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(05/30/96 9:00am)
Following a prominent year as interim Judicial Inquiry Officer, Michele Goldfarb was awarded the new post and will be using a new title -- Director of the Office of Student Conduct. "I am very proud and excited about being JIO with a new Judicial Charter in place," Goldfarb said. "Even though I won't be called JIO anymore." Recently Goldfarb has worked to define the Code of Academic Integrity and the Code of Student Conduct. She is also the director of the Student Dispute Resolution Center and is responsible for ensuring that the disciplinary process is fair, timely and consistent. "I see my role not as an enforcer, but as an educator," she explained. "It's a role that is designed to help students appreciate their responsibilities as citizens of this community." The new director says she hopes to make herself more accessible and open to student interest. She also plans to work very closely with the University Honor Council. "I was delighted that the search committee, which had on it students as well as faculty and staff, strongly recommended Michele Goldfarb as its favored candidate," said Chodorow. "Michele has been Acting JIO for nearly a year now, and I, my staff, and the VPUL staff who worked with her have been greatly impressed." Goldfarb earned her B.A. in history at Oberlin College in 1972 and attended The American University's Washington College of Law, where she received the J.D. in 1975. During the next three years she served as Assistant U.S. Attorney and Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia. In 1988 Goldfarb entered teaching at Temple University as a visiting instructor in criminal procedure. By 1992 she was named to the clinical faculty of the Penn Law School. As part of her work in the Civil Practice Clinic here, Goldfarb has also been the attorney of record for all cases handled by students representing the clients of the Penn Legal Assistance Office. When Goldfarb was appointed to be interim JIO after Steven Blume stepped down from the position, Chodorow said she was highly recommended by people within the University who knew her from her work at the Law School Clinic. "Both faculty and students who knew her gave her rave reviews for her judgement, good sense and organizational skills," he said. After becoming Acting JIO last year, she also underwent intensive training in mediation at the Friends Conflict Resolution Center in Philadelphia. "The JIO has a very important and very difficult job, and Michele has done it superbly," said Chodorow. "I have relied on her judgement, common sense, and sound values and look forward to working with her under the new charter." Goldfarb says her job is challenging and on a lot of levels what you make of it. "I'm looking forward to working with more students," she said. "I figure I need all the help I can get."
(05/30/96 9:00am)
Last week the Class of 1988, along with thousands of other alumni from various years, gathered on campus to reminisce, celebrate and unite as University of Pennsylvania graduates. But one man who also returned to visit, said he spent the week fighting off ghosts from the past. The man -- who should have been parading with the 1988 graduates -- is Peter Laska. "While walking around Penn I have done a lot of double takes and seen many ghosts," Laska said. "So many things here remind me of ROTC and my time as a student. It has been painful." With his ten-year-old saga, Laska is putting the University's anti-discrimination policy to the test. At the age of 15, he applied to Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps because he possessed a desire to fly. Laska, the youngest of eleven children, said he did not want to burden his parents. His NROTC involvement brought Laska to the University in 1984. He said he thrived on the academic environment at the University and excelled in the NROTC program. Laska said he was even urged by a marine officer instructor to become one of the elite "marine option" midshipmen. "I really enjoyed being involved with the Navy at the beginning of my career at Penn -- but I went through a lot of changes," he said. "The intense academic environment here fueled my quest for self-knowledge." Laska began to question his sexuality after a few years, and at the end of his sophomore year admitted to himself that he was a homosexual. He said his realization brought an entire new set of challenges upon him. He explained his junior year was the most difficult because he felt "ostracized" by his peers. Laska said the harsh treatment climaxed the summer after his junior year during the Career Orientation Training for Midshipmen. Hundreds of ROTC students were gathered into a conference room for a program, and the news was being shown on television while they waited for the beginning of the presentation. Laska said that a segment about the spreading of AIDS appeared on the show. "I will always remember one of my officers loudly proclaiming 'Hurray for AIDS,'" he said. "At that moment, I felt completely appalled and alone." Throughout the next year, Laska says he was subjected to cruel and systematic harassment and intimidation -- which still affects his present life. "The military has always discriminated," he said. "And nothing has changed to stop that. The whole situation turned into a vicious cycle." At the beginning of his junior year Laska said he was a healthy individual, but by December he was treated for severe depression. He says it was a result to the Navy's harassment. In January, Laska informed the NROTC that he was leaving because of the Navy's discriminatory practices regarding homosexuals. The next five years of Laska's life were occupied with struggles with the persistent Navy. They denied receiving his letter concerning the discrimination, charged him for all of his education, making it impossible for him to finance his last year at the University. Ultimately, the balance on his bursar's bill prevented Laska from receiving his last few credits. He says the University would not help him clear the unfair debt. The military tried everything from tracking Laska to California to threatening his parents, he added. "After years I finally realized how to deal with the military -- with the public spotlight," Laska explained. "The Navy is like a bunch of cockroaches that scurry for cover the minute the lights are turned on." For the past five years, University Provost Stanley Chodorow has struggled with the ROTC about its discrimination, but finally announced in May that the program will stay on campus and continue to receive University funds. The University attempted to negotiate with the Pentagon to redefine its relationship with ROTC since Penn's anti-discrimination policy conflicts with the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding homosexuals. The Navy ROTC totally refused to reform its program. "It is very disconcerting that absolutely nothing has changed with ROTC throughout all these years," Laska said. "Penn has had many opportunities to change the policy." Many others, such as Bob Schoenberg, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Center at Penn, have said that they are "deeply disappointed" by the University's decision to allow ROTC to remain on campus. Laska wants the University to adopt a policy that would require ROTC to train any qualified person, homo- or heterosexual. Then, he says, the military could choose who they wish to represent the United States. "I don't see how the military could overlook their best and brightest people," he said. "I still believe I could have made a good Naval officer." "We have undertaken to guarantee that such students [homosexuals in ROTC] will be able to continue at Penn," said the Provost in response to the University Council and various committee reports in his negotiations with the United States Defense Department. "The actions of ROTC with respect to its members for that reason and other reasons should not affect the ability of students in the program to continue in our program, and we intend to make certain that is the case." Laska and Schoenberg both commended Chodorow's attempt to look into whether the University might be able to withhold certain privileges from ROTC students and faculty without breaching its contract with the military. Associate Provost Barbara Lowery is also involved with Laska's situation. Even though she does not acknowledge that the University participated in his persecution, Lowery wrote a letter to Laska offering him support to finally finish his college degree. But the support does not include any money offers, yet. According to Laska, several other schools, such as Dartmouth, have effectively dealt with ROTC's discrimination by requiring the military to accept all qualified applicants. Laska said despite the many negative affects of his ROTC experience, he feels the experience has made him a stronger person. "The best skill that any student could acquire during their time at Penn, is the ability to question everything that you think you know," he said. "The only reason I am here today is because I did not believe the people who forced answers on me. I guess I really got a lot out of Penn."
(05/30/96 9:00am)
Club thrilled with outcome of long awaited Maxfield Parrish auction The Mask and Wig Club auctioned off their famous "Old King Cole" mural for $662, 500 at Christie's in New York on May 23. The money is earmarked for an endowment to help alleviate financial difficulties for the club, according to 1984 College graduate Craig Klofach, president of the Mask and Wig Graduate Club. An anonymous collector from California purchased the significant work by American artist Maxfield Parrish over the phone, out-bidding several buyers on the auction floor, said Klofach. Despite some controversy surrounding Mask and Wig's decision to sell the original, most club members seem to be satisfied with the results of the auction. "It was fantastically successful," said 1982 College graduate Marc Porter, who assisted with the sale. "It went for three times the world record for a Maxfield Parish painting that existed one month ago. Previously no Parrish piece garnered more than $220,000 at an auction." Another Parrish piece, "Daybreak," was auctioned at Sotheby's on Wednesday and pulled in $4 million. It is the American artist's most famous painting. Before the two recent auctions, no major piece of Parrish art had ever been auctioned, according to Klofach. In addition to "Old King Cole," the Mask and Wig club also auctioned off three other pieces of Parrish's art. They include "Very Little Red Riding Hood," "No Gentleman of France" and the club's "Decennial Anniversary Cover." All three works raised the total amount of money to $725,000, which Porter feels is an extraordinary figure. "None of these paintings were commercial," Porter explained. "They are extremely early and much bigger than most consumers desire. It is great that it sold so successfully." The Mask and Wig Club plans to use the interest from the newly earned money to keep up the maintenance and insurance on its South Quince Street clubhouse and the cost of putting on the club's annual shows, said Porter. Klofach said the interest will help the Club out of its "dire position." "We now have to sit around and figure out what is best for Mask and Wig," said the Mask and Wig Undergraduate Chairperson and College senior Jeff Rosenbaum. "All we have to do now is add two and two together." Rosenbaum added that next year should be a great one for the Club. He said there is no reason why they would not excel. "The University might never see the mural again," Klofach said. "But it is worth it to keep the club running. Our purpose is to put on an annual production, not to be in an art museum."
(05/30/96 9:00am)
Burnley resigns afterBurnley resigns aftertwo years as directorBurnley resigns aftertwo years as directorfor ministry in Ohio After two years of serving the University community as the Greenfield Intercultural Center Director, Lawrence Burnley is following a "calling" to Cleveland, Ohio. Burnley said he has accepted an appointment to become Secretary for Racial and Ethnic Constituency Education and Development for the Common Global Mission Board of the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church. "I did not plan to leave Penn so soon," he said. "I greatly enjoyed being here, but I missed being able to work with spirituality." According to Burnley, GIC sponsors lectures, films and other activities for students at the University. GIC also houses offices of the United Minorities Council's organizations. The GIC, which is located at 3708 Chestnut St., is a center of cultural resources, a center for stimulating intergroup dialogue and discussion and a center for advocating the needs of students of color, according to Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta. "It is a warm, comfortable and inclusive place," Moneta said. But not all students take advantage of the GIC, Burnley said. He explained that there is a common misconception that the GIC is only for students of color. As a result, students of color are the primary students that utilize the facility. "We are always trying to find ways to get the word out that the center is here," he said. "The location makes the task difficult." Burnley, an ordained minister, initially worked for the University as the Associate Director of the Christian Association. Beginning July 1, Burnley will be based at the United Church of Christ International Headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. "I wasn't even searching for a new job," he said. "I think God was calling for me to take this position. It is definitely going to be difficult to leave because of the many close ties I have formed with faculty and students here at Penn." Moneta is heading a search for the new GIC director . Although Burnley says he has no idea who might fill his void, he hopes that a replacement will be found by the beginning of the fall term. "The place is always bustling in the evenings," Burnley said. "Student groups hold their meetings, rehearsals, discussions and movie nights at the GIC."
(05/23/96 9:00am)
Seniors enjoy IvySeniors enjoy IvyDay festivities;Seniors enjoy IvyDay festivities;receive awards Following the parading, singing and festivities of Alumni Weekend --Ivy Day ceremonies were held at 4 p.m. on Saturday in Irvine Auditorium to honor excellence in the Class of 1996. The most traditional and solemn activity of the weekend drew friends, family and alumni into the majestic building for a brief rest. Class president and Wharton senior Lenny Chang presided over both the ceremony and the awards table -- leaving Irvine with The Spoon. "To be honored in such a way is a terrific way to graduate," said Chang. "But it still hasn't hit me that I'm leaving Penn." Chang introduced the alumni from the Class of '71, which is celebrating their 25th reunion. College senior Tamara Dubowitz, the recipient of the Althea K. Hottel Award, said she was inspired by her presenter, '71 graduate Miriam Labbok. "The coolest thing about my award was the presenter," said Dubowitz. "While I was listening to the description of her, I realized that my goal in life is to be just like her." Other top award winners of the class of '96 include Engineering and Wharton senior Gil Beverly, Wharton senior Lissette Calderon, College senior Alison Deitch, College senior Heather Dorf, College senior Eric Tienou, and Engineering senior Adam Matta. The Ivy Day Address was given by '81 graduate and Wharton School of Business alumnus Brian Roberts who is the president of Comcast, a Philadelphia-based telecommunications company. Comcast has recently purchased the Philadelphia 76ers, the Flyers and the Spectrum. Roberts focused on the importance of technology and noted the advantage that University graduates have bringing their increased computer knowledge into the work force. "Technology is very important in the real world," he said. "But everything really comes down to your heart, your head and your soul." After the address, University President Judith Rodin presented the General Alumni Society Award of Merit, the James Howard Weiss Memorial Award, and the Penn Student Agencies Award. The reserved ceremony was quickly cheered by the "Ode to the Ivy" performed by the Mask and Wig Club, which mocked recent campus events. On that light note, the Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum announced that the class of '96 selected Houston Hall as the site for their Ivy Stone. Matta, recipient of The Spade, led the crowd during the unveiling of the stone and the planting of the Class of 1996 Ivy. "The entire day has been really awesome because I now know that people appreciate all the hard work we have done," said Tienou, winner of the The Cane. "It is a honor to be selected for such an award."
(05/23/96 9:00am)
"Look at this sign -- 'Brains and Beauty Sure Do Mix in '46,'" proclaimed 1946 graduate Evelyn Marcantonio. "This was a new idea in our day. The women in my class paved the way for Penn during its first spring of peace to become such a diverse and wonderful community." As alumni packed the campus last weekend reminiscing about lost college days, the thousands of proud visitors brought hope, excitement, and funds to the University. The 1996 Alumni Weekend will perhaps go down in the record books as one of the best in recent history -- because of the increase of participation and fund raising. A sum of three million dollars was raised by the 14 classes that celebrated their reunions this year. "We expect to raise seven million dollars by June 30," said Penn Fund Director Jerry Condon. "We have been running around 16% ahead of last year. All things considered, I think we are doing quite well." Even though new fund raising records were set by the Classes of 1931, 1941, 1951 and 1966 -- the Class of 1946 seemed to march with the proudest gait during the Parade of Classes. '46 was the class most affected by World War II, but managed to bring 25% of the alumni to the University to celebrate according to the director of the 50th Reunion Program Dennis Disbrow. "The slogan about brains and beauty was our woman's cheer while the men were gone," explained 1946 graduate Elaine Lieberm. "We tried to put broken pieces of the world back together to benefit the future." The class had the unique challenge of dealing with both gender discrimination and the immediate aftermath of the war. Alumni from '46 contributed $200,000 to the University, which is especially significant considering the small size of the class. While the graduates of 1946 simply displayed a large check inscribed with their donation, the class of '56 paraded more flamboyantly with a large float and band. Each member of the 1956 crowd also waved miniature classics on sticks while they generously gave books to bystanders during the jolly procession. The Class of '56 won an award for the best costumes and proved to be the most festive class throughout the parade. All the alumni, even in the less represented classes, appeared to genuinely enjoy the day at the University. "I think we all came because we owe Penn something," said 1951 graduate Oliver Boileau who travelled from Wyoming. "We are trying to fix the world, but I think it is still broken -- probably because of people like Al." Also a '51 graduate, Al Subers explained that Boileau is allowed to tease him because they played in the band together and were both brothers in Theta Xi. 1920 graduate Joseph Schwartz, who is 96 years old, lead the procession as the oldest alumnus to attend the celebration. Following the parade, the alumni gathered on College Green for the more formal part of the day. The Glee Club opened with several traditional University songs while the alumni and guests enjoyed light refreshments. The core of the ceremony came next with several University officials, including President Judith Rodin, requesting the support of the alumni. "We have gathered to look at the past, the present, and the future with increasing gratitude," said Rodin who was celebrating her 30th reunion. "Welcome home." Throughout the weekend presentations were held to update the alumni on various current activities at the University. The alumni, leaving with smiles on their faces, but less money in their pockets, seemed to find only one fault in the fair weathered day. "No wonder the Old Guard is dying off so fast -- they keep us waiting in line for this parade so long," said '56 graduate Donald Busch. Parade of Classes.
(05/23/96 9:00am)
This year University President Judith Rodin planned a unique activity to begin graduation ceremonies for the Class of 1996. As seniors gathered at Superblock around 9:15 Tuesday morning, preparing to embark on the traditional march to Commencement at Franklin Field, Rodin told the mass to get ready, get set -- and run. "This is going to be a jog-a-thon today," she said. "We are going to be on the field in 10 minutes. Right?" Lined up by school, the seniors defied Rodin's request and leisurely strolled down Locust Walk in the perfect weather -- completely savoring the moment. The procession was the third, and final, opportunity for the entire class to unite. Some seniors attempted to make the day even more memorable by personalizing their mortarboards with anything from helium balloons to Dr. Seuss hats. By the time the last senior was seated it was nearly 10:30, but the officials seemed to be more concerned about the temperature than the tardiness. During her opening remarks, Rodin reminisced about her days at the University highlighting everything from Smokey Joe's to the success of the football team. At the end of her remarks Rodin warned the crowd to be wary of the increasing temperature. People heeded her words -- at least 20 guests visited the Event Medical Services' area for assistance, according to Director Carl Monzo. As a result of the 110 degree surface temperature of the field, two people were transported to the hospital for additional care he said. Following Rodin's address, Rita Dove, Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia and former Poet Laureate, performed a dramatic reading of her poem "Lady Freedom Among Us." Continuing the effort to inspire, Provost Stanley Chodorow distributed honorary degrees to eight candidates, including a Doctor of Laws to Tom Brokaw the anchor and managing editor of NBC News. With his new degree in hand, Brokaw delivered a Commencement Address that captivated the entire audience -- not a single beachball was bounced while he stood at the podium. He drew in the audience with several jokes concerning events that dominated the University's attention throughout the year. "Here is a message from the President of Penn," Brokaw said. "Okay Lance, you now have a degree -- but you still have to get a life." The focus of Brokaw's speech discussed the many recent advances in technology and how this new information is affecting society in America. He challenged the Class of 1996 to attempt to "save the world." Even throughout the closing remarks, many people continued to discuss aspects of his speech. Each person seemed to have their favorite line -- but with the sun becoming continually scorching, Brokaw's remark about the weather seemed to be the most frequently repeated. "The Class of 1996 -- Congratulations," Brokaw said. "It's 96 degrees and you should be grateful for that. Better it be the temperature than the combined I.Q."
(05/19/96 9:00am)
While concentrating on speaking swiftly in order to emphasize the final point of her rebuttal, College sophomore Liz Rogers was not aware of the looks of admiration coming from the judges in the crowded room at Swarthmore University. Feeling dazed, Rogers realized moments later that she had just become the second woman ever to win the national title in competitive parliamentary debate. On the weekend of April 26 through the 28, Rogers and College junior Peter Stris became the first team from the University to win the nationals of the American Parliamentary Debate Association. In addition, Stris was elected president of the APDA and will be in charge of debates during next year. He will also represent the United States in the World Debate Tournament next year, which is planned to be held in South Africa. Rogers and Stris are the first junior team ever to win the title. "We were very, very amazed by our victory," Rogers said. The University sent two other teams to compete at Swarthmore. College sophomore David Derman, College junior Gordon Dritchilo, College sophomore Jen Marzulo and College senior Josh Wolson also competed. The teams, which came from more than 60 schools, participated in six preliminary rounds of debating. Rogers and Stris lost to Stanford during second round competition. But in the final round, they defeated Stanford 15-2. "It seems unreal when I look back on it," Rogers said. "But? I knew my friends in the audience would support me no matter what happened." In the wake of their victory, the champions noted that a recent cut in their Student Activities Council funds could harm the team's future success.
(05/17/96 9:00am)
While concentrating on speaking swiftly in order to emphasize the final point of her rebuttal, College sophomore Liz Rogers was not aware of the looks of admiration coming from the judges in the crowded room at Swarthmore University. Feeling dazed, Rogers realized moments later that she had just become the second woman ever to win the national title in competitive parliamentary debate. On the weekend of April 26 through the 28, Rogers and College junior Peter Stris became the first team from the University to win the nationals of the American parliamentary Debate Association. In addition, Stris was elected president of the APDA and will be in charge of debates during next year. He will also represent the United States in the World Debate Tournament next year, which is planned to be held in South Africa. Rogers and Stris are the first junior team ever to win the title. "We were very, very amazed by our victory," Rogers said. The University sent two other teams to compete at Swarthmore. College sophomore David Derman, College junior Gordon Dritchilo, College sophomore Jen Marzulo and College senior Josh Wolson also competed. The teams, which came from more than 60 schools, participated in six preliminary rounds of debating. Rogers and Stris lost to Stanford during second round competition. But in the final round, they defeated Stanford 15-2. "It seems unreal when I look back on it," Rogers said. "But? I knew my friends in the audience would support me no matter what happened." In the wake of their victory, the champions noted that a recent cut in their Student Activities Council funds could harm the team's future success.
(05/01/96 9:00am)
Class of 1997 celebrates achievingClass of 1997 celebrates achievingseniorhood with Hey Day festivities Even murky skies and raindrops were not able to dampen the Class of 1997's Hey Day festivities last Friday. The juniors ruled the day that would end in their becoming seniors -- officially beginning the festivities at noon with a picnic on Hill Field. Eating, talking and dancing brought the class together for the first time since its Convocation in 1993. The class's most common activity -- other than chewing on styrofoam -- seemed to be chasing their wind-blown hats. Although many proclaimed the event a great success, some complained about the presence of Liquor Control and Enforcement Bureau agents. "The secret to a great Hey Day is wearing extra, extra-large shirts," College junior Mike Fieldstone said, as he hid a water bottle filled with an unidentified substance. The event's organizer, College junior Jason Brenner said he was extremely pleased with the day's success. "Hey Day sort of has a way of planning itself," said Brenner, a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist. "I've planned some activities and I wasn't sure if students would attend them. Hey Day doesn't have that problem." At 3 p.m., the mostly-inebriated crowd managed to arrange themselves into a line for the traditional march down Locust Walk. The boisterous crowd trampled across Locust Walk, making their way through Lower Quad and onto junior balcony as they swung their wooden canes in the air. After pausing a little while to rest, the mass moved back onto Locust Walk -- this time travelling to College Green. The class assembled on the Green and waited impatiently for University President Judith Rodin to make her appearance. "You had an absolutely incredible three years," Rodin said. "I know that next year is going to be the best year for both you and Penn." After these words, Rodin proclaimed the Class of 1997 seniors. Next up at the podium was the Senior Class President Neil Sheth. After coaxing Rodin to take a bite out of his hat, Sheth announced that the class "has a great year coming up."
(04/22/96 9:00am)
The punishment? Waiting for a Van Pelt Library elevator to take you all the way to the sixth floor. The reward? Discovering an entirely new world of old books. The few who venture to the Department of Special Collections will find a rare gem. The entire sixth floor of Van Pelt was designed to showcase both the University's founding library and other books that are unique or require special care. Surrounded by carved panels that once lined a 15th century English house is a wide collection of everything from ninth century manuscripts and illustrated materials from throughout history to a book bound in dog skin. "Dog skin is a terrific binding material because dogs do not sweat through pores. It is much better than human skin," said Dan Traister, a curator of the collection. "But that is not our most interesting artifact -- we have so many materials that people could put to good use." The Department of Special Collections comprises the Rare Book and Manuscript Collection, the Henry Lea Library, the Edgar Fahs Smith Memorial Collection in the History of Chemistry, and the Horace Howard Furness Memorial Library. Included in the department are more than 250,000 printed books, more than 9,000 linear feet of manuscript collections, and at least 1,400 codex manuscripts, as well as maps, broadsides, playbills and programs, photographs, prints and drawings, and sound recordings. The department is looking to encourage people to use its resources -- both in and out of Van Pelt. Any University student with a justified request can read any material from the collection in the designated reading room. Also, the department has recently developed an on-line page that even includes some parts of the collection in their entirety, varying from Shakespeare to Victorian diaries. "We have tried very hard to make this floor and the department very accessible," said curator Lynne Farrington. "Everyone should enjoy the wonderful resources that we have." During the past three years, the number of class and group visits to the department has greatly increased, according to Farrington. The department is now featuring two exhibits on the sixth floor of Van Pelt, "Household Words" and "From Written to Printed Text: The Transmission of Jewish Tradition." "It is fun to pick up the first edition of an Austen novel or to look for evidence yourself," Traister said. "It's fun for me to work with this kind of stuff."
(04/18/96 9:00am)
Two time capsules have been created within the walls of Steinberg-Dietrich Hall -- but only one was ever buried. In 1981, during Steinberg-Dietrich's centennial celebration, Wharton faculty and students filled a box with "personal items," placed it in a sealed chamber and buried it underneath the building. Today the spot is commemorated with a plaque that reminds the University of the artifacts -- which will be uncovered in 2081 during the next Steinberg-Dietrich centennial celebration. Very few people know what items are contained in the centennial time capsule, but former Associate Wharton Dean Eric Van Merkensteijn described them as "a very creative deposit of materials." The centennial time capsule was buried with specific instructions and documents about the preservation of the artifacts. "Even if the entire Steinberg-Dietrich building would be torn down, the time capsule chamber cannot be touched," Van Merkensteijn said. "The capsule is a great representation of the 1980s and will hopefully communicate with the year 2081." Meanwhile, in the musty basement of the Graduate School of Social Work, a small, sealed container lies hidden and gathering dust. A second time capsule, built in 1988, has been waiting eight years to be buried -- and Social Work Professor Kenwyn Smith has been keeping a close eye on it. Before Wharton requirements changed, each Management 38 class was responsible for developing a class project involving some kind of organization. In 1988, the seniors in Smith's class formed a Management group to prepare a time capsule that they planned to unearth at their 25th reunion in 2013. During the class, the students formed committees, polled the senior class for suggested items to be included and sought funding from the Office of the President. Among the items chosen for the quarter-century interment were a course roster, articles from local and campus presses, a Quaker football jersey, a menu from Smokey Joe's and photographs of the campus. The Management 38 time capsule could not be buried for various reasons. A lack of University and personal permission to bury it were debilitating factors. The class did raise several hundred dollars toward its goal, but the year ended before the project could be finished. According to Smith, the class hoped to create a tradition for every class to bury a time capsule. "I have a great plan that right before their 25th reunion, I am going to run out and bury the capsule somewhere on campus," Smith said. "Then I can make it a game and give them clues as to where it's hidden. I hope it works out."
(04/12/96 9:00am)
The signature on Peter Kuperman's e-mail messages reveals one of his life goals -- "The 100th Boston Marathon: 2:39:58. It could happen so you better watch." The Engineering and Wharton senior will be competing in Monday's marathon along with two other seniors, one University graduate and 37,000 people who will be converging in Boston for what the running world is calling the "most important race of the century." Kuperman, along with Engineering senior John Blouin, Engineering senior Bill Murphy and 1995 Engineering and Wharton graduate Terry McLean, who is the president of Wharton's Road Runners Club, will also be included in the race. In order to qualify for the marathon, the four were required to beat a time of 3 hours, 40 minutes in at least one other prior marathon. Kuperman qualified in the New York Marathon, but was not satisfied with his time. "I have a white board in my room that says New York was just a trial for Boston," Kuperman said. "The New York race was really windy and awful." All four competitors said they have been training very hard -- running on average 80 miles a week. Blouin and Murphy said the centennial of the marathon was their main reason for traveling to Boston this year. Boston Marathon officials plan to host three times the normal number of runners. There will be 24,500 competitors and at least 12,000 people in the open division. "The race is going to be like a giant migration from Hopkinton [the city where the marathon will begin] to Boston," Kuperman said. Blouin said he is entering the marathon because the competition is a "historical race." And Murphy said he was not prepared for the Philadelphia Marathon, which he used as the qualifier, but has trained extensively for Monday's competition. "I want to be able to say that I ran in the 100th Boston Marathon," he said. "I have done my best to prepare." Kuperman hopes a successful Boston Marathon will lead to subsequent races. The Canadian citizen plans on representing his country in the 2000 Olympics at Sydney, Australia. Blouin, Kuperman and Murphy are members of the University's cross country and track teams. All four will leave tomorrow to travel to Boston. For Blouin, it will be a trip home. "I grew up in Boston and have spent my high school years running there," he said. "I definitely have an advantage because I really know the course." Family and friends of the University competitors will also travel to Boston to celebrate the anniversary.
(04/10/96 9:00am)
Event rescheduled forEvent rescheduled fortonight at 7:30 p.m. inEvent rescheduled fortonight at 7:30 p.m. inIrvine Auditorium and Doree Shafrir Succumbing to the whims of Mother Nature, rock musician Billy Joel was forced to postpone last night's Irvine Auditorium lecture until tonight. Connaissance Co-Director Rich Archer, a Wharton junior, said the rescheduled show will be held at the same time as the cancelled show. The same tickets will be honored. Archer explained that Joel's agent called the group yesterday morning with the news as Connaissance members began setting up the stage in Irvine. "Billy has a phobia about weather," Archer said. "He said he was sorry." According to Archer, Connaissance will incur extra costs due to of the postponement. He explained that the organization must rent a piano and other instruments and the auditorium itself for an additional night, adding that Connaissance also had to "piece together" another sound crew for tonight's show. Joel did, however, grant an interview yesterday afternoon to WQHS, the University's student-run radio station. WQHS Station Manager Christian Stadler, a College sophomore, said he thinks Joel "really wants to come" to the University. "We were going to ask how Christie Brinkley is doing, but we decided against it," Stadler added. In the interview, Joel mentioned the March 27 joke issue of The Daily Pennsylvanian, which carried an article informing the University community that Joel had died. "I didn't have a heart attack -- I can't get there because of the weather," he said. "I'm on the east end of Long Island and the weather is horrendous here too. "I never dreamt that I would have a White Easter," he added. Joel also emphasized that his lecture will not be a concert. "It will be me talking to people and people asking me questions," Joel explained. "There will be some music involved." According to Archer, 800 students entered Connaissance's final ticket opportunity, held early yesterday morning via e-mail. He said the first 500 responses arrived in the first 13 seconds after the contest began at 4 a.m. Originally, Connaissance had planned to distribute 39 pairs of tickets via e-mail, to the first students who sent messages to Joel@route66.resnet. But because of the overwhelming response to the contest, Connaissance decided to give out one ticket per winner. "In our view, people made a last-ditch effort to get into the show," Archer said. "We wanted to give out as many tickets as possible." Barring any additional odd weather, Joel's show will be held tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Irvine. No cameras, bookbags or recording devices will be allowed inside.
(04/10/96 9:00am)
Surrounded by its own moat and barred windows, the outside of Hill College House was built to resemble a fortress -- but the inside is even more secure. The building rests on a bomb shelter that served the Philadelphia area from 1959 until 1960, when the fear of atomic attacks began to subside. "This shelter is a wonderful representation of the end of an era," English Professor Robert Lucid, faculty master of Hill House. "For 10 years, it was technically part of the civil defense effort of Philadelphia." Although the bomb shelter presently does not appear to be efficient, Lucid says that in 1959 people found it an "interesting use of foundation." During that time period Hill House was surrounded by highly populated row houses. "All Philadelphia residents were given leaflets that told them to run to Hill if the bomb sirens went off," Lucid said. "The whole idea was really crazy though, because in the event of a firestorm the place might have turned into a big coffin. After all, there weren't even any doors." Logos informing the public of Hill's bomb shelter can still be found around the building. Since then, Hill House management has found more modern uses for the space. Throughout the years, the 15-foot-high shelter has been used for various storage purposes. The Geology Department has used it for rock storage, Hill residents have filled it with personal belongings and several escaped pets reportedly call the tunnel home. Last summer, a room was built in the fallout shelter during ResNet installation to house several controller cards. And until the early 1980s, the bomb shelter remained stocked with water, crackers and first aid equipment. According to Lucid, the materials were removed when mice and students began to "get in there." The Hill House manager board is presently considering planning a maze for the Class of 2000 in the cement tunnel. "Walking through it is a very unnerving experience, and if you were alone that would be really scary," said Engineering and Wharton freshman Vishal Shah, one of the planners.
(04/08/96 9:00am)
The Freshman Class Board has decided to go out with a bang. It is sponsoring the first annual Class of '99 Spring Blowout, which was created to give freshmen a chance to "chill, relax and gather together as a class" before the spring term ends, according to Freshman Class President Clive Correia. All freshmen will be allowed free admission to the party, to be held Saturday, April 12 on Hill Field. "This is going to be the biggest and best event of the year," the Engineering freshman said. "We hope that the tradition will continue for many years to come." Splendorbin, Bliss On Bliss and Disco Biscuits will be performing at the Blowout. Free food will be catered by Billybob's, and Genji will donate souvenirs for the event. Door prizes and raffle tickets will be distributed to the freshmen who attend. Correia said he believes the largest challenge will be making the class aware of the party. To combat that problem, a newsletter will be placed in every freshman's mailbox on Tuesday. "This blowout is only for freshmen," said Correia. "I think that any freshman that knows about the party will go to it. We are going to publicize hard." In the future, the board hopes to publish a monthly newsletter in order to make events known to the student body. The funding for the blowout and the newsletter is coming from the Undergraduate Assembly. According to Correia, one purpose of the Freshman Class Board is to promote support and unity within the class -- which includes establishing traditions. Correia added that hopes that both the Blowout and the newsletter will continue next year.
(04/03/96 10:00am)
and Doree Shafrir Cheating has reached uncontrollable proportions at the nation's colleges and universities, especially among students at the highest academic levels. Or has it? While some studies claim that levels of cheating are at an all-time high, the number of students caught violating the University's Academic Integrity Code and punished by the Judicial Inquiry Office, or JIO, has remained relatively constant. And students themselves are nonchalant, saying that claims about the so-called epidemic are overblown. "I've heard of people cheating," said a College and Wharton senior, who asked not to be identified. "They're probably just copying homework. "I've never actually seen anyone cheat on a test," she added. Wharton and Engineering senior Anthony Ng said cheating is more prevalent in entry-level classes. Ng added that cheating is less likely in classes students take for their major or as an elective. "If there's only a few people in the class, there won't be any cheating," he said. According to these students and others like them, serious cheating is not an extensive problem at the University. And statistics back this claim -- from the fall of 1994 to the summer of '95, only 20 academic cases were brought to the Student Dispute Resolution Center of the JIO. Of these 20 cases, only four focused on cheating. Examples of cheating include passing exam books between students during an exam or having one student take an exam in another student's place. Three of the 20 cases were for fabrication, which involves "submitting contrived or altered information in any academic exercise," according to the Code of Academic Integrity.
(04/03/96 10:00am)
While the JIO only resolved 20 violations of academic integrity last year, many believe the number of students who cheat is actually much higher. and Doree Shafrir CHEATING from page 1 Another five cases were for falsifying grades or transcripts, misrepresenting academic records and other academic violations. These included students altering their transcripts and falsifying information on their resumes, contacting printing services and ordering falsified transcripts -- and one violation for attempting to break into a faculty member's office. Punishments for these offenses last year ranged from a two-year suspension to a psychiatric evaluation. Finally, seven students were sanctioned for plagiarism, including one student who stole another class member's paper, put his name on the cover and submitted it as his own. Students can also be brought to the JIO for "submitting, without prior permission, any work submitted to fulfill another academic requirement." In addition, knowingly helping someone violate any of the code's provisions is defined as facilitating academic dishonesty and is a violation of the code. But while only 20 violations of academic integrity were ultimately resolved by the JIO last year, some believe that the number of cheaters is actually much higher. "My belief is that there is a lot more academic dishonesty than gets discovered," Acting Judicial Inquiry Officer Michelle Goldfarb said. Goldfarb's assertion is supported by two recent studies, both of which assert that cheating -- especially at elite institutions -- is much more prevalent than might be expected, even at schools like Penn that have honor codes. Conducted by Rutgers University Professor Douglas McCabe, the survey nonetheless found that students at colleges without honor codes cheat at a higher rate than those at universities with the codes. McCabe discovered that 30 percent of students at schools with honor codes had cheated on a test, while at schools without the codes, 45 percent of students admitted to cheating. In addition, 54 percent of those at schools with academic integrity codes reported "serious" cheating on a test or written assignment, while 71 percent of other students reported such cheating. Another part of the survey showed that business majors admitted they cheated the most, followed by engineering students. At Penn, the Code of Academic Integrity is applicable to all undergraduates and most graduate schools. Some, like the schools of Dental Medicine and Law, have their own procedures for sanctioning academic dishonesty. "We as a University have a responsibility to educate our students about academic integrity," Goldfarb said. "There is a need for education -- the more students learn, the better off everyone will be." To help fulfill this goal, Provost Stanley Chodorow formed the University Honor Council last spring. According to UHC Chairperson and College junior Justin Shellaway, the council was formed for three purposes -- to educate people about academic integrity, to oversee students' hearings and to advise the provost. The Nominations and Elections Committee selects the group of 13 undergraduates each fall in an application process. As part of its educational programs, a book outlining the University's honor code will be distributed to freshmen and incoming freshmen. The group is also attempting to bring in a speaker for early next fall. Shellaway said the UHC's goal is for students always to consider academic integrity. He said he eventually would like to move the University toward the establishment of a "true honor code." "I think a lot of students don't mean to cheat, but pressure forces them to," he added. Ng echoed this sentiment, saying people most likely cheat because they are under a great deal of stress. "I think people cheat because it's competitive to have a high GPA and find a job," Ng explained. "If they go for a job interview, they will have a better number on their resume." But is pressure really an excuse for students to cheat? The answer to this question is an emphatic no, Goldfarb insisted. "I can sympathize with the pressure on students," she said. "But every student is under the same pressure and not all students cheat." Clearly, pressure to get good grades and competition among students is especially fierce among the top students in the country -- including those at the University. A survey of more than 3,000 "high achievers" by Who's Who Among American High School Students found that 76 percent admitted that they had cheated -- offenses ranging from copying someone else's homework to using Cliff's Notes in place of reading an assigned text. More importantly, 94 percent of those who said they had cheated also claimed they had never been caught -- and 66 percent of the high school students said that cheating "did not seem like a big deal." Studies like Who's Who and McCabe's, and testimony such as Goldfarb's, all point to a mostly silent epidemic that occurs every day -- yet rarely has consequences for offenders. "I think the more you look for it, the more you see it," Shellaway said. "There seems to be a lack of remorse [among students who cheat]." Indeed, it seems that students are unphased by the penalty for cheating, assuming if they are caught at all, they will most likely not be subjected to a judicial inquiry. For the most part, they are correct -- the cases that actually reach the JIO have already gone through an extensive procedure to reach the hearing stage. When an instructor suspects a student has cheated, the first step in the process is to confront the student privately, "before taking any other action," according to the Code of Academic Integrity. If the problem is not resolved, the professor and student have several courses of action. The instructor may choose to assign the student any grade he or she considers appropriate -- both for the work in question and for the entire course. However, the professor must notify the student about the reason for the grade, while also telling the JIO how the conflict was resolved. But if the teacher chooses the so-called "Non-Grading Option," she or he may choose to assign no grade to the student and instead make a formal complaint to the JIO. Again, the professor must also notify the student of his or her actions within a certain amount of time. A student may accept or reject his professor's proposals. If he accepts the settlement, then the case is closed and proceedings end. However, if a student chooses to reject a proposed settlement, then he may file a petition with the JIO requesting a judicial hearing. Once a judicial hearing has begun, a student may make an informal settlement with a judicial inquiry officer, in consultation with the professor, before proceeding to the actual hearing stage. In addition, a student may make a complaint to the JIO alleging that another student has violated the code. These cases result in hearings unless the JIO can settle the complaint informally. Goldfarb is currently compiling information about past hearings, including the number of cases, the types of cases and the ways in which they were resolved. She said she plans to search the JIO database to find that information -- but added that she will not identify anyone by name in her study. All files and testimony from JIO, Honor Council and Executive Committee cases, including students' identities, are kept confidential because the University abides by the confidentiality guidelines of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. "When the report comes out, it will talk in examples and ranges of sanctions, but any one student will not be identified," Goldfarb explained.
(04/03/96 10:00am)
Disaster struck futures.wharton.upenn.edu, the main undergraduate e-mail system, of the Wharton School of Business last Thursday when the back-up to the computer's back-up system failed, causing a major disk crash that temporarily denied e-mail access to 2,400 Wharton students. Many Wharton Computing staff members spent all night manually reloading 37,000 user files until the back-up was able to continue the process on its own. Director of Wharton Computing Gerry McCartney said the team took many calls from students asking, "Where is the blinking system?" The problems began on Thursday at 4:45 p.m. when futures.wharton stopped accepting any logins. After the first indication of difficulties, Wharton Computing staffers used repair programs to try to "breath life" into the system, McCartney said. That effort did not work and the group determined that the disk systems were corrupt. McCartney said workers attempted to recover the system from back-up, but the back-up robot had also failed. "The crash was the damnedest bad luck," McCartney said. "The chance of everything not working is pretty extreme." In order to solve the file system problem, the team split into two groups. Some staffers worked continuously to restore copies to the files manually, while others tried to fix the back-up robot. By 10 p.m. Friday night, a majority of the files were reloaded, and the robot was able to continue the reloading process automatically. Early Saturday morning futures.wharton was fully repaired, but the team ran extra diagnostic tests before returning access to undergraduates. "We already felt embarrassed enough about the whole shutdown," said McCartney. "I decided to make sure the system was running well before the opening." Undergraduates were able to use futures.wharton beginning at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. "Wharton staff members worked unusually hard to restore the system as quickly as possible," said Wharton freshman and computing employee Jeremiah Kalan. "Specialists were brought in from other departments, and our staff spent hours on the phone with technical support staff at other companies." McCartney said small problems at the computing center often occur, but this situation was highly unusual. "Our team always practices with simulations," McCartney said. "But this crash was like a fire drill that has a broken fire truck."
(04/02/96 10:00am)
A major disk failure on futures.wharton.upenn.edu, the primary Wharton School of Business undergraduate e-mail computer, denied Wharton students access to their e-mail accounts for three days -- adversely affecting both academic and social spheres of their lives. The disk error also rendered the equity.wharton.-upenn.edu computer used by most Wharton graduate students inoperable. The crash took place at approximately 5 p.m. last Thursday and was not fully restored until Sunday at 1:30 p.m., when all user data was restored from backup. But the aftereffects of the blackout continue to disrupt class assignments, Operations and Information Management projects and some messages. All messages sent to futures.wharton users during the three days could neither be received nor bounced back to the sender. Any student who attempted to send messages to a futures.wharton account received an announcement on their accounts. "Those who sent you e-mail messages on Thursday before 5 p.m. have been notified that they should consider resending," the announcement read. During the shutdown, Wharton students were not informed of the problems or any efforts to fix them. Students in OPIM classes had their latest assignment pushed back three days due to the failure -- but were not informed until yesterday, the day it was scheduled to be turned in. "I stayed up until 4:30 in the morning trying to finish my OPIM work," said Wharton freshman Mark Nodelman. "If I had known that the assignment wasn't due, I wouldn't have had to pull any crazy stunts like that." The computer failure also affected students who are not enrolled in OPIM courses. Wharton freshman Gregory Steinberg said many of his classes rely on e-mail to distribute weekly assignments. For a majority of futures.wharton users, the major inconvenience was the loss of communication with friends. "It drove me insane," said Wharton freshman Lori Werfel. "I lost so many letters from friends, messages about meetings and forwards. I know that many people can't send them again either." But at least one student was not annoyed by the failure. "I was glad that futures didn't work," said Wharton freshman Bradley Coburn. "I don't agree with the whole information age. I didn't have to write back to friends or use money to call anyone. It was great." A message on the answering machine of the Wharton Computing Services Office said, "We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by this disruption."
