Search Results
Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.
(01/24/92 10:00am)
There's not to reason why, there's just to do or die. Tomorrow night, The Daily Pennsylvanian will inaugurate its 108th Board of Editors and Managers, retiring the current board members to civilian life and marking yet another year in the life of one of the University's longest-running organizations. As an independent newspaper with no financial ties to the administration, the DP's perennial goal is to be the advocate for the entire University community -- to ensure that whatever happens on campus does not happen in secret. Among the traditions passed from board to board are persistence, accuracy, belligerence and a fervent mistrust of anything done to students without their knowing about it. The 108th Board members, who were elected to their positions by the outgoing board in December, said they are dedicated to preserving the hard-hitting journalistic traditions of the newspaper as well as adding their own innovations along the way. Leading the 27-member board will be College junior Matthew Klein, who hails from Rockville Centre, New York. Klein, described as "anal," "hard-working," and "driven," carries to his position a year of reporting and a year of editing experience. College junior Christine Lutton, a two-year veteran beat reporter from Manhattan Beach, California, will lead the news operation. Keeping watch over the DP's business affairs will be Wharton junior Joshua Gordon who hails from Miami, Florida. As executive editor, Klein will serve as president of the corporation. He has vowed to make the DP instrumental in determining the direction that the campus community will take. "I want the DP to take a more active role in setting the agenda for the University and to help foster change," he said. Forming editorial policy with Klein is Wharton junior Michael Sirolly from Hershey, Pennsylvania. Sirolly covered two beats as a reporter and served as the editor of The Weekly Pennsylvanian this past semester. Lutton started her extensive reporting career two years ago, diving headfirst into the swirling affairs of campus life while covering the Psi Upsilon fraternity's expulsion. She said she aims to "continue the long tradition of strong reporting," adding that she also intends to "make the newspaper an enjoyable, exciting place to be." Incoming Business Manager Gordon brings two years of experience in the DP's finance department to his position as the holder of the purse strings. He headed the department this past year and served on the newspaper's executive board. Sharing responsibility for the business operations will be Associate Business Manager Guy Ashley, a Wharton junior who is returning for a second year on the business board after a term as the associate sales manager. In the news offices will be College juniors and new Assistant Managing Editors Emily Culbertson and Roxanne Patel. Both have extensive reporting experience and have covered all aspects of the University in their tenure. With Lutton, the new editors will head a team of beat reporters, coordinate long-term projects and edit the nightly stories. College senior Gayle Meyers will concentrate on the training of new reporters as associate editor. Meyers earned recognition for her outstanding coverage of the Persian Gulf War while she spent a semester in Israel. Sharing the same office, Engineering junior Margaret Kane will oversee city coverage as the new city editor, earning the post after reporting for three semesters. Among the new business managers are Wharton sophomore Barry Freeman, known for his energy and cheerfulness, who will head the training of new business staffers. College sophomore Jonathan Connett will bring his savvy understanding of the business department to his post as operations director, serving as an internal link. Also helping in business affairs will be College sophomore Eric Brotman, who as sales manager will be responsible for generating the DP's revenues. Wharton sophomore Harvey Fine will serve as finance manager and treasurer of the corporation. Running the sports staff and planning out the back page will be Wharton and College junior Joshua Astrof, College juniors Jonathan Mayo and Matthew Kelly. Sports Editor Mayo will lead the department with Astrof and Kelly as associate editors. College sophomores Paul Hu and Jeffrey Hurok will focus on the photography department as its new leaders as well as help coordinate design. College junior and four-beat staff reporter Matthew Selman inherits the dubious honor of 34th Street Magazine editor, where his feature writing talents will be well utilized. Running the magazine with Selman will be College junior Dan Sacher who has had extensive experience on the magazine's staff and is well known for his own excellent writing. Rounding out the editorial board is new Art Director Fred Chung, a College sophomore, and Weekly Pennsylvanian Co-Editors David Black and Robert Botel, both College juniors. On the business side, College sophomore Elizabeth Kopple will take over as the advertisement production manager, Wharton sophomore Kathy An as the marketing manager, College sophomore Kirsten Kingseed as the creative services manager and College sophomore Adam Levin as the associate sales manager.
(01/24/92 10:00am)
"Matt likes leather," said friend and College junior Mark Schuchman. Matt also rides a Harley, listens to Lynyrd Skynyrd and has a tattoo of an iguana on his right forearm. Well, let's stick to the leather part. Actually, Matthew Klein, executive editor-elect of the DP's 108th Board of Editors and Managers, is pretty hard to explain. A soccer legend who would try to play with a 104 degree fever. A baseball flop who once walked 13 batters in Little League. An American history major with a chemistry minor. A pre-med with a conscience. And a man with a fetish for leather clothing. "He's always been a Renaissance kid," his mother Rona Klein said. And his list of accomplishments continues to grow. He started a Russian language and culture program at his high school and won an award from Newsday for a column he wrote as the editor-in-chief of his high school newspaper. And he has a Lon Gisland accent you can cut with a knife. It is this motley combination of characteristics and talents that reflect the ability of the College junior to accept any challenge that's thrown at him. And tomorrow night, as he takes the helm as executive editor, he will be ready for more. In addition to overseeing the DP's editorial and business operations, Klein, with two semesters of beat reporting and one year of editing under his belt, will also chair the newspaper's executive board and write a monthly column. Klein leads a demanding schedule, waking up at an ungodly 7:20 each morning to eat an 8:00 breakfast at Stouffer. Although his schedule at the DP will become more intensive this year, he has already mastered the art of time management, spending 40-plus hours each week at the DP last year while maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.85. And Klein is looking forward to the known and unknown of the coming year. "I want the DP to take a more active role in setting the agenda for the University and to help foster change," he said. He added that he intends to make the newspaper more accessible to more members of the community. "Internally, I want the DP to always be a great place to work," he said. "I want everybody to know that regardless of their background or race or whatever groups they are representing, they are welcome here. Their contributions are valuable not only to us but also to the University community." But Klein's not the only one who has plans for the coming year. Several of his friends said they have never seen Klein drunk. "He could stand a little intoxication once in a while," said close friend and College junior Nancy Peisner. "He can be anal . . . although he's definitely mellowed, thank God." "That could definitely be a project -- to get this boy drunk," she added. Yet, from the top of his designer glasses to the bottoms of his crocodile skin shoes, Klein harbors yet another personality. Like his love of clothes and his phenomenal memory. "He loves his clothes so much that if you ask him what he was wearing on January 6, 1974, he could tell you -- with 100 percent accuracy -- what he wore, down to the color of his socks," said oldest sister Alyssa Klein. "He always knows on any given day, what he ate or wore." Klein's father, Chuck Klein, agreed. "Everyone in Polo stores in five different states knows him," he said. And older sister Dayna Klein explained, "He's in the Polo mode." Yet, Klein is even more than just a slick dresser. For instance, he's also a pretty slick performer, judging from past stage appearances. Take for example, his brief debut with the Folies Bergere in France at the tender age of 16. Attending the performance with his host family one night, Klein found himself pulled onto stage with the topless dancers and forced to can-can with them. The short dance was topped off as he endured kiss after kiss in what he called his "most embarrassing" moment. But perhaps the most pervasive characteristic, his friends and family say, is his compassion and caring. "He's a team player," said Klein's father who also coached Klein throughout his long soccer career. "He would always take the kid who was the worst and said he was the best. And he encouraged this kid to become the best . . . He always made the kid a hero." And now, as the new executive editor, Klein is holding the ball.
(01/16/91 10:00am)
The Medical School building guard accused of sexually assaulting a University student in December was fired for "administrative" reasons and not directly because of the alleged assault, University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich said yesterday. Kuprevich said University Police and the Philadelphia Police Sex Crimes division are investigating a report of a sexual assault by a building guard last semester but said no criminal charges have been filed in the case. The victim of the alleged assault has not decided to press charges at this time. The guard did admit, Kuprevich said, to being away from his post for part of that evening. Although sources close to the case described the incident as a rape earlier this week, Kuprevich said police are classifying the incident as a sexual assault. This classification does include the charge of rape. In addition to the criminal investigation, the Medical School also investigated the case. Kuprevich said school officials suspended the guard upon learning of the accusations. They then "terminated" him, Kuprevich said, for other reasons.
(12/10/90 10:00am)
For Philosophy Department Chairperson Thomas Ricketts, Logan Hall is more than just a place for his office. "The third floor is shabby, but it's home," he said last week. But Ricketts is one of many who will be forced to trade his office in the center of campus for a temporary one blocks from College Green as a result of large-scale renovations across campus. The planned relocation of Smith, Logan and College hall offices to the periphery of campus brings to light the serious lack of alternate academic space in the center of campus. Philosphy Chair Ricketts fears that relocating his department to 34th and Market streets during Logan's renovations will disrupt more than just day-to-day operations. He said last week that the move to the outskirts of campus may discourage undergraduates from mingling with their professors and graduate students. "It will be difficult to fully establish elsewhere the same kind of faculty-student interaction that we now have," he said. But, "you can't have interaction in Logan Hall if it's falling apart," he added. Besides the Philosophy Department, renovations of Logan and College halls is leading to the move of the central administration, the College of General Studies, the Woman's Studies Department and many other offices far from the main campus. Plans to demolish Smith Hall -- if a historical commission permits the razing -- is forcing the relocation of the History and Sociology of Science department and some Fine Arts offices which are located in the building. H & SS's move to the Science Center on 34th and Market streets has sparked objections from professors and students who call the area unsafe. But Provost Michael Aiken said last week that the lack of academic "swing space" in the area from 34th to 38th streets between Spruce and Market makes shifting the departments to the Science Center the best option. "There simply is no space available," Aiken said. "We have a very limited definition of what is appropriate space for academic use." He added that the department could return to the center of campus, possibly relocating to Houston Hall once the proposed Revlon Center is built. Aiken commissioned a study early this fall to determine whether Houston Hall could be converted into academic space. The Facilities Department found that it is feasible, but administrators have stressed that no set plans have been laid for the 100-year-old facility. In addition, the provost said that relocating the H & SS department to Houston Hall would depend on whether all the student service offices were shifted into the campus center complex. Vice President for Facilities Arthur Gravina said last week that the administration is waiting for architects to complete a "master plan" detailing the campus center area before planning the future of Houston Hall. The architects' report is due out in January. Gravina added that the provost's recommendation would not complicate planning for Houston Hall because the H & SS department would not take up much space in the facility. "It's not preempting planning for Houston Hall, but since the [H & SS] department's not that big, it could fit in there," Gravina said. "Nothing's cast in stone. We were looking at what was available." "Planning Houston Hall now does a disservice to the planning of the campus center," he added. But Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson Duchess Harris said last week that she and others on the committee to diversify Locust Walk feel they have been ignored in the discussion to relocate the H & SS department. She said that by "promising" Houston Hall to the H & SS department, the administration is making decisions that restrict the freedom of the committee. "I think what we were upset about was that President Hackney promised Houston Hall as an option for us to look at," she said. "Then the provost promises Houston Hall to H & SS and didn't notify the committee."
(12/06/90 10:00am)
Battling Spring Fling's image as a "white" event, directors of the annual festival sponsored a forum for minority group leaders to suggest how to make Fling appealing to all students. The three Fling chairpeople sponsored the 45-minute forum -- the first such event in the event's 19-year history -- to elicit more minority input. Minority students have said they do not attend the event because they find Fling's location in the Quadrangle threatening and are not attracted to the type of entertainment. Only seven minority student leaders and one representative from the Greek Social Action Committee attended the forum, but Fling directors said they would continue to pursue minority input. They added that the Social Planning and Events Committee, which oversees Fling, will soon form a minority concerns task force that can address problems with the festival. Tri-director Rob Cohen said last night that although he was disappointed by the low turnout, he hopes more minority groups will help his committee change Fling's image as a white event. "It's not what Spring Fling should be," Cohen said. "It's not what it's intended to be. If that's what its perception is, it needs to be changed." Leaders from United Minorities Council groups attended the meeting, suggesting moving Fling or some of its events from the Quad to Hill Field or to Superblock. They added that entertainment has not included minority groups in the past. Fling directors need to be persistent in soliciting minority input, UMC Chairperson Nalini Samuel said. "The biggest thing you have to overcome is the perception of this as just a token effort," Samuel said, suggesting that the forum's low turnout was partially due to this image. Ileana Garcia, the president of La Asociacion de Estudiantes Latinos Americanos, suggested that increased "crossover" music that reflected the tastes of more types of people could entice more minority students to come. She pointed to this fall's 250th Anniversary Quarter Millennium Celebratory Jam as an example of an event which played music that appealed to most students and brought groups together. Greek Social Action Committee Tri-Chairperson Jeff Furman said last night that although he is not a member of a minority group, he was interested in hearing minority concerns to take back to his organization. His group aims to increase diversity awareness in Greek organizations. "The philosophy motivating the Greek Social Action Committee is to get people from different backgrounds to work together, to exchange ideas, and to basically increase positive interaction with each other," he said. "Then we can all effect a better atmosphere and level of understanding on campus." Representatives from the Chinese Students Association, Caribbean-American Students Association and SPEC also attended the meeting.
(11/30/90 10:00am)
Twelve students accepted nominations for seats on next year's Black Student League Steering Committee last night, and BSL leaders anticipate more will join the race. BSL Elections Committee Chairperson Brandon Fitzgerald said last night that although most of the posts already have more than one candidate, written nominations for all positions will be accepted up until the elections on Thursday. Candidates will deliver speeches at the elections meeting on Thursday. Unopposed candidates must obtain 25 percent of the votes and all others must garner a simple majority, Fitzgerald said. BSL President Buzz Thomas said last night that the group decided last year to have steering committee members' terms begin in December instead of April. Thomas will have served as the group's president for only one semester because of the change. The College senior said that by having terms run concurrently with the calendar rather than the academic year, the BSL will have a smoother adjustment period when the new leaders take over their positions. College junior Jessica Dixon is currently the only student bidding for the group's presidency. Vice presidential candidates are Wharton sophomore Mesoin Williams and Wharton junior Nicole Bell, who is currently the group's United Minorities Council representative. Running for treasurer are Wharton sophomore Monee Kidd and College junior Anthia Christian, who is this year's representative to the Student Activities Council for the organization. Candidates for next year's UMC representative are College junior Chip Gross and College freshman Juanita Irving. College sophomore Sjekienna McCreary is currently running unopposed for the position of SAC representative. Corresponding Secretary candidates are College junior Kia Clements and Wharton sophomore Martin Dias, who serves as this year's freshman representative. College freshman Kaplan Mobray is vying for the post of freshman representative. Wharton freshman Alicia Lewis is currently the only candidate for next year's parliamentarian. There are no candidates for recording secretary. Paid members of the group are eligible to vote in the elections, which will be held Thursday at 6:45 p.m. in DuBois House's Multi-Purpose Room.
(11/27/90 10:00am)
The Undergraduate Assembly's PENNcard committee has joined the administration's own PENNcard committee to plan expansion of the identification card's functions. And if the UA has its way, students will be charging their Book Store purchases to their PENNcard next fall. The UA committee, composed of six UA members and one non-UA member, has been discussing expansion since September. A separate committee of administrators started planning in the summer. The two committees have decided to collaborate, forming a joint advisory body to Senior Vice President Marna Whittington. In addition to examining the PENNcard's current functions, the joint committee is also looking at schools who have already implemented extensive one-card systems. A group of administrators and students will visit Duke University next semester to look at the school's one-card system, which allows students to charge purchases from the bookstore and area merchants to a debit account. Many Duke students and administrators said it is a successful and convenient system. UA PENNcard committee Chairperson Andrew Tsai said yesterday that administrators looking into the PENNcard had focused largely on parking and building-access issues. Tsai said his committee will represent more student-oriented concerns, such as convenience in purchases. They hope to make Book Store charges to the card possible by fall of 1991. The committee has also suggested other uses of the identification card such as voting in student elections, charging photcopies and replacing keys. In addition, he said, committee members will distribute surveys in the next two weeks to gauge student reaction to expanding the card and to determine students' preferences and priorities in a one-card system. The surveys will offer committee members "a more usable guide to what students want," Tsai said.
(11/20/90 10:00am)
The 40th and Walnut streets area may take on a different character in the coming years as University officials plan a "new direction" for the block of 40th Street between Locust and Walnut. University Police officials announced in September that they would relocate operations -- currently located across from High Rise North on Locust Walk -- to a facility to be constructed on the parking lot at 40th and Walnut streets. They said the increased visibility of the police department on the troubled corner could help deter future incidents. In addition, administrators are negotiating with the Free Library of Philadelphia and McDonald's Restaurant -- both on corners of 40th and Walnut streets -- to move them into the multi-story facility. Van de velde said last week that a mutual exchange of property could be beneficial for all parties involved. He added that McDonald's 24-hour operations policy contributes to creating an unsafe environment. Talks between McDonald's and the University have included a drive-thru proposal which van de Velde said may be more attractive to the restaurant than remaining open all night. But van de Velde stressed that officials are only discussing such an exchange, adding that no decisions have been made. Sandra Viddy, head librarian of the Free Library of Philadelphia's 40th and Walnut streets branch, said yesterday that she does not care whether the library relocates or not. Viddy said problems that continually cropped up during the library's three-year closing have been solved, and that she has noticed a "tremendous difference" in the facility's attractiveness since its reopening in August. McDonald's Restaurant officials could not be reached for comment. Associate Vice President for Business Services Steven Murray said last week that Penn Mail Service may relocate to the new facility, adding that operations have outgrown their alloted space in the Franklin Building. The new facility, which is not expected to be completed until 1992, is part of a sweeping effort by the University to reshape the character of the 40th Street area. Van de Velde said that officials are negotiating an agreement of sale for the University City Shopping Center -- the block of shops between Locust and Walnut streets which includes Marty's Dollar Worth and Smokey Joe's -- and are studying ways to create an area that "positively contributes to the tone and character of campus." Van de Velde said officials hope to "clean up" the physical appearance of the block, adding that the block does not appear safe and welcoming to students. "40th Street is a little on the unsavory side," van de Velde said. "It's not one of the all-time attractive commercial strips." He added that officials will also look at limiting the number of vendors along the sidewalk and at the mix of merchants along the block. Officials would decide whether the stores are assets to the community or whether other stores would better serve the area. But van de Velde said there is no "wholesale reorganization of space planned." He said officials hope to alleviate crime concerns by improving the lighting and general appearance of the area. "You cannot change the behavior exclusively by changing the physical setting," he said. "But there's no question that when the place looks like it's blighted and derelict, that atmosphere increases the number of problems."
(11/15/90 10:00am)
Residential Living officials and Quadrangle residents said mail distribution in the dorm -- which has been severely behind schedule since September -- is now almost completely caught up, after three more workers joined the mailroom staff. South Campus officials decided to trim expenses this year by requiring the individual Quad houses to provide and pay students to sort mail for their house. But although the houses did not object to paying students, they said they could not find anyone willing to work in the first place. In previous years, the South Campus office hired all the mailroom workers. Students and mailroom workers reported that letters were piling up in bins and people were not receiving intramural mail because of a lack of workers. South Campus Director Tomas Leal said this week that after meetings with students and other Residential Living officials, his office hired three more workers, gave workers keys to the sorting rooms so they can sort after office hours, and will continue to examine ways to improve the methods of sorting mail. Although some misaddressed mail has not been distributed yet, residents and officials said they think the main problems of switching to a new system of mail distribution have been resolved. Leal added that the office reallocated its funds to pay the additional workers. Now, a total of 12 people sort mail. The system will remain in place for the rest of the academic year. Leal said his office will evaluate its effectiveness in the spring and will plan accordingly. Leal said he appreciated meeting with students who gave "constructive feedback" on the flaws of the mail distribution system. He met with Undergraduate Assembly representative Ethan Youderian and a few other students to discuss the system's problems earlier this month. Youderian said last night that he is "very satisfied" with the steps South Campus has taken, adding that administrators were "definitely very receptive and sympathetic" to students' complaints. The Wharton freshman added that he believes mail distribution will work well now, saying that he is "not concerned about how it is sorted, just that it is sorted and gets to people on time." Quadrangle Resident Advisor Evan Melrose said last night that although he and students on his floor have noticed improvements in the mail distribution, he is still concerned that misaddressed mail is not completely sorted. The College junior said students did not receive bursar bills on time and that some were charged penalties. He added that some upperclass students missed interviews because they did not receive mailed notifications until after the meeting was to have taken place.
(11/13/90 10:00am)
Architects will complete their "master plan" of the area surrounding the future campus center in January, campus center planners said last week. Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson said last week that the architects are working with a planning committee -- composed of about eight University Trustees and administrators -- to design the area from 34th to 38th streets between Walnut and Chestnut streets. Morrisson said the architectural firm, Kohn, Peterson and Fox, is working on designing both the space and how the space will work with other areas on campus. She added that the specific design of the campus center, to be named the Revlon Center, will not begin until after the master plan is completed. The vice provost said all the needs articulated in the campus center committee's 212-page report will be met, although they may be addressed by different buildings in the campus center area. Vice President for Facilities Arthur Gravina, who also serves on the committee, said this week that the committee members defined guidelines for the architects in their first meeting last month. He said they will address problems such as parking, the relationship between the buildings, open space and whether closing off or building a bridge over Walnut street would improve pedestrian access. The architects will also have to adhere to a $30 million limit on their planning of the center, Gravina said. The $30 million amount is the most the capital campaign can raise for the non-retail space in the center, officials have said. Gravina added that there have been no final decisions on which offices or resources will be in the Revlon Center and in the surrounding buildings. He also said that presently the architects are working with an overall square footage requirement, rather than defining which offices or resources should be in the campus center facility and which should be in the surrounding buildings.
(11/08/90 10:00am)
University Police may keep doubled nighttime patrols permanently if officials decide there is a continuing need for more police coverage during evening and early morning shifts. Administrators this week extended two of the three police shifts to 12 hours a day, six days a week to stem the recent rise in violent crime around campus. Under the new schedule, twice as many officers monitor the University community during the high-crime periods. Officers on these shifts are working 32 extra hours per week. If the doubled patrols continue, some officers will have to work these hours for months as the department tries to hire and train new officers. Because training in the police academy takes about 20 weeks, officials are already recruiting more trainees for the police department to prepare for future needs. Newly appointed Police Commissioner John Kuprevich, who will begin daily work in the department December 1, said he does not anticipate any negative effects on University Police's morale despite the demanding hours. "The officers are a very dedicated group of people," he said. "They want to make the area safe for everyone." Senior Vice President Marna Whittington said yesterday that the doubling of nighttime patrols is a "precautionary measure," adding that she is not sure how long the added force will be in place. She said if crime recedes for an extended period of time, the department would consider phasing out the doubled nighttime patrols, but added that security is the administration's utmost concern. "If we need to have it as a permanent measure it will be a permanent measure," she said. Whittington declined to say how much the extended patrols will cost the University, saying the administration is "not looking at it from a financial perspective." Extending patrol times is not the only measure the University plans to take to stem the recent rise in violent crime on and around campus. Whittington said at least three more officers will soon join the 75-member University police force. The size of the force has jumped from 44 to 75 over the past year, and the department has shifted beats and expanded the scope of its coverage. Whittington also said the administration may increase the security budget for next year. In January, Whittington announced a $1 million hike in the security budget in attempts to improve campus security. "Security is absolutely our top priority now," Whittington said yesterday. "From the president on down, the administration is worried about the issue . . . There's clearly an increase in crimes against persons." "The first thing we have to do is think of what we need to do from a programmatic standpoint and then we can calculate the costs," she said. "The president is prepared to commit another significant increase to security if that is what we need to do." She added that the department's officers "have very willingly agreed to work extra hours." Kuprevich said yesterday that he anticipates the additional officers will deter attacks within the department's jurisdiction. "We wanted the flexibility of having more people to have more of a preventative force," he said. "We're going to do everything we can to maintain a sense of safety." Kuprevich added that the department is using "saturation," maximizing resources at key times and in key places, but added that there needs to be more community-wide approaches to combat crime. "The police have a definite role and responsiblity to address issues that directly concern safety, but we as a community also have a responsibility to build a partnership and fight crime," he said.
(11/07/90 10:00am)
An Undergraduate Assembly member and several Quadrangle residents complained yesterday that mail distribution in the dormitory, which has been criticized as inefficient this semester, is still slow and shoddy. Under the new system implemented this fall by the South Campus office, the five houses in the Quad must send workers to sort their section's mail. South Campus officials changed the policy to save money and increase the number of people working for the Quad, South Campus Director Tomas Leal said last month. But UA member Ethan Youderian said yesterday the system does not work. Two weeks after students first complained, residents said the mail is still not on schedule: unsorted letters are still piled in the mailroom and Saturday mail is often not delivered. Youderian said Community House and Butcher/Speakman/Class of '28 have especially poor service. The College freshman, who serves on the UA's Facilities Committee, and three other students discussed the problem with Leal yesterday. Although Leal and Deputy Vice Provost George Koval said last month that delivery problems would be corrected by now, Leal told the UA representative yesterday that Community House currently has nine boxes of unsorted mail. "Tomas Leal was very very receptive to what we're saying," Youderian said. "The administration is all very helpful and willing to deal with the problem, but we haven't seen any results." Youderian said South Campus should hire more workers and either revert to the previous system of mail distribution -- in which South Campus hired mailroom students -- or refine the current one. "I want the Quad to have all their mail, all the time," Youderian said. "Everyone else in the country gets their mail. The people in the Quad should be no exception." Deputy Vice Provost Koval said yesterday that he will meet this morning with Residential Living officials to determine the extent of the problem. He added that they will discuss ways to resolve any backlog in mail distribution. Leal, who has hired two temporary mailroom workers, could not be reached for comment yesterday. College freshman Belinda Rosenfield, who sorts mail for Upper Quad and attended yesterday's meeting with Leal, said more workers are needed. She said seven students are sorting mail for the approximately 1500 residents. Rosenfield added that there is a "huge problem" with the distribution of intramural mail, saying it is often delivered late. In addition, misaddressed letters are usually sent back to the post office because students, unlike workers last spring, do not have the time or the means to reroute them to the proper address. Packages are the first priority, she said, mainly because they take too much space. But Rosenfield added that students are not helping the problem. "Students are really rude," she said. "No one appreciates you . . . People should know what's going on before they start being rude and arrogant about it."
(11/02/90 10:00am)
Minority leaders said plans to dedicate $35 million of the $1 billion capital campaign to "minority permanence" will give the University an edge in attracting and retaining top scholars. "It's gone from bemoaning absence to celebrating presence to planning permanence," Smith said. Vice President for Development Rick Nahm said this week that the campaign has already raised $17 million in pledges and gifts for minority permanence. The money will be used for faculty support, research funding, graduate fellowships and other programs, Nahm said. He added that, to his knowledge, no other peer institution has identified a similarly high fundraising target to attract and keep minorities. Officials have not discussed using part of the money for diversifying Locust Walk, Nahm said. But he added that once the committee examining the residential make-up of the Walk makes specific recommendations, officials may allocate some money if asked to. Rufus Ragin, who coordinates minority permanence efforts for the capital campaign, said this week that identifying such an effort in the campaign reflects "a very significant commitment on Penn's part to minorities." "This is a definite statement on the part of the University to expand its diversity efforts," Ragin said. "This will benefit not only Penn but also the education of the minority leadership of the 21st century." Part of the money raised by the campaign will be allocated to the Minority Permanence Development Fund, which is run through the Provost's Office. According to Ragin, the fund supports graduate fellowships, faculty development programs and other efforts to increase minority presence and retention on campus. Ragin added that although fundraising is a "challenge," he is finding that "people are becoming more and more receptive to supporting diversity at Penn." Black Student League President Buzz Thomas said last night that the minority permanence effort is a step toward promoting minorities' experience on campus, adding that he hopes to see the number of black faculty members increase. "There's definitely a need for increased funding for areas of education for blacks," Thomas said. "The University says there's a lack of blacks Ph.D.s for hiring black faculty . . . Now they're starting to groom our own black Ph.D. candidates for the future." But Thomas added that other measures should be taken in the short term to increase minority presence, such as bringing in black faculty members from black colleges. "There's a lot of talent at the black colleges that Penn fails to recognize," he said. Other minority leaders were unavailable for comment last night. The campaign, which is in its second official year, has raised $533 million and endowed 88 of its targeted 150 professorships. Roxanne Patel contributed to this story.
(10/29/90 10:00am)
Students who disobey PARIS may find themselves to be rebels without a class. Registrar's Office officials said last week that students who register improperly for multiple-activity courses will be stricken from pre-registration lists. They also altered the PARIS recording to warn students of the change. University Registrar Ron Sanders said last week that improper registration is "an age-old problem," adding that 1099 students failed to properly sign up for all sections of multiple-activity classes last semester. He said that some students requested recitations or laboratories for lectures in which they were not enrolled, and that others neglected to sign up for the sections at all. "Students would attend one lecture, and go to the recitation of a different lecture in the same course," he said. "It wasn't clicking that what they were learning wasn't following what was taught in lecture." He said officials were forced to toughen the system because the registration errors closed out other students and also posed difficulties for departments and for schedulers trying to sort out class lists. Under the new system, if a student registers for a lecture during advance registration and fails to register for the corresponding recitation or laboratory, the entire request will be automatically dropped at the end of the advance registration period, Sanders said. During the drop/request period, if a student registers for a lecture and fails to properly sign up for the recitation or laboratory, the request for all parts of the course will be dropped at the end of each day. Sanders said reminders will be put into the course register and programmed into the PARIS recording. Instead of the Ohio deejay who announces most of the PARIS instructions, a former information data specialist recorded a warning to students to sign up for all parts of multiple-part courses. He added that in some cases, students can choose not to sign up for a laboratory section of a course if the department okays the request. But those students will have to ensure that the department clears the particular request with the Registrar's Office before the student attempts to sign up for the course. Otherwise, the request will be treated as any other incomplete registration and will be dropped at the end of the appropriate time. Student Information and Systems Executive Director John Smolen said last week that the voice change in the PARIS recording is obvious and should draw attention to the message. "There is a distinct difference in voices," he said. "This one almost yells it out." "We don't want students to be surprised if their requests are dropped," he added. Smolen said he hopes the new warning and the voice difference will alert students to the consequences of improper registration and will be more effective than past attempts. "The old PARIS system had a kind of warning," Smolen said. "But students ignored it. They grossly ignored it." Advance registration begins November 5 at midnight. Students can call the 573-PENN number -- changed from last semester's 243-PENN number -- from 7 a.m to 3 a.m. for the following two weeks.
(10/25/90 9:00am)
A bill requiring colleges and universities to release crime statistics to students, employees, and prospective students, was approved by the U.S. Senate yesterday. The bill, called the "Student Right-To-Know and Campus Security Act," now goes to President Bush. The measure mandates that federally-aided institutions submit on-campus and some off-campus crime data to the federal government. It requires that information on violent crime be reported immediately. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the measure Monday. The Senate passed the bill by a voice vote yesterday. Sponsors say the bill is needed because there is no comprehensive data on campus crime. Out of 3000 colleges and universities and 5000 other federally-aided, post-secondary schools, only 352 provide crime statistics to the FBI. ''It is time to take the mask off the idea that a college campus is a completely serene and protected environment,'' said Representative William Goodling (R-Pa.), a former York County teacher and principal who is the measure's House sponsor. Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), introduced the bill in the Senate. Assistant to the President William Epstein said yesterday that he supports the federal bill because students should have access to such information and because it puts the University "on the same playing field as other colleges." "Generally I think it's a good thing for this to be in place on the federal level," he said. Admissions officials were unavailable yesterday to comment on the bill's potential effects on recruiting. According to a state police report released this summer, the University tallied the second highest number of crimes -- most of which were larcenies and purse snatchings -- of over 150 Pennsylvania college campuses, only behind Pennsylvania State University. Epstein said the University supplies more information than is required by law, publishing on and off campus crime statistics each week in The Almanac. He said he does not think the published reports make the University seem any less safe than other urban institutions, adding that no campus is completely safe. "Tragically . . . being away from an urban area is no guarantee that one is not going to be a victim of a crime," he said. "You're fooling yourself in thinking that going to a suburban or rural college makes you completely safe and that you don't have to worry about the realities of everyday life." The movement to require colleges to release crime information was spearheaded by Security on Campus, an organization founded by Howard and Connie Clery, parents of a Lehigh University student who was raped and murdered in 1986 by another student. "We are delighted to say the least that all the Clerys' hard work and dedication have paid off," said Lynda Getchis, an assistant in the organization. "Throughout, the public has supported them to continue their efforts." The measure is also coupled with another requiring colleges and universities to release graduation rates of all students and students on sports scholarships. Schools would also have to make data available on athletic department revenues and expenditures. The Associated Press contributed to this article.
(10/24/90 9:00am)
The Furness Building is not the boiler room, but it soon will be the campus hot spot. The University began renovations on the Fine Arts building, which is touted as the premier campus library, five years and $16 million ago. When the building is completed later this semester, it will not just be used by scholars and students. "The Trustees are going to want to have meetings in it and the University will want to throw big parties there," Historic Preservation and Urban Studies Lecturer George Thomas said. "It'll be tough to keep it as a library." Officials said they hope to move Fine Arts offices into the building over winter break, concluding five years of extensive research and construction work to restore the building. Describing the structure as "kind of clunky" with "a lot of character," Thomas, who was a research restoration consultant for the renovations, said the building is the campus' most interesting. Thomas said the 100-year-old building, located on 34th Street near Locust Walk, is unique even in its underlying philosophy. "It's very nearly one of the most modern buildings and one of the first American buildings," he said. "It's a functional experiment." Thomas explained that in designing the building, Philadelphia architect Frank Furness took Ralph Waldo Emerson's "ideas about looking away from Europe and away from the past, and looked instead to the present and future." Associate Art History Professor Renata Holod said the Fine Arts library is one of only a few of Furness' buildings to escape being razed. She added that the red stone building, which she described as Victorian with Romanesque traits, boasts a "flamboyant, colorful" style which Furness pioneered. "Everyone has fake Oxford-Cambridge kind of things," Holod said. "This is definitely not a fake Oxford-Cambridge thing." "It's what makes this campus different from any other campus," she added. Vice President for Facilities Arthur Gravina said yesterday that the three-phase restoration of the building, designated as a national historical landmark, tried to remain faithful to the original design. The first phase involved exterior restoration, including roof repairs and installing leaded glass windows. Workers then installed concrete-reinforced floors and a sprinkler system in the second phase. Although the original floors were made of glass so that natural light could enter, they violated fire and safety codes. The third phase involved restoring the main reading room to its original state.
(10/19/90 9:00am)
Students need not fear -- Dining Services' styrofoam will be politically correct next year. Dining Services will restock dining halls with polystyrene foam products as soon as next semester, Hospitality Services Executive Director Donald Jacobs said yesterday. But Jacobs said that the new styrofoam products will not be hazardous to the environment. They do not contain the ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons, typical of many styrofoam products, that have incurred the wrath of environmental groups. He also said the products will be recycled, not stored in a landfill. Styrofoam products were banned from dining halls two years ago in response to student demands, according to Jacobs. He said he anticipates some opposition to reintroducing styrofoam products to the dining halls. "Styrofoam is seen as a no-no," Jacobs said. He said officials may install displays to inform students about environmentally safe styrofoam and its recycling process. And Jacobs added that styrofoam has advantages because it weighs very little and could be used as a source of fuel. Dining Services Director Bill Canney agreed that reintroducing styrofoam products may be difficult because of misperceptions about its environmental effects. "It's an emotional issue," he said. Canney added that details have not been worked out, saying a polystyrene recycling facility may be constructed on campus. And styrofoam will not be the only change in Dining Services. In compliance with recycling laws, dining hall kitchens now separate paper products, aluminum and plastic, according to Jacobs. However, when the Philadelphia Recycling Plant cannot handle such solid waste, the University must transport it to New Jersey, costing $78 per ton, Jacobs said. Jacobs said that one of Dining Services' main targets is "source reduction," in which officials will try to decrease the use of items requiring disposal. "The reason we will do a better job of recycling is because we'll do a better job of source reduction," Jacobs said. He added that Dining Services is "doing all we can physically do" to recycle, adding that dining halls are complying with the law and that he expects the program to improve. Dining Services Director Canney said that although students are participating in the recycling program, he believes the program needs to pick up its pace. "There's more that we have to do," Canney said. "This is just the start of the program." Other changes involve transporting milk in recyclable containers instead of the bags and boxes which wasted cardboard and paper, Canney said. The recycling program has been implemented to varying degrees in all the dining halls for the past few years, according to Canney. Jacobs said Dining Services adopted the measures in anticipation of the recycling laws. Canney also said he is unsure whether recycling demands are more costly to Dining Services, although they do require more time from workers.
(10/12/90 9:00am)
A University Trustees committee yesterday unanimously agreed to endorse the Revlon Center as the formal name for the campus center, despite opposition from students who said the name would commercialize campus. The full board of Trustees will vote on the recommendation to accept the name this afternoon. In the past, the board has generally approved the decisions of its committees. In November 1988, Trustee and Revlon Chief Executive Officer Ronald Perelman donated a seed gift of $10 million for the construction of a campus center. At the time of the announcement, the administration said the proposed center's name would be the Revlon Center. But in the past year, students have criticized the choice, objecting to what they said would be a commercialization of campus and advertising for the Revlon corporation. Trustees' Facilities and Campus Planning Committee Chairperson Myles Tannenbaum said at the meeting yesterday that after "very sincere personal discussions," Perelman reaffirmed his decision to name the facility the Revlon Center as opposed to using his name. Tannenbaum added that naming the center after the Revlon corporation is "not putting a billboard up there to advertise." But Wharton junior David Kaufman, the undergraduate student liaison to the committee, reiterated the Undergraduate Assembly's objection to the proposed name. The UA passed a resolution last year urging that the name be reconsidered. Trustees Chairperson Alvin Shoemaker said yesterday at the meeting that the naming of the campus center should be up to the donor. "I feel very strongly that when a gentleman steps up and gives $10 million he should have the right to name the building," Shoemaker said. "I propose we accept the gift and we be pleased to accept it and we Trustees tell Mr. Perelman that we are delighted to name [the center] the Revlon Center." Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson, who co-chaired the campus center committee, last night declined to comment on the name, but said University officials usually defer to the donor's wishes. And Associate Regional Science Professor Stephen Gale, who also co-chaired the campus center committee, said at the meeting that "it would be an extraordinary precedent at the University not to let the donor request to name the building." UA Chairperson Duchess Harris said yesterday that she is still opposed to the name, adding that she is "disappointed that the Trustees did not respect the wishes of the undergraduates at the Penn campus." She added that she hopes the decision is "not a precedent for the year" when students speak about other issues such as diversity on the Walk and tuition. In other matters, the Trustees committee agreed to recommend that the Medical Education Building be renamed Edward J. Stemmler Hall in honor of the former Medical School dean. Trustees were also apprised of ongoing and planned construction or renovation of campus buildings.
(10/11/90 9:00am)
The postman may always ring twice, but many Quadrangle residents are wondering if their doorbells are broken. Several Quad residents said that their mail has been delayed by as much as one month. Some added that they still have not received letters and packages sent many days ago. For College sophomore Robyn Glassman, who said she has still not received a letter sent to her on the first day of classes, the daily journey to her empty mailbox is downright frustrating. "People have packages that have slips dated a month ago," she said yesterday. "We're paying a lot of money to Residential Living and we're not even getting our mail." She said South Campus posters requesting volunteers to help sort mail in the understaffed office add to her vexation. "I don't have the extra time to offer," she added. "But I still need my mail." The delays stem from changes in responsibility for mail distribution, according to South Campus Residences Director Tomas Leal. The new system requires students from each section of the Quad to sort that section's mail. But students blasted the system, saying it is "ludicrous" that they are not receiving their letters and packages on time. Leal said yesterday that officials started distributing mail differently this fall in order to attract more work-study students to the South Campus staff, which would ease financial burdens on the office. He said the office has implemented a "shared responsibility" procedure, designed as a joint effort between mailroom workers -- who sort incoming mail according to house -- and house residents who distribute mail and package slips into the individual mailboxes. He added that several dormitories across campus employ this system, and that officials hope work-study students will be more willing to sort mail for their house than for the Quad as a whole. The new system is designed to bring in more work-study students, whom South Campus had trouble recruiting last year, Leal said. Departments pay only 10 percent of work-study students' wages, but must foot the bill for non-work-study students' entire paycheck. South Campus was forced to lay off about five non-work-study students towards the end of last year to avoid a deficit, the director said. Under the new system, the individual houses are responsible for sending and paying their work-study students to sort their house's mail. Leal said the mailroom has had to resort to soliciting volunteers because some houses have not been able to find work-study students to sort for the unit. Although Leal said he has heard complaints about the system, he added that he believes there will not be many glitches once it is fully in place. The director also said the mail is now up to date, except for those letters which lack box numbers or other information. In addition, officials will evaluate the system later in the year, he said. The South Campus mailroom is responsible for four first-year houses -- Community House, Spruce Street, Upper Quad and Butcher-Speakman-Class of 1928 -- and two college houses -- Stouffer and Ware. But some work-study students who work in their house's office, objected to the change in the mail system, saying that they had not expected to be sorting mail when they accepted their office positions. College freshman Michael Monson, a Community House work-study student who sorts mail, said the new procedure forces his office to give up one of its workers for a service that should be provided by the University. Community House each weekday sends one office worker between 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. to sort the mail for its 400 residents. "I think it's absolutely ludicrous," he said. "What is our tuition going for? . . . I feel like were being abused by whoever is in charge of mail." "It's blackmail as well," he added. "If you don't come sort your mail, you're just not going to get it." And at least Ware and Spruce Street houses do not have work-study students to sort the mail. "Until we have student workers we're really in a bind," Brenda Ridley, Spruce Street assistant dean for residence, said this week. But Butcher-Speakman Assistant Dean for Residence Jane Rogers said the system has had some problems, but is generally working for her house's 390 residents. She added that she expects it to work well once it gets going and that paying for the work-study position is not a financial burden. Some students said they believe the mail system is improving, but said they are still frustrated because they believe they are not receiving their mail on time. One College junior who asked not to be identified, said this week that a letter sent to him by priority mail arrived a week late. He added that he worries that other letters will be delayed similarly. "I have this pet peeve," he said. "I like to vote, and I'm expecting my absentee ballot. Given my experience so far, I really doubt that I'll get it."
(10/09/90 9:00am)
Where do you go if you are standing in the Towne Building and all of a sudden, can't figure out why your hollandaise sauce failed? Try Room 107. New Engineering Dean Gregory Farrington may be able to help. Farrington, who assumed the seven-year deanship in July, is an expert in both culinary and material science. According to John Keenan, associate Engineering dean for undergraduate education, Farrington annually delivers a speech on the scientific basis for gourmet cooking. And others anticipate that the new dean will bring his creativity and enthusiasm from the kitchen to the boardroom. In an interview this summer, Farrington said his main focus as the new dean would be on supporting students and making their experience at the University more fun. He added that increased faculty interaction with students is essential for reducing the attrition in the school. "We have strayed too far from undergraduates and the undergraduate experience," he added. "The University can be big in opportunity but does not have to be big in feeling." Farrington said although his push for improving students' experience may be "Pollyanna-ish," he believes it is possible, adding that he wants to ensure that all departments -- including those in the College -- "take care" of Engineering students. The new dean, who has been at the University for 11 years, said a commitment to science education is crucial to keep the nation competitive with other powers in technological development. "Societally and economically, we're going to croak unless we have strong science and technology bases," Farrington said. He also said this summer that proposals to create a separate school for the Computer and Information Science Department "make no sense intellectually or administratively." He said the school should concentrate on unifying all its students and departments in order to provide a complete college experience. Former Engineering Dean Joseph Bordogna, now an Electrical Engineering professor in the school, said Farrington would bring his expertise and pride in the school to the position. "He was an excellent choice," he concluded. Fifth-year Chemical Engineering graduate student Greg Jones said yesterday that Farrington's appointment is "a great opportunity for him to make the school better." "My perception is he is a good leader," Jones said. "We all like him." And Jean Farrington, the new dean's wife of 20 years and head of Van Pelt Library's Serials Department, said yesterday that it was "attraction at first sight" when the two met almost 23 years ago. She added that living with the new dean is entertaining, saying that "he can see the humor in almost any situation." "He likes furry creatures," she said. "We have a collection of stuffed aminals that are supposedly my son's . . . He gives them names, backgrounds and histories." Farrington received his bachelor's degree from Clarkson University and pursued his doctorate at Harvard University. He served as a University professor of material science and chaired the department until his appointment as director of the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter in 1987.
