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(11/05/99 10:00am)
As Punch Bowl co-editors Scott Ganz and Adam Samson geared up to celebrate 100 years as Penn's leading humor publication, the College juniors realized they had a problem on their hands: The campus humor magazine was only published during about 70 of them. "We're still trying to find our history. It's sort of an enigma," Samson admitted. "But that will change." The co-editors hope that a cover facelift and design overhaul, funnier writing and a renewed focus on Penn issues will spur interest when the struggling humor magazine's first issue of the semester is released next week. "A humor magazine is a reflection of a school," Samson said. "We want to capture a year -- all of the pop culture and stuff that happens at Penn." "It's the most audacious, offensive and exciting publication," Ganz hyped. "This is the one forum where issues will be dealt with no restraint." For the centennial publication, Punch Bowl's theme will center around the seven signs of the apocalypse. While Ganz and Samson would not disclose the complete list of targets, presidential candidate George W. Bush, former MTV veejay Jesse Camp and the University's alcohol policies are among them. "If they are going to restrict alcohol, they should restrict food, too," Samson quipped, hinting at Punch Bowl's irreverent take on the issue. "Look at how many sorority girls throw up after eating, too." Indeed, over the years, the humor magazine has had a history of folly. Founded in 1899, the publication followed in a distinguished line of Ivy League humor magazines including The Harvard Lampoon and The Yale Record. "Punch Bowl was started by a bunch of people who could not get published in The Daily Pennsylvanian," Ganz explained. While much of its early 20th century existence is a mystery, what is known is that the magazine published four times a year and used to compete in "write-offs" with the other Ivy League humor publications. And its humor was often racist, reflecting views held by Penn's white, male-dominated student body. Although publication ceased a number of times at midcentury, by the 1970s budding humorists brought the publication back. In fact, when the 1976 film Rocky was being filmed, Punch Bowl writers played a prank on the entire student body. They posted a false advertisement calling for Penn students to be movie extras during an early morning shoot. While the humor continued throughout the 1980s, interest in the magazine waned and Punch Bowl stopped printing again in the early 1990s. However, Student Activities Council funding enabled something of a resurgence. Indeed, its editors hail a 1995 exclusive interview with Penn's Playboy playmate as the publication's shining moment. Now, as the Punch Bowl editors celebrate the publication's centennial, they also have their eye on the next 100 years. "There is always the temptation to go completely digital," Ganz said.
(11/02/99 10:00am)
While much of the city is tuning in to today's hotly contested mayoral elections, most students on Penn's campus seem to be tuning out. Despite partisan attempts through e-mails, posters and intense voter registration drives to generate interest in both Democratic candidate John Street and Republican Sam Katz, many Penn students questioned yesterday-- especially those from outside the Philadelphia area -- said they just don't care about the election. "I'm not voting," College sophomore Jennifer Wang said. "[The race] just doesn't seem to affect me that much." And College junior Marc Keller conceded that he has no interest in the race even though he is from Philadelphia. "I suppose that I should but I never followed it carefully and I don't want to vote uninformed," he said. Fifth-year Wharton senior John Lee admitted that he was not even paying attention to the race. "I didn't even know there were elections," he said. "I'm just a student. I'll be out of here in two years." But at least a small yet vocal number of Penn students did seem to care about who will succeed popular Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell. Katz has clearly generated more enthusiasm on campus throughout the campaign. A well-organized Penn for Katz committee has spent much of the semester registering voters and convincing otherwise neutral or apathetic students that their votes are important. "He's got a vision for the city -- business incentives, a lower wage tax and plans to stop urban migration," said Wharton sophomore Stephen Mykijewycz, a member of the College Republicans. "Rendell has done a lot. Republicans and Democrats will say that," he said. "But Street will do nothing but be content with the status quo." College junior Alisha Hersh, who said she typically votes for Democrats, said she plans to cross party lines and vote for Katz. "He has a more wide-based interest in Philadelphia as a whole," she said, noting that she felt Street is biased against things that don't directly relate to race, class and work issues. And others pointed to Street's apparent lack of support from prominent local Democrats, including his longtime friend and primary election opponent John White. "I think it's significant that Street's lifelong friend and fellow Democrat is supporting Katz," said one College junior. Engineering graduate student Joel Esposito, however, said that his vote was going to Street because of the former City Council president's experience and his opposition to Katz's school voucher plan. "Schools that need change are the schools in the [state's] poorest districts," he said, noting that the plan tends to favor more affluent areas while ignoring Philadelphia's public education system. And Wharton senior Sommer Nelson stressed the importance of continuing the city's Democratic tradition, which has gone unbroken since the last Republican mayor left office in 1952. "We need to keep Democratic control of the city," she said, especially in light of of the upcoming presidential and senatorial elections.
(11/01/99 10:00am)
THE LINE -- It could have been the nearly 48-hour tedium as students lay on sleeping bags, futons and lawn chairs in the cluttered Palestra hallways. It could have been the zealous fervor as they booed tonight's announcement of a strict "no standing policy" in the sideline student sections during this season's home games. Or maybe it was the two guys and a girl who made a fast break in the buff to energize the fans early Sunday morning. But by late last night, when men's basketball coach Fran Dunphy took to the hardwood to thank the diehard Penn fans for their support, it was clear that this year's fans were pumped up for another season of Penn basketball and a shot at back-to-back Ivy League championships. Since 9 a.m. Saturday, loyal Penn basketball fans have spent much of their weekend waiting in "The Line," the annual tradition of sleeping over in college basketball's most historic arena to get first shot at men's basketball season tickets. This year's line began with the distribution of place-holding wristbands on Thursday night before the line officially began on Saturday morning. Tickets were to go on sale this morning at 6 a.m. Working in teams of up to four, students were required to have at least one student in line at all times on Saturday, two students in line starting Sunday afternoon and the entire team present by 6 p.m. last night. According to Alanna Wren, assistant to Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky, and one of the coordinators of the line, more than 292 people signed up to participate -- the most ever to sign up in advance for season tickets. However, by late Sunday night, line leaders removed at least 66 people for not having the appropriate number of group members present during one of the random line checks. "Penn's men's hoops is the most exciting sport for Penn students," said Wharton senior Richard Stavert, who secured the first position by rushing to the Button when news of the long-awaited starting time was announced at 9:35 p.m. Thursday. "Sacrificing part of the weekend, the opportunity to sit in the front row in one of college basketball's best is definitely worth it." Many Quakers fans spent their time on the line doing everything from playing video games and watching TV to studying. One group from the Kappa Alpha fraternity even trucked a Foosball table more than five blocks from their house on 38th Street to keep themselves amused. Although the atmosphere remained calm inside the Palestra for much of Saturday night, the evening had at least a few surprises, not the least of which were the student streakers. College sophomore Casey Humbyrd was also met with a surprise, as a small mouse joined her while she was laying down inside her sleeping bag. "Security just woke me up and told me that they thought there was a rodent in my bed," Humbyrd said. "I thought I was in trouble for a line check." Associate Athletic Director of Operations Peggy Kowalski said she was impressed with how the line was running. "The line leaders have been doing a great job -- it has been safe and secure, alcohol-free and a fun environment," she said. "Kids even studied [Sunday] afternoon. It was quieter than the library." But by Sunday evening, the rather subdued Penn crowd grew in both numbers and enthusiasm. By around 10 p.m., the crowd was cheering as Dunphy led a giveaway session in which fans had an opportunity to win prizes ranging from socks to airline tickets. In one raffle-drawn competition, some students were even invited onto the court for a shootout alongside Penn basketball players Michael Jordan and Matt Langel. In another prize competition, fans appeared to be warming up for the season when they reminded eight competitors' futile efforts to score in a game of four-on-four with ringing chants of "you suck" and "air-ball." Still, by the evening's close, students remained focused on what they were truly here for. As College senior Bryan Grossman said, "I've been doing this for three years, and I want to sit front row, chairback."
(10/29/99 9:00am)
This paper in KC/EH bathrooms is intended for reading, not wiping. It may not be fine literature. But ever since Phlush newsletters hit the bathroom stalls of Kings Court/English College House, residents have received an education while getting rid of constipation. Filled with trivia tidbits, mind-boggling statistics and other factoids, Phlush -- Penn's first and only "official bathroom reader" -- has attracted a loyal campus readership. The two-page flyer -- supported by the Perspectives in Humanities residential program -- is posted at eye-level on the backs of most stall doors so readers can glance at the information while taking care of their business. "It's a bathroom reader in the classical sense," explained Phlush editor and publisher Matthew Keesan, a College freshman who lives in Kings Court. "It may not be as rewarding as Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky or Tolstoy, but it does make going to the bathroom more fun." Before publishing the issues each Sunday and Wednesday, Keesan scours books and the Internet for interesting facts, ridiculous quotes and enough articles full of random trivia to keep the Academic Demolition team occupied at least until the next issue. Readers get a chance to learn the kind of stuff that probably didn't appear on the SAT, such as: · Harvard University and Penn use "Yale" brand doorknobs. Yale University, on the other hand uses "Best" brand door locks. · Or that Mohammed is the most common name in the world. · Or even that the definition and epistemology of the word "deasil" -- from the Gaelic, it means something that rotates clockwise. And recently, Keesan has become something of a critic -- or a health department official. A new section in Phlush reviews the quality and sanitation of the toilet stalls in King's Court/English House. "I rate all the bathrooms from the crappiest to the best," Keesan explained. "Those that have pee on the floor, paper on the seats and smell are the worst. The best smell wintery fresh." Keesan began publishing Phlush after he found that going to the bathroom was not as enjoyable as it used to be. "When I was little, I would bring in picture books, comic books and novels," the freshman said. "But when I got to Penn and I sat down on the toilet there was no graffiti and nothing to read at all." "I was convinced there were legions of closet bathroom readers out there," he added. Keesan was right. Not long after he taped the first issues of Phlush to the bathroom stalls on his hall, a buzz began to spread throughout KC/EH. With House Dean Krimo Bokreta's permission, Keesan expanded circulation to every men's and women's room in the college house. "It's so funny since it is random," said College senior Tommy Perides, who has been reading the newsletter for a little over a month. "You don't have to bring Sports Illustrated anymore." "I love it," Engineering freshman An Lam added. "It's the best thing to come into existence since toilet paper." Keesan quickly became identified around campus as the "guy who writes Phlush." And when visitors to the house found they enjoyed the added entertainment in the bathroom, they began taking copies of Phlush back to other Penn residences, including the Quadrangle. Keesan said he plans to take his publication to other restrooms on campus. He said he has written to the deans of every college house to see if they are interested in subscribing to his living-learning initiative. And he even has plans to take the toilet material online. But for now, at least one important campus restroom remains without Keesan's publication. When asked if he contacted University President Judith Rodin's College Hall office about subscribing, Keesan said he was working on it.
(10/11/99 9:00am)
It was rough, tough and downright messy in 200 gallons of strawberry Jell-O. Friday night's "Wrestling at the Rathskellar" event packed almost 100 Penn students into the basement lounge of Harnwell College House as they watched 12 of their peers go to battle in a tub filled with the squishy red stuff. Co-sponsored by Harnwell's Arts House residential program, the Penn p.m. event marked the first time that the group ventured beyond its traditional support of campus drama and musical acts, switching gears to the performance art of Jell-O wrestling. Although student referees spelled out rules banning violent moves like kicking, scratching and ear-biting from the three-minute matches, it was clear from the opening whistle that the action was no holds barred. In the opening heavyweight bout, male contestants sloshed around in the 54-square-foot pool of red gelatin as each tried to grasp enough of his opponent's slippery body to throw, body-slam -- or worst of all -- faceplant him. "It was very cold at the beginning but once you are covered in Jell-O, you don't realize it," Wharton sophomore Adriano Savelli said as he recovered from his opening-round victory. "You just feel really sticky." And when the females entered the ring, the competition got even more physical. Rolling around in the gelatin, some lady wrestlers went straight for each other's T-shirts, drawing roaring cheers from the male members of the crowd. Others took plenty of "Jell-O shots" as they pelted each other -- and eventually the audience -- with a storm of red cubes. "I don't think I'll eat Jell-O ever again," quipped College senior Cindy Liebman, who involuntarily ingested the well-trodden treat after she was dunked. Style was clearly more important than substance. Forcing an opponent to consume a large mouthful of Jell-O certainly seemed to earn more of the judges' and audience's favor than a pin -- much to the chagrin of some competitors. "These were the most unfair circumstances," complained Engineering sophomore Hiram Mac, a black-belt in karate who blamed his defeat on the fact that he was covered in slippery Jell-O. "I couldn't summon any leverage." But most took a more light-hearted approach, using the occasion to find innovative ways to show there is "always room for Jell-O." "It makes a good hair gel," said College senior Jill Kleckzco as she lathered red globs in her hair. And Wharton junior Rob Eggleston added, "I came in here with a white T-shirt and I am leaving here with a pink one." While College freshman Grace Cary defeated the winner of the male division in a co-ed final to become the overall champion, some members of the crowd were not sure what to make of the quasi-varsity sport. "When it was guy versus girl, there was less wrestling, more grabbing and more play," College freshman Jen Bolson said. But Harnwell Faculty Master David Brownlee, director of College Houses and Academic Services, put an intellectual spin on the event. "It fulfilled all my expectations of establishing community and civilization," Brownlee said. "It is one of those events where audience and performer are united in a common sense of participation."
(10/08/99 9:00am)
the crash-prone Career Services software had frustrated many seniors in the job-search process. Katherine Hjerpe After weeks of aggravating computer system crashes, resume-formatting frustrations and the disappearance of big-name employers from the Career Services' World Wide Web site, officials in charge of Penn's on-campus recruiting decided yesterday that the best way to debug the Crimson Solutions software was to exterminate it. According to Career Services Director Patricia Rose, the University has officially severed its relationship with Crimson Solutions, the Boston-based company that provided the online resume-drop technology used by students since the beginning of the year. For the remainder of the recruiting season, students must turn in paper copies of their resumes during the pre-screening process. Career Services will then distribute the resumes to prospective employers. "We have zero-tolerance for problems," Rose said. "The bottom line is that, for Career Services, any level of student and employer dissatisfaction is not acceptable." Crimson Solutions did not return repeated calls for comment yesterday afternoon. Since the beginning of the semester, job-hungry seniors have been plagued by the lackluster Crimson Solutions system. In addition to the system's server crashing almost every week as resume submission deadlines loomed, students complained they had difficulties formatting their resume to meet the software's requirements and accessing important information about major corporate employers. "It's a terrible company," said Engineering senior Kevin Dreyer, who said she was relieved he would no longer have to deal with the crash-prone Crimson Solutions system. "They sell a product that doesn't work." Although the software functioned smoothly at Brown University last year, this year's Crimson Solutions system -- which is currently used by Harvard, Princeton and nearly 80 other universities -- has experienced a number of glitches. And while Rose conceded that technicians from Crimson Solutions worked hard to resolve the problems with Penn's software, she believes the company was in over its head with the almost 20,000 interviews Career Services expects to set up this year. "We hit their system hard," Rose said, pointing out that most other universities that use the Crimson Solutions software send out only one-third the resumes Penn distributes. "They were frankly a little surprised at our volume." But according to Rose, it was complaints from Penn's major recruiters that finally convinced Career Services to abandon the online resume-drop system. "Employers were complaining that it takes too long to print resumes with Crimson Solutions," she said. A few companies -- including financial services firms PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Goldman Sachs -- even called Career Services to request hard copies of student credentials after having problems with the electronic versions they received. "We could fix problems on the student end but not on the employer end," Rose added. Yet Ernst and Young campus recruiter Jennifer Keating affirmed that the Big 6 accounting firms generally prefers the electronic resumes, which they can enter easily into a searchable database. "We won't hold anything against hard copies," Keating said. But she noted that "in the future, we're trying to get everything electronic." Although Career Services will distribute only paper copies of resumes for the remainder of this recruiting season, officials are exploring other options to replace the Crimson Solutions system as early as this spring. In fact, Rose said that Career Services is already seeking another company to provide e-recruiting software, but she acknowledged that "right now there isn't a vendor that meets Penn's needs." As another alternative, Career Services is looking into developing its own software package to complement its Fortune system, which students currently use to bid for interview slots and access important recruiting information. Some students and employers said they are disappointed the resume drop system was taken off-line. "Standing in line really stinks," Wharton senior Rory Braithwaite said as he waited behind at least 50 other students to hand in paper copies of his resume before the 5 p.m. deadline yesterday. And when College senior Tara Modlin found out that the University had severed ties with Crimson Solutions, she was equally perturbed by the decision. "Can I sever my relationship with the University of Pennsylvania?" she asked.
(10/07/99 9:00am)
Howard Mitchell, the second African-American professor hired by the University, an outspoken civil rights leader and a loyal supporter of Penn athletics, died last Friday of cardiac arrest at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He was 78. In his nearly 37 years as a member of the Management Department faculty, Mitchell made an exceptionally large number of contributions to the field of human resource management and to the University as a whole -- including the establishment of the prestigious Human Resource Center, which he directed until 1985. "He was an inspiring teacher and a role model to all," Management Department Chairperson Harbir Singh said in a statement. But most of Mitchell's close friends will miss the human resource expert's human touch. "Mitchell was well known and a popular figure who was always willing to lend you an ear," long-time friend Mo Szporn said. Penn men's basketball coach Fran Dunphy recalled how Mitchell -- a former Negro League baseball player and standout college athlete at Boston University, where he played football, basketball and baseball -- related to the Quakers team. "Everybody on the team always felt comfortable going to him because of his way, his style," Dunphy said. "If a particular player might be having a rough time, whether in basketball or personally or academically, you could always count on him to sit down with somebody and talk about this stage in their life." And Carlos Bonner, chairperson of the African American MBA Student Association's Whitney M. Young Conference, pointed out the important example he set for minority students today. "Howard Mitchell meant a lot to a great number of African-American students at Wharton," the second-year MBA student said, noting that a Wharton minority scholarship fund bears Mitchell's name. "He is definitely a role model to many of us through his work and achievements. According to Management Professor Peter Cappelli, Mitchell helped "redesign the human side of public transportation systems," improving operations in a number of major American cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. "Mitchell was really ahead of his time because of the focus he had on making jobs more enriching for people, which only recently has become popular," Capelli said. "Howard was doing that 15 years ago." In addition to writing more than 50 professional and academic papers, Mitchell continued to apply his knowledge to the real world. His consultations continued through the early 1990s, including a $90 million redesign of the New York City Transit control centers. And in 1983, he and his wife Nadine founded the labor consulting firm Mitchell and Mitchell Associates, which received the U.S. Department of Transportation's 1990 Minority Business Enterprises Award. While Mitchell's understanding of human dynamics was truly innovative in the management field, it was perhaps a natural outgrowth for the one-time psychologist and social activist. After earning a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Penn in 1950, Mitchell began his teaching career in 1955 as an assistant professor in Psychiatry in the Medical School. In 1963, Mitchell was appointed associate director of the Philadelphia Council for Community Advancement and the focus of his career began to shift from psychology to urban activism, when he led a study examining the social problems affecting North Philadelphia. A year later, Mitchell helped settle a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People strike protesting unfair employment practices toward blacks. The experience led him to establish the Human Resources Center at Penn, which was set up to help organize hundreds of freelance student volunteers to work on a variety of community service projects. In 1967, the University gave Mitchell an endowed chair in urbanism and human resources when he joined the faculty of the City and Regional Planning Department. And he became a member of Wharton's Management Department five year's later, where he remained until 1992. A resident of Center City for more than 50 years, Mitchell is survived by Nadine, son Howard and three grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Christ Church, located at Second and Market streets. Daily Pennsylvanian Sports Editor Rick Haggerty contributed to this article.
(10/01/99 9:00am)
When most freshmen arrive on campus, their first introduction to the West Philadelphia community is a police-run safety seminar, a service-learning project to repair run-down homes and a slew of rumors warning Penn students not to venture west of 40th Street. But tomorrow afternoon, University organizations and West Philadelphia community groups are hoping to change those impressions by welcoming Penn students to the neighborhood with a variety of activities at Clark Park, located at 43rd Street and Chester Avenue. According to organizers, the first annual "Welcome to the Neighborhood" festival will serve as a free showcase of the diversity of life in West Philadelphia. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Penn students and West Philadelphia residents will be able to take part in an array of events including an arts and crafts exhibition, carnival games, three-on-three basketball and volleyball tournaments, poetry readings and a wide range of local entertainment and cuisine. "It's going to be like a community version of the Quad during Spring Fling," said Social Planning and Events Committee President Jon Herrmann, one of the event's organizers. "It's free fun and an exciting chance to meet and see who is in the neighborhood." Herrmann, a Wharton senior, said that a number of local performers will be featured on the main stage, playing everything from swing and salsa to rock and hip-hop music. Penn's African Rhythms dance troop and the Inspirations a cappella group are also scheduled to perform. And other acts include a West Philadelphia double-dutch jump-rope club and a number of local drill and step teams -- including one made up entirely of Bicultural InterGreek Council members. According to Brigette Sancho, the associate director of Penn's Office of City and Community Relations, the neighborhood festival is a "grassroots approach" to strengthen ties with the surrounding community. Sancho said the idea for the program came last spring after a few student and community leaders met to discuss how to decrease the tension between town and gown and get students to cross the imaginary 40th Street line. "The facts are that the crime rate is down, the housing stock is up and a lot of people are organizing ways to make [West Philadelphia] a safe neighborhood," Sancho said. "We wanted a program that would create a positive impression of the vibrant culture, diversity and interesting cuisine and talent that exists in West Philadelphia." Over the summer, Sancho and organizers from the Office of Student Life and the Undergraduate Assembly settled on the idea of a neighborhood festival and early this fall, they began finalizing the plans. While the University has provided the bulk of the financial support, West Philadelphia businesses and organizations -- including the University City Community Council and University City Landlords and Realtors Association -- have played an active role in planning the events. During the festival, the University City Historical Society will host afternoon walking tours of neighborhood highlights led by students. And a number of local restaurants and vendors -- including Ethiopian-style Dahlak and the Middle Eastern Amira -- will be providing food. Penn student groups and staff will also join West Philadelphia organizations at festival booths to pass out information about neighborhood activities, local transportation and cultural venues throughout the community.
(10/01/99 9:00am)
After netting two goals in their first win Tuesday, the Quakers will see if they can score their first Ivy goals of the year. It may have taken almost almost six games, 539 minutes and 103 shots on goal. But senior midfielder David Bonder's last-minute goal to edge out Temple on Tuesday could not have come at a better time for the Penn men's soccer team, which is riding the success of its first victory this season all the way to the Big Apple. The Quakers (1-3-2, 0-1-1 Ivy League) will square off tomorrow in a hotly contested match against Ivy rival Columbia (5-2, 0-2). According to Penn coach Rudy Fuller, the goal may have been a turning point. For the second straight year, Penn was winless in its first five games. But Bonder's goal just might be the beginning of a winning streak. "We are obviously feeling good about ourselves right now," Fuller said. "The guys have done a tremendous job bouncing from a tough week and have stayed level-headed." Freshman midfielder William Libby, who scored in the first-half of Penn's 2-1 victory Tuesday, said that win has boosted the young team's comfort and its overall level of play. "We were definitely more dangerous in the Temple game," Libby said. "[The goal] gave us confidence which should be a real advantage against Columbia." Facing the hard-nosed, physically aggressive Lions, Penn certainly has its work cut out. Last year, a hard-fought battle with Columbia resulted in a 0-0 tie, and this year both teams are better and more experienced. But whether Penn -- which has not scored a goal in Ivy competition since a September '98 loss to Dartmouth -- will be able to score against Columbia remains a key question. "Goals are at a premium for any team in the Ivy League," Fuller said, pointing out the need to create scoring opportunities. "We need to be as sharp as we were Tuesday and then fight a little harder against Columbia." Solid play from a core of freshmen -- including Libby, forward Justin Litterelle, midfielders Eric Mandel and Nathan Kennedy and fullback William Lee -- will be critical for success against a highly skilled Lions team. While 19 out of 27 Quakers are either freshmen or sophomores, Fuller said the large amount of playing time his young players have received have enabled them to quickly adjust to the intense Ivy competition. "By now, our freshman are no longer freshman," Fuller said, pointing out that his bench is considerably deeper this year. "[The freshmen] have faced two Ivy League teams and are now ready to go against Columbia." In order to win this weekend, Fuller said his team must come out hard again and take it to Columbia for the full 90 minutes. He also said the team has to remain organized in the backfield and will need strong play from senior co-captain Michael O'Connor in net, who will likely see more action than he did against the Owls, when he needed to make just five saves.
(09/27/99 9:00am)
The sold-out show in Irvine left no stone unturned in ridiculing issues from drug use to Miss America. A cranky comedian, a witty West Philadelphia native, an eccentric NBA owner and a right-wing senior class president. That mix of fiery celebrity panelists brought more than 1,100 students together into a sold-out Irvine Auditorium for Friday's Penn Politically Incorrect program, which headlined this weekend's "No Place Like Penn" events. In a modified version of his late-night talk show on ABC, Bill Maher kept the typically apathetic Penn audience on the edge of their seats for 1 1/2 hours as he peppered the panel -- which included The Daily Show's Lewis Black, Philadelphia Daily News columnist Elmer Smith, Philadelphia 76ers owner Pat Croce and Senior Class President Lisa Marshall -- with issue-oriented questions and his sardonic humor. With topics ranging from presidential politics to presidential blowjobs, from the legalization of drugs to the proliferation of women's athletics, from the Trenchcoat Mafia to Miss America, it didn't take long for Maher to find room for confrontation. Especially with Marshall. As the the panel's only female, only student and only Republican, Marshall was the primary target for most of Maher's quick-lipped lashings. "I fuckin' hate it when kids are more conservative than me," the Libertarian Maher told Marshall, who is also the co-president of Penn's College Republicans. "There should be no such thing as a young Republican." Lucky for Marshall, Smith jumped into the discussion, coming to her defense. "I personally like the idea of young Republicans," Smith quipped. "It means there is a chance they might grow out of it." But it didn't take long for the discussion to move past the definitions as Maher hit the issues head on. "Now is the time to party. Take drugs," Maher told the student crowd, drawing a roaring applause from a crowd that Maher sensed was otherwise conservative. "But don't do too much drugs. Do the right amount," Maher sarcastically warned. "It's the people who give drugs a bad name who fuck it up for everyone else -- the people who O.D." While Marshall said she was definitely against the legalization of drugs, the caustic Black noted that stricter enforcement would penalize "recreational cocaine users." And Smith said that in his opinion, the current drug enforcement policies are not working. "The war on drugs has turned into a war on people -- certain kinds of people," Smith explained, noting how the West Philadelphia neighborhood where he grew up is under close police scrutiny. "They're not all black. I mean, some are beige." Other politically incorrect topics discussed included the Lewinsky affair, the lack of females interested in politics, the amount of time professional athletes spend thanking Jesus and, as Maher bluntly put it, whether "you can be a fucked-out slut and still be Miss America." At times, the conversation dragged on -- with Maher abruptly changing topics or manipulating panelists' statements to create controversy. And on more than a few occasions, Maher had to prompt the typically outspoken Croce, who seemed out of place in a discussion that mainly centered around politics. But the biggest disruption to the political banter were problems with the microphones, which forced Maher to halt the debate at least three times and made it difficult for even the closest-sitting audience members to hear. Despite the audio problems, both students and organizers said they enjoyed the show. Tangible Change Committee Co-Chairperson Theo LeCompte said he thought the event went extremely well. "It was funny, Bill [Maher] was on and we had a great panel," the Engineering junior noted. And some even picked out -- or picked on -- a favorite panelist. "The issues were interesting and timely but I would have liked to see a little more of a stance from Lisa Marshall," Engineering senior Josh Finkelstein said. "She was a little too political." And College junior Nathan Bull said he thought that "our class president didn't have much to say but Elmer Smith was a riot."
(09/27/99 9:00am)
When former Wharton Dean Thomas Gerrity announced that he was stepping down from the prestigious business school's top post last fall, he promised he would not remain idle. What Gerrity didn't say was that he would be guiding one of Penn's most innovative initiatives, as Wharton academics take on the World Wide Web's latest "killer app" -- e-commerce. Wharton officials are set to announce today that Gerrity will be the new director of the Wharton Forum on Electronic Commerce, an e-business think tank which serves to develop and implement cutting-edge e-commerce strategies based on Wharton's academic research. Created in 1996, the forum has evolved from a research center to incorporate consulting, executive education and semi-annual conferences for its 10 corporate clients -- including Ford, State Farm Insurance, Johnson and Johnson, Kraft and IBM. For $50,000 each year, the forum's corporate members agree to partner with Wharton faculty members, researchers and MBA students to provide case and market analysis and devise custom strategies and e-commerce solutions as the firms penetrate the online market. "Lots of other business schools are coming out with products that have e-commerce as a focus," Wharton Director of Executive Education Custom Programs Scott Koerwer said, pointing out e-commerce-related programs at numerous peer institutions. Wharton officials expect that Gerrity will be actively involved as director. He will be responsible for working with Wharton faculty to generate a research agenda, communicating with corporate clients and facilitating two conferences for forum members each year. Although Gerrity was unavailable for comment, the position seems to many like a natural fit for the former dean. Gerrity was once the chairperson and chief executive officer of the Index Group, a Minnesota-based technology consulting firm. "Before Gerrity came to Wharton, he was the No. 1 technology consultant in the world," Koerwer explained. "He brings tremendous brand equity to the forum." And Gerrity's experience launching Wharton's curricular initiatives, as well as spearheading the business school's current $350 million capital campaign, should be of help. Officials hope to grow the forum's current corporate sponsorship, which currently totals $600,000, and further increase the number of faculty who are involved in e-commerce projects. According to Koerwer, researchers have tackled a wide range of topics including privacy issues, intellectual property, Internet strategy and the elimination of the middleman as consumers buy directly online. The announcement comes on the heels of a series of new, Internet-related projects the business school is launching. Last June, officials unveiled Knowledge@Wharton, an online newsletter and searchable database to promote the school's latest research. And a new e-commerce major is expected to be ratified at Wharton's next faculty meeting in early November.
(09/23/99 9:00am)
While the Spring Fling concert will remain the primary occasion for music, dancing and pure revelry at Penn, University officials are joining state and local government officials, Philadelphia businesses and nine other area colleges in launching a new music festival this fall. According to concert organizers, the first annual Philadelphia CollegeFest will be held on October 9 from noon until 10:30 p.m. at the Mann Music Center in Fairmount Park. The concert will be free to college students with identification and will feature two stages playing top musical acts, like alternative pop band Sugar Ray, hard-core rap group Public Enemy and all-girl rockers Luscious Jackson. Tickets are now available at the Office of Student Life in the Carriage House and will also be distributed by Y-100 radio at tonight's movie night and at Saturday's Grill 'n' Chill on College Green, part of the "No Place Like Penn" weekend. But with Penn CollegeFest organizers expecting between 30,000 and 50,000 students at the concert, Penn has plenty of tickets to give away. According to Social Planning and Events Committee President Jon Herrmann, the University agreed to participate in the event as a way to increase its exposure to the Philadelphia community while offering Penn students a chance to see more of the city. "The Mann Center is beautiful," Herrmann said. "It is cool because it's a place that most students don't get to even though it is close to campus." Tangible Change Committee Co-Chairperson Theo LeCompte said he thought the musical acts would be the main draw. "It's a free Sugar Ray concert," the Engineering junior said. The music festival is the brainchild of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce's College Student Retention Committee, which hopes to use the event as a way to persuade undergraduate and graduate students to remain in the Philadelphia area after they graduate. "Philadelphia is the second-largest college market in the United States," Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell said in a statement, which noted that more than 250,000 students are enrolled in colleges and universities in the Philadelphia area. "The concert and CollegeFest will help establish our city as a college town," Rendell added. "New students will continue to be drawn here and current students will be more likely to stay if they have a positive experience in our city." In addition to the wide range of musical performers, CollegeFest will also include a companion Philadelphia Village designed to bring college students together to experience what Philadelphia offers as a place to live and work. Penn student groups and staff members will join Philadelphia organizations at festival booths to pass out information about local jobs and internships, housing options, recreational activities and cultural venues available in the city.
(09/23/99 9:00am)
Many students have complained about Career Services' new crash-prone resume-drop software, among other problems. and Katherine Hjerpe Already revved up about resume revisions, anxious over graduate school applications and worried about what to do as the job hunt looms, seniors thought they had more than enough stress in their lives this fall. Little did they know that Crimson Solutions, a new on-line resume drop system used by Penn's Career Services, would quickly turn into Crimson frustrations. Glitches with the Crimson Solutions program have compounded the typical senior complaints that Career Services has long waits, a business-world focus and an understaffed center. And now, as multiple server crashes, resume configuration problems and the disappearance of big-name employers from the World Wide Web site have continued to plague seniors for the past two weeks, the Class of 2000 is rife with grievances about a lackluster system. "I submitted my resume two days ago but I received an e-mail a few hours later saying that a couple companies weren't listed," complained Wharton senior Amit Sheth, who noted that investment bank Goldman Sachs and financial service conglomerate American Express were missing from the online resume transfer list. "I had to go back and resubmit my resume." Other students were not even able to access the system, which crashed several times last week and again yesterday afternoon, paralyzing the resume-drop process. Career Services Director Patricia Rose conceded that there is a problem. Although Career Services officials worked around the clock to fix the problems, Rose said, they were forced to push back resume-drop deadlines so students could submit their resumes in time. "We apologize for this unbelievable series of problems," Rose wrote in an e-mail yesterday distributed to seniors on a job-hunt listserv. However, even when Crimson Solutions' server was functioning, students said they had problems uploading their resumes so they could be sent electronically to potential employers. In order to use the program, students need Netscape Navigator and Adobe Acrobat Reader on their computers, but when resumZs created in Microsoft Word come up on Acrobat Reader, the documents' formatting can change in the conversion. Marianna Rozinov, a senior in the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business, said the spacing of her resume was off when she uploaded it to send out. "It was not the way I had it," said Rozinov, who was able to fix formatting problems with the help of Penn's Computer Resource Center. And College senior Paige Kollock complained that Crimson Solutions was "just too complicated." Even after attending one of the jam-packed information sessions on the new Crimson Solutions, Kollock said she was unable to figure out the system. Rose acknowledged that Penn's version of Crimson Solutions -- which is also used by Brown, Harvard and Princeton universities and Dartmouth College, as well as 80 other schools -- was off to a "rocky start." But she maintained that the problems resulting from this fall's computer glitches were no more severe than in previous years, when resume drops were done in person. "Just a handful [of students] couldn't submit resumes and that was true when we collected paper copies," Rose explained, noting that in the past a few students would always miss deadlines when they arrived late to submit their resumes. And in fact, most seniors said they felt that overall, the system has made their lives easier -- they just would have preferred not to be the first Penn class to test out the new service. According to Wharton junior Taylor Beach, during last year's resume drop periods, students lined up for hours. "You had to get up early and some [students] even had to miss class," she said. Now, Beach added, "You just click on the companies you want to send it to.? It's very easy, very quick and you don't have to wait in line." Although the service may have eliminated some hassles while creating others, student complaints have remained loud and clear. Kollock said she was frustrated by the long waits for walk-in advisor appointments since Career Services does not have enough staff members for students to schedule any appointments during September, when most seniors typically begin their job searches. And while Rose predicted that more students will be seen this year than last, she said she does wish her budget allowed for a larger staff. "Our budget has not grown over the past several years -- we've had to operate under very tight parameters," Rose said. But probably the most frequent complaint of College seniors was what they considered Career Services' business focus, with a concerted effort on on-campus recruitment for investment banks and engineering and consulting firms in particular. "Sometimes it is intimidating during those information sessions because there are all those Wharton students," College senior Barbara Duker said. "I sometimes question whether this whole school is geared to Whartonites and engineers." But Associate Career Services Director Peggy Curchack, who oversees career planning for College students, said that it is more a reflection of those industries than a Penn bias. "No social service organizations, research centers, think tanks or newspapers know what their hiring requirements will be a year in advance," Curchak said. "They just don't come to campus. College students have to do harder work and get themselves to interviews."
(09/22/99 9:00am)
Senior Class President Lisa Marshall, 76ers owner pat Croce, a comedian and a journalist will square off Friday night. With two days before the panel takes the stage for Penn Politically Incorrect, organizers from the Tangible Change Committee have released the list of the four special guests who will participate in the humorous political discussion. Comedian Lewis Black, Philadelphia 76ers owner Pat Croce, Philadelphia Daily News columnist Elmer Smith and Senior Class President Lisa Marshall will join comedian Bill Maher for a modified version of the popular, late-night talk show he hosts on ABC. The sold-out Penn P.I. program will take place Friday at 8 p.m. in the newly reopened Irvine Auditorium, highlighting a series of non-alcoholic "No Place Like Penn" weekend events. Topics of discussion could range anywhere from the hotly contested Philadelphia mayoral race to college binge drinking. According to Penn P.I. organizers, a small selection committee -- including members from Tangible Change, Connaissance and the Office of Student Life -- chose the four panelists for the diversity of cultures, opinions and engaging personalities they bring to the show. "We thought a lot about who would come together well and who would be able to complement each other during the discussion," said Connaissance Co-Director and College junior Nishchay Maskay, a member of the selection committee. Marshall said she expects to bring a "unique perspective as the only Republican, only woman and only student on the panel." The College senior is co-chairperson of the Tangible Change Committee, chairperson of the College Republicans and was one of the first two college students to join the Philadelphia Republican Convention 2000 committee. "[Marshall] is a student who is very visible and has a wealth of political knowledge," Maskay said, explaining the committee's choice of Marshall as the lone woman. Adding to the mix is Smith, a political columnist for the Daily News and a West Philadelphia native, who said he expects to "bring a certain level of wit and opinions to the panel." "The basic idea of the show is to do what I do in my columns -- to deflate pompous and overblown individuals and institutions," Smith said. Black, who is best known for his cranky political and social commentaries as a correspondent for Comedy Central's The Daily Show, will offer his interesting blend of humor and sarcasm to the group. And Croce, the eccentric owner of the 76ers who recently made headlines after severely injuring his leg in a motorcycle accident, will round out the group of four. According to Tangible Change Committee Co-Director Theo LeCompte, the selection committee met informally for the past six weeks to recommend candidates and narrow the field of nominees. "We never had a priority list," the Engineering junior said, noting that committee members suggested a number of potential guests. "But because of the short notice, some of the people we contacted were not able to come."
(09/20/99 9:00am)
With tickets already on sale for this fall's Connaissance speaker, organizers are saying that the police investigation of former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for alleged financial irregularities will not prevent the foreign leader from appearing on campus October 6. According to Connaissance Co-Chairperson Theo LeCompte, the former politician is still slated to speak at the newly re-opened Irvine Auditorium. "There have been no changes and I don't expect any," the Engineering junior said, noting that Netanyahu's agent from the Washington Speakers Bureau would have contacted Connaissance organizers had there been a change of plans. Last Wednesday, Israeli police questioned Netanyahu and his wife Sara about their involvement with a private contractor who provided cleaning, repair and hauling services at the couple's residence. When a bill for $100,000 arrived at the prime minister's office after he lost the May 17 election, Israeli officials were shocked, since the spending had not been authorized in advance. According to the Associated Press, the contractor was arrested for fraud, but has denied the charges through his attorney. And in a statement sent to Israeli radio stations, the Netanyahus denied improper conduct as well. University spokesperson Ken Wildes said the investigation has no baring on Netanyahu's visit to Penn. "Allegations are allegations," Wildes said. "Universities are places for the free exchange of ideas, and any time a world leader comes to visit, I think it is worth our time to sit up and listen." Members of the University community who want to attend Netanyahu's speech can enter a random lottery by accessing the Connaissance World Wide Web site, which went on-line at midnight and can be accessed until Friday. Organizers have said that anyone who registers between those times will have an equal chance at purchasing tickets. Tickets will be sold for $10 each, and each person selected can buy up to two. The web site is located at http:// dolphin.upenn.edu/~connlect. In order to be eligible for the lottery, members of the University community must enter their name, e-mail address and PennCard identification number. Winners will be notified by e-mail sometime early next week, and will have an opportunity to purchase up to two tickets. Connaissance organizers also announced last week that they will be co-sponsoring a one-hour seminar with a Political Science Department faculty member on October 4 to update students on the current situation in the Middle East. The seminar will offer a crash-course on recent Middle Eastern political history to provide a historical context for those attending the speech. It will be followed by two dinner discussions led by members of the Jewish Renaissance Project.
(09/03/99 9:00am)
When a free speech and labor dispute at Berkeley, Calif., radio station KPFA erupted into riots this July, History Professor Mary Frances Berry was at the heart of a free speech controversy that received national media attention. Over the past six months, Berry -- who serves as chairperson of the Pacifica Foundation, KPFA's parent network -- has come under fire from staff members, listeners and left-wing activists who are outraged by what they say are iron-fisted attempts to control local affiliates and centralize power in the non-profit organization's Washington, D.C., headquarters. "[Pacifica management] has been top down, dictatorial," KPFA assistant general manager Phil Osegueda said. According to Osegueda, the controversy began when a popular KPFA general manager was fired in March. People "who worked here for more than 20 years were told 'if you don't like it, you can leave,'" he added. Pacifica Executive Director Lynn Chadwick maintains the personnel decisions made by the board, under Berry's leadership, were part of a series of strategic changes to increase Pacifica's strength as a national programmer. As tension mounted between Pacifica and KPFA staff, some of the local broadcasters began to rant on the air about the controversial personnel decisions. Soon after, Berry clamped down on KPFA, notifying station officials of Pacifica's longstanding "dirty laundry" policy, which bans the broadcast of internal company disputes. "It is not a labor-management issue as Pacifica tries to paint it," Osegueda said. "This is a free speech conflict." The enforcement of the "dirty laundry" policy triggered more animosity from the community. Staff and listeners were outraged in June when Berry fired two broadcasters who ignored the policy. And when three gunshots were fired into Pacifica's Berkeley administrative offices, the network brought in its own private security, further igniting the fury. The situation came to a head July 13 after security guards physically removed veteran KPFA broadcaster Dennis Bernstein from the studio -- while on the air -- for violating the "dirty laundry" policy. Shortly after, the network shut down the station, locking out employees and placing them on administrative leave. Infuriated by the news of Bernstein's dismissal, protesters demonstrated in July, blasting Pacifica's decision and calling for Berry's resignation. Berkeley police stepped in to calm the crowds, arresting over 50 people. "I haven't seen anything like it in Berkeley since Vietnam," Osegueda said. By the end of August, staff members filed a civil rights complaint against Pacifica, Berry was called to testify before the California State Assembly and KPFA went back on the air with the Pacifica "dirty laundry" ban lifted. Both parties have since agreed to settle the dispute through mediation. "There were a lot of pretty violent actions, and a lot of people were hurt and scared," Chadwick said. "The goal is how do we now work together." Berry, who is on a scheduled leave of absence from the University, did not return several calls for comment at three office locations. Her position as a tenured faculty member and the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of Social Thought and History is secure at Penn. School of Arts and Sciences Dean Samuel Preston said the current situation "won't affect her standing, which is based on her scholarly research and work."
(06/03/99 9:00am)
For years, business managers, students and top executives around the world have turned to hard copy journals to access the latest research from academia. But if Wharton School officials have their way, they will soon be logging on to the Knowledge@Wharton website -- a free, interactive clearinghouse for cutting-edge insight, commentary and information coming out of the University's elite business school -- located at http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu. "Knowledge@Wharton is a way for executives, students and the outside world to access the incredible range of knowledge that our faculty can cover," said Wharton Director of Public Affairs Chris Hardwick. "There are a lot of sites where you can get where the Dow is at, or when a merger will take place, but this site offers the knowledge behind the news." Launched last Wednesday, has already had a global reach. According to Mukul Pandya, the web-page creator and member of Wharton's public affairs division, nearly 2,000 people from 39 countries -- including Australia, Japan, Sweden and Russia -- have already registered to access the website and receive a bi-weekly e-mail newsletter. Knowledge@Wharton's "unique layered approach" and comprehensive search engine allows users to research perspectives on a wide range of management issues, including finance, marketing, human resources and business ethics -- with links to relevant sites, information and news stories. For example, a short summary of Operations and Information Management Professors' Eric Bradlow and David Schmittlein's research about commonly-used Internet search engines appears on the site's front page. Interested users can then follow a link to an article which puts the complex study into everyday terms. And users who want even more detail can access the underlying research, as a copy of Bradlow and Schmittlein's working paper is available on the site. Other links will connect users to the search engines themselves. By next year, officials anticipate users will have access to more than 2,000 working papers via the site. "It fits into Wharton's educational mission to maximize the impact of research," said Pandya. "In the past it was difficult to do because academic research was limited to academic publications. By creating Knowledge@Wharton, we are now then able to communicate the results [to the general public]." However, the website also serves as a promotional newsletter for the business school -- a mechanism to reach the more than 70,000 Wharton alumni worldwide and to market the school's image as a leader in business education and research. Other stories include interviews with leading Wharton faculty -- complete with links to Amazon.com to purchase their books -- summaries of recent campus speeches and faculty members' commentary on current business trends. Currently, the site features Finance Professor Jeremy Siegel's analysis of the current stock market craze, while another article highlights Warren Buffett's remarks to the University community in April. According to Pandya, the idea for the newsletter developed when he joined public affairs division last February to produce a general newsletter for the business school. But after exploring various options, he decided that going on-line was the right approach. "Wharton already had 30 newsletters, and the knowledge base [of research] was too broad," Pandya said. "People had talked about a centralized research depository for many years, and Knowledge@Wharton gave us a compelling reason." Pandya then teamed up with two technology firms -- ISB Interactive and Fesco Consulting -- to design the site and its search engine. Its content will be updated bi-weekly by Pandya and other members of Wharton's public affairs division.
(06/01/99 9:00am)
Taylor Allderdice High School '98 Pittsburgh, Pa. Come the spring semester of 2002, the Wharton School will add another jewel to its crown when construction is completed on its new, $128 million business education complex, Huntsman Hall, to be located at 38th and Walnut streets. Named for 1959 Wharton graduate Jon Huntsman -- whose $40 million contribution to the business school last May makes him the building's largest donor -- Huntsman Hall will house classrooms for the 4,700 students in Wharton's undergraduate and MBA programs, as well as administrative offices and four academic departments. It will provide space for 48 state-of-the-art classrooms, 57 specially-designed group workstations for team-based learning, study and social lounges, an auditorium and conference center, as well as two new cafZs. "I think the building is a critical step forward," outgoing Wharton Dean Thomas Gerrity said when plans for the project were released in early February. "We'll have vastly improved classroom experience, better technology, new team study rooms.? It is part of our master plan to bring life and vibrancy back to Walnut Street and the campus environment." Designed by internationally renowned architectural firm Kohn Fox Pederson, officials said the building will be highly functional while keeping in mind the traditional style and scale of the smaller buildings that will surround it on Locust Walk and the larger, modern structures on Walnut Street. Huntsman Hall itself will have two main components, with separate entrances for both undergraduate and graduate students. The main entrance for undergraduates will face Locust Walk and lead to the ground and first floors, which will host classrooms, computer and behavior labs, study lounges, advising offices and an indoor-outdoor cafe. This part of the complex will also feature ground-floor space for Wharton's undergraduate and MBA clubs and business conference planning committees. Over half of the rest of Huntsman Hall's space will be dedicated to an eight-story, cylindrical drum shaped tower overlooking Walnut Street, where most MBA students will enter. More than 250 offices for the Legal Studies, Management, Marketing and Operations and Information Management departments, in addition to administrative offices, will be located in this part of the building. On the top floor of this section, a 200-seat "colloquium" and multi-purpose conference center with a 40-foot skylight will provide meeting space for University functions. According to principal architect Bill Pederson, Huntsman Hall's classrooms will feature a unique "U-shaped design" and will be enhanced by the latest technology such as video-conferencing, video production and editing stations for group projects. Although groundbreaking took place in early April, the plans for Huntsman Hall had been in the works for years. "When I arrived at Penn five years ago, the need for a new facility was obvious," University President Judith Rodin said at the groundbreaking ceremony. "The world's finest business school was operating in facilities that neither matched its needs nor reputation. We were at the point where the quality of the facilities were having a detrimental effect on the quality of our programming." In addition to Huntsman's $40 million donation, more than $70 million has been raised through smaller alumni and corporate donors, making Huntsman Hall the largest privately funded construction project in the University's history. Still, Wharton and University officials need to raise nearly $20 million dollars before construction is completed.
(05/14/99 9:00am)
Whether pleading with a professor for partial credit on an exam, settling a conflict with a roommate or scalping tickets to the Princeton game outside the Palestra, most Penn seniors already have cut a number of deals over the past four years. But after graduation, they will be sitting down at the bargaining table even more frequently to negotiate everything from car leases and starting salaries to housing rent and wedding parties. Still, the vast negotiation experience of college life should pay off for recent graduates, according to Legal Studies Department Chairperson Richard Shell, whose book Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People hit bookstores nationwide last week. The book was used this year in all Wharton negotiations classes. "Someone who is successful at negotiating a grade change is going to be successful negotiating with employees," said Shell, who has taught undergraduate, MBA and executive negotiation workshops at Wharton since 1986. "The secret is being able to see from the other person's perspective." According to Shell, effective negotiation is 90 percent attitude and 10 percent learned techniques. "Everyone can be a good negotiator if they are aware and alerted to the other person's needs? and have a degree of confidence to appear natural and truthful," he said. Shell stressed an "information-based" approach to bargaining, advising that like good Boy Scouts, successful negotiators must always be prepared. "It is really key to get as much information as possible," he said, noting that consumer magazines often publish the dealer invoice prices of cars or the average rental rates of homes in various cities. And even during the negotiation process, Shell said that people should listen carefully and ask pointed questions in order to obtain additional information and check the credibility of the other side. He also advised that before sitting down at the bargaining table, it is crucial to have a precise goal. "If you set a specific target in your mind while negotiating, psychologically you will be more directed and focused," he said. According to Shell, the main mistake most people make when negotiating is that they do not ask for what they want -- be it a later starting date, higher salary for their job or earlier move-in date for an apartment. "Young children have no problem asking for what they want. But as we are educated, we learn to cooperate," Shell said. "People are afraid that they'll look unreasonable, selfish or greedy. It's OK to ask for something, but it is how you ask for it." He warned that a pushy attitude over a starting salary might not send the right signal with an employer and could jeopardize the long-term relationship. In Bargaining for Advantage, Shell supports these pieces of advice with the latest negotiation research as well as anecdotes from business and social history to illustrate the art and science of the deal. Current celebrities and legendary figures -- from Benjamin Franklin and Andrew Carnegie to Larry King and Donald Trump -- are used as real-life examples to distinguish cooperative and competitive negotiating styles. "A good negotiations course is where people learn to acquaint themselves with their personal tool kit," he said. "The goal is personal effectiveness and so the book doesn't treat everyone the same." Still, even Shell admits that there are times when it is better not to negotiate. "If you are looking for housing in New York City and are lucky to find one, don't lose it by haggling over the price," he quipped.
(04/28/99 9:00am)
As Wharton School Dean Thomas Gerrity prepares to step down in July, the committee in place to find his successor is entering the final phase of its five-month search, according to committee chairperson and Graduate School of Fine Arts Dean Gary Hack. Hack said the committee -- which includes senior Wharton and University faculty, two alumni and two current Wharton students -- is now meeting two or three times a week to narrow a current list of about six candidates down to three or four to recommend to University President Judith Rodin and Provost Robert Barchi. The current list of candidates includes leading academics from the University and Wharton as well as other business school leaders, government officials and top executives from "consulting to banking to a major consumer products company," said Dennis Carey, vice president of the international executive search firm Spencer Stuart, which was hired by the University to help identify potential candidates. "We are at the end of a long road," Carey said. "The challenge is here at the table and getting all the diverse [interests of committee members] to agree." Hack, who originally said he hoped to submit the list of finalists before the end of May, is now declining to give a timetable for when the committee will present its final selections. However, he said he still hopes for the position to be filled by the time Gerrity steps down on July 1. According to Carey, some committee members are arguing for a business school educator while others are stressing someone with real business experience. "We want people who have a blend of experience, who have very good connections to the business world as well as an equally good feel for academia," Hack said. He pointed to a strong background in research, a "sense of strategy" and leadership as ideal characteristics for the next Wharton dean. "All of these people have the backgrounds," Carey said. "The real issue here is how they can they relate to students and faculty." Carey added that the committee must also consider a "branding issue." As the Wharton School continues its extensive fundraising efforts for the new state-of-the-art Huntsman Hall and other projects, the next dean "needs to be sensitive to marketing and have a track-record or skills to raise capital," he stressed. And Hack said that candidates' availability would play a role in the committee's selection. "Candidates have their own timetable," he said. "But the committee would still like to see the position filled by the time [Gerrity] steps down in July." Still, Hack maintained that there is no set formula that the committee will use to determine its selections. "Every person comes in with a unique set of qualities," he noted. "We don't check people off and score them. When the committee feels a person could be a wonderful leader for Wharton and meets those criteria, then we will go forward."
