Search Results
Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.
(10/09/95 9:00am)
A drunk driver went on a 12-block rampage down Chestnut Street Friday night, leaving behind a trail of damaged cars between 51st and 39th streets, according to Philadelphia Police. The intoxicated driver of a brown Oldsmobile mainly hit parked cars. But a male driving a blue Honda CRX at 39th and Chestnut streets was injured and had to be extracted from his mangled car. The Honda driver, unaffiliated with Penn, was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He is listed in stable condition. Witnesses said the injured driver was conscious when he was pulled out of the car. After smashing into the Honda, the drunk driver hit a traffic light, causing it to fall over in the middle of the street. His ride finally came to an end when he crashed into a fence at 3700 Market Street, according to University Police. Philadelphia Police began pursuing the suspect at 45th and Chestnut streets. During the chase, the drunk driver attempted to ram into a University Police vehicle, University Police Sgt. Larry Salotti said. The driver was taken to HUP and later arrested and charged with aggravated assault. Salotti said the driver might have also been charged with other counts -- he ran through multiple red lights -- but the aggravated assault is the most serious charge and the "primary classification." Because of the crashes, Chestnut Street, between 38th and 39th streets, was blocked off for four hours Friday night, with cars being diverted down 40th Street. The traffic lights at the intersection of 39th and Chestnut streets were inoperative for a few hours as well. The driver also caused the breakdown of two live power lines, causing University and Philadelphia Police to rope off the area with yellow crime scene tape until the power company and a tow truck were able to attend to the scene. Many passersby stopped to look at the scene. Glass, plastics and metal debris were strewn all over the street, and a traffic light lay in the middle of the road. Because the the blue Honda was totally compacted, only a New Jersey license plate remained to identify the car. Fourth year Dental student Rob Drnach said he was watching television in his apartment in Chestnut Hall when he heard a loud crash, followed by the sound of about 10 police cars. "I felt that it was an awfully fast response," Drnach said.
(10/09/95 9:00am)
A Penn Escort Service van struck a car at 49th and Spruce streets, forcing the car to crash into a fire hydrant at about 11:25 p.m. Saturday night. The van contained no passengers at the time. The Escort driver, Drexel University junior Sean McHose, said the driver of the car, Andrew Carney, was at fault for the accident. Carney, who is unaffiliated with Penn, was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He is listed in stable condition with broken ribs, according to HUP Nursing Administrator Kathy Kelly-West. The three passengers in Carney's car were also taken to HUP with minor injuries, according to University Police Sgt. Keith Christian. McHose was also taken to HUP and was later released with a sprained hand. He said he was wearing his seatbelt and the van's airbag inflated when he hit the car. According to McHose, police told him that the driver of the car, who is a student at Temple University, said that he had been drinking and was not wearing a seatbelt. Both Philadelphia and University Police responded to the accident. McHose said he was making a left onto 49th Street and had "ample time" to turn when the accident occurred. He said he did not remember what followed. McHose, who has been driving an Escort van since the beginning of August, said he had just dropped off a passenger prior to the accident. Despite the accident, he said he plans to continue driving for Escort. "I'm sure I will be a little more cautious and defensive now," he said. "Other than that I think I'm OK." The front end of the van was damaged in the accident, McHose said.
(10/05/95 9:00am)
After a week at the helm of University Police, Managing Director Thomas Seamon has already been in the trenches. Last week Seamon responded as a back-up to a call of a man with a gun, along with other University Police officers. Seamon said that although he is in a managerial position, he will not be a stranger to normal police work. He added that he is constantly listening to the police radio in his car and will respond to calls if necessary. "I still think I also have a regular role in the field," Seamon said. "It won't be unusual to see my face pop up in places." Along with the addition of a new administrator, University Police is also adjusting to new technology. Monday marked the beginning of the University Police department's use of the radio band known as the "J-band." This band enables University Police to have direct radio contact with Philadelphia Police, according to Seamon. In the past, Penn police had to contact Philadelphia police over the phone, which was more time consuming. Seamon said it is difficult to make a judgment about his job, since he has only spent a few days in the office. He also spent some time last week at an IBM conference in New York. Along with other University officials, Seamon attended the IBM conference to discuss the University's relationship with the computer/communications giant. For Seamon, the future of security is in high technology devices such as closed circuit television and alarm systems, which he hopes will be integrated with the use of security guards. He is currently at work at determining what the proper mix should be between security guards and monitoring devices. "People are concerned with the theme that there is a high level of security, without being of an intrusive nature," he said. "That's not an easy balance to achieve, but I think we can do it here." Seamon is a 26-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police and held the number two spot in that department -- deputy police commissioner -- before he stepped down last month to take on the managing director position at the University. At the Philadelphia Police Department, Seamon was responsible for the direct command of 5,000 personnel within the patrol, special patrols and the detective and civil affairs bureaus. At one point in his career, he was the acting police commissioner when then-Commissioner William Williams left his post in 1992. Former University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich's future is still uncertain. "I believe for Penn, it is important to focus on the future and where the institution is headed," Kuprevich said. "Penn has existed through a very trying and confusing three-plus years of transitions, and it is vital that clear and forward thinking leadership now command the resources and focus on this institution." Kuprevich announced on April 13 that he would resign from his position. He was the University's first commissioner of public safety and oversaw the University Police department and the Victim Support and Special Services unit.
(10/04/95 9:00am)
A robbery at the First Fidelity Bank at 3945 Chestnut Street turned into a bomb scare yesterday morning, when the perpetrator gave the teller a threatening note and left a suspicious briefcase in the customer service area. Though the bomb was a hoax and there were no injuries reported, the bank robber escaped with an undetermined amount of cash. At 9:15 a.m., University and Philadelphia police responded to the call, and the Philadelphia Bomb Squad was requested on the scene. 40th Street was blocked off from Chestnut to Market streets. The suspect was described as a 45-year-old black male, 5 feet 8 inches tall, 180 pounds, with a pony tail, according to University Police Sergeant Tim Trucksess. The robber was wearing a brown pinstriped suit and sunglasses, and was last seen fleeing south on 39th Street, Trucksess added. The briefcase left in the bank had a small, blinking light attached to it, according to Officer Peter King, who works with the Philadelphia Bomb Squad. The squad x-rayed the briefcase and determined that it had a possible power source inside, King added. The bomb squad then used a device called a water disruptor to open the briefcase. Its contents included a six-volt lantern battery, lead and several wires. King said the device was probably used to operate the small light on the briefcase. "It's been a while since we had an assignment like this," King said. Yesterday's robbery was the second at the same location in less than a year. In February, a man was arrested after attempting to rob the bank by handing a teller a note demanding money. When the teller did not comply, the man fled the bank and was apprehended by University Police at 40th and Sansom streets.
(09/28/95 9:00am)
A manhole cover flew off the sidewalk in front of The Gap at 3421 Walnut Street at 4:20 p.m. Tuesday, causing several traffic lights in the area to lose power. No one was hurt in the incident, according to University Police Sergeant Tim Trucksess. The cause has not been determined as of yet. But Walnut Street was blocked from 33rd to 36th streets, and the traffic lights did not go back on until 8:20 p.m., Trucksess added. He said several blocks of Walnut Street were blocked off because the lights were out, causing a possible threat to pedestrian safety -- especially in light of accidents last year at 33rd and Walnut streets. University Police had officers stationed at several intersections for about four hours. The Philadelphia Fire Department and the Philadelphia Electric Company responded to the explosion. PECO spokesperson Michael Wood said that the company has not yet determined the cause of the explosion. "There's a buildup of pressure and that's what happens when a manhole blows," he added. Wood speculated that the advanced age of the system might have been the contributing factor to its demise. It is not uncommon for such an occurrence to happen, he added. "Typically it's because of age in the city," Wood said. "The underground facilities are older and you see these occurrence primarily because they fail after a long life. There's no forewarning on this." Restoring the power was particularly difficult because more manpower and time is needed to repair underground facilities, Wood said. University Transportation Director Ron Ward said that the explosion caused some tie-ups in the area. "It didn't shut us down, it delayed things a little bit," Ward said. University Scholars Coordinator Susan Duggan, who was headed to her car at about 5 p.m., said when she saw the clogged intersection she opted to wait until the traffic cleared before heading home. "I walked out to my car across 33rd Street and found the biggest traffic mess I've seen in quite a while," she said.
(09/27/95 9:00am)
Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Morton Krase found a Drexel University student guilty yesterday of ethnically intimidating two South Asian Penn students in March. Krase found the defendant, Gregory Rosenbaum, guilty of ethnic intimidation, open lewdness and harassment. He was given one year of probation, 250 hours of community service and must pay $476 in court fines. He has 30 days to appeal Krase's ruling. In addition to his conviction -- which will remain on his record permanently --Ehis diploma and transcript from Drexel have been held indefinitely, according to Victim Support Director Maureen Rush. The Penn students, Class of 1995 graduates Bela Shah and Monika Parikh, testified in August that they were ethnically harassed by Drexel students in March. Drexel student Victor Vencus was also charged with harassing the students in the March 23 incident, but charges against him were dropped because he apologized prior to the August court date. Vencus received six months probation in an advanced rehabilitation program and 25 hours of community service. According to Shah and Parikh, Krase was very emotional in yesterday's proceedings, stressing the lack of morality that ethnic intimidation entails. "Though he is not charged with terroristic threats, the defendant tellingly revealed his true hateful stripes when he menaced the women with comments such as 'Go back, you dot heads' and 'I'll kill you,' " Krase wrote in the opinion. Rush, who has handled the case from the start, said she was very satisfied with Krase's decision. "It set an example for [people] not to do it," she added. "People are willing to come forward for their convictions." Rush added that even though the case focused on ethnic intimidation of South Asians, it could have been targeted at any racial group. In the final words of his opinion, Krase asked Rosenbaum to reform his attitude. "Gregory Rosenbaum must change, turn 'a new leaf,' " Krase wrote. "It means breaking with old habits. It means admitting that we have been wrong; and this is never easy. "It means losing face; it means starting all over again, and this is always painful," he added. "It means saying I am sorry." Parikh said that in her quest for justice, she and Shah came across many people who said it is not worth fighting for. "We had to put a lot of effort into this," Parikh said. "We don't feel that we wasted our time." Shah echoed Parikh's sentiments. "If you fight for what you believe in, you don't have to take to take this kind of harassment," she said. Aman Shah, Bela Shah's brother, said he believes his sister has made a difference. "I really feel proud of them," he said. "If something like this had happened [to me] before, I would have done nothing. Now I would go through with it."
(09/20/95 9:00am)
Eight cars in the University parking garage at 34th and Chestnut streets were broken into Friday, according to University Police. And in another rash of car break-ins, four cars were broken into Monday at the University parking garage at 38th and Spruce streets, University Police Sergeant Keith Christian said. No valuables were taken. Victim Support and Special Services Director Maureen Rush said that in the 34th and Chestnut street lot, the cars' windows were broken and various items were taken -- including mobile telephones, coins and assorted personal items. University Police detectives said they had no leads on either of the cases. Still, the Victim Support Crime Prevention Unit is making an effort to better inform the public about the dangers of parking lots. They will be distributing auto theft prevention literature at the garage at 34th and Chestnut streets between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. tomorrow. Christian said that the garage at 34th and Chestnut streets is no more of a target for auto theft than any other campus lots. Rush warned that people parking in garages or lots should not leave any valuables in plain view. And if they do have valuables with them, they should be secured in the trunk prior to arriving at the destination, Rush added. "Leave it in car showroom condition," she said. Victim Support also advises that motorists know the exact location of blue light phones and park under a light if returning to a car at night. Other parking lots across campus are no stranger to crime as well. The private parking lot at 34th and Chestnut streets, located across the street from the University lot that was ravaged Friday, has been the scene of some serious crimes in recent years. On Oct. 21, 1993, a College of General Studies student was abducted as she was walking to her car at the lot at about 9:50 p.m. She was then carjacked, robbed, raped and shot in the face. And in September 1994, a woman was sexually assaulted and nearly raped as she walked to her car at the parking lot at 34th and Chestnut streets.
(09/18/95 9:00am)
and Jennifer Taylor College senior Roger Hecker has retired his frying pan. The High Rise North resident's cooking experiment resulted in the evacuation of the entire dormitory Friday at 4 p.m., Philadelphia Fire Department spokesperson Mike Negler said. "I'm not going to be cooking for a long time," said Hecker, who placed a lid over a oil-drenched frying pan while sauteing onions. The pan erupted in flames. Hecker, who tried to put out the fire by pouring the oil into his sink, sustained second-degree burns from the incident. Hecker was not the only experimental chef to cause a stir in the building. Later that evening, four fire engines, three ladder trucks and two battalion chiefs rushed to put out another HRN resident's dinner gone awry. Residents in a room on the fourth floor of HRN left their broiler on, Fire Department Lieutenant Tom Glennon said. The cause of the fire appeared to be six small loaves of bread that caught on fire, he added. Now, the room's front door bears a "Do Not Enter By Fire Marshall's Order" sign. And on Saturday, High Rise South was evacuated because seventh-floor residents left meat cooking in a pot, Negler said. According to Glennon, the Fire Department's main concerns with the fourth-floor HRN fire were shutting down the power to the oven and ventilating the room. He added that the only damage done to the apartment was that the plastic dials on the oven were melted and the surrounding cabinets were scorched. University Police Sergeant Mike Fink said that the fire was extinguished prior to the arrival of the fire department. Students said they were surprised when a loudspeaker announcement during the second fire in HRN called for them to exit the building. A crowd of HRN residents gathered outside the building to watch flashlights moving around the darkened fourth-floor room. "It's nice to know that the firemen got here quickly," College sophomore Heather McMahon said. "If there's ever a big fire we'll be safe." "Maybe it should be mandatory that those not on the meal plan learn to cook," she added. According to Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone, it is not unusual for cooking fires to be started by dorm residents. "Students should never make an assumption that it's a false alarm or drill," she said, referring to the fire alarms. "They should always evacuate." Simeone added that Residential Living always posts a notice if they are conducting a fire drill.
(09/14/95 9:00am)
The man convicted of carjacking, robbing, raping and shooting a College of General Studies student in October 1993 was given the maximum sentence possible Tuesday in Common Pleas Court. Keith Vivett, 30, was found guilty of aggravated indecent assault, kidnapping, a weapons offense and two counts of robbery by a jury in June. He will serve between 37 1/2 and 75 years in prison. Common Pleas Court Judge Arnold New characterized Vivett's crime as "one of the most cold-blooded robberies and shooting" he had ever seen. "I feel he is a danger to society, and for the safety of the public I feel he has to be sentenced" to the maximum term the law mandates, New said, referring to Vivett's lengthy criminal record. The 26-year-old victim was walking to her car in the public parking lot at 34th and Chestnut streets on October 20, 1993 at 9:50 p.m. when Vivett kidnapped her. Vivett forced the student into the backseat of her car at gunpoint and robbed her of $7. He drove her to North Philadelphia, and forced her to remove her clothing in the car. He then sexually molested her. After driving around for 20 minutes, Vivett stopped the car and molested the student again. He then gagged her with her bra and forced the nude student into a house, where he shot her in the face and left her for dead. The student then played dead, waiting for Vivett to leave, she testified. After Vivett left the house, the woman, naked and bleeding, went onto Girard Avenue and yelled for help. And after several pleas for help were ignored by passing motorists, Eric Drayton, a gas station cashier who was walking to his job, stopped to help her and called police. Drayton was recently honored by the City of Philadelphia for his help to the victim. Vivett was caught two weeks after the attack in the student's car, after a one-hour high speed chase with New Jersey State police. According to Assistant District Attorney Curtis Douglas, Vivett was no stranger to crime. He has a prior criminal record which includes a robbery and burglary conviction along with a 1981 conviction for a sexual assault on a nine-year-old. Douglas added that Vivett served 12 years in prison for involuntary sexual intercourse and was released from prison nine months before he raped and shot the student. The Philadelphia Inquirer contributed to this story.
(09/12/95 9:00am)
With several students seriously injured after being struck by vehicles at 33rd and Walnut streets last year, many people have been wary about transiting the intersection. But the University is working to make the high-traffic corner a safer place. Yesterday, University officials met with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and various city officials to begin to blueprint plans for the improvement of pedestrian safety. Pedestrian caution signs will be put up at problem intersections around campus later in the week, according to Victim Support Director Maureen Rush. Within weeks, police will also track cars passing over the Walnut Street bridge with a radar device that will project the speed of the vehicles on a large billboard. Rush said that the radar will not be used to issue speeding tickets, but to record how many drivers violate the speed limit. Talks between the University and the city about improving the safety of the intersection will be ongoing, she added. "We continue to work with agencies to explore better traffic patterns for safety," Rush said. Post-Baccalaureate student Adam Zion, who was seriously injured last year after being struck by two cars at the treacherous intersection, said he feels the University and the city are moving in the right direction in trying to improve pedestrian safety. "I would approve of any means that the city and Penn could take to stop people from coming down Walnut so quickly," said Zion, whose physical condition has greatly improved since the December 7 accident. He is currently auditing one course at the University and hopes to begin medical school in the fall of 1997. Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson and College senior Lance Rogers agreed that improving the intersection is a necessity. "I think they're making a step in the right direction," he said. "We obviously have a problem there. We need to do whatever it takes to make this a safe intersection." An educational component is also part of a plan to improve safety, Rush said. New employees and new students will continue to be informed of the dangers surrounding certain intersections and students should always be cautious at all intersections and avoid jaywalking.
(09/08/95 9:00am)
Owner claims he has done 'everything by the books.' and Amy Lipman Philadelphia Police threw the book at Campus Text yesterday afternoon. According to Campus Text owner Doug Levy, the Licenses and Inspections Department shut his business down and confiscated one of his trucks at around noon yesterday for approximately four hours. Levy, a College and Wharton 1995 graduate, said the officers complained he was blocking traffic, both on the sidewalk and on 38th Street behind The Bookstore. But Levy maintained that his company "does everything by the books," and that officials have been looking for excuses to shut him down since his debut on campus three semesters ago under the name Penn Text. At that time, the University threatened to sue for the usage of the name "Penn," forcing Levy to change the name of his business to Campus Text. Levy said he believes he is being directly targeted by the University because he is posing a threat to The Book Store. "They hate us," he said. "They are losing lots of revenue. They are on the prowl, out to get us." Earlier this week, Levy set up at a second location in front of the Quadrangle in order to cater to freshmen. On Tuesday, University Police forced him to shut down because he did not have the proper permits. But Levy said he had all the necessary licenses -- in addition to permission from Residential Living. College senior Mike Nadel, who has been working for Levy since the business opened, said this is a case of the police "selectively enforcing the law." "There may be rules to stop people from selling [in front of the Quad]," he said. "But they don't have to go out of their way to stop students who are providing a service to other students." Despite these setbacks, Levy said his business is experiencing its most successful semester yet, having already sold thousands of textbooks. Nadel said Campus Text will be open for business today behind The Book Store. Because of the success of Campus Text, Levy said he plans to expand his business nationwide.
(09/07/95 9:00am)
Will utilize Phila. police Deputy Philadelphia Police Commissioner Thomas Seamon plans to better integrate University Police and the Philadelphia Police Department when he takes office as managing director of the Division of Public Safety September 25. As the second-in-command of the Philadelphia Police Department and a 26-year Philadelphia Police veteran, he has the connections to make it happen. "Hopefully we can do something that will be a model for the country," Seamon said. "I really think [University Police officers] have the potential to be the leaders of law enforcement." He said he has several plans that will not only increase the safety of the campus, but also help boost the officers' satisfaction with their jobs. Some of his initiatives include increasing the training of the University Police officers, bringing the Police Athletic League to campus, making sure more police are out on the streets and working on private security issues at the University. Seamon said he believes bringing the Police Athletic League to the University will help further strengthen the relationship between the University and West Philadelphia. The League is much more than a place for sports -- it's a safe place for kids to have fun, he said. "It's not very expensive, but it's a tremendous program," Seamon added. He said he sees private security as the wave of the future and thinks the University should update its technology in order to meet the needs of Allied Security guards and other personnel. "The technology for private security is progressing by leaps and bounds," he said. "Penn is ripe for real improvements in security technology." Seamon also said he likes the idea of the "Community Walks" program -- which is geared at providing more on-campus security -- because it is similar to a plan he initiated near the Convention Center in Philadelphia. One of the keys to creating a sense of safety and security in a community is to make sure public places are not deserted at night. Because of this, Seamon said he hopes to see more students out on the street instead of relying on Escort Service for transportation. "Safety comes when people take the streets back to their own," he said. "That's going to have to be a long-term change to get people to come back and use the public space -- but I think it's something to be done." One of the issues Seamon said he is grappling with is how far out the University Police jurisdiction should extend. "As you continue project out into further and further from the campus, you dilute the public safety forces that you have here," Seamon said.
(09/01/95 9:00am)
The University will pay the city an annual $1.93 million "voluntary contribution" for five years under the terms of an agreement signed in July. The agreement is the culmination of more than a year's worth of negotiation and resolves a long-standing debate over whether the University should be forced to make a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) to the city. Last summer Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell began asking nonprofit organizations to pay a portion of the taxes due to the city if the organization were for profit. The move follows a national trend of financially strapped cities across the country that have asked universities and other non-profit organizations such as hospitals and churches to make payments in lieu of taxes. The city estimated the payments would amount to $33 million in new revenue, including $8.4 million from colleges and universities. Of this $8.4 million, $3.78 million would go to the city for municipal services such as fire, police and street cleaning while the remainder would be allocated to the Philadelphia school district. The city originally asked the University -- which is Philadelphia's largest private employer -- to pay about 30 percent of the real estate taxes it would owe if it were a for profit institution, as part of a PILOT program. When the University and other nonprofits balked at paying such a large sum and complained about the erosion of their tax exempt status, the city threatened to take the nonprofits to court. Faced with the possibility of a protracted lawsuit, the University and other nonprofits began negotiating "voluntary contributions" to the city. Based on no recorded formula, such voluntary payments do not bind the University to continue to make payments forever or violate the University's tax exempt status. "The University believes this is a good deal not only for the University but for the city," said Stephen Golding, the University's vice president for finance. "And it reflects that we are an integral part of the community and we must pay our fair share of the responsibility for maintaining city services." Carol Scheman, vice president for government and community affairs, stressed that the payment was a voluntary contribution and not a tax. Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning Greg Rost said he is "extremely pleased that we were able to enter into an agreement with the University of Pennsylvania." Recent legislation passed by the Pennsylvania Senate, Senate Bill 355, the Purely Public Charities Act, included an amendment that charities in Philadelphia that pay their chief executives more than $100,000 would lose their tax-exempt status.
(09/01/95 9:00am)
After almost nine trailblazing years at the helm of WXPN, the University's public radio station, General Manager Mark Fuerst has announced plans to retire from his post. Fuerst and WXPN have received several awards including what many consider to be the most prestigious radio award -- the George Foster Peabody Award in 1990. "I have been here for about nine years and I felt like some of the best things I can do, I have done and I'm in the way of other people developing," Fuerst said. He said his main goal was to create a new type of public radio station for "younger listeners" aged 25 to 39. He added that in striving to achieve that goal, "WXPN became the fastest growing public radio station in the United States, in both audience and financial terms." Executive Director of the 21st Century Project Kim Morrisson, who has had the opportunity to work closely with Fuerst, had nothing but accolades for the general manager. "He is one of the most creative minds in public radio and he's recognized as such," Morrisson said. "I think he proved it with the work he's done at WXPN. He literally built the station into a public radio station that has a national reputation, that is considered one, I think, of the most creative stations in public radio." WXPN attracts 230,000 local listeners per week, an increase of 538 percent from 36,000 people when Fuerst took over. And each week 1.5 million people hear WXPN-produced programs on affiliate stations.
(09/01/95 9:00am)
J. Presper Eckert, a University alumnus who invented the world's first electronic digital computer, ENIAC, died this summer at the age of 76. His June 3 death marked the end of a long battle with cancer. Eckert's death comes less than a year before ENIAC's 50th anniversary celebration at the University. Vice President Al Gore will serve as honorary chairperson for the event. Eckert, along with co-inventor John Mauchly, completed the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer in February 1946. That invention, experts say, marked the beginning of the computer age. "While many creative people contributed to the development of computers, it was ENIAC that captured people's imagination and gave them a glimpse of the future," said School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Dean Gregory Farrington. Eckert began working on the ENIAC system in 1943 at the prompting of U.S. Army officials. A 23-year-old research associate at the University, he was charged with speeding up calculations so the Army could aim and shoot its big guns faster. When ENIAC was completed on Feb. 14, 1946, the time it took to plot the flight of each projectile dropped from about 12 hours to 30 seconds -- an improvement of 1,440 times. The completed system weighed more than 30 tons and was comprised of 40 panels arranged in the shape of an 80 foot "U." The colossal machine contained 18,000 vacuum tubes, 500,000 soldered joints, 70,000 resistors and 10,000 capacitors. According to Paul Shaffer, curator of the ENIAC Museum in the Moore Building on campus, many scientists and engineers mocked the idea of using vacuum tubes in computer systems. But the inventors would not be dissuaded. "They proved it could be done, and there was no turning back from there," Shaffer said. Eckert's work has been recognized by the government and computer organizations alike. He received 87 U.S. patents as well as the National Medal of Science, bestowed upon him by President Lyndon Johnson in 1969.
(09/01/95 9:00am)
and Amy Lipman Vice Provost for Research Barry Cooperman announced in June that he will be stepping down from his position today. "It's been a long time," he said. Cooperman served in his position for 13 years. Provost Stanley Chodorow said holding the position for that length of time is an extraordinary accomplishment. "The length of his tenure alone indicates that Vice Provost Cooperman has done a superb job," he said. "No one who was not first-rate and who was not making a major contribution to the University could have stayed on that long." Cooperman, who has been a member of the faculty since 1968, will return to teaching chemistry full time. He said he was frustrated during his tenure because he did not have the opportunity to conduct extensive research for himself, although he was happy to be able to teach at least one class each year. Cooperman said he would have left his position earlier but he wanted to see the Institute for Advanced Science and Technology -- a project that dates back to 1987 -- succeed. Last month, the Air Force released its Record of Decision, giving the University the last piece of governmental information it needs to demolish Smith Hall and begin the construction of the high-tech building. Chodorow added that he will now try to find a member of the senior faculty to serve as acting vice provost, but added that he does not expect to find a permanent replacement until later in the fall.
(09/01/95 9:00am)
and Amy Lipman The University spent the summer trying to make the campus a safer place to live. The Community Walks program was implemented in May and was run throughout the summer. And officials have also been working to make the intersection at 33rd and Walnut streets a safer place, in response to the four car accidents involving students at that site over the last year. Outgoing University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich reported in July that as a result of the Community Walks program there has been a 30 percent decrease in the number of on-campus incidents reported. The Community Walks program is part of the University's new master security plan, which was unveiled by University President Judith Rodin in February. According to this plan, Community Walks will run through the center of campus and along other heavily travelled off-campus routes. Five kiosks and 15 new blue-light phones are placed at strategic points along these walks. The kiosks will serve as the primary base of operation for security officers patrolling along the walks. In addition, the Allied Security guards will be responsible for walking around their designated areas. Emergency telephones are installed outside the kiosks to ensure safety at times when the officers are not stationed inside them. Since May, three of the five kiosks have been staffed between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. -- 40th and Locust streets, 37th and Locust streets and 33rd Street and Smith Walk. All five kiosks are staffed from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. The University has also been working in conjunction with the Philadelphia Streets Department to increase the safety of the intersection at 33rd and Walnut streets. The changes to the intersection will include the addition of international signage, warning pedestrians of the dangers of the intersection. In addition, new speed limit signs will be installed and a "no turn on red" sign will be set up in the near future. An educational component is also part of a proactive plan to improve safety at the infamous intersection, Rush said, adding that new employees and new students will be informed of the dangers surrounding crossing certain intersections around the University campus.
(08/10/95 9:00am)
The trial of Joyce Schofield, a University employee who is suing the University for racial discrimination and sexual harassment, began Tuesday in federal court. Schofield, an administrative assistant in the compensation office of the division of human resources, filed the lawsuit last September seeking more than $100,000 in damages. But William Ewing and Deborah Weinstein, Schofields' attorneys, say she is asking for more than $1.5 million in damages. The trial began Tuesday in front of U.S. District Judge Curtis Joyner, with an all white jury of six women and two men. Schofield, who has worked at the University since 1991 claims that her supervisor, former Human Resources Communications Manager J. Bradley Williams , "used his authority as her supervisor to make her life miserable." She asserts that he constantly asked her on dates and he warned her to adopt a plantation mentality because a smart black woman would be too much of a threat and would never get ahead. And the suit says that Williams told Schofield that his boss, Adrienne Riley, vice president of human resources, "had racist attitudes" and "hated" her because she was a "strong black woman." Between January 1993 and July 1993 Schofield said she was subjected to sexual harassment, according to a court document. She alleges that Williams made several sexual explicit comments to her that made her feel uncomfortable. She also alleges that she felt constantly threatened and was afraid to complain because of fear of retaliation. "Bradley Williams talked dirty ... that's not in dispute," University outside counsel Neil Hamburg said yesterday. "He acted inappropriately. The question is what the University of Pennsylvania did wrong in this case, if anything." When Schofield filed an internal grievance concerning Williams, her complaint was ignored by the University, the suit charges. After filing her complaint, Schofield claims she was continually discriminated against, and became the subject of retaliation. She also filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in February 1994. Hamburg said that Williams supervisors gave him a disciplinary memo that warned him of dire consequences if he were to continue his inappropriate conduct. And he added that sexual and racist talked seized after the letter. According to an article in The Legal Intelligencer Schofield as been unable to work since January 1995 due to psychological stress and she expects to be hospitalized an average of 21 days until the year 2000. Hamburg told The Legal Intelligencer in July that he will prove that Schofield engaged in a "pattern of on-the-job dishonest and fraudulent conduct" beginning in 1973 when she was fired from Fidelity Mutual Bank for stealing. She later pleaded guilty to theft charges, according to Hamburg. Schofield, 43, graduated from the Wharton School with a marketing degree two years after she was has hired by the University.
(08/10/95 9:00am)
Wharton graduate student John Knight, who claims his ex-wife and in-laws tricked him into marriage, settled a federal lawsuit against them Monday for an undisclosed amount of money. Knight accused Mary Rourke and her parents of fraud and misrepresentation, according to court papers. He had sought $100,000 in damages. He said Rourke lied when she told him he had fathered her child, convincing him to marry her. He also said she and her parents withheld the father's true identity for three years. Terms of the settlement were confidential, according to Norman Perlberger, Knight's attorney. But he added that Knight was pleased with the outcome. ''I think it's a groundbreaking case,'' said Perlberger. ''It calls for the possibility of claims like this, not just in paternity, but in other aspects of human relations.'' He added that he case was settled out of court because "Knight really didn't want it to become a media circus." Attorneys for Rourke and her parents were unavailable for comment. Knight began dating Rourke in December 1988, when he was a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. She told him she was pregnant with his baby in August 1989 and gave birth to Micaeli in May 1990 -- the same month Knight graduated. The couple was married a month later, according to court papers. In 1992, Rourke took Micaeli and moved out of the house, telling her husband that she was having an extramarital affair, according to the lawsuit. Knight instituted divorce proceedings after that, attempting to gain custody of Micaeli. But he didn't find out until June 1993 that the young girl had been fathered by someone else -- a college friend of Rourke's, according to the lawsuit. And he learned just prior to a custody hearing. The lawsuit contends that Rourke and her parents knew all along that the child was not Knight's. But Rourke replied in court papers that she firmly believed the child was Knight's until the summer of 1993, when DNA blood test results virtually excluded him as the father. Knight's lawsuit sought to recover money he had spent on the marriage, along with lost income from a career change that he said he made at his wife's strong urging.
(08/10/95 9:00am)
University officials are working hard to fill several administrative positions as soon as possible. The search for a permanent vice provost for university life, african american resource center director, chaplain and press director are all reaching their final stages. The VPUL position could even be filled by the start of the fall semester, VPUL Committee Chairperson Dennis DeTurck said. He added that he will be delivering his recommendation to Provost Stanley Chodorow in the next few days. And after the provost receives the reports, he has the final say in deciding who will be the next VPUL. After the lengthy search, Deturck said that he has gained great respect for the people involved in the division of university life. Provost Stanley Chodorow began the search for a permanent VPUL last spring. Acting VPUL Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum , who has occupied the post since December 1993 is one of the candidates for the permanent position. And the search for AARC director has narrowed down to a few candidates, University President Judith Rodin said yesterday. Rodin said she has been given several names to choose from and that she hopes to appoint someone by the end of September. She added that she was impressed by the candidates. "[The committee] worked over the summer to get this done because we are so eager to get someone in place for this year," she said. Rodin had high praise for the acting director of the AARC, Isabel Sampson-Mapp and AARC administrative assistant Afi Roberson. "I would really like to say what a great job the acting director did this year," Rodin said. "They kept the center running at full speed and they have really shown great loyalty towards it. Allen Green, the former director of AARC and assistant to the provost, left the University July 1 to become dean of the college at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. Chodorow said he is working on finding an interim chaplain and hopes to have one in a couple of weeks. He added that he will organize the search for a new permanent chaplain when the new semester begins. After former Chaplain Stanley Johnson announced his retirement plans in March, the president and provost set up a committee to evaluate the role of a chaplain at a modern university. The committee, chaired by Social Work Professor Jane Lowe, recommended the position be maintained and expanded to include work with various campus ministries and groups. And the search for a press director is also down to the final round, according to Chodorow. He said that he is currently interviewing finalists and expects to make a decision in a couple of weeks.