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(02/05/93 10:00am)
Those crazy college journalists. In a traditional Ivy League newspaper prank, editors of Yale University's Yale Daily News made 650 "extra" editions of Columbia University's Columbia Spectator and distributed them on Columbia's campus last Friday, throwing the Manhattan Ivy into confused convulsions. The fake Spectators proclaimed that former Yale President Benno Schmidt, a former dean of Columbia's law school, had accepted the position of the Columbia presidency. "We'd been talking about doing a hoax issue, and figured that the time and place was right," Yale Daily News Managing Editor Jeff Diamant said. "It went over really well." Diamant said that the timing of the issue was especially good because the actual selection of Columbia's new president, current Rice University President George Rupp, was announced on Monday. Diamant said that the five editors distributed the fake papers at the Yale-Columbia basketball game, in the dormitories, and on the street, and that people believed that the fake Spectator was the real thing. "Some people were really funny, saying, 'Oh, Benno Schmidt -- now we'll have to start learning from TV,' " Diamant said, referring to the fact that Schmidt resigned from Yale to work with Christopher Whittle, whose past projects include the educational television program, Channel One. People at the real Spectator said they had mixed feelings about the prank. "Friday night, some of us were a little astonished and annoyed, but by Sunday we were pretty amused, I guess," Spectator Managing Editor Leyla Kokmen said. "At first, everyone was a little shocked." Freshman Spectator reporter Bill Torrey said that Columbia students actually approached editors to congratulate them on "the big scoop" of Schmidt's announcement. "It looked almost exactly like the Spec," Torrey said. "There were a few minor mistakes, which isn't very Spec-like, but it was probably intended to make fun of us anyway." Students were not the only ones fooled by the fake announcement. Diamant said that the following day, the New Haven Register inadvertently picked up the story and ran it as the real thing. "We were pretty happy," Diamant said. Spectator editors did not know who was responsible for the prank until yesterday as a result of that article. Yale Daily News Editor-In-Chief David Leonhardt, in a statement to Spectator editors, implied that those tricky kids from Ithaca were in on the prank. "Not long ago, the Cornell Daily Sun tricked us, putting out a false edition of the YDN, so I think Ithaca might be a valuable place to start looking [for the culprit]," Leonhardt said. Both the Cornell Daily Sun and the Daily Princetonian denied responsibility. The Daily Pennsylvanian was never questioned. "You guys were the only ones we didn't think did it," Torrey said trustingly. However, the DP has not maintained a lily-white past, having pulled similar stunts on the Harvard Crimson, and most recently in 1990, the Cornell Daily Sun. No one, however, has managed to pull the wool over the eyes of the DP -- yet.
(02/02/93 10:00am)
Sleeping security guards are not necessarily University students' worst nightmare. Student reaction varied yesterday to an article in yesterday's Daily Pennsylvanian detailing allegations made by several McGinn Security Services guards that some co-workers sleep on the job and are not properly trained or supervised. While some students who live on campus expressed fear for their safety, many said the situation does not worry them. "It's not right, but it's difficult for people to work at five in the morning," College junior Jeff Greenspan said while waiting for the elevator in High Rise North last night. "It's human nature." "People are concerned, but I do feel safe [living on campus]," College sophomore Renee Simon said. "Whenever I've come in, the guards have been up, and they've been pretty strict even about letting students [into the High Rises] who don't live in the High Rises." Some students said that while the issue may raise the question of the responsibility of the guards, the presence of guards itself could be sufficient for security purposes. "It wasn't too surprising, but still, it's better than no security at all," Engineering senior Brett Aukburg said. "Compared to having no security at all, I guess it's a deterrent having someone sit there." And several students expressed sympathy for individual security guards with whom they had a personal relationship. "I feel that security in the High Rises is very personal and friendly," College senior Scott Shapiro said. "Nate, who works late at night, is a very good friend of mine." "I do feel safe," College junior Mike Smith said as the elevator doors closed behind him. "[The issue is more] that it's their job and they're just not doing it well, that's all." But "just not doing it well" was something that some students found particularly troubling. "I think it's a tragedy that there are certain security guards on campus that don't take their job seriously enough," Wharton and College junior Larry Linietsky said. "At minimum, a good guard is an awake guard." "If they're going to have guards that fall asleep, they might as well not have them at all," College sophomore Laurie Wershba said in her High Rise South room. "I'm really disturbed by it." "Parents make their children live in the High Rises, but it seems that people can just walk through anywhere," she added. Some students said that while security should be one of the University's top priorities, they are not sure that is the case. "It's their job to protect you, and it seems like there's more that could be done," College sophomore Debra Bernstein said. "Off campus, I have more of a chance of protecting myself." Bernstein said students on campus still feel more in their element than they do elsewhere. "I feel safer on campus than anywhere else," Bernstein said. "We tend to have a false sense of security." "I still feel safe here," College sophomore Layla Gilbert said in her High Rise apartment. "If people just see the security guards, they'll think the security's up."
(02/01/93 10:00am)
Last night was Lee's biggest night of the year. "Is there something special going on tonight?" Lee's Hoagie House owner Jan Zucker joked, speaking loudly above a chaotic background of ringing telephones and hollered orders. "Business is nuts." Something special was going on Super Bowl Sunday at the University, as hoagies and pizzas were delivered by the dozen, libraries were near empty, and across campus, shouts rose in sync from dorm rooms on a scale rivalling the Econ scream. Locust Walk was relatively deserted, as few scattered pedestrians passed Phi Sigma Kappa and Phi Delta Theta -- both houses having graciously brought their televisions outside to allow passers-by to catch a few minutes of the Dallas Cowboys-Buffalo Bills' combat. "I'm not so much pro-Bills as I am anti-Cowboys," Wharton and Engineering freshman Ben Prusky said at the barbecue outside Phi Delt. "I'm really an Eagles fan, and I'm kind of sick of the Cowboys and their little rise to glory." At the beginning of the game, at least, students seemed pretty much split down the middle in terms of their preference. "We want the Bills to win, definitely," College junior Mony Mehrotra said while waiting for the elevator to go to a Super Bowl party in High Rise North. "[Former Chicago Bears' Coach] Mike Ditka said it best," College freshman Wilton Levine said on behalf of his beloved Cowboys at a Super Bowl party in the Quadrangle. "They're simply a better team. No question." There were those, however, who walked the proverbial fence. "Who cares about these two teams? Dallas, Buffalo -- who cares?" Wharton junior Ethan Falkove said as he picked up his pizzas. "The only reason I'm watching is because it's the Super Bowl." Whatever the reason, in the University's residence halls, students convened around any available television set, and Bills and Cowboys fans and haters alike watched together in screaming, shouting, insult-laden harmony. "It's just more fun to watch it with friends, and to yell at each other," College freshman Andrew Segall said. "It's a day to hang out with the guys, drink beer, eat pizza, make bets, and yell at things you really have no control over," Wharton sophomore Scott Paterno said. "It's a big American tradition, and it's the last good full day of football to watch." Paterno, who called the Super Bowl "the biggest male bonding day of the year," qualified his call by saying that "more girls are watching the game than before." But Super Bowl Sunday, many students noted, is in no way necessarily correlated to testosterone. "A lot of men think that women don't know about football," Mehrotra said. "They're wrong." And College freshman Diana Flores, a San Antonio native watching the game with a Texas hat proudly on her head, cheered the Cowboys loyally. "I've been watching the Super Bowl for I don't know how many years," Flores said. "And the Cowboys are going to win." There were those students, though, who continued in their scholarly pursuits regardless of the game. And some took advantage of the chance to have their pick of seats at the Rosengarten Reserve Room. "I'm surprised that there are people here," Social Work graduate student Molly Brualt said as she sat alone at her own private table in the library. "I actually thought I'd be here all alone."
(01/28/93 10:00am)
And the rest is, and will be, history. The newly-established Penn History Review received a $10,000 pledge from an alumni couple in Manhattan, which students and faculty say will guarantee the existence of the Review for years to come. "With the $10,000 donation, they've insured that the journal can go on for years," said Associate History Professor Thomas Sugrue, faculty advisor for the publication. "This is going to give them the opportunity to create a permanent publication." David and Lyn Silfen, 1966 College graduates, made their donation after the School of Arts and Sciences Office of External Affairs made solicitation efforts of alumni history majors. "It's certainly out of the ordinary for students [to initiate] a solicitation, and I think that can be a very effective way of raising money," Vice Dean of External Affairs Robert Shepard said, adding that such donations show that alumni have genuine interest in undergraduate research. Shepard said the Silfens made the donation after receiving a mailing sent to history alumni by the founders of the Review. "David Silfen, who is a very good friend of the University, felt very strongly that he wanted to support and underwrite this," Shepard said. "He wanted to give the project some sense of stability and permanence." The Silfens declined to comment on the donation. Shepard credited History Department Chairperson Michael Katz with directing the students to the external affairs office for help with alumni solicitations. "We're very excited [about the donation], and proud of the students who are putting the Review together," Katz said. "It took a lot of initiative and a lot of intelligence, and we're looking forward to its publication very much." College junior and Review editor-in-chief Frank Barbera said that the pledge was made in the form of $2,000 a year for five years, and that the money will be "instrumental to [the Review's] success." "A lot of alumni have been giving generous sums, but we've had nothing of this magnitude prior to this," Barbera said. "History alumni have been very excited about the project, and have offered a number of contributions, small and large," Sugrue said. "They have played a very important role in assuring the quality of undergraduate life." "We're a great department, and the alumni know that," Sugrue added. "So someone who got a lot out of this department is now giving a lot back." Sugrue said that this donation, along with a $1,000 donation from the History Department and other alumni donations, will be directed toward the publication costs for the journal. Barbera said the estimated budget costs for the Review will be $2,100 a year -- an amount more than covered by the Silfens' donation. The Review is currently actively soliciting essays and other undergraduate history research to be published in its first issue, which is due out later this semester.
(01/27/93 10:00am)
The man has asserted that he has "only one firm belief about the American political system, and that is this: God is a Republican and Santa Claus is a Democrat." The man does not mince his words. The man is political humorist P.J. O'Rourke, and he will visit campus at the invitation of Connaissance and the Penn Political Union in late March, when his cynicism is expected to attract students from across the political spectrum. "I think he's going to be an interesting, yet fun speaker," Connaissance Chairperson Meg O'Leary said. "Since we aren't restricted to any subject matter, we like to cover as many interests as possible." The two organizations will pay $12,500 for O'Rourke's speaking engagement, $4,500 more than the price O'Rourke demanded just last semester, she said. O'Leary said the price hike was due to the humorist's growing popularity, and that Connaissance had made the arrangements for O'Rourke through the use of an agent. "We haven't had a political speaker in a while, and we're looking forward to bringing someone who is fun," O'Leary said. College junior Guy Raviv, Connaissance alumni relations chairperson, said he thinks University students will be attracted to the conservative humorist who is liberal only with his sarcastic humor. "Penn has a lot of people who are interested in politics," Raviv said. "And although they sometimes may not be visibly active, a lot of them have political aspirations." O'Rourke is the author of the national bestsellers Parliament of Whores and Give War a Chance and is the White House correspondent for Rolling Stone Magazine. O'Rourke's lethal political commentary is a verbal carpet bombing against the entire United States government, the mystery of which, according to the humorist, is not how it works, but how to make it stop. O'Rourke, according to O'Leary, reserves one week per month for speaking engagements, and will come to speak at Harrison Auditorium in the University Museum on March 24 at a time to be announced. O'Leary said that Connaissance has tried to book political speakers in the past -- most recently, last fall, when the group tried to get former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to speak but could not afford to invite her. "At $60,000 for a world leader, we were amazed at that bargain basement price," O'Leary said. "In order to get that much money, we would have to get private funds and solicit our alumni." O'Leary, however, said that Connaissance could not garner the alumni support it needed to provide the necessary funds because alumni "didn't agree with [Thatcher's] politics." But Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Annenberg School dean, invited Thatcher to come to speak to her Communications 226 class and Thatcher will be making the cross-Atlantic jaunt at no expense to the Annenberg School. Jamieson said the invitation to Thatcher from the Annenberg School had "one small advantage" in that it was accompanied by a personal invitation from former United States Ambassador to Great Britain Walter Annenberg, a close personal friend of Thatcher. Jamieson predicted that O'Rourke will be well-received by the University community. "Penn students have a wicked sense of humor," Jamieson said, "and enjoy laughing at politics and life." No H&J; required. Do not bother inserting ! -- Michael ' We haven't had a political speaker in a while, and we're looking forward to bringing someone who is fun. ' Meg O'Leary Connaissance Chairperson
(01/27/93 10:00am)
It's not much ado about nothing. So goes the consensus of student response on the issue of Undergraduate Assembly and Nominations and Elections Committee members using their office telephone for personal or non-official calls. From September to November 1992, bills for the lines added up to $423, of which over $172 was spent on long-distance charges. Even though some students said that the amount of money involved was not substantial, they argued that the principle involved is important. "This very particular case isn't really that big a deal," College sophomore Maria Boyazny said. "But it is important because it shows that maybe these people are irresponsible, or that we cannot trust them." "And whether we trust them or not does depend on these small facts," Boyazny said. "It really irks me that my tuition dollars are going for someone to call his girlfriend in California," Wharton junior Jason Hurwitz said. "There's an abuse of power and responsibility going on." "It pisses me off, actually," Engineering senior Billy Goldstein said. "I think it's important, and I don't think they should take advantage of their positions." Some students empathized with the UA members, drawing a parallel to their own job experiences. "I know if I'm at work, I use the phone," Nursing freshman Nechelle Feister said. But other students said the the issue is more personally relevant because the money comes from their own tuition dollars. "We've all worked in offices and have done stuff like this," College junior Andrew Epstein said. "But looking at them doing it with our money is a little annoying." "Things should be done to prevent it -- they're elected officials," Epstein added. "Being an elected body, they should be kept from doing that kind of thing," College senior Antoine Jones said. "Even though it's like the thing to do, it's pretty bad that they're doing it." Some students said they feel quite strongly that the ethics involved make the issue an important one. "It's incredibly disgusting," Wharton junior Aaron Bachik said. "The fact that after the first article in the DP, there was denial and they tried to blame it on anyone they could and avoid it -- it's really pathetic." "I applaud the fact that the DP is covering it," Bachik added. "I'm glad that it's keeping the issue alive." College senior Mandi Jones said that although she felt the UA members should be held individually rather than collectively responsible, the phone calls should not be ignored. "I don't think they should be doing it -- it's a form of stealing," Jones said. "People shouldn't desensitize themselves to it just because it's around a lot." But College freshman Niki McNeil said she has "better things to concentrate on" than the UA's phone calls. A few students expressed cynicism about the entire issue, saying that all bureaucracies are riddled with problems. "I think the University itself wastes enough funding," College junior Ernie Podrasky said. "If students extort some money for themselves, at least we know it's going to students." And Wharton junior David Williams said that "the whole thing is stupid." "With as much as the University is probably spending on personal calls, why can't kids do it, too?" Williams asked rhetorically. "You've got to crack down on everyone -- otherwise, the whole thing is very hypocritical."
(01/26/93 10:00am)
It's not much ado about nothing. So goes the consensus of student response on the issue of Undergraduate Assembly and Nominations and Elections Committee members using their office telephone for personal or non-official calls. From September to November 1992, bills for the lines added up to $423, of which over $172 was spent on long-distance charges. Even though students said that the amount of money involved was not substantial, they argued that the principle involved is important. "This very particular case isn't really that big a deal," College sophomore Maria Boyazny said. "But it is important because it shows that maybe these people are irresponsible, or that we cannot trust them." "And whether we trust them or not does depend on these small facts," Boyazny said. "It really irks me that my tuition dollars are going for someone to call his girlfriend in California," Wharton junior Jason Hurwitz said. "There's an abuse of power and responsibility going on." "It pisses me off, actually," Engineering senior Billy Goldstein said. "I think it's important, and I don't think they should take advantage of their positions." Some students empathized with the UA members, drawing a parallel to their own job experiences. "I know if I'm at work, I use the phone," Nursing freshman Nechelle Feister said. But other students said the the issue is more personally relevant because the money comes from their own tuition dollars. "We've all worked in offices and have done stuff like this," College junior Andrew Epstein said. "But looking at them doing it with our money is a little annoying." "Things should be done to prevent it -- they're elected officials," Epstein added. "Being an elected body, they should be kept from doing that kind of thing," College senior Antoine Jones said. "Even though it's like the thing to do, it's pretty bad that they're doing it." Some students said they feel quite strongly that the ethics involved make the issue an important one. "It's incredibly disgusting," Wharton junior Aaron Bachik said. "The fact that after the first article in the DP, there was denial and they tried to blame it on anyone they could and avoid it -- it's really pathetic." "I applaud the fact that the DP is covering it," Bachik added. "I'm glad that it's keeping the issue alive." College senior Mandi Jones said that although she felt the UA members should be held individually rather than collectively responsible, the phone calls should not be ignored. "I don't think they should be doing it -- it's a form of stealing," Jones said. "People shouldn't desensitize themselves to it just because it's around a lot." But College freshman Niki McNeil said she has "better things to concentrate on" than the UA's phone calls. A few students expressed cynicism about the entire issue, saying that all bureaucracies are riddled with problems. "I think the University itself wastes enough funding," College junior Ernie Podrasky said. "If students extort some money for themselves, at least we know it's going to students." And Wharton junior David Williams said that "the whole thing is stupid." "With as much as the University is probably spending on personal calls, why can't kids do it, too?" Williams asked rhetorically. "You've got to crack down on everyone -- otherwise, the whole thing is very hypocritical."
(01/25/93 10:00am)
Wharton sophomore Jason Diaz never realized the power of the vote -- sometimes it only takes three to be elected. Thanks to the write-in votes cast by Diaz and both of his parents, the 19-year-old was elected Bergen County Democratic Committeeman. "I've always been interested in politics," Diaz said. "But I didn't think I'd get in this early." Diaz said that his "candidacy" was completely spontaneous. When he went to the polls to vote in the New Jersey presidential primary in his hometown of Teaneck last June, he saw no one was running for the office, and decided to write himself in. Diaz added that writing himself in was no problem at all, thanks to the people at the polls who were instructing voters how to cast a write-in vote for Ross Perot. Diaz then went home, and after campaigning to his parents, convinced them to join the bandwagon and vote for him as well. "It was a tough sell, but they decided to vote for me," he said. The next morning, Diaz received a phone call congratulating him on being the newest Bergen County Democratic Committeeman, and inviting him to sign an acceptance form for the position. "I was pretty flabbergasted," Diaz said. "My parents thought it was pretty funny." After signing the form, Diaz received a friendly letter from New Jersey Governor Jim Florio congratulating "the Honorable Jason Diaz" on his election. "He's obviously up for re-election," Diaz joked, adding that the Governor had recommended that Diaz lobby his constituents to maintain a New Jersey ban on semi-automatic weapons. "I can't believe I'm a party hack," he said sorrowfully. As Democratic committeeman, Diaz is part of an umbrella organization that covers local, state and federal issues. And as a representative of his district in Bergen County serving a two-year term expiring in 1994, he represents his constituents in party issues. Diaz said that he tries to attend monthly meetings, where he debates these issues with other party members. Diaz also attended the Democratic National Convention in New York last summer, and made it into Life Magazine's Year-In-Review issue as one of the few discernible faces in the crowd of a speech given by Illinois Senator Carol Moseley Braun. "I've been interested in politics right from the start," Diaz said. "I'm excited to be getting involved even more, and really being a part of what's going on." College junior and Secretary of the 27th Ward Scott Sher said that becoming involved in politics as a committeeman was a good first step, and is a path frequently taken by students. "If you want to get involved, it's the most basic grass-roots level to do that on," Sher said. "It's probably a good step on a ladder to getting more involved in city and state government." Diaz said that the idea of writing himself into office was not totally self-inspired. His Congressman made his political debut in a similar way, when he was elected to a position comparable to Diaz's simply by voting for himself, testifying to the power of democracy. "He just wrote himself in, and no one else was running," Diaz said. "I won by two more votes than he did." Diaz, reveling in the heady intoxication of elected office, already has plans for his upcoming bid for re-election. "I'll have the advantage of being the incumbent," Diaz said. "And there will be bumper stickers."
(01/19/93 10:00am)
Mr. Clinton is going to Washington -- and so are University students. In an attempt to participate in this week's inaugural extravaganza down in D.C., University students are jamming into cars and crowded Amtrak trains to see Bill Clinton sworn in as the 42nd President of the United States. The inaugural festivities, which range from the actual swearing-in of the nation's President to black-tie bashes, require tickets. That, however, does not daunt bold University students in their quests for political fulfillment. "We're just going down there to hang out with the masses," College junior Julie Berkun said. Berkun added that she and a couple of friends plan to attend as many events as possible. "We're a little worried that it's going to be a mob scene," Berkun said. "It should be a hippie-fest." Wharton freshman Michael Jo had a more academic goal in mind in his plans to crash the inaugural festivities. "I figured that while I'm within a couple hours of the inauguration, I should go for the experience," Jo said. "I'm planning on watching the swearing-in . . . probably along with 70,000 other people." College freshman Jesse Goldstine, who plans on going with Jo, said their plans are "in flux right now." "We're just thinking of hopping on a train and seeing what there is to see," Goldstine said. There are those University students, however, who have managed to obtain tickets to actual events through their hard work on the Clinton campaign in the past year. College sophomore Lisa Neuberger said that the campaign gave five University student interns tickets to the Pennsylvania Ball, which will be held at Union Station. "After all the hard work we put into the campaign, I'm thrilled to have the chance to finally celebrate," Neuberger said. "This is an event not to be missed." But College senior Nancy Koreen, who also worked on the campaign, said that she has "no idea" what she will be doing down in Washington. Koreen said tickets for the parade after Clinton's swearing-in were "really expensive" -- with good seats selling for about $50 -- and that without tickets, "you're probably not going to be able to see anything." "It should be an interesting experience to witness everything that's going on first-hand," Koreen said. "I'll be there and be a part of it -- even though I don't know anyone, or anything I'll be doing." Some University students, though, used more nepotistic means of obtaining tickets to the see-and-be-seen events. College freshman Evan Wiener said he will be "mooching [tickets] off" his father, who was the head of the Clinton campaign in the third district of Connecticut, to go to inaugural bashes -- including The New Republic's party. The bash will be attended by Vice President Al Gore, and will include a politico-mingling brunch before the Presidential swearing-in. College freshman Josh Senders, who will be going with Wiener, said that his attendance is not necessarily indicative of his political stance. "I'm a Republican, but I still think that it's something that's interesting to see," Senders said. "I think being there for the change of the presidency is exciting." College junior Dana Lynch, the president of College Republicans, said that even he is planning to go to Washington to share in the fun. "I'm very open-minded, and I don't hold bias," Lynch said. "This is a celebration . . . I guess."
(01/19/93 10:00am)
As Martin Luther King Day came to a close yesterday, many students around the University said the question of whether the University should do more about the holiday is open to debate. Hayden Horowitz, president of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity, said the University ought to take a "more active role" in planning for and celebrating Martin Luther King Day. Horowitz, a College sophomore whose fraternity held a reception in honor of the holiday, said that non-minority as well as minority fraternities and sororities should lend their hands to the work. "People talk so much about race relations, but it's not until whites and blacks actually sit and talk to each other that problems get taken care of," Horowitz said, citing race problems on campus as an important factor of University life. Some students agreed with Horowitz yesterday, saying that the holiday should have been emphasized more on campus. "[Greater University involvement] in the holiday would have been a positive statement on their part," College senior Susan Egan said. "Especially considering that racial questions are so prevalent on campus." But Egan said the University's disassociation from the holiday is indicative of its attitude toward holidays as a whole. "I guess I understand that they didn't do anything special, because they don't do anything at all for any holiday," she added. "I think the University takes a hands-off policy towards any day of importance to anyone," College senior Mandi Jones said. "They treated it like they treat any other holiday." "One of my professors canceled class [for the holiday]," College sophomore Greg Worley said, adding that he had not realized until then that it was Martin Luther King Day. Worley said it would "probably be a good idea" to celebrate the holiday due to "the diverse population of the school." "I did actually feel bad that we had school," College junior Andrew Frankel said. "It's a government holiday. It doesn't make sense that we should have classes." But other students said that they felt comfortable with the treatment the holiday receives from the University. "I think that anyone that wants to celebrate it should be able to, like any other holiday," Wharton junior Jamie Pickens said. "I don't think it should be a mandatory event, like diversity education." "It's a personal choice," another student added as he ran by to class. The holiday, however, was universally recognized by students as important. "There definitely should be more emphasis on the holiday," College sophomore Jay Wang said. "Only one person [mentioned it] to me today." "It would be good [for the University] to talk about change," College sophomore Douglas Rozek said. "I doubt, though, that the school's ever going to change."
(01/18/93 10:00am)
Top ten answers on the board, here's the question . . . Richard Dawson would be proud, as University Dining Services will put out a survey for its vegetarian patrons throughout the week in the dining halls to solicit responses to its vegetarian offerings. Dining Services Director William Canney said approximately eight percent of Dining Services patrons are vegetarians -- a higher number than past years -- and that Dining Services would like to better gauge its efforts to accommodate those people. "Whether it's because of the increase in the [University's] international population or just because of the concept of eating less meats and eating healthier, [the growing number of vegetarians] is along the lines of a healthier trend," Canney said. Canney said the survey, intended to focus on the needs and opinions of vegetarians, will be distributed for a couple of days to "maximize getting as much information as possible." "Our goals are improving the vegetarian bar and meeting the needs of our vegetarians, finding out what their likes and dislikes are," Canney said last week. Nutrition Director Jill Colehower, who designed the survey, said it is also meant to gain feedback as to why the students are vegetarians and if they would like more nutrition information to be made available in University dining halls. Colehower said the survey is intended to figure out what kinds of vegetarians patronize Dining Services, and to make meals more accessible to such specialized vegetarians, such as vegans -- people who do not eat any animal products. "This information would really be helpful to us," Colehower said. "We've stepped up our program in the past year." Colehower said there are currently 35 vegetarian items offered in the dining halls on the vegetarian bar alone, 26 of which are vegan. In addition, there are 30 vegetarian items on the regular food lines, 10 of which are vegan. "We think we're moving in the right direction," Colehower said. "We just need input from students." "We constantly want to improve every aspect of our program," Canney said. Canney mentioned the possibility of the survey acting as a catalyst for further action in improving vegetarian service and selections. "We'd like to set up a focus group after the survey, so that we can gather information on a more continuous basis," Canney said.
(01/18/93 10:00am)
You can't judge a President by his sweatshirt . . . but Whartonites probably wouldn't mind if you did. President-elect Bill Clinton chose to sweat out his move from the Governor's Mansion in Little Rock to the nation's capital on Saturday in the fuzzy warmth of a Wharton School sweatshirt, for everyone in the nation to see. According to Wharton spokesperson Michael Baltes, the sweatshirt with Wharton's logo dramatically emblazoned across the chest was given to Clinton when he spoke at the University last April. Baltes said that it was "good exposure for the school" for Clinton to sport the sweatshirt -- in contrast to some of the less-than-good exposure earned by Wharton's illustrious alumni. "We're very pleased that he had it on and got the exposure," Baltes said. Asked why Clinton might have chosen his Wharton sweatshirt for lifting, schlepping and redepositing Chelsea's little pet frog back in the Arkansas creek from whence it came, Baltes said he did not think Clinton's wardrobe choice had any particular significance. "It's probably just one of his shirts," Baltes said. Clinton's ties to Wharton date back farther than his choice to don the sweatshirt. In a speech sponsored by Wharton last April, Clinton denounced the school's promotion of economic selfishness. "Wharton is home to much of America's economic potential," Clinton said April 17 at Zellerbach Auditorium. "But Wharton is also a powerful symbol of what went wrong in the 1980s. It was here at Wharton that Michael Milken got the idea to use junk bonds to leverage buyouts." During his speech, Clinton also said that in 1987, the year of the stock market crash, 25 percent of Wharton graduates sought "high incomes in high finance rather than in the apparently less-glamorous work of creating jobs, goods and services to make America richer." At the time, Wharton Dean Thomas Gerrity said that Clinton's remarks at Wharton's expense were cliches. "That's a standard, age-old, tired dig [at Wharton]," he remarked after the speech. Gerrity could not be reached for comment this weekend. But members of Clinton's transition team speculated that Clinton's choice of outerwear was likely dictated by the elements rather than any political statement. "I have no idea why he wore it," frustrated transition spokesperson Mary Ellen Glynne said yesterday. "No idea." "I don't know why [Clinton] wore it yesterday," press aide Ernie Gibble said. "Maybe he was cold. It was a very nice sweatshirt."
(01/14/93 10:00am)
Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington didn't get into Furness for free. The company producing the movie "Philadelphia," which stars Hanks and Washington, will pay the University $7,000 for the use of Furness' Fine Arts Library for a two-day film shoot last week. Associate General Counsel Steven Poskanzer, who helped put together the deal with Tri-Star Pictures, called the $7,000 sum "minimal." "This is not a huge cash cow for the University," Poskanzer said. "The University is not a profit entity." Poskanzer said that the contract between the production group and the University was signed in December shortly before the film shoot began. University spokesperson Phyllis Holtzman said that when movies are filmed on location anywhere on the University's property, a location fee is ordinarily charged if the production group is a for-profit company. Holtzman said the fine arts library could use the funds from the location fee "for whatever use they determine." Associate Director of Libraries Patricia Renfro said yesterday that a decision has not been made on how to use the money. "We will probably use it for some equipment for the fine arts library, maybe for something like a video disc player for our patrons," Renfro said. "We haven't decided for sure yet -- we haven't seen the check yet." According to Holtzman, a location scout was initially sent to the University by the film company to find an appropriate place to film a scene in what would be a law library in the film. Scott Currie, locations manager for the production, said last week that the Furness building was selected for the shoot due to its intricate architecture. Acting Executive Vice President John Gould said that the University was "encouraged" to take part in the film shoot by Mayor Ed Rendell. "The mayor really encouraged us to participate, because, of course, they are trying to attract film companies to the city," Gould said. "And we can be accommodating and helpful." The film, which has been shooting throughout the city since October, tells the story of a Philadelphia lawyer, played by Hanks, who is fired from his job after developing AIDS, and hires Washington's character, a television lawyer, to help him get his job back. The production's publicist Judy Arthur said the company is pleased with the Furness shoot. "Everything went beautifully there," Arthur said. "We were happy to have the University's cooperation, and you'll see Furness in the movie."
(01/13/93 10:00am)
Over the past week, Superblock residents have suffered through cold spells, icy showers, and the perpetual problem of slow elevators. In addition to all that, the occupants of approximately 74 rooms can't even call home to tell Mom. Due to what Penntrex General Manager Darien Yamin said was a major rewiring of telephone cables, phone lines in several rooms in the High Rises have gone dead. Yamin added that phone cables used to lead to a number of buildings, but Bell of Pennsylvania is now trying to centralize the cables. "That work has resulted in the kinds of problems we're experiencing," he said. Yamin said that he was not sure where the cables are being channeled. Penntrex Records Analyst Cheryl Horne said that no particular area of the High Rises is being affected more than any other, and that complaints have been scattered. "We've had more complaints than normal," Horne said, adding that the rewiring will most likely be finished by the end of the week. Yamin said that although Penntrex has received 74 complaints of dead phone lines in the High Rises since Saturday, the situation is not as bad as it seems. "There are 4,200 phone lines on campus that serve the residential population, and [the phones with problems] are only a small percentage of the lines on campus," Yamin said. But Yamin did acknowledge that the abnormally high number of complaints was indicative of a problem. "No matter how small of a percentage it is, being without service is still being without service," he said. Horne said some locations do not have the cable to blame for their service problems, and instead should check their individual phones and wiring.
(01/12/93 10:00am)
Those High Rise East and High Rise South residents who needed a cold shower yesterday morning were in luck. Both buildings had no hot water yesterday morning, giving many residents an unexpected rude awakening on the first day of classes. Residential Maintenance Director Lynn Horner said that the hot water was not working in High Rise East from 8 a.m. to 12 noon due to technical difficulties. "The sensor on the steam valve was malfunctioning and had to be replaced," Horner said, adding that the steam valve is what regulates the steam that controls the hot water. High Rise South's deprivation, though, came as a result of not enough pressure being placed on the underground steam lines feeding into the building, she said. Donna Smith, a desk worker in High Rise East, said that the problem was solved by noon. "The hot water's back on now," Smith said yesterday afternoon. "Everything's back to normal." According to Horner, however, students do not have to worry that these Antarctic-like shower experiences will become "a normal thing." Many of the buildings' residents said the water's frigid temperature was not how they intended to start their day. "It was really, really cold this morning," College freshman and High Rise East resident Brian Bohr said. "There was no heat in my room, and I just wanted to take a warm shower -- I couldn't even do that." "At first, it was pretty warm," said College sophomore Erwin Chen, who lives in High Rise South. "But then it got colder and colder. And colder." "It was like ice," Engineering sophomore Jim Strangio agreed. "Absolutely ice cold." And a few students mentioned that they had been suffering in silence for a few days. "We haven't had hot water for a couple days now," High Rise East resident Chere Rael said. "My roommate went down and complained. It's really annoying -- and freezing!"
(01/12/93 10:00am)
When going on vacation, sometimes the baggage gets lost in transit. Several University students spent winter break on the slopes of Colorado and either deliberately or unconsciously left political baggage behind, saying they were unaffected by the so-called "anti-gay" referendum passed in that state in November. The referendum, which was passed by Colorado residents on Election Day last year, forbade Colorado's cities and its state legislature from passing anti-discrimination protection laws for homosexuals. It also voided existing protective legislation in Aspen, Boulder and Denver. The referendum has generated a number of boycotts of Colorado by entertainment figures and conventions -- but apparently not by University students. "It didn't affect my decision [to go there]," College senior Andy Lazerow said. "I didn't go out there with a chip on my shoulder." College sophomore Laura Frank said that while she did not agree with the referendum, her family had planned their trip to Aspen months before it was passed. "A lot of businesses [in Colorado] are going to lose business because of the boycott, and I think there's no way that that referendum can stand up," she said. Several students said that they did not feel any repercussions of the referendum during their time in Colorado. "I did not even hear one thing about it, or anyone talking about it, while I was there," College freshman Josh Leitner said. "People did talk about [the referendum] while I was there," College sophomore Josefa Kaufman said about her trip to Breckinridge, a ski resort. "It seemed like most people were against it, but it didn't deter anyone from going there." "The small towns are very family-oriented, so people tend to shy away from talking about homosexuals and the ban," she added. "It's more the celebrities who are taking the stand than anyone else." Wharton freshman Colby Goff, who is from Colorado, said his trip home was untouched by any contention over the bill, adding that he feels the referendum is a confusing one. "The bill was written with a lot of double negatives, and it was difficult to understand," Goff said. "It supported gay rights, but it may have over-supported them, giving prejudice in favor of gays." "I wouldn't be angry at students who went to Colorado," Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Alliance board member Jim Walsh said. "When large organizations boycott Colorado, it makes a bigger difference than individuals boycotting Colorado." But Robert Schoenberg, assistant director of Student Life Programs, said he feels that individual support against the legislation can be a relevant force. "As far as student travel goes, I hope that those students who went there were at least thoughtful about what they were doing before they went," Schoenberg said.
(01/11/93 10:00am)
We'll always have PARIS. . . well, almost always. The Penn Automated Registration Information System went on a holiday hiatus over winter break, surprising students and rendering grades inaccessible to them until after January 4. According to University Registrar Ronald Sanders, the deadline for faculty members to hand in grades is traditionally 72 hours after the last final exam. But since exams were held later in the calendar year than usual, Sanders said, the due date for grades was extended to January 4 by the Council of Undergraduate Deans during the semester. Sanders said that no publicity was given to the deadline change because it was "a non-issue. There's nothing wrong." "The University has always been closed between Christmas and New Year's, so there is no staff," he said. "There never has been. Buildings are closed, and people can't drop grades off, so it's not an issue." Sanders said that rather than grades being available on a rolling basis, "it's always been the policy that we don't begin to announce the grades for a term before the grading deadline." Assistant University Registrar Janet Ansert said the grading deadline for instructors was January 4 at noon and that all grades should have been accessible to students at that point. While a few students back on campus yesterday said that they had "no problems" gaining access to their grades, several complained of multiple calls to PARIS -- and exponentially-increasing telephone bills. "I'm from Puerto Rico, and I would call [PARIS] twice a day for my grades, which got pretty expensive," Wharton sophomore Francisco Ramirez said. "It was annoying -- I kept calling from Florida, and it just kept saying that grades are not available," College sophomore Aimee Taxin said. "I kept hearing that same line: 'We're sorry . . . .' " Some students said they had not received all of their grades yet. "I called a few times, and I think that one of my grades was never even recorded," Nursing freshman Kelli Huzzard said. "This past Saturday, I finally got my grades, but I know some people who don't even have their grades yet," Engineering senior Sukanya Srinivasan said. "I was annoyed, because I had no idea what had happened to my grades." Sanders said that this situation would probably come up again next year due to the calendar, adding that the University may install a recorded explanation of the situation on PARIS in the future.
(01/11/93 10:00am)
University bookworms may be kicking themselves for not getting a jump start on this semester's quest for knowledge. That's because over-eager patrons of the Furness Building's Fine Arts Library last Wednesday and Thursday nights might have been momentarily distracted by Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington and the cast of the new movie, "Philadelphia." "Philadelphia," directed by "Silence of the Lambs" director Jonathan Demme, is a multi-million dollar production slated to be in theaters by next Christmas. In the movie, Hanks plays a lawyer, Andrew Beckett, who is fired from his Philadelphia law firm after developing AIDS. Beckett, mad as hell and not going to take it anymore, hires television lawyer Joe Miller, played by Washington, to help him get his job back. " 'Philadelphia' is about men, women, AIDS, homophobia, lawyers, friendship, discrimination, having babies, being gay, being straight, the American system of justice, Philly cheese steaks, prejudice, acceptance, heartbreak and laughs; in other words, America today," Demme said in a statement. The scene filmed in Furness's tremendous main room took two nights to shoot, and will compose approximately 10 minutes of film in the two-hour feature production, a crew member said during the shoot. Scott Currie, locations manager for the production, said that Furness' library was picked for a scene that is "supposed to take place in a law library, any law library" because of Furness' beauty rather than to give the University itself a cameo role in the movie. "It's a unique and beautiful building, with architecture unsurpassed in the city of Philadelphia," Currie said. To emphasize the intricate architecture of the Fine Arts library, the film's crew used two generators to help illuminate the room, rather than using the library's own relatively weak lighting. Currie and other members of the production team would not disclose the amount of money paid to the University to compensate it for the use of the property for the two days. Acting Executive Vice President John Gould could not be reached for comment. Arrangements for the film shoot were made last spring, and were adjusted to accomodate to the University's schedule. "They asked to use Furness [for the movie], and we were hesitant, so they basically moved their schedule around so that they could film while the University was shut down," Assistant to the President Nicholas Constan said Friday. While the University will not be mentioned in the movie, several University students may be seen through the stacks and at the shelves, acting their usual studius selves. Publicist Judy Arthur said that extras are not allowed to speak to the press until the movie comes to theaters. But she said that approximately 20 University students who happened to be wandering by Furness on Wednesday were given the opportunity to be immortalized on the screen.
(12/07/92 10:00am)
It was a day that will live in infamy. Yesterday, in the 7 a.m. chill of dawn, 30 University female students left their inhibitions -- and their clothing -- at the top of the Upper Quadrangle to participate in the first all-female streak at the University. "They looked absolutely great," one woman observer said. "I've never seen less cellulite in my life." While the University has had an off-and-on tradition -- stretching back at least 20 years -- of an annual streak through the Quad on the Monday morning after Groundhog Day, an all-female streak is unprecedented. "In the past, it's been a male thing," Assistant to the President Nick Constan said yesterday. "But I don't think anyone should have a corner on that kind of market." The gathering in front of the 37th Street gate at 6:45 a.m. was "the most random social gathering I've ever seen at Penn," said one of the bold and cold. Among the women were pre-meds, athletes, sorority sisters, community service volunteers and minorities -- but all were united when it came down to the bare essentials. The idea for an all-female streak originated with one woman, who said that she spread the word through "networking." "[We're doing it] for the hell of it," she said. "Because we had to outdo everything that's been done previously." "I've always wanted to set a new radical precedent that shocks people, and tells people that women are bold," one woman said as she walked confidently to the statue at the top of the Upper Quad. With nervous laughter and warnings to each other to keep quiet, the women left their winter coats and scarves in neat piles at the statue, and then, with fists clenched in the air, screamed and made the naked run for the Lower Quad. The run picked up momentum and climaxed in the Lower Quad with the sunrise, as the women's cheers grew louder and their strides stronger. They ran up the stairs in the motes of early-morning sunlight, and all that was missing was an inspirational soundtrack as they burst into applause and smiles when they reached their goal. "I am so happy," one of the women said with a smile and a just-put-on sweatshirt. "I feel so proud." Several women said that they hoped an all-female Quad streak would become an annual tradition. "I think we should name ourselves and apply for SAC funding," one woman said with a laugh. "This is definitely the highlight of my college career," another woman said as she walked toward the gate with her head held high behind women singing "The Red and the Blue." "You know, once you're with everyone, it's not that big a deal." College freshman Chris Colna, left at his window shaking his head in disbelief, watched the women walk away. "I heard the screaming, and I went to my window . . . I just can't believe it," Colna said. "Will they do this every Monday? Tell them to run near my window."
(11/24/92 10:00am)
Black Student League President Martin Dias and former Mayor Wilson Goode criticized the University for distancing itself from the Philadelphia community in the second day of the Mayor's Scholarship trial yesterday. Besides Dias and Goode, the day consisted of a parade of 11 other witnesses called by the plaintiffs to testify on issues of money, equity and educational access to Philadelphia school children. The witnesses were parents of plaintiffs, educational experts, high school students and leaders of organizations functioning to assist Philadelphia students in education. The Common Pleas Court trial is supposed to settle a lawsuit filed in October 1991 against the University over the number of scholarships the University is required to distribute annually to Philadelphia students. The lawsuit, filed by labor unions, student groups and several individuals, claims that a 1977 city ordinance requires the University to award Philadelphia high school graduates 125 scholarships a year for a total of 500 at a time. The University, however, maintains that it is required by the disputed ordinance to provide a total of 125 scholarships at a time in return for rent-free city land. In Dias's testimony, he said that the majority of University students "try to distance themselves as much as possible [from West Philadelphia] and pretty much shun interactions with the community." He said the University did not in the past and still does not fulfill its Mayor's Scholarship obligation to school children of the city, and that only the lawsuit would force it to assume what he claimed is its required role. "When they're kicked in the rear end, then they have concern," Wharton senior Dias said. "When it's going to hurt them, they're really concerned." The BSL -- along with the Asociacion Cultural de Estudiantes Latino Americanos -- is a plaintiff in the case and is represented by Dias. Dias, wearing a Penn sweatshirt on the stand, was the first University student to testify. Throughout the approximately 15-minute testimony, University attorney Arthur Makadon's objections of irrelevance were sustained. "I spoke from the perspective of a student who has dealt with negotiations with the University, who has dealt with witnessing the negligence of the University . . . and the cavalier attitude the University has toward the community in which it finds itself," Dias said after yesterday's proceedings. Earlier in the day, Goode testified that when he was mayor last year he "came to the conclusion that [the city] was probably not on the right side [of the lawsuit]" and recommended to then-Mayor-elect Ed Rendell that the city join the suit on the side of the plaintiffs. "I felt confident that the Public Interest Law Center [of Philadelphia] would pursue . . . the same kind of issues I would have pursued, had I been involved," Goode said. Rendell, however, chose to disregard Goode's recommendation and align the city with the University in the lawsuit. Goode testified that he believed throughout his term that the University had not lived up to its obligation to Philadelphia students. According to his testimony, Goode began an investigation into the University's Mayor's Scholarships practices in May 1991, while holding meetings with University President Sheldon Hackney, General Counsel Shelley Green and members of city government. "The concern I had was . . . that the ordinance called for 125 four-year scholarships," Goode said. "I simply felt that what should be done was what the ordinance called for, and that students who deserved scholarships should receive them." Makadon, however, countered Goode's charges of inequity in cross-examination, casting doubt upon the extent of Goode's investigation into the scholarship program. Makadon went through a list of four city solicitors who had worked under Goode, and asked, one by one, if any of them had told Goode that the University was not complying with the 1977 ordinance. To each name, Goode responded, "No, he [or she] did not." Makadon also asked Goode to read a letter sent to Green from First Deputy City Solicitor Thomas Wamser in September 1991. In the letter, Wamser said that the University's behavior had "reinforced the city's belief that the University of Pennsylvania is committed to the Mayor's Scholarship program." The letter also assured Green that Goode himself had "offered the cooperation of the city." Makadon did not cross-examine Dias. Testimony will continue today, and many say they think today will be the trial's last day.
