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(06/25/98 9:00am)
Investigators are focusing on the items stolen from Shannon Schieber's apartment the night of her murder. Seven weeks after the grisly Center City murder of first-year Wharton doctoral student Shannon Schieber, police are bringing their investigation to the people in hopes of finding the killer. On Monday, the Philadelphia Police Department released pictures and descriptions of several of the items stolen in the early morning hours of May 7 from Schieber's apartment on the 200 block of S. 23rd Street. The three items identified for the public by the department were a pen set with a wood-grain finish, a silver necklace and a Canon ELPH camera. Police are encouraging people who have seen these items or have information concerning their whereabouts to contact the PPD's Homicide Division. "We're hoping that people will recognize these items and associate them with an individual and call the police," Capt. Stephen Glenn said. He added that often in these cases, the killer will brag about stolen merchandise to others, who could then contact the police. He also indicated that the 1 1/2-carat cubic zirconia necklace with a 15-inch silver chain is especially likely to be recognized as stolen by whatever woman may currently have it. The focus on the burglary angle of the robbery-murder is a shift for police, who initially considered the main suspect to be Yuval Bar-Or, a Wharton doctoral student who Schieber had told friends was stalking her. However, preliminary DNA tests last month did not match Bar-Or's blood to that found at the scene of the crime. Police say that they have no prime suspect. The possibility that a burglar climbed up a tree to her balcony and broke into her apartment, killing her in the midst of a robbery, is not being ruled out. An article last week in the alternative newspaper Philadelphia Weekly reported that new genetic evidence indicated an African-American or Hispanic perpetrator, but Glenn denied that any specific group had been singled out. "That would be inappropriate for me to comment on," he said. "The way the DNA markers work, they're not exclusive." Noting that the killer took items like CDs and a camera -- and left more expensive items, such as a computer, behind -- Shannon Schieber's father Sylvester last month expressed doubt that his daughter's murder was the work of a random "cat burglar." "As I work through it in my own mind, it's a little far-fetched," said Schieber, an economist working for the federal government. "We have to be very careful about being irrational about these things." A 1995 graduate of Duke University in Durham, N.C., Schieber, 24, was one of four students studying insurance in the Wharton School's doctoral division. She was at Penn as a fellow of the S.S. Heubner Foundation. After failing to show up for her job in Vance Hall and a scheduled lunch with her brother, the Chevy Chase, Md., native was found naked and lifeless on her bed at around 2 p.m. on May 7 -- approximately 12 hours after she was killed. An autopsy concluded that she died of "manual strangulation." Though the apartment was ransacked, police investigators initially doubted that robbery was the motive. Instead, they believed that Schieber was acquainted with her murderer.
(06/18/98 9:00am)
The controversial quality-of-life ordinance prohibiting many activities on city sidewalks is expected to pass into law. If everything goes as expected in City Council today, it will soon be illegal to ride a bike, hand out leaflets or sit for a prolonged period of time on a sidewalk in the city of Philadelphia. As today is the last session of Council before its summer recess, months of debate, compromise and disagreement will come to a head with a planned vote on Council President John Street's controversial "sidewalk-behavior" ordinance. The bill, first introduced last December, aims to bring more order to the city by criminalizing many forms of public behavior that regularly take place on sidewalks in Center City and neighborhood business districts. Sitting on the sidewalk for more than a half-hour, selling "objectionable materials" and even skateboarding would result in fines of anywhere from $20 to $300 per offense. Street's proposal -- which has won the support of most of Council and of Mayor Ed Rendell -- takes particular aim at the homeless by establishing fines for "aggressive panhandling," which includes attempts to solicit money near automatic-teller machines and bank entrances. After a marathon Council session last Wednesday -- at which various Council members dozed off, giggled uncontrollably and engaged in finger-pointing matches -- the 17-member committee finally passed the bill by a 14-3 vote at 1:20 Thursday morning. Dissenting from the majority opinion were West Philadelphia Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell and at-large Council members David Cohen and Angel Ortiz. Blackwell, whose district includes University City, said she disagreed with the bill "from beginning to end." "Right now it says that if you're more than 12 years old, you can't ride your bike on the sidewalk," she said, adding rollerskating and sitting down to the list of punishable offenses. "It's going to make life difficult for everybody." In order to combat opposition to the ordinance from community groups and Council members, the bill's sponsors pushed through a series of amendments during last week's contentious talks aimed at mitigating the legislation's effects. One of Street's amendments said that "no person shall be imprisoned for violating" the new rules. Instead, violators will face fines. At-large Councilwoman Happy Fernandez said that she plans to vote for the bill as amended. Fernandez was successful in including an amendment to fund "outreach workers" to work with the city's homeless, as opposed to dealing with them solely through the police. She said that an additional $6 million in city funds had been pledged for the effort. "I have the mayor's word that he will support the funding for the services," she said. Blackwell was skeptical. "For all those people who need drug addiction or mental health [help], there is no money for them," she said. "It is a negative bill that hurts the victims." Deputy Mayor Kevin Feeley said that while the funds would be appropriated under a separate measure later this year, the administration was committed to change. "For the first time in a decade, the city is going to fund -- at significant cost -- [additional] services for the homeless," he said, indicating that between $5 million and $7 million would be added to the $18 million the city already spends on programs for the homeless. Feeley also countered the persistent charge that the ordinance "criminalizes" homelessness. Instead, he said that it is meant to address primarily the small number of "shelter-resistant" homeless people who live on the streets of Center City. "They're almost impossible to reason with and impossible to reach out to," he said. "While you want to address the needs of the people who need help, you can't allow those 300 to 500 people to dictate life on the street." However, the defeat of one of Fernandez's other proposed amendments may fuel a future challenge to the ordinance. Fernandez had proposed that the clause prohibiting the distribution of handbills within eight feet of a building be removed, for fear of a court challenge on the first amendment right of free speech. "The reason why I wanted to take that out is to protect the bill," she said. "I'm hoping we can get that out in the fall." John Feinberg, a legislative assistant at the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said that the ordinance will likely face judicial scrutiny. "Aside from the bad policy aspects of the bill, it's unconstitutional," he said, citing the bill's restrictions on free speech. "It's out of whack." Feinberg also pointed to the clause prohibiting people from sitting or lying down on the sidewalk as an "unnecessarily harsh attack on the homeless." Feinberg said that an Ohio court's recent decision to invalidate a similar ordinance in Cincinnati could serve as a "model" for legal action in this case. Carol Scheman, Penn's vice president for government, community and public affairs, expects the ordinance -- which is focused on the Center City area -- to be contested if it is not applied uniformly around Philadelphia. "We think that if an ordinance is unevenly applied that it could not work," she said. "There are a lot of problems with the bill and I think John Street recognizes that." Street did not return several calls for comment. However, despite the controversies over funding for the homeless and first amendment rights, the issue of the bill's future effectiveness is still up in the air. "The police department has many things to do and moving people off sidewalks is not one of them," Penn School of Social Work Professor Dennis Culhane said. "That's going to require more resources than is likely to be made available." Blackwell also doubted the Philadelphia Police Department's ability to uphold the ordinance. "I believe that the police would have to carry manuals to enforce this law rather than fight the robbers, rapists and muggers out there," she said.
(06/18/98 9:00am)
In light of their last several meetings -- when food truck controversy, tuition hikes and dining outsourcing dominated the agenda -- this week's gathering of the University Trustees promises to be much less contentious than any in recent memory. The Trustees meet three times a year -- once each during the fall and spring semesters and once again over the summer -- to discuss and vote on matters of importance to the University. As in years past, the Trustees will spend much of their time mulling over administrative appointments, facilities planning and budgetary policy. Yet, there will not be the same fireworks as when the Trustees tackled the controversy spurred by the investigation into the University's crime-reporting methods or the debate over outsourcing facilities management -- both topics of discussion at recent Trustees meetings. The 2 1/2 days of festivities kicked off last night with a series of committee meetings and will conclude with the all-inclusive Stated Meeting of the Trustees at 2 p.m. Friday in the Faculty Club. Of all the meetings and events this week, only the gatherings of the Budget and Finance, Student Life and Academic Policy committees -- in addition to the Stated Meeting -- are open to the public. Administrative appointments will figure heavily into the Trustees' agenda. Managing Director of Public Safety Tom Seamon is expected to take the new post of vice president of public safety, while, following a successful review of her first term, Nursing Dean Norma Lang's term will be renewed for another five years. The Trustees also plan to honor two members of the University community by the dedication of campus landmarks. University Trustee and 1964 Penn Law graduate Henry Silverman will have his name emblazoned on the Law School's new Silverman Hall. His $15 million gift four months ago was the largest single ever made to an American law school. Additionally, the new road leading into the north end of Sansom Common, between 36th and 37th streets, will be named Murray's Way in memory of former Vice President for Business Services Steven Murray, who died on April 15 at the age of 51. The roadway will bisect the plaza area that had stood between Graduate Towers A and B, facilitating deliveries to the new retail and hotel complex. Also on the table is the University's operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Although University Budget Director Mike Masch could not reveal any budgetary details before his presentation to the Trustees, the academic budget in the last fiscal year topped $1 billion. However, the Trustees will not deal with work alone during their time on campus. Along with the University community, they will commemorate tonight the opening of the Bob and Penny Fox Student Art Gallery on the ground floor of Logan Hall at 249 S. 36th Street. The gallery was established by a $500,000 gift from the Foxes, both of whom are University alumni. According to University President Judith Rodin, the summer Trustees meeting serves as a time to "look back" on the accomplishments of the last academic year. "This has been an extraordinary year for Penn," she said, citing new faculty hiring, a competitive admissions class and increased fundraising among the University's successes.
(06/11/98 9:00am)
Last month when the QuakerCard unexpectedly went out of business, thousands of University students forfeited the popular debit card that had allowed them to eat cash-free at dozens of University City locations. But from where the QuakerCard left off, the University's alternative PennCash system is ready to step in -- and indications are that students won't have to resort to cash for their cheesesteaks and salads for much longer now. Using the gold "smart card" chip located on their PennCards, students have been able to make photocopies at University libraries, do laundry and make purchases at a number of area stores -- including Baskin Robbins, both Campus Copy Centers, Papa John's, Eyeglass Encounters, Gaeta's College Pizza and Smart Alex -- since earlier this year. But according to Director of Campus Card Services Laurie Cousart, the University has been actively courting former QuakerCard affiliates to join the PennCash system. Cousart said that each of the merchants that accepted the QuakerCard has been contacted and that several have inquired directly about signing up for the program. "We are hopeful that there will be an expansion of PennCash," she said. Though no agreements have been finalized, Cousart said she expects several to be signed before the end of the month. In the wake of the QuakerCard's demise, many merchants expected to join the University's program. "If the PennCard comes, it comes," said Steve Grant, manager of Wawa on the 3600 block of Chestnut Street. "Anything that's good for the school is good for me." "I'll certainly explore the possibilities," said Steve Malamut, director of operations for CosCo Management, which owns the Philly Steak and Gyro Co, La Pastabilities and Eat at Joe's Express in the 3401 Walnut Street food court, along with the yet to be opened Eat at Joe's Diner on the 3900 block of Walnut Street and Salad Creations, also located in the food court. Cousart emphasized that unlike the QuakerCard, the PennCash system has a ready-made market. "The real attraction will be that we have 30,000 PennCards out in service," she said. She added that PennCash, unlike the QuakerCard, is not meant to make a profit for the University, but to "cover costs." The PennCard's debit feature was unveiled in March 1997 as a joint venture between the University, PNC Bank Corp., MBNA Corp. and the University of Pennsylvania Student Federal Credit Union. Students can deposit up to $50 at a time on their cards at any of the Card Value Centers located across campus, with the value of their purchases deducted from their cards at the time of sale.
(06/11/98 9:00am)
Last-minute talks may save the independent bookstore from closure. Just two days ago, Achilles Nickles was distraught over the future of the bookstore which has been his life's work for the past 35 years -- he was expecting to close the doors of the Pennsylvania Book Center and walk away at the end of the summer. Nickles figured his store would follow the lead of several other 38th and Walnut Street retailers, all of which are being dislodged by construction of a new 300,000-square-foot Wharton graduate facility. But at a "final meeting" yesterday which would determine the fate of the Book Center, things worked out quite differently, and Nickles appeared a changed man. "Things are looking up," Nickles said. "Things are really looking up." Though Managing Director of Real Estate Tom Lussenhop would only describe the meeting's outcome as "positive," Nickles said that a lease could be signed for the former Sam Goody location in the 3401 Walnut Street complex either this week or next. Both Nickles and Lussenhop declined to reveal the specifics of the lease arrangements being discussed. But Nickles did say that the University had previously sent him a letter deeming the rental price of the 3401 location "non-negotiable," but that at yesterday's meeting the two sides found common ground on "a number of factors that were important," including price. Responding to a November 1996 announcement, The Book Store building is set to be demolished this fall, and the Penn Book Center has until August 14 to vacate its premises. But Nickles needs to know soon if he will be in business next fall, since he usually places professors' fall textbook orders right around now. These particular negotiations have been difficult for many members of the English department who rely upon the Book Center for their fall textbook orders, according to English Professor Robert Regan, who also serves as chairperson of the University's Bookstore Committee. "I've gotten a lot of e-mail from colleagues who are concerned about this," Regan said. "I hope that they will find a convenient location and that competition continues." Nickles said he believes a lease will be signed soon enough for him to be able to fill book orders for the fall. "We would certainly try our best," he said. "It's an important part of our business." If the Book Center does move to the 3401 site, it would join two other merchants displaced by the University's development effort: Auntie Anne's Pretzels, which is moving from Houston Hall to the former Cinnabon site in 3401; and University Jewelers, which -- like the Book Center -- is leaving University Plaza on the 3700 block of Walnut Street for space recently vacated by Metro Hair. Howard Gensler, owner of Classical Choice -- a University Plaza merchant that decided to move to Center City February after leasing talks with the University fell apart -- does not think that Penn has not been negotiating in good faith with the Book Center. "They [in the University] have a somewhat unreasonable regard for the value of their own property," said Gensler, a member of The Daily Pennsylvanian Alumni Association Board of Directors. "When you own every piece of property in the neighborhood, you have a lot of say in what goes where." Before he moved his store downtown, Gensler had been negotiating for the same space in the former Sam Goody site where the Book Center is poised to relocate. He said that the space had been offered to him at $31 a square foot, far higher than the price he pays at his current location. What every side does agree upon, however, is that the University community needs the presence of an independent bookstore. "It loses a certain amount of vitality on the campus when you just have one monolithic bookstore," Nickles said. "To be an Ivy League university and not have an academic bookstore on your campus, I don't think that says what [the University] wants it to say," Gensler added.
(06/11/98 9:00am)
In the fall, students walking around campus at night will notice a lot fewer Spectaguards on patrol -- but those that are will be increasingly mobile. Though the University customarily hires fewer Spectaguard security guards to patrol campus in the summer months, it will not increase the levels when the fall semester arrives, according to University Security Director Stratis Skoufalos. Instead, the University is in the process of replacing many of the Spectaguards currently on walking patrol with a new unit of bike patrols, based on the successful models of the Penn Police and the University City District's safety ambassadors. But Skoufalos maintained that the decline in the number of Spectaguards is not a cause for concern given frequent changes in the past. "The number of Spectaguard officers that is assigned here is a fluctuating number," he said. "This is just another one of our deployment things." The University's plan, Skoufalos said, is to cover the same areas in and around campus more efficiently by putting two wheels underneath its patrol officers. "We can be effective covering more ground and more responsive to campus needs by being mobile on bicycles," he said. "We thought it was a natural evolution." Larry Rubin, a spokesperson for Spectaguard, said that no officers would be fired as a result of these changes. The guards being taken from the Penn campus this summer will be permanently re-assigned to other Spectaguard accounts. But Spectaguard Assistant Vice President Gesi McAllister did note that the personnel shifts could have an economic impact on the officers themselves. Spectaguards on walking patrol make at least $10 per hour, while the officers moved to "interior positions" -- such as working at residential desks -- make as little as $8 an hour for the less "physically demanding" work. "There aren't that many jobs that pay as much [as the walking patrol positions], but then again, they're not doing the same work," McAllister said. "Most of them will wind up making less." None of the Spectaguards approached by The Daily Pennsylvanian would comment on the planned changes, citing clauses in their contracts requiring confidentiality. While Skoufalos would not commit the University to either a set number of Spectaguards on patrol or a timetable for the transition from walking to cycling patrols, he emphasized that this new policy was not merely "experimental." "We're always looking to do things better," he said. "It's a calculated deployment strategy." He added that the bike patrols, expected to be unveiled before the fall, would replace many -- but not all -- of the walking patrols in a "seamless process." Rubin said that the acquisition of new bicycles and officer uniforms are the only logistical details standing in the way of an imminent deployment of the new bike patrols. "Bikes are a sort of a growing trend in security work," he added, citing examples such as suburban shopping malls and the campuses of Drexel and Temple universities. "The bike patrols will create greater visibility and effectiveness."
(06/11/98 9:00am)
The Red and Blue are about to blast off into the infinite blackness of outer space. Garrett Reisman, a 1991 graduate of the Management and Technology program, was chosen last week by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as a member of this year's astronaut candidate class. He will begin 1 1/2 years of training and evaluation at the Johnson Space Center in Houston in late August. Only 100 of the 2,600 applicants for this year's candidate class were even granted interviews for the elite 25-member group. "It was sort of a long shot -- no pun intended," Reisman said of his chances for acceptance into the competitive program. After training, Reisman and his 24 classmates will receive technical assignments within the Astronaut Office before actually voyaging beyond the earth's atmosphere. He said that he could be in line for a mission within three or four years. After a childhood of model rockets and movies of the Apollo missions, Reisman, 30, majored in mechanical engineering and economics while at Penn. An Alpha Tau Omega brother, he served as president of the InterFraternity Council in 1989. The future spacewalker credited his "great Penn experience" for giving him the skills -- both personal and professional -- to meet the challenge before him. He thanked a number of Engineering School faculty members -- including former Engineering Dean Joseph Bordogna, current Engineering Dean Gregory Farrington and M&T; Program Director William Hamilton -- for giving him the skills and guidance that led him to apply for the space program. "Without the cumulative help of all of them, I never could have done it," he said. Reisman also credited his experiences in the Wharton School and the fraternity system for giving him the interpersonal and problem-solving skills necessary to work with a crew in the close confines of a space shuttle. After graduation, Reisman received his master's degree and doctorate in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. A native of New Jersey, he currently works as a spacecraft engineer in the Space and Electronics Group of Redondo Beach, Calif.-based TRW Inc.
(06/04/98 9:00am)
Urology Prof. Gregory Broderick finds himself at the center fo the national impotence debate. Penn Urology Professor Gregory Broderick has a problem. The difficulty is that Broderick, the director of the Penn Center for Male Sexual Dysfunction, has been at the center of the biggest sexual revolution since the advent of the birth control pill in the 1960s but doesn't know how to reflect that fact on his rZsumZ. Since late March, Broderick has helped lead a national dialogue over Viagra, the new impotence drug from Pfizer Inc. that has thousands of men lining up at their doctors' offices. Within two weeks' time, Broderick was cited by such publications as The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Time, and The Guardian, a London newspaper. "In this field, when you're putting together your c[urriculum] v[itae] -- and I update my c.v. on a regular basis -- you update it as to peer-reviewed papers, chapters and lectures given," he said. "I don't have a media section yet. So I guess I'll start a media section." While admitting that he has saved all of his press clippings, Broderick recognizes that his "15 minutes of fame" have likely expired. "It's very invigorating and very exciting to appreciate that someone wants to know what you know and wants your opinion," he said. "But all of a sudden when that stops, you feel wanting, you feel a little bit hungry and you realize that wasn't real anyway and you go back to being the person you were." "I can sympathize with the folks in Hollywood when they're not getting the calls anymore," he added. What made Broderick a celebrity in the field of urology was the Food and Drug Administration's approval this spring of Viagra, a small, blue, rounded-diamond-shaped tablet with the remarkable ability to enhance blood flow to the pelvic area. The result, Broderick said, is relief from "organic erectile dysfunction." "That means physical impotence," he explained. Broderick, 41, has headed the Center for Male Sexual Dysfunction for the last eight years. A graduate of Harvard University and the University of California at San Francisco Medical School, he trained at UCSF under Tom Lue, "one of the big gurus in male sexual dysfunction." According to Broderick, the Viagra craze is largely the serendipitous result of a pharmacological accident. "Most of the time, companies invest millions and millions of dollars in research and development of a product," he said. "In this case, Pfizer basically lucked into a situation here. They were developing drugs for chest pains -- cardiac drugs. It was being studied in one of their divisions in England and the men taking the drug really weren't having improvement in their cardiac symptoms but at the end of the study they refused to give back the tablets." "An investigator asked them why and they said, 'Well, we're getting better erections than we've had in years'," Broderick said. And since that time, Broderick and his colleagues have been very busy urologists. While 3,000 men, aged 19 to 87, were involved in Pfizer's clinical trials for Viagra, more than 200,000 men sought prescriptions for the drug -- in only its first week on the market. Broderick alone was hand-writing between 25 and 30 prescriptions a day for the first several weeks that the drug was available. "The nurses and I were going crazy," he said. Broderick maintained that despite the huge demand for Viagra, strict quality-control measures are in place. "I'd like to emphasize that every physician that writes this prescription is obligated to either see the patient and take a history? or have discussed with him in the past issues of erectile ability," he said. However, he sees a great potential for abuse in the craze that the drug has stirred up. Even as smugglers have tried bringing the drug into countries where it is not approved, Broderick noted problems in Philadelphia. "The street price for a Viagra tablet it between $14 and $18 a tablet," he said. "There gave been attempts to hijack supplies here in town. It's kind of like the black market in cigarettes." He cited young people looking to "experiment" and patients with non-physical sources of impotence as the primary groups who might turn to illicit sources of Viagra. But under approved conditions for men with a history of physical impotence -- resulting from diabetes, cigarette smoking or heart problems -- the drug has proven remarkably effective, Broderick said. In clinical tests, 70 percent of men achieved enough erectile function to "go back to having spontaneous sex" with few side effects. "For me, the gold standard is an erection that is unbending and will last for 20 minutes," Broderick explained. But he warned that men with heart problems that require nitroglycerine should not use Viagra, as the combination is potentially lethal. With the new "wonderdrug" raising so many questions and so much controversy regarding its use, the media has brought the issue to the front of the national dialogue on men's health. "I think that's just a sign of the times," Broderick said. "It's an indication that male sexual dysfunction is now in the center in terms of mainstream medicine. And that's where it should have been all along." Despite his notoriety in the field, Broderick almost did not go into urology. Instead, he was on course to be a cardiothoracic surgeon, but was "put off by the fact that the patients being operated on didn't always do that well." "I was very inspired by the fact that urologists have a nice mix of a practice in terms of surgery and medical management," he said. "And although we're working on very very elderly men and women, we're working on improving the quality of their lives and generally they do very well." After a few weeks of doing the media rounds to discuss Viagra, the sudden end of his "15 minutes of fame" took Broderick by surprise. "The week they stopped calling I came to work and I got a little nervous because there were no messages from any major news services," he said.
(06/04/98 9:00am)
No new negotiations are planned as the Transit Workers Union strike enters its third full day. The two sides in the strike of the Transport Workers Union Local 234 against SEPTA management are doing a lot of talking -- just not to each other. While the city and the 450,000 people who rely on SEPTA subways, buses and trolleys every day are beginning to feel the increasing effects of the transit shutdown, neither the union nor SEPTA seems willing to come to the table to negotiate a new contract. Or rather, according to representatives from both sides, it is the other side that does not want to make any concessions. "All's quiet at the bargaining table -- regrettably," SEPTA spokesperson Stephan Rosenfeld said. "This is a totally unnecessary strike [and] the vast majority of union members feel that way." "The TWU is prepared to negotiate at any time," TWU business agent Bruce Bodner countered. "We've been trying to negotiate since December. The problem in this dispute is SEPTA's inability to negotiate in good faith." On Monday, more than 5,200 SEPTA employees walked off the job at noon after working for 2 1/2 months without a contract. The union and management had been negotiating since December to draft a new contract to replace the old one, which expired March 15. Talks broke down the day before the strike began and have not resumed since. At the heart of the TWU's grievances against management are the 47 "take-away demands" negotiators made of union leaders, Bodner said. He blasted the plans by SEPTA to "take back rights and benefits that are already in our contracts." He cited Blue Cross/Blue Shield indemnity health coverage, job-picking rights for maintenance workers and clauses related to job security and workers' compensation as items that management has tried to eliminate from workers' contracts. "These negotiations are atypical," Bodner said. "It's not about the union trying to get benefits that management can't afford. It's about management trying to break the union." The two sides have also managed to produce two vastly different interpretations of how the city is coping with the increasingly difficult transportation conditions in the city. Rosenfeld cited "very effective" alternate-travel plans drawn up by city institutions -- including the University -- for making a "gut-wrenching experience" less traumatic. But Bodner disagreed, insisting "the longer the strike goes, the harder it will be" on tourism, SEPTA riders and the local economy. Yet, management and union officials did tacitly agree on two points: the lack of any mechanisms to end the strike in the very near future and the harmful impact the work stoppage is having on Philadelphia's lower class. While Rosenfeld said that he had "no idea" when talks might resume, Bodner prophesied that the strike "is going to go on for a long time" -- much longer than the 14-day walk-out TWU members staged in 1995. Continuing the war of words, Rosenfeld accused the union of hurting the surrounding community through its efforts. "The people getting hurt the most are those who most need SEPTA -- the low income people," he said. "We are their car." However, Bodner said that management's desire for more lower-paid part-time labor aimed to eliminate many of the few "good middle class jobs in the city of Philadelphia." Bodner went so far as to include Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell in the conspiracy, pointing out the mayor's "close personal ties" to David Cohen -- SEPTA management's chief labor counsel -- who served as Rendell's chief of staff during his first mayoral term. "It's about a class war being run by the city against its people," Bodner said. "That's an attack on job opportunities for Philadelphians." Meanwhile, SEPTA riders were put off by the bickering and seemed more concerned about the effect that the strike will have on their daily commutes. "I think it sucks," said Frank DiMeglio, who takes the subway to get to work. "I think [management]'s getting greedy. DiMeglio added that the workers he had spoken to did not want to go out on strike, but that they were forced to as a last resort. Bodner was confident that these workers -- who have no "strike fund" and must live off of their savings for the duration of the strike -- will weather the storm. "I think SEPTA thinks that if the strike goes past two weeks, our membership will crack," he said. "We may have to suffer and struggle in the short run, but it's the only way to preserve our jobs."
(06/04/98 9:00am)
The $5 million-plus offer joins the University's bid to buy the site at the heart of campus. It's been on the market since the beginning of 1997 and a large "Sale or Lease" sign has blanketed its Locust Walk fa_ade for the last eight months, but now there are indications that the Christian Association building may have finally found a buyer. A group of four investors is poised to make a bid to the CA for the property at 36th Street and Locust Walk, according to Gil Brenner, who is representing the potential buyers. Brenner is the chief executive officer of Impact, a marketing and public relations firm that has rented space in the CA building since early 1995. The bid is expected to be in the range of $5.2 to $5.5 million, Brenner said. The investors plan to formally present the bid to the CA in approximately two weeks, after final appraisals are made regarding the expected costs of planned renovations to the facility. The consortium is planning to spend between $750,000 and $1 million on "significant internal improvements" to the 76-year-old building. Brenner cited plumbing repairs and installation of an elevator as two high priorities. Brenner would not identify the investors by name, but said that they are "independently wealthy individuals." He added that the four come to the group from high-ranking positions at Nation's Bank, Wells Fargo, GE Capital and Westminster Capital -- all large financial services corporations. "They're semi-retired and they've got piles of money and they're looking for investments," Brenner said. "There will be a bid," he added. "I don't know if we'll win but there will be a bid." While CA Executive Director Beverly Dale refused to comment, CA Board of Directors Chairperson Eric van Merkensteijn said he was pleased to hear that a new offer for the building was forthcoming. "I can't wait to see it," he said. This outside bid comes on the heels of months of disagreement between the CA and the University, which has expressed a strong interest in buying the property in the middle of campus. Last October, the CA quickly rejected what van Merkensteijn labeled an "embarrassing" $3 million offer from the University. The CA had been asking $8 million for the property, though sources said the organization soon after lowered their price for the 29,000-square foot building. Van Merkensteijn said that the CA is "semi-seriously considering" a subsequent offer from the University, though he declined to comment on the details. But Executive Vice President John Fry, speaking for the University, indicated that negotiations have not progressed very far. "We've had a longstanding offer to them that is very fair," he said. "Nothing has happened. We simply don't understand why they haven't responded to us." Brenner said he is only acting as the link between his investor "friends" and real estate representatives of the CA and does not have a personal stake in the deal. "I don't have experience buying buildings," he explained. "I'm just putting the two groups together." Jack Lawlor, a real estate agent working for the CA, refused to comment on the building's status. Brenner also indicated that a lot of internal changes would be in store for the building if his group's bid is accepted. While whoever purchases the building will be obligated to respect the existing leases of the Palladium and the Gold Standard, Brenner said that the building would house the present CA, offices for Impact and space for nine other tenants. He added that some space would be set aside for mentoring programs to help disadvantaged children in the community and other service-based initiatives. Brenner said that parts of the building could be used to generate untapped revenue for his investors, including an auditorium which would host speeches and presentations. "[The present owners] are not generating the revenue they could," he said. "They're nice people but they don't have keen business sense." Brenner said that the investors, who did not want their names revealed to the press, will be visiting the site on Friday. "Of course they want to see the plumbing," he said. Van Merkensteijn said he is confident that the sale of the building is definitely in the works. "Either the University or some other group will purchase the building," he said, explaining that the CA wants to sell the building to increase the ministry's funding by turning "bricks and mortar into money."
(06/01/98 9:00am)
Although Penn's Irvine Auditorium is closed for repairs, guests spoke to smaller, sell-out crowds. Freehold Township High School '97 Marlboro, N.J. What do the First Lady, a popular late-night talk show host, the voice of Darth Vader and the leader of the world's most populous country have in common? Connaissance, part of the student-run Social Planning and Events Committee, brought Jones and television personality Conan O'Brien to campus as the group's fall and spring speakers, respectively. Connaissance and the Trustees Council of Penn Women sponsored Hillary Rodham Clinton's address in October, while Chinese President Jiang Zemin spoke at an invitation-only venue later that month while on an official visit to the United States. Jones kicked the year off by speaking to a packed house at the Annenberg Center's 900-seat Zellerbach Auditorium October 8. The actor, known for his work in such films as Field of Dreams and The Exorcist, entered to the tune of Star Wars' "Imperial March" before moving on to praising education as a "force" for the future. Jones also entertained the crowd with his trademark baritone voice -- famous from the "This is CNN" cable-television slogan -- and responded to requests that he reprise his infamous Star Wars role. "The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force," he bellowed, eliciting cheers from the audience. Two weeks later, a lucky few hundred students heard an equally large public figure -- personality-wise, that is -- when Hillary Clinton came to Zellerbach in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Trustees Council. Because of the number of alumni, reporters and selected student leaders in the crowd, only 320 tickets were available to the general student body. Connaissance organized the random lottery, choosing from 1,200 requests. Clinton, clad in a pale blue suit, extolled the accomplishments of women in America, from Carrie Bernham Gilmour -- the first female graduate of the Penn Law School -- to University President Judith Rodin, who she met while both were at Yale. Attendees hardly minded the Secret Service presence thanks to Clinton's knowledge of Penn history. "Wow, she really did her homework," said Trustees Council member Mary Hadar, a 1965 College of Women graduate and assistant managing editor at The Washington Post. Still in October, Jiang stopped at Penn during his highly controversial visit to the U.S., which also included lengthier stops in Washington, D.C. and Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. In awkward Chinese, Rodin introduced Jiang with a greeting of Huanying nin -- or "Welcome." "We welcome you for this historic occasion," she continued. Jiang spoke to an invitation-only gathering of University officials and Asian student leaders on his country's "extensive" record of cooperation with the University. Earlier that week, the Wharton School and the Graduate School of Education finalized plans to initiate an executive-education program for officials who run state-owned businesses in mainland China. On his brief visit to Philadelphia, Jiang was met by a handful of protesters at his Drexel University, Penn and Independence Hall speaking venues. He faced more than 4,000 pro-democracy demonstrators at his Harvard engagement two days later. By contrast, Conan O'Brien -- host of NBC's popular Late Night television program -- left his audience laughing, not chanting, during his April visit to Penn. The Harvard-educated entertainer gave a video-clip-enhanced tour of his life and career to a packed house in Zellerbach Auditorium. Beginning with his Ivy League education, O'Brien took the enthralled and amused audience through the ups and downs of his early days in show business -- which included stints with Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons -- before commenting on his current success. "I always got in over my head and put myself in positions that were really scary," he said. "Let me tell you, that works." In a lengthy question-and-answer period, O'Brien took inquiries on topics such as marijuana use, social responsibility and how to get a summer internship at NBC. He also granted then-College sophomore Risa Sang-Urai's request for a hug. O'Brien's speech was one of the most successful events in recent SPEC history. According to organizers, the 900 general admission tickets for the event sold out in only an hour's time over two days.
(06/01/98 9:00am)
Freehold Township High School '97 Marlboro, N.J. And in some respects this past year, it did. The student-run Social Planning and Events Committee organized an eclectic mix of concerts this spring, bringing in acts ranging from banjo player Bela Fleck to hip-hop artist Busta Rhymes. The headline event of the season, however, had a distinctly "funky" air to it. Touted as a "Funk Music Festival," the annual Spring Fling concert was led by saxophone great Maceo Parker, who played with James Brown and George Clinton before going solo eight years ago. Also featured on the bill were the New York-based Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, 1980s punk mainstay Fishbone and the Five Fingers of Funk, a 10-person hip hop and rap ensemble from Portland, Ore. Moved indoors from Hill Field to the Palestra because of the threat of inclement weather, concertgoers complained of poor acoustics and low attendance, and the show itself received mixed reviews. Only about 1,500 students came to the five-hour show. The heads of SPEC's Spring Fling and Concerts Committee had hoped to sell about 4,000 tickets. The show also suffered from negative public reaction to the announced band line-up. Many students had not heard of the acts or were upset about a lack of diversity among the largely funk, blues and hip hop-inspired artists. SPEC's announcement of the concert schedule -- made only three weeks before the show -- came on the heals of failed attempts by the organizers to lure top acts to campus for Fling. Penn had tried to bring the Mighty Mighty Bosstones in to headline the show, but the band's agents instead chose to sign with Princeton University that weekend. Far and away, Parker drew the highest praise from those in attendance. His showcase of varied musical talents and danceable rhythms impressed concertgoers greatly. "Maceo really blew everyone away," then-College senior Stephanie Klupinski said. "I'm just upset more people didn't go." Opinion on the opening acts was mixed. While most students liked Fishbone's enthusiastic performance -- replete with wild stage dives from lead singer Angelo Moore -- the Five Fingers of Funk and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion suffered from low student interest and poor sound quality, respectively. Meanwhile, other SPEC groups had greater success in booking widely-acclaimed acts. In February, SPEC Jazz brought the Grammy Award-winning Bela Fleck and the Flecktones to the University Museum's Harrison Auditorium. The band thrilled the sell-out crowd with their unique mix of country, jazz, funk and rock. Banjo player Fleck led his quartet on a 2 1/2-hour jaunt that pleased not only the diverse audience, but the performers themselves. "Playing in Philadelphia's always cool," he said. "I just loved the show because we were playing to such a mixed audience -- a real listening crowd that really got into the music." A month later, SPEC Jazz scored another coup as famed bassist and West Philadelphia native Christian McBride jazzed up an audience of 450 in the University Museum. Additionally, SPEC To Represent Undergraduate Minorities succeeded in bringing a major act to campus when hip hop and rap performer Busta Rhymes signed on to headline SPEC-TRUM's fourth annual concert, scheduled to coincide with the Penn Relays athletic event. Although a minor altercation involving his opening acts disrupted his performance early on, concertgoers danced to hits like "Dangerous" and "Woo Hah!! (Got You All In Check)" -- despite the show's location in the unfriendly confines of the Annenberg Center's Zellerbach Auditorium. "The last thing I'm tolerating is disrespect at my show," the shirtless, dreadlocked rapper told the audience after the fight was broken up.
(06/01/98 9:00am)
Freehold Township High School '97 Marlboro, N.J. In the first major overhaul of campus residences since dorms went coed in the 1970s, Penn has spent the last year transforming all of its residences into full-fledged, multi-year college houses which will debut this fall. Based on the model of existing colleges houses -- such as Hill and Van Pelt -- each residence will feature expanded in-house programming, designated dining hall space and enhanced academic services such as tutoring, writing advising and computer aid. Even if students move off-campus -- as approximately half of all undergraduates do -- they will still have access to house resources. Participation in house programs, even for residents, will be wholly voluntary. Another important feature of the houses, officials say, is the increased staffing in each residence. At least two faculty members -- one faculty master and one or more faculty fellows -- will live in each house, along with a residence dean and a total of approximately 200 graduate associates and undergraduate resident advisors spread over the 12 houses. Some of the houses, such as King's Court/English House and Hill, have used these concepts for years. Others, such as the three high rise houses and the four houses in the Quadrangle, will have to adjust to the new student-oriented features of the colleges houses. The University's plan, however, has met criticism from some students and faculty members. All of the college houses will be composed of students in their freshman through senior years. Many students claim the multi-year housing will deny many first-year students the "freshman experience" in the Quad, Hill and King's Court/English House. Many current freshmen have opted to stay in their freshman residence halls in the year to come, with several formerly freshman houses having upperclassmen occupy 20 to 25 percent of the rooms. Consequently, more freshmen will live in Harnwell, Harrison and Hamilton houses -- formerly known as High Rise East, High Rise South and High Rise North -- whose apartment-style suites provide the level of privacy more traditionally associated with upperclass living. Accompanying the increased services and staffing in the residences will be a number of capital improvements over the next decade. For the first several projects, rooms in Hill will have new furniture for the first time in almost 40 years while a new basement dining hall and rooftop exercise facility are slated for construction in Harrison. The University plans to pay for these improvements through a combination of financing methods. The savings from outsourcing facilities management to the Trammell Crow Co., a three percent increase in room rates over last year and a $70 activities fee charged to all students living on campus will defray the costs of increased staffing and services. The plan is the brainchild of separate reports by Art History Professor David Brownlee and the Biddison Hier consulting firm. Brownlee, who will be the faculty master in Harrison next year, authored a report nine years ago and a similar report last year, that was implemented, identifying the creation of communities-in-residence as a major priority. He served as interim director of college house implementation for the last year as his plan was finally put into effect. In May, Interim Provost Michael Wachter named Brownlee as chairperson of the Residential Faculty Council -- a body made up of all faculty members living in student dormitories -- and as director of the new Office of College Houses and Academic Services. "What David is taking on is a task of extraordinary importance to the University," Wachter said. "David will be in charge of residential lives in the college houses, both academically and in the non-academic parts." Whether the new college house system meets with student satisfaction, however, remains to be seen. Brownlee insists that the increased programming will not be pervasive. "No one is going to be out pounding on the doors, saying, 'Come on out, we're having mandatory discussions of Kierkegaard'," he said. Associate Vice President for Campus Services Larry Moneta said the success of the program will be based on whether it improves the lives of students, rather than on the popularity of any one component of the plan. "The measure of success is going to be on the individual basis," he said. "Ultimately, can every student express that Penn provided what they wanted? Did they find a path, did they find a niche, did they find a community that satisfied them?"
(05/28/98 9:00am)
In February, the University emerged penalty-free from a year-long U.S. Department of Education review of the administration's crime-reporting methods. In its findings, the DOE concluded that only a half-dozen minor violations of the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 had taken place at Penn from 1994 to 1996. But last week, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) -- a 1951 University alumnus -- introduced a bill that would make the existing rules concerning schools' obligations to publically disclose on-campus crime a lot more stringent for Penn and similar institutions. In the face of opposition from his alma mater, Specter introduced the Campus Crime Disclosure Act of 1998, an amendment to the 1990 act, which he co-authored. The main provisions of the act include an expanded definition of campus and "more realistic" penalties for non-compliance, according to authors. The original legislation defined "campus" as including only those buildings "owned or controlled by the institution of higher education within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area that is used by the institution for its education purposes." Properties owned or controlled by recognized student groups also fell under the act's jurisdiction. A 1996 Philadelphia Inquirer article reported that only about 10 percent of the robberies reported to Penn Police in 1995 were designated as having occurred "on campus." Crimes labeled as "off campus" do not have to be reported to the federal government, parents or students in the University's annual crime report. When Penn and other schools interpreted the act to mean that public streets and university-owned retail establishments -- such as the Food Court in the 3401 Walnut Street complex -- count as being "off campus," angry supporters of the original bill called for changes in the legislation. "I don't think the proponents at the time understood how far schools would go to cover up crime," said Daniel Carter, vice president of Security on Campus Inc., a non-profit victim-rights group. "I think the schools understood what loopholes they would have to exploit." The new bill aims to close those loopholes by expanding the definition of campus to include retail establishments, dormitories, streets, parking facilities and other buildings "within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area of the institution." Specter, speaking to Congress on May 20, blasted the University's policy of not including stores and streets in its crime statistics. "I believe that the omission of such information violated the spirit of the law and is a disservice to parents and students, especially for parents who send their children to college in urban settings," he said. "I believe it is preposterous to suggest that if a student fell victim to a crime, say on a sidewalk which he or she was using to get to class, that it would go unreported." University administrators expressed either unfamiliarity or opposition to Specter's proposal. In a letter to Specter dated May 18, University President Judith Rodin asked Specter to reconsider bringing forth the new legislation. "We at Penn remain concerned that the changes you propose to the definition of 'campus' would greatly complicate what is already a confusing issue," she wrote. Managing Director of Public Safety Tom Seamon, who has not seen the bill, cautioned against trying to draw "easy yes-and-no answers" from a "very complex matter." And Carol Scheman, University vice president for government, community and public affairs, argued that consistency is the key. "I think that the current definition of campus is as good as any other definition," she said. "If you change the definition now you won't be able to tell if Penn is getting more safe or less safe." Scheman added that she thinks that non-educational buildings should be excluded from campus crime tallies. "Where do you stop?" she asked, inquiring if areas like the Hamilton Village shopping center on the western edge of campus should be included. "There is no perfect definition and no perfect answer." But Howard Clery, who founded Security On Campus with his wife Connie 11 years ago after their daughter was raped and murdered in her Lehigh University dorm room, was skeptical of the University. "That is utter lying," he said. "I think President Rodin ought to take an ethics class during her time at the University of Pennsylvania." "Penn has a major problem," he added. "They have to face up to it." Since the passage of the 1990 legislation -- itself an amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1965 -- 63 schools have been found in violation of the DOE regulations, according to the General Accounting Office. However, no school has yet been penalized for non-compliance.
(05/28/98 9:00am)
Dean Greg Farrington will assume the presidency of Lehigh University in August after nearly two decades at Penn. After an exhaustive 10-month-long search for a new school president, the Engineers of Lehigh University finally have got their man: Penn's Gregory Farrington, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Ron Ulrich, chairperson of Lehigh's board of trustees, announced the hiring of Farrington one week ago at a noon press conference in the Bethlehem, Pa., campus' Alumni Memorial Building. "So many people throughout the Lehigh community worked diligently for months to find just the right person to lead our university," Ulrich said. "It's a great pleasure for me to report that we have succeeded." Farrington, 51, will take office on August 15 as the 12th president in Lehigh's 122-year history. He replaces Interim President William Hittinger, who has served since August 1997. Hittinger, the former chairperson of Lehigh's board of trustees, came in as a replacement for former President Peter Likins, who left Lehigh to assume the top job at the University of Arizona -- a position for which former Penn Provost Stanley Chodorow was a finalist. Farrington said he was excited about the opportunity to face "new people, new challenges, new problems [and] new opportunities" at Lehigh. "The more I saw of Lehigh, the more I was impressed by it," he said. "It is poised for some very fine growth and intellectual leadership." Farrington, a materials science and engineering professor, found Lehigh -- a school noted for its engineering program -- a perfect match. He emphasized Lehigh's strength in science and engineering, but added that he was drawn by its current growth in the arts and humanities. "I didn't want to head a solely technological institution," he noted. Farrington said he was impressed by almost everything on Lehigh's campus, from the school's endowment to the house where he will live as president. "Most importantly, they offered me a job," he joked. The level of competition for the Lehigh presidency was high. The 12-member selection committee -- composed of faculty, students and administrators -- reviewed more than 175 candidates and conducted dozens of formal interviews. Farrington said he was first approached by the committee in late January. "We found him very impressive indeed," Hittinger said, citing Farrington's charm, leadership and "sound sense of judgment." Members of the University community said Farrington will be sorely missed. "Greg has been a great colleague, a great Penn citizen and a great dean of SEAS," University President Judith Rodin said in a written statement. "His bold, innovative vision for the School will continue to guide us into the next century. He is a wonderful choice for Lehigh and we will miss him very much." Among Farrington's colleagues in the Engineering School, his departure served as a point of humor and sadness. "Lehigh has exquisitely good taste," Associate Dean Dwight Jaggard said. "It will be our loss." Farrington told the Engineering School faculty of his decision to leave only hours before the official announcement at Lehigh. According to Associate Dean John Vohs, Farrington told the school's deans and department chairs the day before the press conference. A professor at Penn since 1979 and the Engineering School's dean since 1990, Farrington reflected on his successes from the last eight years. "My major accomplishment has been the consistent, steady, year-after-year hiring of the finest faculty available," he said. "That's the best accomplishment one can think of." By the numbers, Farrington's term as dean has resulted in major improvements in the Engineering School. Since 1990, applications to the school have increased 60 percent, four new master's programs have been created, the size of the school's endowment has tripled and the number of fully endowed professorships has doubled. Additionally, Farrington helped the school to a record fundraising year in 1997, 20 percent above the school's goal. However, Farrington's colleagues at both Penn and Lehigh praised him most profusely for integrating the Engineering School into the rest of the University. Through interdisciplinary, dual-degree and submatriculation programs, students can now combine their Engineering studies with work in seven of Penn's 11 other undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. "It's been an interesting, fascinating, creative, amazing eight years," Farrington said. The process of finding a new dean for Engineering could easily take until next summer, University officials said. Farrington said he will meet with Rodin sometime this week to discuss plans for succession. An interim dean will be appointed shortly and a search committee for the new dean will convene by the fall. Farrington was confident that this time of change will not be disruptive for the school. "Transitions like this are easier if the person who's leaving has been in office a long time," he said. "When transitions become disruptive is when they happen so quickly." Farrington said he hopes his successor would have a "strong commitment to excellence in everything." "I would hope the new dean understands the particular opportunities of a school of engineering within a broader University of Pennsylvania," he said. Preparing to leave the presidency at Lehigh, Hittinger has full confidence in the abilities of his successor to follow the school's "aggressive" path of growth. "It's a task that will take a pretty good university, like Lehigh already is, and make it better," he said.
(05/28/98 9:00am)
The debit card company's demise baffles students and merchants alike. Two years ago, the QuakerCard burst onto the scene when four Wharton seniors turned a class project into a debit card service that came to be used by thousands of University students as an alternative to cash at dozens of local merchants. And last week, just as suddenly, it vanished. Answers are few and questions many with regard to the company's unexpected demise. Students and merchants alike were surprised by the QuakerCard operators' removal of the card-reading devices from each all 30 University City locations where the card was previously accepted. Students who visited the QuakerCard's vacated offices in the Christian Association building at 36th Street and Locust Walk were greeted by a brief note explaining that the company had shut down permanently and that refund checks were being mailed to the students' home addresses. Though there was speculation over exactly when the refunds would be made, several students reported that they received checks for the full amount of their card balances last weekend. The QuakerCard was introduced in the summer of 1996 by then-Wharton seniors Matthew Levenson, Jon Guljord, Chris Cononico and Michael Vaughan. It functioned as a debit card, with students using money placed on the card to pay for food, groceries and even taxi fares. The reason behind the QuakerCard's sudden failure remains a mystery as company officials refused repeated calls for comment. A recent medical school graduate who requested anonymity was present when the card reader was removed from the Wawa at 36th and Chestnut streets. He said the QuakerCard representative told him that the company was closing down because it "wasn't making any money." "People have been trying to find out why they can't use their card," the student said. "Why aren't they answering people?" This turn of events comes on the heels of University Student Service's attempt last month to take their product to the national level. Through a recently created National College Registration Board, QuakerCard owners hoped to market a Campus Card to incoming freshmen at schools across the country. However, the marketing materials sent out in an April 8 mailing said that the card was "required" for many discounts and services nationwide, prompting a flood of phone calls to schools nationwide. Penn officials were similarly overwhelmed with inquiries from confused parents when the QuakerCard's made its debut. Many schools already have official identification cards, like the PennCard, that offer students a debit card function and access to a range of services. Levenson explained that the Campus Card is a private entity not affiliated with any official university ID card. He also promised a refund to any student who laid down money for the $25 card "without fully understanding the nature of the services offered." Though the QuakerCard never made it off the ground as a national project, many in Philadelphia are left scratching their heads. "They didn't tell me anything," said Steve Grant, the manager of the Wawa at 36th and Chestnut. "Nobody called up and contacted me or anything like that." Managers at other stores reported similar experiences of having the QuakerCard readers removed without prior notice. Store owners were given a brief note thanking them for their affiliation with the card. Reaction to the QuakerCard's passing was mixed. "I didn't think it was a great deal anyway," Grant said, estimating that card purchases accounted for 3 percent of his store's $50,000 weekly revenue. He said that the fee charged by QuakerCard -- an undisclosed percentage of each transaction -- cut into the profits of his "penny business." Grant added that he has had problems with the QuakerCard operators in the past over "discrepancies" in the amount the store owed the card operators. But Steve Malamut, director of operations for CosCo Management -- which owns La Pastabilities, the Philly Steak and Gyro Co. and Eat at Joe's Express, all in the 3401 Walnut Street food court -- was dismayed by the news. "We never had anything but good service out of them," he said. "It's going to affect the students more than it's going to affect the businesspeople."
(05/28/98 9:00am)
The Center City killing fo Shannon Schieber still baffles Phila. Police. For Philadelphia Police officers investigating the murder three weeks ago of first-year Wharton doctoral student Shannon Schieber, one of the hottest trails pointing to a potential killer ran cold last week -- in a drop of blood. Inspector Jerrold Kane said at the time of the homicide that a fellow Wharton doctoral student, Yuval Bar-Or -- against whom Schieber had recently filed a stalking complaint -- was the only substantive "lead" that detectives had uncovered. But preliminary DNA tests performed last week show that blood stains found in Schieber's apartment match neither her nor Bar-Or's blood, but that of a third party. More tests are presently being conducted. "It didn't clear him but it didn't put him in," Kane said of the findings. He added that while Bar-Or was a suspect "at the beginning" of the investigation, he is not one now. Schieber, 23, was killed May 7 in her apartment near 23rd and Spruce streets. She was found naked and lifeless on her bed, and though her apartment was ransacked, police do not believe robbery to be the motive. An autopsy conducted the next day concluded that she had been "manually" strangled to death. The day after the killing, detectives questioned Bar-Or for 12 hours before releasing him. Like most Israeli citizens, Bar-Or is a former soldier. He told police he was "at home sleeping" at the time of the murder. Schieber had filed a stalking complaint with the University Police Special Services Unit against Bar-Or. Her friends and colleagues said that Bar-Or had developed an obsession with her. One colleague who requested anonymity said Bar-Or sent Schieber harassing e-mails and once threatened her life. "She was visibly shaken whenever she talked about it," the colleague said. "People are afraid of him." Because the complaint was filed with the Penn Police, the Philadelphia Police -- whose jurisdiction includes the Center City area where Schieber lived -- were unaware of her situation. Bar-Or, who is studying finance at Wharton, lives in a high-rise apartment building at 2400 Chestnut Street shared by many other Penn graduate students. Security guards in the building refused to allow a Daily Pennsylvanian reporter to go up to his room and his phone number has recently been disconnected. Even with the new evidence that appears to rule out Bar-Or, police are still confident that this was not a random crime. "It's always a possibility," Kane said, "but we don't think so." Sylvester Schieber -- an economist working for the federal government -- was likewise dubious that his daughter did not know her killer. "As I work through it in my own mind, it's a little far-fetched," he said. "If I'm a cat burglar, I wouldn't jump up to a student's apartment. How would you know in the middle of the night who you might encounter?" Schieber also said that he did not believe that Bar-Or was responsible for the killing. "I never ever believed that he was ever guilty," he said. "I haven't imagined that [the police] would let him go without good cause. We have to be very careful about being irrational about these things." He added that as police "had some other candidates they thought were candidates also," it was likely that the killer was an acquaintance. "This is in some regards a real mystery," he said. "I'm not confident. I'm hopeful." Shannon Schieber, who grew up in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Chevy Chase, Md., was described by her friends and admirers as an energetic and friendly prodigy. A 1995 graduate of Duke University in North Carolina, she was one of four students studying insurance in Wharton's doctoral division.
(05/21/98 9:00am)
Former President Jimmy Carter addessed graduates of Penn's 12 schools Monday. The sun was shining brightly, the Met Life blimp was drifting lazily overhead and a slate of noted dignitaries from science, politics and the arts was seated on stage. Students and administrators could hardly have asked for better conditions than those Monday morning for the University's 242nd annual commencement. With graduates from the University's 12 undergraduate and graduate schools seated on Franklin Field and thousands of family members and friends looking on from the stands, University President Judith Rodin welcomed those assembled by invoking Penn's rich history. "You sit where some 10 generations of Penn-educated men and women sat before you -- men and women who have used their Penn educations in their professions and their communities," she said. And it has been approximately one generation since the University has had a commencement speaker of the same stature as this year's visitor, former President Jimmy Carter. The last commander-in-chief to address Penn graduates was Carter's predecessor, Gerald Ford, who spoke in 1975 while still occupying the Oval Office. Interim Provost Michael Wachter introduced Carter as the "ideal of service" and praised him for his strong record on human rights. During his one term in office, Carter created new educational programs, engineered the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt and signed an arms reduction treaty with the Soviet Union. Since leaving office in 1981, Carter, 73, has been involved in a host of causes aimed at promoting human rights. He volunteers annually with Habitat for Humanity and through the Carter Center -- founded in 1982 -- works to monitor elections and eradicate disease in underdeveloped regions of the world. Carter, who grew up in the segregated South, called upon the graduates to free themselves from the familiar patterns and practices of prejudice. "The worst discrimination on earth is rich people versus poor people," he said. "It is very rare that we break down the chasm between us who have everything and those who don't." Drawing upon his travels to 125 countries over the last 17 years, the former peanut farmer called upon those in attendance to break from their "encapsulated environment[s]" and "transcend" the status quo. "We should continually expand our minds," he said. "There is a need for every individual human being -- including Penn graduates -- to remember this." Turning to current events, Carter -- whose post-presidential diplomacy has stabilized regions from Haiti to North Korea -- used the recent nuclear brinkmanship in South Asia to call for American moral leadership in the new world order. "I would hope that our country can see that our example is the greatest threat to death, destruction and war," he said. Carter was indirectly affiliated with the University even before he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree Monday. In his speech, he made note of his relationship with University Board of Trustees Chairperson Roy Vagelos, whose Merck Pharmaceuticals Inc. has provided the Carter Center with drugs, free of charge, that have cured tens of millions of Africans of river blindness, a parasitic infection endemic to the area that causes blindness in its victims. Carter's wife Rosalynn was also to receive an honorary degree, but could not attend due to an illness in the family, according to University Secretary Rosemary McManus. Children's author Maurice Sendak also did not come due to a family illness. Rodin said at the ceremony that she hoped to be able to award Carter and Sendak their degrees at a later date. Those who did receive degrees honoris causa were former U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Arlin Adams, opera singer Jessye Norman, and Frank Moore Cross, one of the world's foremost experts on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Genetics researcher Francis Collins and Nobel Prize winner Stanley Prusiner -- a College and Penn Medical School alumnus -- received their degrees a day after speaking at the Medical School's graduation ceremonies. And when Rodin introduced Federal Reserve Board Chairperson Alan Greenspan -- whose wife, journalist Andrea Mitchell, is a College of Women alumna and a University Trustee -- the Wharton School contingent applauded loudly for the "guardian of the purchasing power of the U.S. dollar." Beginning with the School of Arts and Sciences and ending with the Annenberg School for Communication, graduates from each of the 12 schools were recognized by their deans for their accomplishment and hard work. Rodin announced the degrees presented by each school on behalf of the trustees and praised all graduating students for their "commitment to all that is good in knowledge."
(05/21/98 9:00am)
For an often staid and solemn rite of passage, the 114th annual graduation exercises for the undergraduate division of the Wharton School Sunday morning sure were noisy. Amid cheers and screams from the audience -- and disruptive rumblings from the nearby railroad and Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania helicopter pad -- approximately 500 seniors received their bachelor's degrees on the southeast end of Franklin Field. Wharton Dean Thomas Gerrity welcomed the graduates to the ranks of the school's 70,000-plus alumni worldwide, adding that the Class of 1998 was one of the "most talented" in memory. Clad in the orange and black gown from his days at Princeton University, Undergraduate Dean Richard Herring praised the student body for its activism and accomplishment. "You made a commitment to challenge yourself," he said. "You've worked harder than you've ever worked before." He also singled out a number of individual students for holding high positions in the ranks of student government, athletics and The Daily Pennsylvanian. Herring also reminded the graduates of the challenges ahead of them in the post-Cold war era. "Your generation is charged with integrating 2.5 billion people -- roughly half of the world -- into the global economy," he said. But Wharton senior Ashley Damron, speaking for her fellow graduates, said she felt confident in the endeavor. "All of us arrived here because of a vision, or at least an expectation about our lives," she said. "We've been frustrated, scared, almost given up sometimes. [But] now we've emerged." The ceremony was also an opportunity to recognize faculty and student achievement. Gerrity presented Operations and Information Management Professor Patrick Harker and Finance Professor Kenneth Kavajecz with the David Hauck Teaching Award. Hauck, a 1960 Wharton graduate, endowed the awards with a 1991 gift to the school. Individual graduates were recognized with more than 50 awards. The Dean's Award of Excellence was given to Meka Millstone -- who graduated with a 3.85 GPA -- while William Byers and Samantha Hodge-Williams each received a Dean's Award for Service.
(05/21/98 9:00am)
After more than a year as the interim director of college house implementation, Art History Professor David Brownlee will finally see his pet project come to fruition this fall. And not surprisingly, he will run the program as well. Interim Provost Michael Wachter announced last week not only that Brownlee will replace English Professor Al Filreis as chairperson of the Residential Faculty Council, but that he will head up the newly created Office of College Houses and Academic Services as well. The reorganization of undergraduate residences over the past year into full-fledged college houses has required increased staffing and academic support. Filreis, whose term as the head of the RFC -- comprised of all faculty members living in undergraduate residences -- expires June 30, announced last month that he would not seek another term as faculty master of Van Pelt College House and consequently could no longer serve on the RFC. Though Brownlee -- who will be the faculty master in Harnwell College House in the fall -- has never served as a faculty-in-residence before, his colleagues said he is qualified to chair the RFC in his first year of eligibility. Classical Studies Professor Jim O'Donnell, the faculty master of Hill College House, said that Brownlee's lack of residential experience would not hurt his performance on the RFC. "David is and has been for years a driving force in making [the college house system] happen," he said. "You should look at who is on the RFC and ask who the best candidate is. You look for the best and in David we've got him." In his other capacity, Brownlee will have full oversight over the new college house system "both academically and in the non-academic parts," Wachter said. The new office will supervise the administration of the residences and the academic services they provide. Chris Dennis, whose Office of Academic Programs and Residence Life will now report to Brownlee, sees administrative benefits in the new organizational arrangement. "It will essentially strengthen the relationships for delivering academic services," Dennis said. He explained that Brownlee will be responsible for bringing together the schools -- the providers of academic services -- with the residences where services are distributed. An increasing number of academic resources, from tutoring to writing groups, will be available to students right in their college houses. "What David is doing is of extreme importance to the University," Wachter said. University President Judith Rodin's 1995 Agenda for Excellence included increased house staffing and services as a priority for campus development. For his part, Brownlee said he views the college house program as the key to integrating the University's distribution of educational, residential and support services. Referring to the University's goals for campus improvement, Brownlee pointed out that "the college houses are the center of all this."
