1000 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(01/24/95 10:00am)
Students and Resident Advisors have found piles of what is believed to be human feces on bathroom floors, toilets and showers throughout the Community House section of the Quadrangle. The perpetrator, whom residents have dubbed the "Mad Shitter," has defecated in women's bathrooms in the Ward, Warwick, McIlhenny and Cleeman buildings in the Quad. The most recent instance occurred early Sunday morning, in the female bathroom on the first floor of Ward, Resident Advisor and College junior Rebecca Ullman said last night. Similar incidents occurred in Ullman's hallway last semester. As a result, Residential Maintenance placed locks on the women's bathrooms in the affected hallways. They provided all rooms occupied by females on those hallways with keys. Ullman said Sunday's incident meant the locks might not have helped. The problem happened between four and 10 a.m. Sunday, Ullman said. She said she had been in the bathroom at both of those times. "It wasn't there at four, but it was at 10," she said. "It was in the second stall on the back seat of the toilet? and it was gross." Although Ullman filed an emergency complaint to the front desk of the Quad, the fecal matter was not cleaned up until yesterday morning, when a Residential Maintenance employee came to perform a regular clean-up of the bathroom. Community House's Assistant Dean of Residence Diana Koros said the incidents began in mid-September, and continued, on average once a week, throughout the semester. College and Wharton junior Jon-Paul Momsen, resident advisor for the first floor of Warwick, said similar incidents occurred on his hallway last semester. "There was a point in time when it would happen, be cleaned up, and then happen again right away," he said. "They even stopped cleaning it because it kept happening so much." Momsen said the problem stopped toward the end of the semester. Locks were placed on the bathroom on his hallway as well. Koros said she had no idea who might be responsible for the incidents. "It's a very delicate situation because we're unsure if the person or persons who are doing this are committing a deliberate crime or in need of psychiatric help," Koros said. She added that she has spoken with representatives from Residential Living, Penn Police and University Counseling about the issue. Koros said the fact that the incident has happened since the locks were put into place simply means that the pool of those who might have done it "is narrowed down to those who have access to the keys." But the search is still expected to be difficult, Koros added. The Quad desk is holding one key in its lockout box, Residential Maintenance employees also have keys, and it is also possible that students might have given their keys to an outsider. "It's really peculiar because I thought all our problems were solved [when the locks were placed on the doors]," Ullman said. "My biggest concern is that perhaps there's more to it than vandalism, but it could be an obnoxious person just trying to be funny." College freshman Keri Reese, who lives on the third floor of Warwick, saw feces in the middle of her bathroom floor last November. She said she wished the response had been better. "It's Maintenance's job to keep the bathrooms sanitary to live in," she said. "It was pretty sick and disgusting." Reese also said last semester's problem with lack of ventilation in the bathrooms still exists in her building, and contributed to the smell emanated by the feces.
(01/24/95 10:00am)
For students trying to trudge through "great" literature, there is finally an alternative to the familiar yellow and black guides. MAXnotes are a series of literature guides which have recently been released by the Research and Education Association of Piscataway, N.J. Carl Fuchs, head of media services for REA, explained that MAXnotes offer a more contemporary interpretation of literature than Cliffs Notes. They are also "student-friendly" -- more entertaining and easier to understand, he said. Fuchs added that a unique feature of MAXnotes is their use of pictures that illustrate important ideas. "They contain drawings and illustrations of key passages which convey the moods and spirits of the work," he said. Fuchs said one of the main goals of MAXnotes is to provide students with a modern understanding of literature that differs from earlier analysis. "They reflect more up-to-date versions," he said. According to the product's brochure, MAXnotes feature concise summaries, topic suggestions for papers and study questions. There are currently 32 titles available in bookstores. Five additional titles will be available each month, Fuchs said. They include both traditional classics and recently published works including Gone With the Wind, Hamlet, Of Mice and Men, and Les Miserables. Many students have never heard of MAXnotes. Others seem hesitant to purchase them. Engineering sophomore Steve Shiming Lu said he sees no reason to buy them since Cliffs Notes have been adequate in the past. "I wouldn't trust them because they are new, and Cliffs Notes have always been very dependable," he said. Still, others are willing to give them a fair chance. "I'd really need to see them to decide if they are more comprehensive than the other style," College sophomore Ayana Green said. College freshman Lindsay Lion agreed. "I'd have to check out the MAXnotes and compare them to the Cliffs Notes to see which ones were better," she said.
(01/24/95 10:00am)
Washington writer also hired Assembling the best administrative team in all of American higher education is no easy task. Just ask University President Judith Rodin, who is still trying to round out her staff roster to accomplish this goal -- almost seven months after taking office. Rodin took another step toward finishing the job yesterday, welcoming two new advisors from Washington to College Hall. Chief of Staff Stephen Schutt, who held a similar position with former U.S. Senator Harris Wofford (D – Pa.), and Staff Writer Jeff Hartman joined new Director of the President's Office Linda Gilvear, whose appointment was announced last week. All three began the week in their new posts. However, Rodin is still searching for a permanent Executive Vice President, director of the Office of Affirmative Action and director of the African American Resource Center. Gilvear, Schutt and Hartman will be working in an environment markedly different from the one left behind by former University President Sheldon Hackney, Rodin said. Former Interim President Claire Fagin began the task of administrative restructuring by thinning out the number of middle-management personnel, and the positions Gilvear, Schutt and Hartman now hold resemble those recommended by a preliminary Coopers & Lybrand report Fagin commissioned last year. "[Gilvear and Schutt] are replacing Linda Hyatt and John Wells Gould, but their jobs are different," said University spokeswoman Barbara Beck. Gilvear, who spearheaded the recently-concluded Campaign for Penn, said last week she planned to spend many of her first days on the job "organizing my thoughts, prioritizing what needs to be done first." But while Gilvear may be performing mental gymnastics this week, Schutt and Hartman -- having just arrived from Washington -- will be learning their way around Locust Walk and attempting to meet as many people as possible. Schutt, a 1983 graduate of the University Law School, worked as an attorney and in state government before spending more than three years as chief of staff for Wofford. As chief of staff, Schutt recruited, hired and supervised campaign workers and devised and implemented legislative initiatives. He also directed a $13 million fund-raising effort. Schutt said he wanted to work with Wofford -- who was president of Bryn Mawr College before being appointed to the Senate by former Pennsylvania Governor Robert Casey -- because of Wofford's ties and commitment to higher education. Schutt added that the experience he gained while running Wofford's office should prove invaluable in his new role at the University -- where one of his responsibilities will be acting as a liaison between the president's office and many campus constituencies. "This University is a large place -- with many people, who have many legitimate needs that are not always in concert with each other," he said. "[But] they all need to be looked at and dealt with." Schutt will also be engaged in economic development planning and policy-making activities, assisting Rodin in achieving her priorities for the University. "It's a very exciting thing in life to join with somebody who really has a vision, and to try to accomplish that vision," he said, referring to Rodin's undergraduate education and administrative restructuring plans. Hartman, who is Rodin's new staff writer, will also be active in the implementation of the 21st Century Project on Undergraduate Education by serving as a liaison to a variety of student activities. "Some have remarked that I'm good with hot air," he said, acknowledging that his previous job was with the Natural Gas Supply Association. "[But] it looks like I'll be handling some of the correspondence duties and speechwriting assignments." A 1990 graduate of the College of William and Mary with a degree in English and a Princeton native, Hartman said he is glad to be at the University. "I enjoy writing," Hartman said. "I never believed that I could earn a living writing, and in that sense I am very appreciative of [this] opportunity." Rodin echoed her new employees' enthusiasm. "[Schutt and Hartman] will be significant additions to the Penn community and wonderful additions to my office," she said. "[They] will add strength and staff support where we need it."
(01/23/95 10:00am)
Although most of them traveled to campus by plane for the traditional two-day round of winter meetings, members of the University's Board of Trustees also found time for a trip on the information superhighway during their visit last week. While much of their time was consumed by committee meetings and briefings on the financial and academic state of the University, the Trustees attended a plenary session on Thursday entitled "The University in the Information Age." At this program, Engineering School Dean Gregory Farrington offered the Trustees an audio-visual glimpse of the Internet's potential for innovation in education, focusing on how technology has dramatically changed the processing, transmission and storage of information. Classics Professor James O'Donnell, who taught a seminar exclusively on the Internet this fall, and English Professor Alan Filreis, who created a computer listserv to encourage continuous discussion in his Literature of the Holocaust course, showed the Trustees how the use of information technology has expanded the frontiers of the classroom. Filreis, who is also the English Department's undergraduate chairperson, said he hopes the World Wide Web component of the Internet will help the department to become "paperless" by June 30, 1996 -- and to solve the problems of "uncreative course-taking" by students and "weak advising." Dental School Dean Raymond Fonesca said he anticipates using the Internet to develop a "life-long learning" and continuing education program to keep alumni involved in the Dental School's affairs. Farrington summed up the Internet as a combination of the best of the American educational system -- because it teaches large numbers of students at reasonable cost -- and the British Oxbridge model that emphasizes personal contact with faculty. Trustee Myles Tannenbaum called the demonstration "mind-blowing." "It's incredible," he said, referring to the Internet. "[Its] opportunities and what it will mean are every bit as significant as the printing press in terms of implication." At Friday's Stated Meeting, the Trustees approved the minutes of their October 20, 1994 meeting along with resolutions providing for an increased number of term trustees until December 31, 1996. The Trustees also heard reports from University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow on the current status of administrative restructuring, action on recommendations made last year by the Commission on Strengthening the Community, results of recently-completed dean searches and the 21st Century Project on Undergraduate Education. Acting Executive Vice President Jack Freeman said the University expects to break even financially this fiscal year, with the Schools of Nursing, Social Work and Graduate School of Education posting surpluses and the Annenberg School and Athletics Department running deficits. General Counsel Shelley Green updated the Trustees on the University's compliance with anti-trust laws, stemming from litigation first brought against the Ivy Overlap Group in 1989 that was related to the sharing of financial aid data for admissions purposes. The Budget and Finance Committee approved resolutions creating the TeleQuest radiology consortium, to be based at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, in addition to capital improvements to a planned Convention Avenue SEPTA stop near the Penn Tower Hotel. Purchases of computer equipment for the National Scalable Cluster Project and of several residential properties near campus were also ratified. Before adjourning, the Trustees discussed the proposed student judicial charter and the increasing internationalization of the University's student body. Rodin said she was pleased with the accomplishments that occurred during this cycle of meetings. "We always get a good deal of hard questioning and wise counsel from the Trustees," she said, adding that the Board now includes four new alumni Trustees and two Trustees appointed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. "This meeting was typical," she added. Trustees Chairperson Roy Vagelos agreed with Rodin. "When you're a Trustee it's your job to worry, because you're fiscally responsible," he said. "[But] this meeting went exceedingly well.?I'm always exhilarated by my time at Penn."
(01/23/95 10:00am)
In a dramatic auto accident last night, a Reliable Cab Services taxi flipped over, landing on the driver's side and slamming into three other cars at 40th and Walnut streets at about 9:30 p.m. last night. Miraculously, there were no injuries. Amidst the wreckage, Philadelphia Fire Rescue personnel extricated the taxi driver, Gen Chenet of Philadelphia, through the passenger side's door on what had become the top of the vehicle. At least 10 Philadelphia and University Police vehicles responded within minutes of the accident to close off the 4100 block of Walnut Street to traffic. In addition, although police scrambled to collect evidence about the incident, the cause of the accident remained unknown. One person who witnessed the incident, Kesha Wilson, said she saw another car hit the cab on its left side and flee west on Walnut Street. Latasha Wilson, another witness, said the other car involved in the accident appeared to be a green colored taxi-cab. Chenet, a taxi driver for over 17 years, said he did not know how the accident happened and never saw the second car. In addition, he said he was not speeding at the time of the accident while he drove west on Walnut Street at about 35 miles per hour. "It was happening so fast," he said. "It felt like the front [of the taxi] was shaking." Of the three cars damaged by the taxi, the most severe was a black Cadillac Eldorado. The left rear of the car was crumpled from the impact of the taxi, exposing the entire wheel. The Cadillac's owner, who was at the scene of the accident, was visibly shaken and refused to comment. As it crashed, the taxi pushed the Cadillac forward into a black Mercury, damaging the rear bumper. A fourth car on the scene was also damaged.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
Man had machine gun Five University students were accosted by a man brandishing what they described as an "Uzi or a TEC-9" within a block of campus Saturday afternoon. University Police Sergeant Keith Christian confirmed that University Police responded to an incident broadcast over Philadelphia Police radio at 2:42 p.m. describing four males with a gun at 40th and Locust streets. A College junior, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he and two friends were in the street loading furniture into a car when a dark green compact vehicle with three men drove by and honked their horn at the students. The student said the car stopped about 30 yards away from where he and his friends were standing, and a man approached them. "He gets out of the car and starts screaming 'Which one of you fuckers gave me the finger,' " the student said, adding that he and his friends did nothing to provoke the man. "I see that he is carrying a gun in his hand and it is pointed directly at me." The only description the student could provide was that the man was, "a black male, wearing a striped sweater and a ski hat. "I figured if I ran inside he would shoot and kill me," he added. "If I stayed there I thought I was dead." He said that after some confusion, he and his friends decided to run into the house even as the armed man continued to yell at them from the street for several minutes before fleeing in the dark green car. "I thought he was going to start shooting up our house," said another student, a Wharton senior, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "The way he was holding the gun, I was expecting shots." The students said they called Philadelphia Police after the car drove by their house a second time a few minutes later. The College junior said that later in the day, Philadelphia Police stopped men who matched the description given by the students. But the students said they refused to identify the suspects out of fear for their personal safety, he added. For the students, the incident has been a sobering experience. A College of General Studies sophomore, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that when he called Philadelphia Police he was so nervous that he ripped the phone from the telephone jack. "I was so scared that I couldn't even function," the CGS sophomore said. "I honestly thought the guy was going to shoot me. "I'm getting out of West Philly as soon as the semester is over," he added. "I thought when someone pulled a gun I would be calm and rational. When he went for the gun, I lost it. The guy really seemed like a psychotic." The CGS senior said that police could not have stopped the incident from occurring. "This is a safe street," he said. "I think the cops do a good job. [The suspects] don't care about cops. If they got a dispute to settle -- they are going to settle it their way."
(01/23/95 10:00am)
Irvine Auditorium's 30-foot steeple is coming apart piece by piece. But now the Physical Plant Department has secured the lead and steel structure so no further damage can occur, and officials have launched an investigation into the problem and possible solutions. When a Physical Plant employee recently inspected the roof, he unexpectedly found an piece of lead sitting there and realized that the steeple was beginning to fall apart, according to Physical Plant Executive Director Jim Wargo. Vice President of Facilities Management Arthur Gravina said the fallen piece of lead did not cause any damage to the roof. The department has covered and secured the steeple while structural engineers look into the situation, Wargo said. "We wrapped it so nothing will fall off of it and put up plastic netting to hold it together," he said. "We've been working on it to understand what the problems are." Irvine was built in 1928. There are no readily available blueprints of the construction of the steeple. However, Wargo said the department has learned that the structure is made of lead internally, with a steel structure surrounding it. Gravina said the steeple is actually made of sections of lead pieced together by pins. The lead has corroded and the structure has not been renovated in years. Gravina said no one in Physical Plant could remember the last time the steeple had been repaired, but he added that it was probably within the last 50 years. Physical Plant renovated Irvine's interior in October in preparation for University President Judith Rodin's inaugural ceremonies. Then, officials painted sections of the auditorium, repaired seats, and wired the facility for ResNet and the Academic Video Network. The discovery of the steeple's corrosion, however, had no connection with those repairs. Physical Plant has retained a structural engineer to research and investigate the problem and develop a proposal for fixing the steeple. In addition, Physical Plant employees are in the process of gathering documents and information about Irvine in order to understand more about the structure and how to best repair it. Once Physical Plant accepts the structural engineers' proposal, the department must go through the bidding process to hire a contractor before doing the actual repairs. Wargo said one difficulty that workers have and will continue to encounter involves the actual process of getting up to the steeple and repairing it, since it is so high. Gravina said the project has been labeled within the deferred maintenance category and added that the repair will probably begin this summer. But Wargo said -the entire process will take a long time -- although he could not specify how long the project might take. He said he could not estimate how much the project would cost.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
With fire in their eyes and words that could slice a raw beefsteak paper thin, the 750 young competitors in the University's 1995 Liberty Bell Classic High School Debate Tournament were welcomed this past weekend by the University's Debate Council. Although forensics competition was the tournament's primary purpose, the event also served to expose talented high school students to University life, Debate Council Members said. "We are part of the University, like the winning Penn basketball team, which attracts students to Penn and portrays it in a good light," said College senior and debate team member Randi Reich. "The participants are bright kids and we'd like to get as many applicants as possible." Tournament Director Paul Higday, a Management and Technology junior, agreed the tournament was aimed at recruiting the typically focused student characteristic of tournament participants. "For the most part, these are above-average students with upper-level intelligent thinking," he said. The Debate Council gave participating students an admissions information packet, in an effort to encourage participating students to apply to the University. In addition, because the contests were held in 10 buildings across campus, competitors became familiar with the campus. Tournament participant Jason Kochel, a high school senior from Ocean Township, New Jersey, said walking around the University's campus and interacting with the University students running the tournament gave him a well-rounded prospective of the University. He also said that his weekend in Philadelphia made him consider the University as a place he would like to spend four years. But recruitment is not unique to this year's annual tournament. College freshman and Debate Council member Joshua Rockoff said he attributes his presence at the University to his experience at last year's tournament. "I had never really seen Penn," he said. "I never really knew it existed. Then I heard of the tournament, came last year, thought it was really cool and I have loved it ever since. "I heard about the reputation of Penn's Speech and Debate team and coming from a strong program in high school, I knew I wanted to compete," Rockoff added. Bronx Science High School Forensics Director Robert Levinson, a 1984 Wharton graduate, said the competition allowed the members of his team to explore the University. "It can very much influence students' decisions," he said. "I have 25 juniors who see the campus. That makes it a more realistic option. "I know students who come because of the expertise of Penn's debate team," Levinson added. "It is a good option if they want to continue competing." Levinson, who was the the co-president of the University's Speech and Debate Team when he was a student, acknowledged a significant improvement in the University's tournament this year. He attributed this resurgence to the phenomenal organization of the entirely student-run event -- as well as strong financial and academic support from the Annenberg School for Communications. Members of the Debate Council agreed that the monies were key to the organization's success. "Annenberg's financial backing gives us the means to compete," said College sophomore Laura Paladino, the secretary of the Debate Council.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
Last week, students were still waiting in line at the Student Financial Services office, expecting refunds, only to be told the office made a mistake. But SFS Director of Student Services Carol Murphy said, despite "minor" problems, SFS is still providing the "best student services we can offer." Last week, the office discovered that many students mistakenly received postcards indicating that they had refund checks due to them. Murphy attributed the problem to errors made by temporary staff who were hired over winter break. "There are times that services might not be perfect," she said. "This was a mistake and it's easily corrected. It won't happen again." The SFS office changed its usual method of sending out refund checks this year in an effort to improve services, she said. Before this year, refund check notification was sent in the middle of January, after the post-break peak period ended. But because of a student's suggestion, the office decided to add temporary staff members over break to prepare and mail postcards for immediate notification, Murphy said. "We were trying to provide the best services to our students," she said. "And we came upon a minor glitch." Murphy said she cannot determine exactly how many students wrongly received postcards, although she said the number was "really small." She did say, however, that 1,500 actual refund checks were generated over break. According to Murphy, the "clerical error" did not cause major problems for some of the students affected by the errors because they had to go to SFS for other reasons. She added that only a small number of students were truly inconvenienced. Murphy said the SFS staff sees a "high volume" of customers at this point in the year, which contributes to the lengthy lines and irritable customers. She added that the staff is prepared for the influx of students, and attempts to accommodate them.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
For most University students, the summer is a time of fun under the sun and a welcomed escape from the classroom. But for College senior Kym May there is no escape. For approximately eight weeks during the summer, May is a full-time teacher for a national collaborative organization called Summer Bridge, a two-year tuition-free enrichment program for bright, motivated middle school children. The program targets high school and college students as its teachers, and educationally "at risk" and low income children as the students. "Summer Bridge functions as the bridge between middle school and high school to close the gap between students and their teachers," May said. "The students can really see their teachers as friends." And program director and middle school teacher Julie Friedberg said that "having such young teachers creates a sort of academic utopia for these students." The seventh and eighth grade students involved in the program go through a rigorous and competitive application process. On average, more than 60 children apply for only 30 spots. In addition, each classroom has only four to eight students. The reason behind keeping the size of the chapters small is to ensure that students receive adequate attention from their teachers. "It is ultimately the student's decision to apply to the Summer Bridge," said Friedberg, "The kids really want to do better in school. They have to be motivated to do two to three hours of homework each night of the summer." The students involved in Summer Bridge engage in a diverse courseload, consisting of literature, writing, mathematics, science, social studies and language classes. They also participate in after-school electives such as theater arts, journalism, and sports. May said that the program is supported by donations from private individuals as well as from large corporations. Its teachers receive a small stipend for the summer. She added that the Summer Bridge program was established in 1978 in San Francisco. As of 1991, there were only three chapters in existence. Now, however, there are 28 chapters of the organization in both the United States and abroad. Friedberg said that the Summer Bridge program has two main objectives. The first is to prepare middle school children for college preparatory courses, and the second is to encourage high school and college students to become involved in educating youth. Friedberg said that Summer Bridge is not just limited to the six-week, intensive summer program. There is also a year-round component in which students' progress is tracked throughout the school year. The students attend the summer session for two consecutive summers and optional tutoring sessions at "Saturday Schools" during the school year. The newest Summer Bridge chapter is slated to open this summer in the Germantown section of Philadelphia at the Germantown Friends School. The new chapter will be the only one in Pennsylvania, and consist of 35 seventh grade students and 15 high school and college staff members. And its organizers are encouraging University students and faculty to participate regardless of whether or not their interests lie in the educational field, she said. "The program is amazing -- it has a life-transforming effect on all who become involved, both teachers and students," Friedberg said. "One of the greatest learning experiences is for the teachers. It is so easy to be sucked into the lives of these children." May said that she agreed. "I believe that people here at Penn can really benefit from what Summer Bridge has to offer," said May. "Being a teacher and trying to communicate an idea to seventh graders is quite a challenge and has helped me become a better student. Besides, the relationships that you make with these kids are incredible." May added there will be an informational meeting tonight for students interested in participating in the Summer Bridge program. It will be held in the Bishop White room in Houston Hall at 7:30 p.m. In addition, the Germantown chapter is scheduled to begin summer session on July 5th with the staff working from June 26th until August 16th.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
Kicking off its 30th year of service to the University community, the Student Committee for Undergraduate Education held its annual steering committee elections yesterday. This year's new steering committee will include Wharton junior Satya Patel as chairperson, Vice-Chairperson Sharna Goldseker, a College junior, Treasurer Eugene Huang, an Engineering sophomore, and Secretary Ellona Wilner, a College junior. Also on the steering committee are members-at-large College junior Adam Hellegers and Wharton sophomore Ben Nelson. "Our mission aims have been the same, but we have manifested them into different areas," Goldseker said. "We're always working on education reform." She added that SCUE will be focusing on a new white paper regarding minors at the University. SCUE, the campus' oldest branch of student government, is largely research-based, but has a legislative body composed of a 33-member general assembly. The assembly is responsible for electing the six-member steering committee. Departing chairperson and Management and Technology senior Matthew Kratter described his former post as "highly influential in regard to the undergraduate curriculum." Kratter said the past semester has been a difficult one for SCUE, as their plan to revise the University calender was defeated by Provost Stanley Chodorow. "This was a very challenging year to be selling SCUE to the new administrators," he added. "[But] I think this committee has positioned itself at the top of this University." The group plans to release their 1995 White Paper on Undergraduate Education on March 23, the date of their 30th anniversary. This compilation will represent a "comprehensive five-year evaluation of undergraduate education at the University," according to its original proposal. In the past, SCUE has been responsible for such major University changes as the fall break vacation and the pass/fail course option.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
Members of the University's Board of Trustees discussed the need for minority role models at the University in a joint meeting of the Student Life and University Responsibility Committees last Thursday. Increasing the presence of minority role models -- such as professors -- is a primary factor in attracting a larger portion of the the historically small minority applicant pool, Board members said. In an effort to combat the problem, Roy Vagelos, the chairperson of the Board of Trustees, proposed a plan to cultivate minority role models. He said his plan was based on his experience as the former CEO of the pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. Vagelos advocated recruiting minority students to the University's undergraduate program, then "dragging" them through the University's graduate schools and encouraging them to stay with the University as faculty members. He also emphasized the need to keep minority professors on the University's staff. "Outplacement interviews have been suggested by administrators to evaluate how minorities felt about the University," he said. Other trustees agreed with Vagelos. "The number of minorities is few," said Trustee Ed Anderson. "And for the handful of minorities, an environment which provides people they can relate to is now more comfortable." Minorities are choosing schools in which the majority of students are minorities, Anderson added. According to Susan Catherwood, a vice-chairperson of the Board of Trustees, the University is actively recruiting minorities by offering financial aid, as well as tutoring. "Even though we are need blind, we have specific packages," she said. Despite an aggressive recruitment program to attract black students, there was a four percent decrease in their applications for undergraduate admission this year, according to Admissions Dean Lee Stetson. However, there was a 10 percent increase in the number of Hispanic applicants, and a one percent increase in the amount of Asians applying to the University.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
For the second time in less than two months, the completion of the parking garage at 38th and Walnut Streets has been delayed, Vice President of Facilities Management Arthur Gravina said last night. Originally, the department planned to open the garage immediately following winter break. The new scheduled date for completion is January 30, Gravina said. Labor disputes between the insulators and carpenters caused the delay, Gravina said. Both groups felt it was within their jurisdiction to take care of the insulation involved in the garage and the chill-water plant -- a facility that will be housed in the garage. The insulators picketed, and all workers involved in the project supported them by refusing to cross the picket line. "It cost us three or four weeks," Gravina said. "There's been a significant slack in construction? but now it has been resolved." Before the dispute began, the parking lot and chiller plant were scheduled to open immediately after winter break. The dispute was resolved last week and work began immediately after almost a month of stagnation, Physical Plant Executive Director James Wargo said. "We only have a small list of items left to do," he added. The project was launched in the spring of 1993 as a replacement for the lot at 36th and Walnut Streets. Administrators thought they would need to replace the lot because they had planned to build the Revlon Center there. Since then, however, the new administration decided to delay and research all capital projects -- including the building of the Revlon Center -- until they could investigate capital planning issues more thoroughly. Although construction on the garage continued, it was delayed for the first time at the beginning of December to take care of last minute details and mechanical problems, Business Services Vice President Steve Murray said. At the time, the fire alarm system did not pass proper testing procedures as well, Transportation and Mail Services Director Robert Furniss said. Gravina said labor disputes such as the insulators' picket happen frequently, but do not usually last this long. Extended delays occasionally occur when unemployment is higher, Gravina added. "Now, they are not about turn their heads when they see a possible jurisdiction problem," he said. The garage, once completed, will fit approximately 650 spaces in six levels of parking. Eventually, it will also include several stores such as Campus Copy Center, Joseph Anthony Hairstyling, Thrift Drug and Mail Boxes, Etc. According to Wargo, the garage will open before the stores do, although the stores should open before the end of the semester. The chill-water plant, now scheduled to open in February, will be able to chill water more cost effectively. It was designed to service new buildings, such as the Law School, the Institute for Advanced Science and Technology and the Revlon Center. Gravina said inspectors continue to conduct tests on the facilities, although it is "substantially complete." He added that since the chill-water plant is designed to produce ice during the night at lower electricity rates, it is used less during the winter. Therefore, there is no immediate rush to complete the plant, he said.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
Only a week after releasing separate plans for reforming the University's student government, College junior Mike Nadel and College senior Dan Schorr have reconciled their differences and published one united constitutional plan. And in reform meetings this weekend, other students said they disagreed with the major points of Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson and Wharton junior Dan Debicella's plan. But last night Debicella and Nadel, who is a member of the Student Activities Council Finance committee and a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist, said they were working on a compromise and hoped to have one plan on the ballot in April. Schorr, a UA representative, said the revised proposal would retain Nadel's name for the new student government -- Undergraduate Senate. But he added that SAC would continue to exist under the new plan -- an idea which Nadel at first did not support. "We wanted SAC as a check to ensure that groups don't get funding cut off completely," Nadel said. But SAC would lose almost all of its jurisdiction over student activity funding, he said. Most of its duties would consist of recognizing and organizing student activity groups. SAC could only overturn Undergraduate Senate cuts in activity budgets, according to Nadel. Nadel and Schorr support giving the Senate control over finances because they say that funds should be controlled by elected officials. The other elements of the plan are almost identical to the proposals Schorr and Nadel released last week, Schorr said. At a reform meeting on Friday afternoon, Debicella presented his proposals,which dealt mostly with electoral reform. Debicella said his plans represented an answer to the problems facing student government. But he added that he was going to work on a compromise with Schorr and Nadel. "The way to raise the quality of people on the UA is through electoral reform," he said. "But the key is that everybody be willing to compromise." Nadel and Schorr said they were only willing to compromise to a certain extent. "Dan [Debicella] wants us to compromise on the principle of having an open, democratic and solidified government," Schorr said. "Those are principles that we don't feel we should compromise on."
(01/23/95 10:00am)
and Melissa Wagenberg The dress was elegant, the food was not, and the behavior was? just silly. With characteristic Daily Pennsylvanian charm, the collective torch was passed from former Executive Editor Jordana Horn and the 110th Board of Editors and Managers to the 111th Board, led by incoming-Executive Editor Charlie Ornstein, at the annual DP banquet Saturday night. Following the cocktail hour and the generally forgettable dinner, DP bigwigs began a night of speeches and awards. The DP Alumni Association presented Wharton senior and outgoing Sports Editor Adam Rubin with an award for writing, and College junior and incoming Photography Editor Stephen Shapiro with an award for photography. Rubin also won the DP's prestigious Editor of the Year award. The News department awarded College sophomore Lisa Levenson Reporter of the Year, and incoming Associate Editor and College sophomore Kara Blond the Most Improved Reporter award. College sophomore Jeff Wieland received the Most Valuable Writer award from the Sports Department. He was joined in his honor by Wharton senior Adam Steinmetz, who took the department's Best Writer award, and by the Most Improved Sports Writer and College sophomore Srik Reddy. The Photo department became the focus of the evening when incoming editor Adam Mark, a College sophomore, stumbled up to the podium, to receive his award for Most Valuable Photographer. College sophomore Evelyn Hockstein was named Most Improved Photographer. College junior and 34th Street Magazine Managing Editor was named best Street writer, and College senior Bret Stuntz received the Most Valuable Player Street award. Among those recognized by the Business department were College junior Caroline Parmigiani and College junior Lori Lovitz, incoming Associate Sales Managers. But despite this glory, University President Judith Rodin said DP writers are more like "vigilantes" than honorable truth-seekers. "I watched the movie The Paper in preparation for dealing with people pretending to be reporters," she said in a speech which received a mixture of polite laughter and boos from the audience. After the dinner, banquet guests adjourned to the Penn Tower hotel for drinking and dancing -- with a decided emphasis on the drinking part. "If my memory serves me correct, the banquet was a lot of fun for all those who attended," Ornstein said. "But one thing is for certain. Kara Blond and Andrew Figel were the most drunk. I have never seen two people more drunk in my entire life." But while Blond and Figel were the most inebriated couple, they were hardly alone in their inebriation. "Jordana and I are lovers," said College junior Greg Montanaro, the new City editor. The very tipsy College sophomore and DP beat reporter Amy Lipman was overheard offering to bring the entire Sports Department home. Unfortunately for Lipman, no one took her up on her offer.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
Two fraternities were found in violation of the InterFraternity Council's "Bring Your Own Beer" policy this weekend amidst complaints that alumni monitors acted unfairly. Pi Kappa Phi and Zeta Psi were caught by monitors serving alcohol at parties Thursday. IFC sources said the remaining six chapters holding "large" events had relative success with BYOB. "We had a meeting this afternoon, [and] our general feeling was that this weekend was a lot like we expected," said IFC President David Treat, a College junior. "We expected some groups to comply more than others." But some fraternity members said the monitors were overzealous -- given that this was the first weekend since the new policy took effect. "At Pi Kap they individually counted the number of beers behind the counter, and then the number of people at the counter," said College senior Ryan Heil, Social Chair and Risk Management Officer for Delta Psi. "I personally witnessed them arrive at Zeta Psi before the starting time." Treat said the Graduate Alumni Council and the IFC are still working on the specifics of the implementation of monitoring. "Anytime you introduce a new policy, it takes awhile for it to get implemented fully," said IFC Judicial Manager Josh Gottheimer, a College sophomore. But Sigma Phi Epsilon Secretary and Wharton sophomore Tim Lash said the tough standards are necessary. "I believe that they might have seemed overzealous, but the policy will fail unless there is strict monitoring," Lash said. IFC executive board members said Thursday they expected some violations during the first weekend. The success largely depended on cooperation from the University community, they said. Sigma Phi Epsilon reported last night its BYOB event this weekend was a success -- and that students cooperated with the policy. "I think our guests thought they had a fine time," Lash said. Others said students were less than cooperative. "The amount of pressure [the monitors] put on fraternities this weekend and the amount of sanctioning is completely inequitable with the level of participation that the fraternities got from students," Heil said. Reports from monitors will be forwarded to the Greek Peer Judicial Board. Chapters could be placed on social probation for as much as three months. Pi Kappa Phi President Dave Robbins, a Wharton sophomore, refused to comment on the monitors' findings. Representatives for Zeta Psi were unavailable for comment last night.
(01/20/95 10:00am)
Administrative restructuring sounds like an issue that does not truly affect students. But a recommendation that could affect all students living in the residences is buried in the Coopers & Lybrand report under the "Facilities Management" category. The report, released this week, recommends that Residential Maintenance be consolidated with the Facilities Management Department. Coopers & Lybrand's report said the combination of the two departments could reduce costs by between $100,000 and $200,000 a year. Administrators say this recommendation has positive and negative aspects. "It looks like an area of redundancy," Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta said. "But there is no real area of cost savings." He added that he will put together a more formal response to the recommendation in the near future. "Residences will have to have separate services -- separate, free-standing unit," Moneta said. Executive Director of Physical Plant James Wargo said he wants to study the issue more thoroughly before passing judgement on the recommendation. "It has to be studied to see if it would be cost effective," Wargo said. "But we need to see if we would lose coverage for students if it came under general maintenance." Acting Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum voiced similar sentiments, saying that determining "what provides the most exemplary services" is most important. "We should speak with students, faculty and staff currently in the residences, look at some of the historical issues, and look at what institutions like us do," McCoullum said. "I think we need those three sets of information before we move ahead." According to McCoullum, the report was centered around the Executive Vice President's Office, but created "ripples that affected everyone, including the VPUL." Wargo said he needs to determine if quality services can be provided to the residences if a separate Residential Maintenance Department ceases to exist. "Anything we can do to streamline what we do and be cost effective in doing it, while keeping or bettering the quality of service is what we should try to do," he added. "We have to meet the demands of our customers." Wargo added that Physical Plant is also looking into the other recommendations in the report, including those advocating better communication with its clients. "We have initiated a quality discussion with our customers about our services," he said, noting that regular meetings have begun with the Medical School, the Dental School, the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Wharton School. "By looking at and understanding the needs of our customers and their objectives and goals, we can deliver services to them," Wargo added. Other recommendations to the Facilities Management department included developing a "comprehensive Master Facilities Plan" and increasing the use of general contractors. Director of Residential Maintenance Lynn Horner was unavailable for comment.
(01/20/95 10:00am)
Professing innocence even after his sentence was handed down, 1963 Wharton graduate John Voigt was sentenced yesterday to more than 15 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Garrett Brown. Voigt was convicted on counts of conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering and tax evasion, and sentenced to 188 months in prison, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Ernst. "Under federal sentencing guidelines, there is no parole," Ernst said. The charges stemmed from Voigt's involvement in an international fraud scheme that deprived more than 50 victims around the world of more than $20 million. Voigt was found guilty in June 1994 of creating two bogus institutions, the "Euro-American Money Fund Trust" and "Meta Trading and Finance International," which he used to defraud investors. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Voigt promised investors that Euro-American could provide loans to businesses for tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in return for an advance fee ranging from $50,000 to $500,000. These fees were then distributed to the participants in the scheme. Voigt also solicited buyers for a bogus security called a "Master Collateral Commitment," which he offered to sell for between $3 million and $4.5 million. The victims of the scheme ranged from international businessmen to the Moscow City Council, which paid $4.37 million to purchase an MCC. Prosecutors in the case claimed that Voigt relied on his education at the Wharton School and his biography in "Who's Who in Industry and Finance" to lend credibility to his bogus institutions. Prosecutors relied on this deception and two previous convictions, one for impersonating a CIA officer and one for tax evasion, to obtain the maximum sentence for Voigt. "I think the severity of the sentence is appropriate for the severity of the crime," Ernst said. According to Larry Lustberg, one of Voigt's attorneys, the sentence did not come as a shock. "I think it's a very long sentence," he said. "But he was well-prepared for it." Wharton spokesperson Chris Hardwick declined to comment on the case. "We can't speak for our alumni," he said.
(01/20/95 10:00am)
Students can now satisfy a midnight craving for tacos, a late night croissant fix, or a thirst for a "new age" beverage at any time of the day without even leaving Locust Walk. Chats, a late night, non-alcoholic facility that will provide students with a place to gather, snack and relax, will open on February 6 in the Class of 1920 Commons, Dining Services Director Bill Canney announced last night. The entire renovation will cost less than $250,000. All money is coming from equipment reserve funds, he said. "Everything's on target and I'm very excited," Class of '20 Commons Manager John Henkel said. "I want it to be place where the students can come to sit down, shoot the breeze, talk and maybe even have a cup of coffee." The eatery will include a Taco Bell Express, a bakery cafe, Gene's Beans coffee shop, and "new age" beverages -- which include Arizona iced teas and Snapple drinks. Both Henkel and Canney stressed that prices for all of these eateries will be kept low. Canney said the blend of the retail facility with the dining services' "all you can eat" program will provide more options for students. Much discussion has occurred -- both verbally and on the upenn.dining-services newsgroup -- regarding what Chats will serve and how the facility will operate, Henkel said. Many students expressed concern over whether Chats would have televisions. Henkel said that the facility, which will take up the three rooms on the middle floor of the dining hall, will have televisions in two of the three rooms. The third will be a quiet area for coffee and studying. "For a while, students figured there was going to be one room and [they] didn't know how you could watch TV, talk and drink coffee all at once," Henkel said. "But with three rooms, it's okay." College junior Reuven Bell advocated serving Kosher food at Chats for those students who normally have to eat at Penn Hillel. "As part of the University community, we'll have a place to socialize and eat, other than Hillel," Bell said. Henkel said Chats' bakery will have Kosher desserts for those students. In addition, Chats will contain three campus telephones and a computer for electronic mail use, Canney said. Students will pay primarily through cashless methods -- they can open a Chats debit account or charge purchases to their bursar bill. In addition, machines similar to copy card machines will allow students to use cash to put money on their Penncard while at Chats, and then use their Penncard to pay for purchases. Canney said that along with its Locust Walk location, this system was one of the best aspects of Chats. "[The location] plays in line with the safety issues at the University," he said. "We feel really good about the location, also because it's right by people who live on-campus or off-campus." Neon signs will adorn the front of the dining hall, and a lit retail sign will sit on Locust Walk in order to make that area of the Walk brighter and safer.
(01/20/95 10:00am)
"Bring Your Own Beer" will be put to the test tonight as four InterFraternity Council chapters hold registered parties for the first time since a new alcohol policy was implemented earlier this week. And students across the University are anxious to find out whether the policy will hold up in practice. "I would say that we're very hopeful that this weekend will run well," said IFC President and College junior David Treat. "[But] it may be a tough transition." For IFC officers, transition involves dealing with fraternities allegedly planning ways to circumvent the new rules. "I've been warning fraternities who are planning on it that they're going to get in trouble," said IFC Judicial Manager Josh Gottheimer, a College sophomore. For students, transition means thinking about the effects a new policy will have on their social lives. "I wouldn't be surprised if I see more off-campus parties," College freshman Scott Miller said. The policy stands to affect underage freshmen and sophomore students -- who face difficulty in purchasing alcohol themselves -- the most. "It sucks," said Engineering freshman Brian O'Grady. But time is the answer, according to Treat. "Our hope is to get some real cooperation from the Penn community," he said. "Once people get used to this system as they have on other campuses, we'll still be able to throw great parties like we've always done." Members of the Greek system said last night it appears the new policy will be followed this weekend. "It would be an imprudent move for any frat to attempt to throw a non -BYOB party this weekend," said Alpha Chi Rho brother and Greek Peer Judicial Board member Kenan Altunis, a Wharton and Engineering sophomore. Despite speculation that plans had been developed to circumvent the policy, IFC representatives said they are confident that monitors will be able to effectively enforce the new policy. "The monitors aren't stupid," Gottheimer said. "Some of them are former brothers themselves and currently lawyers and they know what's going on." The IFC is concerned about keeping a "level playing ground" for fraternities -- which means keeping chapters in line with the rules. "Unfortunately, someone is probably going to be made an example of ? fraternities will realize how serious the policy is," he said. A violation of the BYOB policy can put a chapter on social probation for as much as three months. Gottheimer said students should be prepared for the changes. "Besides getting ready and getting dressed, go grab a six pack," he said.
