted toward South Asian audiences -- which she defines as India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Students from other South Asian countries said they may not watch the show because of its Indian emphasis. "I'm not Indian," said Wharton junior Shoma Haque, who was born in Bangladesh. "We have a different language and a slightly different culture -- I'd probably be more atuned to something called South Asian [Entertainment]." Mehta said she created the show in an effort to unite the University's South Asian community. "This show is a good way to get South Asians involved in the mass media," she said. "The show is the culminated efforts of 45 people. Many people have united to make the show a reality." Although UTV13 has no formal rating system besides knocking on doors, Mehta said viewership of the show is expected to be very large. Engineering graduate student Sanjay Udani said he would watch the show for its music videos and news. "You don't get that type of stuff on regular cable these days," he said. Other students, however said they will probably not watch the show. "I might watch it if I were flipping channels," College junior Priti Bhansali said. "I wouldn't deliberately turn it on. I'm just not interested." College junior Rakhi Parekh also said she would not make Entertainment India part of her weekly television-watching schedule. "[I would watch] once in a blue moon," she said. "Maybe if I knew somebody that was going to be on it."
(02/03/95 10:00am)
Philadelphia's hippest street will get a $10 million overhaul of its streetscape if the South Street/Headhouse District has its way. The SSHD, a privately run special services organization, wants to improve the public environment by reconstructing sidewalks, increasing street lighting and adding greenery and public art displays. The SSHD, which lies between Front and 11th streets, Bainbridge and Lombard streets, and along Second Street south to Pine Street, hired the Delta Group to draw up a proposal for the improvements. While the design is only in the planning state, SSHD Executive Director Peter Whitehouse hopes construction will begin by next year. He added that the planned renovations are contingent on grants from the city and charitable foundations. According to Herb Vederman, deputy mayor for economic development, the SSHD would have to rely primarily on private sources for funding. Vederman said that although the city is willing to provide bolstered services to the SSHD, it is unlikely the city will be able to provide funding for the capital project. In the mean time, however, improvements have already been made on the street. Earlier this year, Vederman made arrangements with the Philadelphia Electric Company to install Victorian style street lamps on South Street between Front and Eight streets. "The South Street/Headhouse District has markedly improved in the past few years because of the increased maintenance and security," Whitehouse said. "The perception of crime on South Street is largely due to public misconceptions." Whitehouse added that South Street provides an extremely safe environment, due in part to the South Street Police mini-station, and increased police presence. He added that the SSHD is continuing to provide regular street sweeping and "power washing" of the sidewalks. In addition, parking restrictions have recently been added on the street to ease traffic flow during weekend evenings. After 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, the left two lanes are reserved for moving traffic while the right lane is a "valet" lane, in which cars can pull over for up to 15 minutes. There are also valet stations along the street for people who do not want to search for their own parking.
