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Buying art for West Philadelphia's sake

(02/19/03 10:00am)

Tonight, a silent auction at the Institute of Contemporary Art will offer the chance for art lovers to snag priceless works by artists from New York City and Philadelphia. Add to that the opportunity to help refurbish homes of West Philadelphia residents, and Penn students have a can't-miss event. For two hours, Penn's chapter of Rebuilding Together Philadelphia will host the event beginning at 7 p.m., which organizers anticipate will attract a crowd of at least 200, in an effort to raise funds for their upcoming events in April. According to Rebuilding Together Philadelphia undergraduate board member Rebecca Heidenberg, the various art works are worth between $15,000 and $16,000 in total, but "the starting prices are a lot lower so that everyone can get a deal." In addition to the bidding wars, hors d'oeuvres will be served and a quartet from the Penn Chamber Music Society will provide ambience. Rebuilding Together Philadelphia seeks to raise enough money to fund three houses this year that will be rejuvenated by about 200 volunteers from the Penn community. In total, the group will beautify and repair 18 homes of those in need of assistance, including the elderly and disabled, throughout the month of April. The group -- led by Nursing senior Sarah Kissel and Wharton senior Kimberly Linton -- is part of a larger group founded by Wharton graduate students in 1988. This year, according to Heidenberg, who is responsible for much of the planning of the event, the undergraduate board seeks to increase their responsibilities with the organization. But with increased responsibilities comes the need for increased funding. "The undergraduate board wants to extend so that we can find more of our own houses," said Heidenberg, a College junior. "The money [from the auction] is going directly to the undergraduate board to finance rebuilding homes in West Philadelphia." "This year, we are independently fundraising for one house," Kissel added. "This used to be a graduate organization, and in the recent four years, it has spun off, and there's an undergraduate board." The board, which has been working on the auction since November, consists of about 10 members. However, according to Kissel, "the graduate board has more of an ability to get corporate sponsors." Each year, the undergraduate board holds a raffle, and in the past, has tried other events including a coffeehouse. In hopes of continuing to better the West Philadelphia community, Kissel said the board members "hope to make [the auction] an annual event."

https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/02/buying_art_for_west_philadelphias_sake

Diverse crowd at Kant talk

(01/31/03 10:00am)

Last night, Immanuel Kant himself spoke at the Kelly Writers House -- or at least that's how it seemed. With the noticeable German accent and novel ideas one would expect of the great philosopher himself, Cornell Professor Peter Gilgen spoke to a crowd of students and professors competing for space to hear his speech on Kantian philosophy entitled, "In the Wilderness of Thinking: Kant's 'Sign of History.'" Gilgen's speech was part of a series -- "theorizing" -- offered at the Writers House this year. The talk focused on a variety of topics but dealt mainly with the historical and political aspects and implications of some of Kant's well-known works. Also a part of his discussion was an interpretation of Kant's idea of the university -- a topic Penn professors and students were all too eager to hear. Gilgen, a professor of Germanic studies at Cornell, was enthusiastic about discussing Kant and seemed to revel in the complexity of the material he discussed, linking one topic to another in an excited monologue soaked up by the attentive crowd. And a diverse crowd it was, with enthusiasts of history and philosophy alike, eager to hear the scholar speak about Kant's work. Luke Fleming, a graduate student studying anthropology, was yet another testament to the far reaching influence of both Kant and philosophy in general. Gilgen rewarded Fleming's interest in history and anthropology with a discussion of "material signs of rational progress embodied in the world." "It was kind of cool," a satisfied Fleming said at the close of Gilgen's speech. Gilgen also addressed Kant's writings regarding progress after failure, especially in philosophy. "The ruins of philosophy... are the marks of an inauguration of philosophy that never quite managed to provide a secure foundation." His discussion of Kant's concept of the university delved particularly deep, especially his comments on how "Kant perceives, in the historical institution of the university, the expression of a felt need on the part of the founding government." His exploration of philosophy's relation to German politics also brought an interesting aspect to Kant's writings. Samuel Willcocks, a Ph.D. student in Germanic languages and literature, said he appreciated the intelligent speaker and challenging subject matter. "It's a ride" Willcocks said. "It's exhilarating to hear someone who really does know [the material] back to front and upside-down."

https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/01/diverse_crowd_at_kant_talk

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