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(02/15/91 10:00am)
The 24 students in the 9 a.m. section of Biology 102 seem to want every minute of their $22,000 education. At least yesterday morning they did. After their dissection of live rats was disrupted by animal rights activist Elizabeth Whitney, students voted to ask the College junior to leave. Whitney complied with the request. Whitney, who urged the biology students earlier in the week not to participate in the dissection, returned yesterday to protest the killing of the rats. "As much as people don't like rats, they are individuals and have rights, too," Whitney said. According to Whitney, the rats are given chloroform and phenobarbital to knock them unconscious and are then pinned, cut open and examined. Eventually, the rats are killed by cutting their diaphragm, so they cannot breathe. Associate Biology Professor Peter Petraitis, who taught the class, said he believes the rats currently used in the laboratory are killed just as humanely as the normally used preserved rats. Petraitis said further that dissecting live animals is an important part of a Biology major's education. "To have a Biology major graduate without having dissected a live animal seems ludicrous to me," Petraitis said. "Students cannot see the lungs [of the rat[ inflate if the animal is not alive." Although Whitney said she originally planned to handcuff herself to a table leg, she eventually handcuffed herself to a drawer handle because the handcuffs were too small for the table leg. College sophomore Liz Knapp protested the activist's presence in the laboratory after Whitney commented that the rats had a right to live. "I feel that she is interfering with our right to learn," Knapp complained. "Right now she has taken a half-hour away from our dissection time." At Petraitis' request, the students then voted and asked Whitney to leave, after the handcuffs were removed by the professor. Before leaving, Whitney apologized and asked the class to think about their dissection of the animals. "I'm sorry for interrupting your class, but I hope you go home and think about this, about what you're doing," Whitney told the class. Students say they are thinking about the issues already. "I hate to kill them, but how else are we going to learn?" asked College freshman Andrea Cancelliere. Teaching Assistant Bill Schew, who regained control of the class after Whitney left, told his students that they did not have to participate in the dissection if they were squeamish. "But you are responsible for all the material covered," he quickly added.
(02/13/91 10:00am)
Graduate students want their responsibilities in writing. Tired of what they claim is poor communication between professors and teaching assistants, the Graduate Student Associations Council is working to convince the School of Arts and Sciences to accept an informal, but written, agreement outlining teaching assistants' duties. The agreement, called the Graduate School Compact, was proposed last semester by GSAC in an attempt to clarify the responsibilities of both graduate students and faculty. Currently under revision, the Compact calls for faculty members and graduate students to formally discuss mutual responsibilities and compensation for the semester. After completed, the agreement would be signed by both student and professor. The agreement would be given to graduate teaching assistants, College of General Studies instructors, Writing Across the University fellows, and research assistants to fill out. Graduate students and faculty currently discuss mutual expectations informally. However, graduate students are often not aware of the benefits they should receive, GSAC President Michael Polgar said yesterday. "It is simply an explicit agreement about benefits and responsibilities," Polgar said. "Students and faculty would have something concrete to refer to." "The Compact is in response to a series of different problems that have come up," GSAC Vice President of Academic Affairs Gretchen Hackett said yesterday. "We're not doing any strong-arming. We're just trying to stabilize some exceptional problems," she added. According to Polgar, graduate students often have no recourse if they are upset over demands professors have placed on them. Executive members of GSAC met in December to discuss the Compact with outgoing School of Arts and Sciences Dean Hugo Sonnenschein and Associate Dean Donald Fitts. The document presented to the deans outlined specific demands, asking for information on the nature of the graduate student's job, office hours, and compensation, as well as other tasks expected of the students. According to Hackett, Sonnenschein encouraged the graduate students, although he felt this version of the Compact, which had fill-in blanks, was too rigid. "Sonnenschein would like to maintain a jovial academic community, a pie-in-the-sky view that no one takes advantage of anyone else," Hackett said yesterday. "I thought it was too rigid also and am perfectly happy to compromise." Although Sonnenschein said he is supportive of the graduate students, he maintains they should have an idea of their responsibilities before they come to the University. "I urge graduate students in the School of Arts and Sciences to have ideas when they are admitted, to have a good level of understanding of the level of duration, of the support, to have an understanding of a teaching assistant's responsibilities," Sonnenschein said last week. Sonnenschein said there should be a clear understanding between the teaching assistants and the professors but not as firm as in the Compact. "I think it is a mistake having every item written down," Sonnenschein said. "It would suggest the absence of any trusting relationship between the professor and teaching assistant." Staff Writer Damon Chetson contributed to this story.
(02/12/91 10:00am)
Most graduate students choose to be teaching assistants as a way of making ends meet, but for many the load is not always an easy one to haul. Teaching assistants said that they have to straddle the fence between being faculty and students, adding that they often have to work long hours -- teaching classes and grading papers -- while working towards a graduate degree. · TA responsibilities differ from department to department, and sometimes even within the same department. These responsibilities may vary depending on the course and the number of students enrolled in the course and range from writing and grading exams to leading recitation sections. In the English and foreign language departments, for example, TAs run their own classes. Before classes start, TAs go through training programs to help them prepare for what they may encounter in the classroom during the semester. According to School of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean Donald Fitts, TAs in SAS are trained in a one-day program before classes start. The program, led by other TAs, introduces different methods of how to retain students' attention and get points across to them. Randy Seeley, a TA in the Psychology Department, said that the program is more about ethics than actual "pedagogy." "It tells more what to do about situations like cheating, or when a TA is attracted to a student," Seeley said. To supplement the day-long training, many departments offer their own training programs. The Biology Department has set up a program to teach its assistants how to teach in a laboratory. According to Leslie Holden, graduate group coordinator for the Biology Department, the training program teaches the TAs how to run a laboratory section and about laboratory supplies and safety. The Wharton School requires its doctoral students, whether or not they are TAs, to take an eight-week long non-credit Wharton Teaching Development Program. The program, which meets once a week, teaches students how to give oral presentations, to use visual aids, and to set guidelines. International students in SAS are also required to participate in a summer training program, as well as pass a test of spoken English. Without participating in these programs, international students cannot be TAs, Fitts said. At the beginning of the semester, TAs receive a letter from their department with their teaching assignment. After that, it is up to the TA and professor to work out the details. Biology graduate coordinator Holden said that in addition to the letter, Biology professors rely on frequent conversations with the teaching assistants about their responsibilities. Wharton Management TA Richard Makadok, who teaches Business Policy in the Wharton Evening Program, said that he is entirely on his own. Although he has sought advice from professors, he said that as far as he can tell, he is not accountable to anyone. Most TAs are expected to spend at least 15 to 20 hours per week on work for the classes they run, but many TAs said that they are forced to take on many more hours of work. For that reason, graduate students have formed a graduate school compact, which outlines the duties expected of them by their professors, according to graduate student leaders. Some TAs said sometimes professors' demands could be simply unreasonable. "If a professor assigns five papers for 150 students and expects the TA to grade them all, it can be a problem," Seeley said. "If the chairman or [graduate group] director is sympathetic, you aren't in such bad shape. If not, you're at the mercy of the professor." Graduate Student Associations Council President Michael Polgar said that, on the whole, the job is often more difficult for international students. "It is especially hard for international students, because they are stigmatized," Polgar said. "The problem isn't so much them speaking English, but that their legitimacy is questioned since students are used to older and white male professors." · In addition to feeling inundated by their work from time to time, TAs said that their major complaint with their job is the pay. Stipends are too small for them to even live above poverty level, according to most TAs. Fitts said that the approximately 400 teaching assistants in SAS receive a base stipend of $8200 a year, in addition to getting their tuition paid for. But he added that different departments may choose to supplement the stipend with their own available funds. The extra funds tend to be concentrated in the science departments because they receive more research funding. Biology Department teaching assistants, for instance, receive a stipend of $12,500, according to Holden. In addition, stipends in the Engineering School are also higher than in SAS. Psychology Department TAs, on the other hand, receive a stipend of approximately $9000 for the school year. Psychology TA Kimberly Cassidy said she finds the low level of financial support given by the University disturbing. "There's no way that I can figure out how to live for a year on that amount of money," Cassidy said. Anthropology TA Julie Pearce had the same complaint. Since she is only a teaching assistant for the spring semester this year, she said she will receive only $4100. Pearce said that she will only get financial aid from the University for half of the year, so she has been forced to look elsewhere to make ends meet. She said that she takes out loans and works outside of her department to pay her bills. According to Wharton Vice Dean Franklin Allen, director of the Wharton Doctoral Program, Wharton stipends are set on a department by department basis. "Everything is so diverse, so different in each department, that anything I say about one wouldn't be true about another," Allen said. Michael Austin, dean of the School of Social Work, said that there are no set programs for the three or four TAs in the school either. He said that the money TAs receive varies by departments, class size and their responsibilities. Some graduate students said that they are able to supplement their stipends with outside fellowships and grants. Makadok said he received the $13,000 Wharton Deans for Distinguished Merit Fellowship upon admission. He said that the award goes a long way in supplementing the $2800 he receives from teaching in the Wharton Evening Program. Polgar, who is also a teaching assistant in the Sociology Department, said that by living in Van Pelt College House, he is able to reduce his cost of living. "I've taken work as a Graduate Fellow and that gives me a room and some board," Polgar said. But other graduate students said that living on campus is often more expensive than living off campus. Pearce, who now lives off campus, commented that for the $340 per month she previously paid for a double in Graduate Towers, she now lives in a three-story apartment. Last year TA's dissatisfaction led to two Graduate Teaching Awareness Days, in which TAs were encouraged to bring their classes onto College Green to show their solidarity. Although there were many reasons for the demonstration, stipends and the administration's "disregard" for graduate student needs were the main factors. Graduate student leaders said last week that they will be holding a second annual Graduate Teaching Awareness Days this April.
(02/08/91 10:00am)
In a sharply-divided vote, the Graduate and Professional Students Assembly narrowly passed a resolution voicing their concern over the Persian Gulf war and its effect at the University. The resolution, proposed by GAPSA Vice-Chairperson for Student Affairs Andrew Miller, was passed by a margin of nine to eight, with seven abstentions. The vote at yesterday's monthly GAPSA meeting was preceded by a heated debate about the effects the Gulf crisis will have on University students. One of the major disagreements with the original proposal, presented in Miller's absence, was a paragraph which asked the University to make financial aid available to those male students who did not register for the Selective Service. The paragraph was later stricken from the resolution by a vote. According to GAPSA Chairperson Susan Garfinkel, men who have not registered cannot receive government funds. "The federal government requires that those who have not registered are not eligible for federal grants," Garfinkel said. Some GAPSA representatives said they felt that their constituents would not agree with spending "their tuition money" on financial aid for those who did not register. But other participants at the meeting called the entire resolution devisive and would, by the nature of the issue, spark emotional outbreaks. "People who support the war, who have family and friends fighting, will find it controversial," said long-time graduate student leader Wayne Glasker. "I don't think it represents a consensus of constituents." Earlier in the evening, non-GAPSA members were shuffled outside for approximately 15 minutes while reports were given from the different graduate schools and constituency. The resolution to remove the non-members passed by a seven-vote margin, and the seven non-members left the room quietly. Other highlights in the meeting included a presentation by AIDS activist and Anthropology graduate student Michael Bazinet. Bazinet said that there were plans to make up activities lost by the cancellation of AIDS Awareness Week by Student Health in late January. Funded from a variety of sources, including the Graduate Student Associations Council, AIDS Awareness activities will now take place on February 16 in the University Museum, Bazinet said.
(01/30/91 10:00am)
Every undergraduate group, from sororities to minorities, has expressed interest in occupying the vacated Castle. Now, graduate students want a piece of the action. Claiming isolation from campus life and the lack of a centrally-located residence, graduate students in the health sciences recently submitted a proposal to take up residence in the Castle next fall. The student governments of the Medical, Dental, Nursing and Veterinary schools put together the proposal and presented it to the Committee to Diversify Locust Walk early this month. Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson said that the Committee has not focused on any specific proposals regarding the Castle, but added that it has received a number of good proposals. Morrisson, who co-chairs the committee, said she will make a recommendation to President Sheldon Hackney on who should occupy the building by the end of February so that students may move in by next fall. Denise McAloose, a Graduate and Professional Student Assembly representative from the Veterinary School, announced the proposal at a GAPSA meeting two weeks ago, saying that the schools hope to use the space as a center for health school students to live in, to study in and to conduct seminars with undergraduates on health issues on campus. McAloose added that if the proposal is accepted, it will allow graduate students a much-needed presence on Locust Walk. Although graduate students make up more than half of the University's student population, they have frequently complained that there are few places on campus for them to interact and socialize. "Graduate students living in the Castle would be a means of promoting collaboration between the four schools," said Nursing School GAPSA representative Lisa D'Angelo. "We as professional schools are very isolated." GAPSA representative Andrew Miller said last night that GAPSA was pleased with that graduate students were becoming active in diversifying the Walk and that GAPSA passed a resolution endorsing the health schools' proposal. Committee Co-Chairperson David Pope said last week the building's location on campus has prompted interest from several groups, but the committee is discussing how to decide which group should be able to use it. "We are concerned not only with diversity along the Walk but also with diversity within a particular group," said Pope. He added that the health schools have a diverse student population. The Castle building has been vacant since May, when its former occupant, Psi Upsilon fraternity, was expelled for the January 1990 kidnapping of a Delta Psi brother. The committee met yesterday for the first time this semester. Committee member Erica Strohl said several members did not attend and the meeting never focused on specific issues. "We tried to decide on what our report is going to say, but we didn't get very far," Strohl said last night.
(01/29/91 10:00am)
For most couples, marriage licenses are not a hard thing to come by. A simple blood test, some mild red tape, and a few signatures are all that is needed. But for Craig Dean and Patrick Gill, being gay has presented a major obstacle to their goal of a legal and binding marriage. Dean and Gill shared their experiences of trying to obtain a marriage license in Washington, D.C. before an audience of 60 people at Bennett Hall Friday evening. The speakers were sponsored by the Lesbian and Gay Graduate and Professional Students Association and Delaware Valley Couples, an organization unaffiliated with the University. Currently, gay and lesbian marriages are only legally binding in Denmark and two cities in the Netherlands, according to Dean and Gill. After their application was rejected last November, Dean and Gill decided to seek legal recourse. They filed suit in Washington's Superior Court to have gay and lesbian marriages legalized, and have been fighting the legal battle ever since. Washington law does not specifically prohibit same-sex marriages, but there has never been a precendent to press the wording of the law. "We'd like to see D.C. become the new gay Las Vegas," stated Dean. "With a foothold [in Washington], perhaps other jurisdictions will follow suit." Although Dean and Gill are trying to set a precedent, many in the gay and lesbian legal communities -- including the American Civil Liberties Union's Gay and Lesbian Project -- are not supporting the couple's suit. "Some people feel the fight [towards equal rights] should just be fought a little bit differently," said attorney Michael Greenberg, who also spoke at the seminar. But Dean and Gill backed their stance Friday, saying that gays should be able to enjoy the legal advantages of marriage, such as being able to file joint tax returns. "Civil rights, such as being able to get married, are things that everyone should have," said Gill. "I grew up saying 'liberty and justice for all,' not 'just straight people,' " The audience seemed pleased with the speakers, but some said they were a little distraught over some of what the couple said. "I think it's really good they came, yet it's a little disappointing that they haven't had more support from the gay and lesbian communities," LG-GAPSA co-chair Brian Crane said Friday night. "Speaking for a couples organization with just under 100 people, we were shocked and deeply disturbed to learn that different areas of the gay community are not supportive of what Pat and Craig are doing," added Delaware Valley Couples board member Nelson Sonders.
(01/29/91 10:00am)
For most couples, marriage licenses are not a hard thing to come by. A simple blood test, some mild red tape, and a few signatures are all that is needed. But for Craig Dean and Patrick Gill, being gay has presented a major obstacle to their goal of a legal and binding marriage. Dean and Gill shared their experiences of trying to obtain a marriage license in Washington, D.C. before an audience of 60 people at Bennett Hall Friday evening. The speakers were sponsored by the Lesbian and Gay Graduate and Professional Students Association and Delaware Valley Couples, an organization unaffiliated with the University. Currently, gay and lesbian marriages are only legally binding in Denmark and two cities in the Netherlands, according to Dean and Gill. After their application was rejected last November, Dean and Gill decided to seek legal recourse. They filed suit in Washington's Superior Court to have gay and lesbian marriages legalized, and have been fighting the legal battle ever since. Washington law does not specifically prohibit same-sex marriages, but there has never been a precendent to press the wording of the law. "We'd like to see D.C. become the new gay Las Vegas," stated Dean. "With a foothold [in Washington], perhaps other jurisdictions will follow suit." Although Dean and Gill are trying to set a precedent, many in the gay and lesbian legal communities -- including the American Civil Liberties Union's Gay and Lesbian Project -- are not supporting the couple's suit. "Some people feel the fight [towards equal rights] should just be fought a little bit differently," said attorney Michael Greenberg, who also spoke at the seminar. But Dean and Gill backed their stance Friday, saying that gays should be able to enjoy the legal advantages of marriage, such as being able to file joint tax returns. "Civil rights, such as being able to get married, are things that everyone should have," said Gill. "I grew up saying 'liberty and justice for all,' not 'just straight people,' " The audience seemed pleased with the speakers, but some said they were a little distraught over some of what the couple said. "I think it's really good they came, yet it's a little disappointing that they haven't had more support from the gay and lesbian communities," LG-GAPSA co-chair Brian Crane said Friday night. "Speaking for a couples organization with just under 100 people, we were shocked and deeply disturbed to learn that different areas of the gay community are not supportive of what Pat and Craig are doing," added Delaware Valley Couples board member Nelson Sonders.
(01/18/91 10:00am)
Standing on Locust Walk in front of a sheet spray-painted as an American flag yesterday, Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity brothers conducted a letter writing campaign to soldiers stationed in the Middle East. Less than 300 hundred yards from students protesting U.S. involvement in the Gulf, PiKA brothers urged University students who passed them to write letters stating their support for the troops' efforts. They handed out flyers with the address of the troops along with yellow ribbons to remind students of those serving in the Gulf. PiKA brothers said yesterday that although the entire fraternity has not taken an official stance on the war, all the brothers believe that the soldiers deserve the support of civilians. "We want to do anything we can to try and bring cheer to the troops during this time of fear," said PiKA brother Michael Berman. "It must be very distressing for the soldiers when all they read about are the protests [against the war]," the Wharton sophomore added. "It's not their fault they're there." Over 50 PiKA brothers participated in the day-long campaign, which began at 10 a.m. and lasted until 5 p.m. They took turns soliciting student support, handing out over 600 copies of the address as part of a national writing campaign called Operation Ann Landers. Most passersbys said that they supported the fraternity's letter drive. "It's nicer to see them out here than the protesters at the library," said College junior Stacey Lane. "Instead of going against the troops and abandoning them, [the protesters] should be sticking up for them like these guys." "It's good that the fraternal organization is supporting the war effort," College freshman Jennifer Channick said. "I'm glad to see it happening on campus." The brothers said that they are intent on making sure the troops know that they are appreciated, despite the brothers' own feelings about the use of military force. The campaign was originally organized as a community service project for the present pledge class, but the fraternity quickly decided that they wanted to involve the entire house. "This project was too important to just be pledges," Davison said. "We wanted the whole house to participate." PiKA Secretary David Doft said that since the house received such positive responses today, brothers will remain outside soliciting support into the beginning of next week.
(12/07/90 10:00am)
Opening a 'window' last night didn't keep the Harold Prince Theatre from getting red hot. With the help of just over half-a-dozen performers, Quadramics comical drama, Blue Window, started off a little cold, but by the end of 90-minute production, all the performers were on target. Under the sharp direction of Wharton and College junior Samara Epstein, the small cast of seven managed to pull off the three-act Craig Lucas production with a sense of finesse in their acting. The characters took their audience through the trials and tribulations of the lives they lead before, during, and after a house party given by one particularly neurotic woman. Although the cast tries its best to meld as an ensemble with no stars, there were some obvious standouts. Particularly enlightening was College junior Lori Horowitz's portrayal of the neurotic, highly disturbed party host. She was both charming and funny, turning dramatically serious for the finale. College sophomore Anthony Byrnes also turned in an equally outstanding performance as an outwardly charasmatic individual who inwardly leads a lonely life. Despite his lack of lines in the third act, Byrne's presence is quietly felt throughout the theater. While College freshman Karyn Wachtell chillingly portrayed her dysfunctional character, her voice lacked the strength needed to carry the play's only musical number. Of particular note also was the unusual physical setup of the play in the intimate theater. In the first and last scenes, the characters carry on simultaneous conversations in different parts of the stage, each corner representing a location entirely separate from the others. The actors and actresses are then supposedly oblivious of each other on stage. Yet, to the audience, their conversations intertwine smoothly. Despite minor flaws, the show, overall, will entertain and challenge the audience to face their own fears. Blue Window will be playing tonight at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets, available on Locust Walk, are $5.
(12/06/90 10:00am)
Tonight, in the windowless Harold Prince Theatre, Quadramics will try to open a window. A Blue Window, that is. Blue Window, the latest production from Quadramics, is an adventurous three-act show focusing on seven students' experiences before, during, and after a house party. According to the show's director, Window tries to deal with modern-day problems in a college student's world. "The play is about how we use language not to communicate," Wharton and College junior Samara Epstein said. "There are things that lie behind words that we're scared of facing up to." College and Wharton junior Lori Horowitz, who comically portrays a neurotic woman in the drama, said the play emphasizes the students' fears and leaves it to the audience to come up with their own solutions. "The play talks about the fear of being alone, the fear of not being loved or accepted," the actress stated. "The theme of the play is apropos to the college experience." Added Epstein, "The goal of the play is to have people leave here and talk about something 'real' ." The play also tries to make good use of its sets and lighting in the small, and traditionally limiting, Annenberg Center theater. Conceptualized after New York City's SoHo area, the setting consists of a hard-wood floor and track lighting. Between scenes, the players move around their own props. Written by gay-rights activist Craig Lucas in 1984, Blue Window has become more popular in performing arts circles, since another of Lucas' plays, Prelude to A Kiss, hit Broadway. But College senior Galina Espinoza, who portrays Alice -- one of the two lesbian characters in the play, said that her character's lesbianism is not an integral part of the show. "First and foremost, Alice is a novelist and intellectual," Espinoza explained. "Her homosexuality is a secondary characteristic; it doesn't affect her as a human being." Because of the overlapping dialogue and unusual stage set-up, the play will mean different things to different people. "Everyone can relate to the play somehow, yet in very different ways," said Quadramics member Karyn Wachtell. Cast members that even though they can related to some characteristics of the figures, the play has been challenging, but worthwhile to organize. "It's fun to see how you portray your character in the first week and the last week [of rehearsal]," said actor Anthony Byrnes. "The character develops into someone else." "Every time the cast gets on stage, they must be true to what is happening emotionally, not just verbally," added director Epstein. "We're very happy with the result." Blue Window will run tonight and tomorrow at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at the Harold Prince Theatre. Tickets are $5 and are available on Locust Walk.
(11/28/90 10:00am)
Oregon Symphony Director and University graduate James DePriest took a break from his music yesterday afternoon and charmed an audience with his poetic verse. As part of the University's 250th Anniversary celebrations, DePriest, a Wharton and Annenberg graduate, mixed eloquent poems and comedic anecdotes in his reading in the Club Room of the Faculty Club yesterday afternoon. Approximately 30 people listened attentively to DePriest's poems, which touched on a variety of topics ranging from suicide to baseball. During one section, DePriest, who guest conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra last night, detailed the sometimes frustrating life of the modern-day poet. "I lament the death of writing longhand and despise the computer and the word processor," he said. "Although I am grateful when someone whose handwriting is illegible opts for the latter." During the hour-long presentation, DePriest, sporting a dark suit and bold floral tie, read from his two publications, This Precipice Garden and A Distant Thunder, intermingling a variety of tales and commentaries between poems. One poem touched on the time he spent in Scandanavia, explaining that the lack of sunlight in those countries directly relates to the high suicide rate. DePriest talked of a particularly gloomy day, when it should have been light. "I tried to think about someone who needed the light on that day, and then I realized how truly depressing it was," he said. DePreist also touched on the drawbacks of reading his own poetry saying that it limits the way people can interpret it. "Inevitably it will be my spin, which in some ways, is the least important," he said. "The origin [of the poems] is helpful for only one point of view." "I am always pleasantly surprised by the multiplicity of interpretations people have," DePriest noted. Several audience members lauded his readings saying that he gave insight into areas that are not often talked about. "It was just the right blend of poems," said Bernadine Hans, co-chairperson of the Black Alumni Society. "The little anecdotes were wonderfully delightful." "His poems touch on so much of life, both comic and tragic," added Clare Wofford, director of the 250th Anniversary celebration. "Some [of the audience] will carry his poems within us for months to come."
(11/16/90 10:00am)
Outside Annenberg Auditorium yesterday afternoon, the chaotic lines of students waiting to see Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy could have used a bit of law and order. After shoving their way into two overflowing lecture halls with video screens and a standing-room-only auditorium, over 800 people sat on the edge of their seats waiting to hear the hour-long speech by the justice. Speaking free of any notes, with only a glass of water on his lectern, the justice carefully intertwined American history into current events, touching on a variety of topics. During his speech, the audience listened intensely to the justice's speech -- which did not touch on any of the issues currently before the nation's highest court. In reference to the history of the American revolution, Kennedy stressed the importance of the people's role in government. "The overthrow of a whole constitutional structure, if that fusion is animated by a revolution, is in the name of freedom a fortuitous event," Kennedy said. Throughout his speech, he made constant references to former revolutionaries such as John Adams and Thomas Paine, saying that the American public has an obligation to uphold the policies started by the nation's founding fathers. "The government [is there] to insure society is faithful of those who brought revolution about," he added. Kennedy jumped from topic to topic during much of the lecutre but related the theme of revolution to the current upheaval in Central Europe. "The verdict of history will tell whether [Eastern Europe] can make the difficult transition to preserve the fruits of their constitution," the justice said. Kennedy, who joined the Supreme Court in February of 1988, also tackled the separation that must exist between state and private affairs. "Progress as a people is measured by achievement in the private sphere," he added. "It is not for government to suggest, dictate, or control." The justice also briefly touched on freedom of speech saying "right of expression applies to all matter," but said that people do not have to accept that in their private lives. The auditorium, located on the third floor, filled to capacity long before the speech was set to begin. The stairwells brewed over with students, faculty, and alumni anxious to hear what Kennedy had to say. The remaining people were filed into two adjacent lecture halls, where the speech was wired in through a video camera. The audience, on the whole, seemed pleased with Kennedy's presentation, although some said they would like to have heard more specifics from the justice. Third-year Law School student Jonathan Foreman said that the speech was "circumspect, because associate justices have to be [due to restrictions]. It was reassuring in terms of free speech." Others felt that the speech showed a different side of Kennedy not often seen by the general public. Ron Rubin, also a third-year Law School student, said afterwards that "Kennedy is not always made out to an intellectual. I think he dispelled any myths tonight." After the speech, audience members were urged by a costumed Benjamin Franklin to proceed over to the Law School for a reception. The wine-and-cheese reception also drew a several hundred people who waited in anticipation of shaking Kennedy's hand and perhaps exchanging a few words with him.
(11/09/90 10:00am)
When words are associated with the Greek system, Filet Mingon are probably not the first ones that come to mind. Or Beef Stroganoff. Or good food. But each day hundreds of fraternity and sorority members take their seats around their homey dining room tables, kick back their heels, and stuff their stomachs with hot, home-cooked meals. For years, the Greek system has had their own answer to the University's meal plan. Through catering services and chefs, fraternities and sororities have been feeding their own. And while each fraternity and sorority continually cite their uniqueness, Greek members point to several common factors for dining in, including convenience, cheapness and camaraderie. For instance, Theta Xi leaves their informal buffet dinner, prepared by Fiesta Catering, out over a burner, so the brothers can come and eat when they want. "It's very convenient for the guys who row [on the crew team]," explains steward Ken Marran, a College junior. Others, like Alpha Phi sorority, prepare a plate and set it aside for the sisters that can't make it to dinner. On Tuesday night, they were featuring fresh salmon, tender broccoli and white rice. Alex Miller, Alpha Phi's cook for three years, says he tries his best to accommodate the twenty-two women he cooks for by having the sisters fill out a questionaire early in the fall. He then sets the menu from their responses. "It's much better than Dining Services," says Alpha Phi sister Kathryn Roberts. Many students said it is this catering to personal eating desires makes it different and better than other options. Chi Omega's cook, Jewel Robinson, makes homemade "goodies" each Wednesday for the sisters ranging from Rice-Krispie treats to apple cobbler and whipped cream. "Jewel is great - just like a mom," says Nursing junior Melanie Baron. "You'll never starve here." Four nights a week, Robinson prepares a wholesome supper for the nearly three dozen women who dine at the house. Robinson explained that the meal always consists of an entree, a pasta or potato, as well as a salad and vegetable. The women, who alternate setting up the table for dinner, had only one complaint -- that they eat too much. But they all enjoyed the friendly atmosphere they found at meals. "It's a home setting away at school," says College junior Noreen Reilly. "It's a warm surrounding with awesome desserts." Robinson even makes birthday cakes, and there are always "lots of leftovers," because of the inordinant amount of food the cook always makes. On Tuesday, for example, they were serving Chicken with mushroom sauce, roast pork, scalloped potatoes and a green salad. Zeta Beta Tau's diners, on the other hand, gather each night for a formal dinner, restaurant style, while two hired waiters cater to their needs. Alex Mahone, their cook for the past five years, prepares fifteen meals a week for approximately fifty men, with a special brunch on Saturday of french toast, pancakes, any style of eggs, as well as lox and bagels. Another highlight of the week is Friday's dinner, when the men eat some type of steak -- either filet mignon, a flank, or prime rib. The brothers, Mahone said, often come in for a snack in between meals or just to say hello. "They're like younger brothers of mine," he added. Another important factor in Greek dining is the cost -- which is sometimes $200 less than a comparable meal with the University's Dining Services. For ten meals a week, the University charges $1023 a semester, according to Dining Services. The same number of meals at Phi Gamma Delta, however, costs only $800. "[Meals at the house] are a big bonus," says Fiji brother Dan Raymond, a College junior. "They're both convenient and cheaper than Dining Services." The meals also have developed many friendships among Greek members and the chefs that pander to their needs. The men and women who cook their meals, it seems, are more than "just the cooks." They play an integral part in the fraternities and sororities for whom they cook. Bob Jones, who has cooked at FIJI for the last eight years, speaks highly of the fraternity brothers. "It's the best house on the whole campus to work -- I wouldn't go anywhere else," Jones said earlier this week. "They're just nice bunch of guys." The admiration seems to be mutual. "You can eat so much more, because you want to eat more," says Fiji brother Dan Raymond. Chi O's cook Robinson said that she doesn't intend to leave the group until her retirement.
(11/02/90 10:00am)
For most performers, the phrase "all the world's a stage," just doesn't ring true. But for Jody Applebaum or Marc-Andre Hamelin, at least all the world can eventually listen to their concert this Sunday. The husband-wife team will perform "Masterpieces of Cabaret," not only for a University audience, but also for London-based Altarus Records -- which will release a compact-disc version of the concert around the world next year. The concert, which is being co-sponsored by the University's Music Department and will be held at the Church of the Saviour at 38th and Chestnut Streets, features classical music from different musical periods of the 20th century. But Applebaum quickly pointed out earlier this week that this concert differs from the more serious world of classical music concerts, using light-hearted numbers and audience participation. "We will be showing the true historical Cabaret with a capital 'C,' " the soprano soloist said. "Audience participation is extremely important. I won't just be standing there. I don't want the audience to have to sit primly with their hands folded in their laps." Instead, Applebaum and her award-winning pianist partner will expect the audience to laugh, giggle and clap. "I want the audience to relax and be ready to have a good time, because that's what I'm doing," she said. Applebaum said she hopes to attract many people from a broad spectrum of the University to the concert. Applebaum, who gives private voice lessons to several University students, often sings with both the University Choir and Choral Society and is a popular figure among many University performers. The show will consist of three cycles of cabaret songs that span the twentieth century: Arnold Schoenberg's Brettl-Lieder, Benjamin Britten's Cabaret Songs, and 1988 Pulitzer Prize Winner William Bolcom's Cabaret Songs. Only one of the cabaret performance cycles is currently available on compact disc. Applebaum said that by putting the three cycles together, she could produce a strong CD, both musically and historically. The concert focuses on the European, not the American, form of Cabaret. Historically, cabaret is an artistic and social activity that flourished in Europe from 1881 until the 1930s, when political crises stifled the freedom of thought, expression and innovation which characterize the art form, according to the show's program. Americans, Applebaum contends, reinvented the form without much knowledge of European cabaret. As a result, the American form is only the lowest of a highly specialized musical genre. "Because it is not performed often, the audience will be in for a unique experience," Applebaum assured. The concert begins at 4 p.m. The cost of admission is $7.50.
(10/12/90 9:00am)
University officials and faculty joined together in praising the achievements of the Graduate School of Fine Arts at its centennial convocation in the Annenberg School Auditorium yesterday afternoon. During the hour-long ceremony, the school officially marked its 100 years with the University and issued four honorary degrees to prominent leaders in architectural and planning fields. Delivering the welcome address at the hour-long ceremony, President Sheldon Hackney detailed the evolution of the graduate school and called the 100 year mark a tremendous milestone in GSFA's history. He added that the school has "grown and evolved, built on a tradition in architectural education." "The school is honoring today the work of individuals which represent the best in their field, a goal to which the University aspires," Hackney said of the honorary degree recipients. To most audience members, however, the highlight of the convocation was the keynote address by former GSFA dean and honoree Sir Peter Shepheard. Although he focused on the school's past, his 10-minute speech was filled with humorous anecdotes and jokes. "I had only planned to talk a moment or two, so when I looked at the program, and it said convocation address, I was a bit scared," he jokingly told his audience. "Here is a group of schools that have within it a very good school of architecture. . . fine arts. . . and planning," Shepheard added. "There aren't many other places with these three things." Shepheard also thanked the administration for an honorary degree. Also honored at the ceremony were Balkrishna Doshi, a founding member and the first director of Ahmedabab School of Architecture and Planning, Joseph Esherick, a 1937 graduate of the Graduate School of Architecture, and Lawrence Halprin, an environmental designer and town planner. GSFA Dean Lee Copeland urged his audience to "develop an environment conducive to change." Copeland added that while "creativity cannot be taught. . . interaction nurtures creativity. . .and teaches students to challenge conventions." "We must train and educate students to dream," Copeland told the approximately 150 people in attendance. "More importantly graduates, students, and faculty of the Graduate School of Fine Arts must [have a] sense of wonder, idealism, and optimism," the dean added.
(10/09/90 9:00am)
What does an art gallery do when only two people can stand in the exhibit room at a time? They set up an exhibit for two people. College senior Eric Zimmerman's exhibit, "The Green Meadow," which opened Wednesday at the Philomathean Art Gallery, plays off the two-person capacity of the fourth-floor College Hall room. The gallery was found structurally unsound because of weak floor beams last semester, and the University imposed the two-person limit to prevent a floor collapse. Zimmerman designed his exhibit as a two-person labyrinth to utilize the uniqueness of the problematic room. The exhibit, which runs through October 21, is set up as a maze with dozens of sheets of green construction paper covering the floor. Bordering each piece of the maze are strips of different colored paper, which act as labyrinth walls. Zimmerman also includes excerpts from several different writings on each sheet of paper. Upon completion of the game, a story made up of the excerpts will be finished. According to Zimmerman, the exhibit is "site-specific." He said that he created it over the summer with the intent of using the gallery. "I wanted art that's a game, that is fun to play and intellectually stimulating," Zimmerman said. Choosing the text, he explains, was a long and arduous process. All of the pieces relate to labyrinths and self-reflection, an influence of the Post-structuralist ideologies Zimmerman has been studying at the University. The participants in the game begin facing each other without wearing shoes, so, according to the rules posted outside the door, they "do not disturb The Meadow." The players alternate walking along the blocks and reading aloud the printed excerpts, until each participant is stopped by the maze's barriers. At that point, new participants take over, changing the direction of the pieces to continue moving. The game concludes when the players meet face-to-face on the board. Although only two people were allowed on the board at a time, several watched from an adjacent room, crowding around the doorways. The first winners of Wednesday evening's premiere said they enjoyed the game. "Each statement [of the text] makes you think -- very profound," said Eun Han, a first year Fine Arts graduate student. According to Art Gallery director Jessica Cooperman, the exhibit will be open Monday through Thursday afternoons until October 21. Zimmerman said "people are welcome [to come] up here and play. My intent was for people to have a good time."
