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(09/21/00 9:00am)
Cyclists rejoice -- there may soon be a sharp decline in bicycle thefts on campus.
Late Sunday night, University Police arrested notorious bike thief Steven Scott, of the 3800 block of Reno Street, for the 58th time since May 1997.
Nearly all of his arrests were in connection with bike theft or attempted bike theft, according to Penn Detective Supervisor Frank DeMeo.
University Police Chief Maureen Rush said Scott may have been responsible for the recent rash of bike thefts -- about 12 in the past two weeks -- on or near campus.
"It was probably a small group of him and a few other friends," she said.
"He has a long, fruitful criminal history," Rush added. "He has plagued our bicycle racks for years."
At his preliminary hearing, Penn Police will request a stay-away order for Scott, meaning that they can arrest him on-sight if he is ever on campus.
Scott's most recent arrest was at about 11:20 p.m. on Sunday, when a University Police officer spotted Scott and a female companion entering a fenced-in construction area and tampering with bicycles outside of Irvine Auditorium at 3401 Spruce Street.
The officer arrested 32-year-old Scott and his companion, 32-year-old Theresa Scurry. The pair has been charged with attempted theft.
According to Rush, a University Police detective will testify at Scott's trial that Scott is a "continual menace to the Penn community," in the hopes that the judge will issue the stay-away order.
Deputy Chief of Investigations Tom King said Scott was out of prison on parole when he was arrested on Sunday. If the arrest is a serious violation of Scott's parole, a judge will be more likely to issue a stay-away order, according to King.
Such an order is necessary because no matter how many times Scott is arrested, he keeps returning to campus, Rush said.
Philadelphia Police are also more likely to keep Scott in custody than release him on bail if this latest arrest is a serious enough parole infringement.
Rush said Scott is a career criminal who just will not stay away from campus.
"We know who he is, he knows we know who he is," she said. "But it's like there's a magnet drawing him to Penn."
(09/20/00 9:00am)
After a female University employee was scammed out of $500 by a pair of con artists on Friday, University Police are cautioning that such crimes are much more common than the statistics indicate.
Although last week's flim-flam scam was the first reported this semester, Deputy Chief of Investigations Tom King said many flim-flam scams go unreported because the victim feels too embarrassed to go to the police.
"For every one that's reported, there are probably quite a few more and quite a few more attempts," King said.
In Friday's theft, a female University student reported that she was approached by two women on the 3500 block of Market Street at about 5 p.m. The women claimed they had found money and offered the student half in exchange for $500 in advance cash.
After the woman withdrew the cash from an ATM, she gave it to the two women, who fled the scene.
The employee reported that both women were African American. One of the women was about 5'8" tall and weighed 160 pounds, with long, black braided hair. She was wearing a white shirt and black pants at the time of the incident.
The other woman was described as about 25-years-old with black hair colored red in the front. She was wearing a blue knitted sweater and blue jean shorts at the time.
The two women reportedly fled the scene in a red Ford Focus.
"It's the classic flim-flam attempt," King said. "It never ceases to amaze me how successful it is."
King and Penn Chief of Police Maureen Rush also warned that flim-flam artists approach Asian women most often.
According to Rush, the scam artists may think their intended victims do not speak English, so it will be easier to trick them.
King also warned that it is easier than most people think to be taken in by a flim-flam scam.
"In retrospect, it almost seems incredible, unbelievable that students could fall for this," King said. "But these people who do this are very, very professional. It's not as difficult as it seems to be duped."
Rush advised students to be skeptical when approached by a stranger.
"If it seems too good to be true, it probably is," she said.
In the fall of 1998, there was a rash of flim-flams over a three-week period, in which two Penn students and a Children's Hospital of Philadelphia employee were scammed out of a combined $14,190.
(09/20/00 9:00am)
Theft
€ September 18 -- A female University student reported that her bicycle, valued at $400, was taken from a bike rack on the 3300 block of Walnut Street between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
(09/19/00 9:00am)
As soon as the enormous man grabbed her, Engineering freshman Sonya Wood sprung into action, kicking, punching and screaming. The other women in the room yelled words of encouragement: "Knee him!" "Get up off the ground!" "Run!"
Wood, along with seven other women, was participating in the final phase of the Rape Aggression Defense class -- simulated attack.
The large man grabbing at her hair and clothes was not a real attacker, but a heavily padded University Police officer. But that didn't matter to Wood or any of the other women -- as far as they were concerned, they were fighting for their lives.
"They were hitting hard, doing the right techniques and following their own instincts," RAD Coordinator and University Police Officer Stacy Livingston said. "They were not being overly aggressive at first, but they were doing what they had to."
The 12-hour RAD course is sponsored by the Virginia-based RAD Systems company and offered locally by the University Police. The free class is intended to teach women self-defense and avoidance tactics.
During the first phase of the course, students learn about rape itself -- what constitutes a rape, what kind of date rape drugs are on the market and how to avoid looking like a target.
"Obviously, a short skirt and high, high heels may not be the most productive thing to wear late at night," Livingston said.
After the women have learned the basics, the instructors move on to the meat of the course -- basic principles of defense.
They learn how to throw and block a punch, how to kick and how to escape should they wind up on the ground.
The class culminates with an optional attack simulation, in which both the women and their mock attackers -- University Police officers Miguel Ortiz and Norman Owens -- are heavily padded.
The women who choose to participate get suited up with helmets, elbow pads, knee pads and padded gloves. Ortiz and Owens -- who end up as punching bags for the women -- are even more padded in full body suits, each of which costs between $1,100 and $1,200.
The women and their "attackers" then participate in three mock attack situations.
In the first scenario, either Ortiz or Owens walks up to his intended victim, asking her for help or directions and ultimately grabbing her.
In the next situation, an attacker grabs the woman from behind as she pretends to be using an ATM machine.
Finally, the lights are turned off and both Ortiz and Owens -- each well over six-feet tall and weighing more than 200 pounds -- approach the woman and begin to taunt her. She is told to keep her eyes closed until one of the men grabs her.
When Wood was grabbed, her eyes flew open and she began to pummel Owens. Ortiz stood by looking menacing as Wood and Owens fought. After a few tense moments of violent confrontation, she finally succeeded in knocking him to the ground.
Then, she had to contend with Ortiz. He wrestled her to the ground and grabbed her foot, but she managed to twist free and run to safety.
Wood was shaken and out of breath, but she was smiling broadly.
"I do karate, but I haven't been to class in awhile," she said after catching her breath and removing her padding. "I like the feeling that I can protect myself."
(09/15/00 9:00am)
They want their Napster.
Students reacted with a mixture of anger and contempt for the letter sent to University President Judith Rodin by attorneys for the heavy metal band Metallica and the rap artist Dr. Dre this week.
The letter, which was received Wednesday, asked Rodin to ban access to Napster through the University's Internet service.
Metallica and Dr. Dre have been vocal critics of the popular computer program, which allows users to share high-quality music files for free.
Many Penn students feel that Rodin should not give into demands.
"She should wait for the courts to decide," College sophomore Jake Kraft said. "I don't see that there's a moral imperative to act one way or another, because right now it's not clear how Napster falls under the law."
In the letter, the attorneys gave Penn until September 22 to comply with the request.
The Recording Industry Association of America -- an organization representing major record labels -- first filed suit against Napster last December, charging that the company violated copyright laws.
This summer, an injunction was issued ordering Napster to shut down until a verdict was reached, but Napster successfully appealed the decision. The lawsuit is currently in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Earlier this year, another suit was filed against Napster by many record companies, and other music-sharing Web sites have settled similar suits.
Penn is one of many universities nationwide to receive a letter from the attorneys.
The University of Southern California and Indiana and Yale universities were included in the suit against Napster after they failed to comply with the musicians' requests. The three schools have since settled and limited Napster use on their campuses.
But Penn ACLU member and College sophomore Adam Lubow said that Rodin should not shut down Napster on campus out of fear of a lawsuit.
"Penn should not capitulate to these threats," Lubow said. "They should not show themselves as willing to give in at the slightest threat of a lawsuit."
In a letter to Rodin on behalf of Penn ACLU, Lubow also urged her to protect students' freedom of speech.
"It would be in the spirit of the First Amendment for the University to continue providing its students with the fullest opportunity to exercise free speech, no matter what medium is the source for information," Lubow wrote in the letter.
And College freshman A.J. Cabrera said it is not the University's place to regulate Internet use.
"Online is a private medium that should not be regulated by anyone other than the user," Cabrera said. "It should be the user's right if they want to participate in an illegal act."
And other students took issue with Metallica and Dr. Dre's objection to Napster.
"More than the majority of artists support [Napster]," College junior Casey Mork said. "Metallica and Dr. Dre are just greedy bitches."
(09/13/00 9:00am)
Watch where you leave that wallet.
There has been a rash of recent credit card thefts on campus over the past few weeks in which the thieves take credit cards but leave purses and wallets behind.
The technique is successful because it may be hours or days before the victim notices the missing cards, making it nearly impossible for police to catch the crook.
"These people are very, very sly of hand," University Police Chief Maureen Rush said. "Within seconds, they've whipped out your credit cards."
There have been about 11 similar thefts in the past 2 1/2 weeks.
Rush said University Police are currently working with Philadelphia Police to catch the pickpockets, who have also plagued Center City. UPPD officers can look through a mug shot book compiled by the PPD, enabling them to recognize possible pickpockets.
The most recent theft occurred Monday at the Franklin Building at 3451 Walnut Street. A female University student reported that she left her purse unattended for a few minutes. She later discovered that her MAC card, Social Security card, $10 in cash and about $10 in subway tokens were missing.
According to Detective Supervisor Frank DeMeo, this kind of theft is hardly a new trend. He said similar incidents occur at the start of every school year.
"A lot of people need to become educated" on how to protect themselves from crime, DeMeo said.
Not all of the recent thefts occurred when victims left items unattended.
On August 31, a female student reported that her wallet was taken from her purse, which was hanging on the back of her chair in Houston Hall during CUPID. Taken were a credit card, a driver's license and $30 in cash.
Pickpockets frequently remove items from purses hanging on chairs -- often in crowded restaurants or bars -- by bumping into victims, distracting them from the theft, Rush said.
Rush advised students to wrap their purses or bags around their legs when sitting in a restaurant or bar.
The thefts have been accompanied by three robberies that have occurred within the last two weeks just off campus. In one of the incidents, the suspect was wielding a gun. University Police are currently investigating the crimes in conjunction with the PPD.
(09/12/00 9:00am)
Penn and Philadelphia Police are investigating possible connections between a recent rash of robberies near campus and further into West Philadelphia.
To help prevent further incidents, Rush advised students to avoid traveling between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. -- and especially between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m., when it is darkest and the streets are most deserted -- since Spectaguard coverage ends at 3 a.m.
"If you have to travel between four and five, and you think you've had a few drinks and you think you might not be 100 percent cognizant of your surroundings, stay at your friend's house or call the Penn Police," Rush said.
There have been three nighttime robberies just off campus in the past two weeks, one involving a Penn alumna who was held up early in the morning on the 3900 block of Pine Street on September 2.
A woman approached the alumna from the rear at about 5 a.m., grabbed her purse, pushed her down a flight of stairs and jumped into a dark gray sedan.
Police are looking into the possibility that the same getaway car may have been involved in other recent crimes handled by the Philadelphia Police, according to University Police Chief Maureen Rush.
"There's definitely promise there, especially with the vehicle -- that's also been involved in some robberies further west," said Rush, who did not elaborate on the PPD's cases.
The woman sought in connection with the September 2 robbery is described as a heavy-set black female in her late 20s to early 30s. At the time of the incident, she was wearing blue jeans and a blue shirt, and her black hair was pulled back in a short ponytail.
In the second recent off-campus robbery, which occurred at about 4 a.m. on September 5 on the 4100 block of Walnut Street, two male students were returning home from the 7-Eleven on 42nd and Walnut streets when a man wielding a gun forced them to lie face down on the ground. The man took $20 in cash and a watch. A witness called the police, but no arrests were made.
The third robbery occurred on September 2 at about 11:30 p.m. on 41st Street between Walnut and Locust streets.
A female University student was walking with a friend when two teenage boys grabbed her purse. When she would not release the purse, the boys dragged her to the ground. The student finally released her purse, which contained a cell phone, and the boys fled.
Police arrested a juvenile in connection with the incident and are looking for the other alleged assailant.
(09/11/00 9:00am)
Theft
€ September 9 -- A contractor reported that a fax machine was taken from an unsecured trailer on the 4000 block of Irving Street between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. The fax machine was valued at $300.
(09/11/00 9:00am)
By the time University Police Sgt. John Washington reached the last half mile of the race, he was suffering from sun poisoning. He had sweated off all his sunblock, the top of his head was covered with blisters and he was vomiting profusely.
Still, Washington kept running, beating out close to 70 other police officers to win a bronze medal in the half marathon.
In addition to this hard-won bronze medal, Washington won another bronze in the mountain bike race and a silver in the five-mile trail race at this year's International Law Enforcement Games last month in Cocoa Beach, Fl.
The games, which are held every two years, drew 5,600 contestants from 19 countries to participate in events such as golf, bowling and shooting.
So why didn't Washington stop running when he got sick?
"In hindsight, I probably should have," he said. "But when you've spent all the money to travel there, you don't give up that easily."
Washington's coworkers at the University Police Department were not at all surprised at his decision to finish the race.
"John's a real athlete," said Deputy Chief of Investigations Tom King, who participates in other races with Washington. "But John's also insane."
Washington came to Penn 12 years ago, after working as a fire marshal in a Philadelphia suburb. He began racing in 1995, at first just to beat Philadelphia Police officers.
But now the 39-year-old Washington runs or bikes in about a half-dozen races per year -- and he usually wins.
He has won the Philadelphia Police Bike Challenge three years in a row, beating out 125 other officers, mainly from the Philadelphia Police Department.
He also took gold medals in both the 5K run and the mountain bike course this June at the Pennsylvania Police Games.
But Washington is still smarting over his loss to King at the East Coast Police Biathlon last year, when King took first place and Washington placed third.
"It's the only time he's ever beat me," Washington said. "The first time and the last time."
But his competitive spirit is not the only reason Washington enjoys participating in police athletic events.
"Sure, there's a personal satisfaction in saying I went up against some of the best and beat the best," he said. "But the best part is sitting down and having a beer with [the other contestants] and... trading war stories, seeing how they do things differently."
Although Washington was unable to attend the 1998 International Law Enforcement Games because they were too far away -- in the United Arab Emirates -- he does intend to compete at the 2002 games in Quebec.
He is also trying to convince some of his colleagues to go along -- although many of them are athletes, Washington is the only one who has competed in the games.
"The most disappointing part is that all these other officers are so talented -- they could do the same thing," Washington said. "I would think [my success] would be an incentive to them."
Washington's successes come despite myriad injuries sustained during previous races -- he has had back surgery, two knee surgeries and a hip replacement.
But these injuries have been mere inconveniences for Washington, and he does not intend to stop competing any time soon.
"As long as I have my health, I'll keep doing these things," he said.
(09/08/00 9:00am)
Robbery
€A man unaffiliated with the University reported that two men hit him in the back of the head at 38th and Spruce streets, knocking him to the ground at about 10:30 a.m. The man sustained jaw injuries, and the two men took $40 in cash from him.
(09/08/00 9:00am)
After two years of handscanner technology trial runs in Hamilton College House, Penn may soon be ready to install them permanently in residential halls, beginning with the Quadrangle's 37th Street entrance.
Officials could not project when the handscanners, if approved, would be installed.
Last year's trial -- which ran from last January through May -- was the second at Penn for the RAPOR, short for Rapid Access Portal.
The first version of the hand portal -- which debuted in Hamilton in 1999 -- did not go over well with students, who did not like the fact that they had to stand in a small enclosure until their cards and hand prints were accepted.
The second version, however, was more open -- the doors only closed if the card and hand print were rejected.
And according to Lynn Rotoli, marketing manager for Housing and Conference Services, the Residential Advisory Board liked the second hand portal system.
"With modifications, they felt that this might possibly work at other locations around campus," Rotoli said.
Director of Security Services Stratis Skoufalos said that the Division of Public Safety submitted a proposal to allow the installation of a RAPOR-type portal in the Quad.
Skoufalos predicted that if the University agreed to install two portals at the 37th Street entrance to the Quad, students would not have to wait as long to enter.
Some RAB members, however, did not favor the installation of a hand portal at the Quad entrance.
"The placement of portals in certain existing entranceways would congest the areas and be obstacles during move-in and move-out for students," RAB co-Chair and Engineering junior Michael Pezzicola wrote in a letter.
"Specifically, placement of a portal in the entranceways of Upper Quad, Lower Quad, and Kings Court/English House would not be beneficial to students due to the need of space for move-in," Pezzicola added.
Skoufalos stressed that the hand portal would not eliminate the need for a human being at the entrance to each college house, but would allow the University to cut down on the number of security officers posted.
"We could then use [extra] security officers in a more proactive way, such as patrolling the halls or the outside of the buildings," Skoufalos said.
If Penn adopts the RAPOR system, it will be the first university to do so. The system is already used by IBM, American Airlines and certain military bases
(09/08/00 9:00am)
After a relatively safe summer, three Penn students and one alumna were robbed just off campus in the past week. All three of the incidents, one of which took place at gunpoint, were nighttime robberies.
The armed robbery occurred early Tuesday morning on the 4100 block of Walnut Street, when two male students were returning to campus from the 7-Eleven on 42nd and Walnut streets at about 4 a.m. A man wielding a gun forced them to the ground and took $20 in cash and a watch. There were no injuries reported. A witness called the police, but no arrests were made. Police had no description of the suspect.
Early Sunday morning, a female University student was robbed outside on 41st Street between Walnut and Locust streets. The student was walking with a friend when two teenage boys grabbed her purse. When she held onto the purse, the boys dragged her to the ground. The student then released her bag, containing a cell phone, and the boys fled.
Police have since arrested a juvenile in connection with the robbery and are currently looking for the other boy.
The third robbery occurred early Saturday morning on the 3900 block of Pine Street. A Penn alumna reported that a woman approached her from the rear, grabbed her purse, pushed her down a flight of stairs and escaped into a dark gray Sedan. Police have made no arrests in connection with the robbery.
The suspect in that incident is described as a heavy-set black female in her late 20s or early 30s with a short black ponytail. She was wearing blue jeans and a blue shirt at the time of the incident.
University Police Deputy Chief of Investigations Tom King said the surge in crime is not unusual for the beginning of the school year, because of the sudden increase in campus population.
"There is a spike in all crime in September," King said, "but it's getting lower each year."
King said Penn Police and Philadelphia Police are working together to investigate whether there was any link between the three robberies.
He said police are looking into the possibility that the robberies may have been committed by a team of both men and women.
Also, this week a man unaffiliated with the University reported that two men hit him in the back of the head while he was walking at the corner of 38th and Spruce streets at about 10:30 a.m. on Monday, knocking him to the ground. The man sustained jaw injuries, and the two men took $40 in cash from him.
Despite this past week's incidents, campus crime in fall has fallen since 1996, when there were 30 armed robberies in September alone -- including the non-fatal shooting of a student during an attempted robbery on 40th Street.
And last year, there were four robberies on or around campus during the first few weeks of September.
In one of the most notable incidents from last September, five students walking on 40th Street between Chestnut and Walnut streets were robbed by a man wielding a semi-automatic weapon
(09/07/00 9:00am)
Robbery
€ September 2 -- A female University student reported that two men grabbed her purse and dragged her for a few feet while she and a witness were walking south on 41st Street. After the student let go of the purse, the two men fled north on 41st street. Police arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with the crime.
(08/31/00 9:00am)
Despite increased traffic due to the Republican National Convention, Penn Police had a fairly quiet summer -- except for soaring rates of thefts from vehicles.
There were 65 reported thefts from cars this summer, up a whopping 160 percent from the summer of 1999, which saw only 25.
University Police Chief Maureen Rush attributed the jump to Philadelphia Police officers pushing perpetrators -- many of whom were homeless -- out of Center City and further west, toward Penn's campus.
Rush also said that reducing theft from cars is "a frontier that still needs a lot of work."
She said UPPD has implemented a program in which officers place "theft awareness" flyers on the windshields of parked cars in which drivers have left valuables.
Besides theft from autos, the only other increase from last summer was in retail theft, which rose 21 percent.
One of the 41 reported retail thefts was from the Radio Shack on 212 S. 40th Street on August 12. Three men, two of whom were armed, took $1,500 in cash from the store. No one was injured during the incident.
Most other types of crimes were down from last summer, which Rush attributed to increased numbers of police officers, security guards and Spectaguards on campus.
Aggravated assault was down as well, with three reported cases this summer, compared with four last summer.
In one of the cases, a woman reported that a man unaffiliated with the University banged her head against a window repeatedly on June 3. The suspect was arrested.
Robberies were down from 21 in 1999 to 16 this summer, while burglaries dropped from 37 to 29.
On August 12, however, two male University students reported that their house at 3924 Spruce Street was burglarized. The door was unlocked and there were no signs of forced entry.
A television, a VCR, four boxes of textbooks -- valued at about $2,000 -- and $30 in cash were taken.
Police have not arrested anyone in connection with the burglary.
Auto theft was also down significantly, dropping from 17 reported cases last year to only seven this year.
Theft from buildings was down as well, although only by three cases.
Rush attributed this drop to UPPD officers encouraging building administrators to be more vigilant in reporting suspicious persons or activity
(08/31/00 9:00am)
By the time University Police Sgt. John Washington reached the last half mile of the race, he was suffering from sun poisoning. He had sweated off all his sunblock, the top of his head was covered with blisters and he was vomiting profusely.
Still, Washington kept running, beating out close to 70 other police officers to win a bronze medal in the half marathon.
In addition to this hard-won bronze medal, Washington won another bronze in the mountain bike race and a silver in the five-mile trail race at this year's International Law Enforcement Games last month in Cocoa Beach, Fl.
The games, which are held every two years, drew 5,600 contestants from 19 countries to participate in events such as golf, bowling and shooting.
So why didn't Washington stop running when he got sick?
"In hindsight, I probably should have," he said. "But when you've spent all the money to travel there, you don't give up that easily."
Washington's coworkers at the University Police Department were not at all surprised at his decision to finish the race.
"John's a real athlete," said Deputy Chief of Investigations Tom King, who participates in other races with Washington. "But John's also insane."
Washington came to Penn 12 years ago, after working as a fire marshal in a Philadelphia suburb. He began racing in 1995, at first just to beat Philadelphia Police officers.
But now the 39-year-old Washington runs or bikes in about a half-dozen races per year -- and he usually wins.
He has won the Philadelphia Police Bike Challenge three years in a row, beating out 125 other officers, mainly from the Philadelphia Police Department.
He also took gold medals in both the 5K run and the mountain bike course this June at the Pennsylvania Police Games.
But Washington is still smarting over his loss to King at the East Coast Police Biathlon last year, when King took first place and Washington placed third.
"It's the only time he's ever beat me," Washington said. "The first time and the last time."
But his competitive spirit is not the only reason Washington enjoys participating in police athletic events.
"Sure, there's a personal satisfaction in saying I went up against some of the best and beat the best," he said. "But the best part is sitting down and having a beer with [the other contestants] and... trading war stories, seeing how they do things differently."
Although Washington was unable to attend the 1998 International Law Enforcement Games because they were too far away -- in the United Arab Emirates -- he does intend to compete at the 2002 games in Quebec.
He is also trying to convince some of his colleagues to go along -- although many of them are athletes, Washington is the only one who has competed in the games.
"The most disappointing part is that all these other officers are so talented -- they could do the same thing," Washington said. "I would think [my success] would be an incentive to them."
Washington's successes come despite myriad injuries sustained during previous races -- he has had back surgery, two knee surgeries and a hip replacement.
But these injuries have been mere inconveniences for Washington, and he does not intend to stop competing any time soon.
"As long as I have my health, I'll keep doing these things," he said.
(08/03/00 9:00am)
Last week I made an elderly widow cry.
(06/01/00 9:00am)
Plainview Old Beethpage John Kennedy High School '99
(05/03/00 9:00am)
Five historically African-American Greek organizations stepped, stomped, clapped and chanted their way through the Bicultural InterGreek Council's annual step show Saturday night at the Class of 1923 Ice Rink. One fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, entered wearing head-to-toe black, including black face masks. Halfway through the routine, the brothers ripped off their shirts, provoking wild cheers from the audience. They also executed a complicated routine using canes. The step show happens each year during the weekend of the Penn Relays, an annual track and field meet. "It's the best show they've ever done," said Indiana University of Pennsylvania senior and Kappa Alpha Psi brother Tyrone Bynum, who did not step Saturday. "They had no drops, even though they had some very difficult cane steps. They were flawless and they represented the fraternity very well." And their flashy moves were rewarded. The Pennsylvania State University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania chapters of Kappa Alpha Psi won for best fraternity, beating out last year's champion, Penn and Drexel University's Alpha Phi Alpha. "This is the best thing in the world," IUP freshman and Kappa Alpha Psi brother Mike Earley said. "We knew we were top of our game this year." Penn and Temple University's Zeta Phi Beta sorority won the women's competition, defeating the University of Delaware's Delta Sigma Theta, and last year's winner, Penn and Drexel's Alpha Kappa Alpha. College sophomore Tia Rideout, BIG-C correspondence secretary and Zeta Phi Beta sister, said simply, "Hard work pays off." The show began with a performance by the West Philadelphia-based Devastating Precision Youth Drill Team, a combination of steppers and drummers. After Kappa Alpha Psi's performance, Zeta Phi Beta performed, entering with prizefighter robes and poking fun at the other sororities by pretending to knock them out. In addition to the five Greek organizations that competed in the show, Cheyney University's Phi Beta Sigma fraternity performed for exhibition purposes only. BIG-C Program Coordinator Larry Moses explained that Phi Beta Sigma could not compete because many of their steppers were older than an undergraduate show allows. Moses was pleased with how the show turned out. "We were very proud of the step show and a lot of the fellowship we saw," Moses said. "There was great representation, with a large number of people visiting from other colleges." The show was co-sponsored by Black Entertainment Television in order to promote their new Web site, BET.com. The company also had a deejay in Hamilton Village earlier in the day. Moses said the company was satisfied with the step show, after-party and the carnival, and plans to co-sponsor future Penn events.
(04/27/00 9:00am)
Nine historically African-American fraternities and sororities will "step up" to the challenge Saturday night at the Bi-cultural InterGreek Council's annual step show. According to BIG-C President and Sigma Lambda Upsilon sister Marcela Poveda, more than 1,500 students and community residents are expected to converge on the Class of 1923 Ice Rink for the event. Poveda, a College junior, said about 2,000 people showed up last year, but organizers had to turn 500 away due to limited rink capacity. "The last three years, it's been really huge, and we're hoping for the same this year," Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Program Coordinator Larry Moses said. The step show is a long and revered tradition in the National Panhellenic Council, the national umbrella group for historically African-American fraternities and sororities. "[A step show] is a series of synchronized dance steps that traditionally have been connected with African-American Greek-letter organizations," Moses said. "It's one way of celebrating who we are." And Poveda said that the step show is a "good way to reflect on the roots of the African-American step tradition." This year, all nine National Panhellenic Council organizations are sending step teams to the competition. Three of the organizations -- the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and Zeta Phi Beta sororities -- have chapters at Penn. The other fraternities and sororities will come from Albright College, the University of Delaware and Westchester, Drexel and Pennsylvania State universities. Each fraternity and sorority has its own trademark "step," a combination of synchronized dancing, stomping, clapping and showmanship. For example, one fraternity always uses canes in its act. Although Penn Alpha Phi Alpha President Richard Adzei isn't stepping on Saturday, he participated last year. "It's great to represent your organization, especially stepping at your home school," the College senior said. "It's not just fun -- it's fun and it's serious." Following the performances, a panel of judges will select the best fraternity and sorority, looking especially for synchronicity among the steppers. The winners will receive a monetary prize. Last year, Penn's Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority won the competition. Before the step show, there will be a carnival in Hamilton Village featuring musical acts, a local drill team and a procession down Locust Walk. The carnival -- although not heavily advertised -- is also a long-standing Penn Relays tradition. "We don't even publicize it too much because it's so much word of mouth," Moses said. This year, Black Entertainment Television will cosponsor the carnival in order to promote the launch of its new website, BET.com.
(04/19/00 9:00am)
Around 20 students traveled to Washington, D.C., to join in the IMF and World Bank protests. Most of the Penn campus spent last weekend partying their way through Spring Fling. But a group of about 20 students -- mostly members of Penn Students Against Sweatshops -- skipped Fling and traveled to Washington, D.C., to join the protests against the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Protesters have argued that the organizations, which were meeting in D.C., are not effective in fighting global poverty. Thousands filled the streets on Sunday and Monday for the protests -- which included both a legal march and an illegal attempt to shut down the IMF -- including students from colleges and universities nationwide. "I wanted to go down to Washington to let them know that things they were doing are unacceptable," College freshman Emily Quesada said. "A lot of their policies benefit the richest nations and hurt the poorest people and the poorest nations." College senior Miriam Joffe-Block explained why protesting against the IMF was especially important for PSAS. "We feel the connections between the lending policies and their conditionalities is creating in many countries a sweatshop economy," Joffe-Block said. She also said that the national United Students Against Sweatshops organization played a major role in organizing the protest. One Penn student, College sophomore Roopa Gona, spoke publicly at the rally. In discussing the role of students in the protests, Gona said, "I wanted to stress the importance of students getting involved right now, not only for our children, but for the world we're going to inherit some day," she said. While all of the Penn students at the protest participated in the march, a few also joined other protesters in trying to illegally block IMF conference delegates from going to work. "My activist experiences in the past have shown me that direct action is really the only way to make a difference," said Quesada, who participated in the makeshift blockade. About 600 protesters were arrested for taking part in the illegal activity. But although there were numerous reports of police using pepper spray and tear gas, no Penn students were injured at the demonstration. "At the intersection the Penn kids were at, there wasn't much of a police presence," College junior Ali Blum-Ross said. Joffe-Block said she was impressed that the police officers present did not, for the most part, use excessive force. "They were pretty restrained and handled the situation pretty well," she said. "They did a fairly good job and I appreciated that." But Quesada was not as happy with the police officers' behavior. "I saw a police officer beating a girl with his night stick about a foot away from me," she said. "I saw someone trampled by a horse. I saw a puddle of blood. I saw the suspension of the Constitution for a weekend."
