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(09/26/91 9:00am)
Take a rewritten ancient Greek drama. Add spooky and eerie lighting. Have the actors wear masks. Use dance, pantomime and an original score. Stage it in a small, intimate theatre. What is the result? Good question. The Theater Arts Program's production of Bertolt Brecht's adaptation of Sophocles' Antigone was intriguing, but it was a play that is hard to understand. It was not fantastic or incredible, but it was in no way bad or without value. It was, instead, intriguing in that audience members may have no concrete opinion of the show after having sat through it. They may not be able to say whether it was good or bad, whether they liked or disliked it. What they will probably say is that they did not, and may never, understand all of it, but that it was enjoyable. The intriguing nature of last night's production lay not in the content of the story but in its presentation. The story of Antigone is that of a young woman who defies her uncle, the king, and buries her dead brother. Her brother fought against the king and his body was left to rot on the battle field. Simple enough. As for the presentation . . . The action was played in front of an imposing -- almost devilish -- fiery backdrop, while multi-colored spikes loomed above the actors' heads giving a sense of impending doom. As for props, Director Samara Epstein, a College and Wharton senior, and Production Designer Dipu Gupta, a College senior, employed red ribbons and masks to create a macabre mood and setting. Dance and pantomime was also used to convey plot information not covered in the actual text of the play. It is here where it can be said that the production faltered a bit. Symbolic props and vibrant dances are wonderful if the audience can grasp what they are all about. However, if the audience cannot fully grasp the meaning and intention of these methods, then the props and the dances act merely as distraction and confusion. They may be entertaining to watch, but they contribute little to the audience's understanding of the show. As for the actor's performances, again there arises some difficulty of judging what was not understood. Clearly, the actors succeeded in conveying the basic story line and for that they should be given credit. Larry Bogad, who graduated last year from the University, must be singled out for his, at times, humorous, evil and tragic, but always inspired portrayal of King Creon. Additionally, College junior Yasmin Tuazon gave a meaningful performance as Ismene, Antigone's sister who tries to convince her to abandon her plans of burying her brother. Also, College senior Kent Davis, as the wise seer Tiresias, merits accolades especially for his second monologue which was delivered with great intensity. Antigone continues tonight, tomorrow and Saturday in the Annenberg Center's Studio Theatre at 8 p.m. Tickets are available on Locust Walk and at the Annenberg Center box office.
(09/13/91 9:00am)
When the phrases most often overheard after a dramatic performance are "heh," "huh?" and "hmm . . . ," it is likely that the show was either funny, confusing, thought-provoking, or all three. Much of the audience was laughing nearly non-stop, watching their fellow students and friends cursing freely on stage and discussing subjects which may often be considered taboo even among intimate friends. The audience was treated to well-rehearsed actors whose comic timing was honed to near-perfection by the director, College sophomore Jesse Hertzberg. But the complexity of the show's themes left some audience members a bit confused, not quite "getting" the play. Yet those who took the time to examine what each character was saying and why, experienced something much more intense and meaningful. The credit for this meaningful theatre experience must go to Hertzberg and his cast who, with an abnormally shortened rehearsal period, turned in first-rate performances all around. College senior Danny Cohen, as Bernie Litko, achieved an excellent balance between the extreme insecurities and the remote sensitivity that are constantly at odds in the mind of his character. As the naive and certainly not-ready-for-a-relationship Danny Shapiro, College junior David Lavine acutely depicted the turn Shapiro makes as he changes from an attentive follower of his idol Bernie, to his equal in matters of sex. College junior Carolyn Kelson as Deborah Soloman faced a difficult challenge in portraying a major character with very little self-defining dialogue. Her conversations with her love interest, Shapiro, are mainly playful discussions about sex, or vicious arguments ending in exchanges of vulgar insults. But Kelson was up to the task and gave her character an individual personality. It is the mark of a first-rate overall performance when even smaller roles are performed well. Such was the case with Wharton senior Jennifer Platzkere's portrayal of Joan Webber, Soloman's seemingly older and wiser roommate. Her monologues, which are written as speeches to kindergarten students, were delivered poignantly and meaningfully. And while the show had the usual opening night technical difficulties -- slow scene-changing and occasional back stage noise -- it was not enough to significantly divert one's attention from the on-stage action. Hopefully these problems will be minimized in future performances. Lastly, it should be noted that much of the meaning of the show is contained in very short scenes which on first viewing seem stilted and out of place. Earnest audience members might be well-advised to read the play either before or after coming to the show to better understand these "misplaced" scenes. Perhaps then they will be able to prevent any confusion. Sexual Perversity will be performed again tonight and tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at the Annenberg Studio Theater.
(09/12/91 9:00am)
Masturbation, menstruation, masculinity and menage a trois? This sounds like a job for Student Health Services. Well, would you believe a student performing arts group? How about both? Along with the free condom, ticket buyers will receive a small pamphlet listing the various products, such as birth control pills and diaphragms, that can be purchased from Student Health at discounted prices. "We're hoping to help people get information about everything they always wanted to know about sex but were afraid to ask," said College and Wharton senior Lori Horowitz, the show's producer. Outside the theatre students will be able to find out about sex in the 1990s, but inside the theatre the show itself will serve as a startling contrast, depicting the sexual attitudes of the 1970s. "The show was written in the pre-AIDS era," said College sophomore Jesse Hertzberg, the show's director. "So much has changed since the '70s and many students may have a difficult time relating to the material." Hertzberg added that he would encourage students who are planning to see the show to look beyond its vulgar language and sexually explicit nature, and examine the inner themes which lie beneath the surface of the spoken words. "Some will come away thinking they've seen a series of disjointed scenes with a lot of people cursing and talking about sex," he said. "But hopefully, most people will come away realizing that the show presented an analytical and critical view of love, sex and relationships in the 1970's." Horowitz said that she hopes the show will be educational as well as profitable. "I thought [the show] would be a way to make students aware of the valuable services available to them," Horowitz said. "Then I thought that giving out free condoms might also sell some extra tickets." Sexual Perversity, which is the first student show to be produced on campus this fall, has been in rehearsal since mid-August -- giving the cast only three weeks to put the show together. "Three weeks go by really quickly," Hertzberg said. "But pressure's good. It constantly reminds you of where you should be and when." Sexual Perversity in Chicago will be performed tonight at 8:00 p.m., tomorrow night and Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets are available on Locust Walk or at the Annenberg Center ticket office.
(04/24/91 9:00am)
The University is negotiating a new contract with McGinn Security, the firm which supplies security guards for all University residences, despite plans to eventually eliminate the need for outside guard services. According to Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone, the University plans to develop and train its own internal security guards to work in the residences. The new contract with McGinn, Simeone said, will allow the University to back out if it gives McGinn several months warning. A 1988 analysis of campus security commissioned by the University recommended replacing security guards hired from outside firms with internal University security guards. Simeone said the proposed contract has been approved in principle by McGinn and is presently being reviewed by the University's legal counsel. Joe McGinn, the security firm's owner, did not return several messages left at its office yesterday. Simeone would not release other specific details about the contract but said the guards will receive a pay raise. She added that the University hopes to have the contract signed later this spring. The University has had problems with McGinn guards in the past. Six months after hiring the firm in 1987, allegations that guards were sleeping on the job and leaving their posts while on duty raised concerns about the agency. In addition, two years ago a McGinn guard on duty in Van Pelt College House was arrested for allegedly harassing several University students and injuring a University Police officer. The guard was apparently intoxicated during the incident. The guard was later found to have an extensive criminal record, causing the administration to threaten to end their relationship with McGinn if they did not conduct mandatory background checks of all security guards. But Deputy Vice Provost George Koval said last week the University has been satisfied with the security coverage McGinn has provided recently and has not heard any complaints from students. "We have not heard from students that they've been displeased with residential security," Koval said. "We meet with [Undergraduate Assembly] groups, as well as with the University Council's Safety and Security Committee, and haven't heard complaints." "We've been pleased with McGinn," Simeone added. "We meet weekly with them and they are very responsive to our concerns. They provide an average of over 1000 hours of security coverage per week and the problems that we've had with them have been minimal versus the amount of coverage they've provided." Safety and Security Committee Co-Chairperson Jeffrey Jacobson, a College junior, said last night the University is not replacing McGinn guards because of sub-par security coverage, but because the University is looking to internalize all of its security personnel as recommended by the 1988 report. "The Wharton and Nursing schools hire their own guards from other companies," Jacobson said. "It's not just McGinn. We're looking to centralize all security personnel under the University." Jacobson said having security guards hired by the University would allow the University to give the guards specialized training they might not otherwise receive. "Our police officers already go through a number of hours of sensitivity and diversity training," Jacobson said. "Contracted guards don't really get that kind of training." "We want people at those guard stations that have a real vested interest in protecting University people and property," he added.
(04/23/91 9:00am)
Judicial Inquiry Officer Constance Goodman will begin investigating today a weekend incident in which a male University student was accused of lassoing a female Georgetown University student. Goodman said that she knows the name of the student under investigation, but would not release it. According to University Police, the Georgetown student reported that a man had tried to lasso her with a yellow nylon rope as she walked past Phi Delt's fraternity house with her boyfriend. University Police Lieutenant Susan Holmes said last night that her department responded to the call in front of Phi Delt's 3700 Locust Walk house at 8:30 p.m. Saturday night. Holmes said the officers interviewed the female student and her boyfriend, who is a Phi Delt brother. The boyfriend told the officers he thought he recognized the man with the lasso as a student. He gave police a possible name and address for the student, Holmes said. The police then visited the address given to them by the boyfriend, which was another fraternity house, and were told by residents that the student lived there but was not home at the time, Holmes said. Holmes would not release the name of the fraternity or its address. She said that later that evening, the alleged lassoer went to University Police headquarters saying he had heard police were looking for him. The student admitted to having used a lasso in front of Phi Delt's house. The student also said that he had tried to lasso only his friends but might have inadvertently lassoed a few people he didn't know. Holmes said the police referred the incident to the JIO rather than handling it as a normal criminal investigation. University Police generally do not arrest students unless the crimes are extremely serious, preferring instead to let the University handle cases before they reach the court system. Goodman said she will be contacting the student tomorrow but would not say whether the student is a member of any fraternity.
(04/22/91 9:00am)
A female Georgetown University student was lassoed by a Phi Delta Theta fraternity brother (ARCHIVE NOTE: NOT correct, not by a brother) Saturday night as she passed by the fraternity's 37th and Locust street, University Police said yesterday. According to University Police Lieutenant Susan Holmes, the incident, which was referred as a harassment case to Judicial Inquiry Officer Constance Goodman, occurred at 8:30 p.m. as the woman was walking with her boyfriend. Holmes added that police know the identity of the brother and has passed his name on to the JIO. Holmes would not release the name of the student, however. The harassment case was only one of an unusually high number of crime reports that kept University Police busy over Spring Fling weekend. From Thursday through yesterday, police responded to two simple assaults, a robbery, an attempted robbery, an auto accident and a possible break-in at President Sheldon Hackney's house as well as the harassment incident. According to Holmes, a male University student reported at 10:25 p.m. Thursday night that he was the victim of an attempted robbery on 40th and Spruce streets. The student told police that a man approached him and threatened to punch him in the face if he did not hand over his jacket. Holmes said the student used mace to defend himself and the assailant fled the scene. The student described his assailant as five foot, nine inches tall, weighing approximately 160 pounds with a neat appearance, dark moustache, and wearing dark jeans. In the first simple assault, a graduate fellow was assaulted while trying to break up a fight between three students on the Junior Balcony in the Quadrangle at 2:36 p.m. Saturday afternoon. Holmes said that there were no injuries reported and no arrests were made. She said the incident will probably be referred to the JIO. In the second assault case, Holmes said a woman reported that she was at a party early Sunday morning in the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house at 4028 Walnut Street when a man grabbed her and swung her around. The woman responded by striking the man with a plastic bottle. At 3:13 a.m. Sunday two students were struck by an automobile at 40th and Spruce streets and taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania by Philadelphia Fire Rescue, Holmes said. Holmes said police tried to get an update on the condition of the two students at 10:13 a.m. but Student Health reported that they had no information. Holmes speculated that this lack of information meant the two students were not admitted to the hospital. In the robbery, a University alumnus was robbed on 40th and Spruce streets at 3:57 a.m. yesterday morning. Holmes said the alumnus told police his wallet was taken and described his assailant as six feet tall and wearing black clothing, fleeing west on the 4000 block of Pine Street. Holmes also said a burglar alarm went off at 4:29 a.m. yesterday morning at President Hackney's house at 3812 Walnut Street. Holmes said the building was checked and the rear door was found open. She said a man, described to police as five foot eight, to five foot, ten inches tall and dressed in black clothing, was seen leaving the area. Holmes added that police do not know if anything was taken from the house.
(04/22/91 9:00am)
Several University students flipped over and severely damaged a parked car at an unofficial Spring Fling block party on the 3900 block of Sansom Street early Saturday morning. According to several eyewitnesses, a group of students overturned a red 1974 Dodge Colt which was parked near the corner of 40th and Sansom streets between 1 and 1:30 a.m. According to University Police, the owner of the car, whose name was not released, reported the car's roof, hood, and driver's side door panel smashed in, the driver's side window broken and the driver's side mirror broken off. College senior Tristan Svare, who witnessed the incident, said that he saw three "big jock types" attempting to flip the car completely over. But Svare said they only succeeded in turning the car on its side. Svare said that after the car had been turned on its side, he could smell gasoline and someone suggested burning the car. "At this point a strong odor of gasoline was really obvious," Svare said. "Most people were becoming a bit more cautious but some idiots, once they smelled the gas, started yelling 'Burn it! Burn it!' and that's when I got the hell out of there." A Wharton junior, who asked to remain anonymous, said last night that when people began smelling the gas, they began to worry about a possible fire and someone sprayed the car with a fire extinguisher. She said that when people saw the foam from the fire extinguisher, they thought it was smoke from a fire and began to disperse quickly. A male eyewitness, who also requested anonymity, said some of the men who flipped the car were wearing jackets with football insignia on it. Two College juniors who live on the block said last night they poured ice and numerous buckets of water over the car in an attempt to prevent a gasoline fire. The two juniors also said they believed organizers did not have a permit to hold the party and had not posted signs warning area residents. But they said that from approximately 7 p.m., residents discouraged drivers from parking their cars on the block. University Police Lieutenant Susan Holmes said last night University Police officers responded at 1:20 a.m. to reports of a disturbance in the 3900 block of Sansom. Holmes said that when the officers arrived at the scene they tried to question some of the approximately 500 people at the party but learned little about the incident. She said according to the officers, many of the people were too intoxicated to be reliable witnesses. Others did not wish to become involved and others refused to answer questions. Holmes said the sheer number of people, the music from two live bands and the intoxicated state of most of the people prevented police from investigating at the time. But she said University Police will probably begin a probe of the incident this week by questioning residents of the block. The owner of the car discovered the automobile later that morning and reported its condition to University Police at 11:47 a.m., Holmes said. She added that the owner told police he parked the car at 10:13 p.m. Friday night and discovered the car at 10 a.m. Sunday morning. Holmes said University Police returned to close down the block party an hour after the incident because the bands were violating a city ordinances which prohibit loud music after a certain hour. Eyewitness Svare said that he was upset with students' behavior. "I am continually amazed at the blatant stupidity of supposed intelligent young students at this school," Svare said. "Sometimes it seems more like a kindergarten for the socially inept than an Ivy League university."
(04/18/91 9:00am)
A female graduate student sustained minor injuries when she was robbed last night in front of the Class of '23 Ice Rink, University Police said yesterday. According to University Police Spokesperson Sylvia Canada, the student was walking west on the south side of the 3100 block of Walnut Street at 6:45 p.m when a car stopped on the street just behind her. A man jumped out of the car, grabbed her purse, knocking her to the ground where she hit her head, Canada said. The man got back into the car and fled west, the student told police. Canada said the assailant was probably the only person in the car because the student saw him enter the car on the driver's side and did not mention seeing anyone else in the car with him. Canada said the student described her assailant as a male wearing a brown leather jacket. The assailant's car was white. No further description was available of the assailant or the vehicle. Philadelphia Police's 18th District and the University's Victim Support Services were both notified about the incident. Canada said there are no suspects in the incident and that the incident was being investigated by University and Philadelphia Police.
(04/16/91 9:00am)
A College junior was robbed of his bicycle at gunpoint Friday night on the steps in front of his house at 3921 Pine Street. The student, College junior William Orlove, said he had ridden his bike home and was just about to go inside when he was approached by a man who asked him for some change. When he refused to give him any money, the man pulled a gun on him. "He lifted his shirt and showed me a gun and pulled it out," Orlove said yesterday. "He said lay down on the ground and give me your bike." Orlove said the man took his bike, which he said was worth about $300, and rode off. Nothing else was taken, Orlove said. The College junior added that he had seen the man standing with another man near the corner of 39th and Spruce streets, but did not think he posed any threat. University Police arrived on the scene within five minutes, Orlove said. University Police Sergeant Larry Salotti said the student described his assailant as a black male, in his mid-20's, five foot, eight inches tall, wearing a dark cap and a jeans jacket. Orlove said Philadelphia Police drove him around the area in an attempt to spot the assailant. He added that although the incident took place in front of his home, the robbery has not traumatized him in any way. "I don't want to become a prisoner in my own apartment," Orlove said. "It was just bad timing. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was scared, but I've got to move on."
(04/10/91 9:00am)
One of the men accused in the hit-and-run robbery of a College junior last October was sentenced to up to 15 years in prison in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court yesterday afternoon. Judge Carolyn Temin sentenced 24-year-old Allan Waters to five to 10 years for the charge of aggravated assault and two to five for robbery. If Waters behaves in prison, he will be eligible for parole in seven years. A third charge of criminal conspiracy in the October robbery was suspended. Temin refused to allow the sentences to run concurrently, saying that the offenses could not be "merged." Waters, who resided with his mother in the 1300 block of S. Ruby Street, and 28-year-old Christopher Turner of Baltimore have admitted to snatching Roberta Koeppel's bookbag as she exited from her automobile last fall on the 4000 block of Locust Street. The bag was slung across Koeppel's chest and as Waters held onto the bag, Turner accelerated the van they were driving in, dragging Koeppel about 30 feet. When the strap of the bag snapped, Koeppel fell to the ground. The van backed up, running over Koeppel, and then drove off, running over Koeppel again, according to court records. Waters, who pled guilty to the charges January 29th, was dressed in his blue prison uniform with white high-top sneakers. He sat emotionless throughout the proceedings. He has been held in a Philadelphia detention center without bail since he entered his plea. But when Temin announced her sentence, Waters appeared shocked. When Temin asked Waters whether he understood his sentence he did not respond for several seconds. "Do you understand your sentence?," Temin asked. "Seven years?," he replied in disbelief. Waters' court-appointed public defender, Peter Maas, had argued that Waters deserved a lesser sentence because he has a severe drinking problem which causes him to do things that are normally against his nature. "My client admits that he does things under alcohol that he wouldn't do otherwise," Maas said. Maas also argued that because Waters was not driving the van, he did not make the decision to run over Koeppel twice, and therefore should receive a lesser sentence than Turner. Turner will be sentenced separately May 14th. Waters' grandmother and mother testified at the sentencing, repeating over and over again that Waters' only problem is his drinking and that otherwise he is a "good kid and a good son." "My son can't comprehend what has happened and is really sorry for it," his mother, Veronica Waters, said. Waters' grandmother added that he was not aware Turner had mental problems. If he had been, she argued, it is possible Waters may have never gotten in the van with him. Barnaby Wittels, Turner's defense attorney, said this week psychiatric evaluations performed on Turner have shown that he suffers from schizophrenia and other mental problems. According to court clerk Michael Sosnowicz, Waters has one prior conviction on his record for a weapons offense. However, both Sosnowicz and Judge Temin said Waters is not considered to have a serious criminal record. Assistant District Attorney James Lyons disagreed during the hearing, saying Waters fully understood the severity of what he had done and must be held responsible for his actions whether or not his alcohol problem caused them. Lyons said more importantly, Waters took away a portion of Koeppel's life which can never be returned by causing her severe physical injuries and emotional trauma. "He deprived her of her physical and emotional health," Lyons said. "He deprived her of her school experience. He deprived her of her youth and that is something that he can never repay to her." College junior Heidi Howard, who witnessed the accident, recounted the robbery during the hearing. Additionally, Lyons introduced an "impact statement" written by Koeppel, who was not present at the hearing, which detailed the effect the incident had on her life. The statement was taken by Victim Support Services Director Ruth Wells and University Police Officer Sandra Moteles, both of whom were present in the courtroom along with some of Koeppel's friends. Lyons explained that Koeppel did not attend the trial because she felt that she "couldn't face [Waters] again." While the standard court guidelines recommend a sentence of 42 to 66 months in jail, Lyons said he asked for a harsher sentence due to the "viciousness" and "outrageous nature" of the crime. "The standard sentence would have been wholly inappropriate and way too low," Lyons said. "These men left her to die in the street." Judge Temin told Waters there is no excuse for his actions. She explained to him that being sorry and blaming it on an alcohol problem is not an excuse he can hide behind. "There is some hope for you," Temin said. "There is some hope that you will have learned as a result of this experience that alcohol abuse does not excuse you, that being sorry later does not excuse you, that getting involved with a companion who is violent and malevolent does not excuse you from your responsibility." Temin added that although Waters was not driving the van, he could have prevented any physical harm to Koeppel by releasing his hold on the bookbag strap. Therefore, she ruled, he is just as culpable as the driver of the van. "I am convinced that although you were not the driver of the car, that because you did not release the strap, you are as responsible for her injuries as the driver of the car," Temin said. "I am very satisfied with the verdict," Lyons said afterward. Defense Attorney Maas, on the other hand, was not pleased with it. "I was hoping that the sentence would be less," Maas said. "I sincerely think that it was too high." Members of the Waters family did not want to comment after the sentence was handed down, but one of Waters' sisters appeared upset with the decision and indicated that based on the severity of this sentence, Turner deserves a more severe sentence. "Chris better get at least 30 years," she shouted to another relative in the hall outside the courtroom.
(04/09/91 9:00am)
Christopher Turner and Allan Waters have pled guilty to robbing and running over a College junior in October, and Waters is scheduled to be sentenced today. Representatives of the Philadelphia District Attorney's office said yesterday that Waters, who entered a plea of guilty to charges of robbery and criminal conspiracy earlier this year, will be sentenced at 9 a.m. today in room 710 of the Common Pleas Courthouse, located in City Hall. The 23-year-old Waters, of the 1300 block of S. Ruby Street, has been represented by various public defenders since his first pre-trial conference January 28th. Turner will be represented by public defender Peter Maas, who could not be reached for comment last night. Turner, a 28-year-old from Baltimore, is scheduled to be sentenced May 14th. Turner's attorney, Barnaby Wittels, said yesterday the men face a maximum sentence of 15 to 30 years in prison. According to eyewitness testimony, the two men pulled up next to College junior Roberta Koeppel in a white van on the 4000 block of Locust Street and attempted to take her book bag, which was draped across her shoulder. Koeppel was dragged 30 feet until she hit a parked car, which knocked her underneath the van. Wittels said that Turner was unable to plead guilty at the same time as Turner because he was found to be mentally incompetent to do so. Wittels explained that psychiatric evaluations performed on Turner in January and February showed that he suffered from schizophrenia and other mental problems. He said that his client had intended to plead guilty earlier. "He was hearing voices, and seeing things," Wittels said last night. "He simply wasn't mentally competent to enter a plea of guilty, otherwise we would've pleaded guilty back in January." According to court records, Turner was finally allowed to enter a guilty plea on March 15th.
(04/09/91 9:00am)
The University Council Safety and Security Committee is considering possible changes in walking and riding Escort Services. Jeffrey Jacobson, co-chairperson of the committee, said this week that some of the major issues that need to be addressed include the number of escorts for walking Escort, the area the services cover, and the hours they operate. Jacobson said Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape has suggested that each walking escort consist of a man and a woman in order to reduce discomfort if a female is just being escorted by a man. STAAR Coordinator Erica Strohl said some women have said they are uncomfortable in such a one on one situation. But Strohl added the main change that students want is for riding Escort to extend its hours. "The main thing we're hearing from the students is that they want Escort to run from sunset to sunup," Strohl said. College senior Mike Murphy, an Escort Service dispatcher, said last night the service operates from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. Jacobson also said the Graduate and Professional Students Association has asked riding Escort to extend the area it covers. GAPSA Vice-Chairperson Elizabeth Hunt said last night extending Escort coverage over the Market Street bridge toward downtown would show that the University cares about the needs of graduate students, many of whom live east of campus. "We feel that if they really want to serve our needs better, they need to take a closer look at what our needs really are," Hunt said. Hunt added the fact that Escort does not go further downtown prevents many graduate students, especially women, from looking for housing outside the University area. "You'll find that more and more female graduate students are living closer to campus because they can't use Escort," Hunt said. "I was looking for an apartment next year but I nixed downtown because I couldn't use Escort to get home." Escort Dispatcher Murphy said that at present, vans go only as far east as 29th Street and cannot serve students who live downtown. Jacobson added that the administration realizes some changes have to be made and will work to do so. But some of the improvement must come from a change in the attitudes of the students, he said. "What every student needs to ask his/herself each time they use Escort, especially riding escort, is whether they are using it for their own safety or for their own convenience," Jacobson said. "We've got the perfect conditions to improve Escort," Jacobson added. "The solution to these problems will only come about when the administration agrees to spend more money on the services, and when the students decide that they will only take Escort when they need it and not every time they just want it." Jacobson also stressed that plans to improve Escort Services are not the result of the series of recent minor traffic accidents involving Escort vans in recent months. Jacobson said students should not let these minor incidents sway them into believing that riding Escort vans is unsafe. "Minor traffic accidents happen everywhere," Jacobson said. "We have no careless or reckless drivers driving the vans. It should also be pointed out that in the years escort has been operating, with up to 10 vans on the street at a time, there has never been an accident with any serious injuries."
(04/08/91 9:00am)
wo University students were robbed off campus, and, in a separate incident, a boy was arrested for illegal possession of a weapon over the weekend, University Police officials said last night. According to University Police Sergeant Michael Fink, a male University student was robbed at 8:29 p.m. Thursday night by two men dressed in dark clothing on the 4200 block of Locust Street. The men took the student's wallet and fled the scene, Fink said. Early the next morning, at 1:48 a.m., another male University student was robbed at knifepoint in the 4000 block of Ludlow Street. The student told police he was approached by two men, one of whom punched him. The student said the men then threw him against the wall, frisked him, and took his wallet. One of the men had a knife, the student said. The two assailants were described as wearing dark jackets and dark baseball caps. Despite the similarity of description, Fink said there is no evidence of a connection between the two incidents. Fink added that University and Philadelphia Police are conducting a joint investigation of both incidents. In an unrelated incident, two University Police officers arrested a male juvenile at the intersection of University and Woodland Avenues near 38th Street for possession of a .22 caliber pistol at 10 p.m. Saturday night. Sergeant Fink said plainclothes officers Gary Cooper and Albert Sulpizio observed a Mercury automobile with two occupants closely following pedestrians in the 4200 and 4300 blocks of Pine Street for approximately one hour. After the officers radioed their observations to headquarters, a uniformed police officer, Adam Powell, stopped the car at the intersection and found the occupants were an adult male and a male juvenile who was in possession of the weapon. Because the offender was a juvenile, Fink could not release any further information about the incident.
(04/02/91 10:00am)
The Philadelphia Police's 18th District reported in The Almanac last week that there were four robberies and one aggravated assault which occurred over spring break near campus -- crimes which had been previously unreported to the University community. According to the 18th District crime report, there were three robberies involving a gun, one strong-arm robbery, and one incident of aggravated assault. University Police spokesperson Sylvia Canada said last week that because many of the crimes were reported exclusively to Philadelphia Police without any involvement of University Police, the University may not be aware of the crimes until the published report. "If they aren't reported to us, and they are reported only to Philadelphia, we may not know until we see the published crime report," Canada said. However, University Police Lieutenant Susan Holmes said that two of the robberies involving a gun were committed by the same person, and that University Police made the arrest after the second incident. Police Commissioner John Kuprevich said last week that he did not know why the information was not made public and attributed the mistake to a foul-up in communication. "We have no excuse for this not being made public," Kuprevich said. "There was a snafu in the information flow and we will work to insure that this will never happen again." "There is certainly no reason why we wouldn't want this information known considering that we made the arrest," he added. Lieutenant Holmes said last week that on March 11, the Domino's Pizza store at 3801 Chestnut Street was robbed at 9:45 p.m. by an unidentified man who carried a gun. The following night, Holmes said, a man, armed with a knife, tried to rob an attendant at the Presbyterian Hospital parking lot on Market Street near 39th Street. Holmes said that a scuffle ensued involving the attendant and the would-be robber in the middle of which, a gun was drawn. The attacker then fled the area, Holmes said. Officer Patrick Tevis, who was on patrol in the area of 34th and Walnut streets, heard of the incident on his radio and spotted a man fitting the description of the assailant. Tevis kept the suspect under surveillance until a backup unit could arrive, Holmes said. She added that the man was apprehended in the 100 block of 32nd Street, where he was frisked and Police found a gun. The parking lot attendant was brought to the scene and positively identified the man as his assailant, Holmes said. The same man was later identified by employees of Domino's Pizza as the man who had robbed their store the previous night. Holmes did not know what charges the man faced, but said that an arraignment date had probably been set for sometime late last week.
(04/02/91 10:00am)
The University plans to continue improving security regardless of cuts in the University's overall budget, University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich said last week. According to Kuprevich, the administration has repeatedly expressed devotion to maintaining a satisfactory level of security. He added that officials have not indicated that this level will be decreased due to budget cuts. Kuprevich said the budget problems should not seriously damage either contract negotiations with the department's officers or plans for a new police station. "[Senior Vice President] Marna Whittington and the administration have made a commitment to the safety and well-being of the community," Kuprevich said. "I believe they've demonstrated this to the community and that commitment has not changed one iota. Certainly no one wants to see this department become anything but an asset in insuring that this community is safe for everyone." The University's latest proposed budget cuts, announced last month, do not include campus security among the departments scheduled for reduced allocations. Both President Sheldon Hackney and Whittington have stated in recent months that the level of security on the campus is a "non-negotiable" issue. One of the issues that police supervisors will face in the near future is the renegotiation of the police officers' contracts, which come up for renewal this summer. When the contract last expired in 1988, the officers went on strike for over a month before reaching a settlement with the University. Kuprevich said he hoped this year's negotiations will go smoothly and added that, above all else, all employees of University Police from the officers on up, have campus security as their uppermost concern. "I am extremely optimistic that we will come to a mutually-agreeable situation that will not impact the level of safety in this community," Kuprevich said. "Everyone in this department is committed to this community and I think that that, for all of us, comes first. He added that despite a University-wide hold on all new construction at the University, the department remains optimistic its proposed new headquarters at 40th and Walnut streets will eventually be built. "There is a moratorium, but we are still continuing the planning on that facility," Kuprevich said. "We still are optimistic that something will happen to turn this whole crisis around."
(03/25/91 10:00am)
In unrelated incidents, two Escort Service vans were involved in accidents last Friday night, University Police officials said. In addition, a University police car was involved in a high-speed chase of a stolen car through the campus' streets last week. In the first Escort van accident, University Police Lieutenant Susan Holmes said the van struck a car on the 3900 block of Spruce Street at 10:06 p.m. Friday night. There was no damage to either vehicle, she said. Holmes said that later that evening, at 2:38 a.m., another Escort van struck a vehicle in the 3300 block of Spruce Street. No one was injured in either of the accidents, Holmes said. According to University Police Sergeant Michael Fink, the high-speed car chase began when University Police were called to investigate a disturbance by three men at Stouffer Triangle at 1:50 a.m. Wednesday night. Fink said that when the police arrived at the scene, the men fled in a black Suzuki jeep. The police chased the car westward and the jeep flipped over on 42nd and Pine, Fink said. Fink said that the jeep was reported stolen from Drexel Hill on January 25th. The driver of the jeep, 27-year-old David Patrick Doyle of Springfield, Pennsylvania, was charged with one count of possession of stolen property and one count of drunk and reckless driving, Fink said.
(03/25/91 10:00am)
University Police arrested a West Philadelphia man Friday in connection with the March 2 attempted rape of a female University employee on 36th Street between Locust and Spruce streets, University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich said yesterday. According to Kuprevich, the man, 34-year-old James Bernard Williams, of the 4600 block of West Minister Street, was arraigned on seven counts, including attempted rape and aggravated assault on Friday and is being held at the Philadelphia Police detention center. Kuprevich also said that Williams is already awaiting sentencing for an involuntary manslaughter conviction. The commissioner said he hoped that a conviction for attempted rape would insure that Williams would be in jail for several years. "I'm hoping that we won't see this guy on the street for a very long time," Kuprevich said. This is the second time this semester University Police have made an arrest in an alleged sexual assault case. According to Kuprevich, University Police officers Nick Viola and John Washington were on an early morning patrol around 36th and Locust streets a week after the attempted rape, when they spotted a black man who fit the description and composite sketch of the attempted rapist. Officers Viola and Washington took the man into headquarters where he was interviewed by University Police Detective Supervisor Mike Carroll. Kuprevich said the victim of the attack had gone home for spring break, however, and police could not make a positive identification and were forced to release Williams. Over spring break, University Police and the Philadelphia Police's Sex Crimes Division tried to contact the victim at her home, hoping to set up a photo line-up even if they had to travel out of state. But attempts to reach her were unsuccessful. When the University employee returned to campus on March 20, police set up a photo line-up in which the victim positively identified Williams as her assailant. Kuprevich said that a warrant was obtained and Williams was arrested last Friday and charged with one count of attempted rape, one count of aggravated assault, and five misdemeanor charges including indecent assault and reckless endangerment. No trial date has been set yet, but Kuprevich expected that Williams would undergo a preliminary hearing within the next week. Kuprevich praised the University employee, saying that without her help, an arrest could not have been made. "The cooperation of the victim and her willingness to come forward to work with police and victim support services is really what made this come together," Kuprevich said. "It's a real credit to her." Kuprevich also lauded officers Viola and Washington for their work in alertly patrolling the area and spotting a possible suspect. Kuprevich also praised the officers at Philadelphia Sex Crimes for their help in the area of victim support as well as for their help in expediting Williams' arrest. "Everyone did one heck of a job of good policing," Kuprevich said. "It was truly a job well done."
(03/08/91 10:00am)
Campus crime has decreased over seven percent in the last three years, according to a University Police Department report released this week. But University Police admit the statistics are not entirely accurate, since the geographical area included in the report is defined too narrowly. Police Commissioner John Kuprevich said he hopes to change the way statistics on campus crime are kept so that they provide a better picture of the University's safety problems. The three-year report includes every incident reported to University Police between 1988 and 1990 and indicates that while there have been minor increases in certain types of crime, such as disorderly conduct, incidents of crime overall have been on the decline. Kuprevich said yesterday he was pleased that crime has declined, attributing it to a near doubling in the number of police officers patrolling the University since 1988. "The fact that we have more personnel has allowed for more effective patrols which allow us to make more arrests," Kuprevich said. "The more arrests made, the less crime in the future because the more frequently you take criminals off the street; the more you convince them that if they commit a crime, they will get caught therefore making them less likely to try anything." But, Kuprevich noted, the statistics are not totally indicative of the status of security on campus. The report says there have been no incidents of forcible or attempted rape in the past three years, despite well-known occurences of such crimes. Kuprevich said the report only includes incidents which conform to definitions created by the U.S. Government. Kuprevich explained that the law defines crimes committed on campus as a crime committed in or on University-owned property which is located in the geographic area of the University and is used directly for or in relation to educational purposes, or a crime committed in or on property owned by an institution recognized by the University. But Kuprevich added that he hopes to make available to the University community-wide statistics, which are based on broader definitions of campus crime and which give a clearer picture of security on campus. "I think we owe it to our community to release figures that are truly meaningful to them," Kuprevich said. "Every one of those statistics is per Federal law, but we need to go beyond that for community purposes. Women's Center Elena DiLapi stressed yesterday that people who see the report should take into account the narrow definitions used to define crime, especially with regard to incidents of actual and attempted rape. "People have to realize that if incidents of rape don't fit a fixed definition, it doesn't mean they don't happen," DiLapi said. "Also, many incidents of rape go unreported to the police," DiLapi added. "But that certainly doesn't mean that they didn't happen." DiLapi said she is working with the University Council Safety and Security Committee to develop a centralized system of reporting rape to be in place next fall so statistics will reflect reality. Commissioner Kuprevich also noted that the report does not recognize incidents of acquaintance rape. "The reports do not take acquaintance rape into account at all," Kuprevich said. "And those statistics are something which the public must be made aware of." Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape Coordinator Erica Strohl added that she feels it is wrong for the University to point to such a report as an indication of campus security especially because it does not take into account incidents of acquaintance rape. "They don't put any sort of disclaimer that says that these statistics are calculated using the narrowest of definitions for crime," Strohl said. "I don't think that Penn is doing a service to the community by pretending that we have no rapes here when everyone knows that's not true."
(03/06/91 10:00am)
Although there have been three reported incidents of actual or attempted sexual assault in the past three months, there are no indications that such incidents will become more frequent, University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich said yesterday. Saturday's attempted rape of a University employee on 36th Street between Locust and Spruce streets marked the third incident of attempted or actual sexual assaults on or around campus since winter break. Students this week called the recent increase in reported sex crimes "unprecedented," and expressed concern that similar incidents of rape or sexual assault may become even more frequent. But Kuprevich emphasized there is no connection between any of the incidents and there is no reason to believe future incidents will become more prevalent on campus. "These are all significant events that have occurred," Kuprevich said. "But they are all unconnected in terms of circumstances and persons involved." "I don't see this as something that's just going to start happening all over campus," Kuprevich added. Microbiology Professor Helen Davies, a member and former chairperson of the University Council Safety and Security Committee, said last night she does not believe the three reported incidents of sexual violence are indications of a developing trend, but rather show a growing confidence among women to report incidents of rape or sexual assault. "It appears to be an increase in the number of rapes, but actually it's an increase in the number of rapes reported," Davies said. Davies said the fact that women's groups have so strongly pushed for punishing rapists has helped women overcome their fears and report having been attacked. Davies explained that many women fear their assailants will come back to attack them again and therefore are hesitant to make an official report. But Davies cautioned that many rapes -- both by strangers and acquaintances -- are still not reported. "I'm horrified at what has happened," Davies said. "But I'm not surprised that we are hearing that there have been rapes because I see rapes go unreported all the time." College junior Jeffrey Jacobson, co-chairperson of the University Council Safety and Security Committee, said the only way students and faculty can prevent stranger rape is by working together. "The only way to combat this is for students and the administration to form a partnership where students agree to look out for themselves and the administration agrees to look out for them," Jacobson said. "Right now, the administration isn't doing a good enough job communicating the services available to the students and the students aren't doing a good enough job listening to them." Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape Coordinator Erica Strohl added that acquaintance rape is an entirely different and much more prevalent type of sexual violence which goes virtually unreported on campus. She said victims have difficulty recognizing their experience as a rape and not as an exercise of bad judgment. "In acquaintance rape, it's not always clear to the victim that something wrong has been done to them," Strohl said. "The victims often do not view the incident as a crime but rather as a bad experience that they should put behind them, whereas in stranger rape, the victim is able to label the experience as a rape much more quickly."
(03/05/91 10:00am)
A University Escort Service van rear-ended two other vehicles on the 3900 block of Walnut Street Sunday night, causing minor injuries to one person, University Police officials said yesterday. The accident was the second time in four months an Escort van has been involved in a traffic accident near campus. Stephen Carey, assistant director of the University's Department of Transportation and Parking, said yesterday that due to the rainy weather that evening, the van, carrying no passengers, skidded and collided with another vehicle causing minor damage to both vehicles. Carey said the incident was entirely due to the inclement weather and that the driver was not at fault. Carey would not release the name of the driver involved. "There were numerous severe downpours that evening," Carey said. "And this incident was just the result of slippery conditions on the road." Carey said that he had no knowledge of the third vehicle involved or of the person taken to HUP with minor injuries. "To the best of my knowledge, there was no one else in the Escort van and there were no injuries to anyone involved," Carey said. In November, an Escort van was struck while trying to turn near 30th Street. After that incident, the two students who were in the van said that the driver -- who they claimed was at fault for the accident -- did not seem to care what had happened. The driver of the van was subsequently relieved of his duties while officials conducted an investigation. Carey said yesterday that all Escort drivers receive mandatory training through his department and go through an additional mandatory training program given through the Department of Risk Management before they are allowed to drive a University vehicle.
