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(01/30/96 10:00am)
Gil Beverly is a big man on campus -- but not just because the 6'6" Wharton senior towers over most of the student body. Beverly has been active in student affairs since his freshman year, and has been Spring Fling director for the past three years. He is also currently vice chairperson of both the Undergraduate Assembly and the Social Planning and Events Committee. But he said he does not think of himself as "too important." Beverly's role as a leader in student government began only recently. "Like most people, I knew little about student government," he said. "Then last year there were a series of constitutional reform proposals, and I did not like the handling of student activities according to these proposals. I figured someone needed to be in government to protect student activities." A dark horse candidate, Beverly, or "Big Dog," as he has been nicknamed, advanced to the run-off race for UA chairperson, eventually elected to the position of vice chairperson. In retrospect, Beverly said that the election worked out for the best. "It is probably better that I didn't win because, at least at the beginning, I would have been in over my head," he said. Beverly, who is also an avid sports fan and short story author, said he considers the UA to be in a rebuilding stage. "What I hope happens is that this UA is a transitional body," he said. "We have not been as completely productive as I would like, but it hasn't been a mess like last year. "Hopefully next year the people who are learning this year will step up and be productive," he added. Beverly, whose hero is basketball star Michael Jordan, said his experiences as Fling director include many ups and downs. Beverly claimed the worst Fling experience occurred on the second day of the 1994 Fling when early morning "monsoon-like rains" caused the electrician to declare the ground so wet that the wiring in the Quadrangle risked electrocuting the crowd of several thousand revelers. Beverly explained that after cancelling the shows, vendors and security, the ground dried up -- leaving several thousand unhappy students outside the Quad with no security and no Fling. Even though he was able to handle the situation, he said he still remembers his near breakdown. He added that being "cheated" out of one day of Fling led him to take the job for a second year. "If things hadn't gone like that I might not have done it again [last year]," he said. "I wanted the best Fling. [Doing it this year] was just psychosis." Beverly lamented on his loss of identity as a result of his Fling efforts. "You can let yourself give up some identity," he explained. "You get to thinking 'I'm Gil Beverly -- Fling Director, because that's all people see you as. "And that's something I have grown to hate," he added. "Gil Beverly is not Fling and Fling is not Gil Beverly, and people don't understand that." But he also commented on the more positive aspects of running the event. "The best part of Fling is getting out on stage in the middle of a concert and seeing all the people and realizing that I helped do this," he said. Regarding his role on the UA, Beverly claimed to have mixed feelings. "The UA was a new challenge, and for someone who likes to meet challenges, its exciting," he said. "I find that I am in the role of teacher a lot. I've made my mark on the University and it is time for others to start making theirs and that it exciting too." He added that the worst part of the UA is "dealing with inflated egos." "A lot of times someone gains a title and all of a sudden they are important and the fact that they have a title means more than what they are supposed to do," he said. "Some people think that having a title means they have arrived. To me, it means you have just gotten into the arena and it is time to play." Since Beverly plans to stay around for a fifth year, he has begun to consider his future goals. He said he intends to stay on as a residential advisor for High Rise North. And although his next student activity remains to be undecided, Beverly said he certainly intends to be active. "I can't just sit around," he said. "I've thought about SPEC president, which is something I gave up to run for UA or a TV show on UTV13 -- or even a column at The Daily Pennsylvanian." Beverly has no regrets about his past achievements, particularly those in the UA. "My student government career could end and I would not feel like there is something I still have to do," he said. "I am very satisfied. Every senior should feel that way."
(01/25/96 10:00am)
Student Activities Council Finance Committee Chairperson David Shapiro has alleged that SAC's Steering Committee -- and more specifically Chairperson Graham Robinson -- has violated the SAC constitution multiple times. Shapiro, a College and Wharton junior, said yesterday that Robinson and his committee have infringed on powers reserved for the SAC body and Finance Committee. But Robinson, a College senior, said he and the Steering Committee have acted within their rights. "The SAC body is authorized to overturn the constitution," Robinson said. "Steering and the chair can, in an emergency, do anything the body can do." According to Shapiro, the constitutional problems began shortly after elections last spring when SAC was allocating money for campus groups. "Because procedures weren't being followed, we ran out of funds for fall [1995] allocation early and had to tap into spring [1996] funds," Shapiro said. "Graham was advised of this at the time and basically said 'Whoops, it won't happen again'." Robinson explained that the SAC body, not Steering, voted to overturn the constitution to open next year's funds. He added that this is not uncommon. Shapiro also alleged misconduct in the handling of the Philomathean Society's request for emergency funding earlier this year. He explained that although Finance agreed to recommend that SAC fund Philo, Steering allocated more than the group's emergency necessitated. Shapiro said that when Finance tried to reevaluate the extra funding allocated to the group, Robinson told Philo not to cooperate with Finance. Robinson agreed that the situation could have been handled differently, but added that by the time Finance had found an alternative, the funds had already been allocated and Steering did not want to set a precedent of taking away funds from student groups. "It was a case of a recommendation from Finance which we did not follow," Robinson said. He explained that Finance is merely an advisory body that is intended to lessen the research work of the SAC general assembly. He added that its recommendations do not have to be followed by the body or Steering. Robinson said he told Philo not to cooperate with Finance's requests for further meetings because the Finance Committee was overstepping its jurisdiction. Shapiro also complained about Steering's decision to postpone this year's Finance Committee elections, which must be held by January according to the SAC Constitution. After hearing from Financial Administrator for Student Activities Lynn Moller that there would be no elections before January, Finance passed a resolution earlier this week requesting that the elections take place this month, according to Shapiro. Robinson explained that elections had been planned for January, but no one was interested in running except for those already on Finance. Robinson said he sent a letter to SAC representatives in December, asking if anyone objected to the election being postponed pending the results of the vote to restructure SAC. He added that no one expressed dissent. At last month's SAC meeting, Robinson presented a proposal to the body, outlining an extensive reform plan sponsored by Steering. If passed, the plan would create one executive body, as opposed to the two that currently exist. Shapiro said he is also upset that the due date for SAC's budget allocations to student groups has been set for March 4, even though Finance decided it should be earlier. When Shapiro sent e-mail to Moller asking for the date to be changed, Moller refused. She said yesterday that her refusal stemmed from the possibility of SAC reforms which would eliminate the Finance Committee and transfer its workload to another body. "Because of the possibility of reforming SAC, we couldn't start this process [budget allocations] with one committee and finish with another," she explained. The SAC body will meet on January 31 to determine the fate of the reform plan and of SAC Finance.
(01/25/96 10:00am)
The members of the Undergraduate Assembly Debit Card Committee met last night to discuss the new PennCash card. This card would allow students to use their PennCards as electronic debit cards. University officials hope to implement phase one of the cash card plan by the fall, with phases two and three to follow over the next three years, according to committee Chairperson Alan Danzig, a Wharton sophomore. Phase one will allow students to use their PennCards to pay for on-campus services such as vending machines, sports tickets, laundry and Student Health, Danzig said. Phases two and three would enable students to use the card in businesses in all University-owned buildings, such as Houston Hall and 3401 Walnut Street and ultimately in local private businesses, he added. Danzig said the card and all records necessary for its operation would also be maintained on-line in order to prevent card theft, since the card itself would contain no money. First-year Medical student Rajeev Shah, a representative from the University of Pennsylvania Student Federal Credit Union, explained that safety is the primary motivating factor behind the PennCash program. "The University would like to make West Philadelphia safer by taking the cash out of everyone's pockets, in which case the muggers will move to a different area," he said. Shah added that while plans for the new card have been around for nearly four years, several legal and practical problems are delaying their implementation. "The University would like students to deposit money, but because the University is a non-profit educational institution, it can't hold deposits," he said. Shah also mentioned problems in convincing local vendors to accept the system. "A business like a dry cleaner which usually takes cash does not see the benefit of switching," he said. He speculated the $100,000 installation cost for the system would be unacceptable to the University. And he added that the transaction fee for small purchases might cost more than the purchase price. Shah said UPSFCU is putting together a proposal of its own, though he would not comment on any further details. Danzig said three Wharton students have formed a company called Creative Software, which has proposed a plan called CampusCash. The plan would involve deposits held by local banks, and the card would have the ability to purchase items by drawing on these deposits via computer. The UA committee decided to contribute to the PennCash effort by helping to research and publicize the debit card programs.
(01/19/96 10:00am)
In a recent telephone poll by The Daily Pennsylvanian, 59 percent of 120 students surveyed said they could not name one member of the Undergraduate Assembly. Only 12.5 percent could correctly identify College senior Lance Rogers as UA chairperson. And only three percent of the students polled had ever contacted the UA for help. Many admitted they did not even know how to reach their representatives. Despite the UA's plan to reach students through the Internet, only 23 percent were aware of the UA World Wide Web site, while 17 percent knew that the UA holds office hours. UA Chairperson Lance Rogers said he was unhappy with the poll's results, but explained that the UA is continuing in its effort to reach out to students. "The students see us once a year during elections and then it is their responsibility to contact us," he said. "This UA is changing that. We are contacting the students and asking them what they want." The DP poll found that 55 percent of those surveyed said they would contact the UA if they found an issue which concerned them. Starting this weekend, the UA will begin action on a massive outreach effort designed to foster student awareness of the UA and to make the UA more accessible to students. The action is part of the UA's blueprint for improved communication, developed last fall in an effort to increase the UA's interaction with the student body. In the wake of the blueprint, the UA has divided into several committees which will meet over the weekend and launch outreach programs over the next few weeks. The Door-to-Door Committee met last night to develop a formal strategy. Committee member Tom Foldesi, a Wharton junior, said he hopes the committee will be able to reach students in their residences. And UA Vice Chairperson and Wharton senior Gil Beverly envisioned his Phone Committee informing students about a new issue on a bi-monthly basis. The committee would ask for student reaction to the issue. Through the blueprint, the UA hopes to increase its visibility and gain a more balanced idea of student opinions. UA member and College sophomore Larry Kamin said he feels the DP poll will merely serve to underscore the UA's success after the blueprint is implemented. "This [poll] will make our goal all the more impressive when we reach it," he said. He added that he felt the DP poll was an indication that the implementation of the blueprint was necessary. But Rogers said he was pleased that more than half of students reported that they would contact the UA to discuss an issue, adding that this response addressed recent criticisms of the UA's legitimacy. And Rogers said he is not worried about the 34 percent of students who indicated they have no interest in learning more about the UA. "If the students realize that we can affect them, their attitude towards students government will change," he said. Daily Pennsylvanian staff writers Shannon Burke and Meredith Rappaport contributed to this story.
(01/18/96 10:00am)
and Kate Khatib Spring break tour companies often tout inexpensive deals that can't be beat. But according to some area travel agents, students should examine packages closely before making their final plans. Jerry DeSanto, a public relations agent for the Better Business Bureau in Manhattan, said the Bureau receives many complaints each spring break season dealing with so-called "Spring Break Companies" who advertise themselves to college students as having great deals and cut prices. "This is not like buying a pair of pants," DeSanto said. "You're putting your hard-earned money and your faith in the hands of these companies." DeSanto urges students to take several precautions when choosing a trip plan. "Always use a credit card. Call the airline itself to verify your tickets. Mainly, choose a company you know something about. Make sure it has a good business record," he said, adding that students should check companies' validity by speaking to a travel agent or calling an organization such as the Better Business Bureau. Most students are planning trips to popular resort areas such as Jamaica, Cancun or the Bahamas. College trip plans to these areas run somewhere in the $500 to $700 price range. College junior Rachel Rothman of the Penn Student Agencies Travel warned students to ask questions to avoid surprises later on. Council Travel representative Ernesto Salas also emphasized the importance of checking out what documents are required for entry into various countries well in advance of leaving. "Many Carribean countries will accept a United States birth certificate and ID, but a passport is more recognized by authorities if you run into trouble," he said. While on the trip, students should continue to take precautions. American Automobile Association spokesperson Regina Tracy suggested a conservative appearance that will not attract attention as a tourist. "Do not walk around with a video camera or 35 millimeter hanging off your shoulder," she said. Tracy also emphasized common sense in terms of safety precautions. "If you do get lost, don't act lost," she said. "If you go out at night, make sure you are in a group and in a well lit area." Tracy also suggested being familiar with bus, train and taxi systems when backpacking.
(01/17/96 10:00am)
In a last-minute change of plans, the United Minority Council asked Associate University Secretary Constance Goodman yesterday to take its request for a University Council seat off of the agenda for this afternoon's Council meeting. College senior and UMC Chairperson Onyx Finney explained last night that the UMC needs more time to put together its proposal. "We just got back, and we were very involved with Martin Luther King Day," she said. "There wasn't time to prepare an ample statement for tomorrow." She added that the issue will be brought up at the next Council meeting on February 21. Last month, Finney became the third consecutive UMC chairperson to request a permanent UMC seat on Council. The issue was slated to be discussed at today's meeting. Up until the spring semester of 1994, the UA unofficially gave the UMC one of its 10 Council seats -- complete with voting privileges. UA members proposed giving the UMC an official seat when the UA received five additional seats in April 1994. But Council members found that the UA's request was in violation of the membership policy of Council bylaws, which state that only UA members may fill the UA's seats on University Council. Before learning of the UMC's request, the UA called an emergency meeting last night to decide on its recommendation to the Council concerning the UMC bid. At the meeting, the UA voted decisively to table discussion of the issue pending further developments. This decision followed the advice of College sophomore Tal Golomb, who is both a member of the UA and the UC Steering Committee. "The UMC didn't want to bring [the issue] up at the meeting because they have not had time to deal with it," Golomb said. "They have a retreat this weekend where they will discuss it." UA Chairperson and College senior Lance Rogers said he believed the body would have voted against recommending the UMC for a seat. "It would have been voted down by the UA," Rogers said. Rogers said he had assumed that the UMC's decision to remove its request from the agenda signified that the group was no longer interested in a seat. In an interview last night, Rogers said he felt the UMC made a wise choice by not pursuing a seat. "I think they've done the right thing," he said. "I am glad the UMC appears to want to work with us and not around us." Rogers said he believed the UMC's decision was a recognition of the likely failure of their bid. "I think to a certain extent [the UMC] realized that it wasn't going to happen, and as a result [the UA and the UMC] can work together and come to a solution everyone is happy with," Rogers said. Even upon learning that the UMC was still trying to gain a seat on the Council, Rogers was still pessimistic about the group's chances. "I still feel they won't get the seat," he said. "I am sorry they weren't prepared." But Finney disagreed with Rogers' assessment. "If Council didn't feel we had a valid position, they wouldn't consider the issue and put it on the agenda," she said last night. Rogers said he hopes the UMC chooses to be represented in another manner. "Rather than going through the UC to solve their problem, I think the UMC should work with the UA and not circumvent us," he said. He added that he is meeting with Finney this week in hopes that the two can come up with a solution before February's Council meeting. Rogers suggested that one such solution might be to revamp the manner in which Council seats are assigned. "There has been a lot of talk about having seats on the Council elected, and that may be a possibility," Rogers said. "I would support that."
(12/05/95 10:00am)
Just when you thought it was safe to walk the floors of the Quadrangle without slippers, a pile of what appears to be human feces has again been left in the dormitory. The infamous defecator, dubbed "The Mad Shitter" by residents, last surfaced in the spring, terrorizing residents of the freshman dorm by defecating on the floors of random bathrooms. This time the perpetrator, or possibly a copycat practical joker, struck the first floor of the Butcher section of the Quad. During the weekend, residents of two rooms in Butcher found excrement in front of their doors. The first incident occurred Friday morning before most residents were awake, between 9 and 9:50 a.m., according to residents. The second happened in broad daylight, between 12:30 and 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. The incidents actually seem to bear more resemblance to a Quad problem which occurred two years ago, with someone dumping feces in dorm halls, than to the "Mad Shitter" saga, which involved Community House bathrooms last spring, according to Jane Rogers, assistant dean in residence for Butcher-Speakman-Class of '28. The 33 residents of the hall are noticeably upset by the incidents. College freshman Liza Comita found the excrement while returning to her room on Saturday. "I am appalled by the fact that some one defecated on my doorstep," she said. Her roommate, College freshman Mindy Fein, said she is disturbed by the event. "It scares me that someone would do this," she said. "Who could be so bored as to say 'Oh, let's go shit in a hallway.' " Fein also said she feels that this behavior is indicative of the lack of respect for the upkeep of Butcher- Speakman-Class of '28, the unrenovated part of the Quad. "It all comes down to the question of if saving $1,000 and living in unrenovated was worth having human feces in my hall," Fein explained. Other students did see the humor in the incident. College freshman Amar Chana, whose doorstep was hit on Friday, said he "thought it was really funny but that's because I didn't have to clean it up." Meanwhile, Residential Living officials are taking steps to deal with the problem. Residence Adviser Jay Atkinson, a College senior, called a hall meeting last night to clarify the situation and discuss how the department is handling it. Those whose rooms were affected met with Rogers, in hope of determining if anyone may have had a motive in attacking their rooms in particular. Rogers and Atkinson believe that the perpetrator is not a resident of the hall and have advised students to keep an eye out for anyone who does not belong in the hall. They have also concluded that the excrement was brought in from the outside, wrapped in tissue. Rogers said he is optimistic about catching the perpetrator. "Things like this usually involve more than one person," she said. "This is not the type of thing people can keep quiet about. "Sooner or later someone tells someone else or someone sees something and we will find out," Rogers added. "There was an incident like this two years ago and we eventually caught the person," said Rogers. In the meantime, residents of the floor are relieved that Sunday and yesterday have passed without further incidents.
(12/05/95 10:00am)
The Morris Arboretum gets only a two-line mention in the University's admissions information booklet. And few students can claim they have actually visited the 166-acre botanical museum, which serves as both a resource for the University and as the official arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. But the directors of the arboretum would like to change that. The Morris Arboretum, which is located in Chestnut Hill on 100 Northwestern Ave. between Stenton and Germantown avenues, was founded in 1887 on the estate of Lydia and John Morris. By car, the arboretum is located about 30 minutes from campus. Housing more than 6,800 trees and shrubs, the arboretum serves as a center for research projects for plants and pest control. And despite its low profile, the arboretum is also an integral part of the University. Two of its staff members teach courses at the University, and the arboretum has sponsored numerous work-study projects for students. The facility also hosts many educational programs, although some are restricted to members. Membership costs $40. Past events -- including an Amazonian photography exhibit and Japanese koto concerts -- have been held in the Widener Education Center of the arboretum. Apart from its educational value, many find the arboretum a beautiful place to visit. The 92 acres of public gardens feature many of Philadelphia's newest and rarest plants, set amid a Victorian landscape replete with winding paths and streams. Featured among the gardens are a Victorian temple, a hidden grotto, an outdoor sculpture garden, a rose garden and an indoor fernery. Arboretum spokesperson Sally Baldwin said she hopes more students will take the time to visit this part of their University. She said the arboretum is both "a great dating place," and "beautiful in any season." Baldwin also mentioned another possible use for the Morris Arboretum. "I've always thought the arboretum was a great place to bring parents," she said. "You can whisk them out of your dorm room in West Philadelphia and show them this beautiful part of campus." Admission is free to University students with identification. The arboretum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Additional information may be obtained by calling the arboretum during open hours at 247-5777 or by visiting the arboretum's new World Wide Web site at "http://www.upenn.edu/morris".
(11/30/95 10:00am)
Distinguished diplomat Max Kampelman offered his views of America's role in shaping the world's future Tuesday evening in a session entitled "Entering New Worlds." Kampelman is the former counselor of the State Department and retired ambassador and head of the United States Delegation to the Negotiations with the Soviet Union on Nuclear and Space Arms in Geneva. He was introduced to the audience of more than 70 by Political Science Professor Alvin Rubinstein as "a man close to the hub of U.S. foreign policy in the 1970s and 1980s." Kampelman discussed the sweeping nature of the technological change he has witnessed during the course of his 75-year life. "It has been said that 'necessity is the mother of invention,' " he said. "The corollary is also true. Invention is the mother of necessity. Invention is necessitating change in our lives. "Yet the body politic has not kept up with the growth of the scientific world," he added. "We have learned to fly but have yet to learn how to live on this planet as brothers." The former ambassador illustrated his point by citing examples from the European Community. "At first [after the fall of Communism], I found the mood to be one of euphoria and self-congratulation," Kampelman explained. "But this euphoria was short lived. Within two years Europe felt depressingly impotent, obsessed with challenges it could not face." Meanwhile, the world has seen an improvement in health care, increased life expectancy and higher food consumption. The less fortunate, through new communication technology, discover the opportunity and the desire for a better life, he explained. But nationalistic sentiment in places like the former Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia has caused the closing of borders to foreign technology, he said. "Protected national boundaries can keep out vaccines but not the germs," Kampelman said. "People in nationalistic separation will realize that they are dooming themselves and their children to become orphans of history." Kampelman also argued that the U.S. has the responsibility to take on the role of leader in the international political arena. College junior Connie Chung said she enjoyed the talk. But she criticized the superficial nature of the speech. "Although he made a lot of broad statements, I thought it was insightful," she said. The lecture was held in the Arthur Ross Gallery of the Furness Building.
(11/16/95 10:00am)
Houston Hall's Bodek Lounge was bustling with conversation last night as student leaders from across campus met for a social event intended to facilitate the exchange of ideas and concerns in an informal forum. Sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for University Life, the Social Planning and Events Committee and the Undergraduate Assembly, "Conversations" was coordinated by UA Vice Chairperson Gil Beverly and SPEC Secretary Vick Hirani. The event was attended by more than 50 people -- including representatives from student government, community service groups, theatre and political organizations and fraternities and sororities. "The idea came after attending a smoker for honors students, which was so great that I stayed an hour afterward just talking," Beverly said. "So I thought it would be great if we could get more people involved and do that for student leaders. "We wanted to avoid the idea of a political agenda or political schmooze," he added. "We intended it to be just a chance for student leaders to hang out." Hirani praised the laid back atmosphere of the program. "Being informal lets people voice their opinions easily," Hirani said. "That's the whole point of a forum where different people can get together. If we had an agenda that would be more difficult." But reaction to the unstructured program was mixed. SPEC President Nelson Telemaco said he found it "encouraging that students can learn to come together in a social setting." "I liked the relaxed atmosphere because it had no hidden agendas or people in charge," he said. Kite and Key member Ilene Epstein said she agreed. "It's a good way for leaders to get to talk and to get to know who to talk to in the future," she said. Others were disappointed to find that the event had no formal interactive programming. "This was not as constructive as an interactive program," said Alpha Phi Alpha President Moses Hart. "People who do not really know each other tend to stay within groups and they were not given a reason to mingle as much as in an interactive format. "This was more small talk and was not really groundbreaking," he added. But Hirani said he was very encouraged by the turnout and hopes the three sponsors can work together on similar events in the future.
(11/13/95 10:00am)
In the second day of its fall conference, the Trustees' Council of Penn Women sponsored a luncheon Friday, featuring University alumna and former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky. Margolies-Mezvinsky discussed her recent efforts as department chairperson of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women over the summer in Beijing. The discussion offered the Council more information about a conference that received little coverage despite a storm of controversy over a conflict with the hosting Chinese government. Margolies-Mezvinsky focused her talk on her experiences and on the document produced by the conference addressing the 12 major categories of problems facing the world's women. She said the conference, which was broken up into a Nongovernmental Organization of more than 30,000 women and a smaller Official Conference, was very different from the sessions she had become accustomed to in Congress. "I had come from Congress where everyone was trying to take credit for what they didn't do and the State Department where everyone was trying not to be blamed for what they did do," said Margolies-Mezvinsky. "What happened when we got there was that we realized that we could get things done. We did what women do best, we got things done." The former congresswoman said she felt the most progress was made in the areas of microeconomics and small loans to women, with significant gains in the area of human rights and health care. She added that she believes the goal of women should be empowerment. "If you look at countries were women are empowered, more money is spent on child care and health care," she said. "Women must draw the line in the sand, and when it is crossed, they must say, 'Put a sock in it -- you crossed the line.' " Looking to the future, Margolies-Mezvinsky hopes people will say that changes in the role of women in the world began at Beijing. "The White House has created a committee to make sure this document sticks, and for the first time, each of the 12 categories has a commitment clause," she explained. Meanwhile, the women who attended the Nongovernmental Organization Conference have committed themselves to increasing female voter participation, and each has taken on a phrase of the document to bring to life in her own community.
(11/08/95 10:00am)
Campus political groups were evenly divided along party lines for yesterday's mayoral race between the Democratic incumbent Ed Rendell and his Republican challenger Joe Rocks, though the election's eventual outcome was of little surprise to either side. After months of activism, the University's College Republicans and College Democrats took a more passive role last night, anxiously awaiting election returns at campaign headquarters. As the votes were tabulated, Rendell, who is a University alumnus, quickly pulled ahead of the former State Senator Rocks, winning his second four-year mayoral term. Student reaction on both sides was strong. "The best man for the city won," said College senior Eric Roberson, president of the College Democrats. College Democrats Political Director Deborah Chasan, a College senior, agreed. "The Mayor has done a fine job. If it ain't broke don't fix it," she said. Wharton senior Dan Debicella, president of the College Republicans, which began its major campaign on behalf of Rocks two weeks ago, said the results were as he expected. Despite the defeat, Debicella said he is confident "the Rocks campaign will do a lot of good in driving the mayor to be more conservative." "He has both a liberal and a conservative side -- the conservative side showed in his tax cuts and handling of unions," Debicella explained. "Hopefully, [the campaign] will bring out his conservative side in dealing with the issues that Rocks brought up." College senior Dain Landon, a member of the College Republicans, said he is reassured by the belief that "the gain from the campaign was in pushing issues to the forefront." "Rendell is in the position to address issues he was able to skirt in the past," Landon said. Last night's celebration by the College Democrats was tempered by the reality of the tasks which still face Mayor Rendell. "His first term brought the city back from the brink of fiscal disaster," Roberson said. "Now he might have a tougher task in dealing with the smaller projects such as education, attracting businesses to the city and the effects of budget cuts in Washington. These are a whole [new] set of challenges." Members of the College Republicans, though disappointed, maintain that they are impressed with Rendell and continue to be optimistic about the future, according to Engineering sophomore Edward O'Shea, a member of the College Republicans.
(10/27/95 9:00am)
Punctuating his reading with a variety of character accents and an occasional jazz tune, fiction writer Randall Kenan captivated an audience of more than 30 students, faculty and community members Wednesday with a reading of his short story "What Are Days?" Part of the Afro-American Studies Program's "A Mosaic of Black Writing," Kenan's performance was followed by a book signing session for his novel A Visitation of Spirits and his short story collection Let the Dead Bury the Dead. Kenan, a professor at Sarah Lawrence College and Columbia University, was introduced by friend Lorene Cary, a creative writing lecturer at the University. "There are moments in Kenan's writing that are so good that talking about them isn't as good as reading them," Cary said in her introduction to Kenan's work. Cary then left the author to impress the crowd with a reading that was met at times with laughter and at times with the dead silence. The story's universal themes of loneliness and the search for lost love, combined with the Kenan's energetic and passionate reading, captured the attention of a diverse audience. A brief information session followed, eliciting Kenan's impressions of his own writing process, which he termed "disorganized." As a writer, Kenan said he always "hopes the reader has a good time." College sophomore Libby Copeland, who attended the event, said the reading was not only fun, but also touching. "Not only did he write well, but he reads unbelievably well too," she said. "It was like seeing a dramatic reading. It was colorful. Something about his creation was meaningful." According to Afro-American Studies Program Coordinator Gale Ellison, the event was the second in the Mosaic series, which is designed to highlight the genres of black writing.
