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(04/11/97 9:00am)
In a discreet office complex on 36th and Market streets, a group of linguists are on the cutting edge of language analysis. The Linguistic Data Consortium, directed by Linguistics Professor Mark Liberman, was established in 1992 as a research center that "creates, collects and distributes speech and text databases, lexicons and other resources." One of only eight such programs in the nation, the consortium has undertaken such tasks as putting dictionaries of the Mandarin Chinese and Russian languages on the World Wide Web. It is also analyzing hundreds of gigabytes of speech to give companies data to produce voice-activated computers. And the center is providing data for improving such automated-voice systems as 411 information numbers. Among its diverse purposes are collecting speech samples from volunteers around the country, analyzing speech from broadcast news programs and making the computerized data gathered available to other consortium members. Institutions that subscribe to the LDC's research service include Carnegie Mellon University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as companies like AT&T; and IBM. The LDC, funded in part by the National Science Foundation, also provides "multilingual data for teaching purposes," according to Liberman. "It will make a difference in the way language teaching is done at Penn and elsewhere," he said. Students from both Penn and Drexel University work on the "shop floor" of the LDC, entering the lexicon data as well as transcribing multilingual speech samples. Anne Johnson, a 1996 College graduate, and College sophomore Renata Pavlovic spent Wednesday entering a Polish dictionary into the LDC computer system. "It's really interesting," said Pavlovic, who is proficient or fluent in five languages and chose the job because of her interest and skills in languages and computers. Johnson, who majored in Anthropology and is fluent in Russian, started the job as an undergraduate in part to learn to cope with an increasingly "digitized world." David Miller, a Germanic Languages graduate student, also works at the LDC, juggling his part-time job with another job as an administrative fellow at the Modern Languages College House. "It's laid back," said Miller, who emphasized the research consortium's unique work. Lead programmer David Graff further explained the nonprofit consortium's "phenomenal system." "We have three major funded projects at the moment," Graff said. In one, LDC workers go to various parts of the country to sample volunteers' voices on a variety of different phones. The data collected from a "socially homogenous group" is then entered into the computer and made available to consortium members -- who pay either $2,000 or $20,000 to access the LDC research depending on the institution's profit status. Liberman -- one of the founders of the LDC -- commented on the access to the "very large archives" that the consortium creates for its members. "We make it possible for a large number of organizations to get transcribed data on terms that they wouldn't be able to negotiate individually," Liberman said. "Our most important function is as an intermediary for intellectual property rights." Using the LDC system, members can view the data online before committing major research dollars to projects. "We're like a publishing clearinghouse," Liberman said, emphasizing the LDC's ability to provide CD-ROMs of speech information to members at a reasonable price because of "low overhead" costs. "There remains a need [for computerized data] that we fill," he added.
(04/09/97 9:00am)
Graduate students and faculty from universities across the nation attended a conference this weekend to debate and examine "the politics of respectability in African American studies." Sponsored by the Fontaine Society -- a group established in 1970 in honor of former Philosophy Professor William Fontaine, the first African American to become a full professor at the University -- The "Black Image" in the "Black Mind" conference featured the presentation and discussion of dissertations related to the theme of respectability. Kali Gross, a third-year History graduate student and conference coordinator, noted in her opening speech that she "wasn't sure if African American studies was ready to come under criticism." English Professor Farah Griffin gave the keynote address Saturday morning, using her work on jazz singer Billie Holiday to introduce the conference's theme and offer her personal analysis of the politics of respectability. "[Holiday] exploded beyond the limits of all categories," Griffin explained as she defined the "sensual bisexual" singer's life as an "explicit bid for more respectability." Griffin's biography of Holiday -- which she completed while on leave from the University -- led the way into panel discussions featuring scholars from the universities of Buffalo, Iowa and California, among others. In presenting their arguments, the scholars touched on subjects as diverse as "literary resistance and insistence" and "verbal rights and the trappings of academic hegemony." Gross discussed her dissertation -- entitled, "Rude Gals, Violent Offenders and the Image of the 19th Century African American Female Criminal in Philadelphia" -- during a forum focusing on "Roughneck women: developing new frameworks for African American history." Leslie Patrick, a History professor at Bucknell University, moderated the event. "We have to remember that in the history of the African American tradition we have existed on this continuum from oppression to achievement, with no room for any discussion of anything else in between," Patrick said. At the closing address Sunday night, Law Professor Regina Austin spoke on respectability as well as on the success of the weekend's intellectual endeavors. "Buying into respectability generally requires that the purchaser accept the hyperdemonization of blacks," Austin said in reference to the racial stereotypes expressed in mainstream academia. In congratulating the panelists -- whose research added to the examination of respectability as a "resistance to negative stigmas" -- Austin said that these kinds of conferences make "you begin to understand the significance of what you're doing and it makes you want to do it that much more."
(04/04/97 10:00am)
Stepping onto a blackened stage to the screams of hundreds of loyal fans, Israeli superstar David Broza brought Israel Day 1997 to a climactic finale Wednesday night. Broza, a singer and songwriter who has established himself as a master of urban folk-rock, played to the crowd -- which included many long-time fans of the "Mel Gibson of rock 'n' roll." "He's a crowd pleaser," College freshman Imri Eisner said enthusiastically, who has seen Broza in concert more than ten times. The 40-year-old singer -- who is known for his impassioned performances -- sung in Hebrew, English and Spanish. "He is unbelievable? one of the best guitar players," said Eran Harari, a Temple University junior, who spent the entire concert singing along with Broza's songs. Many fans were excited to hear Broza sing tunes in Hebrew, including songs that he has popularized worldwide over the past two decades. "I've heard his songs forever? it's like they're coming to life," said College freshman Kim Bardy, adding that "he's pretty sexy." Broza's Irvine Auditorium concert was the highlight of Israel Day, an event designed to promote Israeli culture. Shira Neustein, an Engineering junior and the student coordinator of Israel Day 1997, said that she hoped the event would increase the visibility of Israeli culture on the University's campus. "We just want to make people aware of Israeli programs on campus and highlight the cultural aspects of Israel [as opposed to the political]," she said. Introducing Broza to the crowd Wednesday night, Neustein thanked everyone who helped make Israel Day a success -- a project that at times "seemed too big to accomplish." As part of the event, representatives from several Israeli groups lined Locust Walk to offer information on their organizations and summer programs to Israel. Liz Marlowe, a representative from the Israeli Consulate of Philadelphia, participated in the information fair and gave interested students general information on Israel. Marlowe -- who has seen Broza perform in several outdoor concerts in Israel --Edescribed the singer as "amazing." The Middle East Awareness Program, Parents of North American Israelis, Israeli Aliyah and Program Center, and Volunteers for Israel were among the groups represented on the Walk. And the student group Ayalah performed Israeli dances on College Green -- which was decked out with blue and white balloons -- while student vendors sold falafel and Israeli snacks. "We think it went very well," said Suzanne Kurtz, program associate for the University's Hillel Foundation. "We hope it was informative."
(03/28/97 10:00am)
Despite numerous flyers and enthusiastic promotion on Locust Walk, AIDS Awareness Week -- sponsored by the American Medical Student Association and Facilitating Learning About Sexual Health -- got off to a slow start. On Tuesday, the AIDS Awareness Fair in Bodek Lounge drew only modest numbers, leaving FLASH members disappointed. "I'm hoping the turnout is better," said Alex Kutnick, a College of General Studies student. "Many people are reluctant to come because of the topic and are self-conscious." The fair included presentations from AIDS awareness and support groups such as Philadelphia FIGHT, Action AIDS and ACT UP Philadelphia. The groups offered students free condoms, pamphlets and information about their organizations. Representatives from SmithKline Beecham were also at the fair to conduct surveys of student opinion on OraSure, a new orally administered HIV test. Logan Levkoff, a College junior and member of FLASH, also expressed dismay at the small turnout. "People don't want to be seen at something that they are actually concerned about," Levkoff said. "Just because this is an Ivy League institution, people aren't necessarily smarter or safer." Toni Resnick, a member of Dykes and Dames -- also known as Philadelphia's Lesbian Health Initiative -- was on hand at the fair to encourage pap smears and breast exams for lesbians: "Since lesbians don't lead a 'traditional' women's lifestyle, they think they don't have to worry about their sexual health." Philadelphia Community Health Alternatives also promoted their free HIV test clinic at 12th and Chestnut streets and their volunteer training programs, while volunteers demonstrated the Reality female condom to interested students. "We hope that people take advantage of the opportunity to learn more and get involved," said College senior Ed Lomotan, co-president of the University's AMSA chapter. Four panels of the AIDS quilt were also on display Wednesday in Meyerson Hall as part of AIDS Awareness Week, and Positive Voices, a group of people living with AIDS spoke about their experiences Wednesday night. "We are so excited about this week? we want to get out the fact that attitudes and perspectives of AIDS are changing, especially in the medical field? where doctors have been seen as desensitized to the epidemic," said College junior Christine Boulos, a member of AMSA. The week's keynote speaker, Lorna Lynn of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, will lead a panel discussion tonight about changing attitudes towards the AIDS epidemic. The event will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Annenberg Center. College sophomore Maggie Hymowitz, a member of AMSA who helped to organize the week's events, noted that college students need to become more educated about AIDS and HIV. "We want people to know what resources are out there and to bring the disease out in the open," she said. "Not enough is being done on campus for AIDS education."
(03/20/97 10:00am)
Regional Science Professor Thomas Reiner expressed extreme concerns about what he called "a strong anti-government mindset" during a speech to a packed house yesterday in Meyerson Hall. Reiner, a member of a roundtable discussion on "Reinventing Government," joined four other panelists in the latest installment of the "Reversal of Fortunes" series focusing on the decline of American cities. "We need to first address the rationale for government and reinvent why we have government," he explained. Reiner stressed the need for reassessing the proper role government should play in society and reestablishing specific goals for both government and the private sector. "We must reject the notion that government is an enemy? that taxation is theft and that any activity in the public service is mainly to satisfy self-serving bureaucrats," he said in demanding that government and the public work together. Ronald Bednar, the policy officer to Gov. Tom Ridge (R), spoke on his experience reorganizing state government through consolidation of programs and departments which have "outlived their usefulness" and for "areas that need reform." Carolyn Adams, dean of Temple University's School of Arts and Sciences, noted that "Philadelphia politics look positively pacific relative to what they looked like? 10 years ago." "City Hall is less and less the place where the action is? the locus of conflict and decision making has shifted away from City Hall," she added. Listing such programs as job training, educational funding, environmental regulation and economic development, Adams observed that state government is emerging as a "pivotal" force that cannot be ignored by local administrations. And she stressed the need to "form coalitions with state representatives and legislators who represent suburb communities that share many of the same problems with center cities." Diana Reed, a city planning consultant, elaborated on the necessity of downsizing wasteful systems corrupted "with spaghetti at the top." And Ira Harkavy, a City and Regional Planning professor who directs the Center for Community Partnerships, ended the discussion with his thoughts on the "acute chronic crisis" that is the government. "The condition of the American city is indicative of the American political system as an abject failure," Harkavy explained. Karl Ness, a first-year City Planning graduate student, said he was "intrigued" with the discussion and applauded Harkavy's command of the subject of urban decline. The final "Reversal of Fortunes" discussion, entitled "Where Do We Go From Here?" will be held April 16.
(03/19/97 10:00am)
Discussing his eclectic career as both an editor and poet, Paul Hoover led an informal discussion and poetry reading yesterday at the Kelly Writers House. Hoover has published six books of poetry, including Veridian -- which won the Georgia Poetry Prize -- in addition to one novel. Influenced by surrealist poetry and "peripherally" associated with language poetry, Hoover is most strongly tied to the New York school of poets, according to English Professor and poet Bob Perelman. But Perelman added that Hoover established himself as a poet in Chicago. Hoover discussed his large undertaking in editing the Postmodern American Poetry: A Norton Anthology -- hailed by Perelman as "the most significant poetic event in the last decade." He addressed a spectrum of topics, ranging from the anthology's title to the decision to include his own work in the book. Taking cues from the biographies he composed for each of the poets included in the anthology, Hoover strived to remain objective in writing his own preface. "I try not to glorify," he joked. Hoover also recalled his difficulties in deciding what to label the type of poetry he writes for inclusion in the Norton Anthology. Hoover also explained his thoughts on terms such as "postmodern," "avant garde" and "experimental." "A lot of people challenge 'postmodern'," he said, adding that "'experimental' is a rather flimsy word." "It invokes concepts of people in lab coats? and little Frankensteins emerging from the laboratory," Hoover said. Hoover noted that the word "postmodern" is used in the anthology to refer to poetry written after World War II. Many poetic movements -- such as beat, performance and language poetry -- developed at that time and served as an arbitrary separation between modern and postmodern eras. Adding his thoughts on being part of the "avant-garde" school of poetry, Hoover explained that the poetry lends itself to the "self-marginalization" of the poet. He said much of society at that time was unaccustomed to the eclectic styles of the avant-garde poets. "Why do you want to create work that appears in its own time to be bad? from the perspective of central culture?" Hoover asked rhetorically, in reference to the avant-garde poets. Hoover also discussed his wife, Maxine Chernoff, and the inclusion of her poems in the anthology. He noted his wife's switch to prose poetry and the methods he used to choose her selections as well as the others in the book. "Eligibilities change," he said, adding that if he were to compile another anthology, his wife would "have to drop out." Hoover works with Chernoff to edit the magazine New American Writing. Perelman, who introduced Hoover at the poetry reading following the discussion session, applauded the poet's "straightforward and candid" conversation about his editorial work. He praised the poet's writing as "consistently intelligent " and "often quite funny" with "wit ranging from dry to less dry." "[Hoover] is on the cusps of various poetic groups," Perelman added. "He has an undistorted perspective and a variety of forms? in his content." "I am a free-range chicken," Hoover said in describing his multi-styled poetry and influences. Beginning with what he described as small "seed packets" of poems, Hoover read selections from his repertoire. He ended with "sister" poems from his most recent Veridian volume, which Hoover named after a screenplay he wrote for an independent film. "These poems have a smoky circularity," the poet said. Philadelphia resident Joanne Lichtman -- one of more than the 20 people who attended the reading -- commended Hoover's "interesting" yet unusual poetry. Noting her uneasiness with Hoover's postmodern slant, Lichtman added, "I don't know about the experimental dimension? I am used to more formal writing."
(03/18/97 10:00am)
When Wharton graduate student John Hall broke a world rowing record last month, the entire Wharton rowing team was "ecstatic" that they had a "real athlete" among them -- except Hall, that is. "I don't want to make a big deal about it," Hall stressed. "I call it 'the old small guy category'." After breaking the world record for master's lightweight rowers with an ergometer time of 6 minutes, 18.8 seconds at the Vesper Erg Rodeo in Philadelphia, Hall went on to the CRASH-B Sprints Indoor Championship in Boston February 16. There he broke his own record, rowing 2,000 meters in a time of 6:17.6. Hall, co-captain of the Wharton student crew team, said he didn't plan to row in graduate school. He rowed for the U.S. Naval Academy in the 1980s and was on the national lightweight rowing team in 1986. But after joining the Navy Seals in 1987, Hall intended to retire his oar for good. Coming to the Wharton School, he wanted to concentrate on his studies. "It was hilarious," Wharton rowing co-captain Frank Klausz said. "He absolutely refused to row, saying 'I know myself, I know rowing, and there's no way to get into this just a little bit'." But after a rower was injured last November, Hall hesitantly agreed to help the team -- a move which led to the victory at the Frostbite Regatta and Hall's recent personal successes. Trying to downplay his own achievements, however, Hall pointed to Wharton sophomore and Penn heavyweight Garrett Miller's success in Boston. Coming in fifth overall in the open men's division of the CRASH-B's, Miller also placed first in the U.S. collegiate division with a time of 5:52.3 for the 2,000-meter race. "That's huge? it's extremely competitive for them," Hall said. "I feel like a real has-been. I mean, Garrett was in elementary school? last time I raced." But Klausz refused to accept Hall's modesty, noting, "John is scaring all the other graduate school rowing programs? It is hopeless for them to try and attack us." "John is so humble? he appreciates almost to a fault how much everyone else has contributed to his success," he added. Hall, who graduates in May, juggles his studies with two daily workouts at home to prepare for the championships. Hall said rowing and other sports club activities "enhance the graduate program." "He found the right niche [at Wharton] to break the world record," Klausz added. "In a place where everyone is trying to support everyone else, it makes it much easier for individuals to succeed." Hall's championship row broke a record that, according to Klausz, stood for 10 years. In addition to the "notoriety" gained by the Wharton team, Hall has successfully reinstated himself in the world of rowing --at least for now. "I've been testing the waters to see if there's a chance I could be nationally competitive again as a lightweight," he said, adding that he has been talking to various coaches on the prospects of rowing in the future. Hall plans to continue rowing with the Wharton club while "reaching out more to the student body and teaching more people how to row."
(03/03/97 10:00am)
Panelists focused on rising incomes, little new housing and a change in the labor force as explanations. Introducing "a metropolitan problem" to an audience of more than 40 people, City and Regional Planning Professor John Keene began a panel discussion in Meyerson Hall Wednesday on "why people are leaving the city." As part of a year-long series presented by the City and Regional Planning Department and the Graduate School of Fine Arts, the discussion focused on the decline of cities like Philadelphia and consequent affects on urban demography. Sociology Professor and Vice Provost for Graduate Education Janice Madden speculated on the reasons for the mass migration out of cities -- reasons she believes have not "changed in the last 40 years." "As American households get more income? [they] chose to spend that income by purchasing more space, purchasing less-dense housing," Madden said. She added that some of the reasons for urban population decline include income increases, a lack of new housing and substantial influx of international migrants and a change in the labor force -- from one- to two-income families. "This accounts for the growth in suburban population? and more importantly, in suburban employment, " she said. Real Estate and Finance Professor Susan Wachter also focused on the movement of people out of cities, but -- unlike Madden -- stressed that "people are not moving out of Philadelphia? in fact, in terms of migration flows, we are very 'good' at retaining families." Using charts showing migration flow data from recent years, Wachter elaborated on her theories -- including an observation that the number of people moving out of the city is "not really the problem? really, where we do poorly is in attracting newcomers." And speaking on the systematic growth of "poverty pockets," Wachter explained the "two vicious cycles" responsible for urban decline -- households getting poorer over time and the concentration of poverty-stricken urban areas which lead to "worse life chances." "We need to rethink public housing," Wachter said, using statistics on abandoned housing and vacant land in Philadelphia to reinforce her argument. Sociology Professor Elijah Anderson offered his ethnographic perspective on the discussion, moving away from the purely statistical reasons for urban decline. "Many of these inner-city people are not adjusting effectively to the new economic reality," Anderson claimed. Blaming the cuts in welfare and other social programs for leaving low-income people "desperate," "alienated" and "bereft of hope," Anderson explained the reasons for crime increases and subsequent declines in urban population. Finance and Economics Professor Robert Inman focused his comments on the "allocation of the fiscal pie." When people look to buy a house, "they're paying for? good schools, low crime rates and low taxes," Inman explained. Citing high city taxes, expensive schools and high crime rates as unattractive to the middle class, Inman said these "no-brainer" reasons have caused many people to move to the suburbs. The next installment of the "Reversal of Fortunes" panel discussions will be held March 19 on the topic of "reinventing government."
(02/27/97 10:00am)
Lambda Phi Epsilon -- the only national Asian American fraternity -- held its third annual East Coast Brotherhood Rally last weekend to "promote the spirit of fellowship and brotherhood," according to Lance Aiumopas, national president of the fraternity. The conference gathered Lambda's nine East Coast chapters -- including Penn, Johns Hopkins University and the universities of Michigan and Chicago -- for a weekend of social interaction and workshops stressing the importance of Asian American issues on their own campuses. "It's a social outlet as well as a chance to hear about everybody else's accomplishments," noted Aiumopas, who flew in from San Francisco for the event. Almar Cambronero, Eastern governor of the fraternity and a student at the State University of New York at Buffalo, directed the event's rally Saturday morning in Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. "I am overwhelmed," Cambronero said as he stood before the Lambda brothers. "We must keep it tight with ourselves ? the most important thing we have is our brotherhood." In an update on each chapter's activities last semester, the brothers reported accomplishments such as increased pledge classes, successful rushes and community service activities -- including the fraternity's participation in the Asian American Bone Marrow Donor Registry. "Despite the distance between the brothers, we go to great lengths," Aiumopas said. "We rely on the strength of the closest chapters ? and that [strength] is a quality that is rare these days." Close to 200 Lambda brothers attended the weekend's events, which included a formal dinner with the Asian American sorority alpha Kappa Delta Phi, an afternoon of football and basketball and the fourth annual "Fusion Jam" party. "We should use this time to get acquainted with each other? and to improve ourselves as a whole and within our region," Cambronero told the brothers. Saturday night's events also included awarding the first annual Asian American scholarship to College freshman Michael Chan. Dedicated to Haing Ngor -- a murdered Cambodian doctor and actor -- the $250 scholarship is awarded to the male writing the best essay on "Asian American ideals and issues." The University's Lambda chapter -- in addition to establishing the scholarship -- is co-sponsoring a lecture April 1 by Dath Prin, the Cambodian revolutionary who was played by Ngor in the Oscar-nominated film The Killing Fields. Tommy Chang, a College senior and Lambda president, called the rally a "test of how young men from different backgrounds and different heritages can unite." And Samuel Jin, a College senior and one of the founding members of Lambda, called the weekend an "incredible feat" and a "culmination of years of hard work and dedication."
(02/18/97 10:00am)
From the moment he walked in, poet Cornelius Eady captivated the Kelly Writers House audience with his unruly dred-locked hair, melodic voice and lemon yellow Converse All-Stars. In his Friday visit, Eady brought stories of his late father, a train ride and piggy banks -- as well as volumes of acclaimed poetry. Author of five books of poetry, including The Gathering of My Name, Victims of the Latest Dance Craze and The Autobiography of a Jukebox, Eady has received several awards and fellowships, including a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Victims was the Lamont Poetry Selection for 1985 and The Gathering was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1992. College junior Holly Johnson opened the reading with selections from her own poetry before College junior Karina Zappia introduced Eady, whom she had studied as part of a Writers House-coordinated class designed to study writers invited to the facility. English Professor and Writers House Faculty Director Al Filreis, who teaches the class, explained that Eady's reading was just part of "the writing scene that Writers House is creating." "You could really visualize the relationship he had with his father ? he was an awesome reader," Zappia noted after the reading. Opening his presentation with a story of his morning trip to Philadelphia, Eady described his excitement in encountering a box of free love poetry on the train before reading his own love poem entitled "Gratitude." Alongside his rhythmically-stilted voice, Eady's closed eyes, lightly tapping feet and swaying body characterized much of the poet's unique style of reading. Eady read selections from his most recently published poetry -- a book entitled You Don't Miss Your Water -- focusing on the death of his father, and interspersed anecdotes about his parent. "I wouldn't be here as a writer if it wasn't for my father," Eady said. "He was a great storyteller." Eady painted a vivid picture of the toothless disheveled man that inspired much of his work, often telling of his father's many eccentric habits. "He was always one of those fathers who was wondering when you're going to get a job," joked Eady, who currently teaches and directs the Poetry Center at the State University of New York at Stonybrook. And College of General Studies student Kristen Gallagher described Eady as "moving" and quoted her favorite line -- "my greatest weakness is an inability to sustain rage" -- from Eady's poem "Gratitude."
(02/14/97 10:00am)
Acting as Moses, English Professor Al Filreis opened the last in a series of three graduate study panel discussions yesterday with "one of the ten commandments" of post-baccalaureate education. 0 "Don't go right away," advised Filreis, who used personal anecdotes to impress upon students the disadvantages of pursuing advanced degrees immediately following graduation. As a graduate student at the University of Virginia, Filreis said he experienced "culture shock" the year after graduating from Colgate University. He added that he had not "prepared psychologically" for the change. Filreis also advised students to take a "consumerist approach" to choosing a graduate school. Comparing the decision of attending school to buying a car, Filreis said "You don't plunk down the money without investigating it." Concluding his portion of the discussion, Filreis stressed the necessity of "doing this because it makes you happy." School of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and History Professor Walter Licht offered statistical information as well as practical advice for students considering graduate study. "The attrition rate is 30 percent in the first three years of school," Licht noted. He insisted that a student "has to be driven" to pursue an advanced degree, and used his extensive experience in graduate admissions to relay that prospective graduate students should seriously consider the personal value of pursuing a doctorate. Outlining the importance of having both personal and intellectual motivation while going to graduate school, Licht reminisced about his own "intellectual Eureka," the revelation that he loved history. "I wanted to be teaching history at college, and I knew the only way to do that in the U.S. was to get a Ph.D." Licht said. "You need to be doing something that always turned you on." English Department lecturer Kathryn Conrad offered her recent experience with the Ph.D. program at Penn. Conrad also argued against attending graduate school directly after college. Speaking of her own unhappy experiences, she said "I was burnt out." Conrad commented on the current job market, noting that it is "very bad" and added that many students enter graduate school thinking the additional education will get them a better job. She also warned students to consider whether or not the path to graduate school is worth the possibility of going into debt. "Not everyone is going to be able to get the ideal academic job," she said. "It's a hard road but well worth it." Likening Ph.D. students to "baby turtles," University Museum Associate Director Stephen Epstein said "some make it and some don't." Epstein demonstrated his enthusiasm to the audience of 30 students, claiming that he has the job of his "wildest dreams ? and a Ph.D. made it possible." He insisted upon the importance of having an advanced degree when working in the anthropology field, and added that "without a Ph.D., you're a janitor."
(02/06/97 10:00am)
Assuring the audience that his experience as a Rhodes Scholar was most accurately described with the cliche "the time of my life," Finance Professor Nicholas Soules initiated a panel discussion on fellowship opportunities yesterday. The discussion -- the second in a series of three forums to help students plan for graduate study -- attracted more than 30 students and was moderated by Ann Kuhlman, associate director of the Office of International Programs. A 1989 Rhodes Scholar, Soules found the scholarship's flexibility attractive since he "didn't know where [he] was going" and the program allowed him to change his course of study at Oxford University. While Soules elaborated on the benefits of studying overseas, he added that many people "do it for the wrong reasons" and that it is often just a popular course of action for those graduating at the top of their class. Dispelling the myth that a student must be "a Bill Bradley" -- the Rhodes Scholar and star athlete who attended Princeton University and went on to be a U.S. senator from New Jersey -- Soules assured students that the Rhodes is reducing the importance placed on athletics in the evaluation of the applications. Beau Ances, a 1993 recipient of the Thouron Scholarship and a Medical student at the University, also offered advice, telling students that the scholarship organizations are looking for an "outgoing person" who can be an "ambassador" for the United States. Lauding the "English system" of education, Ances pointed to the advantages of being paired with an expert in the academic field while studying in England. Offering practical advice on deciding to go overseas, Ances emphasized the importance of having a specific "plan of why you want to study" abroad and of weighing all alternatives. "Could you be out in the business world?" Ances asked the audience. Shawn Walker, a 1996 College graduate and Thouron recipient, raised similar issues by posing the question "Why do I want to remain in the world of education?" Having deferred her study in England to help establish the Kelly Writers House, Walker offered the students her take on the scholarship application process. Applying for a fellowship can clarify "where you're going and why you're doing what you're doing," explained Walker. She also described the experience as "valuable," but warned that prospective scholarship students should have personal interaction with colleges overseas before deciding where to study. Kuhlman closed the discussion with her own advice, singling out the importance of not "waiting until the last minute" to complete an application. She also underscored the benefits of thinking about scholarships early, saying that even freshmen and sophomores should research the various grants available. "You may have to be fairly calculating about it," said Kuhlman, referring to the task of obtaining several recommendations from faculty for the applications. College junior Sheela Portonovo praised the panel discussion as "helpful," admitting that she had been "confused on what fellowships were available." The last installation of the graduate study panel discussions is scheduled for February 13 at 4 pm in the Franklin room of Houston Hall. It will focus on the values of getting a Ph.D.
(01/29/97 10:00am)
In a seminar to help University undergraduates plan for graduate study, Biomedical and Veterinary graduate student Ellen Wiedner spoke yesterday about the "stuff they don't put in the glossy brochures." In the first of a three-part panel series, Wiedner and three other speakers met in Houston Hall yesterday afternoon to discuss their personal experiences with graduate study and to offer advice to undergraduates unsure about their future. More than 30 students turned out for the discussion, including College junior Chantal Dunn, who noted that the panel discussion was very helpful. Offering first-hand knowledge from a wide range of academic backgrounds, graduate students Jennifer Gunn, Bruce Lenthall and Wiedner stressed the importance of taking time off before graduate school and self-motivation in pursuing advanced degrees. "You have to believe you want to do it for yourself," Lenthall emphasized. "You have to be committed." Gunn, a History and Sociology of Science graduate student, advocated taking time off before continuing education, adding that after doing so she was "more sure [she] wanted to be there." Pointing to the importance of taking advice from fellow graduates, Gunn said the University has a "real community of graduate students." While admitting that students right out of college do possess the advantage of having a "fresher body of knowledge," Gunn said she believes in the value of exploring other options after graduation. After telling their individual stories, the panelists also gave advice on how to choose a graduate program and gave information on obtaining grants and funding. Wiedner described the need to be "Machiavellian" about obtaining funding, stressing the necessity to get the financial specifics "etched in stone" before accepting admission to a graduate program. Recommending that undergraduates take advantage of the knowledge that teaching assistants and professors have about various graduate schools, Lenthall also urged students to ask about graduate departments' advising systems. Wiedner stressed that students should "aim as high as [they] can go," candidly explaining that graduating from top schools like Penn opens doors to future employment. While Lenthall pointed to the fact that it is "easy to feel overwhelmed," he suggested approaching graduate school "like a job." The fourth member of the panel, Mary Heiberger, associate director of Career Planning and Placement Services and co-author of The Graduate School Funding Handbook, added her expertise to the discussion and reinforced the other panelists' advice. Heiberger emphasized the value of looking critically at the reputations of faculty that students will be working with, in addition to the graduate department's amount of grants relative to the field of study. Following the discussion, Dunn noted that the speakers provided "well-hidden" information about graduate study. "It's difficult to find information on graduate school," Dunn said. The second panel discussion, on February 5, will feature information on fellowships for graduate study. And on February 13, several faculty members and University administrators will discuss the value of getting a Ph.D. The 90-minute sessions will be held at 4 p.m. in Houston Hall's Ben Franklin room.
