Search Results
Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.
(09/25/96 9:00am)
A fire Friday night in University City marked the 19th arson in the area since late August, according to Willie Williams, acting captain of the Philadelphia Fire Department's Fire Prevention Unit. The fire, at Syl-Mar Apartments on 50th and Spruce streets, fit the pattern of 18 previous fires set along Chestnut and Pine streets from 43rd to 49th streets, Williams said. The arsons have all occurred in the buildings' basements or storage rooms between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Harold Hairston has said of the arsonists, "have match, will travel" because they seem to come unprepared to each scene, using whatever garbage or other materials they find. The fires have not affected buildings where University students and staff reside, according to Assistant Director for Off-Campus Living Michaela Farcas. But Farcas and West Philadelphia landlords are watching the situation carefully, noting that the arsons are in the immediate area of Penn student and staff housing. There have been two fires on Buckingham Place, between 44th and 45th streets, where University affiliates lease 50 percent of the units, said University City Housing Division Manager Bill Groves. West Philadelphia Landlord Association member Scott Orens said the blazes that have plagued Buckingham Place residents could become a problem for students living on other blocks if the arsons persist. "The arsons have been a little further than most of the Penn housing boundary, but if it continues it could be problem for Penn," Orens said. Although University officials are prepared for future arsons that could affect staff or students, they are not yet alarmed, according to Office of Community Relations Director Glenn Bryan. "The University Police have been alerted to keep their eyes and ears open to the possibility of anything like this on or nearer to campus," Bryan said. Farcas noted that Hairston contacted her to obtain a list of off-campus landlords and to warn students about the recent fires. Meanwhile, Farcas said she has has been distributing safety information to students and is continuing to watch the situation carefully. "If any situation comes to my attention we will handle it proactively," Farcas said. "We are working on such a situation now where a student has had to fight with the landlord to get a lock put on the front door [to keep out potential arsonists]." The Office of Community Relations is helping the Philadelphia License and Inspection Department in checking fire code standards in off-campus buildings -- an effort concentrated on residences nearer to campus and therefore further from the sites of the blazes. Hairston has advised students of a number of safety measures to thwart potential arsonists including locking doors, not letting strangers in to buildings and securing windows and utility storage areas, according to Williams. Due to the methods the arsonists are using, Williams advised residents and landlords to "make sure trash is in the proper containers and secured until its disposal." Students should also be aware that while landlords are covered by building insurance, individual property is only covered under tenant insurance or their parents' homeowners policy, according to Orens. Although there have not been any injuries from the arsons, Williams said early discovery prevented human injury and significant loss of property. Students are advised to call the Arson Hotline at 922-6000 if they notice anything suspicious.
(09/18/96 9:00am)
Grad students head downtown and profsGrad students head downtown and profsmove to suburbs, citing crime and schools Increasing numbers of graduate students and faculty members are choosing not to live in West Philadelphia, according to a University report and an organization of professors devoted to improving the local community. While 60 percent of the University's graduate students called University City home in 1988-89, that number dropped to only 25 percent in the spring of 1996, according to the Office of Off-Campus Living's 1995-96 annual report. The report, written by the office's assistant director, Michaela Farcas, details "a continuous move eastward of the graduate student population, with an increasing number crossing into Center City." The graduate population in Center City, Society Hill and the Art Museum area has shot up, from 25 percent of all grad students in 1988-89 to 41 percent last year. The vast majority of undergraduates still live in University City, with 81 percent of the undergraduate student body residing in the area last year. But like graduate students, faculty members have increasingly left the immediate campus area over the past few years. Crime convinced History Professor Drew Faust to move to the suburbs in 1990 after 22 years in the neighborhood. "We had a really serious crime take place in our house and there were house sitters in the house at the time who were seriously injured," Faust said. "After that, the whole situation never seemed the same. We had an eight-year-old child at the time and it made me worried. I did not want to deal with that fear anymore." Faust also bemoaned the area's lack of retail, transportation and cultural outlets. "It is ironic that the suburbs are much more convenient than West Philadelphia," she said. "I can get downtown on public transportation faster now than I could from West Philadelphia." Lynn Lees, a member of Faculty and Staff for Neighborhood Improvement, said more faculty are leaving West Philadelphia than are moving in, though her group does not collect precise statistics. One of the biggest reasons faculty have fled University City is a lack of good public schools in the area, according to Lees, chairperson of the History Department. Many professors move out of West Philadelphia when their children reach a certain grade, Lees said, adding that some simply "prefer a more suburban atmosphere." Schools were not a major issue among graduate students, who cited a host of other problems, including crime and unattractive, overpriced housing as reasons for living elsewhere. Second-year Wharton graduate student David Berdon said he never considered living in University City, due to the paucity of adequate housing. "I have a perception that living up there is like living in a dorm," Berdon said. "I mean, the buildings are about that attractive." But History graduate student Minna Ziskind said she likes her apartment at 41st and Spruce streets. "The best thing about [living in University City] is the proximity to campus," Ziskind said. "The area serves our needs well enough. It is a reasonable apartment at a reasonable price." Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs Carol Scheman said last week that she hopes University and city initiatives will alleviate problems caused by the area's housing, retail and cultural facilities, economic development, public schools and crime. Scheman herself does not live in University City, due to concerns about her children's education. "I am a single mother with two kids and schools are important to me," Scheman said.
(09/16/96 9:00am)
DNC's Dodd highlight Clinton's first term, praises direct studet lending College students will have an easy choice in November's presidential election -- if they heed Democratic National Chairperson Chris Dodd's advice. In a teleconference with 30 college newspaper reporters Thursday, the Senator from Connecticut outlined the Democratic view on issues of particular concern to college students. "Obviously there are some very clear differences here -- this is not a race where you have to get hypothetical, because we are talking about the president," Dodd said. "We know where he's been in the last 45 months as president and where Bob Dole has been as the majority leader of the Senate." Dodd then described President Clinton's proposals for educational subsidies and programs, highlighting the achievements of Clinton's past term. Clinton's proposals include providing $1,500 yearly scholarships to students who keep a "B" average and a $10,000 tax deduction for tuition expenses. Clinton also advocates extending the direct lending program, which allows colleges to grant student loans without going through banks. The program, already in place in 1,750 schools, provides more loans at cheaper rates, according to Dodd. Dodd also praised Clinton's AmeriCorps program, which gives students money for college in exchange for community service. "This president has come along and said that is a great idea? where we ask people not to go overseas, but maybe to go down the street, or the next state or town and help out with needs that America has," Dodd said. Approximately 25,000 college students per year have joined AmeriCorps in the two-and-a-half years since the program began. The students have received an average of about $4,720 towards college, Dodd said. Dodd criticized Republican attempts to cut federal education funding, citing a 39 percent rise in tuition over the past 10 years. Dodd explained that the Republicans have proposed cuts of $10 billion from higher education assistance and another $20 billion from elementary and secondary school funding -- cuts that Dodd said are the largest ever proposed. Republicans have also proposed to eliminating the Department of Education, a move Dodd criticizes, noting that it provides three-quarters of all students financial aid. "You can talk about some agencies being gotten rid of," Dodd said. "But? eliminating the one department that is going to be absolutely critical in providing the labor force to allow us to be competitive in a global economy obviously doesn't make a whole lot of sense to people." Dodd said Congress is currently deadlocked because of Republican efforts to pass at least $2.2 million in education cuts.
(09/11/96 9:00am)
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is moving forward with two large-scale public service campaigns, despite recent budget cuts. SEPTA kicked off its new College Weekend Pass yesterday, giving college students lower fares in hopes of luring them to use public transportation. SEPTA also started the Transit Voter Pennsylvania Program, which will allow passengers to register to vote at SEPTA stations. The new weekend pass, which is already in effect, will allow students to pay $1 per ride to travel on SEPTA buses, trolleys and the Broad Street and Market-Frankford rail lines from 6 p.m. each Friday until 2 a.m. each Monday, according to SEPTA General Manager Louis Gambaccini. Travel on SEPTA regional rail will cost only $2 per ride with the weekend pass. Gambaccini said he hopes the pass will allow students in a budget crunch to save money while enjoying the city on weekends. "As a father of six children, all of whom went to college, I can certainly empathize with all of you about the rising costs of going to college," he said. "You certainly are worthy and in need of whatever kinds of financial breaks are possible." The program, co-sponsored by the Center City District and the City Paper, will distribute some 50,000 passes to students at 15 schools. The program will continue until December, when SEPTA officials will evaluate its success to determine its future. Gambaccini speculated that the program will continue. "I can't believe that the program won't be very popular and well responded to," he said.. Although few students came to SEPTA's press conference to receive their passes, those who did come were excited about the discount. "I've been in Philadelphia all my life and I've taken SEPTA a lot," College senior Paul Marin said. "I'm pretty pleased with this. I think the rates are really outrageous -- anything to keep them down." Passes will be distributed at area colleges and universities and are available by mail with a coupon from the City Paper. SEPTA also began a massive campaign to register city voters by handing out information and registration forms at major SEPTA stations throughout the area. The campaign kicked off with a publicity event yesterday at 30th Street Station, where commuters received voter registration forms. The program's coordinators hope to take advantage of mass transit's popular appeal to give more citizens the chance to register easily, according to Stephan Rosenfeld, who handles customer service and public affairs for SEPTA. "Access is everything -- it's everything in transportation and it's everything in a democracy," Rosenfeld said. Voter registration forms can be picked up at the information booths of major Center City stations until October 7, the final day of registration for the November presidential election.
(09/10/96 9:00am)
Current operating budget cannot cover new Phillies' home Philadelphia cannot afford to fund a new Phillies baseball stadium under its current operating budget, Mayor Ed Rendell said Sunday. "We can't take any money out of our operating capital budget because there simply is no money," Rendell said. This news comes in the wake of a recent report from the state Sports and Exposition Facilities Task Force, which announced that Pennsylvania would contribute only 15 to 35 percent of the cost of new stadiums. Rendell said that the city has already paid approximately $45 million over the last five years to maintain the Phillies' current home, Veterans Stadium. "Above and beyond that we can't do anymore," Rendell said. But the mayor added that if new sources of funding could be found outside of the city's current budget, the situation may change. "The report also said that they might consider passing enabling legislation for some kind of regional tax -- a tax on rental cars, an addition to the cigarette tax, an addition to the amusement tax," Rendell said. "I have to see what that is. I could be in favor of that, and that could produce additional revenue." The task force report released by Governor Tom Ridge last Wednesday recommended establishing a permanent authority to deal with stadium and convention center financing requests. The report also suggested that state financing for any project not exceed 35 percent, a blow to several state teams looking for new facilities. But the report did allow exceptions to this rule in unusual circumstances, a fact which Phillies Director of Business Development Joe Giles said leaves hope for additional state financing for a new Phillies stadium. "The words 'other circumstances' in the report -- that opens the door to negotiations," Giles said. "That is a step in the right direction and a good starting point for talking to them." Giles, the son of Phillies president Bill Giles, said the report's funding recommendations did not come as a surprise to the team. But he said he is not worried about the report or about the city's inability to provide financing within the constraints of the current budget. "We're hoping when all is said and done, the state will kick in more than 35 percent and?we'll see how the whole thing plays out," Giles said. Giles also argued that the city can help the team in other ways, such as allowing the Phillies to move out of Veterans Stadium before their current lease expires in 2011. Financing the stadium is not the only sticking point. The Phillies are currently considering two locations for a new stadium, and city officials and citizens continue to argue the merits of both plans. Rendell has expressed doubts about the plan to build a stadium at 30th and Walnut streets -- next to Penn's Bower Field -- because he fears the huge costs of infrastructure changes around 30th Street. Instead, he favors building in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, present location of Veterans' Stadium and the Spectrum. "The problem is we are strapped for money as it is," Rendell said. "If you put it in the Sports Complex, the infrastructure is already there: the highways, the exits, the ramps, the subways. "If we build it on 30th Street, I didn't see a plan that had close to adequate parking," he added. "We would have to spend tens of millions of dollars to widen the exits on the Schuylkill Expressway, and we'd have to probably build huge surface parking lots -- that would probably add as much as $30, 40, or 50 million to the project." Giles conceded the mayor's fears may be justified. "I think the mayor wants to see it happen somewhere in the city, so he is supporting place where the probability is highest of it working out," Giles said.
(09/09/96 9:00am)
Knee-high piles of trash plagued students living off-campus last week and over the weekend. "It was really messy," College sophomore Chris Page said. "Last year it was messy, but this week it was much messier than I ever seen." Page, who lives at 4015 Baltimore Avenue, attributed the problem to move-in week, which he said caused extra trash to build up. The University tried to combat the rising tide of garbage by creating additional garbage pick-up days, according to Glenn Bryan, director of Office of Community Relations. Penn is also working with the local community to educate students and other residents about trash collection days, recycling and proper bagging of trash. "It is a very easy thing," Bryan said. "Trash day is generally Wednesday." The Philadelphia Police department's Environmental Response Unit can fine residents who put trash out on non-collection days or landlords who are delinquent in handling their buildings' trash. The unit may fine residents or landlords anywhere from $25 to $300 for violations of the city trash ordinances, according to an officer in the Environmental Response Unit. Sid Holmes, the University's assistant director of city and commonwealth relations, said his office received many phone calls about the trash problem, particularly in the area surrounding 41st and Locust streets. But by the time Holmes visited the trash-filled area, it had been cleaned, he said. He added that move-in this year was outstanding compared to last year. "This is a week that we have known would be a very difficult week," Bryan added. "Our main concern is not the move-in but how it looks on a regular basis." Bryan emphasized that his office will examine the role of off-campus landlords to ensure that they are providing the required trash disposal facilities. "Students have rights as well, in terms of where they live and proper trash disposal measures taken up by landlords and safety code violations, fire and occupancy regulations," Bryan said. For example, many students do not know that a landlord of a building with six or more units must provide a private trash disposal, he explained. Holmes said it is unreasonable to expect landlords to keep the streets clean at all times, especially given the increased frequency with which students take out trash during move-in. "It is really not fair to the landlords to have one of the city agencies come out and ticket them during move-in week," Holmes said. But Bryan emphasized the educational rather than the punitive aspects of the ticketing program. "This campaign is not something that is meant to fine people," Bryan said. "It's not like that. It's an educational campaign. "We feel that we are in a community and that it is in our best interests to make sure that this community looks good," he added. A cleaner neighborhood allows students to feel safer, Bryan said. "If a place looks dirty, people don't feel as secure," he explained. But the job is far from done. "It is going to take years for this to settle in because there have been years of neglect," Bryan said. "Things have improved somewhat, but we're still a long way from really making a dent in the trash problem." Students are asked to notify the University's Office of Community Relations if there are problems with trash disposal on their block.
(09/04/96 9:00am)
A proposed new Philadelphia Phillies baseball stadium in the midst of Penn's athletic facilities could hurt future University expansion, Athletic Director Steve Bilsky said yesterday. The Phillies are considering plans to build a $250 million stadium at 30th and Walnut streets on a lot located between the University's Bower Field and the Class of 1923 Ice Rink, according to Joe Giles, the Phillies director of business development. Bilsky said the plan does not account for Penn's future. "I think the University needs land in that direction desperately, not just today but? over the next hundred years," Bilsky said. "You make decisions thinking about the future. That's the only direction this University can move." But Carol Scheman, vice president for government, community and public affairs, said reaction to the possible stadium site should come later in the planning stages for the stadium. Neither the city nor the Phillies have made a formal proposal yet. Scheman added that the entire West Philadelphia community would have input on the stadium. "We would want to sit down, not just with the people proposing the stadium, but with our neighbors and see what it means for all of us," Scheman said. The plan, presented to the Phillies by city developer Dan Keating, calls for a $500 million redevelopment of the area around 30th and Walnut streets. The proposal would also include the creation of office spaces, a movie complex and parking areas. The Phillies have not yet contacted University officials about the plan, although Giles said it is on "a list of things to do." Giles, who is the son of Phillies President Bill Giles, said the plan has both advantages and disadvantages for Penn. "I think it provides an amenity for the students and staff -- a neat thing next to your campus -- to go see a ballgame," Giles said. "It also will create some parking and I understand parking is in short supply around Penn." Giles also said plans could involve Bower Field, where the Penn baseball team currently plays. In exchange, the Phillies would allow Penn baseball to use the new stadium. Another alternative, according to Giles, includes buying the Philadelphia Civic Center at 34th Street and turning it into a parking garage for use by Penn faculty during the day and Phillies patrons during night games. But Giles said increased traffic congestion or Phillies fans walking through campus with alcohol might worry University administrators. "The biggest negative I can see is the possibility for more congestion and that is the Phillies biggest concern too," Giles said. "This area is far from a great people [and] car mover right now and an additional 10,000 cars in the area for a big game might cause more problems." The plan would also involve the relocation of the 30th Street Post Office. Keating said the post office will be moving soon regardless of the Phillies decision. The plan is based on the success of other city ballparks like Baltimore's Camden Yards, which affords fans public transportation access and a panorama of the downtown skyline. "The downtown ballparks have done a lot for the cities," Giles said. Mayor Ed Rendell refused to comment about the proposal yesterday, though he expressed concern about the plan to The Philadelphia Inquirer last week. The plan is one of two under consideration by the Phillies. The other, proposed earlier this year by developer Ronald Rubin, would create a stadium and sports-entertainment complex near the Spectrum in South Philadelphia. The team has not worked out funding for either plan, although Giles said that concern is secondary to issues involving traffic, parking, city approval and neighborhood cooperation -- all of which are currently being investigated. "In my mind, there are some steps before we get a detailed financing plan, like making sure Penn is on board and the city is on board and the parking and traffic questions are answered," Giles said. "But I think if all those things were positive, we could find a way to pay for it." According to Giles, the new stadium will open somewhere in the city as early as 2001.
(05/17/96 9:00am)
Civil Liberties Union questions photo of nude Aphrodite statue The University Museum of archeology and Anthropology could be violating federal law by displaying a photo of a nude statue on its World Wide Web homepage. The controversial picture is of a statue of the nude torso of Aphrodite dating from 150 to 100 B.C. The issue came into question during the continuing suit by the American Civil Liberties Union's testing the constitutionality of the Communications Decency Act governing Internet standards. President Clinton signed the act into law in March, and several groups immediately sued the Justice Department to overturn some of its provisions. The museum was mentioned in a question posed to a Justice Department witness who determined that a nude image of the museum's on-line site would be subject to a blocking system preventing minors from accessing the site. The three judges questioned Dan Olsen, the Justice Department's final witness in the case of ACLU v. Reno, which questions the new laws making it illegal to display "indecent" material of Internet sites which are accessible to minors. Olsen, a computer scientist at Brigham Young University, is the engineer of a plan that would tag pornographic sites and electronically block their transmission to minors. Chief Judge Delores Sloviter then posed the follwing scenario to Olsen: What if the University Museum posted the image of a nude statue in its on-line collection? You might have to pre-screen or block to be safe? Is that part of your scheme?" Sloviter asked. "Yes," Olsen replied. Pam Kosty, a public relations officer for the museum, said she is unsure whether Judge Sloviter was aware when she posed the question that the museum's homepage does indeed feature a picture of the nude Aphrodite statue, under the area devoted to exhibits from the Greek period. Museum officials said the museum's mention at the trial surprised them. Kosty explained that the museum was unaware of what had transpired at the trial until she was contacted by the Chronicle of Higher Education, which ran a story on the trial, to ask whether the museum had a statue on the Internet that fit the judge's description. Kosty said museum officials disagree with the suggestion that the statue is indecent. "We consider such material art and we consider it history," Kosty said. "We would be amazed if anyone considered it indecent." Although the statue itself was not mentioned specifically as indecent, Kosty said the possibility of it being unfit for minors under the law brings up the question of the law's broad nature and who will be interpreting continuing community standards. The statue currently resides on the third floor of the museum and is seen by 40,000 school children a year, according to museum estimates. Joseph Farrell, undergraduate chairperson of the Classical Studies Department, said he feels the possibility of the being considered pornographic is "ridiculous." "The fact that the Chronicle put it on its cover without raising an eyebrow shows that it is suitable for display," Farrell said. Farrell also explained that from an artistic point of view the statue actually has a rather chaste expression to it.
(04/23/96 9:00am)
Eight students chosen by their peers as the outstanding members of the Class of 1996 were notified of their selection for Ivy awards yesterday. The winners of the Spoon, Bowl, Cane and Spade Awards for men and the Hottel, Harnwell, Goddard and Brownlee Awards for women were chosen in voting last week. The nominees, originally numbering 120, were narrowed down to groups of 15 males and 15 females earlier in the year by a committee of faculty, students and staff. The awards are among the oldest and most prestigious at the University, with the Spoon Award dating back to 1862. The winners will be recognized for their achievements at the University's annual Ivy Day ceremony on Saturday, May 18. The eight honorees represented a diverse array of campus groups including Greek organizations, student government, service organizations and the performing arts community. Four-year Class of 1996 President Lenny Chang, a Wharton senior, said he "felt great" upon learning that he would receive this year's Spoon Award, the highest award given to a male senior. "It is a wonderful to know that my peers support me," Chang said. "I really hope that a lot of seniors come to the Ivy Day ceremony." Wharton senior Gil Beverly, former vice chairperson of the Undergraduate Assembly and Spring Fling director for the past three years, said he was excited to be the recipient of this year's Bowl Award. "This award is really cool because it is great to be acknowledged by your peers," Beverly said. "It is a great sign of respect, and even a little thank you, which you don't often get." College senior Tamara Dubowitz, coordinator of the Community Health Initiative and a West Philadelphia Improvement Corps volunteer, was happy to have garnered the top female award, the Hottel Award. "It is nice to be recognized for all those nights that I only got two hours of sleep," Dubowitz said. "Hopefully, I can look back on my undergraduate years with good memories and this will be a part of it." College senior Allie Deitch, who has served as vice president for education of the Drug and Alcohol Resource Team, won the second highest female honor award, the Harnwell Award. President of the First Amendment Task Force and College senior Eric Tienou will receive the Cane Award on Ivy Day. Former UTV-13 President Heather Dorf, a College senior, is this year's Goddard Award winner. Bliss on Bliss lead singer Adam Matta will receive the Spade Award, recognizing the Engineering senior's work as stage manager of Mask and Wig and manager of the Artist Guild. Former Panhellenic Council President and Kappa Alpha Theta sister Lissette Calderon, a Wharton senior, will receive the Brownlee Award on Ivy Day. The awards will be presented by the respective winners from the Class of 1971, whose 25th reunion is this spring.
(04/19/96 9:00am)
Tal Golomb wears khakis. Using the slogan from a recent GAP advertising effort, the khaki-clad College sophomore captured the attention of students last fall with his unusual campaign slogan. But his more serious commitment to student government brought his name to the forefront, recently earning him the title of chairperson of the Undergraduate Assembly. Golomb began his career on the UA with a freshman year election and continued his service as the UA's representative to the University Council Steering Committee. Golomb explained that to be an effective UA member, one must maintain focus on the job. "The key is knowing what you can do on the UA and how you can use your position to empower students, because it really is a unique organization on campus," he said. As chairperson, Golomb said he would like the body to stick to issues it has the ability to change. He also said he hopes to refocus efforts toward constructive problem solving rather than simply complaining about issues. "The biggest difference that I really want this body to understand is what type of things the UA can do," Golomb said. "Instead of just complaining about safety, [we can] help out a group like Penn Watch or work on community relations." Golomb, a History major, is very involved in community service through the West Philadelphia Improvement Corps. His main project involves technology training programs that show teachers how to make use of computer resources at their schools. Golomb noted that since he came from Ridgefield, Conn., a small all-white town, his parents took responsibility for instilling a sense of community responsibility in him. "My father is a rabbi and my mother is involved with Connecticut Legal Services, so I come from a tradition of providing service and also just being socially conscious," Golomb said. In high school, Golomb and his friends were involved in a program called "Safe Rides for Youth" that provided door-to-door pickup on Friday and Saturday nights to prevent teenagers from driving while intoxicated. Golomb noted that the new UA has a great deal of work ahead of it. In addition to tackling issues like the collegiate planning system, safety, Residential Living and Dining Services, Golomb said he would like the UA to take a more visible presence on campus. "You see [the Student Activities Council and the Social Planning and Events Committee] being attached to most activities on campus," Golomb said. "The UA has to see what type of things it can get involved with -- things like Celebration of Culture and Unity Week. It's a real shame that the student government doesn't try to get involved." Golomb said he would also like the UA to rethink how it communicates with students, possibly by attending residence hall meetings rather than going door to door. Golomb also explained that although he encourages increased communication with student groups, he does not believe that groups like the United Minorities Council should be given a seat on University Council. "[University Council] is meant to represent the issues that affect its constituents, and if the UA is failing in that job -- which I think it has -- that is our responsibility," Golomb said. Besides meeting many interesting people, Golomb said the best part of being on the UA is finding a goal and achieving it. "The best is when you really figure out how to use your strengths," he said. "Once you find your vision and you really see yourself working on that, that is the best thing about student government." Golomb said his relationship with former UA chairperson and College senior Lance Rogers could be symbolized by the video game rivalry between the two. "We were just sitting around one time in the UA office and I challenged him to Daytona Racer," Golomb said. "We made different bets, like the loser had to call the winner the Daytona Racer champion for the whole meeting." Golomb won, forcing Rogers to refer to him as "The Daytona Racer Champion" for an entire UA meeting. He recalled that some of their bets were so "dicey" that they both would lose intentionally so the other person did not have to keep the bet. So who wins? "I kick his butt in Daytona all the time," Golomb said. "But sometimes we cheat."
(04/18/96 9:00am)
Although the International Affairs Association asked the Student Activities Council for a budget of more than $26,000 this year, SAC only allocated the group $961, according to SAC Chairperson Paul Wilder. This is approximately four percent of last year's IAA grant, which totalled over $23,000. Wilder, an Engineering junior, explained that the $961 includes $533 for office expenses, $292 for printing and duplication and $136 for publicity and advertising. Wilder said these are the areas SAC usually funds for all groups. According to Wilder, the cut occurred because of the IAA's outside fund raising. Under the new SAC constitution passed in February, a group may raise outside funds totaling up to 200 percent of its annual SAC grant. All outside funds above this 200 percent are then deducted from the following year's grant. Under the previous SAC constitution, SAC groups could not raise as much outside revenue, and groups did not have total control over those funds. College senior and former SAC Chairperson Graham Robinson said that change was made in order to encourage groups to pursue outside sources of funding. Wilder explained that at the time, Robinson said 200 percent would be difficult for any group to reach. But last year's IAA raised over $82,559 in outside funding, well more than 200 percent of its $23,000 grant. By strict mathematics, according to Wilder, SAC should actually give the IAA nothing this year, since it raised roughly $40,000 more than it was allowed. This $40,000 should be deducted from the $28,000 the IAA asked for this year, he explained. But IAA President Yousef Master, an Engineering junior, said the SAC Executive Committee's allocation fails to take into IAA costs into account. Master explained that the profits came from two programs run by the IAA -- the University of Pennsylvania Model United Nations Conference and the Ivy League Model United Nations Conference -- and totaled $82,559. But the events cost the group $41,595 in expenses, leaving only a $40,963 profit, Master said. He added that the group would then be allowed $47,318 in profit, under the 200 percent rule in the constitution. The constitution does not specify whether the 200 percent rule is supposed to refer to gross revenues from outside sources or to net revenues -- which are revenues minus costs, Master said. He added that he believes student groups should be allowed to deduct expenses, citing performing arts costs as another example. "If an a cappella group makes a CD, they have production costs and to not deduct that would blow them out of the water," Master said. And he explained that while the IAA runs the two Model U.N. conferences as fund raisers, the Office of Student Life recognizes them as separate entities. Master said the IAA will appeal the decision directly to the SAC Executive Committee and then to the body at next week's SAC meeting if necessary. Over the past year, the IAA has been audited four times in response to claims that the organization had misused funds. At February's SAC meeting, the results of the final audit were announced by SAC Finance, vindicating the group from the allegations of wrongdoing.
(04/17/96 9:00am)
Runoffs to be heldRunoffs to be heldtoday will decideRunoffs to be heldtoday will decidethree soph. races Fifteen percent of the sophomore class and 22 percent of freshmen turned out Monday and Tuesday to vote for their class boards. Andy Kline, a Wharton sophomore, defeated Engineering sophomore John Seitz to become next year's junior class president. "I'm really excited to work with everyone who won," Kline said. "I think that the current class board has done a great job and I'd like to continue what they've started." Kline added that he would like to work more with the Undergraduate Assembly and other branches of student government. Engineering sophomore Dustin Hausladen beat College sophomore Mark Lubow for junior class vice president. Hausladen said last night that he is excited to begin his term. He added that he hopes to bring a greater sense of closeness to his class. "I'd like to bring more unity to the class," Hausladen said. "I have heard who else won and I'm happy to work with those guys." There will be a runoff today for sophomore class president between College freshman Vijay Chattha and Wharton freshman Clive Correia. College freshman Jonathan Bluth, the third candidate for president, was eliminated in Monday and Tuesday's voting. The runoff will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Locust Walk. Both Correia and Chattha have considerable experience in student government. Correia is the current freshman class president, and Chattha served as a member of the 1995-96 Undergraduate Assembly. College freshman Sarah Gleit defeated College freshman Nora Campbell for the position of vice president of the sophomore class. The position of junior class secretary will be filled by Engineering sophomore Ted Coons, while Wharton sophomore Chuck Myers will assume the position of treasurer. Other spots on the Junior Class Board include College representatives Elie Haller and Adam Eisner, Wharton representative Brian Stafford and Vice President for Corporate Sponsorship Ryan Anderson, a Wharton sophomore. The Sophomore Class Board runoff tomorrow will also end the race for treasurer between College freshman Ariella Poncz and Wharton freshman Thomas Shelton. Tomorrow's runoff for College Representative will break a three-way tie between College freshmen Leslie Adelson, Jared Belsky and Marisa Toccin. College freshman Sarah Wright was elected sophomore class secretary. Jesse Janosov will serve as Engineering representative, Valerie Fields will serve as Nursing representative and Jon Weinbach will tackle the job of Wharton representative.
(04/17/96 9:00am)
Ending a long year of audits and judicial charter drafts, the 1995-96 Undergraduate Assembly's term came to an official close on Sunday as the new UA met for the first time, bringing a two-week transition period to an end. But how well did the outgoing UA perform, and what still remains for the next UA to tackle? Former UA Chairperson Lance Rogers came into his position last April with an ambitious platform calling for reform to take a new direction. The College senior emphasized co-operation among the members of the UA, communication with students and action in setting goals and conveying them to the University community. One year later, the UA has reached some of those goals, while other initiatives failed or fell by the wayside. The 1995-96 UA's achievements include its work on the Judicial Charter draft and Dining Services. But some feel that this is not enough. 1994-95 UA Chairperson Dan Debicella, a Wharton senior, said his UA had many more major accomplishments. Office of Student Life, Activities and Facilities Director Fran Walker said the inherent problem is not within the UA, but instead comes from how the student body -- and as a result, The Daily Pennsylvanian -- evaluates student government success. "Students feel that if the UA does not accomplish major change they are not significant," Walker said. "I feel that if the UA worked very well as a group and had a lot of smaller accomplishments they are significant. You can not expect people who are on student government for one year to change the face of student government." UA cooperation improved over the last year due to a decrease in the level of political fighting within the body itself, according to Walker. And Debicella admitted that Rogers' UA succeeded in getting away from the personal bitterness and bickering that plagued his UA. The body's proceedings have become more efficient in some ways, but less so in others. While UA Treasurer and College sophomore Steve Schorr's early preparation of the budget shortened this year's budget meeting, some meetings during the year dragged on endlessly, as members lost enthusiasm by the minute. And, although Rogers' platform called for committees to establish and tackle specific issues, many members felt the structure was too rigid and bureaucratic, causing many of last week's Steering Committee election candidates to call for a modification of the system. Rogers' call for increased action on issues seems to have produced results. Fueled by veteran members and enthusiastic freshmen, the body took on many issues. A concerted effort by the UA led to changes in the latest draft of the student judicial charter. And College freshman Samara Barend spurred valuable changes to Dining Services. Rogers now calls the UA's action on the judicial charter a "defining moment" for the body, claiming that it established the UA's ability to mobilize students and work with the faculty. But many issues that started off with a bang seemed to have become lost in the University and UA bureaucracy. Although the UA began to address topics such as advising and safety, the body has yet to produce results on the issues. "Steering did a good job setting up committees, but we really did not know how to tackle some issues," new UA Chairperson and College sophomore Tal Golomb said. But relationships with the faculty and administrators have improved. Provost Stanley Chodorow attended a UA meeting and University President Judith Rodin cooked dinner for the entire body. Communication with other student groups and the student body, however, has seen little improvement. "The UA underutilized connections to other branches of student government and student groups," Walker said. The "ivory tower" syndrome of last year's UA -- as UA representative and College freshman Marc Sagat termed it -- was a concern to many candidates for Steering at last week's transition meeting. Many of them called for more cooperation and even suggested formal liaison programs to encourage input from organizations such as the United Minorities Council, the InterFraternity Council and the Panhellenic Council. Golomb said this lack of communication was a direct cause of student allegations that the UA failed to adequately represent them. The first action of last year's UA was to move meetings to Chats and establish an open floor time during which students could address the body. Yet only two students used this opportunity during the entire year, and UA office hours are constantly neglected by both the members holding them and the student body itself. However, Golomb did say the UA took major steps by simply bringing the meetings out of seminar rooms in Houston Hall and encouraging student input. The UA undertook a massive door-to-door communication program in February, handing out information to students in their dorms, as suggested in Rogers' platform. Two weeks after the program began, an informal DP survey indicated that 78 percent of students had not received the door-to-door information and that 99 percent had never contacted the UA. An earlier poll showed that 34 percent had no interest in learning more about the UA and 45 percent would not contact a UA member even if they had an issue to discuss. Those statistics bring up questions as to whether student government -- even a good student government -- can ever muster the full support and enthusiasm of the entire student body. Walker said she has her doubts. She explained that no matter how good the student government is, the student body views it as a joke, adding that she has heard from colleagues that this is a problem at many campuses. Others involved with student government, including Rogers, Golomb and former Student Activities Council Chairperson and College senior Graham Robinson, said they have difficulty believing students are completely apathetic. "Students are not necessarily apathetic," Golomb said. "They are very involved in their own activities and those activities have their issues. The UA has to tap the interests of students in those activities." In a year of both victories and losses, the UA has set itself on course for success, recovering from past divisions in the body and taking steps to develop relationships with both students and administrators. Whether the new UA can harness these victories and move towards a stronger student government remains to be seen.
(04/12/96 9:00am)
Golomb defeated opponentGolomb defeated opponentSchorr by only one vote and Shannon Burke The Undergraduate Assembly elected College sophomore Tal Golomb as its new chairperson last night in a very tight race. After a tied first vote, Golomb won the final election by one vote over College sophomore Steve Schorr. College sophomore Sean Steinmarc abstained in the first vote, causing the tie. Steinmarc cast his vote for Golomb in the second round. And only 23 of the 24 UA members were present for the vote. Wharton senior Gil Beverly dropped out of the race for UA chairperson by default when he failed to show up for elections. Outgoing UA Chairperson Lance Rogers, a College senior, described the job of chairperson as one that "is held responsible for everything that goes wrong and given credit for nothing that goes right." College sophomore Larry Kamin won the election for UA vice chairperson over College freshman Samara Barend. College freshmen Courtney Fine and Marc Sagat also ran for the position of vice chairperson, but were eliminated in run-offs -- which were necessary because all positions require a vote of more than 50 percent of the body. In their speeches, the candidates emphasized developing programs involving a variety of student groups and improving communication with the administration and students. Golomb pointed to his experience as the UA representative to University Council's Steering Committee as evidence of his ability to work with both the administration and various student groups. He cited last Saturday's UA cleanup, which brought together several student organizations and which he helped to plan, as a prototype for future UA events. In his speech, Golomb compared past UAs to a rusty, broken-down car. "The UA might have been repaired this year and fitted with new engine, but it also needs a driver and a road map," Golomb explained. "You [the members of the UA] are the drivers, and it's up to the chair to provide the road map." Schorr ran unopposed for his second term as treasurer after Golomb defeated his bid for chair. In his speeches, he pointed to his work on joint student government resolutions to investigate the University's general fee as proof that he could mobilize student groups and get things done. The candidates for vice chairperson echoed Golomb and Schorr's emphasis on UA relations with student groups, while answering questions concerning galvanizing UA members and working with other branches of student government. The victorious Kamin explained that the UA must interact with all levels of the University. "We must spend the upcoming year building bridges -- bridges between other student groups, the administration, students, and UA members," Kamin said. College sophomore Wendy Mongillo defeated College sophomore Josh Rockoff in the race for secretary. Mongillo promised to make minutes and agendas of meetings more accessible to members and students alike by posting them on newsgroups and list-servs. After two tied races, College sophomore Meredith Hertz defeated Barend for the position of representative to UC Steering. Hertz called for training sessions for new UC members to prepare them to deal with members of the faculty and administration. Golomb said he was thrilled by his victory and eager to begin his term. "It's clear from the questions that were asked by the student groups that Steering has to do a lot of work to develop projects and work with other groups, but I'm excited about the upcoming year," he said. Others, like College senior Mike Nadel, a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist who is not a member of the UA, were upset by Schorr's loss. "The UA never misses opportunity to miss opportunity," he said. But Rogers was confident in Golomb's ability to lead the UA. "I think Tal is going to make a terrific chair," he said. "I've worked closely with Tal on University Council in the past year. I've watched him gain experience and I think he's ready. Golomb becomes the first UA chair in four years to have served on the Steering Committee the year before his term as chairperson. He offered words of encouragement to the new UA. "This is your UA, and it begins now," Golomb said.
(04/09/96 9:00am)
The 24 newly elected members of the 1996-97 Undergraduate Assembly will meet Thursday night to elect a Steering Committee. There are currently three candidates for UA chairperson and four for vice chairperson, according to Nominations and Elections Committee Chairperson and Wharton senior Ning Hsu. Wharton senior Gil Beverly, the outgoing UA vice chairperson, current Treasurer Steve Schorr and Tal Golomb, current UA representative to the University Council, will vie for the position of chairperson. And College sophomore Larry Kamin will compete with College freshmen Samara Barend, Courtney Fine and Marc Sagat for vice chairperson. Many of the candidates said they agree on the problems facing the new UA. Several candidates' platforms mentioned the need for improvement of UA leadership skills. Golomb, a College sophomore, suggested offering training sessions to acquaint members with program and project development and to develop leadership ability. Barend called for senior members of the UA to help newer members learn about leadership. Many campaign platforms also brought up the need for improved communication with the administration and student body. Schorr, Golomb and Kamin have called for closer connections with major campus organizations like the United Minorities, InterFraternity and Panhellenic councils. "Many students' allegations of the inability of the UA to represent undergraduates is a direct result of the UA's lack of partnership with other student groups," Golomb said. "We almost worked within an ivory tower," Sagat said. "We have to branch out and hear people's concerns." Schorr, a College sophomore, and Kamin recommended assigning UA members to specific administrators in order to foster closer working relationships. Candidates also mentioned ways to cut student government bureaucracy and encourage increased action. Barend suggested spending more time in committees and establishing a system of checks and balances between Steering and the committees to ensure productivity. But Schorr faulted the committee system, saying it has led to increased bureaucracy and unnecessarily lengthened meetings. Schorr has stressed personal initiative and an informal task force structure to replace committees. Instead of committees, Sagat suggested the need for more informal workgroups that allow members to concentrate effort on specific issues that interest them. "If you are interested in something, run with it," Sagat said. "No committee should stop you." Sagat has also proposed maintaining a compilation of issues to be addressed and a listing of contacts among the administration, student groups and other UA members. Candidates for other positions include College sophomores Wendy Mongillo and Josh Rockoff, who have announced plans to run for secretary. No one has declared intent to run for treasurer, although Schorr and Sagat have indicated that they would run for the position if their bids for higher positions fail, according to Hsu. College sophomore Meredith Hertz has been the only member to announce candidacy for the position of representative to University Council.
(04/02/96 10:00am)
Each spring, Undergraduate Assembly elections see a number of candidates dedicated to inspiring change and several referenda designed to correct student government ills. But almost every referendum has failed to garner the necessary 20 percent voter turnout, and this year -- despite criticism of the UA's ability to represent students -- all but one incumbent won reelection. Traditionally, few students turn out to vote in UA elections and far fewer are willing to participate in student government. And while most students complain about the problems plaguing the University's government system, all plans to reform the structure in the past few years have failed due to lack of student interest. Some have placed the blame on voter apathy. Others said they feel that students do care but cannot understand the current system or the plans to change it. Last week, College senior and Daily Pennsylvanian columnist Mike Nadel, author of referendum Plan B, said he was disappointed by the apathy that prevented the passage of his plan, blaming the lack of interest on the failures of the outgoing UA. But College senior Graham Robinson, one of the authors of referendum Plan A, said he did not think apathy was as big a problem as students claim. "I think that Penn students are not entirely apathetic [though they may say it that way]," Robinson said. "I do think that most Penn students care about things that are going on, but they are so unhappy with the political system on campus that they are unable to express themselves." Many students explained that they encountered confusion at the polls, saying their first exposure to the plans was the short explanatory blurb written on the ballot itself. Last week, students said the plans were confusing, adding that they found it difficult to vote on them. Outgoing UA Chairperson and College senior Lance Rogers agreed that students did not understand the process or the referenda themselves. "To be totally honest, I don't know if it's just that people didn't care or they didn't know what to do," Rogers said. "When I went to vote, I saw a couple of my friends who asked me what to do," he said. "They weren't familiar with the current structure and thus were unable to notice any differences in the proposed plans." But some students blamed the authors of the referenda for a failure to campaign on their behalf. After publicity drives last spring caused many voters to refuse to vote for any referenda, sponsors said they were afraid to lobby heavily this time. "This year, we didn't do enough to talk about our proposal, I think," Robinson said. "We were reacting to what we saw last year, but in retrospect we should have done more." Nadel, who said in March that his new plan would not be over-publicized because he felt that too much press hurt his referendum last year, said yesterday that the lack of energy behind the plans was a mistake. But the problem could have been in the plans themselves, for they simply did not have the widespread support of the student body. It will take a plan that students feel strongly about to bring them to the polls. Nominations and Elections Committee Vice Chairperson for Elections Ben Goldberger, a College sophomore, said he feels it will take a good plan with a large support base to get the necessary votes. "The 20 percent rule exists to ensure that nothing passes due to a 'snowstorm' minority [when an unrepresentative group of people show up at the polls due to inclement weather or some other reason] and to ensure that any major change to the system has a lot of backing," Goldberger said. "Any plan that passes will have to have the support of the past and current UA, the DP, the Social Planning and Events Committee, the Student Activities Council and the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education, because any one of those groups has the ability to defeat the referendum," he added. Nadel argued that election results show that students want reform. Since 33 percent of voters supported Plan A and 32 percent backed Plan B, Nadel said that a runoff election should be held. Throughout the year, polls have indicated that up to 78 percent of students feel the UA does not adequately represent them. Yet students continue to vote the same people into office. This year, 14 of the 24 seats went to incumbent candidates. According to some, name recognition is the key to incumbent success. As long as someone has already been on the UA, student are likely to be familiar with his name. And it is also irrelevant if the publicity is good or bad because people will often forget the particular issues involved -- but remember the name. Another problem comes from a lack of candidates to choose from. This year only 32 candidates ran for 24 spots. Many feel the UA is not attracting good candidates, causing voters to stay home. Nadel agreed, citing the lack of candidates particularly in the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Wharton School of Business, where five people ran for four seats. Often students vote for the wrong reasons -- like name familiarity, because they do not have enough information about the candidates. Robinson said that candidates cannot convey their opinions or qualities in a the brief campaign period. Although Nadel opposed Plan A, he agreed that students can not be informed enough to select as many candidates as called for in the current system and often vote for the wrong reasons. "People vote for those who they know, those who they think have nice pictures and those who have neat names," he said.
(03/29/96 10:00am)
Most incumbentsMost incumbentswere re-elected Despite recent polls indicating student discontent with the Undergraduate Assembly, 14 of 15 incumbents won their bid for re-election in a vote that saw 25.7 percent of students cast ballots. After a tension-filled Fair Practices Code meeting, which lasted nearly three hours, the Nominations and Elections Committee announced the 24 winners of seats on the 1996-97 Undergraduate Assembly last night. NEC Vice Chairperson for elections Ben Goldberger, an Engineering sophomore, announced that the referendum ballots would not be tallied until Monday. But only 18 percent of students voted on the three referenda on the ballot, rendering all of them invalid no matter what the final vote totals are. The NEC also dropped all charges brought against candidates and the NEC, including five against the NEC proposed by College senior Mike Nadel. Nadel brought charges against the body for allegedly allowing seniors to vote, biasing the elections through unfair summaries of the referenda, preventing people taking three courses from voting, misclassifying referendum one and failing to count blank ballots in the tally of students voting. At the meeting, Nadel agreed to drop the charge for not allowing students with three credits to vote, after the Office of the University Registrar informed him that these students are part-time students and are therefore ineligible to vote. Nadel also agreed to drop his charge pertaining to seniors voting, since he said he does not want the candidates to have to go through another election. Nadel's main charge, the one pertaining to blank ballots, turned out to be irrelevant. Even with the 127 blank ballots the NEC received, 79 more votes would have been needed to equal the 20 percent voter participation rate required for any constitutional referendum to be binding. Nadel, who co-wrote Plan B, said he was upset by the election turnout. "It is sad that the current UA has made everyone so apathetic that people won't even turn out to abolish it," Nadel said. But several UA members expressed their displeasure with the length of the meeting. "To top it all off, we had to miss the new episode of Friends," Wharton senior and UA Vice Chairperson Gil Beverly said. After rejecting Nadel's charges against the NEC, Goldberger announced the results of the elections. Beverly, who received the most votes in his school, will receive an automatic seat on University Council, as will top vote-getters Engineering freshman Michael Bressler, College freshman Courtney Fine and uncontested candidate Nursing sophomore Rebecca Pisano. Four other College students, sophomores Julie Minder, Tal Golomb and Meredith Hertz and freshman Samara Barend, were elected to Council seats. And members of the UA Steering Committee will automatically receive seats. Winning seats in the School of Engineering and Applied Science were sophomores Roman Krislav and John Seitz and freshmen Chris Hyzer and Bressler. The four Wharton seats will go to Beverly, junior incumbent Tom Foldesi, sophomore Jed Prevor and freshman Angela Hsu. Fifteen seats in the College were awarded to incumbent sophomores Tal Golomb, Meredith Hertz, Larry Kamin, Wendy Mongillo, Josh Rockoff and Steve Schorr and incumbent freshmen Samara Barend, Noah Bilenker, Mark Sagat and Fine, the top vote-getter. New College representatives include sophomores Sean Steinmarc, Michael Steib and Julie Minder. Freshmen Hillary Aisenstein and Olivia Troye were also elected. The annual UA transition meeting will be held April 8.
(03/28/96 10:00am)
The Student Committee on Undergraduate Education will sponsor a new pilot program next fall offering six mini-courses, called "preceptorials." The program will feature six courses, each about 15 hours long, taught by a University professor. Student were able to register at yesterday's SCUE Majors Fair. Additional registration may be done over electronic mail or at the SCUE office, although the courses are restricted to 10 to 15 students each. SCUE chairperson and Wharton junior Ben Nelson said the body hopes the pilot program will allow students to interact with a professor and discuss a topic in an informal setting. "Most of a student's learning is from a textbook," said Nelson. "How many times do you get to go to a museum or talk to a professor?" The faculty involved also said they were excited about the program. Undergraduate English Chairperson Al Filreis, who is teaching a preceptorial in modern and contemporary poetry, said the program is a good way to give busy students exposure to different topics. "I'm very excited about teaching modern poetry to students who probably otherwise don't have the time to devote an entire semester to the subject," Filreis said. "So many Penn students are tied up in major and degree requirement that they don't have a chance to do intellectual exploration of new territory. This gives them the opportunity to do so." Music Professor Norman Smith, who will teach a preceptorial in 19th century literature and music, explained that his interest in the program stemmed from a confidence in SCUE's ability to put together provocative and successful programs. "I also support this program because I support closer faculty-student relations which have a serious, intellectual content," Smith said. "Like all professors, one likes to believe, I hope, that students taking this course or any other course?will have a stimulating intellectual experience." Since the program is experimental, the courses will not be offered for credit. After the fall semester, SCUE intends to follow the progress of the program and publish recommendations for its further implementation. The first preceptorial, "Modern and Contemporary American Poetry" will be taught Filreis. The course will examine the transition of modernism to post-modernism through analysis of modern and contemporary poetry. The second, "19th Century Music and Literature," with Smith, will examine three musical works and their literary influences. The third, "Scientific Discovery in the Media," taught by Biochemistry Professor Ponzy Lu, will discuss scientific discoveries as portrayed in popular science publications, such as The New York Times. The fourth, "Philadelphia: Vessel of the Revolution," will look at three sites in Philadelphia and examine their role in th the 18th century and the American Revolution. Urban Studies Professor George Thomas will teach the course. The fifth preceptorial, "Dynamics of Media Campaign Coverage" will be taught by Undergraduate Political Science Chairperson Henry Teune. The course will examine the role of media coverage in the presidential campaign. Participants in the class will cover local media events as part of their research. The sixth preceptorial, "Views and Perspectives on the Theater," will be taught by Theater Arts Professor James Schlatter. The class will attend two local theater productions and discuss the role of the spectator in the theater.
(03/28/96 10:00am)
Charges of election rule violations were filed against the Nominations and Elections Committee last night following the close of Undergraduate Assembly elections yesterday. The five charges, brought by College senior Mike Nadel, accuse the NEC of mishandling election procedure and publicity. The first charge accuses the NEC of violating election procedure by preventing students taking only three course units from voting. The NEC constitution states that all full-time students are allowed to vote. According to Nadel, a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist, the University defines a full-time student as a student who is taking three or more classes. But NEC Chairperson and Wharton senior Ning Hsu said the group did allow such students to vote in the election. The second charge disputes the NEC's decision not to count blank ballots toward overall voter participation numbers. In order for the passage of a constitutional referendum to be binding, a majority vote of at least 20 percent of eligible voters is required. Nadel explained that students who turned in blank ballots intended them as abstentions. "I would like to see the NEC pay respect to people who took the time to come out and vote but could not support any plan," he said. But Hsu said that Nadel's motive is self-interest. "Nadel wanted us to count blank ballots so his referendum [Plan B] could pass," Hsu said. "The referenda ballots offered the student to vote 'neither.' That was an official abstention." The third charge stems from the NEC's decision to classify Referendum One, allowing students to decide on Student Activities Council allocations, as a constitutional referendum. As a constitutional referendum, it would require 20 percent voter participation to be binding rather than the 15 percent required for non-constitutional plans. Nadel explained that the plan does not require changing the current UA constitution. "The current UA could do this next week if they wanted," Nadel said. Hsu argued that the plan does indeed require a change, since under the current constitution, the UA may not interfere with SAC, as this amendment suggests. The fourth charge alleges that the NEC distributed ballots to students ineligible to vote. According to Nadel, this charge pertains specifically to seniors voting for UA members. While seniors were eligible to vote for the referenda, they were not allowed to cast ballots for UA elections. Nadel claimed that he voted in the UA elections. He speculated that many others probably voted as well. This is in violation of NEC rules, he said, because seniors are not supposed to vote for next year's representatives. The last charge accuses the NEC of influencing the vote by incorrectly paraphrasing the referenda on the election ballot. Nadel explained that the ballot failed to explain that Plan B would eliminate the UA. The summary also failed to mention the existence of the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education under the plan. He said it also buried the plan's main feature, a student body president, in the middle of the summary. "People don't know what they are voting for based on the NEC ballot," Nadel said. "We discussed these issues with them, and explained what we felt was important and we were ignored." But Hsu said these charges were unfounded. "We asked them for a submission of a summary and his was outrageous, so we fixed it," she said. "We are very unbiased and the two summaries are almost identical in form. "We have been doing advertisements and offered full length copies," she added. "We can't do any more." Nadel said that despite the violations, he would not like the referenda to be voted on again, fearing that they would not get the required 20 percent. Rather, he said he would like the NEC to rectify the problem by counting the blank ballots in the 20 percent. As for the UA ballot, which is affected by the additional charge of seniors voting, Nadel said he feels the NEC should hold new elections.
(03/26/96 10:00am)
Three plans continueThree plans continueto be prompt debate Student government leaders continue to debate the individual merits of three proposed reforms to the Undergraduate Assembly constitution, as elections begin today at four locations across campus. Referendum A would replace the UA with the Student Committee on Undergraduate Life. SCUL would have fewer elected members, while adding members from various student groups. The plan would also divide University Council seats among the elected members of SCUL and the representatives of the student groups, who will serve as advisors to the elected body. Referendum B would replace the UA with a student body president and vice president. It would give Council seats to the president, vice president and officers of other student government bodies, while putting the remaining seats up for popular election. Outgoing UA Chairperson Lance Rogers, who last month dubbed referendum B "the dictator plan," said last night that his feelings of disapproval have not changed. "The author of the plan contends that it is structured after the federal government's executive branch," the College senior explained. "What they fail to realize is that student government needs depth and diversity, not dictators. This plan provides for two to fill in where 33 usually do -- that in itself is a joke." College senior Eric Tienou, who submitted Referendum B and an amendment to the current constitution also on the ballot, responded to Rogers' allegations last night by explaining that his plan would fix current problems with the UA. "Right now, the UA with 33 is not adequately representing students," Tienou said. "We want to have a system where everyone elected is involved. Here the president has to go to other parts of student government." Tienou also praised his plan for giving groups the opportunity to run for positions on Council. He concluded by explaining that student government needs to downsize. Rogers said he fears that SCUL's holding of private meetings would interfere with the right of students to become involved in their government. Wharton senior and UA Vice Chairperson Gil Beverly, one of Referendum A's authors, explained that while Referendum A gives SCUL the right to hold closed work meeting, it in no way requires meetings to be closed. Beverly also said that the plan's requirement for heads of student government to hold monthly public meetings will gives students the opportunity to voice their views.
