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(09/26/95 9:00am)
The Penn Band did not get to perform its usual halftime antics during Penn's 28-8 football win over Lafayette this weekend in Easton, Pa. Minutes before members of the band were scheduled to take the field, they were told by Lafayette University Athletic Director Eve Atkinson that their script was not appropriate and could not be performed. The band was forced to abandon its plans and instead play four Penn songs while standing in the shape of a "P". The miscommunication between Penn and Lafayette began earlier in the week. According to Atkinson, the Lafayette athletic department was informed that the band would not be attending the game so it proceeded to make other halftime arrangements. When the band informed the department that it would in fact be performing a halftime show, Lafayette compromised by allowing the band to perform for five minutes during the pregame show, said College junior Kushol Gupta, the band's drum major. But when the band arrived at the stadium, Wharton senior Jim Maceiko -- the voice of the Penn Band -- said he was told he could not announce the script and that a Lafayette announcer would do it instead. According to band director Greer Cheeseman, Lafayette Associate Athletic Director Bruce McCutcheon approved the script and agreed to let Maceiko announce it as long as the Lafayette announcer could monitor him to make sure he did not deviate from the script. But when Maceiko went to the press box, he was met by Atkinson who told him the script was unacceptable, Maceiko said. "We had asked them to fax us a copy of their script and the one we got said that they would be playing two Penn songs for the pregame show," Atkinson said. "On the day of the game, they had a completely different script and were, in essence, trying to pull a quick one." According to Atkinson, the script had been approved by neither the Lafayette athletic department nor Penn's athletic department and when she asked Maceiko if Penn had approved it she received no answer. But the script had been approved by the Band Policy Committee during the week, said Carolyn Schlie Femovich, Penn's senior associate athletic director. "When [Atkinson] asked me, I distinctly said, 'yes this is approved,' " Maceiko said. After consulting with McCutcheon, Atkinson made her decision and Maceiko went down to the field to inform the band. Although Femovich did not attend the game, she said it was unfortunate that there was confusion and miscommunication. "We have to honor the wishes of the host institution in this type of situation," Femovich said. Band members said they were frustrated by the day's events. "It's really annoying when you get 55 people together between 10 and midnight on a Wednesday to practice and then to be told that you won't be able to perform," said Penn Band President and College senior Jason Pollack. Many negative feelings remain among band members, Gupta added. "We'll go anywhere to support the team but I personally wish that it was under less frustrating circumstances," he said. "We're putting it behind us, but the ordeal was not greatly appreciated."
(09/25/95 9:00am)
Republicans back off on tax proposals Senate Republicans are looking for a new way to cut $10 billion of student financial aid from the national budget. Senator Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kan.), chairperson of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, postponed Friday the vote scheduled for Wednesday on the budget because of concern expressed by other senators about the proposed increase of interest on student loans. "A number of Republicans defected from her with the previous proposal," said David Morse, assistant vice president for policy planning. The original House proposal required institutions to pay a 2 percent tax on the total volume of their student loans. The tax has since been reduced by the Senate to .83 percent. The reduced tax would cost the University $600,000 a year if it is made law, Morse said. But any kind of tax on the University's student loan volume will affect the educational services that are provided to students, he added. The University has been talking to staff members of the two Pennsylvania senators in addition to key Republican committee members about eliminating the tax proposal. To compensate for the loss of revenue from the lower tax, the six-month grace period in which the government pays for a student's loan interest would be eliminated. The six-month grace period had already been cut to four months in the initial proposal, according to Morse. This budget cut would directly affect students who have been able to borrow more money under the federal guaranteed loan program. An estimated $24 billion was borrowed for college expenses in 1995 -- an increase of 50 percent since 1992. According to the Education Resources Institute, the Republican budget cuts in conjunction with the growing loan volume might negatively affect the economy -- since students will have a limited buying and saving power. But college loans are only a small fraction of the loans most Americans take on. "The concern we all share is that the cost of money is going to get more expensive for everybody," said Carol Scheman, vice president for government, community and public affairs. A study by the Institute found that some students do not understand their loan commitments and as a result take on too much debt. According to Scheman, the University compiles a financial aid package and then provides adequate counseling for students to explain the package.
(09/21/95 9:00am)
Students will have to begin repaying their student loans shortly after graduation if the Senate passes the Republican Reconciliation Proposal, which was released yesterday. Currently, students have a six-month grace period to pay interest on their loans. This period would be cut to four months under the proposal. The plan would cut $10 billion from the national budget, reducing the deficit by $1.2 billion. The proposal also requires institutions to pay a 2 percent tax on the total volume of their student loans. This would cost the University $1.5 million a year, according to Carol Scheman, vice president for government, community, and public affairs. University officials are not certain where they are going to get the funds for the tax, Scheman said. But she added that she is certain the financial aid budget would be affected. The proposed budget would generate $4.4 billion from the new tax to the universities. While institutions will be hit the most by this proposal, banks and guaranty agencies will absorb minor adjustments, totaling $2.3 billion. The proposal also increases the interest of Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students from 3.1 percent to 4 percent. Student Financial Services Director Bill Schilling said he does not think the proposed interest increase will affect the number of students matriculating to the University. "The increase in the parent loans will make them a little more expensive, but I don't think it will have an impact on students decisions to attend college," he said. But the combination of loan, scholarship, grant and work-study money given to each student will change, Scheman said. "There's simply no way that it won't have an effect on what we do with financial aid," she added. "The question is how we will deal with it." According to Schilling, the terms of the proposal are not as harsh as the the House of Representative's original budget proposal. The in-school interest program that subsidizes interest for graduate students with loans will not be cut from the budget -- as had been suggested in the House plan. Still, Senate Democrats have argued against the Republicans cuts. "The highly successful direct loan program which has brought healthy competition, lower costs and better service for students is halted in its tracks," Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., said in a statement last night. Scheman is skeptical that the Senate will vote down the proposal. "I believe that if this is a straight party vote, it will pass," Scheman said.
(09/12/95 9:00am)
After a fresh coat of white paint and numerous renovations, Hutchinson Gym's weight room reopened its doors to students yesterday. The weight room was closed last February and March while the floor was completely redone and a wall was knocked out to create more space, according to associate director of recreation Terry Horstmann. The facility reopened in April, but not all of the weight equipment was available for use since weights were being sanded down and repainted, Horstmann added. During that period, the free weights were placed in the hallway for student use. They have now been moved back into the weight room. According to weight room supervisor Gabe Bodhi, there is now more space for leg work and lower-body exercises. "My freshman and sophomore years it was definitely not as nice as it is now," the Wharton senior said. But even with the new ventilation system, the weight room still has a steamy, sauna-like atmosphere. "It's disgustingly hot," College freshman Jennifer Schleider said. College junior Tom Anderson agrees that although the vents help the air circulation, the workout conditions are still uncomfortable. "In the spring it was pretty cool in here and it is better than last year, but not that much," Anderson said. The crowd of students in the weight room yesterday will probably disappear after the first two weeks of school. This will decrease the steaminess of the room, Anderson added. But, there is still a lack of equipment for students who wait in lines to work out on specific machines. "There's just not enough equipment for 10,000 students to use," College sophomore Harlyn Pohensky said.
(09/11/95 9:00am)
Carol Tracy is the executive director of the Women's Law Project of Philadelphia. A former Penn undergraduate and director of the Women's Center, Tracy recently negotiated a settlement in the Title IX case with the University. The result is greater equity in men's and women's athletics in areas such as coaching salaries and facilities. DP: How did you become involved in the Penn Title IX case? Tracy: A student called us. We have a telephone counseling service at the Women's Law Project where we provide information on a whole range of legal issues, and we got a call about discrimination in athletics at Penn. Occasionally calls come in through the telephone counseling service that the lawyers on the staff want to be involved in. I asked a counselor to get more information and to set up a meeting with the student, Lanie Moore. She and Cherie Gerstadt came down to see our managing attorney and I. We then set up a second meeting with them and five softball players came. That's really how we got involved in it. DP: What made you decide to take this case? Tracy: Well, Title IX is really an interesting case. There is increasing amounts of law that are developing around it. But it has the potential to impact a lot of people, in this case, all the women athletes of Penn. If we had litigated it there are numerous issues related to Title IX that haven't been litigated yet. DP: When you first took on the case what was your tentative plan of action? Tracy: Well, we needed to find more information. The coincidence that happened is a group of coaches approached us as well and they had similar interests and issues. We brought them and the students together to see if they could work as a group, which actually made this unique as a Title IX case. So we met with the coaches and then we went on an information-gathering process where we needed to find out more of what the problems were. Before long we realized there were some violations of Title IX at Penn and we sent a letter to [former University president] Clare Fagin and began meetings with the University. They weren't moving along as quickly as we would like and then there was a change in the administration and we concluded we could not wait for them all to get up to speed. So we filed a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights for Education that enforces Title IX. DP: What kind of impact, if any at all, do you think this Title IX settlement will have on other Title IX cases? Tracy: Well, I have talked to two national publications in the last several days who follow Title IX who realize that there is a uniqueness in this settlement that they would like to publicize and would become the model for other institutions, and that's part of what we hoped. DP: Do you think more universities might go this route to avoid the cost of litigation? Tracy: I hope so. I don't know if they will because it is a sensible way to do it. It's problem-solving. Title IX is this: women have the right to have equal opportunity in athletics. It's not discretionary on the part of the university. If universities want to continue to get federal funding they simply have to come into compliance. DP: Did it bother you that the University has not admitted that they have done anything wrong? Tracy: No. That is not unusual in the settlement of cases. We got what we wanted. I think the University cooperated fully. They understood the needs and responded appropriately. I'm not bothered by how they discuss their role. DP: Were you ever a student-athlete? Tracy: No. The irony about this is that in all my years at Penn as an undergraduate until I got involved in this Title IX case, I went to one athletic game and it was to see Steve Bilsky play basketball. I was on a date and I was not happy about where we were going. My date wanted to see Bilsky play. So I imagine he was a good player. I have no recollection. DP: What made you decide to go in to this kind of law, advocacy of women's rights? Tracy: I don't know. I think I was born a feminist. Today, I was talking to one of our student counselors about applying to law school and I told her that I realized halfway through law school that there were 20 jobs at law firms that do women's rights. I thought how am I ever going to get one of them, and lo and behold I wound up getting one of the best ones. I care passionately about women's rights, and I think I'm effective in advocating that agenda.
(09/06/95 9:00am)
Penn gymnasts no longer have to worry about basketballs interrupting their balance beam routines in Hutchinson Gym thanks to an out-of-court Title IX settlement between the University and the Women's Law Project of Philadelphia. The agreement comes after more than a year of negotiations between the two parties. The complaint, filed on behalf of Penn women athletes and women's team coaches, stated that the University was not providing equal opportunity for women athletes in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title IX requires universities that receive any kind of federal funding to have equal facilities and resources for all of their athletes. Under the terms of the agreement, the crew team's Schuylkill Boathouse will be renovated, and the women's crew team will get additional boats and the same movable storage racks that are already used by the men's crew team. Weight room renovations have been completed in Hutchinson Gym and a weight trainer for female athletes will also be hired, according to Carol Tracy, executive director of the Women's Law Project. In addition, the women's gymnastics and squash coaches and field hockey and lacrosse assistant coaches are now full-time positions. Financial terms of the agreement were not released, but according to Athletic Director Steve Bilsky, no funding was taken away from any of the men's sports teams. But not all of the terms have earmarked funding. Money for the renovation and addition of space for the new coaches' offices depends on a fund-raising drive by the Athletic Department. In two months, a gender equity committee will be formed to oversee the implementation of the agreement and review future issues, Bilsky said. The committee will include coaches, administrators, student-athletes and members of volunteer groups from the Philadelphia community. All of the changes should be completed within two years, Bilsky added. Negotiations between the two parties were not always smooth. In March, Fred Shabel, chairperson of Spectacor and former athletic director and vice president of the University, was asked to facilitate negotiation talks. "We were not moving along the way we should have been and were considering litigation," Tracy said. "Fred knew that we wanted it resolved and he's the kind of person that can turn good intentions into actions." The University's willingness to reach an out-of-court settlement was influenced by the desire to avoid a lengthy court case similar to Brown University's case, Bilsky said. In that case, the Brown athletic department was forced to make gymnastics a fully funded varsity sport after dismantling the program because of budget cuts. Brown is currently appealing the decision, which came after four years of litigation. Bilsky said the settlement was a "win" for the University. "It's an investment that the University is making to athletics and recreation for the future," he added. The coaches of the women's teams were also pleased with the settlement, and with the fact no unnecessary money was spent for litigation, according to Women's Crew Coach Carol Bower, the spokesperson for the coaches. "We're all really excited since we knew both parties wanted a settlement," Bower said. "It was just a matter of getting the nuts and bolts to make it work."
(06/30/95 9:00am)
Punahou School '94 Honolulu, Hawaii Five of the University's graduate schools received top-tier rankings in the U.S. News & World Report annual survey published in March. Jumping up from its fourth place ranking last year, the Wharton Schools' graduate division came in a close second to Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School with a 99.8 percent ranking, compared to Sloan's 100 percent. The Nursing School dropped from its first-place slot last year to third place. The Medical School maintained its position at seventh place and the Law School tied with Northwestern University at 11th place. "We care about being viewed in the top tier," University President Judith Rodin said. "That's the important part of it -- we do want to be viewed as a top-ranked institution." The rankings are based on student selectivity, placement success, faculty resources, research activity and institutional reputation. However, criteria do vary for each area of graduate education. The schools do not take the rankings as seriously as prospective students do, Rodin said. Law School Dean Colin Diver attributed the Law School's high ranking in the survey to the significant increase in the number of applicants that matriculated last year. This was the first year U.S. News & World Report study that surveyed graduate schools of education, and the University's Graduate School of Education tied for 10th with the education school at the University of California at Los Angeles. Several concentrated programs received national recognition including the Medical School's programs in women's health and pediatrics, which placed in the top three. "That we are consistently ranked in the top 10 in this nationwide survey attests to our enduring commitment to excellence," Medical School Dean William Kelley said.
(04/28/95 9:00am)
A photo of a dog on a respirator being injected with narcotics and other kinds of drugs is representative of "a dog's life" at the University, according to an advertisement that has appeared in The Daily Pennsylvanian over the last two weeks. The ad -- paid for by the American Anti-Vivisection Society -- states that Anesthesia Professor Norig Ellison is using dogs in a laboratory class in order for medical students to observe the effects of narcotics and other drugs on the dog. After the lab sessions, the dogs are killed and discarded, the advertisement claims. But Ellison, who is also vice chairperson of the anesthesia department, does not use dogs in his lab class anymore, according to University spokesperson Barbara Beck. "The University is constantly in search of new and different technology so animals don't have to be used at all," Beck said. AAVS Director Dean Smith said his organization had not been informed of the Medical School's decision not to use dogs in their curriculum when the ad was placed. According to College junior Carrie Kramer, president of the Penn Society for Animal Rights, the information for the ad was obtained from University medical students and Peg Carlson, a member of the Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine, who had interviewed Ellison about the dog labs earlier this year. "Indications were that they had not stopped the dog lab and as of yet we still haven't heard anything from the University," Smith said. Beck said that the decision was made last fall to discontinue using dogs. "The University has pledged to uphold the highest standards in medical research," she added. But Beck did not know if any of the public interest groups had been informed of the change in policy. "Had we heard from the University we would have been happy to pull that ad," Smith said. "We just wanted to see the end of the dog labs." A protest will be held tomorrow at noon on College Green in conjunction with the last day of World Lab Animals Week. There will also be a public forum on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Houston Hall. Ellison was invited to attend the forum but he informed AAVS that no one would be able to represent the Medical School. Last semester AAVS sponsored a protest opposing Neurosurgery Professor Thomas Gennarelli's head injury research that involves pigs and baboons.
(04/25/95 9:00am)
In Order To FormIn Order To FormA More Perfect Union? Calls for the unionization of graduate students can be heard on university campuses across the nation from Yale University to the University of Kansas. But these cries are barely whispers on Locust Walk. "People know it's happening [at Yale] but no one is really talking about it here," Graduate Students Activities Council President Bronwyn Beistle said. University administrators have never been officially approached by a graduate student organization that is pro-union, according to Vice Provost for Graduate Education Janice Madden. "There's no right to organize," Madden added. "They're not employees of the University." University President Judith Rodin said she definitely opposes unionization of graduate students. "I believe that graduate students are fundamentally students and that being a teaching assistant is part of the training for being a PhD," she said. Whether graduate students are employees is the central issue when there is talk of unionization. And although at the University few have vocally protested that their non-employee status, many graduate students said they feel that they are employees without employee benefits. "I think a lot of hardworking TAs are frustrated at times that they don't get full recognition for their contribution to the University," said Victor Prince, Graduate and Professional Students Association chairperson. All graduate students must have health insurance according to state law, and since they are not University employees, the University is not obligated to pay their premiums. "Because most graduate students are on very limited budgets, rising health care costs are a big issue," Prince said. According to English graduate student Julie Crawford, students pay close to $1,000 for health benefits each year -- about 10 percent of their salaries. But health benefits are sometimes covered, depending on which department a graduate student is working in and in what capacity. Madden said that if the University did pay health care premiums for all graduate students, then the salaries would decrease and the number of students employed would drop. This is partly why unionized students have less benefits, she added. GSAC has examined the issue of health benefits but has not taken any action on it. "Historically, GSAC has not been able to hold down the level of insurance premiums or get the benefits that graduate students want," Beistle said. "But we'll continue to work on this issue in the future." Aside from the health care issue, graduate students at the University are concerned about having to pay taxes. Currently, all students who work for the University are required to pay a city employee wage tax because, unlike the University, the city recognizes them as employees. But they are exempt from Social Security taxes and they do not have to pay taxes on their fellowships, Madden said. GSAC is trying to solve that problem by lobbying the City Council to amend the tax law, thereby exempting graduate students from the wage tax, Beistle said. Yale graduate students are also grappling with these issues and are forcing Yale administrators to listen to their concerns. Yale TAs went on strike during the first week in April, demanding that the administration recognize the Graduate Employees and Students Organization as a labor union and that they address several of the TAs grievances -- low pay, lack of job security and poor health benefits. While on strike, Yale graduate students voted strongly in favor of having GESO represent them in collective bargaining with the administration. But Yale officials refuse to recognize any union of TAs because such a union would be comprised of mostly students. GESO does have the support of Local 34 and 35, two official unions on campus, but is not supported by the National Relations Labor Board because Yale is a private institution. "We in the Graduate School continue to feel simply that unionization is not an appropriate route for GESO people to take," said Yale Graduate School Dean Thomas Appelquist at a Yale College Council meeting last week. During the strike, Yale President Richard Levin said he would rather shut down the school before negotiating with GESO, according to the Yale Daily News. Rodin sided with Levin on this issue during her tenure at Yale as dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and as provost. Graduate students at the University said they are sympathetic to the Yale graduate students' fight. "I understand their position and I think Yale University needs to respond to their demands and they haven't," said Katie Conrad, a fifth-year English doctoral student. Like their Yale counterparts, University graduate students feel that their work often goes un-noticed and unappreciated. "We don't get any perks and we are overworked and underpaid," Crawford said. "That's something that graduate students everywhere can sympathize with." Yale is not the only school that is dealing with unionization issues. Seventy percent of TAs at the University of Kansas voted in favor of unionization last week. Since the University of Kansas is a public institution, teaching assistants are granted certain federal and state rights. The Kansas Public Relations Act states that public employees are allowed to engage in collective bargaining if at least 30 percent of the population votes in favor of unionization at an election. The University, a private institution, is not required by any federal laws to recognize a graduate students union. But graduate students have not formed any kind of cohesive unionization movement partly because of the diversity of the graduate student population: Not all graduate students are teaching assistants or research fellows. And the salaries of these positions are funded from various sources -- from federal research grants to funds allocated through an individual department. As a result, many graduate students who do have employee benefits do not want to risk losing them by trying to create a graduate student labor union. Beistle did bring the issue to GSAC's attention since she had heard graduate students discussing unionization. However, due to lack of consensus and interest, the issue was never pursued whole-heartedly. Unionization also may not be the best route to take since there are other alternatives to solving graduate student grievances, Prince said. But there have been attempts at unionization in the past. In the late 1980s, graduate students considered creating a graduate union but nothing was accomplished. The graduate students did, however, create "Class in the Grass," an annual event in which TAs teach their classes outside on College Green to demonstrate the importance of graduate students to the University. Two years ago, graduate students met to discuss various ways to improve their situation at the University in response to a previous Yale TA strike. But again, unionization remained only talk among a few concerned students. According to Madden, the Vice Provost's office and other University offices are concerned with graduate student issues, but are trying to maintain an environment where students will not need unionization. Currently, two organizations exist on campus that aid graduate students in their grievances -- GSAC and GAPSA. According to Prince, GSAC would probably take a more significant role in any unionization process than GAPSA. "It represents graduate students on issues specific to TAs and PhD students, while GAPSA represents both graduate and professional students on a much wider range of issues," Prince said. Although graduate students know these organizations exist in the University's student government system, they have not felt strongly enough about unionization to act on the issue. But Beistle said the employee status of graduate students needs to be clearly defined. "It needs to be one way or another," Beistle said.
(04/17/95 9:00am)
Annenberg School for Communications Dean Kathleen Jamieson is devoting April to promoting her newly published book, Beyond the Double Bind, which discusses issues in the feminist movement by synthesizing various academic theories and the overall history of the movement. Recently praised in The New York Times Book Review, the book encourages women to continue fighting for equality, citing recent court cases and female political leaders as inspiration. "She makes you want to get in there, on either side of a big, interesting war with lots at stake -- a war intelligent people should find worth fighting," the Times review stated. The book comes in response to Susan Faludi's best seller, Backlash, Jamieson said. "I was alarmed when I read the book," she said. In Jamieson's opinion, Faludi presented a negative forecast for the battle against sex discrimination by focusing on only one side of the issue. "We have surmounted the double binds and are dealing with the residue of those binds," she said. "The book offers solutions on how to deal with that residue." Jamieson also documents the obstacles women face in politics and business. She devotes an entire chapter to Hillary Rodham Clinton. The Book Review praised her for her textual analysis and writing style. "Ms. Jamieson's real talent is for ripping the pants of emperors and apparatchiks without regard to party line," the review stated. In the past week, Jamieson gave several book signings in Chicago and Minneapolis and spoke to University of Chicago students about the book and the feminist movement. Later this year, she will speak about her book at the National Women's Political Caucus, a nonpartisan meeting of prominent public women. "Women ought to be optimistic about their future and vigilant on protecting their rights," Jamieson said. While on her book tour, Jamieson is trying to balance her traveling schedule with her responsibilities as dean. Her deanship is currently being reviewed for a recommendation of reappointment. The committee has "filed the report and turned it in to the President's Office but I haven't seen the report yet," Jamieson said.
(04/17/95 9:00am)
Black student protesters are continuing their sit-in at the Weekly DePaulia, the DePaul University student newspaper, in response to an article the paper published in February which the protesters believe was racially offensive. Although DePaul officials have offered to increase recruiting of minority faculty and students, members of the Coalition for Concerned Black Students said they will not end the sit-in until they receive an apology from the newspaper, which is funded by the university. The article at the center of the controversy quoted a police report about a fight that happened at dance sponsored by House Call, an African-American student organization. The report referred to male African-Americans as "M-B's" which the protesters say perpetuates a negative stereotype of blacks. But Weekly Depaulia Editor-in-Chief Zack Martin said House Call did not respond when asked to comment on the fight. The paper did print all of the letters written in response to the article, Martin added. Student protesters have met with administrators several times this past week. The protesters have asked that the paper's student editor be fired but administrators said they would not consider it. The Weekly DePaulia will soon resume operations at another location, DePaul administrators said in a statement. This is not the first incident of this kind to receive national attention. In April 1993, 14,000 copies of The Daily Pennsylvanian were stolen from distribution points by students calling themselves the "Black Community." The theft was in response to pieces written by then-DP columnist Gregory Pavlik, which the protesters viewed as being racist. The destruction or theft of newspapers by students is not uncommon. Twenty-four such incidents have occurred so far this year and 38 cases occurred in 1993-94, according to the Student Press Law Center. Two years ago, the student newspaper of Northern Illinois University was stolen by students protesting the paper's coverage of the Rodney King Trial. But not all newspaper thefts involve racial issues. Last fall, a student at Briar Cliff College in Iowa stole copies of the student newspaper because he did not want other students to know he was involved in a traffic accident. The Chicago Tribune and The Washington Times contributed to this article.
(04/14/95 9:00am)
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" played in the background as friends of late College junior Justin Koppel offered their condolences to his parents last night following a memorial service at Houston Hall. "It still seems so unreal to me," Koppel's sister Julie said. Koppel was killed in a car accident in Florida during spring break. His family flew in from California to meet with Koppel's friends and Sigma Alpha Epsilon brothers. Hillel Rabbi Howard Alpert led the service entitled, "A Celebration of Life," inviting loved ones to share memories of Koppel with each other as part of the healing process. Koppel's roommate, College senior Josh Lipman, recounted stories of living in the SAE house with Koppel. "Justin lived his life like an invitation," Lipman said. "He made special things happen when he was around you." Engineering junior Ed Vincent fondly remembered pledging with Koppel. "Justin was the glue that kept us all together," Vincent said. Jean Morse, deputy to University President Judith Rodin, spoke briefly, offering condolences. Sylvia Koppel, Koppel's mother, had requested that the service be videotaped as a commemoration of how his friends remembered him. When the memorial ended, the crowd of about 100 remained seated and observed a moment of silence. "None of us will ever forget you, Justin," Vincent said, looking up from his seat.
(04/11/95 9:00am)
Every Friday night, College junior Jennifer Loh attends services at the Chinese Christian Church Center in downtown Philadelphia. Instead of having to take a taxi or public transportation, Loh relies on rides from several graduate student friends she has made through the religious organization. The church center has set up a program in which graduate fellows and young working people advise and provide a support structure for undergraduates. The graduate students even make care packages for the undergraduates during finals. "They're always available to give us advice," Loh said. But, this kind of interaction between undergraduate and graduate students is not common at the University. Not only is there a lack of social interaction between the two groups, but students said they are not interested in having more opportunities to interact with each other. According to a survey of 30 undergraduate and 30 graduate students conducted by The Daily Pennsylvanian, 61 percent of students said they either did not want more interaction, or did not have an opinion on the issue. Communication tends to be limited to the teaching assistant-student relationship. And relations that develop outside of the classroom are usually based on similar academic interests. Graduate students who are not TAs are able to meet undergraduates through various organizations on campus that provide social activities for both sets of students. But only a small percentage of the student population participates in these groups. "Because I don't teach yet, my interaction as a first-year student is confined to that which I have while participating in extracurriculars such as music and dance," first-year Music graduate student Elyse Carter said. Kirk Wattles, a Sociology doctoral student, said he has met many undergraduates through the Democratic Socialists of America -- another relatively marginal campus group. Through campus organizations, Wattles said he has had the opportunity to discuss ideas and theories with undergraduates that transcend the academic setting. Like Loh, many undergraduates have said they meet graduate students through religious organizations such as the Campus Crusade for Christ, the Hindu Discussion Group and the Newman Center. And although Hillel holds open services for all students, most social events, such as dances and dinners, are planned by separate graduate and undergraduate committees, College junior Tina Namdar said. According to Carter, most graduate students do not necessarily have the time to go to such events even if they are open to all students. "They usually encounter undergraduates while teaching and since the main source of social structure for undergraduates, as far as I can tell, is the Greek system -- which most graduate students I know happen to detest -- these two factors lead to very little interaction between students of any level," she said. Undergraduate and graduate students often have the opportunity to interact in upper-level courses. For example, the Nursing School has a double-degree program that allows Nursing graduate students to take courses with their undergraduate counterparts. Some undergraduates said that outside of the classroom, they dined and went to the movies, bars and attended parties with graduate-level friends. Yet 50 percent of the undergraduate student body reported they had no graduate student friends. Despite this limited social interaction, dating between levels does occur. Ninety percent of students said they would definitely date the other if the opportunity presented itself. But graduates and undergraduates rarely enter intimate relations because both sets of students fear the charge of sexual harassment -- especially in the case of a relationship between a TA and a student. "Anyone entering a relationship who has an official role that carries some authority it seems would carry with the relationship some tension," Wattles said. It is not only professional responsibilities, but an overall incompatibility between the students' lifestyles which deters graduate students from wanting to date undergraduates. "The experience I'm having as a graduate student is completely removed and different from one which any undergraduate could possibly have on this campus. I would definitely not date an undergraduate," Carter said. "It would make for a very difficult relationship." Undergraduates, however, have the opposite viewpoint and have said they would definitely date a graduate student if the opportunity presented itself. "Dating a graduate student isn't much of a difference from dating an undergraduate student," College sophomore Jin Lee said. "Age shouldn't matter." But for many undergraduates, there is a gap between the two levels. "Once a student is in graduate school, they're not in the same college scene," Namdar said. The administration addresses graduate student needs differently from undergraduates'. Graduate students said they thought they were treated better than undergraduates by the University administration. A few undergraduates agreed, primarily because they feel the University is research-oriented. One graduate student who was surveyed, however, said the University seems to operate on the undergraduate calendar with no consideration to the graduate students who are attending classes all year round. Earlier this year, Graduate and Professional Student Association members spoke to University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow about being ignored in administrative plans that focused on undergraduates. Both Rodin and Chodorow said at the time that they feel interaction needs to be encouraged and that they are aware of the problem. According to the survey, many students are apathetic about a lack of interaction -- mainly because the issue has not been addressed by the administration. Graduate students also said the branches of administration that they are in contact with are completely separate from the undergraduates. Yet 38 percent did not have an opinion on how undergraduates were treated because they were only aware of how the administration responded to graduate students. Another factor that inhibits interaction between graduates and undergraduates is the University's geography. The Law School buildings are located on 34th Street between Sansom and Chestnut away from the central campus. Therefore, Law students that live in the Graduate Towers, also located on Chestnut Street, have no reason to venture past Walnut Street to Locust Walk, where most undergraduates congregate. Medical, Veterinary, and Dental students also have the same geographical challenge since their buildings are located on or south of Spruce Street. Regardless of these inhibiting factors, there should be more interaction between different level students and it should be a point of concern, said one College senior surveyed.
(04/04/95 9:00am)
As Yale University graduate students go on strike this week, many University graduate students said they sympathize with their fight for a labor union and for job benefits. "I understand their position and I think Yale University needs to respond to their demands and they haven't," fifth-year English doctoral student Katie Conrad said. Creating a union has been talked about in the past, according to former Graduate and Professional Students Association chairperson Ari Brose. "Penn graduate students are not considered employees," Brose said. "But we pay city taxes as employees." Most University teaching assistants are primarily concerned about health care benefits. According to English graduate student Julie Crawford, students pay close to $1,000 for health benefits each year -- or about 10 percent of their salary. But forming a union would not necessarily solve all of the University graduate students' problems. There are also start-up fees entailed in creating the union. "I am particularly interested to see what specific benefits and costs there would be to forming a union," said GAPSA Chairperson and Wharton first-year graduate student Victor Prince. Like their Yale counterparts, University graduate students feel unappreciated. "We don't get any perks and we are overworked and underpaid," Crawford said. "That's something that graduate students everywhere can sympathize with."
(03/28/95 10:00am)
Pennsylvania owners of cats, dogs, horses and cows breathed a collective sigh of relief when the state appropriated funds for the University's Veterinary School of Medicine for the first time in three years. In its 1994-95 fiscal budget, the state appropriated $14 million for the Vet School. The infusion of state funds into the school's budget puts it on stable ground financially, allowing the Vet School to continue to do what it is famous for: conducting research on global agricultural issues and marine biology -- and of course, providing animal health care services to many local pet owners. "We are hoping that the problems we had are behind us," Vet School Dean Alan Kelly said. In 1992, former Governor Robert Casey decided not to fund the Vet School which had received close to $15 million during the 1991-92 fiscal year. This state funding is crucial to the school -- as it makes up 40 percent of their annual budget. And the school is in the unique position of being one of only three veterinary schools in the nation that does not receive 100 percent of its funds from the state. At one point during the three-year-long financial crisis, former University President Sheldon Hackney said that without state aid, plans were being made to eventually close the Vet School. During this period of financial instability, the University provided the Vet School with loans to cover expenses that would usually be funded by state money. Now, even with the return of state money, the school is still unable to cover operating costs through tuition, the funding received by the state and research and endowment monies and . In order to keep the school viable, the University continues to grant loans to it, according to Associate Dean Charles Newton. He added, though, that the Vet School has tightened its budget. "We hope with more successful negotiations with the Commonwealth we can get to a point where the University doesn't have to be responsible for any direct financial support," Newton said, adding that the ideal state grant would be $18 to $20 million. The change in the Vet School budget is accompanied by a change in the title of the man who helped lead the school through its financial crisis. When Kelly, who was officially named Vet School dean this fall, first accepted the position of acting dean in 1994, the Vet School was already operating with a deficit. "I certainly wondered what my future would be," said Kelly, a Vet School professor and alumnus, who replaced former Dean Edwin Andrews. The faculty is thrilled to have one of "their own" as the new dean, said Newton. "He is one of the top muscle researchers in the country," first year Vet student Anson Tsugawa said. "I'm sure with his experience at Penn, he'll be able to do the job." Kelly's primary goal as dean is to make veterinary education more affordable. There are two tuition rates -- one for state residents and one for non-state residents. Next year attending the Vet School will cost $20,268 for in-state matriculants and $24,102 for out-of-state students. "If he can lower the tuition that would be great," third-year Vet student Margaret Mullin said. "Right now, I have loans out for the tuition but the hard part financially will be when I have to go out and get a job to make the payments." The average starting salary of a veterinarian is $31,000, which is not sufficient to cover the large loans students have, Kelly said. "You have students going out with a lot of debt," he said. "It's not a level playing field in terms of the financial burden." The University is helping Kelly reduce tuition; for the first time ever, the University administration has allowed the Vet School to request $2 million in state funding expressly for the purpose of financial aid for its students. Currently, close to $200,000 is given to students as scholarship money, and about $900,000 is available in the form of loans. The Vet School is also launching a campaign to enlarge alumni donations that would increase the amount of available financial aid, according to Vet School spokesperson Helma Weeks. Andrews was able to increase the Vet School's endowment for student scholarships to $3 million, she added. Although the Vet School is now on stable financial ground, it is not looking to expand the student body from its current population of 450 students. But, the number of applications has increased from 625 to 750 this year for a freshman class that usually contains a little more than 100 students. "The applicant numbers are growing dramatically, so fortunately there's no long term affect of what went on three years ago," Newton said. Tsugawa said that the Vet School's financial problems did not deter him from applying. "I never thought that they'd let the school close down," he said. Although it was on the verge of closing, the overall quality of the academic programs were not affected by the loss of state funding, Newton said. And now that its financial situation is stable, the curriculum is expanding at the school which -- founded in 1884 -- is the second oldest in the country. The Vet School is currently initiating a program that gives students a choice of five majors their senior year. Students will be able to major in Small Animals, Small Animals/Large Animals, Large Animals, Equine, and Food Animals, which includes dairy and poultry animals. During their clinical training, students have the opportunity to conduct research and handle caseloads of patients. The New Bolton Center, located in Kennett Square, treats large animals such as horses, cows and sheep. During foaling season, owners can take their horses to stay at New Bolton's stable -- enabling the horses to receive immediate medical attention if necessary while foaling. "The people that I'm working with there are tops in their fields," Mullin said. "The caseload they get there is tremendous." Vet School Professor James Ferguson is currently researching the impact of the dairy farm on its surrounding environment at New Bolton. "Our aim is to build integrated models that utilize information on soil, agronomy, water and feeding efficiency, so that a program can be tailored to the individual farm," he said. Researchers have developed a cost-efficient feeding program that reduces protein while increasing milk production and decreasing nitrate output in the cow's manure. The New Bolton Center is also beginning construction on a 150-cow dairy. Construction should be completed in a year, allowing Vet School students more opportunities to work with cows. In addition, the Vet School creating a new center concentrating on the research and treatment of tumors in small animals. "It's an enormous opportunity for us to learn more about cancer in animals," said Kelly. The Mari Lowe Center for Comparative Oncology will be the first fully-endowed center at the Vet School with a gift of $4 million from the estate of Elizabeth Lowe. The facility will greatly improve the ability of veterinary oncologist to treat a variety of tumors in animals. A high-energy linear accelerator and a low-energy orthovoltage radiation therapy unit will be an important component of the Mari Lowe Center. The Vet School hopes to create more endowed centers in areas such as equine sports medicine, environmental medicine and infectious diseases, according to an article in the Vet School magazine, Bellwether. The addition of the Lowe Center demonstrates the Vet School's commitment to animal health research. The Vet School is second only to the University's Medical School in terms of the number of papers it published in scientific magazines, according to Kelly. "We're an unusual medical school committed to our faculty and students," said Kelly. With renewed state funding, the 110-year-old Vet School can continue its ground breaking research and health care services for another 100 years.
(03/23/95 10:00am)
Awaiting the first public reading of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Norman Mailer's newest book, Oswald's Tale: An American Mystery, 200 people gathered in the Harrison Auditorium yesterday afternoon. Mailer compared himself to a "restaurateur who'll give you a testing menu," before he started reading passages from various works. In the third session in a series of lectures, Mailer read selections from Tough Guys Don't Dance and Harlot's Ghost along with a poem entitled "Togetherness." But the high point of the program was the portion read from Oswald's Tale, his newest book, due to arrive in bookstores in April. The audience heard actual KGB transcripts of their surveillance of Lee Harvey Oswald and excerpts from Mailer's interview with the KGB agent assigned to Oswald's case. "What I got was a sense of [Oswald] as a man," said Mailer, describing his research experience in the former Soviet Union. When asked if he had developed any conclusions as to whether Oswald had acted alone in the assassination of John Kennedy, Mailer responded that it was after he returned from Minsk to the United States that he developed a "tentative" conclusion. "He was perfectly capable of committing the crime alone," Mailer said. "But whether he did or not is another question." Mailer closed the reading with a passage from Ancient Evenings describing the Egyptian embalming process from the point of view of the dead body. His description included a graphic section on the extraction of the brains from the skull. Members of the audience were allowed to ask general questions of Mailer following the reading. In response to a question on the his decision to become a writer, Mailer said he was lucky that he had the support of his parents. "I had great luck," he said. "I won a story contest when I was 18 so as a result my parents accepted my decision." Answering a question about writing style, Mailer said he lets the material dictate what approach he should use. "I find I can't write anything until I find the style for the piece," he said. The program closed with a formal autograph session during which Mailer not only signed books, but also discussed boxing techniques. College junior Matt Robinson presented the former boxer with a left boxing glove to be autographed. "I figured it'd be an appropriate keepsake of the event," Robinson said. And College junior Christy Mach left the program with a newly autographed copy of Mailer's Armies of the Night in hand. "I feel lucky," said Mach. "It's not everyday that you meet someone who's a legend in his own time."
(03/21/95 10:00am)
The next time you turn on your television, the University's White Women Against Racism support group might be the topic of conversation on the Montel Williams show. Officials affiliated with the nationally syndicated talk-show have contacted Engineering junior Janali Davis about a possible appearance on the program, she said. "I will accept the offer to go on if they get back in touch with me," Davis said. After WWAR barred her from attending a WWAR support group meeting last month, Davis had planned to file a complaint with the Office of Affirmative Action, but was instead advised by affirmative action officials to first speak with the Penn's Women's Center. Davis has an appointment scheduled with the Women's Center Director Elena DiLapi for this Wednesday. If the issue is not resolved in that meeting, University officials told Davis that she should speak with the Office of University Life. "[Affirmative Action officials] said if I didn't get anywhere with that then to go through and file an official complaint," Davis said. Affirmative Action would then proceed with an investigation to see if the University's nondiscrimination policy was violated at the WWAR meeting. Recommendations resulting from the investigation would be sanctioned to the Women's Center. Davis has already spoken with Gloria Gay, Women's Center associate director, about the WWAR's policy of excluding blacks. Thus far, reactions to the incident have been mixed. According to Black Student League President and College senior Robyn Kent, several students support Davis's complaint. But she said those familiar with the Women's Center policies and programs understand the reasons for the exclusion policy. Davis said she has received numerous phone calls and electronic mail messages supporting her position. DiLapi did not return several calls placed to her home and office yesterday.
(03/16/95 10:00am)
Yale University has agreed to return $20 million donated in 1991 to establish a Western Civilization program because the donor wanted to be able to approve faculty appointments. The donor, Lee Bass, said he wanted to have the right to approve the hiring of professors in order to maintain "the original spirit and intent of the program." Bass, a Texas billionaire and 1979 Yale graduate, originally donated the money to fund a multicultural program focusing on prominent figures in European history and culture. "Although Yale had informed Mr. Bass that it was prepared to implement the program as envisioned in the original agreement, we could not honor the donor's new request to approve faculty appointments," Yale President Richard Levin said this week in a statement. Exactly how funding has been allocated for the Western Civilization program has recently come under scrutiny. In December, an article printed in Light and Truth, a Yale student journal, claimed that University President Judith Rodin, Yale's provost at the time the donation was made, and later Levin, misled Bass and did not follow the grant's conditions. But Rodin responded last semester that due to "financial reasons," she had to deny the proposal to hire four new assistant professors to teach Western Civilization classes. Rodin was unavailable for comment on the return of the grant last night. Other potential donors have begun reconsidering giving money to Yale because of the problems that have followed the Bass donation. Yale alumnus Robert Eskridge, was reported to have met with a university official to redirect the $500,000 he was donating. But others, including U.S. Circuit Court Judge Jose Cabranes, a Yale trustee, have supported Levin in his decision. "Yale would not be Yale if it had ever yielded to any such request," Cabranes said in a statement. The Associated Press and The Philadelphia Inquirer contributed to this article.
(03/15/95 10:00am)
Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg spoke on issues of gender and justice at a conference at the Zellerbach Theatre yesterday. O'Connor, who opened the conference entitled "Women in Judging: Transforming the Image of Justice," concentrated her talk on her experience in becoming the first female Supreme Court justice. "As soon as I was nominated, I received a flood of letters from women on how important it was to have women on the Supreme Court," O'Connor said in her opening remarks. In addition to O'Connor and Ginsburg, seven distinguished female judges -- all University Law School alumnae -- spoke at the conference. They all agreed that it was beneficial to have other female judges serving with them as they began their judgeships. "I'm glad that I had Sandra to inform me of some of the 'unwritten rules' of the Supreme Court," Ginsburg said. Following the speeches, a panel discussion led by Law School professor Barbara Woodhouse addressed how women with similar aspirations can break the "judicial glass ceiling" to become judges. The panelists said that service in the community is important if one wants to pursue a career as a judge. "I would definitely say that the career path of public service is key," said Norma Shapiro, a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Panelists also discussed the difficulties of learning the intricacies of their jobs. "There's no how-to-do-it manual at the Supreme Court," O'Connor said. Law School Professor Susan Sturm moderated the second discussion concentrating on how women contribute to the justice system. Sturm asked the judges if being a woman has ever affected any of their rulings on cases. "I cannot help but feel some compassion," said Sue Robinson, a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. "But that doesn't mean I don't send them to jail or don't give them the maximum sentence." The Supreme Court justices also presented awards to four local students who competed in an essay competition focusing on the role of female judges. "I think that there should be more female judges," said fourth-grader Maribeth Hohenstein, who was recognized for her essay. "They might make the difference in some cases." "Gender is not entirely absent," University of California at Los Angeles Law Professor Carrie Menkel-Meadow said. "The rule of law trumps any gender difference." The conference was simultaneously broadcast on ResNet so students unable to get tickets would be able to view the discussions. First year Law student Danielle Rembert, who attended the forum, said she found it informative and thought-provoking. "Specifically, the best part of the discussion was that there were a number of different views expressed," Rembert said. "I feel that's what made it rich." The conference was sponsored by the Annenberg Public Policy Center and the Law School.
(03/14/95 10:00am)
Five of the University's graduate schools received top-tier rankings in a survey of the nation's graduate schools published in a special issue of U.S. News & World Report, which hits newsstands today. Jumping up from its fourth place ranking last year, the Wharton School's graduate division came in a close second to Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School with a 99.8 percent ranking, compared to Sloan's 100 percent. "We are pleased that Wharton consistently ranks at or near the top of virtually every independent measure and ranking," Wharton Dean Thomas Gerrity said in a statement released Friday. The Nursing School dropped from from its first-place slot last year to third place. The Medical School maintained its position at seventh place, and the Law School tied with Northwestern University at 11th place. Last year, the Law School received a ninth place ranking. "We care about being viewed in the top tier," University President Judith Rodin said. "That's the important part of it -- we do want to be viewed as a top-ranked institution." The rankings are based on student selectivity, placement success, faculty resources, research activity and institutional reputation. However, criteria do vary for each area of graduate education. But the various schools do not take the rankings as seriously as prospective students do, Rodin said. Law School Dean Colin Diver attributed the Law School's significant increase in the number of applicants that matriculated last year to its high ranking in U.S. News & World Report. "The result is that we don't look as good [this year] because we have more students," Diver said. "It shows how sometimes you get victimized by your own success." The criteria used in the rankings are also questionable since formulas change from year to year, Diver said. This was the first year U.S. News & World Report surveyed graduate schools of education, and the University's Graduate School of Education tied for 10th with the graduate education school at the University of California at Los Angeles. "I thought what a coup for Penn," University spokesperson Barbara Beck said. "And then when you think of a new dean, Fuhrman from Rutgers, coming in for Penn, I expect them to be in the top five next year if not number one in the country." Several concentrated programs received national recognition -- including the Medical School's programs in women's health and pediatrics, which placed in the top three. "That we are consistently ranked in the top 10 in this nationwide survey attest to our enduring commitment to excellence," Medical School Dean William Kelley said. The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences improved slightly from 33rd last year to 31st place this year. Although graduate schools of arts and sciences are not evaluated, individual departments are. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Department of Economics was rated eighth and the Department of English placed ninth. "If you take a look at that [the rankings] in the whole you have a group of graduate schools that are a superb academic training ground," Beck said. According to Rodin, the University will continue to establish its own academic standards. "If we set our mission and goals clearly and then set a set of strategic goals to get there we will be very successful and that's what I want to see the schools in the process of doing," she said. Daily Pennsylvanian Staff Writer Lisa Levenson contributed to this article.
