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(01/26/95 10:00am)
University administrators are encouraged by preliminary campus reaction to the proposed Perelman Quadrangle student center. "I have heard all positive and no negative," University President Judith Rodin said, describing her experience on campus yesterday. "Many people are eager to see and hear more of the plans, and we have promised we will [do that]." She added that she spent the day in meetings with faculty and staff, including the University Council Steering Committee, while Provost Stanley Chodorow spoke with various campus constituencies about the project. Chodorow said he met primarily with personnel from the College and the School of Arts and Sciences who have a "vital interest" in the Perelman Quad buildings -- especially Logan Hall. Many SAS departments and the College itself were housed there before deferred maintenance began. The present Perelman Quad plans show that once renovated, Logan Hall will provide space for the same offices that had been located there. But its ground floor will be made into an art gallery, multi-purpose auditorium and 150-seat recital hall. Logan Hall will also be connected to Williams Hall in two ways -- underground and through a two-story glass atrium that will contain a 24-hour reading room. "This [project] is to the advantage of the sense of history of these buildings," Chodorow said. "We're going to update them piece by piece." Although Perelman Quad will give student groups more space than the Revlon Center would have provided, Chodorow estimated that only about 25,000 square feet of new space will be created through its three-year construction. The remainder of the space included in the Perelman Quad proposal is either currently-available space that will continue to be used or space that will be "captured" through redesign of existing structures. Roy Vagelos, chairperson of the University's Board of Trustees, said it is important to proceed "gingerly" on the project because its prospective major donor -- University alumnus and Trustee Ronald Perelman -- has not yet committed crucial funds. But according to Vagelos, the Trustees were unanimous in their enthusiasm for the Perelman Quad, which he described as "wonderful." "It expands the space that will be available to students, it is right in the center of the campus, it will bring into sparkling life the historic buildings," Vagelos said. "[And] it's so centrally-located that it's probably more secure than the site that had been on Walnut." The site will also look remarkably different than it does now, Rodin said. Re-landscaping and re-grading of the grounds will bring College Green up to the entrance of Logan Hall, while the Houston Hall patio will be expanded and grass will be planted there. Rodin said the Perelman Quad program "is not engraved in stone." The Philadelphia architectural firm of Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates has submitted schematic drawings and made preliminary recommendations about effective space utilization, though. The topic is on the agenda for next month's University Council meeting.
(01/26/95 10:00am)
Until earlier this month, Mathematics Professor David Harbater's colleagues said he looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. After the American Mathematical Society notified Harbater last semester that he won the Frank Nelson Cole Prize in Algebra -- awarded only once every five years, he then learned that he would have to wait more than two months until the official announcement to tell anyone. Harbater received his award Jan. 5, at the annual conference in San Francisco. French mathematician Michel Raynaud, who collaborated with Harbater since 1991, also received the award. Building on work he began after graduate school, Harbater proved the Abhyankar Conjecture, an analogue of the broader Inverse Galois Problem which has stumped mathematicians for almost 200 years. A 19th century French mathematician, Galois studied the correspondence between symmetry in shapes and symmetry in solutions to equations. If a shape is rotated, there are specific orders of rotation that will eventually put the shape at its initial position, Harbater said. This sequence of movements is called a group. Equations often have several solutions, just as a shape has many possible rotations, that are placed in a specific order. He said the rotation groups of a shape and the solutions of an equation share symmetry when they follow the same order of permutations to arrive at the original position or value. Galois asked in his Inverse Problem -- which Harbater and his colleagues have dubbed the "white whale" -- whether it is true that every symmetry group has a corresponding equation. Harbater said Abhyankar's Conjecture applies the question to graphs. Using a set collection of points, coefficients and type of graph, only certain symmetry groups will occur no matter how the data is manipulated. After first proving Abhyankar's Conjecture, which mathematicians have been trying to solve since 1957, Harbater and Raynaud then showed how to construct graphs from the given groups. While Harbater said he is excited about the award, he is already looking towards future projects. "It feels like I'm moving on to the next phase," Harbater said. "It gives me more confidence that it's possible to solve the white whale. The fact that I've gotten attention has meant that I've been able to be in more contact with people all over the world." Advances Harbater makes in his research also enhance his teaching, because it helps him convey to students that math is an ongoing process, instead of information set in "stone tablets," he said. Students say that the time Harbater spends on his research has not interfered with his teaching. "He is the best math professor I've had at Penn," Engineering sophomore Deniz Cultu said. "He seemed to always have time for us."
(01/26/95 10:00am)
When the President of the United States calls, most private citizens clear their calendars. But University President Judith Rodin is no ordinary private citizen. Despite a personal invitation from President Clinton, conflicts with a previously scheduled afternoon meeting and the complications of last-minute transportation arrangements have prevented Rodin from going to Washington today. Vice President for Community and Government Affairs Carol Scheman said Clinton asked Rodin to come to Washington to talk with him, Education Secretary Richard Riley and other university presidents about Clinton's "Middle Class Bill of Rights." Approximately nine presidents are expected to attend today's meeting, where Clinton and his advisors hope to gain a perspective on what the proposed legislation will mean for students looking to finance higher education, Scheman said. University spokesperson Barbara Beck said the presidents of Tulane University and the University of Chicago are among the officials invited to this morning's meeting. "It certainly is absolutely true that student aid is one of the most important issues for this University," Scheman said, alluding to the University's need-blind admissions policy. "We recognize the problems of access, indebtedness and the burden of high tuition on families," she said, adding that Rodin will not be missing a negotiating meeting but an information session about what some have called Clinton's tuition tax break. Scheman said she will be in Washington on Friday for a meeting about possible changes in the federal government's policy of reimbursing universities for the indirect costs of basic research.
(01/26/95 10:00am)
It has lingered around the University for almost five years -- taking the spotlight every few semesters. But after "Bring Your Own Beer" made yet another comeback last week, many say that despite a slow start and some solid arguments against it, BYOB will not fall into obscurity as it has in the past. Officers from the Greek Alumni Council, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, and the InterFraternity Council said this week that the new policy is a long-awaited step in the right direction. BYOB is an issue that cannot be ignored by fraternities facing liability for alcohol related incidents, according to officers. "The fact that fraternities are purchasing alcohol, that's a very, very strong legal link for liability," GAC Assistant Vice Chairperson Bill Staples said. But with the long, unsuccessful history of BYOB and the number of complaints stemming from individual fraternities, the final outcome is still up in the air. In September 1990, the IFC passed a BYOB policy for the first time. Then in February 1991, The Daily Pennsylvanian interviewed students who claimed that BYOB enforcement was not working. One month later, the IFC adopted a revised policy -- but the plans faded once again until September 1991, when IFC President Jim Rettew announced that BYOB would restart. Again the DP interviewed underage students who claimed having little difficulty obtaining alcohol at fraternity parties. Finally, in early 1993, when the Greek Alumni Council proposed BYOB, students protested by posting signs on campus that read, "Don't pay the bucks, the social life sucks." The signs were aimed at prospective freshmen visiting the University. When IFC officers met with GAC officials last month, they decided that it was time to make a clear statement on BYOB. "This was undergraduates saying they wanted to take some responsibility," GAC Chairperson Andrea Dobin said. The policy passed with little opposition at an IFC meeting last Tuesday night, and has received a positive reaction from the University. But what makes BYOB this year different than in previous years? Staples said the new policy is "tighter legally," more clearly written and, for the most part, the work of undergraduates. IFC President David Treat, a College junior, said last week the monitoring system is more clearly defined. The feasibility of consistent monitoring and the possibility of BYOB alternatives remain unresolved. Dartmouth College experimented with BYOB in 1993 and concluded that it was too hard to control, according to Dartmouth Residential Life Assistant Dean Deborah Reinders. Instead, fraternities there utilize kegs as a method of controlling the amount of alcohol dispensed. Last week, Alpha Chi Rho President and College senior T.J. Zane said smart risk management, not necessarily BYOB, is the answer. But OFSA Director Tricia Phaup said insurance companies are interested in keeping costs down, and the national fraternities have taken the lead in pushing risk management policies like BYOB for years now. "If a party is well managed for alcohol consumption, steps taken that people won't drink too much, that greatly reduces the chance of risk," Staples said. But he added that risk management cannot prevent every accident, and if an accident does happen, chapters and nationals are "wide open" to lawsuits. "If people are buying their own alcohol?you're going to be suing the keg house, and you probably end up suing the University," he said.
(01/26/95 10:00am)
A recent study completed by Law School Professor Lani Guinier has found that female law students are not performing as well academically as male law students at the University. Conducted between 1989 and 1992 at the Law School, the study included data from a self-reported survey, interviews and academic performance reports from students of both genders. Guinier's findings are scheduled to be published in the November 1994 issue of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, which, due to printing delays, has not yet been released to the public. "Women are consistently performing less successfully than men in their first year of law school, creating a gap," Law School Dean Colin Diver said. "This gap persists until the third year when the gap slightly decreases in size." According to Diver, women admitted into the Law School tend to have higher grade point averages than men, although the men score higher on the Law School Admissions Test. "This is not just a phenomenon at the University, but it is a nationwide trend," he said. The study also suggests that women are not having positive experiences at the Law School and feel "excluded." "[First year] was like a frightening out-of-body experience," the Law Review article cites one female student saying. "Lots of women agree with me. My voice from that year is gone." A preliminary study has just been released by the Law School Admission Council that supports Guinier's conclusions. The study collected data from 160 law schools across the nation. "I expected our data to look more like the undergraduate trends where women are out-performing the men," said Linda Wightman, vice president for operations, testing, and research at LSAC. A study printed in the January 1994 issue of the Harvard Law Review also found that female Harvard Law students are "less happy" then men. Diver said several open forums and faculty meetings have been held to discuss Guinier's study. "This study certainly has raised a troubling fact," said Heidi Hurd, associate dean of academic affairs at the Law School. In response to the results of the study, Diver has commissioned a follow-up study that will be conducted by a committee headed by Hurd. "We want to inquire into the profile of incoming law students," Hurd said. "We also want to examine what we are doing in the classroom and what the impact of class size is on students." The Socratic method of teaching which is used primarily in first year classes is suspected to be one of the "culprits" contributing to the differential between men and women. "It is one that men warm up to much more than women, although Socratic professors are the most popular," Diver said. The law students' undergraduate majors will also be included as a variant in the follow-up study because women tend to concentrate in humanities and social sciences whereas men study science, business and engineering, Hurd said. Guinier was unreachable for comment.
(01/26/95 10:00am)
While some students continually delay plans to work out and stay in shape, others have been hard at work training for the University's second annual Mr. and Ms. Penn Bodybuilding Contest, scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. today in Irvine Auditorium. Assistant Track Coach Tony Tenisci, who coordinates the event, is excited to have the defending lightweight and heavyweight champions returning to defend their titles this year. Male participants will be divided into lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight divisions, while female competitors fight it out in an open round. Defending lightweight champion Frank Schembri, a College senior, and defending heavyweight champion Craig Green, a Wharton sophomore, have both increased their level of preparation in the final week before the competition. "This last week I've really been killing myself," Green said. "I've gotten to the point where my diet is virtually fat-free, sugar-free, sodium- free." But it takes more than a strict diet to get in shape for the contest, both agree. Schembri and Green both said they spend hours in the gym. "I constantly lift," said Green, who competed in several triathlons last summer. "I'm always in training for something." Tenisci said the size of the contestants will not be the primary factor in the judges' scoring. He added that the "highest scoring criteria" will be in the contestants' performance. He noted that the contestants have been professionally coached on how to pose before the competition. "They're going to show the audience and their friends how capable they are," Tenisci said. There will be 30 males contestants and 10 female participants, he added. Three "guest posers" will perform after the students are finished, including the reigning Natural Physique Committee's Mr. and Ms. Pennsylvania. "They should add a bit of spice at the end of the evening to see the next level," Tenisci said. Tenisci said 700 $5 tickets have been sold thus far, leaving room for body-building afficionados and curious on-lookers to fill Irvine to its 1000-seat capacity. Proceeds from tonight's event will be donated to the women's track program.
(01/25/95 10:00am)
The University is completing negotiations with Cinemagic Incorporated to lease out the Walnut Street movie theater space vacated when the AMC Walnut Mall 3 closed last November, Associate Treasurer Chris Mason said yesterday. "We're ironing out most of the details and the lease is with our internal counsel," Mason said. "We're hoping it will be final within the next couple of weeks." He added that he expects to open the theater, called Cinemagic At Penn Incorporated, in March. Mason said he favored Cinemagic, which is based in Philadelphia, because it also has a location in Hamilton, New York, where it caters to students from Colgate University. Cinemagic Owner Andrew Sheppard said he hopes to specifically cater to the University's student body. "[The AMC Theater] didn't look at its audience," Sheppard said. "I've researched it and it seems the last priority was films that students would come out and see." He added that he plans to continue AMC's policy of giving special student discounts -- although he could not specify what the movie ticket prices will be. Sheppard said he will keep students' interests in mind when selecting films. "We're going to be concentrating on the students and gearing the movies to them," he said. "We're going to do our best to make sure that students don't want to go anywhere else to see a movie." Mason said Sheppard's experience with the Colgate theater equips him with an understanding of the University's needs. "It is kind of based in a college community," Mason said of the Colgate theater. "He gave us types of films he intends to screen and it's a good mix that we hope the college community here will like." According to Sheppard, "unlike other theater chains," the Cinemagic theater will have a full-time security guard. Mason said necessary renovations to both the interior and exterior of the movie theater, which is located between 39th and 40th Streets, will begin soon. Renovations will include making the theater more visible from the street, improving the signs and cleaning up the courtyard area in front of the theater, he added. Mason said the AMC theater's lease contained provisions which did not allow for these renovations. Renovations to the interior of the theater will include new seats, carpeting, sound system and design, Sheppard said. "The entire look of the place and feel of the place is going to be completely changed," he added. "There's going to be a lot more energy the minute [students] walk in." Mason said the University and Cinemagic will share renovation expenses -- which are expected to total approximately $100,000. He added that he is also negotiating the possibility of opening the parking lot at 40th and Walnut Streets after hours. The University-owned lot has catered to University employees in the past. "It would help patrons of the theater and of the restaurants on the block of 40th Street," Mason said. "We hope to encourage people to park there." Last fall, the University negotiated with the Ritz Theater as a possible replacement for the AMC. But those negotiations fell through and Cinemagic became the company of choice. The Eric 3 Campus Theater on 40th Street also closed last August when its contract expired. Representatives from the Performing Arts Council and the Undergraduate Assembly have worked on a proposal to turn that area into performing arts space. College junior Eric Tienou said student involvement played an "instrumental" role in the decision. "They're a local, small-sized company and they're going to make money without wanting to move," he said. "The companies that moved were larger national companies." Cinemagic has one other location besides its Colgate theater -- a five-screen complex in Delaware.
(01/25/95 10:00am)
The crossfire was so heavy last night when the College Democrats and College Republicans gathered to watch President Clinton's State of the Union Address in Houston Hall, that barely a donkey or an elephant could escape the verbal bullets. Or, that is the way it could have been. In what could be seen as a reflection of the nation's newly elected Republican Congress, the dominating student Republican ratio of 20 to five was responsible for most of the commentary during the speech. While the right-wingers reveled in comedy-club wit and laughter, their Democrat opponents folded their arms, rubbed their chins and occasionally mumbled to each other. Despite the unbalanced attendance -- which also included three Independents and one Libertarian -- the majority of students said they felt Clinton's words were moderate and motivated by his political aspirations. "He's pandering to the new conservative majority," said College sophomore Chris Monte, a Democrat. "He's not stating his principles flat out." Another Democrat, College and Engineering sophomore and Daily Pennsylvanian Senior Photographer Ashley Roach, said he recognized Clinton's address as an effort by a minority President to successfully maintain the "intricate" balance between his own Democratic party's views, with the opposing views of the new Republican Congress. Several students expressed disbelief that the Democratic President was actually the author and deliverer of the address he delivered last night to the nation. "I feel like Newt Gingrich is winning," said Blake Mills, a sophomore Engineering student who describes himself as a Libertarian. "I thought this speech was supposed to be given by Bill, not Newt." Before the president had completed half of his 121 minute outline, College junior and University Assembly Member Lance Rogers, had laughed many times. "A Republican wrote this," the Republican student said. Rogers was not the only student who said he was surprised at the Clinton's list of "Republican" goals. As Clinton articulated the words "Family Values," the bottom jaws of both Democrats and Republicans dropped. "This is better than watching T.V." UA member and College junior Christian Hemsley said. "I wonder if he had a brain transplant somewhere around election time," the Republican added. "I actually heard Clinton say 'Family Values.'" Adrienne Frangakis said she agreed Clinton's address was in the middle of the political spectrum, but thought his statements were genuine. "I think he's actually going to go through with what he says," said the Republican. "I think he believes that Americans have spoken and want a change. He is not only saying what Americans want." Frangakis added that she saw President Clinton's move to the middle as an effort to work with the new Congress, but acknowledged that the speech could have been a ploy for re-election. In addition to students' criticism of Clinton's rightward shift, Republicans said the President's speech exemplified his fickle views. According to Wharton freshman and Republican Dan Silvers, the Clinton's move explains his unpopularity. "People can't stand him because he wavers," Silvers said. "It doesn't matter what the financial state is. People can't stand him because each time he has a different stance." Another Republican looked beyond his party's lines in his evaluation of the address. He said the President's inconsistency characterized his opinions. "It sounds like a speech that the President has to make after the Republican victory in the '94 elections," Rogers said. "I might have had more Respect for him -- even though I don't believe in his party beliefs if he stayed there "He didn't say very much for an hour and 21 minutes," he added.
(01/25/95 10:00am)
'Perelman Quad' to offer more student space In a remarkable reversal of years of planning by previous administrations, University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow have scrapped the Revlon Center student union project in favor of a student center formed by renovating and expanding existing campus facilities. A multi-page document obtained by The Daily Pennsylvanian from a source in College Hall reveals that the new campus center will connect Logan, Williams and Houston Halls with Irvine Auditorium, restoring the amount of space available for student activities to 85,827 square feet -- nearly the level included in the original Revlon plans. The complex has been dubbed Perelman Quadrangle in honor of its prospective major donor -- University alumnus and Trustee Ronald Perelman, who is chairman and chief executive officer of New York's MacAndrews and Forbes Group, Inc. Perelman has not committed funds to the new initiative. But, in November 1988, he pledged $10 million in seed money to the Revlon project -- which was first proposed by former University President Sheldon Hackney and scaled back last spring in response to cost concerns. James Conroy, senior vice president for corporate affairs and special counsel at MacAndrews and Forbes, said although Perelman Quad plans were received by the company last week, Perelman himself has yet to see them. The new plans were drawn up by architect David Marohn of Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, a Philadelphia firm that handled the restoration of the Furness Building on campus. The firm has also recently developed a concept plan for Dartmouth College, detailing what that school will look like in 15 years. Marohn refused to make a statement about the Perelman Quad project, saying that "it's really still in the preliminary stages." The Revlon concept has been replaced outright by what Rodin and Chodorow claim will be a more cost-effective, spacious and secure complex -- located closer to the center of campus and completed six to seven months faster than a project of Revlon's magnitude would have been. The new plans resemble Revlon in that they include items such as meeting rooms of various sizes, student organization offices and an expanded game room, according to the document. But in the proposed Perelman Quad, the square footage of most items -- such as twenty-four hour study lounges, reading and music listening rooms and music practice rooms -- is dramatically increased, the document states. The net area allocated for performance space in the Perelman Quad is four times greater than that provided for in the Revlon plans, according to the document. But the black box theater, integral to the original Revlon concept, has been eliminated in favor of a "flexible proscenium stage," Chodorow said, adding that this stage would permit a revamped, subdivided Irvine Auditorium to accommodate audiences from 500 to 1,400 with ease. Some new structures will be built to link the four buildings, including a two-story glass atrium between Williams and Logan Halls. The atrium is slated to be open 24 hours a day and is aimed at improving security by flooding the area with light. In addition, Houston Hall -- America's first student union -- will be restored to its former grandeur, and a parking lot currently located behind Irvine Auditorium will be turned into a park similar to College Green. Garage and supply facilities for the new complex will be located underground. Rodin said the goal of the Perelman Quad is to create a great urban space, "a real center where the role of the University [will] be focused in a more secure way." By using existing buildings already included in its deferred maintenance plans, she said the University hopes to achieve significant cost savings and to decrease anticipated construction time, so that students now on campus will be able to enjoy the new facility. Plenty of open space will be provided within the new complex for students, faculty and staff to congregate -- whether in an outdoor courtyard that Chodorow likened to a medieval "forum," or indoors at an assortment of cafZs and shops scattered throughout the four buildings. "There are so many possibilities and we need time and architects to tell us what the possibilities are," he said, adding that he thinks the Perelman Quad will draw members of the University community to the center of campus. "This [project] is just the beginning of the center of everything," Chodorow said. The University's Board of Trustees is equally enthusiastic about the Perelman Quad plan, Rodin said. If Perelman gives his approval, the project will move forward in earnest -- with administrators obtaining hard cost estimates and feedback on the plan from the campus community, she said. "The final plans must accommodate all that the original Revlon Center was intended to accomplish," Rodin said. "We want to provide the best center for this campus, and we are very respectful of the thinking that has already gone into this [project]."
(01/25/95 10:00am)
The number of applications for Wharton's Masters of Business Administration program is up 62.4 percent from last year at this time. As of this month, the Wharton MBA Admissions office has received 2,135 applications -- up from the 1,315 they received by last January. The MBA program has a rolling admissions process. Admissions officers began reviewing applicant files in November. The deadline for all applications is April 10, and the reviewing process continues through May. Sam Lundquist, director of MBA admissions, said he expects the overall application rate to increase by 20 percent. "I tend to think that it will flatten out towards the end," Lundquist said. "Conceivably, we'll end up with over 6,200 applicants this year." Last year, 5,019 applied for 750 places. Wharton spokesperson Chris Hardwick called the dramatic increase in applicants "very encouraging." Lundquist attributed the influx of applicants to an article in the October 1994 issue of Business Week that ranked the Wharton MBA program number one in the country --ahead of Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management and Harvard's Graduate School of Business Administration. "Business Week without a doubt is one of the most influential magazines in the business world," Lundquist said. "Recent applicants have seen those rankings and are motivated to apply to Wharton." An article in the same issue explained the advantages and benefits of a having an MBA in today's business world. This accounted for an overall flooding of MBA applications across the country, according to Lundquist. On each application, applicants are are asked where they received information about Wharton's MBA program. Business Week is one of the sources usually cited, he added. Lundquist said the increase can also be attributed to a world-wide recruitment effort. Recruiters have traveled to 12 different countries in pursuit of international students. In addition, the MBA Admissions office has been more aggressive in encouraging candidates to apply early. "Since Wharton is a rolling admission process, it is to the applicant's advantage if they are an earlier applicant," Lundquist said. "Their chances of getting in are increased." National trends have seen the number of people applying to MBA programs decreasing. In the past three years, less people are taking the Graduate Management Admission Test. But, top schools such as Wharton are seeing a steady increase in their applicant pool. "A smaller number of the world population seems to be interested in the business schools in general," Lundquist said. "But, more of the applicants are limiting their choices to top schools since they are taking in to account the prestige factor."
(01/25/95 10:00am)
Students in the College of Arts and Sciences now have a more efficient way to answer their questions about everything from studying abroad to choosing and completing a major. A new College Web became available over the Internet last Thursday. A web provides an easily accessible directory of linked information to the user. According to Susan Quant, College management information specialist, the College Web has information "that students need to get through the undergraduate program at Penn." This includes information about programs, dual degrees, submatriculation and links to other department webs, she said. In addition, it contains an interactive option through which students can get specific questions answered through e-mail by the appropriate College official, Quant said. There is also a page where students can enter comments and suggestions. A School of Arts and Sciences Web was also released at the same time -- which Quant described as "one level up from the College Web". Using the SAS Web, students can link to the College Web, the College of General Studies Web and information about the graduate schools, she said. College Dean Robert Rescorla said the purpose of the Web is to make important information easily accessible to students. "We are anxious to do everything we can to make information available to undergraduates," he said. Rescorla added that the advantage of having information such as that contained in the Freshman Handbook available "on-line" is that it is easy to adjust it when things change. He also discussed the possibility of putting brief faculty biographies on either the College or the SAS Web. "I think this is going to turn out to be something that is going to pervade the University," Rescorla said. SAS Dean Rosemary Stevens said she sees a lot of potential for the Web. "I see this as extending the helpfulness of professors and administrators throughout the College and providing a better map for students," she said. But Quant said the Web's effectiveness depends on student's familiarity with the Internet system. "A lot of this is presuming that students are actively getting and using their electronic mail accounts and using the systems available to them," she said. Quant added that since the Web is relatively new, there are still some files and documents under construction. "We will be continuing to work on it throughout the semester?and coming up with new ways that we can use the technology," she said. A lot of faculty have already looked at it and given their feedback about what they want to see done with it, she added. One way to link into the Web is by typing "lynx" at the mail.sas main menu prompt. Another way to access the Web is through Mosaic or Netscape -- two graphics-oriented programs that show pictures on the screen. "In the long run people will have this equipment, [but for now] people can still get the text information -- which is really what it is all about," Rescorla said. Quant encouraged students to "get out there and see what's available." "A few students have already discovered [the Web], and we have been receiving comments and questions and we welcome more," Quant said.
(01/25/95 10:00am)
In response to waning activism in the conservation movement, the Penn Environmental Group will host an Emergency Campus Environmental Conference at the University late next month. The conference is being co-sponsored by other groups, including Green Corps, The Student Public Interest Research Groups and the Campus Green Vote. Peter Bond, a College sophomore and media intern with Green Corps, attributed the urgency of the conference to the new Republican-controlled Congress, which he said is "threatening most environmental legislation of the past 20 years, such as the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act." Another goal of the conference will be to organize for the 25th anniversary of Earth Day, which will occur in April. Green Corps campus organizer Hedy Aronson said this will be a good chance to "bring the idea back to young activists." It will also be a chance to address the issue of "corporate greenwashing," which Bond said is the term used for corporations that pollute the environment but also sponsor events such as Earth Day -- for good publicity. Although Bond was upbeat about the conference, there are still many specifics which have not yet been addressed. The agenda is still being determined, but is slated to include a panel discussion on topics such as deforestation, recycling and endangered species. There are also plans to include a number of workshops to help campus leaders with skills such as event organization and media relations. And while there are currently no committed speakers, organizers expect representatives from a number of groups such as Greenpeace and the Sierra Club. Bond said she also anticipates positive "student interchange" on an informal basis. Although few people have confirmed that they are planning to attend the event, the organizers said they expect between 400 and 1,000 participants, Bond added.
(01/25/95 10:00am)
The nature of financial aid is changing as schools move from the traditional federal guaranteed-loan program towards a direct-lending program. But the pace of this change could be a topic of debate in the U.S. House of Representatives. Federal dollars to be used for loans go directly to schools in the direct-lending program. Under the guaranteed loan program, loans are distributed through banks and guarantee agencies. Rep. William Goodling (R - Pa.), the new chairperson of the House Economic and Educational Opportunities Committee, is looking to limit the direct-lending program's expansion to 40 percent of the total money granted for loans. According to Kelly Presta, spokesperson for the Committee on Educational and Economic Opportunity, a bill currently under consideration in the House would expand the direct-lending program to 60 percent of loans granted by 1998-99. The Senate has yet to introduce a bill on the matter. One hundred and four colleges and universities are participating in the direct-lending program this year, and the number of participants is expected to increase substantially next year to 1,495, according to this week's issue of Chronicle of Higher Education. According to Student Financial Aid Director William Schilling, the University is not currently using the direct-lending program. He added that from what he has heard, the program appears to be effective. "Everything we've heard is that it has worked reasonably well for the institutions that got into it," Schilling said. University Federal Relations Assistant Director Carl Maugeri said it is too soon to say if the University will enact this program. Schilling cautioned, however, that it remains to be seen if the Department of Education, which administers the loans to schools, can maintain the "same level of responsiveness" with additional schools involved. Presta agreed, adding that he is not convinced that the Department of Education would be up to the task of seeing that the loans are payed off. "They're very good at giving money out, but they have no idea about collecting it," Presta said.
(01/25/95 10:00am)
A dispute over policy and power has left an important source of information in limbo. Oncolink, the first on-line cancer information service, has been in the spotlight since the roles of its directors were altered last month. Loren Buhle, assistant professor of physics in radiation oncology, has allegedly been abusing his power as a co-editor-in-chief of Oncolink by posting materials and responding to electronic mail without providing his colleagues with the opportunity to review the material. Because Buhle does not have a medical degree, the validity of this material has been challenged by Oncolink co-editors Radiology Oncology Assistant Professor Joel Goldwein and Gynecologic Oncology Assistant Professor Ivor Benjamin. The University administration has supported Goldwein and Benjamin on the issue, and Buhle -- who originally held the executive power in the project -- has now been demoted to the same stature as the other co-editors. But Buhle feels that this is not an issue of credentials, but of censorship. He said he is currently searching for employment. "What has happened to freedom of speech at this hallowed institution?" Buhle asked yesterday. "People want to read uncensored news at their own leisure, which is what Oncolink had been providing." Although he recognizes that the University's name is on the program, Buhle said he feels it will ultimately be the patients who suffer from the alleged censorship. "There is controversy everywhere in the medical field -- what's appropriate for you is your decision," he added. "You have to live, or die, with what you decide." The controversy began in December, when Benjamin and Goldwein objected that Buhle's supervision of Oncolink went completely unchecked. They felt all information released to the public deserved a review by the three co-editors, and requested equal access to the computer. "He was able to post medical content bypassing the editorial process," Goldwein said. "The only thing taken away from him is his right to shut us out. "Twenty-five to 30 million people access this system. One wrong, misleading or not qualified piece of information can be very harmful," he added. Provost Stanley Chodorow said the redistribution of power was in the best interests of the University. "This is a University of Pennsylvania operation, and it should represent what the faculty feels is good science," Chodorow said. "I don't think censorship is the issue. It is like accusing the press of refusing to publish something it didn't feel was sound. "These are legitimate judgements, not censorship," he added. Benjamin agreed. "If [Buhle] set up Loren-Link in his own basement, he would have complete control without having to answer to anyone," he said. "That is not the case when the material is an edited resource coming from the University of Pennsylvania." Oncolink, created in March 1994 at the University, is the first multimedia oncology information resource placed on the Internet. The service recently won "Best Web of 1994." Postings on Oncolink -- a World Wide Web server -- include cancer oriented news, psychosocial support systems, other support groups and cancer organizations. Buhle said he first took interest in this subject when his eight year-old daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. Daily Pennsylvanian Staff Writer Katie Haegele contributed to this article.
(01/25/95 10:00am)
Michael Feinberg has devoted his life to his students. And through Teach for America, he has been able to give almost 50 fifth-graders the opportunity to learn. For the third year in a row, he has committed 75 hours per week teaching and helping his students. Feinberg, a 1991 University graduate, was sent by Teach for America to the Garcia Elementary School in Houston. Founded in 1989, Teach for America is a non-profit organization that assigns recent college graduates teaching positions in rural and urban schools suffering teacher shortages. Corps members are committed to spending two years teaching and organizing after-school activities at their assignment sites. Feinberg said he joined Teach for America because he hoped to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged and disadvantaged children. "Making a difference means being able to impact other people's lives in such positive ways that will truly make a difference in their futures," he said. Working with Yale University graduate David Levin, Feinberg started the Knowledge is Power Program -- a year-round effort in which volunteers work with 48 fifth-grade students and their parents -- in 1993. As part of the program, students attend a longer day of school from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Feinberg said he has both long- and short-term goals for his students. "Our ultimate goal is to get these kids into college -- but that is still seven years away," he said. "There [are] a lot more immediate goals to be accomplished -- being able to read, being able to think and do math." Feinberg said after he has equipped these children with the necessary skills, he hopes to instill a desire to reach "their highest point of achievement." He added that if the government-provided school lunch program was used as a measurement of socioeconomic status, 95 percent of his students would be on the lowest of income levels. "A vast number of our students have come from a dysfunctional home in some form or another," he said. His children are a heterogeneous group -- 80 percent are Latinos, 18 percent are black and 2 percent are white. Feinberg chose to teach 10-year olds because he believes it is the best age for a teacher to have an impact on his students. "It's sad but true that it's much more difficult to reach the children in middle school," Feinberg said. "If the job to educate these kids is solely done by the teacher, then there is a small window in which to work. That's why we focus on fifth-graders and 10-year-olds." Despite cynicism about his students' potential, he maintains that they are just as capable as their more advantaged peers. "Our sense of mission is that they can and therefore they will," he said. "Our job as teachers has been to do whatever it takes to drive our kids toward that goal." Feinberg said he has experienced both highs and lows during his first two years at Garcia Elementary School. But having learned to teach and motivate the students, he now leaves his classroom each day "energized and recharged." He said he thinks the U.S. education system has remained stagnant while the need for quality teachers has increased greatly. "I think the community I work in is reflective of many communities across our nation," he said. "It is in dire need of essential focus and leadership and a national institution for this job is the neighborhood school." Teach for America held its Alumni Summit in Washington on the weekend of January 13. The purpose of this convention was to provide the group's teachers with the skills to implement the organization's goal of education reform. Feinberg played a prominent role in the conference. He introduced Senator Paul Simon, who gave a speech at the gathering and with Levin, presented a workshop on KIPP to other interested alumni. For their tremendous efforts, they won the Paul Nash Award for Outstanding Alumni Service in the Classrooms.
(01/24/95 10:00am)
As the beginning-of-the-semester checkout lines at The Book Store tested the patience of everyone waiting to make purchases yesterday, one man unsuccessfully tried a short cut. University Police arrested a man yesterday after he allegedly stole a book from The Book Store, and led University Police officers on a chase at about 12:45 p.m. But the man did not make it far, according to University Police Sergeant Thomas Rambo. Rambo said the man was apprehended on Locust Walk by three officers after a brief chase from The Book Store. The man did not give up easily, however. He hit one of the officers, giving him a cut and a small bruise under his right eye. The officer was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, treated and released. "I was so shocked to see it happen," College junior and Undergraduate Assembly member Lance Rogers said. "It happened right in front of me. I was just walking on the walk when I saw an officer on top of some guy." In addition, a large crowd gathered to watch the officer and the man struggle on the pavement. "The officer threw his hands on the guy's shoulder and tackled him to the ground," Rogers said. "The two were rolling on the ground in front of me and I didn't know whether I should try to help the officer by grabbing the man. "I was worried because the officer's gun was still on his waist, and I thought that perhaps he could get the officer's gun and use it," he added. "But the officer did a good job of keeping the guy under control and eventually handcuffing him." After the man was handcuffed, University Police put him in the paddy wagon, which had driven down Locust Walk as it gave chase to the suspect. The man was taken by University Police to Southwest Detectives, where he was was charged with retail theft and aggravated assault. Officials from The Book Store declined to comment until they had more information on the incident.
(01/24/95 10:00am)
The jury is split on O.J. Simpson. While some University students have lost interest in the ex-football star's double-murder trial, others say they are looking forward to watching the proceedings on TV. The trial, which begins today in Los Angeles, is being broadcast live on all of the major networks as well as several cable stations. "I think the trial is far, far overexposed," College and Engineering sophomore Matthew Finkelstein said. "It's a travesty of justice. I'm going to watch as little as possible." College freshman Jody Girgenti echoed Finkelstein's sentiments. "I think [the media coverage] is totally excessive," she said. "But I'm sure I'll end up watching because it's going to be on everywhere, all the time." Yet other students expressed an interest in the trial, and said they were going to make an effort to watch. "As a prospective lawyer, I think I'd like to keep in touch with it," Wharton and College senior Michael Hoffman said. "I think it's interesting because someone who was such a hero is now being challenged." Third-year Law student Bruce Koch said he would most likely watch portions of the trial because "it's good to learn from." "It's interesting to watch the tactics of the defense lawyers," he said. Koch added, though, that he did not understand why the networks were devoting so much air time to the trial. "There are a lot of other important things going on in the world," he said. But while most University students agree that the trial is receiving too much hype, most believe that the coverage has been fairly objective so far. "[The coverage] is all right," Engineering sophomore Victor Vuchic said. "It seems to be pretty solid and not too biased." Hoffman agreed, but added that the gluttony of "trash media" has made it difficult to understand the facts. "I don't know who to trust anymore," he said. Whether they believe it is over-hyped, everyone expressed their curiosity about the trial's outcome. "I'll probably pick [the trial] up at the end, because the middle's going to be really boring," Koch said. Vuchic said he will do the same. "I'll tune in when they deliver the verdict," he said. While curious to hear the jury's decision, the consensus among students is that Simpson is guilty but will not be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. "I want to think he's not guilty, but where's there's smoke, there's fire, if you know what I mean," said Hoffman, referring to the mounting evidence against Simpson. "[But] I have a feeling he'll be found completely not guilty." Vuchic agreed. "If it was some average guy, they'd probably put him in the chair," he said. "But O.J. will walk."
(01/24/95 10:00am)
Three years after an accusation of sexual harassment landed the Acacia fraternity on probation, Acacia "cleaned the slate" by initiating six new brothers last year. Now, the chapter is looking to expand its membership. And while InterFraternity Council fraternities typically hold rush events in the fall, Acacia members decided to start with a less formal rush process beginning next week. "[Although] we're having our rush in January, which is after the IFC rush, we're not looking to work outside the IFC, or to buck the system in any way," said College junior Adam Coates, the chapter President. Its preliminary rush event Monday is designed to attract freshman and sophomores interested in an "alternative" greek organization. "Alternative" means more community service, a smaller group of brothers, and close ties with alumni, according to Coates. The five juniors and one senior volunteer at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on a regular basis as a fraternity activity, he said. "Right now we're focusing on community service," said Matt Bixler, an Acacia alumnus still working with the new brothers. Acacia members said last night that while they would like to see a large number of rushees, the number of pledges will be kept small. The goal of the chapter is to roughly double membership. "Obviously it is a lot smaller than most fraternities on campus," College junior and Acacia brother Dan Song said. Coates added that it is important to not to expand too quickly. "You get some growing pains," he said. "You want to choose as carefully as possible." Acacia's problems began in 1991 when then College junior Judy Schlossberg filed sexual harassment charges against brothers. Schlossberg alleged they photocopied and distributed nude photos of her around campus. Since November 1991, when the Judicial Inquiry Office and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs ruled that Acacia was responsible for the incident, the fraternity has suffered from a negative image -- and subsequently has had difficulty recruiting brothers. With only four brothers, Acacia lost its house in late 1993 -- and officials speculated that the fraternity could lose University recognition. But after alumni held two unsuccessful rush events the following September, Coates and five of his friends saw an opportunity. "So we decided to call them up and we formed our own group," he said. The new pledges were initiated last April. And plans to acquire a house are proceeding, according to Coates. But Song said the chapter is not looking to move into its old house -- currently occupied by Lambda Phi Epsilon. "Probably we'll have a house sometime next year," he added. The first information session will be held next Monday in Steinberg-Dietrich Hall at 8 p.m. In previous years, between three and four IFC fraternities have held Spring rush, according to IFC President David Treat, a College junior.
(01/24/95 10:00am)
The Undergraduate Assembly released Project 2000, its five-year plan for improving the University Sunday night. With the release of the plan, the UA will now turn its attention to short-term goals -- including the implementation of some of the proposals included in Project 2000, according to UA Chairperson and Wharton junior Dan Debicella. But a small faction of the UA representatives still said they questioned the original purposes behind the project. Project 2000 consists of 30 recommendations for improving the University in 11 different areas, Debicella said. Many of the proposals were written by Debicella, but he gave credit to several UA members who also wrote recommendations. Debicella said the project's proposals fall into two categories. "There are a lot of proposals that are basically compilations of talk that has been going around the University a lot lately," he said. "[And] there are a couple of ground-breaking proposals that really haven't been thought of before." The most ground-breaking of these proposals is a new plan to fund the Revlon Center, a campus center originally slated to be built on 36th and Walnut streets, according to Debicella. The recommendation calls for a binding student referendum on a proposed "Campus Center Fee" to be included as a tuition cost. If students pass the referendum, the fee would go into effect, and its proceeds would be used to build the Revlon Center. "If the administration can't come up with the money for the Revlon Center, let the students vote," Debicella said. He added that the Revlon Center proposal is the Project 2000 proposal that he would most like to see implemented. "If [only] one proposal could pass, it would be for a campus center," he said. "It would be to have the administration commit to not using existing buildings as a student center, but to build a new student center." Debicella said Project 2000 represented the culmination of a semester's work. The UA began work on the project at the first meeting of the fall semester. Other major facets of the five-year plan include a recommendation that student advisory boards be created in order to deal with areas such as Dining Services, the Athletic Department and Residential Maintenance. The plan also suggests that University Police officers be made responsible for specific blocks off-campus and that a new proposal for the Revlon Center be created, according to Debicella. He said he did not expect the entire proposal to be adopted by the administration -- even after five years. "I would be thrilled if four years after I graduated, I come back for Homecoming weekend and I see 50 percent of these proposals implemented," he said. "I would be very, very happy if the administration implemented the important proposals that are in here." But some members of the UA said they did not share Debicella's enthusiasm for Project 2000. "I thought it would be much more productive for the UA to take another course and focus on short-term issues that would have an impact on this UA," said UA representative Eric Tienou, a College junior. "I wasn't against Project 2000, I just thought we had better options than Project 2000." UA representative Lance Rogers, a College junior, said he originally voted against the proposal because he disagreed with its basic purpose. "I don't think the UA should be focused around something that has long-term goals, such as Project 2000, and neglects the immediate future, the way Project 2000 did," he said.
(01/24/95 10:00am)
Members of Congress are talking about ways to cut federal spending, and financial aid is one potential target of the reductions. As part of the "Contract With America," Republicans in the House of Representatives have proposed cutting $9.6 billion from the federal budget over a five-year span by making students pay for the interest on student loans as part of the cost of paying off the loans. Currently, students do not have to pay interest on loans because the interest is subsidized by the federal government. Student Financial Aid Director Bill Schilling said this would place a larger financial burden on many students. "It would basically increase the debt of borrowers," Schilling said. He added that for an undergraduate who borrows the maximum possible amount in loans, the additional debt would be approximately $3,000 over a four-year period. University Federal Relations Associate Director Carl Maugeri said this would have a direct impact on students. He said the Republican Contract calls for the removal of all forms of campus-based aid. Such programs include the Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant, work-study grants and the Perkins loan program. According to Schilling, a decrease in campus-based programs might mean that students would have to borrow more money, possibly from a "different, less favorable source." Maugeri said the University currently receives $7.1 million in campus-based aid from the federal government. There is one proposal made by House Republicans that would move half the money saved by cuts in campus-based aid programs into Pell grants, a different source of aid that Schilling said has traditionally been aimed at low-income students. "But it's not clear that Penn would get the same money back," Maugeri said of the Pell grants. Schilling said only a small part of the money from Pell grants is directed at four-year colleges. He added, however, that this plan is only one of many currently being proposed in Congress. Changes in the national financial aid program could force the University to look for a different source of aid. "Then the question is, can an alternative source be found and would it be as attractive as the source that was eliminated?" he said. Both Schilling and Maugeri were reluctant to speculate on the future of this issue. Maugeri said the Contract is a "House initiative," and it has not been endorsed by Senate Republicans. In looking into the future of potential cuts, Schilling said that the University's policy would depend on the specific cuts that were enacted. He also noted that there would be some debate in Congress on whether aid for education is an appropriate place in which to cut spending.
