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(04/04/00 9:00am)
Freshmen were hardest hit by the lack of available on-campus housing. In letters sent last week, Housing and Conference Services informed 350 students that they had been denied on-campus housing and will now have to reconsider their living options for next year. While housing officials could not offer an exact breakdown of the students by year, it appears that the freshman class -- the largest of the four undergraduate years -- has been hit the hardest. Many have been denied not just one of their top choices, but any on-campus housing at all. "I feel like I've gotten the shaft," College freshman Judah Lebow said. "It's fairly unacceptable. People turn over a large sum of money to go here and can't get housing." The current Kings Court resident had wanted to live in a quad apartment in one of the high rises. Housing officials said the number of students unable to reserve an on-campus slot is not alarmingly higher than last year, when approximately 375 students were denied housing after the assignments process. The homeless students now have several options. They can put themselves on a waiting list, they can apply for one of the 65 available spaces in the graduate towers or they can get temporary housing in the Sheraton Hotel and move back on campus when cancellations occur. Students have until Wednesday to choose one of these options. Should they choose to reject those choices, they must seek off-campus housing. To make students familiar with their options, housing administrators hosted an information session for students last night in Hamilton College House. Many of the students, however, were largely dissatisfied with the way in which housing services was dealing with the situation and demanded that more effective measures be taken. The students who attended the meeting were primarily freshmen who are currently living in typically freshmen dormitories -- such as Kings Court/English House, Hill House and the Quad -- and are looking for rooms in the high rises. "My roommates and I didn't understand how difficult it would be [to get housing] -- I certainly didn't expect this," College freshman Chidinma Ibe said. "[The University] brings people from all over the country, all over the world and then you get this," said College freshman Tara O'Reggio, a current Quad resident who wanted to live in a triple in the high rises with her friends. Graduate associates and residential advisors across campus said they have discussed the housing shortage with their residents. Several GAs and RAs have noticed that some freshmen have been denied housing, but none have reported excessive numbers of their freshmen being denied housing next year. Housing officials attributed the number of possible waitlist candidates to the success of the college house system. They pointed out that students are choosing prime room types in the high rise dorms -- such as three-room triples and four-bedroom quads -- that include private bed space and kitchens. "I think in the past few years we've made on-campus housing more attractive and we're seeing the outcome of that," Director of College Houses and Academic Services David Brownlee said. Brownlee added that the addition of 1,000 extra college house beds as part of Penn's massive overhaul of its residential system is intended to meet the increasing demand for on-campus housing. But that is a long-term project, he cautioned. "We cannot, and no one should believe we can, produce the beds overnight," he said. While it is uncertain how many will choose to stay on the upperclassmen waitlist and hope to receive an assignment on a situational basis as cancellations come in, Associate Director of Occupancy Administration Ellie Rupsis said approximately 300 students of the 375 students chose to stay on the waitlist last year. Daily Pennsylvanian staff writer Michael Sonsino contributed to this article.
(04/04/00 9:00am)
The former mayor and the jazz great will join four others receiving honorary degrees at commencement. In recognition of contributions to fields including the humanities, music, politics and the sciences, the University will award honorary degrees to six distinguished men and women during this year's Commencement ceremony, University President Judith Rodin announced yesterday. Former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell, who has been a visiting professor at the University this semester while working as general chairman of the Democratic National Committee, will accept one of the honorary degrees. The degree is Rendell's second from Penn -- he graduated from the College in 1965. Other recipients include jazz legend Wynton Marsalis, physicist John Bahcall, anthropologist Mary Douglas, law professor Ronald Dworkin and poet Seamus Heaney, a Nobel Laureate who will give the main Commencement address. Rendell, a Penn basketball fan and Political Science lecturer is credited with having steered Philadelphia away from fiscal disaster during his two terms as mayor. Rendell will be joined by Marsalis, a nine-time Grammy Award winner for his trumpet playing and the artistic director of the jazz section at New York's Lincoln Center. Marsalis is famous not only for his legendary technical abilities on the horn, but also for his widespread influence on modern jazz. Bahcall is the Richard Black Professor of Natural Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J. Specializing in astrophysics, Bahcall is best known for his work on neutrinos and is a recipient of the National Medal of Science. Douglas is a retired professor of Social Anthropology at London University and Professor Emeritus of Humanities at Northwestern University. Douglas, who has studied the Lele people of Central Africa, is lauded for her study of the way in which humans form classification systems, especially with regard to food. Dworkin, the Quain Professor of Jurisprudence at University College London and Sommer Professor of Law and Philosophy at New York University, will receive a degree in recognition of his scholarly contributions to the understanding of constitutional law. Heaney will deliver the University's 244th Commencement address. He is the 1995 recipient of the Nobel Prize for literature and was awarded Britain's Whitbread award for his recent translation of Beowulf. Commencement will be held May 22 on Franklin Field.
(04/04/00 9:00am)
Princeton is riding a 26-game Ivy winning streak into today's game against Penn at Old Nassau. Penn men's lacrosse star Pete Janney has received many accolades in his four years as a Quaker. Last year, he was first team All-Ivy selection and an All-American honorable mention. Three years ago, he became the first Penn player to be named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year. There is, however, something he has not accomplished. Janney, and the rest of the Class of 2000, have never beaten Princeton. They get their final chance at the Tigers tonight at 7 p.m. at Old Nassau's Class of 1952 Stadium. "I want this win a lot," Janney said. "Knowing how much they've been able to accomplish while I've been here, being able to knock them off would be great." Although not beating Princeton in four years is disappointing, the seniors and the rest of the team are in good company. The Tigers (4-1, 1-0 Ivy League) are riding a 26-game winning streak in the Ivies, as well as a 10-game winning streak against Penn (4-4, 0-3). Princeton is also seeking its sixth straight Ivy title this season. Also, in the four years that Janney has been at Penn, the Tigers have won two national championships. The Quakers can take pride in the fact that the only one-goal Ivy game that the Tigers have been a part of since the streak began took place last year at Franklin Field. In that game, Princeton spotted Penn a 7-3 lead into the third quarter before coming back to score six straight goals. The Quakers had a chance to tie the score with 10 seconds left in the game, but the Tigers were able to withstand the breakaway and came away with the victory. "We played an awfully tight game with them last year," Penn coach Marc Van Arsdale said. "It's similar this year that they clearly have more than anybody in the league, but the gap is not what it was two or three years ago." Despite not possessing the dominance over the league of past years, Princeton still has several dominant players. The Tiger that the Quakers have to be most fearful of is senior Josh Sims. Sims -- a high school teammate of Janney -- has scored at least four points in all of Princeton's games this season. "Sims is easily the Ivy Player of the Year favorite," Van Arsdale said. "He's just one of the best, if not the best, midfielders in the country." While Sims is clearly the one to watch, the Tigers have many more weapons. On the defensive end, they lost all of last year's starters to graduation. But freshman Damien Davis has played a crucial role in this year's squad, becoming only the third rookie at Princeton since 1991 to start the first game of his freshman year. "They're young on defense, but we have to concentrate on making as few mistakes on the offensive end as possible," Janney said. On offense, the Tigers are dangerous as well. Senior Matt Striebel guides the frontline and is second on the team in scoring with 10 points. B.J. Prager is is second on the team in goals with seven. "They were playing with a lot of young people offensively last year, and they've grown up," Van Arsdale said. "Matt Striebel runs the show, on that end. He's a very good athlete and someone we also need to pay attention to." The Quakers are coming off a difficult loss to Cornell last weekend. In that game, the Quakers were up 5-4 before the Big Red went on a run, scoring 12 of the next 14 goals. Penn dropped to 0-3 in the league and to 4-4 overall. "For us as a team to be successful, there is a certain way we need to play, and we did that in the first half," Van Arsdale said. "We won a fair amount of face-offs; we took long possessions; we moved the ball around well; and we didn't have any turnovers. That kind of play rests the defense. In the second half we didn't do any of that." Conversely, Princeton is coming into tonight's game fresh off a convincing win over a Yale team that beat the Quakers earlier in the season. The Tigers trounced the Elis, 17-5, with Brendan Tierney leading the team with three goals and two assists. Princeton played stellar defense throughout the game, holding Yale scoreless in the first quarter and only allowing one goal in the first half. While the odds may be against the Quakers, they can take solace in this fact: Before the Tigers' current 10-game winning streak against Penn, the Quakers had won 10 straight against their arch-enemies. If this pattern holds, Janney could secure one more distinction before tonight is over.
(04/04/00 9:00am)
Six Democratic hopefuls will vie today for the chance to challenge incumbent Sen. Rick Santorum. With the presidential primary races long over, today's Pennsylvania primary might have been nothing more than a formality. But among the various national and local elections on the ballot, the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Rick Santorum has clearly emerged as a rough-and-tumble match worth watching. The six candidates vying for the nomination have spent months preparing for today's elections. They've canvassed from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and everywhere in between. They've debated each other endlessly. They've sought every endorsement they can think to find. And when today's results are tallied, the field of six Democrats competing to take on the Republican incumbent will be narrowed down to one survivor. According to Political Science Professor Henry Teune, whoever receives the go-ahead from today's primary is in for a rough ride. "This is no walk for any Democrat," he explained. "Santorum's going to be hard to beat." State Senator Allyson Schwartz, U.S. Rep. Ron Klink and former state Secretary of Labor and Industry Tom Foley have emerged as the leading contenders for the nomination. In the tradition of state primaries, many are predicting that few voters will make it to the polls tomorrow, thereby making it virtually impossible for political analysts to pick a winner from among the contenders. "The election depends on who is going to turn out at the polls," Bruce Caswell, chairman of the Political Science Department at Rowan University in New Jersey, said last night. "And in this primary, where there will be such low turnout, there's no real clue as to who will win." The frontrunners The race's three leading contenders -- Schwartz, Foley and Klink -- are no strangers to holding public office. Klink is currently serving his fourth term as a U.S. congressman for Pennsylvania's 4th District. Schwartz is in her third term as a state senator for Philadelphia and Montgomery counties. And in 1991, Foley became the youngest politician to serve as the state secretary for labor and industry. With this sort of experience behind each of them, the three candidates are trying to distinguish themselves by what they've done in government. Schwartz, an unabashed liberal who worked in health and human services for 20 years before turning to politics, has come to the forefront for her work in education and health care. As Democratic chair of the state Senate Education Committee, Schwartz has championed early childhood initiatives and statewide academic standards. But Foley -- who won national honors for increasing opportunities for minorities and women in the state Labor Department -- has also identified health care and education, as well as Social Security, as his top issues. The former professor and scholar of Irish history has advocated increased prescription drug coverage and a patient's bill of rights. Klink has also focused his campaign largely on education and health care. According to spokesman J.J. Balaban, Klink has "been talking more about health care than any other issue in this campaign." As a result, the congressman has spent his terms trying to expand health care coverage for children and secure a patient's bill of rights. Emotional appeal Since state officials are anticipating a low voter turnout today, each of the six candidates have been emphasizing the issues they think will have the greatest impact on mobilizing voters. And, Teune said, the candidates have repeatedly turned towards two hot items on the democratic agenda: gun safety and abortion. "It's turning into a race to see who's more pro-abortion," he noted. "In an election like this, you've got to activate the Democratic faithful [by] appeal[ing] to emotional issues." In opposition to conservative Santorum's staunch pro-life stance, five of the six Democratic nominees have identified themselves as pro-choice. Klink remains the sole pro-life Democrat, though his spokesman was quick to add that "being a pro-life Democrat in Pennsylvania isn't that odd." Schwartz spokeswoman Eulalia Brooks claimed that the state senator's track record on the issue reflects her commitment to the pro-choice camp. "She started the Elizabeth Blackwell Health Center, a model for many women's health centers," Brooks said. "She's been endorsed by every major pro-choice organization." However, to Foley and lawyers Bob Rovner and Murray Levin, abortion is simply a medical matter -- with no place for government. The sixth candidate, Phil Berg, could not be reached for comment. Like their stances on abortion, nearly all the candidates have emerged in distinct opposition to Santorum's stance against further gun control laws. Many of the six Democrats have declared their allegiance to what Levin calls "common-sense gun-safety measures," like child safety locks. University of Maryland Government and Politics Professor Paul Herrnson said it takes precisely these kind of inflammatory issues to mobilize voters in smaller elections like state primaries. "People who participate in primaries tend to be more ideologically extreme," he explained. "Sometimes that's what it takes to get people to the polls." Geographic struggle But today's election won't be decided simply by issues. According to Penn Public Policy and History Professor Theodore Hershberg, recent polls indicate that support for the three major candidates largely coincides with their area of residence. "There's a big geographic divide," Hershberg said. "There's been such limited media and visibility on this my sense is people will follow geography." "I'm not sure any of the issues emerged strong enough to differentiate the major candidates," he added. With Schwartz hailing from Philadelphia and Klink claiming residence in Pittsburgh, Teune said the race could turn into a face-off between the state's urban poles. Caswell agreed, adding that Western Pennsylvania historically votes at a higher rate than other areas of the state -- which could work to the advantage of Klink. "It really depends on which parts of the state come out tomorrow," Caswell said. Organizational battle Yet regardless of the issues -- or of a candidate's place of residence --Teune claims that today's race will eventually come down to each candidate's endorsements. "It's an organizational thing," he explained. "Endorsements will help. What these groups can deliver in votes is key." Philadelphia Mayor John Street gave Schwartz his endorsement in late February, calling her "the MVP for Pennsylvania's children and families." "She's a real strong supporter of public education," Street's spokeswoman Barbara Grant explained. "And, importantly, the mayor thinks she can beat Santorum in the fall." This endorsement, Teune said, may prove to be crucial. "Street's guys can deliver votes," Teune said of the mayor's endorsement. "That'll help Schwartz." Klink, too, has received dozens of endorsements, including several from U.S. congressmen. Foley received a significant boost when The Philadelphia Inquirer handed him their endorsement. And the state's labor groups remain largely split between Foley and Klink. "It's all split. It's so evenly split," Caswell said, noting that the even distribution of endorsements render many ineffective. "With endorsements we're only talking thousands of votes," he explained. "Of course, in this primary, with low voter turnout, thousands of votes might make a big difference," he continued. The real challenge Although today will mark the end of the race for five of the candidates, today's victor will only be starting the real work. Most experts predict that the conservative Santorum will be an especially hard candidate for a Democrat to defeat. Teune notes that Santorum is in "way better shape financially" than any of the Democratic candidates. But to Caswell, the Democrats will probably not win because they aren't strong enough candidates. "They're all very weak," he explained, although he also said that Santorum himself isn't that strong of a candidate. "Only about 15 percent of incumbents lose," he continued. "You just can't beat a weak incumbent with a weak challenger."
(04/04/00 9:00am)
In its first concert in the renovated auditorium, Penn's Wind Ensemble, a student orchestra consisting mostly of non-music majors, treated an audience of several hundred students, alumni and family members to a performance of classical overtures on Friday night. During the two-hour show, the orchestra performed concertos by composers including Mozart and Vivaldi. The Wind Ensemble, conducted by Ensemble Music Director Ricardo Averbach, showcased its individual instrumental sections during the first half. Each instrumental section played a separate piece that highlighted the strengths of that particular group. For example, the percussion piece, A La Nanigo, by Mitchell Peters, allowed the section to showcase the synchronicity and variety of the drums. A piece from the Don Giovanni Overture, performed by a "mix" of oboes, clarinets, bassoons and horns was guest conducted by College senior Adam Warshafsky, the president of the Wind Ensemble Board. The University Flute Ensemble also featured a solo performance by freshman flutist David Mills during a concerto from the famous Vivaldi piece The Four Seasons. Near the end of the first half of the performance, Averbach perplexed the audience for a second when he slowly turned around toward them and raised his hands in a conducting stance. The lights then focused on the University Brass Ensemble who had assembled on the side balconies to play above and behind the audience's heads. "I thought it was cool that they played from the balconies. They really mixed it up a lot," said College senior Paul Danifo, who had come to see his friends perform. Before intermission, Averbach announced the release of the Wind Ensemble's debut compact disk. Averbach jokingly pointed out that the CD was the culmination of "only" four years of work. "At Penn, we try to do fun and cultural pieces because they're almost all non-music majors," he said. Averbach then expressed his gratitude to two Penn alumni for their contributions to this year's Ensemble. Daniel Dorff, a composer who received a degree in composition from Penn about 25 years ago, wrote a piece specifically for the Wind Ensemble, entitled Allegro Volante. The piece opened the second half of the show. Jerry Levinson, a Swarthmore College faculty member and Penn alumnus, also composed a piece for the Ensemble. The pieces "Mars" and "Jupiter" from British composer Gustav Holst were particular crowd favorites. "I was definitely impressed," College senior Cathy Zorc said. "The first half was innovative and the second half was phenomenal. It was like being at the Kennedy Center in D.C."
(04/04/00 9:00am)
Penn was disappointed by the FLA's and WRC's responses to its requests. After receiving responses deemed unsatisfactory from two rival sweatshop monitoring organizations, the University has decided to continue withholding its membership from both the Fair Labor Association and the Workers Rights Consortium. The Ad Hoc Committee on Sweatshop Labor recommended holding off on joining either organization after reading the FLA and WRC responses to a letter from University President Judith Rodin requesting greater representation of colleges and universities on each organization's governing board. In its initial report, released on February 28, the sweatshop committee had recommended that Penn withhold its membership from both organizations until each adequately addressed the committee's concerns about who sits on each organization's board. In a letter sent to Rodin last Thursday outlining the committee's latest recommendations, Chairman Howard Kunreuther, a professor of Operations and Information Management, said the committee was disappointed by the responses provided by the FLA and WRC. The letter stated that the FLA's promise to "take into consideration" greater university involvement with its governance "falls far short of our expectations." And Kunreuther called the WRC's response "promising," but said that it "fails to make a sufficiently firm commitment to address the composition of the governing board." As of yesterday, 35 colleges and universities had joined the WRC, while more than 130 had joined the FLA, with several joining both. The WRC will hold its official founding conference on Friday in New York, where several of its 12 board members will be elected. The organization promised that at least half of the board -- three students and three university representatives -- will involve colleges in some way. The other six members will come from the WRC Advisory Council, which includes academics, politicians and worker-rights experts from around the world. The FLA's board currently has six apparel industry representatives, six representatives from human rights groups and one representative from member colleges and universities. Penn had been a member of the FLA until February, when Rodin agreed to withdraw from it after a 10-day sit-in in her office by members of Penn Students Against Sweatshops. In a letter sent to Kunreuther last Friday, Rodin said she agreed with the committee's assessment of the FLA and WRC responses and had sent letters to both groups explaining Penn's disappointment with their answers to her original requests. Rodin said she would ask for the committee's help again after receiving the next set of responses from the FLA and WRC. In her letters to the groups, Rodin asked the WRC to permit Penn to send two observers to the founding conference on Friday and requested that the FLA allow a Penn representative to speak at its governing board's April meeting. But WRC Coordinator Maria Roeper said yesterday that non-member schools will not be permitted to send any representatives to the WRC's conference on Friday. "We've been saying all along that we can't accommodate observers," Roeper said. "We've told Penn that before and it's not going to change." PSAS member Miriam Joffe-Block, a College senior, said two Penn students will attend the conference as representatives of United Students Against Sweatshops, but will not represent the Penn administration. FLA Executive Director Sam Brown would not comment on whether a Penn representative could attend his group's next board meeting, but said he was disappointed that Penn declined to rejoin the FLA at this time. "I think it's a mistake," he said, noting that college-logo apparel accounts for less than 1 percent of all clothing production. "It seems to me that universities should have an interest in that broader world."
(04/04/00 9:00am)
Gary Hirshberg, the president and chief executive officer of Stonyfield Farms, addressed a group of about 35 Wharton graduate students in Vance Hall yesterday. The Stonyfield Farms corporation, a major manufacturer of yogurt based in New Hampshire, is a leader in the search for new methods of money-making that are as environmentally friendly as they are profitable. Hirshberg, an environmental educator turned businessman, discussed the radical image environmentalism possessed when he first became involved in business in the 1970s, an image that made it easy for businesses to dismiss environmental causes as being economically non-viable. "I started at a time when, unlike President Clinton, most of us weren't exhaling," he joked. Changing to a more serious tone, Hirshberg pointed out the energy waste that he said characterized the food industry. "We're investing 30 calories of fossil fuel energy to get one calorie of food out," said Hirshberg, whose company currently uses two calories of fossil fuel for the same output. He then went on to explain the importance of soil conservation to the Stonyfield method of organic farming. "The whole basis of organic farming is forming the soil," he said. Emphasizing the difference between his environmentally friendly strategy and the chemical-reliant ones employed by other food producers, he mentioned the Kraft Foods display at the Land Pavilion in Disney World's Epcot Center. "The message was, basically, buy Velveeta and leave the food growing to us," he commented. Hirshberg also discussed the financially desperate situation of Stonyfield Farms when he first began the corporation. "We literally started without a nickel in our pockets," he said. As a result of these financial difficulties, his company was forced to look for novel ways of advertising. "I don't advertise -- I put our mission on our lids," he said. The Stonyfield yogurt lids have advocated numerous political causes over the years, including a campaign for gun safety. "We give out 10,000 trigger-locks a year now for free," Hirshberg said. Stonyfield Farms has been a leader in finding new ways of both increasing efficiency and helping the ecosystem. Some of these methods include using light-weight packaging, producing less trash and saving money. Hirshberg wrapped up by discussing the importance of family farms to the Stonyfield organic approach. "Only when someone is close to the land, smelling the air and drinking the water, will things happen," he said. Many of the students in attendance were impressed by Hirshberg's environmentally friendly approach. "I think he's a business leader. He's found a way that's not only good for the consumer, good for the environment, but that is good for profit," said Andrew Scheffer, a Wharton student pursuing a master's in business administration. Convinced by Hirshberg's success, Travis Katz, a Wharton graduate student and co-president of Net Impact, a student group for increasing business activity in helping resolve social issues, spoke of the viability of these ecological business methods. "I think it seems from what he's saying that these things aren't just good for the planet, but it's also good business strategy," Katz said.
(04/04/00 9:00am)
DisneyQuest turned out to be a Mickey Mouse operation after all. Philadelphia Mayor John Street announced on Friday that the two-year-old plan to bring the $167 million DisneyQuest entertainment center to an amusement complex at Eighth and Market streets is "dead." "The deal as it was originally envisioned can't go forward," Barbara Grant, Street's spokeswoman, said yesterday. However, she added that although the original deal fell through, another plan could be negotiated. "There is still an opportunity to have a DisneyQuest at that location -- they just have to start over from scratch," she explained. DisneyQuest -- a high tech entertainment center meant to bring the Disney experience to Philadelphia through computer animation and virtual reality -- was originally intended to be the lead tenant in a 420,000-square-foot development on Eighth and Market streets that the city expected to help rejuvenate the downtown area. But the mayor said the Center City development had failed to attract what he called a "critical mass" of restaurants, stores and retail centers to support DisneyQuest and fill the rest of the complex. Consequently, he said, DisneyQuest officials didn't feel they had the financial backing necessary to sustain the project. A deal with United Artists to construct a multi-screen theater in the same complex also fell apart. Former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell had announced plans to bring the entertainment center to Philadelphia in December 1998. The project was originally expected to open in time for the Republican National Convention this summer. Officials had hoped the five-story attraction would draw approximately one million visitors a year. While Street said in January that the city might allocate $35 million in funds to support the project, Grant said yesterday that the city ultimately couldn't justify making such an investment. Disney was expected to spend up to $80 million in building the attraction. Grant also said that construction on a similar entertainment complex planned for the Penn's Landing site along the Delaware River has been delayed. The Penn's Landing development -- a conglomeration of shops, restaurants and entertainment centers similar to the complex at Eighth and Market -- was originally projected to open in 2000. But Simon Property Group Inc. -- the developer of the project -- has already missed its projected deadline to start construction and officials are now estimating that the complex won't open until 2002. Simon Property Group spokeswoman Billie Scott said the company now anticipates construction will not begin until this summer, attributing the delay to the complexity of planning such a large development. "It's an extremely complex process," Scott explained. "While everyone always has a best guess for the timetable, there are things that need to fall into place." Scott added that about three quarters of funding for the center have been secured, as have several crucial retail centers. New York-based toy retailer FAO Schwarz announced plans last fall to open a flagship store at the Penn's Landing site. Jillions, a chain restaurant and bar, also has indicated that they will open in the Penn's Landing complex.
(04/04/00 9:00am)
Gary Hirshberg, the president and chief executive officer of Stonyfield Farms, addressed a group of about 35 Wharton graduate students in Vance Hall yesterday. The Stonyfield Farms corporation, a major manufacturer of yogurt based in New Hampshire, is a leader in the search for new methods of money-making that are as environmentally friendly as they are profitable. Hirshberg, an environmental educator turned businessman, discussed the radical image environmentalism possessed when he first became involved in business in the 1970s, an image that made it easy for businesses to dismiss environmental causes as being economically non-viable. "I started at a time when, unlike President Clinton, most of us weren't exhaling," he joked. Changing to a more serious tone, Hirshberg pointed out the energy waste that he said characterized the food industry. "We're investing 30 calories of fossil fuel energy to get one calorie of food out," said Hirshberg, whose company currently uses two calories of fossil fuel for the same output. He then went on to explain the importance of soil conservation to the Stonyfield method of organic farming. "The whole basis of organic farming is forming the soil," he said. Emphasizing the difference between his environmentally friendly strategy and the chemical-reliant ones employed by other food producers, he mentioned the Kraft Foods display at the Land Pavilion in Disney World's Epcot Center. "The message was, basically, buy Velveeta and leave the food growing to us," he commented. Hirshberg also discussed the financially desperate situation of Stonyfield Farms when he first began the corporation. "We literally started without a nickel in our pockets," he said. As a result of these financial difficulties, his company was forced to look for novel ways of advertising. "I don't advertise -- I put our mission on our lids," he said. The Stonyfield yogurt lids have advocated numerous political causes over the years, including a campaign for gun safety. "We give out 10,000 trigger-locks a year now for free," Hirshberg said. Stonyfield Farms has been a leader in finding new ways of both increasing efficiency and helping the ecosystem. Some of these methods include using light-weight packaging, producing less trash and saving money. Hirshberg wrapped up by discussing the importance of family farms to the Stonyfield organic approach. "Only when someone is close to the land, smelling the air and drinking the water, will things happen," he said. Many of the students in attendance were impressed by Hirshberg's environmentally friendly approach. "I think he's a business leader. He's found a way that's not only good for the consumer, good for the environment, but that is good for profit," said Andrew Scheffer, a Wharton student pursuing a master's in business administration. Convinced by Hirshberg's success, Travis Katz, a Wharton graduate student and co-president of Net Impact, a student group for increasing business activity in helping resolve social issues, spoke of the viability of these ecological business methods. "I think it seems from what he's saying that these things aren't just good for the planet, but it's also good business strategy," Katz said.
(04/04/00 9:00am)
1997 College grad Jason Brenner's new book is on life as a post-college male. Last month, Jason Brenner got the thrill of a lifetime: He was interviewed by Playboy.com. "It was the greatest experience of my life to be on [Playboy.com]. I'm so proud. I regret to inform you, I am not nude. It's just a head shot," Brenner said. So what did the 24-year-old 1997 College graduate do to become the world's most unlikely Playboy snapshot? He wrote a book -- an irreverent exposZ depicting the ups and downs of life as a recent college graduate that devotes multiple chapters to the adult magazine. Brenner, who works as a representative at a Connecticut marketing company, deemed no topic too big or too small in his undertaking, which is evidenced by chapter titles ranging from "My Toilet" to "My Left Testicle." "I kind of wanted to show part of what a guy recently out of college thinks about," he said. The 153-page book -- entitled From the Boardroom to the Bedroom -- depicts stories from Brenner's own life. Along the way, no one -- not even the Pikesville, Md., native himself -- is exempt from good-natured ridicule. On himself: "Every time I walk by a group of women, I see them pointing at me and laughing." On the institution of marriage: "l'll have a ring through my nipple before [my girlfriend] has a ring on her finger." Brenner's humor-writing days began while he was a student at Penn, where he was a columnist for The Daily Pennsylvanian for four semesters. In the fall of his junior year, he began writing a column that attracted the attention of much of the Penn community. "When I wrote 'My 20 Inches' in an attempt at humor, people would come up to me and say, 'That one was funny,' or 'That one sucked.' I learned how to write humor better." In addition to working as a marketing representative, Brenner has also written humor columns for The Stamford Advocate and The Hartford Courant. Some of his previously published columns are used in the book, but most of the material is entirely new. Still, Brenner's writing experience didn't exactly help him when it came time to find a publisher for his book. Finally, the Writer's Showcase -- a company with offices around the world -- agreed to take him on. Brenner refuses to say that there's anything "special" about him that would make his book a success, nor does he think his personal travails are so unique or fascinating. Therein lies the reason why he thinks his book works. "Every other guy out of college is having the same experience that I am. That's what I think makes this book different. If you go to a humor store all the books are written by famous people," Brenner said. "He's a regular guy, he has a regular job, he's average height, average weight. You don't really see this kind of book from a regular person," said 1997 Wharton graduate Ari Gendason, who has known Brenner since their days in junior high school. Brenner insists that this is not just a book for men, however. "I think everyone can appreciate it. Guys my age will read it 'cause they can relate to it. Girls my age will read it 'cause they want to know what's going through the guys' heads. And the parents will read it because they want to know what their kids are reading." Even Brenner's own father Richard admits to having read his son's work. "He sort of has a knack of looking at things in a way that we can appreciate," the elder Brenner said. Over the past few months, Brenner has taken an active role in promoting his book, which is currently available on the World Wide Web through jasonbrenner.com, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. He has been writing to newspapers and magazines requesting reviews and giving interviews. In addition to the Playboy.com profile, Brenner has been featured in Philadelphia Weekly and Baltimore magazine. Scattered throughout the book are references to his days at Penn. He jokes, for instance, about having taken a course called "Concepts in Human Sexuality" and using the fact that he got an A+ as a pick-up line. Penn is also the place where Brenner met his girlfriend Kimberly Bandman, whom he's been dating since senior year of college. Brenner devotes an entire section of his book to the opposite sex -- other sections include "Reflections on My Job," "Horrible Birthday Stories" and "Vacations" -- in which he often mentions his girlfriend. "I worry every time Jason opens his mouth to speak, so the thought of a book was a bit discomforting," Bandman said. Although he hopes to continue writing, Brenner said he isn't planning to quit his day job. "I like where I'm at now. I wrote the book because it was a fun thing to do. I'd like to do something fun and get paid a million dollars for it. I'd also like to play professional basketball, but I'm 5"9 and have no jump shot."
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Even though the Penn women's tennis team started off its match at Princeton on Saturday by winning half of its singles matches -- knotting the match score at three-all -- the Quakers were overpowered when it came to doubles and lost their first Ivy match of the season, 6-3. Penn coach Michael Dowd believes that despite the unimpressive score, the Quakers played a tough match and that Princeton is simply a tougher team. "Princeton's team's strength is their power and their size. Physically, they're very big and strong," Dowd said. "It was tough for our team to handle. We play with more finesse, and our serves aren't quite as strong." At No. 1 singles, Penn junior Lenka Beranova fell, 6-4, 6-3, to Princeton freshman Kavita Krishnamurthy -- who is currently ranked No. 20 in the nation. Penn collected its three total points with singles wins from senior co-captain Anastasia Pozdniakova and sophomores Rochelle Raiss and Jolene Sloat. Pozdniakova took the Tigers' Jyotsna Vasisht, 6-4, 6-2, at No. 3 singles, and Sloat overcame Priya Bhupathi by the same score. At No. 6 singles, Princeton's Kristy Watson gave Raiss a little too much trouble. In the first set, Watson consistently put away winning shots and had little trouble, taking the set, 6-0, before Raiss adjusted to her opponent's style. "I knew she couldn't keep it up," Raiss said. "I tried to change the momentum and keep as many balls in as I could." Raiss came back and took the second set, 6-4, but her winning streak faded quickly, and she was soon down 2-5 in the third set. She eventually pulled off a win, taking the third set, 7-6. Raiss noted the role that team closeness played in her victory, claiming she probably would not have won the match if her teammates had not been cheering her on. Penn senior co-captain Elana Gold believes Princeton began playing their doubles with increasing aggression after the singles matches brought the score to three-all, while the Quakers seemed timid when it came to making points. "They were much more aggressive than we were," Gold said. "We were tentative, and they always got to the net first." At No. 1 doubles, the Tigers' Amanda Hastings-Phillips and Gailor Large had their way with Beranova and Raiss and took the match, 8-3. "They were all over the net," Raiss said. "We played way too defensive, and we let them control it too much." Gold, who paired up with Penn junior Shubha Srinivasan at No. 2 doubles, also noted that the Tigers' attacks at the net were a recurring problem. "They always got to the net first," Gold said. "We played a little more conservatively, and it hurt us in the end." Also falling in doubles were Penn's Pozdniakova and Louani Bascara, who slipped, 8-2, to Krishnamurthy and Bhupathi. Last year, Penn kicked off its Ivy season by edging the Tigers, 5-4. Gold believes that Princeton is a tougher team than they were last year, and noted that the addition of phenom Krishnamurthy and the fact that Princeton's team lost no players to graduation last year, "made a big difference." Though the Quakers are disappointed about losing their first Ivy match of the season, Saturday's loss does not erase the possibility of an Ivy title "It's still very early," Gold said. "We're still hoping to give it a run. We'll just have to hope that Princeton loses."
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Hoop City and a host of other events got ballers of all ages into the act. Anna Fox and her sister Kate sat in the First Union Center last night cheering for their favorite Connecticut players, Sue Bird and Shea Ralph, who helped the Huskies beat Tennessee for the national title. While the girls were well-removed from the action on the court last night, earlier in the day the two got to pick up a ball and emulate their Huskies heroes by dribbling, shooting and scoring their way through Hoop City at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The centerpiece of the city's Women's Final Four activities, Hoop City was a chance for basketball players of all ages to test their basketball skills. From pressure free throws to buzzer beaters to half-court heaves, there were activities to test every imaginable basketball skill. Even the youngest fans had a chance to work on their games in a playground filled with mini-balls and two-foot hoops. "It's nice because it is so big and there are so many activities there's really no wait," Penn's All-American forward Diana Caramanico said. "The kids are really cute, and it's fun to see them go through the different [games]." Caramanico and the rest of the Quakers spent Friday and yesterday volunteering at Hoop City. Their responsibilities on Friday included running the mock TV studio where participants got to try their hands at being ESPN SportsCenter hosts. Kids and adults alike lined up to read cue-cards and breakdown game footage, and each got to take home a videotape copy of their two minutes under the lights. "[Fellow Penn basketball player] Claire [Cavanaugh] and I did it a couple times; it was really neat," Caramanico said. The event also featured entertainment from Sandy "Spin" Slade -- who spun eight basketballs on her body at once -- and autograph sessions with college All-Americans and local celebrities. "It shows you the growth of basketball for women that you can put an event on in the city of Philadelphia, and that event is at the level of what happened here," Philadelphia basketball maven Sonny Hill said as he sat signing autographs. "Not only did we have the largest crowds ever for college basketball at the First Union Center, but just the whole weekend has been phenomenal. "So it has been a fabulous weekend, and it speaks volumes about women's basketball and the acceptance of [the sport by] the public at large." In addition to Hoop City, the city hosted a number of other events to celebrate the Women's Final Four Saturday morning, the NCAA sponsored five YES Clinics in the Philadelphia area. The clinics taught basketball skills to kids aged 10-18 and were run by local coaches and players, including players from Penn. Saturday night, the Men's Final Four action was broadcast on giant screens in the Convention Center. A packed house watched Michigan State and Florida advance to tonight's national championship game in Indianapolis. Meanwhile, across the Ben Franklin Parkway, the organizing committee thanked media members and corporate sponsors by throwing a party at the Franklin Institute. Guests munched popcorn and hot dogs, while the semifinals of the Men's Final Four were shown in the Tuttleman Omniverse Theatre. Even out in the streets of Center City, it was clear the Final Four had taken over. In every direction there were fans wearing either the blue of UConn or the bright orange of the Lady Vols. The nearly 40,000 visitors were expected to generate $25 million in economic activity for the weekend -- making Philadelphia a winner even before the Huskies won last night's championship game.
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History Professor Drew Faust will head the new Radc liffe Institute. For years, Penn's History Department had been bedeviled with offers attempting to lure renowned Professor Drew Faust elsewhere. But it wasn't until yesterday that Faust signed a pact with another institution, agreeing to become the first dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. "This is what seems to me the best job in higher education," Faust said. "It's not just moving from one professorship at one institution to a professorship at another." As founding dean, Faust will hold a tenured position in the Harvard History Department. However, her primary responsibility will be overseeing the Institute's $350 million endowment and shaping its interdisciplinary focus on the study of women, gender and society. The newly established research center was created last October as an outgrowth of the controversial merger between Harvard and its sister school Radcliffe College, which historically had been independent. According to Harvard President Neil Rudenstine, Faust emerged as his first choice to head the new institute, culminating a worldwide search that began last summer. "Drew has exceptional intellectual and academic qualities, wonderful personal qualities and excellent leadership capacity," Rudenstine said."I couldn't be more pleased by the outcome." Faust, a recipient of the prestigious Francis Parkman Prize, has long been one of Penn's most distinguished scholars and one of the nation's leading historians of the Civil War and American South. She has also served as director of the Women's Studies Program at Penn since 1996 and holds the endowed Annenberg Professor of History chair. However, her national reputation also made her one of the University's most fiercely recruited faculty members, as she frequently received offers from other top-ranked History departments -- including those at Harvard and Yale University. But each time she turned them down to stay at Penn -- until now. "The last offer was three years ago, and it was a professorship like she had at Penn," School of Arts and Sciences Dean Samuel Preston said, referring to a job offer by Yale that Penn was able to match. "But this current offer is a one-of-a-kind position that it was clear we couldn't replicate at Penn." According to Preston, Faust told him that she was a candidate for the Radcliffe position about three months ago. But despite Preston working closely with University President Judith Rodin, this time Penn was unable to come up with a comparable package. "It wasn't the salary and benefits," Preston said, noting the prestige of the job. "It was a matter of Drew choosing whether she wanted to be a scholar and teacher or move into an administrative role." Joining her at Harvard will be husband Charles Rosenberg, who is a History and Sociology of Science professor at Penn and will receive a tenured appointment at Harvard. Faust's departure marks the first time that a tenured professor has resigned from Penn this year. "Drew is a superb scholar and teacher, and we will miss her terribly," Rodin said in a statement. "Her going is not only bad for American History [at Penn], it is bad for the whole of the History Department," History Professor Bruce Kuklick said. Preston pointed out the short-term impact of her loss, noting that it will make it harder for the department to recruit other top faculty. Faust will remain teaching at Penn next fall, but will leave at the beginning of the spring semester to start at Radcliffe.
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Penn swept Yale and split games with Brown to open Ivy League play. Despite the Penn baseball team's shaky play in two losses against Temple and Lafayette last week, Penn coach Bob Seddon believed that his Quakers would rise to the level of play that Ivy competition demanded of them. He was right. The Quakers (11-10, 3-1 Ivy) kicked off their conference schedule this weekend with a bang, winning three of their four games in two doubleheaders against Ivy foes Yale and Brown. The Red and Blue find themselves tied with Columbia at the top of the Lou Gehrig division. Penn's victories were marked by strong pitching, something that had eluded them of late. All four of the Quakers' weekend starters made it to at least the sixth inning, and Mike Mattern, in his six-inning stint in Brown's 4-3 triumph yesterday, was the only one of the four to give up more than three earned runs. Most impressive was freshman Ben Otero's pitching line. Starting instead of fellow freshman Andrew McCreery, who was flu-ridden, Otero gave up two earned runs on two hits in a nine-inning complete game victory in the second game of the doubleheader with Brown yesterday. "I'm not surprised Otero pitched well, but to go nine innings, I wouldn't have expected that," Seddon said. "I would've thought he would've needed some help because he hasn't gone that far in a game this year." Otero handcuffed the Bears, giving up one run in the third that put Brown on the scoreboard first and one run in the eighth that cut the Penn lead to 9-2 -- the eventual final score. While revenge might be a dish best served cold, Otero's victory in the nightcap redressed the fresh wounds suffered by the Quakers in the first game of the doubleheader with the Bears. In that first game, Mattern went to the mound in the seventh and final inning with a 3-1 lead. But Mattern gave up three consecutive singles, allowing the Bears to cut Penn's lead to 3-2. Freshman Paul Grumet was brought on to replace Mattern and was given the unenviable task of extinguishing Brown's threat. After striking out Brown second baseman Dan Spring, Grumet was tagged by third baseman Rick Lynn for a single that dribbled its way through the right side of the infield, tying the score at three. Third baseman Glen Ambrosius, who had moved from shortstop to replace the injured Zack Hanan, committed an error and allowed Brown catcher Greg Metzger to score the go-ahead and eventual winning run. Mattern was tagged with the loss and fell to 0-2 on the season. "He pitched a good game," Seddon said. "It was unfortunate." The Quakers were anything but unfortunate on Saturday, as they beat up on the Elis to open their weekend with a doubleheader sweep. In the first game, Penn was able to come back from a three-run deficit in the fifth and sixth innings and win, 5-3. Mark Lacerenza went the distance for a seven-inning complete game victory. Yale pitcher Matt McCarthy did not surrender a hit until that fifth inning, when he was rocked by catcher Jeff Gregorio's solo homer to dead center. Gregorio then tied the game in the sixth when his bases-loaded single off reliever Doug Feller scored two. Ambrosius then stole third and scored on Yale catcher Darren Beasley's throwing error, giving Penn a lead it would hold for good. Right fielder Chris May, back from a groin injury, singled to drive in Gregorio and give the Quakers an insurance run. In the second game, Yale starting pitcher Sudha Reddy was chased out after 2 2/3 innings after giving up six runs -- three earned -- and Penn cruised to a 9-1 win. In his first collegiate start, freshman Benjamin Krantz went seven innings and gave up only one unearned run on two hits, six walks and nine strikeouts. Fellow freshman Nick Italiano contributed with three hits and two RBI. "It's a long season, it's a long 20 games, and we've only played four," Seddon said of the still-youthful Ivy season. "But it's nice to know you got off to a good start."
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The percentage of voters in student government elections may top 30 percent this year. Though normally considered an apathetic student body, Penn students this year are stepping out of that stereotype and into voting booths -- electronic ones, at least. And the heart of this remedy for voter apathy may simply be the implementation of an innovative technology platform that all students know: Penn InTouch. While Undergraduate Assembly elections will continue until Wednesday night, the Nominations and Elections Committee reported last night that 1,550 students -- 20 percent of eligible student voters -- have cast ballots. That number is already higher than last year, when a total of about 17 percent of eligible students voted. "Penn InTouch is intuitive to use. There have been no problems with it," NEC Vice Chairwoman of Elections Teresa Lee said. She attributed the increase in voters to the accessibility of the platform. While Lee said that turnout "leveled off" over the weekend -- with only a 5 percent increase total over the two days -- she said she is optimistic because of the dramatic increase of about 5 percent a day in voters during the first two days of polling last week. Lee said she expects overall turnout to be higher than in past years, predicting it could be as high as 30 percent. This figure would even top the 25 percent voter turnout two years ago when a controversial referendum on UA funding for fraternity events accompanied the usual ballots. NEC Chairwoman Christine Naselaris also agreed that turnouts were good, and added that she hoped for a higher voter turnout this year. "Turnout definitely seems better. People seem to know what is going on," the College senior said. She said another reason for higher turnout this year is the number of competitive races -- citing the Wharton race for the UA and some class board races. Though the movement toward online voting began last year, when students were able to vote on NEC's Web site, various problems prohibited many students from utilizing the new tool. The old online system required students to access their ballots using their PennNet ID and password, which many students could not recall. Furthermore, students with advanced standing due to an unusually heavy courseload or advanced placement credits were also unable to access ballots. Results of the elections will be announced on Thursday night at the NEC's often contentious Fair Practices Code hearing. Charges of violations against candidates will be heard at the hearing and will be immediately followed by election results. The meeting -- known to last from several minutes to several hours -- is open to the public.
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Students are advocating for a campus diner with a more 'authentic' feel. In 1996, the Undergraduate Assembly presented the Penn community with a survey showing that 97 percent of students surveyed wanted a 24-hour diner close to campus. University administrators greeted the results enthusiastically, saying they would work the request into their master plan for retail development. But four years after that survey was conducted and nearly two years after Penn lured Eat at Joe's to a spot near 40th and Walnut streets, students say their wish for a greasy, 24-hour-a-day diner is still unfulfilled. Students have long derided Eat at Joe's as too expensive and too slow. And the 1950s theme diner has never been open for 24 hours -- it originally closed at 11 p.m. on weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends. Now, the diner stays open on weekdays until 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. on weekends. Since the fall, the restaurant has been under new management, which has tried to reinvigorate the franchise by changing the menu, hiring a better-trained staff and decreasing the wait time. But for most students, it's too little, too late, and perceptions of Eat at Joe's are hard to change. "[The University] gave us a lousy, retro-theme restaurant," UA Chairman Michael Silver said, adding that the atmosphere, operating hours and menu selection have not lived up to student expectations. Silver, a College senior, said the UA "constantly" urges Executive Vice President John Fry to bring a "real, authentic" diner to campus. UA member and College senior Jeremy Fingerman said the student group most recently advocated a greasy spoon diner at its February 3 meeting with the University. "The survey results don't change," Silver said. According to Fred Gershman, the general manager who opened Penn's diner, Eat at Joe's was intended to be a 24-hour, alcohol-serving diner. He said, however, that the University said it did not want any establishment open past 3 a.m. in order to prevent students from staying out too late. Though Penn officials could not be reached last night for comment on Gershman's statements, John Greenwood, a top official at the University's real estate company, said Penn will continue to strive to fulfill students' visions. "The University is very aware of student interest in a more authentic diner experience and is working on trying to improve the situation with Eat at Joe's and outside of Eat at Joe's," Greenwood said. Eat at Joe's officials said they have recently made changes in an effort to better meet customer needs. General Manager Lydia Holtzinger, who took charge of the Penn branch of the restaurant in September, said she changed the server and kitchen staff, added vegetarian items and decreased the wait time. "We get a lot of compliments now," she said. Joe Fiore, the company's chairman and chief executive officer, said the local restaurant is under ongoing evaluation. "Any business that stops making changes and stops implementing things ultimately dies," Fiore said. Eat at Joe's Director of Operations Glenn Gross, a 35-year veteran of the restaurant business, said the restaurant is now immaculate. He added that their 1950s diner cannot please everybody -- although they do try. "If [the students] wanted greasy spoon, let them go eat at the trucks down the street," Gross said yesterday. "I can't control how Eat at Joe's came about." Despite the changes, some students said they would rather patronize a restaurant run like a central New Jersey diner. "I want a greasy pit where it smells like cigarette smoke," UA member and Wharton junior Jonathan Glick said, adding that he has not eaten at Eat at Joe's in over a year. Still, other students found satisfying items on Eat at Joe's menu. College and Wharton senior Nili Doft -- who said she was disappointed by the diner's hours and decor -- noted that the milkshakes are "really good."
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Using competition to build community, Penn's Residential Advisory Board sponsored an inter-college house soccer tournament Saturday afternoon in Superblock. Six teams representing five houses participated in the first-ever event. Players from Spruce, Harrison, Goldberg, Community and Harnwell houses made up the group of six teams, with Harnwell fielding two squads. The RAB is charged with advising the administration on college house issues and creating house-oriented activities. RAB co-chair Mike Pezzicola, a Wharton and Engineering sophomore who served as referee for the games, said the soccer tournament was "brought up as a good way to promote inter-house activities." College sophomore Margaret Watt, a RAB member who served as line judge for the matches, said the event was intended to "help promote community living and the college house system." The tournament was created, she added, in the hopes of fostering a little friendly competition between the different houses. Two of the teams were comprised of students who knew each other through special programs -- one of Harnwell's teams represented that house's International Program, while the Community House team was comprised of students who will be going to Mali this year to participate in a technology project. The six teams were seeded randomly in three first-round games. Of the three winners -- Harrison, Goldberg and Harnwell -- two were selected at random to compete against each other while the third received an automatic berth in the finals. After defeating Goldberg in their semifinal match, Harrison went on to defeat Harnwell in the finals, 5-2, clinching the top spot in the tournament. The competition itself was friendly but intense as players were often sent sprawling across the field as they chased after the ball. In between matches, players practiced or relaxed with their teams in the shade. RAB provided refreshments for the participants. But strengthening house community was not the sole motivation of those who participated. The winning team was awarded a $120 gift certificate to the New Deck Tavern, the second-place finisher received a $90 certificate to New Deck and third and fourth place were each given $60 certificates to Chili's. "It's nice to get out here," said third-year Irish exchange student Jonathan Feldman, who organized the winning Harrison College House team. "It's all about the prize money." Although RAB members said they would have liked to have seen more houses involved, the overall turnout of about 45 players was still gratifying for them. "We were hoping for all 12 [houses]," Watt said, "but we've never done anything like this before." The winning team, which came from the Science and Technology Wing in Harrison House, said they were pleased with the afternoon's event, complaining only of a lack of real nets -- small cones were used instead. Engineering sophomore Laura Lai, a member of RAB who also helped coordinate the event, said she felt the tournament would "exploit the whole college house system" and help facilitate inter-house communication.
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The warm weather, free food and music attracted a thousand Penn students to Saturday's Skimmer. In the balmy 65-degree weather, tank tops and shorts were the clothes of choice at Saturday's Skimmer day along the banks of the Schuylkill River. A crowd of more than 1,000 Penn students spent the afternoon lounging on the grass in Fairmount Park, listening to the sounds of cover band Burnt Sienna and Penn a cappella groups Penny Loafers, Dischord and Counterparts. Meanwhile, crew teams rowed by on the adjacent Schuylkill and students munched on barbecued hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken. The food was provided free of charge to the students by the Undergraduate Assembly and the event itself was organized by the Sophomore Class Board. Sophomore Class President Alex Tolbert estimated a total attendance of about 1,250 students, which he said was about what he expected. "I feel like I just got really lucky with the weather, and everyone [involved] did really well," the Wharton sophomore said. A special guest at this year's Skimmer was Stephen White, the evangelist preacher known for proselytizing to students on College Green. White appeared in a dunk tank during the last hour of the event. After several students failed to hit the bull's-eye with a tennis ball and dunk him, one ran forward and punched the target by hand, sending White into the tank of water. For some of the several hundred students who attended Skimmer, Saturday afternoon marked their inaugural visit to the Penn tradition. For others, it was their third consecutive year there. The members of the current senior class were sophomores when Skimmer was brought back to campus two years ago after a 26-year hiatus forced by University and city officials because of rowdy, drunken behavior. Since its return, Skimmer has been -- at least in name -- an alcohol-free event. "[We came] because we are seniors," Wharton senior Matt Sandler said. "It is our last chance." A far cry from the reputed debauchery of Skimmers of yesteryear, the atmosphere was mellow, with some students playing Frisbee and football, and most just lounging on the lawn. And this year's Skimmer also lacked the problems that plagued Skimmer in the past two years. In 1998, about 5,000 students came -- twice as many as expected -- causing a food and transportation shortage. Last year, by contrast, Skimmer suffered a sophomore jinx of sorts when only about 500 students showed up. The overall opinion seemed to be that this year's Skimmer was far better than the Skimmers of the past two years. "The music is better this time," College senior John Wilson said. "And there is much more food." "I came to get away from Penn for a little bit," Nursing junior Van Luong said. "It is a different atmosphere." "It's a good way to stall from doing work," Sandler added.
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Horns blared and laughter spread on Saturday night as the Canadian Brass jammed before a filled-to-capacity crowd of more than 1,000 students and Philadelphia residents inside Irvine Auditorium. The group, now in its 29th season of existence, is a brass quintet known for combining musical expertise with comedic, if not silly, humor in performances. Comprised of a trombone player, a French horn player, two trumpeters and a tuba player, the Canadian Brass formed in Toronto in the 1970s. The group quickly gained popularity and became known for its widely eclectic repertoire and comedic flare, which the members use to create an interactive performance. The concert, sponsored by WQHS-AM, began with a short performance by the Penn Brass, a student ensemble. The Canadian Brass, clad in its trademark suit and tennis shoe attire, then made its entrance behind the audience, playing the religious ode, "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" while walking up the aisle. The audience members erupted into laughter when Charles Daellenbach, the group's tuba player, joked that they had just finished playing their first encore. True to its billing as a group with broad tastes, the Canadian Brass covered a diverse range of music from Vivaldi to Duke Ellington to the Beatles. Highlights of the evening included Vivaldi's "Autumn" from Four Seasons, Ellington's "Come Sunday" and the Beatles' "Come Together," all of which garnered much applause. But it was the group's Grammy-winning closing number "Hornsmoke," which proved to be the biggest crowd pleaser of the evening, earning a standing ovation. The group, dressed in costumes ranging from a western outlaw to a woman, performed a musical parody of western movies. The group's encore number, "Tuba Tiger Ray," was introduced as a favorite of England's Queen Elizabeth. During this piece, Daellenbach preformed various acrobatic tricks, including a 360-degree tuba spin. He even pretended to throw his tuba into the audience. Many audience members said they were musicians themselves, but their reasons for attending ranged. "I saw them last year and they kicked ass. It just makes for a relaxing evening," College junior Al Silva said before the start of the show. After the concert, performers and spectators alike offered high praise for the show. Daellenbach called Irvine a "beautiful" and "colorful" auditorium. He and the rest of the band members signed autographs for audience members and invited them to check out the group's Web site. And Engineering sophomore Dave Greene said, "The show was awesome. They are a bunch of great musicians."
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The Quakers led 5-4 at the half, but the Big Red dominated thereafter. The Penn men's lacrosse team played two games against Cornell on Saturday in Hempstead, N.Y. The Quakers won the first one, 5-4, but were thumped in the second one, 12-2. Unfortunately, each game was only 30 minutes long, and together, they added up to one ugly Quakers loss. "It was really a tale of two cities, sort of," Penn coach Marc Van Arsdale said. "We had probably our best half of the year in the first half, and our worst half of the year in the second. I may not have thought it going in, but I think Cornell's the best team we've seen to date." The best team they've met this year ran all over the Quakers in the third and fourth quarters on Saturday. From the 10:46 mark in the third quarter until 39 seconds remained in the game, the Big Red scored 11 unanswered goals. Though Penn's performance amounted to the same result as their other two Ivy League games -- a loss -- the Red and Blue went about it a little differently on Saturday. The Quakers this season have usually started their games slowly, and then played as well as anyone in the country in furious comeback attempts. On Saturday, the Quakers began the game with intensity, and then, apparently, ran out of steam. "The lapse came in about a 15-minute segment from the middle of the third to the middle of the fourth in this one," Van Arsdale said. "Give a lot of credit where it's due, to [Cornell, but] that still doesn't excuse giving them the [11] goal run, that they got on us. "[Cornell] played awfully hard and fought their way back in when they were down a little bit, and we didn't do the same. We didn't stand up to the challenge when we got down." The Quakers fell behind the Big Red with 6:20 remaining in the third when Big Red attackman Andrew Schardt fired the ball past Quakers goalie John Carroll to give Cornell a 7-6 lead. Cornell never looked back -- they would score nine more goals before Quakers senior attackman Pete Janney finally found the back of the net with under a minute left in the game. "For some reason, we always manage to get things going in the right direction, and the other team starts to make a run and we kind of fall apart a little bit," Janney said. "We'd just like to figure out how to fix that." The Quakers need to fix it quickly -- they play perennial Ancient Eight champion and current league leader Princeton tomorrow night at Old Nassau. The Quakers will try to end the Tigers' 26-game Ivy winning streak by salvaging the positives that came out of the mess on Long Island. "The challenge for us is to build on the good stuff from yesterday, because it certainly wasn't all bad," Van Arsdale said. "We need to just find a way to maintain that for the 60 [minutes]." Not surprisingly, all of the "good stuff" came in the first half. "The good stuff early for us was that we were able to maintain a fair amount of possessions offensively," Van Arsdale said. "We had good long possessions, and people were sharing the ball. At the other end, we were playing good team defense for most of the first two quarters. I thought the facing off part of the game was a real plus for us in the first half. [Senior midfielder] Billy Reidy did a great job." In one of the few battles the Quakers ended up winning on the day, Reidy beat the Big Red in faceoffs, 14-12. But again, most of that success came in the first half. "It was just a reverse of what we had done very well early," Van Arsdale said. "The ball started to stagnate in some sticks offensively, we had some turnovers that weren't really forced turnovers. We just threw the ball away." The most frustrating aspect of the game is that the Quakers outplayed the 10th-ranked team in the nation for a full 30 minutes before the Big Red ran away with it. Penn obviously has the talent, but the Quakers can't seem to find the corresponding wins. "If we could keep playing the way we're capable of playing, we'd be a very, very good lacrosse team," Janney said. "The season's not a total loss. We still have just under half the season left, so we could definitely do good things. If we beat Princeton, that's huge."
