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(11/21/06 10:00am)
Misplaced loyalty
To the Editor:
Adam Cohen's column ("The future is bright for a Democratic America," DP, 11/16/06) is laced with the same brand of ignorance and partisan rhetoric that permeates contemporary politics in America.
First, he lists recent ethics scandals - interestingly omitting Democratic ones. I find it hard to forget Democratic Rep. William Jefferson's $90,000 stash in his freezer.
He then ignores the role of Congress in foreign policy, as if this Penn Law student has forgotten the Constitution, specifically Congress' power to declare war, ratify treaties and confirm presidential appointments. (Does the name Bolton ring a bell?) More disgusting, Cohen suggests that Democrats should abandon efforts to deal with the situation in Iraq, as to not put the Democratic Party in a precarious situation.
With his hideous Titanic analogy, Cohen disregards the lives of Americans and Iraqis, not to mention the conflict's regional implications - all in the name of party loyalty. He then follows with an unusually optimistic - and likely unrealistic - analysis detailing how Democrats may remain in power.
Cohen's position is a pristine example of what's wrong with American politics: loyalty to a party instead of loyalty to America.
(11/15/06 10:00am)
More than modest
To the Editor:
I was disappointed to see you call President Amy Gutmann's donation to the University for financial aid "modest" yesterday ("Gutmann chips in for student aid, DP, 11/14/06).
While it is, indeed, less than George Weiss gave to the University, it is still notable and is a good percentage of Gutmann's income. As noted in an earlier issue of the DP, Gutmann makes a mere $675,000. $150,000 is a pretty good percentage of that income, and if every alumni or friend of the University gave a similar percentage, we would not whine and complain about not being able to keep up with the other top Ivies.
Every gift and every donor truly counts, from George Weiss' to a recent graduate's to Gutmann's. I wish that your publication was not so discouraging about $150,000. I wish you luck in trying to raise similar funds for your class as it graduates.
(11/14/06 10:00am)
Slavery cartoon
To the Editor:
A recent cartoon, drawn by artist Abdi Farah, ("Opinion Art," DP, 11/6/06) depicts Uncle Sam and a college professor, accompanied by a chained African American slave, glaring at Amy Gutmann.
Uncle Sam points and says, "We knew the always progressive Penn would eventually support terrorism!" In the forefront, Amy Gutmann stands confidently, while a benevolent Ben Franklin comes to her defense.
"At least we never supported slavery," Ben says. The cartoon is obviously referring to Gutmann's controversial Halloween picture in relation to Brown's recently discovered slavery ties, but the cartoon is historically misleading. Benjamin Franklin was at one time a slave owner, just like the Brown family. He owned two slaves named George and King, and his newspaper, The Pennsylvania Gazette, regularly ran ads concerning the sale and purchase of slaves in Philadelphia.
Franklin eventually freed his slaves and became a prominent abolitionist, but the cartoon neglects the fact that even Franklin at one time supported the institution of slavery. I hope your opinion artists are more considerate of history the next time they use our founder's image as a promotional tool.
(11/10/06 10:00am)
Wrongly associated
(11/07/06 10:00am)
I took a photo, too
To the Editor:
I am writing to acknowledge that the photo I took with a student at the annual Halloween Party ("Controversy erupts over student in terror garb," DP, 11/3/06) has caused a kind of wounding to some in the Penn community.
I did not immediately associate what I saw of the student's costume with the kind of gear worn by a suicide bomber. In the seconds between the student tapping me on the shoulder under that very crowded tent and asking me to take a picture with him, my agreeing to do so and asking his name, I did see his headband and the toy gun.
I am dating myself, but what I thought of was the movie action hero Rambo. I didn't see the fake waistband of dynamite until after the picture was taken.
At that point - in a matter of a few seconds - I put all of the pieces together in my mind of what the whole get-up was meant to symbolize. All of that now, of course, is history - and several Web sites and Internet web logs gone. The wounding, however, remains for some, and I am eager to address it in any way that I can.
To be sure, I would not intentionally set out to hurt anyone, nor do I take lightly symbols that are particularly painful to anyone or any group. In the meanwhile, the photos have taken on a life of their own.
They are subject to all kinds of interpretations. Those interpretations are determined by the images in the pictures, how the pictures are presented, what the images mean to different people and the intentions of the persons responsible for displaying them in a particular frame, setting or environment.
For me, this aspect of the power of an image is connected with something I learned out of my own African American preaching tradition: "A text taken out of context is a pre-text."
My hope is that the insensitivity and offensiveness of the images will not be the final word that defines anyone's perspective of the community at Penn.
(11/06/06 10:00am)
Apology owed
To the Editor:
I just wanted to congratulate President Gutmann on an interesting choice for a holiday picture pose ("Controversary erupts over student in terror garb," DP, 11/3/06). The body language certainly is telling; naivete meets duplicity (I'll let you determine which is which).
Once again, academia demonstrates just how out of touch it is with the real world. For Gutmann to believe that such a pose is nothing more than fun, a moment in the spirit of the festivities goes beyond insensitive - it borders somewhere between cultural uncouthness and political correctness run amok.
Had this costume been worn by a blond Anglo student, it would still have been insensitive, but slightly less politically charged. For Saadi to don such an outfit simply shows his willful disregard for victims at the hands of cold-blooded killers and a blatant disrespect for a conflict that is enveloping the world.
I don't deny Saadi's right to be so unashamedly offensive. However, what I do object to is an (alleged) respected academic being such a puppet. If Gutmann doesn't believe this picture, and others from the party, won't make the cyber-rounds and have some effect on current ideological and political conflicts, then she is even further removed from a realistic understanding of current events.
Gutmann, you owe a great many people a tremendous apology.
(11/01/06 10:00am)
Stringent security
To the Editor:
Rene Alvarez's opinion article, ("Students' Fears of Crime are Largely Unfounded," Daily Pennsylvanian, 10/3/06) made some very interesting and valuable points on crime in West Philadelphia and its effects on Penn students.
However, we must fundamentally disagree with Alvarez's main point that Penn's security measures are too stringent. The violent crimes around Penn's campus last year (including the shooting of a student) prove that these concerns, in fact, were not unfounded.
Penn's implementation of its $5 million security plan is clearly working, as the area has experienced a large drop in crime. Lastly, we would like to refute Alvarez's statement: "Isn't this show of force really just there to reassure Mommy and Daddy that their little darling from the lily-white suburbs is safe in the big, bad city?"
We would like to remind Alvarez that not all Penn students are sixth-year Ph.D. candidates bordering on their 30s. Many students are, in fact, 18 and 19 year old girls. Clearly, Alvarez can comprehend the increased threat "the big, bad city" poses to a young girl, as opposed to a large, grown man, such as himself.
Maybe if Alvarez were more in touch with Penn's general demographics he would better understand.
(10/27/06 9:00am)
Real violations
To the Editor:
I was walking to campus and I happened to see one of those sticky mouse traps that a Penn kid had let lay by his trashcan.
I wouldn't have thought twice about it, but the mouse was moving. It had its face ripped off and was in extreme pain, and some Penn student had left it there to die a very slow death (it takes them days to starve, and they're known to chew through their feet to try to escape).
I had to beg someone off the street to step on it. The poor thing was so scared and in so much pain and I can't get its writhing body or its eyes out of my mind. I just can't believe that students from Penn, supposedly some of the most enlightened minds from across the country and the world, can't take 20 seconds to do the right thing and step on a mouse or drop a book on one.
(10/20/06 9:00am)
Arlen Specter
To the Editor:
Albert Sun's article on Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.)'s address at College Hall ("Pa. senator slams detainee bill," DP, 10/13/06) conspicuously omitted a key point: Sen. Specter ultimately voted for the bill he so harshly criticized.
As Dahlia Lithwick and Richard Schragger reported in The Washington Post, the senator justified this reversal by rationalizing that "the Court will clean it up," a particularly ironic excuse for a bill that specifically strips federal courts of authority over such cases.
Whether Specter acknowledged this in his talk or not, fair reporting demanded at least a mention of the contradiction in an article that focused on Specter's stance on the issue.
(10/13/06 9:00am)
Make a TV show
To the Editor:
As a producer on UTV, I strongly disagree with Ali Jackson's sentiments on the supposedly bland content of UTV ("After a show crossed the line, UTV lost its edge," DP, 10/9/06).
Penn's student-run television station simply provides an outlet for students to express their ideas. Jason Miller and the UTV board work extremely hard to provide this opportunity. But any fault with programming lies with students unwilling to express themselves, not with the station that gives them the opportunity to do so.
If Ali Jackson wants a racy show, I invite her to talk to the UTV board, which will provide the necessary training and equipment, at no charge, so that she can make her show a reality.
(10/12/06 9:00am)
Keep the rink
To the Editor:
I appreciate the awareness of Penn's hockey programs raised by the article ("A team on ice," DP, 10/3/06) on the Class of 1923 ice rink. But the author makes some naive assumptions. Granted, the potential tear-down of the rink will not affect any of the current Penn players, or even those for the next several years, but is that any reason to ignore the problem?
Those who are planning the eastward extensions of campus need to be approached now - rather than when it is too late - about changing their plans for the ice rink.
Penn is one of only two Ivies without a varsity program. Isn't that embarrassing enough? Why should Penn be the only Ivy without hockey at all? Let's not just leave the problem for someone else to deal with down the road. The Penn community wants to keep the ice rink, and we need to let it be known.
(10/09/06 9:00am)
A price too high
To the Editor:
I have been attending Penn Hillel High Holiday Services for 30 years. They have been my Jewish place of worship, my linkage to organized Jewish life, through school at Penn, family religious events and many a soulful search.
What a wonderful sight and sound to see more than a 1,000 Jews, from all ages and walks of life, singing in prayer.
The communal feeling was great and part of the inspiring awe. And it was free to worship. For years, I would host my family and friends, some Jewish, and many not. Yes, there was always the request for donation.
As my financial status improved, so did my contribution. So you can imagine my shock and outrage when the Web site for this year's High Holiday Service demanded a ticket price of $180 per individual and $360 per family!
Gone is the tradition and spirit of a donating Jewish community-friendly service that accepts all who want to worship. Thank you Penn Hillel for all the years of allowing me, my family and loved ones, to be closer to Hashem, from the spirit in our hearts. Too bad spending money breaks this tradition.
What one gains in exclusivity, one loses from the community of humankind.
(10/06/06 9:00am)
Real violations
To the Editor:
On behalf of Penn Faculty and Staff Against War on Iraq, I must challenge the accuracy and fairness of your coverage of our Teach-In ("An antiwar evening in Huntsman," DP, 9/21/06).
The opening line "Penn faculty revived a protest technique" carelessly omitted the staff who played a critical role in organizing this event. This is not a minor point: Too often, the vital contributions made by Penn staff go unnoted. Another inaccuracy followed: The Dreams of Sparrows is not a "fictionalized account of Iraq during the American invasion" but a gritty documentary.
We also question a number of disturbing editorial choices made. Why no quotes from enthusiastic student-attendees? Why a photograph that suggested no young people even attended?
And why put educate in inverted commas?
The U.S. government has lied repeatedly and, aided by a largely compliant media, has succeeded in keeping many Americans ignorant as to the true causes and costs of this war. We sought to replace fiction with fact, to explore the grim realities masked by "patriotic" rhetoric. If this is not education, we wonder what is. Finally, we reject your statement that our panelists discussed "perceived" human-rights violations in Iraq. This pre-emptive invasion violated international law.
It has killed as many as 100,000 Iraqi civilians and left countless more injured and homeless. Iraqi prisoners have been tortured and held without charge.
Five U.S. soldiers currently await trial for gang-raping a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and murdering her, her parents and her 5-year-old sister. For whom, we ask, are such violations merely "perceived?"
(09/29/06 9:00am)
Start small
To the Editor:
In your recent editorial ("Don't follow Harvard, yet," DP, 9/13/06), you glibly state that it is "simply not feasible" for Penn to dispense with its early-decision policy altogether.
Yes, Penn does not have the financial and administrative resources necessary to make such a move overnight, but perhaps we all need to think a little more creatively.
Companies often test the market before rolling out a product across the nation. Similarly, Penn should consider eliminating early decision on a test basis through the Management and Technology and Huntsman programs. With their relatively small applicant pools, removing early decision from the equation should not pose a huge strain on the administration while ensuring that we continue to attract the best and the brightest.
At the same time, Penn could use this initiative to justify a more intensive fundraising campaign. If the University moves toward this compromise, I will be the first to commit my annual bonus for the next two years to such a worthy endeavor.
(09/22/06 9:00am)
Too little outcry
To the Editor:
Afaf Meleis' recent column ("It's about home - not where you're from," DP, 9/10/06) sheds light on the unfortunate issue of discrimination toward Arabs and Muslims in post-9/11 America. What Meleis fails to note, however, is that Arabs and Muslims can do something about it.
There has been far too little public outcry by moderate Muslims against the perversion of Islam by al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. The numerous Arab American organizations that exist in the United States should hold rallies, press conferences and forums to call for an end to extremism and terrorism.
(09/15/06 9:00am)
Strikes do little
To the Editor:
Graduate Employees Together-University of Pennsylvania's Bill Herman suggests ("A Year Later, NYU TAs Back in Class," DP, 9/12/06) that the reason his group hasn't repeated strike action since the two-day protest in spring 2004 is because "things are pretty stable here right now."
It would be more honest to admit that the 2004 strike was an embarrassing flop - a vanity project with incoherent means and unclear goals.
Goodness knows there are genuine reasons for complaint about some graduate-student policies at Penn; but, as the fizzling out of the NYU strike suggests, radical pantomime, while no doubt exciting to the pulse, rarely gets us anywhere.
(09/12/06 9:00am)
Don't support China
To the Editor:
My son recently received advertising from the University of Pennsylvania Computer Connection. It promoted Dell, Apple and IBM ThinkPad laptops.
IBM recently sold its IBM ThinkPad laptop product line to a company called Lenovo. Lenovo is a company whose majority shareholder is the Chinese Communist government.
In an attempt to avoid purchasing products made by an oppressive communist regime, I looked at Dell laptops. Dell has a very interesting Web site, which prominently displays the American flag. Being suckered in by an example of corporate mendacity, I ordered from Dell. When the big day arrived and I began unpacking the newly shipped laptop, I was dismayed to discover that the computer had, in fact, been made in Malaysia. In addition, several peripherals had been made in China. As you know, there has recently been a huge Dell laptop battery recall. Having checked my Dell battery, I discovered that it was assembled in China.
Apple has recently announced a battery recall. I wonder where those batteries were made.
In any event, I strenuously object to the University of Pennsylvania colluding with the Communist Chinese government to sell it's products. Why not just donate money directly to the Communist Chinese military? The Communist Chinese government is a totalitarian dictatorship. It oppresses its people. It outlaws democracy. It disallows freedom of speech and religion.
Several years ago, college campuses and university policies were firmly directed against apartheid. There were demands for the University to terminate any investments directly or indirectly related to companies doing business with South Africa.
The same should be true of Communist China. Why are we doing business with an oppressive regime? Why is there not an outcry among the Penn Community to boycott Chinese products, including laptop computers, until the Chinese government frees its people?
Penn's Computer Connection should stop selling IBM ThinkPads and refuse to buy Dell components made in nondemocratic countries. It should also carefully investigate other computer companies to carefully select products that are not manufactured by the governments of oppressed peoples.
A school founded by Benjamin Franklin - one of the founders of modern democracy - and where the first electronic, digital computer was constructed should be at the forefront of this issue.
I challenge the Penn community to do what is right.
(09/08/06 9:00am)
Barbaro coverage
(07/27/06 9:00am)
Well folks, it's been fun. We've laughed (I did at least), we've cried (mostly over my bad jokes), we had a good run, but now we've come to the end of the road. And I appreciate all of you who still actually are reading this. So Donnie, thank you. This has done wonders for my self-esteem. And you will all be happy to know that I achieved my summer goal - on July 29th, 2006 I completed a Sudoku. It was a momentous moment in my life, and I feel as though I shared it all with you. While I realize that these 2 small pages of Street was just a tease compared to the real deal, but I hope it served to tide you over until at long last you can get 34 Street in all it's glory. Have a good rest of your summer; as for me I'll be jet-setting around the globe, making appearances after the conclusion of my Pulitzer prize worthy journalism this summer. We'll see you back here in September, but until then, go fuck yourself, Penn.
(09/11/01 9:00am)
Because of the increased use of cell phones resulting from today's attacks on
the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, all WMU students are advised not to
use cell phones except when necessary. The Herald will keep students
updated, both in Wednesday's issue and on the We
