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(12/15/98 10:00am)
David Farber testifed last week as a witness for the government. In his 40 years in the computer field, Computer and Information Science Professor David Farber has designed several operating systems and helped pioneer the development of the Internet. But nothing prepared him for the task of facing down a well-paid attorney for computer giant Microsoft with the entire business and computing world watching -- as he did last Tuesday and Wednesday. Farber, 64, is one of 12 witnesses for the Department of Justice in its anti-trust law suit against Microsoft, maker of the popular Windows operating system and Office applications suite. The DOJ's case hinges on whether Microsoft illegally tied its Windows 98 -- a product which has near-monopoly control over the operating system market -- to its Internet Explorer World Wide Web browser in order to capture the browser market and whether this combination, if it occurred, benefited customers. Farber's testimony, which addressed both questions, was considered key to the government's case. "If you have a position of a monopoly with product number one, it's a violation of the law to require customers to buy a second product," explained George Washington University Law School Professor William Kovacic, an anti-trust expert. Farber was asked to establish that Internet Explorer and Windows 98 are two distinct programs that did not have to be designed as one. Microsoft contends that the two programs are an integrated whole, not two separate programs that were illegally linked as a marketing ploy. The company also says that the combination of the two is a boon to customers because "it offers a powerful and easy-to-use personal computing experience at a great price," according to a statement released by the company last week in response to Farber's testimony. The statement also said that Farber's testimony is merely his own opinion about how to build an operating system --Ean opinion which "refuses to recognize the ongoing evolution of operating systems." But Farber's job as a witness was made a whole lot easier on the second day of his testimony when the DOJ introduced the Third Edition of the Microsoft Press Computer Dictionary into evidence. The dictionary defines the company's Internet Explorer as a "Web browser." A Web browser is defined, in turn, as a "client application," or a separate program from the operating system. Additionally, Kovacic explained, in anti-trust cases product tying is allowed if the company can establish that combination benefits the consumer. Farber was also asked to address that point. "When I go to a grocery store, if I am given pre-packaged bags of stuff and all I really want is one can, but I have to carry home this 10-lb. bag and buy it because that's the way the grocery store sells it to me, I'm going to be upset," he testified. "You know, it's good exercise but it's not very efficient for me to carry this bag home and to pay for it when all I really want it one little can of goods. While Farber appeared relaxed on the stand, he said he came home exhausted. Farber attributed the fatigue to the stress of realizing the importance of his testimony. Indeed the decision to testify wasn't easy for Farber, who explained that several colleagues urged him not to put his academic reputation on the line by testifying. "When you do something like this you are staking your academic reputation, and more importantly the case, on your testimony," he said. "It's like putting yourself in front of a steamroller." Ultimately, Farber said he believed in what the Justice Department was trying to do. "I may sound corny but the only way a society like ours can exist is if people stick their necks out," he said. "Also, to put it bluntly, I am a chaired full professor. What's going to happen to me?" Colleague Mitchell Marcus, chairperson of Penn's CIS department, said he believed Farber was the logical choice as an expert witness. "Dave is extremely prominent and has a lot of credibility, and is extremely knowledgeable, so if anybody can really talk about these kind of issues in a reasonable way it was him," he said. At times, the proceedings did grow somewhat unpleasant. In particular, Microsoft's lawyers tried to paint Farber -- who admitted a lack of familiarity with the Windows operating system -- as out of touch. Microsoft attorney Steven Holley questioned Farber sharply about his experience, particularly in the area of operating systems. Farber developed several operating systems in the 1960s and 1970s, but his recent work has largely ignored operating systems for personal computers. But Holley and Farber did agree on one thing -- it is very difficult to remove Internet Explorer from computers running Windows 98. "I installed Windows 98 and I tried to install Netscape and I tried to de-install [Internet Explorer]," Farber said. "I found that it was very difficult for me -- even with my expertise -- without a lot of study. No matter what I did in Netscape, periodically [Internet Explorer] would come up and bite me and say 'look I'm here'." While Holley tried to use this as proof that Windows 98 and the Web browser are really one product, Farber tried to explain that the linkage took away consumer choice. But Farber maintains that he does not bear any ill will toward Microsoft, explaining that he was not asked to testify about whether the company had violated any laws. "I never said the company deliberately put the two together," he explained. "I said here's the two and I had difficulty unpasting them. I would have put them together differently and if I can do it, they can do it." Farber said he has heard only positive response to his testimony from the Justice Department and his colleagues. Spokespersons for the Justice Department said they could not evaluate his testimony yesterday. Kovacic said he believed Farber was an effective witness. But will it be enough to win a tough case for the Justice Department? Kovacic says probably not. An appellate court this summer in Unites States v. Microsoft ruled that Microsoft could tie two products if the combined product benefited the customer as defined by two conditions: Microsoft was able to put the products together in a more efficient way than a consumer could and combining the two advances the state of the the technology. The ruling, which Kovacic called "very pro-Microsoft," will make it difficult for the Justice Department to prove that Microsoft has not given the customer some benefit by combining the two products. "I fear not even Professor Farber's testimony will help the government over that hurdle," Kovacic said. "But through his testimony the government took its best shot."
(11/23/98 10:00am)
The Student Activities Council may revoke its funding of the rally. and Sabrina Gleizer A student group's protest against police brutality drew only 20 people to College Green Friday, but that doesn't mean the event went unnoticed. Instead, a dispute over whether the rally should be labeled as a political event has the members of the Student Activity Council wondering whether to revoke the $200 in SAC funding which was allocated to the protest. The Progressive Activist Network rally focused on the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal, a controversial journalist imprisoned on Pennsylvania's death row since 1982 for the murder of a police officer, despite a ruling by SAC officials that the event could not protest Abu-Jamal's case because of its overtly political nature. SAC Chairperson and College senior Katie Cooper said PAN members had promised that Pam Africa, a representative of the Friends of Mumia organization, would not speak at the event and that Abu-Jamal's case would not be brought up. Africa ultimately spoke at the event and mentioned the Abu-Jamal case, but was identified as a member of MOVE, a local African nationalist group, in an attempt to get around the SAC restrictions. Cooper said that the removal of Africa from the speakers list was a condition of the funding, which totaled just over $200 above and beyond the $3,300 PAN received from SAC for 1998. As a result, SAC could decide to ask PAN to return the $200. SAC, which this year allocated about $420,000 from the student government budget to its member groups, is not allowed -- both by its own bylaws and the University's -- to fund any political group or event. PAN members conceded Friday that SAC had asked them not to discuss the Abu-Jamal case at the rally. "When [SAC] gave us contingency funding they said their condition was that we couldn't have the friends or family of Mumia," said College junior and event organizer Monica Brady. "[But we] decided to take a stand for free speech." Since PAN was given funding conditionally, Cooper said the body could vote to ask for the money back. She added that SAC's Executive Board will meet tonight to determine what course of action to recommend to the body during its next meeting on December 2. Requesting that the money be returned would require a majority vote. Cooper said she expects that SAC members will try to revoke the funding request since she "has been approached by many student groups who were concerned about the rally." If SAC leaders continue to be concerned about PAN's political nature, they could vote against funding the the student group at all during their annual funding meeting in April. Such a move is not without precedent. In 1995, SAC cut funding for The Red and Blue magazine due to concerns about the magazine's political content. Funding was later restored. After community groups rapped and spoke about Abu-Jamal and local prisoner Bae-Rae Choice, whose supporters claim he was framed for armed robbery, protesters marched to the 16th Police District Headquarters at 39th Street and Lancaster Avenue.
(04/03/98 10:00am)
and Jeremy Reiss Anyone outside Houston Hall at about 1 a.m. this morning may have heard a rather loud cheer emanating from the Ben Franklin Room. That is because after four hours of deliberations, the Nominations and Elections Committee announced it would invalidate a referendum that would have taken away $30,000 the Undergraduate Assembly placed in a discretionary fund for the use of the InterFraternity Council due to violations of the rules governing referenda. According to NEC Chairperson Chris LaVigne, between 30 percent and 35 percent of the student body voted on the referendum -- which, if passed, would have reserved the $30,000 for events approved by the Student Activities Council -- reversing the UA's decision to co-sponsor certain IFC activities. The referendum required only a 15 percent voter turnout to be binding. LaVigne, a College senior, would not comment on whether the referendum would have passed, but a source close to student government said he heard it gained a majority "yes" vote. The referendum was thrown out because the NEC agreed with IFC President Josh Belinfante's claim that SAC's publicity in favor of the referendum consisted of "half-truths, extortions and dishonest statements." During the hearings, Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson Noah Bilenker and Belinfante, both College juniors, presented to the NEC five charges of violations of the Fair Practices Code, which regulates student government elections. The $30,000 in question was placed in the discretionary fund more than a month ago at the UA budget meeting in response to Belinfante's request for IFC funding for non-alcoholic, campus-wide events. As a result of the funding, SAC's budget was $30,000 less than it would have been otherwise. While four of the charges were dropped, the NEC concurred with Belinfante's charge that SAC members presented misleading publicity to the student body, exaggerating the degree to which SAC groups would be hurt by the decrease in their budget. Belinfante cited one e-mail sent to the International Relations Undergraduate Student Association and accidentally to all International Relations majors which he said told students to "vote for the referendum or [the IRUSA] will no longer get funding from SAC." He also complained about posters which urged students to vote against alcohol-free parties -- a misinterpretation of how the $30,000 will be spent. "This makes it look like there's going be alcohol-free frat parties, which, honestly, I've never heard of," Belinfante said. Belinfante also charged the NEC for failing to invite the IFC, an interested party, to the referendum meeting. The NEC threw out the charge because no interested groups, including SAC, were invited. Bilenker, who did not run for re-election, charged the NEC and College and Engineering senior Ben Goldberger -- a former NEC chairperson and former member of the SAC Executive Board -- with failing to clearly explain the referendum on the ballot and in a Daily Pennsylvanian ad. Bilenker claimed that many students did not understand that voting "yes" meant that the money would revert to SAC, while a "no" vote would uphold the UA allocation to the IFC. In particular, the College junior claimed many students confused voting to adopt the referendum with voting to adopt the UA budget and its IFC allocation. One of the referendum's authors, Elizabeth Scanlon, responded to the charges on behalf of Goldberger, who was out of town. She said the writers of the referendum had no responsibility to make sure all of the voters understood. "It's not against the rules to mislead people," the College senior said, calling the idea of throwing out the election results due to "misleading ads" ridiculous. "Imagine the presidential campaign being thrown out because one candidate called another's ads misleading," Scanlon said. Bilenker also claimed that the referendum should have been classified as "constitutional" -- or requiring a change in the UA's constitution -- rather than "miscellaneous." Constitutional referenda require a 20 percent voter turnout to be binding, rather than 15 percent for "miscellaneous." The referendum "does not actually change the text of the budget," NEC officials said in response to the charge, which was dismissed. Following the NEC announcement of the decision, the largely Greek crowd that remained reacted positively. "[The NEC] realized the referendum had as much of an unbiased nature as a statement coming out of Bill Clinton's mouth against sexual harassment," a jubilant Belinfante said. And current UA Vice Chairperson Samara Barend, who was re-elected to the UA, supported the NEC decision. "The referendum, if it had passed, would have completely undercut the budgetary powers of the UA," said Barend, who is not Greek. SAC Chairperson and referendum author Sang Cha, a Wharton junior, said posters concerning the referendum were very explicit and did not mislead voters. But he said he would accept the NEC's decision.
(04/03/98 10:00am)
It was a long haul for class board candidates last night as debate over the Undergraduate Assembly elections held up the announcement of election results until 1 a.m., a delay of more than six hours. But that did not make victory any less sweet or defeat any less bitter. Current Junior Class President Sarah Gleit was jubilant after being reelected over Wharton junior Clive Correia by only 25 votes for the position of senior class president. But Correia's unofficial running mate, College junior Jeremy Katz, defeated current Junior Class Vice President Robin Grossman, also a College junior. Paras Shah edged out Joshua Diamond for College representative, while College junior Ariella Poncz and Nursing junior Valerie Fields claimed victories without opposition for the positions of treasurer and Nursing representative, respectively. In the junior class presidential election, College sophomore Lisa Marshall beat current class President Michael Flicker, also a College sophomore. College sophomore Jeff Lynn, Nursing sophomore Amy Koenigsberg and Wharton sophomore David Chu posted unopposed victories for vice president, secretary and vice president for corporate sponsorship. College sophomore Jennifer Brown and Wharton sophomore Monique Mayer were disqualified from their unopposed bids for treasurer and Wharton representative, respectively, because they handed in their spending forms late. Janet Duscher ran unopposed for Engineering representative. Incumbent Cam Winton, a College freshman, lost his bid for re-election as class president to College freshman Ray Valerio, while Engineering freshman Nimita Shah and College freshman Yael Steren claimed unopposed victories for vice president and secretary. Wharton freshman David Peretz edged out Wharton freshman Zach Bornstein for sophomore class treasurer. Jonathan Glick and Alexis Geaneotes defeated Chris Rooney for the two College representative positions. Another candidate, incumbent Vanessa Freeman, was disqualified for turning in her spending form late. Engineering freshman Malhar Saraiya and Wharton freshman Nikhil Da Victoria Lobo ran unopposed for vice president for corporate sponsorship and Wharton representative. Theo LeCompte defeated Campbell Austin, a Daily Pennsylvanian staff member, for Engineering representative. This is the first year that board elections for upperclassmen were run by the Nominations and Elections Committee, which also runs UA elections. The NEC took over the elections from the individual classes, which had some difficulty running the election efficiently, according to NEC Vice Chairperson for Elections Mike Brody. NEC Chairperson Chris LaVigne, a College senior, said the elections "ran smoothly," although the NEC ran both UA and class board elections, and also had to poll students on a referendum. Daily Pennsylvanian staff reporter Ginny Dorsey contributed to this article.
(03/31/98 10:00am)
Part of Van Pelt Library will be closed until further notice due to the incident, which raised concerns about student health. Library officials announced yesterday that the Rosengarten Reserve Room will be closed until further notice due to a collapsed ceiling board which is believed to have spread asbestos fibers, a known carcinogen. The crash unearthed a large section of loose asbestos fibers, some of which landed on the floor along with the ceiling panel, according to Vice Provost and Director of Libraries Paul Mosher. Based on the state of the remaining asbestos in the ceiling, Occupational Safety Hazards Administration officials said the material may have entered the library air over the past few months. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, asbestos, which was identified as a "hazardous pollutant" in 1971, becomes dangerous only when damage to a building loosens the mineral into its fibrous form. In January, after another construction mishap sent pieces of plaster falling from the Rosengarten ceiling, OSHA Industrial Hygienist Roman Siletsky said the continuing library renovations could pose a risk. "If they're jackhammering on the second floor and you've got an asbestos-containing material [in the] ceiling, then sure, stuff is going to be flaking down," Siletsky said in January. Yesterday, Siletsky said preliminary tests indicated that hazardous asbestos had in fact been fallin into the library for an undetermined period of time. "We have a situation on our hands where we know for sure that a large chunk of asbestos-laden ceiling board did fall down," he said. "What we suspect, but are not completely sure, is that asbestos fibers from that area have been flaking into the air over a period of time." The only students who are at risk are those who have spent a significant amount of time -- more than 15 hours a week, according to Siletsky -- in Rosengarten in the area near the reserve stacks against the wall facing Walnut Street. These students are urged to contact Student Health Services Director Marjeanne Collins at 662-2865. The ceiling board, which measures approximately four by five feet, collapsed during early morning construction at 4 a.m. Monday. During the past few months of library renovations, workers have done the loudest construction in the wee hours of the morning in order not to distract students studying in the building. Mosher said he could not estimate how long Rosengarten will be closed, since the extent of the asbestos contamination has not yet been determined. A crew has been brought in to seal off the large hole in the ceiling and search for more loose asbestos. "If the crew finds a significant amount of contamination, the only option will be to blow up the library," Mosher said. Calling the building "extraordinarily unattractive," University President Judith Rodin said she supported blowing up the building and starting from scratch. Rodin said she will, if necessary, sell her son Alex into white slavery and lease her assistant Jennifer Baldino as a female escort in order to pay for a new building. Several students contacted last night by The Daily Pennsylvanian said they are nervous that their excellent study habits could lead to an untimely death. College junior Allison Rosen told the DP last night that she is suffering from symptoms such as a fever, lesions and a whooping cough --Eall of which, she believes, were caused by asbestos. But asbestos-related sicknesses were not the only injuries caused by the falling ceiling board. Two College seniors who were "studying anatomy" with each other in Rosengarten found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. John La Bombard and an unidentified female friend, who a source said moonlights at Hooters, were hit by the falling ceiling board at a very delicate point in their relationship. La Bombard said he was relieved that neither of them sustained serious injury. "I'm just glad it didn't hit my penis," he said.
(01/12/98 10:00am)
Sociology Professor Samuel Preston will be the next dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. and Margie Fishman Sociology Professor and University Council moderator Samuel Preston was named School of Arts and Sciences dean December 15, replacing Interim Dean Walter Wales. Preston will begin his new job today. Preston's appointment removes the second question mark that had hung over the debt-ridden SAS for months, as Wales and former College Dean Robert Rescorla had both indicated their desire to leave their posts and return to the classroom. The recent resignation of Provost Stanley Chodorow, Penn's top academic officer, had raised further concerns about the future of many of the SAS's academic initiatives. But University officials moved quickly last month to fill the three posts. History Professor Richard Beeman was named as Rescorla's replacement the same day that Preston's selection as the next dean of SAS was announced, while Deputy Provost Michael Wachter was appointed as interim provost earlier in the week. A search committee will seek a permanent replacement for Chodorow. Preston had declined an offer to serve as SAS dean during the last dean search in 1990-91, which resulted in the appointment of former Dean Rosemary Stevens, according to Search Committee Chairperson Douglas Massey, who also serves as the chairperson of the Sociology Department. Preston also initially declined to interview with the committee this time, Massey added. Preston said he was initially wary of filling an administrator's shoes. After building momentum in research and teaching, "it is difficult to change," he explained. About a month ago, however, the search committee -- unsatisfied with the candidate list it had produced --approached some University professors for a second time. This time around, Preston agreed to take the job. "I've been doing the same thing for 30 years," Preston said in explaining his change of heart. "I felt like I was getting a little stale." Preston will go to work this semester as a permanent replacement for Wales, a Physics professor who had accepted the post three semesters ago following the resignation of then-Dean Rosemary Stevens. Preston said he is "excited" to begin his new position and praised Wales for developing a "clear and sensible blueprint" for the school. Preston came to Penn in 1979 and has also served as chairperson of the Faculty Senate, as well as two terms as chairperson of the Sociology Department. He specializes in population studies. Preston said his main goal will be ensuring that SAS programs and courses remain among the world's best, an effort which he said will require major fundraising to overcome the school's current fiscal problems. SAS is projected to end the 1997 fiscal year with a one million dollar budget deficit. Vowing to raise endowment for undergraduate scholarship, Preston noted that the current SAS endowment covers only nine percent of undergraduate financial aid -- a percentage less than half of that of the endowment-scholarship ratios of Penn's Ivy League peers. He added that one of his first projects will be to examine the "sub-par" facilities of the Biology department, in addition to strengthening the Political Science department by securing first-rate faculty. An advocate for the University's responsibility-center budgeting system, Preston highlighted plans to allow larger departments more control over departmental budgets. "As a former department chair, I could see ways of reallocating those funds that would have provided better educational programs and research opportunities," he said. Massey praised Preston as an outstanding leader "not only in Sociology but throughout the University," adding that he will be a "magnificent dean" and "is well-placed to lead SAS into the next century." But Massey stressed that he has "mixed feelings" about the loss of a popular professor he described as an "important figure within the department and the University's nationally-ranked demography program." "This is an immediate loss for the department, but one that will benefit the University as a whole," he said.
(01/12/98 10:00am)
Sociology Professor Samuel Preston will be the next dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. and Margie Fishman Sociology Professor and University Council moderator Samuel Preston was named School of Arts and Sciences dean December 15, replacing Interim Dean Walter Wales. Preston will begin his new job today. Preston's appointment removes the second question mark that had hung over the debt-ridden SAS for months, as Wales and former College Dean Robert Rescorla had both indicated their desire to leave their posts and return to the classroom. The recent resignation of Provost Stanley Chodorow, Penn's top academic officer, had raised further concerns about the future of many of the SAS's academic initiatives. But University officials moved quickly last month to fill the three posts. History Professor Richard Beeman was named as Rescorla's replacement the same day that Preston's selection as the next dean of SAS was announced, while Deputy Provost Michael Wachter was appointed as interim provost earlier in the week. A search committee will seek a permanent replacement for Chodorow. Preston had declined an offer to serve as SAS dean during the last dean search in 1990-91, which resulted in the appointment of former Dean Rosemary Stevens, according to Search Committee Chairperson Douglas Massey, who also serves as the chairperson of the Sociology Department. Preston also initially declined to interview with the committee this time, Massey added. Preston said he was initially wary of filling an administrator's shoes. After building momentum in research and teaching, "it is difficult to change," he explained. About a month ago, however, the search committee -- unsatisfied with the candidate list it had produced --approached some University professors for a second time. This time around, Preston agreed to take the job. "I've been doing the same thing for 30 years," Preston said in explaining his change of heart. "I felt like I was getting a little stale." Preston will go to work this semester as a permanent replacement for Wales, a Physics professor who had accepted the post three semesters ago following the resignation of then-Dean Rosemary Stevens. Preston said he is "excited" to begin his new position and praised Wales for developing a "clear and sensible blueprint" for the school. Preston came to Penn in 1979 and has also served as chairperson of the Faculty Senate, as well as two terms as chairperson of the Sociology Department. He specializes in population studies. Preston said his main goal will be ensuring that SAS programs and courses remain among the world's best, an effort which he said will require major fundraising to overcome the school's current fiscal problems. SAS is projected to end the 1997 fiscal year with a one million dollar budget deficit. Vowing to raise endowment for undergraduate scholarship, Preston noted that the current SAS endowment covers only nine percent of undergraduate financial aid -- a percentage less than half of that of the endowment-scholarship ratios of Penn's Ivy League peers. He added that one of his first projects will be to examine the "sub-par" facilities of the Biology department, in addition to strengthening the Political Science department by securing first-rate faculty. An advocate for the University's responsibility-center budgeting system, Preston highlighted plans to allow larger departments more control over departmental budgets. "As a former department chair, I could see ways of reallocating those funds that would have provided better educational programs and research opportunities," he said. Massey praised Preston as an outstanding leader "not only in Sociology but throughout the University," adding that he will be a "magnificent dean" and "is well-placed to lead SAS into the next century." But Massey stressed that he has "mixed feelings" about the loss of a popular professor he described as an "important figure within the department and the University's nationally-ranked demography program." "This is an immediate loss for the department, but one that will benefit the University as a whole," he said.
(12/11/97 10:00am)
The donation will fund cancer research and improved patient care. In one of the largest gifts in Penn history, University officials today plan to announce a $100 million donation to fund cancer research. The donation from the Abramson Family Foundation -- which is the largest single contribution ever to a cancer research center -- will go toward the creation of the Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center. Leonard Abramson is the founder and former chairperson and chief executive officer of U.S. Healthcare Inc. The company took over the managemnt of the University's student health insurance plans last summer. Although University officials considered purchasing the Philadelphia Civic Center at 34th Street and Civic Center Boulevard to house the new Cancer Center, the donation will not fund any capital purchases, and will instead be used only on research, according to Cancer Center Director John Glick. "[The Abramson family's] wish was to put their money into research and not bricks and mortar," the Hematology and Oncology Professor explained. The new research will be housed in the Stellar-Chance Laboratories in the University Medical Center and the Cancer Center's current space in the Penn Tower Hotel. The center will also use space in Biomedical Research Buildings Nos. 2 and 3 when the two are completed in April 1999. But the Civic Center, which the city has been trying to sell for nearly four years, may figure into future plans, Glick said. Past negotiations between the University and the city over the Civic Center have fallen apart because of disagreements over its price. Glick said the new research funding will allow the Center to lure "top-level scientists who need a huge start-up package to be attracted to Penn." Funds will also help provide top-quality psychological care and social work for cancer patients, he added. "This donation is fabulous, momentous and unprecedented and we are really grateful," Glick said. University President Judith Rodin expressed her gratitude to the Abramson family last night in a prepared statement. "This altruistic gift is a testament to Leonard and Madlyn Abramson's extraordinary philanthropic vision and their personal dedication to helping all members of the cancer community," she said. "The Abramson generosity will further the Cancer Center's quest to unravel the biomedical mysteries of cancer in order to design better treatment options and ultimately find a cure." Penn's Cancer Center, established in 1973, is one of 31 National Cancer Institute-designated and -funded cancer centers in the country. Its 330 staff members are drawn from 41 departments in eight University schools. Abramson received about $1 billion in compensation in 1996 when Blue Bell, Pa.-based U.S. Healthcare -- the country's largest manager of health benefits -- merged with insurer Aetna Inc.
(12/05/97 10:00am)
Penn will enlist Aramark and Bon Appetit to help decide on outsourcing. The University has invited two food services companies to visit campus to help determine whether Penn will outsource Dining Services or other campus food operations. University officials and a representative of one of the firms, however, differ over exactly what the invitations -- extended to Bon Appetit Management Co. and Aramark Corp. -- might mean for the future of dining at Penn. Ernie Collins, president of Menlo Park, Calif.-based Bon Appetit, said his company was "asked to take a look at the situation and let [Penn] know whether we would be interested in submitting a bid" to take over management of campus dining. But Marie Witt, director of support services for Penn's Business Services, said Bon Appetit and Aramark came to campus this semester to provide insight on what an outside firm could do at the University. The visits were not intended to give the companies a chance to size up their opportunities at Penn, Witt said. She explained that the visits were part of the "request for information" phase of the University's examination of Dining Services. Over the past year, the independent consulting firm Cornyn Fasano has been reviewing campus food delivery, including Dining Services' operation. The firm's report is expected next semester. Executive Vice President John Fry addressed University Council Wednesday on the progress of the food services study. In his report, Fry said no decision had been made about whether to outsource Dining Services. He did not mention whether any companies had been consulted, either for advice or bids. Several members of Council's Dining Services committee, along with Fry, were not available for comment yesterday, and Dining Services officials said they could not comment on the situation. Witt characterized the visits as an attempt to get different companies -- the Philadelphia-based giant Aramark, as well as the smaller Bon Appetit -- to provide the University with an idea of how they "would approach a school like Penn." "People are saying, 'Do you think we should outsource or shouldn't we,' and we couldn't decide that until we knew what they could bring to Penn," Witt said. But Collins said more Bon Appetit representatives will visit campus in the future to determine his company's level of interest in taking over food services at Penn. Collins did not know when such a visit would occur or how soon Bon Appetit would decide if it will submit a bid. Witt said it "made sense" that Bon Appetit would visit again, if the University decides to begin soliciting bids. At present, that has not been decided, although Witt said she expects a decision early next semester. She added that the two companies, which already serve other universities and public schools, also examined what could be done with concessions in the Perelman Quad buildings and at athletic events. One Bon Appetit employee has operated as a consultant to the University on the food aspects of the Perelman Quad project, Witt said, adding that Bon Appetit has not yet decided if it is interested in operating Perelman Quad food service. Aramark is also already employed by the University, although not in the area of food services. Residential maintenance housekeepers are now supervised by Aramark, although that will change when Trammell Crow Co. takes over management of all campus facilities April 1. If the University does decide to solicit bids, additional companies may be approached, she added. Aramark and Bon Appetit differ in terms of size and clientele, as evidenced by their public information. Aramark, a large corporation with several other divisions completely unrelated to food services, recorded food and beverage sales of $4.1 billion in 1996, compared to only $122 million sold by Bon Appetit. Bon Appetit already handles dining at Whitman College in Washington State and St. Olaf College in Minnesota and does a lot of its business in Silicon Valley corporate cafeterias.
(12/02/97 10:00am)
The Community Service Living Learning Program will be relocated next fall. Students involved in community service will have a new program center on campus next year, but at the same time, a successful residential service program may face a tough move into its own new home. A group of student community service leaders proposed a nonresidential service "hub" modeled on the Kelly Writers House last week, even as other service leaders grappled with administrators over where the residential Community Service Living Learning Program will go. The CSLLP program will likely end up in High Rise North next fall when it vacates its current home in the Castle to make room for the return of the Psi Upsilon fraternity, according to CSLLP Program Director Margaret Quern, a College senior. But if the program does move into High Rise North -- to be known as Hamilton College House under the new residential system -- it may face next year without any familiar faces. None of the Castle's 25 current residents is willing to move into the high rise, Quern said. Director of Academic Programs and Residence Life Chris Dennis, who has been meeting with Quern to discuss the program's move, said he couldn't comment on possible locations until a final decision is made, within the next few days. Planners are also considering an off-campus location to supplement the program if it moves into Superblock, to accommodate the students who don't want to follow it there. Some current Castle residents would be willing to move the program off campus. But if it moves to the high rises, Quern said she would like to see a "baby Castle" program for freshmen on campus, while an upperclassman program continues off campus. If the new college house plan works out as administrators hope, the community service program should flourish in High Rise North -- but it must attract students. Wherever the program ends up, the University will try to locate the proposed service "hub" near the future home of the CSLLP. Nonresidential hubs are supposed to provide students with a location for thematic workshops, speeches and programs outside of any particular residence. Modeled after the Kelly Writers House -- which serves as a base for writing-related activities across campus -- the new center would play a similar role for community service, said the students who proposed it last week. The center should increase collaboration among the different service groups, also strengthening the bond between those groups and University-run community service organizations like the Center for Community Partnerships, said Laura Cobey , who coordinated the student committee. Cobey, a Nursing junior and a member of the Mayor's Commission on Literacy, added that the project would allow for greater "intellectual exchange" between students involved in community service. Such students currently work out of several disparate offices. The proposal would give them a place to meet under one roof. It also calls for moving the Program for Student-Community Involvement's office -- which will lose its space when renovations to Houston Hall begin next fall -- to the new center. The project said it would allow the University to make good on promises made at last April's Presidents' Summit on America's Future to increase involvement with the community, College junior Hillary Aisenstein said. The proposed hub would also bring Penn up to speed with other Ivy League schools, which all now have or are building such a center, according to English Professor Peter Conn, who advised the committee. Aisenstein, who helped write the proposal for the center, said that in addition to bringing groups together, the center would provide space for activities and services that don't now have a home. For example, the proposal calls for space to house tutors and a library containing materials on urban education and volunteerism. The plan also calls for several rooms to house workshops and meetings, a seminar room for academically based community service courses, a large lounge and office spaces. Students involved in the planning said they don't have a specific location in mind for the hub, but that it should not be far from the center of campus, even if it would be close to the CSLLP's home.
(11/26/97 10:00am)
Van Pelt and Modern Languages house councils have come to terms on several differences. Despite the initial controversy surrounding the combination of the Modern Languages and Van Pelt college houses next fall, members of the two house councils have reached several recent compromises, including the selection of a new name, designed to ease the transition into the new residential program. To avoid favoring one program over the other, the combined house will be known as Gregory House after Emily Lovira Gregory -- Penn's first female faculty member and one of the original supporters of graduate student fellowships, according to Residential Faculty Chairperson and Van Pelt Faculty Master Al Filreis. The combined college house was originally slated to be called Van Pelt, a move which offended MLCH students who feared that several aspects of the new system would allow Van Pelt to dominate MLCH. The house councils decided that any combination of the two names as would be too awkward, and preferred a new name, said Filreis, who is also an English professor. And the University's development office suggested a name that was both historical and "not so prominent" so that it can be changed when a donor is located to sponsor the house, he added. A similar technique was employed when the new college house plan was released six weeks ago, as High Rise North was temporarily renamed as Hamilton House. The house councils also agreed to maintain separate budgets for the two programs and to allow each program to select its own staff. The only concern not addressed in the compromise was the possibility of non-MLCH students living in the its building. The original reasoning behind the proposal to combine the two programs was the possibility of filling up MLCH --Ewhich has suffered from low student participation in the past few years --Ewith students from Van Pelt. This would allow the program to shrink without being eliminated due to University concerns about the loss of rent, Filreis said. He added that since MLCH students are putting considerable effort into attracting residents for next year, he does not expect occupancy to be a problem. MLCH Faculty Master Peter Steiner, who will continue to direct the program next year while Filreis takes over as Gregory House faculty master, said relations between the two houses have been greatly improved by these compromises. "We would rather have had our own college house," said Wharton senior Julia Kung, a member of the MLCH house council. "I think for the past few weeks a lot of students have had concerns and a few expressed negative feelings but [faculty working on the residential plans] have really tried very hard to calm us." But Steiner added that some students are still suspicious that the compromises will not be adhered to in the future. To combat this possibility, students want these agreements in writing, he said, and have drawn up a MLCH constitution which they would like to have signed by administrators. Confusion in the Provost's office in the wake of Provost Stanley Chodorow's announced resignation has prevented students from sending the constitution out for approval as of yet, Steiner added. Filreis said he is pleased with the results of the house councils' discussion, adding that they show the new system's flexibility and ability to be driven by student needs. "We are not talking about top-down decisions here," Filreis. "We are talking about members of both houses getting together and working things out."
(11/25/97 10:00am)
Officials had planned to put the laboratory facilities in the Music and Morgan buildings. In a shift from their original plans, University administrators are likely to relocate the Institute for Advanced Science and Technology's computer science and cognitive science laboratory facilities into the 3401 Walnut Street complex, officials said. The IAST II project was originally slated to move into the Music and Morgan buildings at 34th Street and Smith Walk, which will be vacated as soon as the Music Department secures new facilities. The project is the middle phase of a three-part program funded by the U.S. Air Force designed to provide several science and engineering departments with state of the art research labs and facilities. The first phase of the project was the recently opened Roy and Diana Vagelos Laboratories, which provides space for the Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Medical Engineering departments. The 4-month-old proposal to change the original location of the project was confidential until last week, when the Air Force gave University officials the go-ahead for the change, according to Omar Blaik, associate vice president for Facilities Management. Over the last four months, facilities officials have insisted that the project would be housed in the Music and Morgan buildings. In a September 17 interview, Vice President for Facilities Management Art Gravina said plans to build the facilities in the Morgan and Music buildings were delayed because of the fire that destroyed the Charles Addams Fine Arts Hall. But Gravina did not indicate the possibility of relocating the project. Yesterday, however, Gravina stressed that "if we can meet the program needs of the departments and meet the financial constraints of the federal government and the state, I think we have a viable site" in 3401 Walnut. Facilities in 3401 Walnut will be vacated once the History Department on the third floor and administrative departments on the fourth floor leave the building in 1999. Gravina also said in September that the fire delayed proposals for a new home for the Music Department because the IAST II project and the department's future were supposed to be determined together. But the decision to abandon the Music and Morgan buildings as a potential location for IAST II was not due to the construction slowdown caused by the fire, Blaik said. In fact, moving the program into 3401 Walnut will probably take as long as waiting for the Music Department to vacate its two buildings, Gravina said. Despite the long wait, faculty who will use the new IAST II space said the 3401 Walnut location better serves the needs of their departments. The new location would "really make sense," said Mitch Marcus, chairperson of the Computer and Information Science Department and a faculty member of the Institute for Research in Cognitive Science. The ICRS and the General Robotics and Active Sensory Perception lab -- another program that combines computer and cognitive science -- are already located in the 3401 Walnut building. "Having the department next to centers that combine computer science with mechanical and electrical engineering, in the case of GRASP, and linguistics, psychology and mathematics in the case of ICRS, is really going to help the parts of the program interact," Marcus said. He added that the original plan to move into the Music and Morgan buildings would spread the IAST project over too many buildings. Gravina said no decision has been made about what will be done with the Morgan and Music buildings, although the University has made a commitment to renovate their exteriors. "We want to understand our long-term planning before we decide that," he said. "We don't want to do anything and then decide a year later it was not what we needed."
(11/25/97 10:00am)
For breakfast at the Class of 1920 Dining Commons yesterday: waffles, cereal -- and a live rooster. Employees at the dining hall are used to seeing poultry daily, but the live rooster found running around the Commons yesterday morning just wasn't on the menu. The employees first discovered the animal -- which parked itself under a table near the entrance of the hall -- when they arrived at the building at 7 a.m. The lost cock is believed to be the result of a practical joke, Dining Services Director Bill Canney said. Commons Manager John Henkel said the rooster was probably left in Chats last night. He added that he is "astounded" that Chats security guards and patrons didn't notice anyone leaving the bird in the building. "How do you walk in and not be seen with a live rooster and leave it there?" he asked. But if the story sounds unbelievable to you, don't worry. Staff in the Dining Services office didn't believe it at first either. Henkel said the office staff laughed at him and hung up the phone when he called for help, forcing the confused manager to call the Veterinary School as well as the New Bolton Campus in Kennett Square, Pa. But the advice the New Bolton Campus veterinarians gave him seemed slightly questionable. "They told me to come up behind it, reach under it, and grab its legs," Henkel said. "I said, 'Come on, doctor, I am not touching the underside of a chicken.' I mean, I work for Penn and I'm willing to do a lot of things, but I am not putting my hand under a chicken." Upon further inspection, Henkel discovered that the bird was actually a rooster, rather than a chicken -- and was warned to keep his distance because roosters tend to scratch violently when provoked. The rooster was then coaxed into a cardboard box which would serve as its temporary home by a brave member of the Residential Maintenance Pest Control team. But the rooster's tale doesn't end there. Although officials from the American Society for the Protection and Care of Animals promised to come to its rescue, as of last night the animal remained homeless except for a box in the student office at Commons. "I just hope we don't have somebody's pet rooster," Canney said.
(11/20/97 10:00am)
The University is getting set to kick off a massive recruitment campaign to staff the 12 new residential college houses that take effect next fall. The redesigned residential system, designed to provide a range of support services in all dormitories, will require a larger in-house staff, according to Director of Academic Programs and Residence Life Chris Dennis. Each house will have a faculty master, a residence dean, faculty fellows, graduate associates and undergraduate residential advisors. Paying house deans and providing room and board to more faculty members, GAs and RAs will form the bulk of the additional $680,000 in annual operating costs required by the new system. Between the additional staff positions and replacements for retiring faculty masters, officials must appoint a total of five new faculty masters. Ware College House Faculty Master Jan Van der Spiegel, an Electrical Engineering professor, Goldberg House Master Ken Shropshire, a Legal Studies professor and Stouffer College House Faculty Master Karl Otto, chairperson of the German Department, will all finish their terms in May. But since the new college house system calls for the Quadrangle to be reorganized into four houses rather than the current five, Van der Spiegel and Shropshire will require only one replacement between them, Dennis said. Art History Professor David Brownlee, who authored the report recommending the new system, has already volunteered to fill one the five slots. He is awaiting approval from the Provost's office. The other faculty masters will be located through advertisements in Almanac asking for nominations and applications. Because of increased need, the recruitment process for masters will be more widespread than in past years, when the University tried to target specific candidates to prevent an overflow of applications for a few positions, according to Dennis. Once the faculty masters are appointed, they will meet with the house councils to determine potential candidates for faculty fellow positions. While the University already has 24 faculty fellows, four new positions will be created next fall. It is uncertain how many of the current faculty fellows will retire after the spring semester, Dennis said. The number of RAs and GAs will also increase. Eight additional RAs will bring the total to 90, while the number of GAs will increase from 70 to 104. Many houses currently lack GAs, which accounts for their larger increase. Residence Life will begin advertising for the RA and GA positions next month. Interviews will take place in January and February. Dennis said he is confident that his office will be able to fill the positions. Residential staffing jobs are attractive as a learning experience and because they allow students to work on projects they may not be able to accomplish as part of their classes, through symposia and special lecture programs, he added. Faculty and students agreed that the jobs provide several benefits. Van der Spiegel said his seven years in Ware have been among his best experiences at Penn, adding that he strongly recommends all faculty members consider living in the residences. "It has opened a window to a side of the campus that we as faculty otherwise don't get to see or have access to," he said. "I can go over that line of just classroom teaching and extend to education beyond the classroom." David Miller, an administrative and graduate fellow in Modern Languages College House, agreed that working in a residence provides a unique opportunity to educate students. "It is almost an alternate pedagogy," Miller said. "Through informal discussions learning actually does take place in a pressure-free environment." High Rise North RA David Futer, a College junior, said he enjoyed having the opportunity to contribute to students' residential experience. Although the University offers residential staff members benefits ranging from room and board to a guaranteed sabbatical for faculty masters finishing their terms, Dennis said the benefits are not the main reason why students and faculty take the jobs. "No one really does it for the perks involved," he said. "I think they are looking to communicate with the Penn community. But some say the "perks" are substantial enough to be huge plus. "The free room and meals are a pretty good incentive," Futer said.
(11/17/97 10:00am)
Lee "Flyman" McNear touched many during his time at Penn. In a world of unpredictable cuisine and mystery meats, one thing at Stouffer Dining Commons remained consistently popular with students over the past nine years -- the Flyman. The death of Stouffer cook and server Lee "Flyman" McNear last Wednesday from a sudden heart attack has left students and fellow employees feeling a profound sense of shock and loss. McNear, 41, was remembered yesterday by friends, co-workers and students at a viewing at the Thomas A. Waite Funeral Home in West Philadelphia. Because the time and location of the viewing were not formally announced, few students were in attendance. But many more expressed their sadness at the loss of someone they had come to consider a friend. "He treated people with a lot of respect and kindness," College freshman Susan Myhr said. "He exemplified what it is to be a hardworking, honest person. I think he'll just be remembered as someone who was a people person and cared about making other other people's days better." College senior Ben Reynolds, an assistant student manager at Stouffer and one of the students who performed CPR on McNear when he collapsed while serving dinner Wednesday night, praised McNear for his ability to make people feel good about themselves. "I was the kind of guy whose name he never remembered -- he just kind of called me 'homey'," Reynolds said. "But no matter who you were he always made you feel special." College junior Alex Barfield, a student manager at Stouffer, said he will remember McNear as the first person who made him "feel at home" when he transferred to Stouffer from another dining hall. Adam Sherr, meal contract coordinator for Dining Services, said he was surprised by the huge outpouring from students, adding that those wishing to convey condolences to McNear's family can e-mail messages through to Sherr's account at adam@dining1.dining.upenn.edu. Fellow Stouffer employees praised McNear for his kindness and quirky sense of humor. "Lee was the type of person if you didn't know him, you'd get mad at the things he said," co-worker Allene James said. "But if you knew him, when he said crazy things you'd just laugh and say 'Aww, shut up Lee'." McNear -- who often got in trouble with supervisors for serving students extra entrees and for wearing tight pants -- panhandled for a while before coming to the University, according to one of his co-workers, Rita Henry. While panhandling after moving to Philadelphia from his home in North Carolina, McNear asked a local union president for money. Instead, the official got him a job in Dining Services, where McNear began working as a part-time pot-washer. Other employees noted his constant efforts to keep the staff laughing. James recalled asking McNear if he would help her remove some of the fish from the Bio Pond to keep as pets. McNear told her he would "just pet 'em in a frying pan," James said. Despite his light-hearted attitude and constant sarcasm, one student said McNear felt the pressure of having time pass too quickly. "Whenever I would come in on Monday and ask him, 'How was your weekend?" he would say, 'You know it went by too fast, man'," Barfield said. McNear's life, like his weekends, passed by too quickly. But for students and co-workers the time spent with him was a rare privilege. Representatives from the University's Counseling and Psychological Service will hold a counseling session at 5:15 p.m. tomorrow in Stouffer for anyone affected by his death. Similar events were held last week. McNear will be buried tomorrow in Whiteville, N.C., the home of his mother Willamina McNear. He is also survived by his father Arthur McNear, two children, four sisters, two brothers and his girlfriend, Judy Gilbert. Daily Pennsylvanian reporter Beth Garstkiewicz contributed to this article.
(11/14/97 10:00am)
Imagine trying to squeeze a small, formerly autonomous residential program into the financial and administrative structure of one of the new college houses next fall. Think that's tough? How about trying to fit that same one program into two different houses. That's the dilemma facing two living and learning programs, currently based in both King's Court/English House and the high rises. By next year, each program will have to devise a way to maintain unity between sections of the program governed by two college houses with separate budgets, staffs and activities. For all of the living and learning programs --Ewhich will be renamed "residential programs" -- the move to a college house system presents some confusion about the role of these smaller programs within the larger houses they inhabit. But for the Science and Technology Wing and the Perspectives in the Humanities Program -- which now occupy space in both King's Court/English House and the high rises -- the new system raises questions about how the two sections will retain their connection while becoming part of two different college houses. The humanities program met Wednesday night to discuss concerns about next year. Members created a committee to meet with professors working on the residential programs, according to College senior Christa Beranek, the program's student manager. Residential Faculty Chairperson Al Filreis said the new college house system will allow each program the freedom to decide its level of interaction within its house. "These residential programs will be able to grow and shrink according to interest or affiliate with another house," said Filreis, an English professor. "They can be separate from the house they live in or can affiliate loosely with their house, and they will all be able to have their own graduate advisors and residential advisors." While some objections to the new system -- like protests over the combination of Van Pelt and Modern Languages college houses -- have taken an ugly turn, English Professor Toni Bowers, who oversees the humanities program, stressed that the committee is for "communication, not confrontation." The main concern for both STWing and the humanities program is maintaining some connection between the King's Court and high-rise sections. "How will our program, which is currently split between two buildings? exist under the college house system, and how will we have an appropriate level of interaction between the two?" Beranek asked. Filreis said the new system will actually solve the problems that forced these programs to split into two segments in the first place. As the residential system now stands, STWing and Perspectives in the Humanities students had to move out of King's Court after their freshman year, forcing administrators to create an affiliated section of each program in the high rises. Filreis said both sections can now move into the same building, since the new system aims to integrate students from every year into each house. Some students like having the flexibility to participate in these programs while being able to also choose where they live, said Bowers, who lives in King's Court/English House. Beranek emphasized the need to renovate King's Court/English House, which is now a freshman-only dorm, before upperclassmen members of living and learning programs will want to live there. If the programs do continue to span two buildings under the new system, students and faculty associated with them said they are optimistic about their ability to retain control over program budgets, staff and activities. "I think that we will be able to receive positive responses to our requests, but it's just the type of thing where we wanted to go on the record and say that our program is working and we want to keep it," Bowers said. Electrical Engineering Professor Jorge Santiago-Aviles, who as King's Court/English House's senior faculty resident oversees the STWing program, also voiced his hopes. "They have built a lot of latitude into the program," Santiago-Aviles said. "I think it will be in the best interests of everyone concerned if the administration adjusts the requirements to accommodate programs that have shown they have the favor of the students, and I have faith that that is what is going to happen."
(11/13/97 10:00am)
A World Wide Web-based funrasing campaign details prices for various spaces around campus. Attention University alumni: If you act fast, you can use the Internet to put your mark on Penn. As part of a campaign to raise funds for the Perelman Quad project -- incorporating the renovation of Irvine Auditorium and College, Houston, Logan and Williams halls -- the Office of Development and Alumni Relations has been advertising donation opportunities on the World Wide Web. The Perelman Quad Gift Page (http://alumni.dev.upenn.edu/alumni/pq/pqdescri.html) targets young, Internet-familiar alumni with details of the five buildings' funding needs. Maps and schematics, accompanied by price lists, detail what the University has available. The donations will supplement a $20 million donation from University Trustee Ronald Perelman and a $7.5 million donation from Trustee Steve Wynn. But buyer beware. The Web page has not been updated since last June, so many areas besides those marked "reserved" are already spoken for, according to Joanne Hanna, who is in charge of development for the Perelman Quad. Hanna added that the fundraising campaign is already only half a million dollars short of its $36 million goal. Of the five buildings, Houston Hall, with its numerous student offices and meeting rooms, provided the greatest number of opportunities to sponsor and name rooms -- but only the $2 million Hall of Flags and the $1 million auditorium remain unclaimed. Bodek Lounge sold for $2 million, while the third floor meeting rooms, such as the Smith-Penniman and Bishop-White rooms, went for only $25,000 to $50,000 each. Nearly all the donation requests for Logan Hall have also been filled, except for some School of Arts and Sciences graduate spaces. But the priciest area available for sponsorship -- the $5 million Irvine Auditorium Concert Hall -- is still up for grabs. Since many of the rooms offered to donors already bear the names of past donors or University figures, the University will try to preserve the original names and plaques, while somehow honoring new donors, Vice President for Development Virginia Clark said. So it's still not clear whether familiar spots like Bodek Lounge will lose their old names. "Clearly, we have to be thoughtful about that because history and tradition is very important here," she said. "But at the same time you have to reward the generosity of our donors." While the Web page has attracted positive feedback, it has not yet attracted any potential donors by itself. The success of the fundraising efforts have thus far been due to the brochures mailed to alumni. But the fundraising has gone much quicker than predicted, Clark said. She attributed the rapid success of the campaign to the many donations from class gifts, including two gifts of $1 million from the classes of 1966 and 1967 to renovate the Houston Hall lobby and reading room. A $2 million gift from 1966 College graduate David Silfen will be used to build a new student study center addition to Williams Hall, while an anonymous gift of $1.5 million will provide half of the $3 million needed to renovate the College Hall Admissions Suite. University Trustee Robert Fox donated $500,000 to cover the costs of the art gallery on the ground floor of Logan. And Elizabeth Woodward, a member of the Houston family which made the original donation to build Houston Hall in 1896, gave $500,000 to be used for the building's restoration. Perhaps the donation most significant to current University students is the nearly $100,000 from friends and family of Emily Sachs, a member of the Class of 1998 who died during her freshman year. The gift, which will be supplemented by a $10,000 to $15,000 gift from this year's seniors, will cover the construction of the Emily Sachs Memorial Rehearsal Room in Irvine Auditorium. Although the Web fundraising effort has yet to see tangible results, Clark said she feels it is important to set up a way to reach many of the younger alumni easily and quickly. The campaign does have its detractors. Student Activities Council President Steve Schorr, a Wharton senior, said that while Web publicity can only help fundraising efforts, it is wrong to offer to change areas that are already named. But College senior S. Morgan Friedman, who works in University archives and researches Penn history, said he is not concerned about the historical impact of renaming rooms after new donors, explaining that "University landscapes, like those in cities, are constantly changing."
(11/13/97 10:00am)
Employee Lee McNear collapsed during the dinner shift last night. and Ian Rosenblum Dining Services employee and Penn legend Lee "Flyman" McNear died of a heart attack last night after collapsing during the dinner shift at Stouffer Dining Commons, where he had worked since 1992. He was 41. McNear, who habitually greeted students as "my main man" or "my baby doll," collapsed at about 6:20 p.m. last night and was pronounced dead at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, according to University Police. HUP administrators said they could not release any information about McNear, since they had not yet notified his next of kin. None of McNear's 10 siblings live in Philadelphia. McNear mumbled a few words before collapsing, leading some students to believe he was choking, according to College senior Benjamin Reynolds, an assistant student manager in Stouffer. Reynolds and College sophomore Matt Reilly then began CPR on McNear, while other students called for an ambulance. McNear's pulse and breathing did not return during the resuscitation attempts, although at one point he coughed up blood, forcing the two students to cease mouth-to-mouth. By the time an ambulance arrived 10 minutes later, it was "too late," Reynolds said. The paramedics continued trying to revive McNear for about five minutes before taking him to HUP, said College sophomore Amir Rozadowski, who was in Stouffer when McNear collapsed. College junior Clarke Beljean, a Stouffer student supervisor who worked the afternoon shift with McNear yesterday, said he hadn't noticed anything unusual about the health of his co-worker. "He looked as fine as Flyman usually seemed," Beljean said. "There was really nothing wrong with him. I was just shocked." McNear, the oldest of 11 children, was born in Wilmington, N.C., and lived in Philadelphia for the past nine years. While the extremely sociable employee was recognized by many students as the best thing about Stouffer, he also enjoyed his private time, telling 34th Street magazine last fall that he spent weekends listening to music and "chilling." But it was his friendliness and enthusiasm that students said they would miss most. "He always kept the atmosphere fun," Beljean said. "He took the boredom and the monotony away. He was Stouffer, I guess." Nearly every Stouffer diner grew fond of McNear's "You know you can!" refrain, which always accompanied the plates of food he served. And for the many students who considered "Flyman" a part of the University's history, his death will leave behind a void. "A little piece of esoteric Penn spirit is gone," Wharton senior and five-year Stouffer diner Jeffrey Greenhouse said. "He's a great person, he's always very friendly," Rozadowski said. "I eat at Stouffer every night, and the minute we found out, most of the guys I eat with rushed over to that side of the room to find out what happened. I mean, he's the reason that most people eat there." He constantly exuded a sense of familial warmth to his co-workers and students. In the Street interview, McNear explained that the close relationships in Stouffer were his favorite part of the job. "We treat each other with respect," McNear said. "And we try to also extend it to the kids." Daily Pennsylvanian staff writer Naomi Blivaiss contributed to this report.
(11/07/97 10:00am)
A rally against the Trammell Crow outsourcing deal drew about 200. Trustees vote on the deal today. Invoking the words of the Bible and Benjamin Franklin, nearly 200 employees, faculty and students jammed College Green yesterday to rally against the possibility of outsourcing University facilities management to Trammell Crow Co. Protesters at the "Save Our Jobs" rally hoped to send a message to University Trustees, who will vote today on whether to finalize the deal that would force 180 current University employees to re-apply for between 110 and 150 jobs with Trammell Crow. The letter of intent signed by the University and the Dallas-based company nearly a month ago calls for Trammell Crow to pay Penn $26 million, some of which would be used toward implementation costs of the college house residential system slated to begin next fall. Unionized residential and facility workers will retain their jobs under Trammell Crow management, according to the terms of the agreement, but the union's contract expires in less than three years, and that situation could change. Residential Services Service Assistant Rashida Abdu, one of the rally's organizers, said yesterday's protest went well, although she was admitted that she had hoped for better turnout. "It's good what we got at the rally, and its important what we got and we need more," she said. "But people are scared and we won't get more people until this starts to touch them also." The University is considering several other departments for outsourcing, including Dining Services. As protesters on College Green held signs bearing Benjamin Franklin's motto, "We must all hang together or we will surely hang separately," speakers expressed their belief that these job losses are only the beginning. Tom Henry, tri-chairperson of the African-American Assembly, warned employees who have not shown support for those directly affected by the Trammell Crow deal that their jobs may not be secure, either. "Those individuals who decided not to come out here today because it is not your turn, you should be aware it will be your turn," Henry said. Other speakers criticized the administration for running Penn like a corporation rather than a school. The University is setting a terrible example for its students by abusing workers in the name of serving students more efficiently, said librarian Jim Gray, a tri-chairperson of the AAA and treasurer of Local 590 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. "A multi-million dollar hotel, a building up of a restaurant for private owners, luxury shops built on the backs of fired workers: Is that the responsibility of a University?" Gray asked. The Rev. Beverly Dale, executive director of the Christian Association, said the University's actions are evidence of a "dysfunction" in what used to be a close University family. "How did we get to the place where we can dismiss a person and not see the face of that person -- who by the way looks a lot like us -- and their family?" she said. Abda echoed Dale's concern for the future livelihood of the affected employees and their families, noting the irony that during the rally, the Trustees were scheduled to hear a professor in the School of Social Work lecture about the problems of homelessness. She added that employees are sick of the University "posturing" about how much it does to aid the West Philadelphia community at the same time that it is firing members of that same community. Some affected employees expressed anger that they were never given a chance to understand the problems facing their departments or try to improve performance. Richard Cipollone, director of support system controls for Physical Plant, said his department succeeded in cutting costs as was suggested in a study done by the consulting firm of Coopers & Lybrand, but their efforts to improve were ignored. "In any department, there are shortcomings, but we are supposed to come up with a plan to improve," Henry said. "Do you think Mr. John Fry has come up with perfect solutions? They've had to restrategize many times. Why can't we have the same chance?" he said.
(11/05/97 10:00am)
In its implementation, officials must address student attitudes and physical limits of residences. Nearly a month after the release of the University's new residential plans, it appears that -- in the short run, at least --Eseveral formidable obstacles challenge the successful creation of 12 college houses by next fall. For the plan to be an immediate accomplishment, the physical limitations of the current residences and prevailing student attitudes about dorm life will need to be addressed. Elements of the plan like multi-year housing and increased residential programming may be hard to implement given the dorms' physical state. Some buildings, particularly in the Quadrangle, have a scarce amount of common space for community activities and currently lack the type of rooms that would attract upperclassmen. As part of the plan, the University has committed to renovating some of the residences, particularly the older portions of the Quad and the interior of the high rises, over the next decade. In the meantime, the University will do some short term residential improvements by next fall in order to provide apartments for additional faculty and graduate fellows and a new dining hall for one of the high rises. But the more expensive and complex renovations planned for the next 10 years are integral to the success of the residential plans, Art History Professor David Brownlee indicated in his report last spring. That report serves as the basis for the current residential plans. College junior Rachael Goldfarb -- who, as chairperson of the 21st Century Project Undergraduate Advisory Board, served on Brownlee's committee -- said the "quick fix" renovations planned for next fall are a start but will not be sufficient for the project to succeed entirely. But the complete renovation of campus residences should provide adequate support in the long run for the programs outlined in the plan. But the physical limitations are not the only challenges facing the new plans. In order for the program to succeed, administrators, faculty and students connected with the project must change long-standing student perceptions about the residential experience. Since the plan's release, some students have objected strenuously to the idea of integrating academics into dorm life or mixing students of all years into one college house. Others predict that the new system won't change anything. To some extent, this split is reflected by the program facilitators, who maintain that the program will go a long way toward improving residential life, but stress that no students will be forced to eat in their house's dining hall or attend programs. The system won't destroy anyone's residential experience, they argue. Participation in any of the new programming features -- from house-specific activities to academic support options available within the residences -- will be entirely voluntary. Residential Faculty Council Chairperson Al Filreis, who serves as faculty master of the Van Pelt College House, said the program's success does not depend on 100 percent student participation. The program will have little effect on uninterested students, he said. "We have created a system where there are houses of low-level involvement and houses of high-level involvement," he said. "For people who want low levels of involvement nothing will really change, but for people who want high levels of involvement they can have it." Yet while criticism of the plan based on opposition to the new programming may be based on a faulty understanding, negative student attitudes could still prevent the plan from having its intended impact. While administrators expect residence life to flourish under the plan, exciting new programs are unlikely to develop in dorms that now lack them if students don't think they can succeed. And the multi-year houses can only come to fruition if all undergraduates choose to reconfigure current residential patterns -- which will require students to overcome their initial pessimism about the plan. Administrators admit they expect the current housing patterns -- freshman concentrated in dorms like the Quad and upperclassmen mostly in the high rises -- to continue for at least the next few years. But can the program be both a successful, high-involvement forum for some students and a hands-off experience for others? Filreis explained that since there are hundreds of students in each college house, there will always be "student activists" to make sure that programs exist, even if other students do not wish to participate or take the initiative. At the same time, he added that a baseline of support like tutoring and computing aid will be available.