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(02/03/98 10:00am)
The fraternity is trying to rebuild its membership after seeing its membership fall in recent years. Thirty-three years after selling its house to the University and shutting down its charter, Penn's chapter of the Acacia fraternity is on its way to rebuilding its membership -- again. Last fall, the University threatened to shut down the Acacia's Franklin chapter -- which was recolonized in 1989 -- because its membership had dwindled to one brother. But recent intervention by national representative Mike Keating, coupled with the dedicated efforts of new members, have expanded the fraternity's membership to 11, including four new pledges, according to Acacia President Ned Nurick, a College senior. Like many national fraternities in the 1960s, Acacia, which was founded in 1906, was disbanded in 1965 in the wake of the rampant social protest of that decade. Its former house, known as the Drexel mansion -- which contained a chapel with stained-glass windows -- was located at the current site of High Rise South. The Franklin chapter was officially recolonized in 1989 after several students gradually rebuilt the fraternity's membership. In 1990, the chapter then won the Medeira Award, which is awarded by other Greek organizations to the top fraternity on campus. But in December 1991, several Acacia brothers were charged with sexual harassment after stealing and distributing a nude picture of a female Penn student. The fraternity was put on two years of social probation. According to Acacia Vice President Kevin Dougherty, a College of General Studies junior, this "highly publicized incident" caused a dramatic decline in the fraternity's membership in subsequent years. In fact, the fraternity did not have a single pledge in the spring of 1993. When the chapter was left with one member at the beginning of last fall, the national organization sent Keating to help attract more members. "[Keating] was 100 percent responsible for recruiting all six new brothers," Nurick said, explaining that Keating sent out mass e-mails and conducted one-on-one meetings to attract new pledges in the fall of 1997. This semester, the brothers are handling their own recruitment with some help from Keating. So far, the recruitment process is "going better than I expected," Nurick said. And both Nurick and Dougherty noted that the diversity of the brothers and the commitment to ideals such as community service could help them attract more members. "Being a fraternity that practices what we preach separates us from others," said Nurick. Dougherty also said he was encouraged by the leadership opportunities the fraternity provides. "The most attractive thing [about our fraternity] is the chance to be involved in something, almost from the beginning," he said. And Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski -- who spent time with two Acacia brothers on a recent retreat for Greek presidents -- said the "small but devoted [fraternity is] doing well."
(01/27/98 10:00am)
Iowa State Daily AMES, Iowa (U-WIRE) -- Testimony ended Friday at the administrative sexual harassment hearing of Iowa State Professor Michael Simonson, with three women saying they received unwanted sexual advances on separate occasions from Simonson. One of the prosecution's witnesses, Patricia Mowatt, a self-employed photographer from Cedar Falls, told the court she was raped by Simonson in 1989 while they shared a hot tub. Simonson, professor of curriculum and instruction in the College of Education, is accused of violating university policy, creating a hostile environment and offensive conduct. Mowatt gave her testimony over the telephone. She said she was invited by Connie Hargrave, professor of curriculum and instruction and an ISU alumna, to the home of Curriculum and Instruction Professor Anne Thompson in Cedar Falls. Hargrave was house-sitting for Thompson while she was out of town. Mowatt, Simonson and several other women were using a hot tub in the home. Mowatt said she was sitting across from Simonson in the tub when he pulled her towards him and started kissing her. She said Simonson pulled at the bottom of her one-piece swimsuit, and she felt a part of Simonson's body "penetrating" her, although she wasn't sure what part it was. When asked by the prosecution, Mowatt said she now believes she was raped by Simonson, although she has never pressed charges against him. She said the only person she told about the incident was Hargrave, who Mowatt said "didn't seem to be too surprised." The incident Mowatt described is similar to the earlier testimony of Mindy Gallagher, graduate student in curriculum and instruction, who said Simonson put his hand down her boxer shorts while they were in a hot tub at his home. Simonson, who on Thursday testified he has never touched a woman inappropriately, was called to the stand once again to respond to Mowatt's testimony. He said Hargrave invited him to the house, but because the party was eight years ago, he does not remember Mowatt or any of the other guests. He said he was never was alone with anyone in the hot tub, and he never raped or sexually assaulted anyone at the gathering in 1989 or at any other time. Defense Attorney Stephen Terrill questioned Simonson about his relationship with Hargrave. Simonson said Hargrave has visited him at least three times since the sexual harassment charges were brought against him to offer her support. He said she has never disapproved of his conduct. During the trial, it was stated that Sharp is up for tenure this year, and Simonson is on her promotion and tenure committee. Sharp said she and Simonson had a passing conversation this fall in which Simonson reminded her of his position on the committee, adding that she felt Simonson was threatening her. A third witness, Heather Verwers, a former Ames resident, said Simonson had once hugged her tightly and tried to kiss her while they were in her home with a group of friends. Simonson countered by saying Verwers was upset that night because she had just broken up with her ex-husband, and he hugged her to show his support. "I did what was right," he said.
(01/22/98 10:00am)
From Daniel Fienberg's, "The Flen Print: London Cast," Fall '98 From Daniel Fienberg's, "The Flen Print: London Cast," Fall '98Green felt. Little squares of cryptically intentioned blue chalk. Six pockets, plastic reinforced, await perfectly round balls carried by the twin forces of luck and imagined geometric skill. Everything in place. Oh yeah, there's also a difference in that since I arrived here two weeks ago, I haven't heard anyone so much as mention Prime Minister Tony Blair's genitals. In this country where chromatic simplicity would seem to reign like another Windsor, you actually can find pool halls which feature the ol' standbys stripes and solids. As for the other?. "So what's the word on Bill Clinton's penis?" Trust me, it sounds even funnier coming in a Liverpool accent. ("Hi. My name is Ringo. I play the drums.") And it sounds even more out of place when all you're doing is playing pool and talking about football (er, soccer) matches. Still, this bloke had made the association that, as an American, my every thought would be tied to the President and his deposition. You see, here in London we're getting ready to go to war, while back in the States (apparently) Paula Jones & Co. are getting all the press. If you trust The Guardian, the best newspaper in this media-glutted city, the U.K. is all set to battle with Iraq. Apparently, let me add, by themselves. The stories make scarce reference to the United Nations and even less to potential U.S. involvement in the conflict. Just as well, because, no doubt, there are more important things happening below the (sorta) Leader of the Free World's belt. Or at least that's what the page 17 blurb on the deposition implies. Our world has stopped. Or at least that's what the Lilliputian (or is that something else?) thinks. I trust it hasn't. With no Philadelphia Inquirer or New York Times in sight, it becomes very difficult to tell. Then you read that Clinton's approval ratings are still hovering over 60 percent and it becomes clear that no one cares about the blemishes. They don't care because, let's face it, things are pretty good. If the stock market were plunging and inflation was soaring and no one was even pretending to balance the budget, how quickly would Newt or Trent or Charleton Heston be calling for Clinton's impeachment on the grounds that he had disgraced the office? Instead, the Paula Jones trial has become something of a joke in the United States. Americans chuckle because Genifer Flowers is coming to Clinton's aid by insisting that when she was having an affair with him, he did not have any distinguishing marks. That's just good comedy. Does anyone really believe Jones? Does anyone really believe Clinton? Basically, the answer is the same: who cares? Now that certainly is not the way things necessarily should be. If the President did sexually harass this woman, the implications are quite serious. For now, that's not the concern. As I said, things are pretty good. Things are good in London as well. Unemployment is down. Wages and union activity are down as well, but no one cares yet. Blair is still riding a large wave of popularity based on the twin achievements that he seems nicer than Margaret Thatcher and cooler than Johnny Majors -- difficult chores, each. As a result, papers have to find other bad things to play up on the front page. We get word of the impending Gulf War II: Tie Another Yellow Ribbon. Oh, and we also get news of a disaster up in Oxford. Someone went back through exams at the world's most prominent university and in the past three years, there have been 140 words misspelled. Apparently this bodes poorly not only for Oxford's reputation, but for all of Western Civilisation as well. I wouldn't want to suggest The Guardian was trying a little hard to print news of Armageddon, but how bad is it that nobody knows how to spell "skepticle?" Oops. In England, reading about the sex lives of politicians is pretty boring. While the British don't obsess about the royal family as much as we Yanks think they do, the idea of a respected public figure getting caught with his trousers down is quite normal (though as I said, Clinton's counterpoint Blair has stayed decent this whole fortnight). London is a city, after all, with at least a half dozen "legitimate" daily tabloids. The "truth" tends to make it into print. If a minor royal or member of parliament were in Clinton's position, it would hardly be news. Still, people hear are amused to see something like this happen across the pond. The Brits on my dorm floor weren't sure whether they should be amazed at how big a deal Americans make about Clinton's affairs du coeur or how small a deal it all is. Back to the game: Playing on the eight ball (yes, still black) and my opponent scratches. Almost victory for me, but British rules dictate otherwise. The game goes on. Back to the politics: Attempting to start an argument, my opponent returns to Clinton's private parts. Possible humiliation for me, but American rules dictate otherwise. "I couldn't care less," I chuckle. The game goes on.
(11/20/97 10:00am)
The condoms have arrived. After months of eager anticipation fueled by signs proclaiming, "The condoms are coming," the contraceptives finally appeared in full force yesterday, as part of a Wharton Management 100 project designed to foster "openmindedness on safe sex and sexuality." The Management group -- which calls itself Wharton Students Educating Generation X, or Wharton SEX -- sponsored a workshop on safe sex and homosexuality in conjunction with SafeGuards, a gay men's health program in Philadelphia. At the talk, students distributed condoms -- in different flavors, no less -- as they have done all week on Locust Walk. Wharton freshman Chianoo Schneider, one of the group's members, said the University community needs a more open attitude about sexuality. She noted that after the group hung strings of condoms up and down Locust Walk Tuesday, University officials ordered that they be removed. Safeguards Project Coordinator Chris Bartlett said that he wanted "to set up an atmosphere tonight where people can say what they want about gay people or about heterosexual people? without being harassed." Bartlett, who is openly gay, noted that he always knew he was attracted to men. He recalled an incident when he was a toddler and his mother pointed out a cute girl at a pool, saying that someday he would marry someone like that. "I looked at the lifeguard and knew that that was who I was interested in," he said. Bartlett added, however, that while he may have been born a homosexual, he chose to be gay. "I could have just been a man who had sex with other men," he said. Being gay, he explained, is a lifestyle decision, while being a homosexual is something one cannot help. Later in the workshop, Bartlett provided the event's highlight by showing how to put a condom on your partner with your mouth. Bartlett then put a condom over his entire fist and then over his head to illustrate that "no matter what he says, no one's penis is that big." During the event, each student in the room wrote down one positive and one negative thing that came to their mind about gays. One student wrote that a negative aspect was the fear of having a gay friend hitting on you. Bartlett stressed the importance of communication in such a situation, saying that having gay friends is a wonderful opportunity to learn about a different culture. "It's really being confident in your masculinity and your own sexuality to be friends with a gay man," he said. Positive aspects students wrote about included several stereotypical gay traits, including sensitivity, kindness and good sense of fashion. Bartlett said that while some of these traits are true in some cases, they are no more correct than the belief that gay men are sex-crazed pedophiles. Following the discussion of homosexuality, Bartlett discussed different types of contraceptive devices and tips for having safer sex, including his two demonstrations.
(11/13/97 10:00am)
Few lawyers can lay claim to representing such clients as Anita Hill, Tupac Shakur and John Gotti. But Charles Ogletree Jr., a practicing lawyer and Harvard Law School professor, discussed his representation of these controversial public figures yesterday at a talk entitled "The Case for Client-Centered Advocacy." Beginning his speech by revealing his thoughts about entering the legal profession, Ogletree said, "If I was going to do this, I had to give all clients the best representation that I could." Ogletree, who cited examples from his earlier years trying civil cases, noted the care he takes to protect the interests of his clients, guilty or innocent. While he said defending a guilty client does not come without a cost, he believes every defendant deserves a fair trial -- just as every hospital patient deserves medical treatment. "Doctors don't pass judgement on their patients. They simply treat them according to the Hippocratic Oath," Ogletree told the crowd of about 100 at the Law School. "This is the highest degree of professionalism." He added that defending clients who are guilty proves especially tricky when they are "well known, controversial, notorious people." In his defense of mob boss John Gotti, Ogletree sought to prevent his client's reputation from interfering with legal proceedings, especially jury selection and cross examination. Cases like Tupac Shakur's, however, leave Ogletree wondering what more he could have done to help his client. Although Shakur's trial ended in acquittal, it was quickly followed by his murder in 1996. He described Shakur as "one of the most complicated, exciting figures" he had met and praised him as a "poet, philosopher, educator, activist and artist? who had good ideas to bring to the forefront." Ogletree also stressed that lawyers can best represent their clients by listening to and respecting their wishes. Using the recent Massachusetts au pair trial as an example, he said the defense lawyers properly eliminated the possibility of a manslaughter conviction at their client's request. In his advisement of Anita Hill when she accused current Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment, for example, Ogletree was careful to preserve his client's personal life. He said Hill was "a lawyer who wanted to provide testimony as a witness in a case that had large public value" and that he "sought to protect her by not responding to the patronization of the Senate Judiciary Committee by sinking to their level." First-year Law student David Leibowitz expressed admiration for Ogletree's speech, which was this year's installment of the annual Hon. A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. Lecture. "I have seen Ogletree on television and live before so he is a known quantity to me and I was expecting great things," he said. "He is eloquent and? he handles himself in and out of the courtroom with rare class and ethic." He added that he particularly admired Ogletree's admission of the personal cost of defending guilty parties.
(10/28/97 10:00am)
On the first day of on-campus Army recruiting, Law students and faculty members held a demonstration. The first wave of military recruiters got less than a red carpet welcome yesterday at the Law School, as more than 40 Law students and faculty members protested their arrival with signs proclaiming, "It's all about the benjamins baby," "Discrimination demoralizes" and "So much for Solomon's wisdom." The Law School had barred on-campus military recruiting because the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy toward homosexuals violates the school's nondiscrimination policy. But fearing the loss of federal financial aid, Law School faculty voted last week to cooperate with the government and and allow recruitment for a trial year. The Army's Judge Advocate General Corps announced last week that a representative would begin recruiting yesterday, and despite the short notice, students and faculty contested the Law School's decision by protesting at the JAG information and recruitment session. Protesters paraded through the meeting room before the start of session chanting, "We didn't ask. They shouldn't come," and waving picket signs playing on popular military slogans. Army JAG representative Mary Bradley told those in attendance that she understood the Law School's policy but was "not going to debate it or pass judgement on it." Protesters stood together on one side of the room and repeatedly interrupted Bradley to ask questions pertaining to JAG Corps discrimination. Students barraged Bradley with questions on homosexual conduct cases, domestic partner benefits and sexual harassment. Bradley -- who initially posed for photographs with the protesters and asked to keep anti-JAG posters -- responded by diverting the questions to relevant recruitment topics or refusing to answer altogether. "I am just here to do my presentation for the JAG Corps," she said. "But I can give you the phone number of someone who can answer your questions." Bradley also discussed the Army's JAG summer internship program, which, unlike active duty, does not discriminate in any form. She said the program is interested in Law students with "great leadership ability," and pointed to third-year Law student Erik Oliver, one of the protest organizers, as an example of such a leader. "[Bradley] was obviously trying to play it friendly most of the way," Oliver said. "But whether she is generally sympathetic or cynical, I'm not sure. Clearly, it was to the military's advantage to send someone who is bright and articulate so she can easily dodge the issues." Protesters did not press Bradley further, nor did they obstruct the entrance of the handful of students who came to listen to her presentation. Most interested students arrived after the presentation had begun and left shortly afterward. "I thought the entire session went very well," said Gary Clinton, assistant dean of student affairs for the Law School. "I'm very proud of the law students. They did a wonderful job in such a short amount of time." And first-year Law student Sujatha Bariga said "protesters did extremely well using their legal strengths to undermine the Army's position." Both students and faculty stressed that they will be more prepared to protest Navy, Marine and Air Force JAG Corps recruitment, which could begin as early as next week.
(10/17/97 9:00am)
A woman's claim that she was assaulted in the basement of the Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in August is "unfounded," police have determined. The 28-year old Veterinary student was found semi-conscious and bound in a basement locker room of the Veterinary Hospital August 28. She told police she did not remember what happened to her. Philadelphia Police Sex Crimes Unit Lt. Ken Coluzzi commented at the time that the woman's "hands were bound with a dog leash and her blouse or her top portion of her clothes were pulled up kind of like around her head." University Police also concluded that a similar incident last May -- when the woman said she had been hit on the head from behind -- and more than 30 threatening letters she received over the summer are also unfounded, University officials said. Public Safety officials announced their findings Monday, while most students were away for fall break. Philadelphia news outlets reported on the development earlier this week, also while many students were away. University spokesperson Ken Wildes noted that "this is an extremely complex situation" and that all the answers may not be known for a long time. He refused to say exactly what "unfounded" meant, advising instead that "you draw your own conclusions." But Public Safety Special Services Director Susan Hawkins said "unfounded basically means that no criminal act occurred." "The events could not have occurred the way they were reported," she said. Hawkins refused to comment on any specifics in the case. She stressed that "there are great concerns to protect the privacy of the student involved," and noted that "we don't know precisely what occurred." "There's obviously something troubling going on here," she said. "We're concerned for her. But she was not the victim of any criminal act." Although University officials refused to speculate on this incident, there are a number of explanations -- some of which are psychological -- for an "unfounded" case. "I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that this is faking," Director of Counseling and Psychological Services Ilene Rosenstein said. She cited University confidentiality policies in refusing to comment on this specific case or whether she has ever spoken to the woman involved, but she described some of the possible psychological explanations that could explain why a case is termed "unfounded." Someone may fabricate such an incident for personal gain -- a condition known as "malingering," according to Rosenstein. Even though the explanation could be as deliberate as "malingering," she noted that this type of incident does not always result from a conscious decision-making process. "Basically, the person may not be totally aware that they're either exaggerating the truth or falsifying an event, may not even perceive what they're doing is made up? and the person sometimes does that for attention," she explained. Yet another possibility in this type of case is what Rosenstein called the "disassociate disorder" where the person does not remember what they did or what happened to them during that period of time. Above all, she stressed that incidents such as these should not lead people to doubt women who claim that they have been sexually assaulted or raped. "The majority of people -- 98 percent -- do not make up things like rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment," she noted.
(10/07/97 9:00am)
Former Linguistics graduate student Brian Linson couldn't find a lawyer to represent him when he first filed a 1995 sexual harassment lawsuit against the University. Then the U.S. Department of Justice, on the lookout for sex discrimination cases, found Linson. Without any prior notice, the agency's Civil Rights Division stepped in last January to aid Linson in his appeal of a 1996 federal court decision in favor of the University. Linson's appeal now depends on a case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, in which the court will rule whether same-sex harassment constitutes discrimination under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. In his own lawsuit, Linson accuses the University of allowing another male student to grab his genitals and ask for sexual favors. "Now it's Linson and the United States [versus] Penn," said the 31-year-old Linson. "It makes my case much more powerful." The Supreme Court case, Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc., centers upon a Louisiana man's claims that his boss and two co-workers, all male, sexually harassed him while he was employed on an offshore oil rig. The men allegedly pushed a bar of soap into Joseph Oncale's anus while he showered and threatened to rape him. In deciding against Oncale, the U.S. District Court and Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans both ruled that federal law didn't cover same-sex harassment claims. Oncale's attorneys appealed the May 1996 decision to the nation's highest court -- and the timing couldn't have been better for Linson. "Without the United States' interest being expressed, the [appeals court] judges? can just throw the case out," Linson said. Linson, a San Diego State University graduate who began his doctoral work at Penn in 1991, claims that fellow graduate student Kenjiro Matsuda sexually harassed him for about seven months beginning in September 1992. When Matsuda accused Linson of altering Matsuda's personal computer files, Linson said he did it because of Matsuda's harassment. In June 1993, the case went to the University's internal judicial system, which eventually dismissed Matsuda's charges. Linson, however, continued to press his sexual harassment complaint. The University dropped Linson from its program before his complaint wound its way through Penn's judicial system, claiming that he owed the University nearly $10,000 and had failed to register for the fall 1993 semester. Linson filed his lawsuit against Penn in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia in June 1995. After a series of motions and counter-motions by both sides, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Kelly ruled in favor of the University in August 1996, saying that Linson "failed to point to anything in the record indicating that the University's alleged discriminatory actions were gender-based." But five months later, Department of Justice attorney Linda Thome called Linson out of the blue, gave him the government's Federal Express account number and told him to send her all documents pertaining to the case so she could prepare a brief, Linson said. "Contrary to the district court's holding, there is no requirement that a plaintiff seeking to establish a Title IX violation also demonstrate that the educational institution treated his or her complaint differently because of his or her gender," the brief states. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has put Linson's case on hold pending the Supreme Court's decision in Oncale, even though Linson and Oncale brought their claims under different parts of civil rights law. Thome wasn't available for comment yesterday, and the University's outside attorney, Joe Tucker, referred questions to Associate General Counsel Brenda Fraser, who didn't respond to repeated telephone calls for comment.
(09/19/97 9:00am)
From Ned Nurick's, "Spare Change," Fall '97 From Ned Nurick's, "Spare Change," Fall '97The era of Big Government is over." "The end of welfare as we know it?" President Clinton said them both. Triangulation, vacillation, call it what you will. Clinton has tried to bridge the ideological war raging in America. Now, as we pause before crossing the wondrous, yet mythical bridge, we as Americans are faced with a crucial decision over the chasm of responsibility created by the absence of the New Deal crutch. New Dealers and neo-liberals will say you don't have the slightest idea how to cross a bridge, let alone be able to build one by yourself. They claim to be able to design a bridge and tell the government how to build one that will suit you best. Then and only with the assistance of case workers and career bureaucrats holding hands together can you take that first tentative step. The truth is, however, people know better than government. We can do it on our own. Heck, it is our God-given responsibility to pursue unbridled ambitions. In Monday's Wall Street Journal, columnist William Kristol, deplores the incrementalism that the Dick Morris-beguiled White House has engendered. Itsy-bitsy steps may win elections but substantive change they do not make. Unfortunately, the good folks inside the Beltway often miss the forest while trying to plant oaks and maples. No poll thus far has been able to signal to Billy Appleseed as to where our culture is shifting. So too has the mainstream media missed the pioneer grasses growing around them -- seedlings soon to mature into a new forest of thought. There is no forest according to the media unless there's a spotted owl trapped within a lumber forest on fire. In today's prosperous time we cannot abdicate our responsibility to affect and acknowledge change by waiting for the next crisis to play us. Entrenched ideologies represent the bad news. However, the better news remains the innovation and persistence of our generation and its grass roots forebearers. The forebearers seek personal responsibility and deferred gratification. They see government as neither wholly malignant nor wholly benign. But most of all, they recognize that government comes from the people, who must and do continue to reaffirm their commitment. Unfortunately, our opinion leaders, themselves residents of the Baby Boomer generation and beyond, grew up in an era where problems were not your problem but caused by someone else. In response to conflict Boomers sought radicalism and confrontation. Now it is our turn. We must be introspective and stand up to acknowledge our role and responsibility in society. The pioneers in personal responsibility -- though now on the fringe -- are bound to eventually seep influentially into the middle. As was the case of former Vice President Dan Quayle's condemnation of Murphy Brown, where Quayle was later vindicated by Clinton. Eventually the mainstream accepts changes innovated by perceived outsiders. But as John Cardinal Newmann said,"To be perfect is to change often." Presently, one group, Promise Keepers, stands above the fray. Begun as a grass roots organization by former Colorado football coach Bill McCartney, Promise Keepers advocates the resumption of male personal responsibility within the family structure. In a reaction typical of its generation, the protest-inclined National Organization of Women became the first group to take off their bras in protest of a (gasp) male Christian organization. By borrowing a favored tactic of the media, NOW decided not to rebut the message but instead tried to inflict collateral damage to the messenger in hopes the message would crash and burn. NOW declared Promise Keepers guilty of nearly every offense short of sexual harassment. But to my habitual surprise, they missed the point. The cultural lynching resembled closely the treatment of Louis Farrakhan -- who I incidentally don't hold in the highest esteem but refuse to ignore his message that resonates so strongly among the black community -- also a proponent of personal responsibility. Both Promise Keepers and Farrakhan aim to increase young and middle-aged male participation and responsibility in an era fraught with children born out of wedlock who don't know their fathers. Perhaps the ever vigilant NOW could turn its guns, errr? flower power, toward that problem as well? But what is "personal responsibility" for us, the whatever generation? Basically, responsibility has changed from an ideal based upon placing blame on others or institutions to introspection where we become proactive. We have to admit we have only ourselves to blame. The previous generations have set up support structures making us less self-reliant and more dependent upon feel good, quick fixes for our woes. A professor does not arbitrarily throw out Bs as the first bid in grade hondling. On the contrary, we as students have the responsibility to consistently maintain work and study throughout the semester so we may be rewarded with a deserving grade. And finally, if you hate Penn and regret you came to this little haven of hope in West Philly, stop whining, take some responsibility and reject the previous generations' cop-outs. If there was something my seventh-grade social studies teacher Mr. Martin taught me, it was his favorite aphorism: "If you talk a good game, you gotta step to the plate and produce."
(09/11/97 9:00am)
Plus, we have the added protection of separation of church and state. Based on these protections, can we assume that, as a culture, religious bigotry doesn't exist? Or, even if it does, Penn students are too enlightened? Unfortunately, we cannot. In the last several years persons in the Penn community have painted swastikas in the Quad on Hitler's birthday, phoned bomb threats to Hillel during Holocaust Remembrance Week and made bomb threats to the Muslim community and their friends during the Persian Gulf War. While I would hope most of the Penn community, regardless of religious affiliation, is appalled at such extreme behavior, religious bigotry usually takes a subtler turn on this campus. I define religious bigotry as any hurtful or potentially harmful behavior which imposes itself on "the other," whether an individual or a group, which has its basis in the belief of the innate superiority of one's own religion and the innate inferiority of the religion of the other. And, such behaviors and prejudicial attitudes are always condoned as being divinely justified. Christian bigotry usually takes the form of harassment. During the first semester it is usually a total stranger (or new acquaintance) telling you "I really like you but I fear for your soul if you don't come to Jesus." Translated this means "My religion is the only one with merit and your spiritual experience, religious belief, God, or lack thereof is dead wrong." Of course other Christians, whose religious experience or beliefs are different are not exempt from this kind of harassment either. Unfortunately, an arrogant presumption of being right can and is used for justify bashing sexual minorities, verbally and physically, imposing restraints on women's freedoms, allowing double standards for men and women, continuing idolatry of the male, not to mention bombing family planning clinics, and painting swastikas on the doors of a Jewish classmate. As a pastor, I am supportive of a strong commitment to one's God or obedience to one's religious moral code. But, if in our zeal and religious "commitment" we shut out the possibility of broadening our own understanding of God or if we condense the complexities of the spiritual journey into a simplistic, one line ideology, then our so-called "commitment" is not only self-righteousness but borders on bigotry. Of course it is satisfying to be right. It is indeed very comforting to be able to say, "And God agrees with me because the Bible says so and that makes you wrong." College years are a time to blow open the safe confines which kept our worlds small during childhood. It's a time to question and possibly to challenge some of the values and beliefs of our community and family. If we will apply the same intellectual quest to our faith and religion as we do to the other areas of academic life, contrary to losing our religious convictions, we may instead lose the naivete of a childhood belief system that life is predictable, and that mystery can be solved like a Sherlock Holmes novel. The wisdom from spiritual insights can rarely be condensed to a bumper sticker or a one sentence sound bit. By opening our minds we may discover that we gain a deeper faith, a greater appreciation for complexity, and an understanding that mystery is far greater than we had imagined. This may cause us to humble ourselves when we speak of God, our religion, our faith, or lack thereof. This shift in attitude is the antidote for religious bigotry. It opens the door to interfaith dialogue and prevents religiously inflicted wounds. This humility is what starts us on a mature, spiritual pilgrimage lasting throughout our lives. And humility is the beginning of wisdom. Have a great year and may we all become wise.
(09/08/97 9:00am)
History Professor Jack Reece died of a heart attack August 30 after serving the University community for nearly three decades. He was 56. His unexpected death -- from heart trouble caused by a pneumonia he contracted while battling AIDS -- left a "wide gap in the department," History Professor Robert Engs said. Reece specialized in modern European history at the undergraduate and graduate levels in both the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of General Studies until AIDS forced him to take medical leave in 1994. His expertise in Mediterranean Europe, Italy, France, fascism and modern Europe, will make him difficult to replace, History Professor Walter McDougall said. But more importantly, many of Reece's colleagues said they will miss his good humor, reliability and common sense. Reece joined Penn as a professor in 1971 after receiving his doctorate in modern European history from Stanford University. He arrived armed with an array of honors, including a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, a Ford Foundation Fellowship and a Phi Beta Kappa Key from his alma mater, the University of Michigan. Reece rose through the ranks of the History Department, eventually serving as chairperson of both the undergraduate and graduate departmental programs. He published a book in 1977 dealing with minority nationalism in Brittany. And at the time of his death, Reece was working on another book about the Sicilian Mafia. Additionally, he contributed to numerous history journals and lectured to political leaders and scholars at international conventions. Reece's lectures were also well-attended in his home court, where his popularity as a professor stemmed from a passionate teaching style that always encouraged camaraderie and "energetic student participation," according to McDougall. And History Department Chairperson Lynn Lees added that Reece "took a personal interest in all of his students." Reece received the Lindback Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching in 1973 and CGS named him its "Teacher of the Year" in 1989. But Reece's commitment to his students and colleagues extended far beyond the doors of 3401 Walnut Street. He became actively involved in approximately 25 committees, ranging from the University Task Force on HIV/AIDS to the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Racial and Sexual Harassment. He sought increased communication between faculty and the administration and mocked the pretensions of academic life. "Reece believed that Penn took itself too seriously," Engs said. "He wanted us to stop trying to pretend that we were Princeton and take pride in practical things." And former student Barry Bergen, who received his doctorate in history from Penn in 1987, remembered his mentor's dislike for politicians whose behavior didn't measure up to his standards. While Reece ignored pretentious academics, he embraced pragmatic scholars. His colleagues repeatedly described him as "kind-hearted, courageous and dignified." Former student Steven Zdatny -- who received his doctorate in history in 1982 -- said Reece possessed "a slightly distant and ironic approach to the world, combined with a fierce commitment to doing what was right and an unshakable personal honesty." "His understanding of the world and people went far beyond the ivy-covered walls of the academy," Bergen added. He epitomized the "model of a scholar, a teacher and a human being." The History Department will establish a memorial fund in Reece's honor by the end of the fall. All proceeds will benefit graduate students in history. Funeral services for Reece are scheduled for September 28 in Fulton, Mich.
(06/19/97 9:00am)
Hayes comes to Penn from Cornell's Office of Equal Opportunity. Valerie Hayes -- the Director of Cornell University's Office of Equal Opportunity -- will serve as Penn's new Executive Director of the Office of Affirmative Action as of August 1. "We are delighted that Valerie Hayes has accepted our offer to head the Office of Affirmative Action," University President Judith Rodin said. "Her record at Cornell is extremely impressive, and we are confident that she will accomplish great things here as well." Rodin added that "this is a time when leadership in affirmative action is more important that ever," and said she is "pleased that Valerie will help provide it here at Penn." Hayes was employed as a specialist for the Urban League of New Haven, Connecticut, and served as the senior affirmative action officer of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health before turning to a career in law. She graduated from the University of Bridgeport School of Law in 1989, where she was associate editor of the Law Review and won the National Brief Writing Competition Award. She is licensed to practice as an attorney in Pennsylvania and is a member of the American Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association. During her years at Cornell, Hayes was involved in the personnel policies, AIDS and HIV infection, sexual assault and discrimination/harassment procedures policy development groups and volunteered for student registration, summer tutoring and mediation for the Community Dispute Resolution Center of Ithaca. Hayes also served as a commissioner of the Tompkins County Human Rights Commission. Peter Vaughan -- Associate Dean of the School of Social Work -- headed the search committee that brought Hayes to the University, and Social Work Professor Howard Arnold served as the interim director of the affirmative action office.
(03/28/97 10:00am)
Coming out of the closet about one's sexual orientation may not be an easy move for anyone, but the pressure may be even more daunting for fraternity and sorority members. After surveying students at universities across the country, Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Director Scott Reikofski reported that "the tolerance level among fraternity and sorority people [towards homosexuals] was lower than that of the independent community." OFSA and the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Association cosponsored a discussion Tuesday on "Being Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual within the Fraternity and Sorority Communities." The event -- held in the Delta Delta Delta sorority house on Locust Walk --came during the celebration of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgendered Awareness Days. Bob Schoenberg, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Center, invited Reikofski, along with Sigma Phi Epsilon brother Ron Jenkins -- who could not make the discussion -- and LGBA Co-Chairperson Maria Gonzalez, a Sigma Lambda Upsilon sister, to speak on their experiences as Greeks who have come out. He also extended invitations to the students who conducted the study on homophobia in the Greek system, but time conflicts prevented them from attending the discussion. Although Reikofski never came out to his fraternity brothers as an undergraduate, he remembered that tolerance -- and a "just don't put the moves on me and we'll be fine" attitude -- prevailed in his house. He added that he "would like to think that? Penn's environment is significantly more tolerant" than at other schools. Reikofski noted that the Greek Penn students who have come out have not faced many serious problems. "My expectation is that [people] realize that this person is the same person as they were before [admitting homosexuality or bisexuality]," he said. "There's all different facets to us, and gays and lesbians are not just sexual beings." But Gonzalez complained of having received disparaging remarks from several fraternity members who passed by her as she was writing on Locust Walk during Saint Patrick's Day -- the beginning of B-GLAD. And School of Social Work administrative assistant Paul Lukasiak said he was harassed by some fraternity members after leaving a gay party. "There's a huge problem with homophobia," he said, noting that homophobic attitudes are "accepted and tolerated." Reikofski cited insecurity about one's own sexual orientation as a possible cause for homophobia. "Because there's such a strong stigma in our society; there's such an internal struggle," he said. "Until [people] wrestle with their own sexuality, anything that could be threatening to them causes discomfort. Rather than be suspected, [people] would rather lead the charges." But Schoenberg said fear was not an excuse for intolerance. "I always get so distressed when I hear the worst homophobes are closeted gay people," he said. Panhellenic Council Vice President for Publicity Beth Linn said Panhel's University constitution makes it a non-discriminatory organization. "Panhel supports all of its Greek women," the College sophomore and Tri Delt sister said. Panhel President and College junior Jessica Lennon added that she hopes "that the atmosphere that's fostered in sororities is very conducive to people expressing anything that they want -- sexuality being one of them." The Tri Delt sister she would like to plan workshops focusing on issues of sexual orientation, minority affairs and sexual harassment for the new member induction period. But neither the Panhel nor InterFraternity Council executive boards has addressed the topic of sexual orientation, according to Lennon and IFC President Matt Baker. "It's definitely an issue that should be addressed -- and probably will be addressed -- as we get rolling with our programs," Baker said. The College and Engineering junior and Alpha Chi Rho brother added that although such programming has not yet been planned, his cabinet with work with Panhel to offer educational seminars designed to decrease homophobia. He said the extent of sensitivity training offered "will depend on how much of an issue we think this is -- or find out this is." Reikofski said some individual fraternity chapter presidents have approached him about how to handle a brother's wanting to come out to his brothers. While Baker said he is unaware of how many members of the Greek system are gay, he said he "would hope that every chapter would be accepting of a member coming out and sharing, because that's what brotherhood is all about." But he added that "there are a lot of preconceived ideas and misconceptions that would need to be addressed if a brother [were] coming out." Gonzalez -- whose sisters knew she was a lesbian before she joined the house -- said she has met only with support from her BiCultural InterGreek Council sorority, which she labeled "a really tight-knit community of extraordinarily liberal women." "I think [tolerance is] a matter of education and also a matter of maturity," Gonzalez said.
(03/26/97 10:00am)
This article appeared in the joke issue. This article appeared in the joke issue.RappellingThis article appeared in the joke issue.Rappelling· March 24 -- University Police arrested University President Judith Rodin for rappelling from her first-floor College Hall office at approximately 1 p.m. Rodin explained she was "just giving it a try." This article appeared in the joke issue.Rappelling· March 24 -- University Police arrested University President Judith Rodin for rappelling from her first-floor College Hall office at approximately 1 p.m. Rodin explained she was "just giving it a try." TheftThis article appeared in the joke issue.Rappelling· March 24 -- University Police arrested University President Judith Rodin for rappelling from her first-floor College Hall office at approximately 1 p.m. Rodin explained she was "just giving it a try." Theft· March 25 -- Daily Pennsylvanian City News Editor Yochi "Nasty Boy" Dreazen found the guy who stole his bicycle last week and beat him to a bloody pulp at 34th and Walnut streets. The bicycle was not recovered in the incident, which occurred at high noon. This article appeared in the joke issue.Rappelling· March 24 -- University Police arrested University President Judith Rodin for rappelling from her first-floor College Hall office at approximately 1 p.m. Rodin explained she was "just giving it a try." Theft· March 25 -- Daily Pennsylvanian City News Editor Yochi "Nasty Boy" Dreazen found the guy who stole his bicycle last week and beat him to a bloody pulp at 34th and Walnut streets. The bicycle was not recovered in the incident, which occurred at high noon.· March 24 -- A diamond ring, $2,300 in cash, a laptop computer and numerous Dead Sea Scrolls belonging to a student were stolen from the fourth floor of Van Pelt Library between 2:35 p.m. and 2:40 p.m. The student had left the items unattended while he took a shit. This article appeared in the joke issue.Rappelling· March 24 -- University Police arrested University President Judith Rodin for rappelling from her first-floor College Hall office at approximately 1 p.m. Rodin explained she was "just giving it a try." Theft· March 25 -- Daily Pennsylvanian City News Editor Yochi "Nasty Boy" Dreazen found the guy who stole his bicycle last week and beat him to a bloody pulp at 34th and Walnut streets. The bicycle was not recovered in the incident, which occurred at high noon.· March 24 -- A diamond ring, $2,300 in cash, a laptop computer and numerous Dead Sea Scrolls belonging to a student were stolen from the fourth floor of Van Pelt Library between 2:35 p.m. and 2:40 p.m. The student had left the items unattended while he took a shit.· March 24 -- The Covenant sculpture in Superblock was stolen and replaced with real tampons between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. This article appeared in the joke issue.Rappelling· March 24 -- University Police arrested University President Judith Rodin for rappelling from her first-floor College Hall office at approximately 1 p.m. Rodin explained she was "just giving it a try." Theft· March 25 -- Daily Pennsylvanian City News Editor Yochi "Nasty Boy" Dreazen found the guy who stole his bicycle last week and beat him to a bloody pulp at 34th and Walnut streets. The bicycle was not recovered in the incident, which occurred at high noon.· March 24 -- A diamond ring, $2,300 in cash, a laptop computer and numerous Dead Sea Scrolls belonging to a student were stolen from the fourth floor of Van Pelt Library between 2:35 p.m. and 2:40 p.m. The student had left the items unattended while he took a shit.· March 24 -- The Covenant sculpture in Superblock was stolen and replaced with real tampons between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m.HarassmentThis article appeared in the joke issue.Rappelling· March 24 -- University Police arrested University President Judith Rodin for rappelling from her first-floor College Hall office at approximately 1 p.m. Rodin explained she was "just giving it a try." Theft· March 25 -- Daily Pennsylvanian City News Editor Yochi "Nasty Boy" Dreazen found the guy who stole his bicycle last week and beat him to a bloody pulp at 34th and Walnut streets. The bicycle was not recovered in the incident, which occurred at high noon.· March 24 -- A diamond ring, $2,300 in cash, a laptop computer and numerous Dead Sea Scrolls belonging to a student were stolen from the fourth floor of Van Pelt Library between 2:35 p.m. and 2:40 p.m. The student had left the items unattended while he took a shit.· March 24 -- The Covenant sculpture in Superblock was stolen and replaced with real tampons between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m.Harassment· March 24 -- A University employee who lives at 3812 Walnut Street reported receiving several sexually explicit telephone calls from a man who only identified himself as "John F." University Police's Special Services division is not handling the incident, which occurred between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. This article appeared in the joke issue.Rappelling· March 24 -- University Police arrested University President Judith Rodin for rappelling from her first-floor College Hall office at approximately 1 p.m. Rodin explained she was "just giving it a try." Theft· March 25 -- Daily Pennsylvanian City News Editor Yochi "Nasty Boy" Dreazen found the guy who stole his bicycle last week and beat him to a bloody pulp at 34th and Walnut streets. The bicycle was not recovered in the incident, which occurred at high noon.· March 24 -- A diamond ring, $2,300 in cash, a laptop computer and numerous Dead Sea Scrolls belonging to a student were stolen from the fourth floor of Van Pelt Library between 2:35 p.m. and 2:40 p.m. The student had left the items unattended while he took a shit.· March 24 -- The Covenant sculpture in Superblock was stolen and replaced with real tampons between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m.Harassment· March 24 -- A University employee who lives at 3812 Walnut Street reported receiving several sexually explicit telephone calls from a man who only identified himself as "John F." University Police's Special Services division is not handling the incident, which occurred between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.Disorderly ConductThis article appeared in the joke issue.Rappelling· March 24 -- University Police arrested University President Judith Rodin for rappelling from her first-floor College Hall office at approximately 1 p.m. Rodin explained she was "just giving it a try." Theft· March 25 -- Daily Pennsylvanian City News Editor Yochi "Nasty Boy" Dreazen found the guy who stole his bicycle last week and beat him to a bloody pulp at 34th and Walnut streets. The bicycle was not recovered in the incident, which occurred at high noon.· March 24 -- A diamond ring, $2,300 in cash, a laptop computer and numerous Dead Sea Scrolls belonging to a student were stolen from the fourth floor of Van Pelt Library between 2:35 p.m. and 2:40 p.m. The student had left the items unattended while he took a shit.· March 24 -- The Covenant sculpture in Superblock was stolen and replaced with real tampons between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m.Harassment· March 24 -- A University employee who lives at 3812 Walnut Street reported receiving several sexually explicit telephone calls from a man who only identified himself as "John F." University Police's Special Services division is not handling the incident, which occurred between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.Disorderly Conduct· March 25 -- University Police arrested more than 50 students in connection with a massive food fight at 1920 Commons. Police received reports of students dumping large canisters of soup on each other, emptying the drink machines and smashing lots of kiwis. This article appeared in the joke issue.Rappelling· March 24 -- University Police arrested University President Judith Rodin for rappelling from her first-floor College Hall office at approximately 1 p.m. Rodin explained she was "just giving it a try." Theft· March 25 -- Daily Pennsylvanian City News Editor Yochi "Nasty Boy" Dreazen found the guy who stole his bicycle last week and beat him to a bloody pulp at 34th and Walnut streets. The bicycle was not recovered in the incident, which occurred at high noon.· March 24 -- A diamond ring, $2,300 in cash, a laptop computer and numerous Dead Sea Scrolls belonging to a student were stolen from the fourth floor of Van Pelt Library between 2:35 p.m. and 2:40 p.m. The student had left the items unattended while he took a shit.· March 24 -- The Covenant sculpture in Superblock was stolen and replaced with real tampons between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m.Harassment· March 24 -- A University employee who lives at 3812 Walnut Street reported receiving several sexually explicit telephone calls from a man who only identified himself as "John F." University Police's Special Services division is not handling the incident, which occurred between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.Disorderly Conduct· March 25 -- University Police arrested more than 50 students in connection with a massive food fight at 1920 Commons. Police received reports of students dumping large canisters of soup on each other, emptying the drink machines and smashing lots of kiwis.No information was obtained from University Police. This article appeared in the joke issue.Rappelling· March 24 -- University Police arrested University President Judith Rodin for rappelling from her first-floor College Hall office at approximately 1 p.m. Rodin explained she was "just giving it a try." Theft· March 25 -- Daily Pennsylvanian City News Editor Yochi "Nasty Boy" Dreazen found the guy who stole his bicycle last week and beat him to a bloody pulp at 34th and Walnut streets. The bicycle was not recovered in the incident, which occurred at high noon.· March 24 -- A diamond ring, $2,300 in cash, a laptop computer and numerous Dead Sea Scrolls belonging to a student were stolen from the fourth floor of Van Pelt Library between 2:35 p.m. and 2:40 p.m. The student had left the items unattended while he took a shit.· March 24 -- The Covenant sculpture in Superblock was stolen and replaced with real tampons between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m.Harassment· March 24 -- A University employee who lives at 3812 Walnut Street reported receiving several sexually explicit telephone calls from a man who only identified himself as "John F." University Police's Special Services division is not handling the incident, which occurred between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.Disorderly Conduct· March 25 -- University Police arrested more than 50 students in connection with a massive food fight at 1920 Commons. Police received reports of students dumping large canisters of soup on each other, emptying the drink machines and smashing lots of kiwis.No information was obtained from University Police.-- Scott "Sultan" Lanman
(03/25/97 10:00am)
Shouts of "AViva just'cia!" filled Steinberg-Dietrich Hall last night as Dolores Huerta -- co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America -- stressed gender equality and farm workers' rights. Huerta, currently secretary-treasurer of the UFW, organized the union after witnessing discrimination against the workers. The group's membership includes 26,000 farm workers with union contracts, in addition to workers with medical and pension benefits. "Somewhere out there, the farm workers are picking the food which we have on our table every night, and we take them for granted," Huerta said. "If you were lost on an island, who would you rather have with you -- an attorney or a farm worker?" Huerta charged that workers are not provided with toilets or fresh water on the fields, and that the products are shipped straight to the markets without being cleaned. "There are pesticides out there and the workers are picking the fruit and then eating their lunches with pesticides on their hands, since they have no water," Huerta said. She is leading a campaign called "Five Cents for Fairness," asking chain stores to pledge to support installing toilets and fresh water in the fields for the workers and to provide women freedom from sexual harassment. According to Huerta, "close to 1,000 stores have already signed the pledge," including American Foods, a company which owns the Lucky, Jewel and Acme supermarket chains. "We're asking growers to obey the law and not to intimidate or harass the workers, but to provide them with necessities," Huerta said. "It's all about pressure and power, and the issue is who's going to have more power right now," she added. She said the "secret of organizing" is simply to bring people together, adding that "since every time people come together they are met with violence, we have to learn how to make things happen." Huerta concluded by noting that the only thing students can leave behind is what changes they make in society. "I just want to impress upon you that each of us has the power to change things," she said. College freshman Andrew March --Ewho was born in a UFW boycott house --Esaid meeting Dolores Huerta was a "great honor." "My parents were organizers of the boycott, and Dolores Huerta was a big part of our discussions and my upbringing all my life," he said. The keynote address was co-sponsored by El Movimiento Estudiant'l Chicano De Aztl
(03/20/97 10:00am)
From: Amar Kosaraju's, "And Justice For All," Fall '97 From: Amar Kosaraju's, "And Justice For All," Fall '97 I really don't understand how anyone can join a fraternity. Who in their right mind would ever would want to be a part of a fraternity? What kind of people join these "fraternities?" The answer is you. Whether you want to believe it or not, we are all a part of some kind of fraternity. In applying to Penn, you hoped for admission (or a bid) to the University. Once you decided to come here, you were required to spend the next four years killing yourself to get that valuable degree and membership to the Penn brotherhood. You were judged by an admissions committee to gain acceptance and then followed school guidelines -- whether you liked it or not -- in order to graduate thereby completing your pledging at the University. As students, we are a part of the Penn brotherhood. The professors here also have their unique fraternity. First, they are offered a job as an associate professor and then spend six stressful years trying to prove themselves so they can get tenure. They are constantly under the scrutiny of the full professor brotherhood who guide and advise them on their journey toward tenure. After the six years of pledging, the associate professor is judged by full professors for tenure and if so chosen, and given the status of full professor. The reality is we each have our own specific "fraternities" with separate guidelines and rituals defining each of the organizational and social groups we are a part of. Members of social fraternities are constantly seen on campus wearing their letters. The students of this University wear the same sweatshirts with the letters P-E-N-N sprawled on the front designating their membership to this University. The South Asian Society is as much a fraternity as the Hillel Student Association, in they each have a certain membership and exclusiveness associated with them. While we drive to live in this p.c. world, it is natural to associate with certain people and set guidelines for membership in different organizations among members who share common interests. However, for some reason, people do not have a problem wearing a Penn sweatshirt, advertising their Ivy League heritage, but will readily condemn and detest fraternity members for wearing their letters and being proud of their organizations. If you turn on the television or read the newspaper you consistently hear random authorities talking about the ills of fraternities. If you are a fraternity member, you have heard it all before. It is the same rhetoric that comes out of these people who can so easily judge and condemn on the basis of some higher virtue, without actually knowing the nature of fraternities. Fraternities are not based on hazing or drinking, but have a rich history based on brotherhood, loyalty, and responsibility. The fraternity I was a part of believed in the simple words, "Honor Super Omnia" -- meaning "Honor Before All Things." If you check the handbooks of every fraternity, you will see similar ideals expressed because the birth of fraternities were pure in thought and desire. They offered an alternative to students who wanted to have an enriched and meaningful college experience outside of the classroom. Unfortunately, the end of fraternities seems to be near. Universities across the country are systematically getting rid of fraternities. If one fraternity brother assaults a women or gets drunk, then every fraternity brother is a drunk and criminal. Even though society is not perfect, fraternities are expected to maintain this high standard and are continuously judged on the actions of a few. When a professor is convicted of sexual harassment, does that mean every professor is a sex offender? Fraternities do not exist in a vacuum, but are reflective of the society we live in. There is no denying that excessive amounts of alcohol are consumed at fraternities, but I will also bet that I can go to every off-campus apartment and find enough alcohol to fill University President Judith Rodin's wet bar adequately. The University targets fraternities because they are visible and can easily be manipulated. Every freshmen has the freedom to join any activity they want to on campus, but has to wait for the second semester to join a fraternity. This policy is completely discriminatory, but is viable because it is based on the logic that the grades of freshman will go down if they join a fraternity. I agree. However, I'm sure I can also prove that freshman will do substantially better academically if they did not play sports, were active in campus organizations or participated in any other extra-curricular activity. It would be different if the University did not allow any first-semester freshman to participate in activities, but they simply target fraternities and create a double-standard. Fraternities have to constantly justify their existence, when they should have the same freedom to exist as other organizations. In 20 years, the fraternities of this country will be no more. The administrators of universities will systematically get rid of fraternities one by one, imposing more regulations and creating a double standard of treatment that will eventually kill each fraternity. It is unfortunate, because the value of a college education is not only found in the classroom but consists of the experiences, memories, and friendships developed outside of the classroom. For over 100 years fraternities have provided that "life experience" for countless students. Let students who choose fraternities to have the freedom to create their own future brotherhoods.
(02/18/97 10:00am)
From Sarah Giulian's, "From Under My Rock," Fall '97 From Sarah Giulian's, "From Under My Rock," Fall '97Are you straight? Are you gay? Are you bi? Last week, The Daily Pennsylvanian ran an article on their cover page entitled "Are Penn gays 'out' enough?"(DP, 2/10/97). The article pointed out that the "lesbian, gay and bisexual community are constantly fighting" to obtain visibility. Why? I've never been to a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Alliance meeting, but I support them entirely. I'm sure many people questioning their sexuality appreciate a non-judgmental environment; they can discuss their fears and be open with themselves and others. But what does "out enough" mean? Is everyone who is not straight supposed to run around with rainbows and pink triangles pinned to themselves or wear a sign around their neck boldly proclaiming, "Hey, you! Don't forget I'm gay!" Is that out enough? It seems whenever the topic of sexuality arises, people divide themselves into rigid groups with little titles -- often translated into personality generalizations. The gay community needs to prioritize. If one feels the most important aspect of her personality is her sexuality, then sure, gay pride is in order. But many of us don't think that way. Most of us are multi-faceted people with a certain sexual preference. There's a difference between being in the closet and being the most out gay that ever was. There is a large gray area in the middle that needs to be explored. We can be open about our sexuality without proclaiming it to anyone who will look in our direction. More and more people are finding an acceptance within themselves for the sexual minority. This, I feel, is the goal of any gay, lesbian or bisexual. It's not a battle to be noticed, but a fight to be accepted. Visibility doesn't lead to acceptance, only to awareness. Acceptance arises through an understanding that these people whom you love and respect -- your professor, your brother, your friends, or your idol -- happen to be gay. Only when you realize that these are the same people you knew before and that you still love and respect them can they be accepted. A few weeks ago, a caller on my television show asked me if I'm straight. I answered honestly without hesitation that I am not -- I am bisexual. Big deal. The callers who followed had typical reactions; some harassed me, insulted me, degraded me and others supported me. All in all, I didn't really think much of it. I was surprised in the following weeks by the hurt reactions of my friends and acquaintances. People were insulted that I "kept this" from them, or that I "didn't trust" them enough to tell them. Excuse me? I wasn't keeping this top secret information from anyone. I wasn't hiding in a hole and covering my tracks. Those who are close enough to me to know who I'm dating all the time know I'm bi. Otherwise, it just doesn't come up. I'm Sarah, participator in many activities. I'm Sarah, the English major. I'm Sarah, the sister, the daughter, the friend. I am not simply Sarah, the bisexual. But it just so happens I swing both ways. I don't think this is privileged information, and this column is not me "coming out of the closet." But gay pride and visibility has led everyone to believe if they don't know your sexuality, you're either hetero or hiding. We must stop thinking of gays as people entirely different from ourselves. What difference does it make what your sexual preference is? It's not even completely clear to ourselves what we are, so why must we put ourselves in one of the three sexuality categories? We don't demand that people assert, "I'm blonde, not dirty blonde" or, "I like apples but not oranges." Preferences are constantly changing. You see a person, male or female, and you're attracted to them. The end. I find a gay person who brings up their sexuality at every chance they get to be flat and boring. I'm wondering if there's anything else to them. I find a gay couple making out in front of me to be as annoying as a hetero couple getting it on two feet from me. There's no reason to be so out that it's all people know about you. This only breeds generalizations and intolerance. My sexual preference should be of no more importance to you than the fact that I'm left-handed. You didn't know that I'm left-handed? Maybe I was hiding it from you.
(01/22/97 10:00am)
Linson files appeal in sexual harassment case Linson alleged that he was unfairly expelled from the University after accusing fellow Linguistics graduate student Ken Matsuda of sexually and physically harassing him from September 1992 until March 1993. University Counsel Brenda Fraser, however, maintained that Linson was dropped from the program for failing to register for his fall 1993 classes. She added that the Linguistics Department concluded Linson's poor academic standing made him unlikely to graduate and refused to readmit him to the program. Linson alleged that although the University did not mistreat him on the basis of his gender, it violated his civil rights under federal Title IX guidelines against harassment. "I have seen nothing in the published law nor in the Trustees' or the court's responses that has convinced me that I have not accurately described a violation of law which injures me and for which Congress has given me the right to recompense," Linson wrote in his appeal. The University has 30 days to respond to Linson's written appeal. -- Ali Feen Asian American sorority begins rush program Kappa Delta Phi -- the first East Coast chapter of any Asian American sorority -- begins its rush program today. KDPhi, which currently consists of ten undergraduates, will hold rush events independent of the Panhellenic Council's system. The sorority promotes sisterhood, scholarship, leadership, women's issues and Asian American awareness in the University and surrounding communities, according to Rush Chairperson and Engineering junior Vinaya Valloppillil. She added that this semester's rush is notable because KDPhi is now a fully recognized chapter on campus. The chapter will hold an open house rush event today in Chestnut Hall at 8 p.m. Rush events will continue throughout the week before concluding next Wednesday. Other events include a community service day, a sundae party and a casino night. --Jaclyn LaPlaca University Council will meet today in Quad Today's University Council meeting will focus on progress reports from several of the Council's committees. University President Judith Rodin will begin the meeting by asking Council to consent to the appointment of Statistics Professor David Hildebrand as moderator. Hildebrand -- a former chairperson of the Faculty Senate -- replaces Political Science Professor Will Harris. The committee will discuss the findings of the Committee for NCAA Certification, which conducts an in-depth study of Penn's athletic programs every five years, according to Senior Associate Athletic Director Carolyn Schlie-Femovitch. Schlie-Femovitch said the Athletic Department discussed the review -- required of all Division I athletic programs -- with many campus groups in an effort to obtain broad input. "[The review] reaffirms that we are doing an outstanding job with our programs," Schlie-Femovitch said. Additionally, the Research Committee -- charged with fostering the participation of undergraduates in research -- will present a progress report. -- Dina Bass
(01/21/97 10:00am)
Now that President Clinton doesn't have to worry about relection, he should seize the opportunity to tackle hard issues. The idealism Clinton had when he first entered office seems to have disappeared under the strain of the past term. He is being heavily investigated for his involvement in Whitewater, and he is also involved in a sexual harassment suit. Clinton has endured extensive negative media coverage, most recently with the allegations that the Democratic Party raised illegal funds during the last campaign. But despite what has occurred in the last four years, Clinton has another four years to take on critical issues without the worry of re-election. We'd like to see him be more innovative. And we'd like for Clinton to propose a more concrete agenda for education aside from wiring every single school for Internet use. The Republican Congress will probably make it difficult for Clinton to get very far on partisan issues, but if he truly wants to work with other politicians as he said in his speech, progress can be made. Clinton should be able to act on issues he was afraid to move on during his first term. Second terms are not always easy for presidents, but Clinton must utilize this second chance to recapture his idealism and put enthusiasm back into the issues he wants to examine. We hope Clinton regains the visions that led to his election the first time around.
(01/16/97 10:00am)
The former graduate student sued the University in 1994 for alleged mishandling of his sexual harassment claims. Alleging that he was kicked out of the University after accusing a male student of sexual harassment, former Linguistics graduate student Brian Linson has appealed a recent court decision exonerating the University from mishandling the charge. Nearly four years ago, Linson raised allegations that he was sexually and physically harassed by fellow Linguistics graduate student Ken Matsuda while employed in the Department of Computer and Information Science. After reporting the harassment to Linguistics Graduate Chairperson Donald Ringe, Linson alleges, Ringe and Department Chairperson Ellen Prince tried to "intimidate" him into dropping his grievance against Matsuda by sending him threatening e-mail messages. Linson said he raised the messages' harsh tone with the University's ombudsman and other offices. He charges that the Linguistics Department expelled him from its graduate program after those offices raised the harassment issue. The lawsuit claims that the University mishandled the sexual harassment charges, and Linson said the Linguistics Department dropped him because his charges could prove embarrassing. But University Counsel Brenda Fraser said Linson's student status was terminated because he violated University guidelines by failing to register for the fall semester of 1993. She added that the department reviewed Linson's achievement in the graduate program as part of the University's due process procedure, and ultimately dropped Linson for his "less than stellar academic record." Although The Daily Pennsylvanian was not able to acquire a copy of Linson's student transcript, the former student insists that he "never got a C" or less. Linson's suit went to court last summer, but District Court Judge Robert Kelly decided the case in the University's favor. He found the University not guilty of any of Linson's seven charges, two of which fell under federal Title IX guidelines for higher education. These guidelines are frequently applied to gender inequities in university spending, most notably in athletics. The decision for the University found that Linson's case was treated without regard to his gender. But after the ruling Linson asked the judge to reconsider the case, a request Kelly denied in November. Linson decided to appeal the ruling to a higher court after receiving a phone call from Lisa Pattalia, an official in the General Counsel's office in the U.S. Department of Education, who questioned Kelly's interpretation of Title IX. Education Department officials said Title IX covers sexual harassment in addition to gender equity, and that the law may still apply even if Linson was not treated on account of his gender. And for Linson, the dispute is more than simple legal misinterpretation. He noted that he held a prestigious Ircs Fellowship for research at the time of his expulsion and had co-authored a paper with Prince. "Department chairs don't co-author papers with students that are sub-standard," he said. But Fraser said Linson's academic progress may not have been the only factor behind his expulsion. "In Ph.D. programs you assess a lot more than grades," she said. Fraser explained that C's are considered to be failing grades in a graduate track, while B's and B-'s are not held in the same esteem as in undergraduate programs. She added that "his case has no merit whatsoever" and that the sexual harassment charges were "unrelated" to Linson's dismissal from the University. "We don't think there's anything to any of his claims," she said. "It's as though there's a ball that keeps on rolling and the conspiracy grows and grows." Linson's appeal will be submitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third District January 21. The University will have 30 days to respond to charges, after which Linson has an additional 15 days to file written briefs.
