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Clinton on hand for new Constitution-themed museum

President Bill Clinton was on hand yesterday for the National Constitution Center's celebration of its groundbreaking at Sixth and Arch streets. The location is just north of Independence Hall, the famous building where delegates from the 13 original colonies drafted the Constitution in 1787. Clinton, who spoke under a display of flags representing all 50 states, had just finished with a fundraising brunch for his wife's U.S. Senate campaign at the famous City Tavern in the historic section of Philadelphia. Along with Senators Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) and a host of federal, state and local officials, Clinton dedicated the museum to the citizens of this country, to the "good people who get up everyday and do their best to fulfill their dreams." Despite an air of partisan loyalty that permeated the podium from several political jabs made during speeches, the mood set by those speaking was one of unity. NCC President Joseph Torsella reminded the crowd of local dignitaries and the public of what the preamble says. "It is not us and them, but we the people," Torsella said. Both former Mayor Ed Rendell -- now general chairman of the Democratic National Committee -- and current Mayor John Street thanked Specter and Santorum for the battle they fought to attain federal funding for the museum. A sum of $60 million was appropriated over a three-year period, thanks to the work Specter began in 1988. "What a great salesman your mayor was," Santorum said of Rendell. "This facility will project [the] life of the Constitution to the four corners of this country." "Nothing I've done as mayor was more satisfying," Rendell said. Holding positions of honor at the groundbreaking were 72 immigrants from 23 countries around the globe. They became citizens yesterday, pledging their allegiance to the United States by affirming an oath delivered by Chief Justice Edward Becker of the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. "You are now citizens of the United States of America," Becker told the crowd of immigrants, whose origins ranged from Belarus to Vietnam. "It is the greatest privilege in all the world." College senior Sara Nasuti, an Urban Studies major, was present in the audience. "One of the most meaningful aspects was to see how much it meant to them," Nasuti said of the new citizens. "The audience was so happy for them." All 72 newly minted citizens were rewarded by shaking Clinton's hand at the end. One, Susan Ya, a native of South Korea, signed a beam that will become a pillar for the new museum. Clinton and others associated with the NCC also signed. The NCC, which will be home to an original copy of the Constitution, is scheduled to open in spring 2003. The signers of the Constitution "understood the enormity of what they were attempting to do," Clinton said. "Two-hundred thirteen years later we can say with thanks they succeeded." The mood was not all non-partisan, however, as political jabs were strategically placed in a number of speeches. Specter, in a speech hailing the beauty of the system of checks and balances set up in the Constitution, hurled veiled criticisms at Clinton concerning the latest developments in the Wen Ho Lee spy scandal. Lee, a Los Alamos scientist, was arrested on charges of conspiracy and served nine months in prison before being released last week. Specter spoke of the "remarkable application of the Constitution," adding "now the issue comes to the Congress for oversight." Specter also made a comment about Clinton's wearing of a button from his wife's campaign shortly before the event started, though the President had removed it before the motorcade arrived. Specter joked, "I hadn't known there were any non-political events."

Bush, Gore gear up for their debates

Every Monday until Election Day, The Daily Pennsylvanian will examine one of the issues affecting the race for the presidency. This week: the debates. There will be no punches -- no black eyes, no bloody noses -- and there will be no announcer shouting, "Let's get ready to rumble!" But both sides will come out fighting when presidential nominees Al Gore and George W. Bush square off next month in three televised primetime appearances, established by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Both campaigns agreed on Thursday that the schedule set by the CPD will be followed. The debates, to be held on October 3, October 11 and October 17, will be covered by the major television networks. Jim Lehrer of PBS will moderate. Just a week ago, however, there were questions both inside and outside of Washington as to whether these official debates would happen. The Bush campaign was wavering over the "debate on debates," making the Texas governor appear afraid to confront Gore in the traditional format that has guided presidential debates since 1960. For two weeks, Bush had been requesting one traditional match-up and two non-traditional confrontations on CNN's Larry King Live and NBC's Meet the Press. But Bush caved on the battle, putting the disagreement over the scheduling of the debates behind him. "I can't wait," Bush said on Thursday during a campaign stop in San Diego. Major newspapers across the country had been critical of the Bush campaign's stance on the debate issue. "Bush should abandon his gamesmanship and get on with the debates," the Los Angeles Times said in a recent editorial. "A fair campaign demands it." Voters, too, had been hoping that the campaigns would decide quickly on a debate schedule. In a New York Times/CBS News poll released September 13, 86 percent of respondents felt that the CPD should hold the debates. Now that the debates are scheduled, the public and the pundits are calculating their expectations for the outcome. In past elections, debates have left an indelible mark on the race. In 1960, then-Vice President Richard Nixon faced off against John F. Kennedy. Nixon gave what appeared on television to be a poor performance, and went on to lose to Kennedy in the closest presidential election in American history. This time around, experts say Gore has an edge going in, but he could easily slip from the upper ground. With much of the electorate expecting Gore to easily beat the Texas governor these showdowns can only help Bush. "My expectation is that Gore has the advantage," said Jack Nagel, chairman of Penn's Political Science Department. Penn Political Science professor Jerome Maddox agreed. "If anything, [Gore] was probably overaggressive with [Democratic opponent Bill Bradley," he said, referring to the contentious primary season debates between Gore and his opponent. Bradley's poor performance was followed by a lackluster showing in New Hampshire and then huge losses in primaries across the country. Still, Gore's advantage may prove a hindrance to his campaign. "If Gore doesn't perform up to expectations," Maddox said, "we'd see a negative marginal effect." Despite Gore's perceived debating skills, Bush said he was not at all deterred. "I know the man is a great debater," he said. "But what Americans want is a great leader." This year's debates will be the CPD's fourth series of presidential debates since its creation by both major parties in 1987. The CPD took control from the League of Women Voters when it held the Bush-Clinton faceoffs in 1992. Annenberg Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson, who was a member of the task force recommending the establishment of the CPD, said that the original intent was to get candidates who had not yet been nominated to agree in January on a debate schedule, should they be their party's contender. The CPD was supposed to "get rid of the debate on debates," Jamieson said. "It never worked." The debate process has, in fact, been riddled with problems since the inception of the CPD. In 1992, the debates welcomed a third candidate in billionaire Ross Perot, who went on to win 19 percent of the popular vote. Four years later, Perot had to sue to get invited to the showdowns. This year, the CPD set up a minimum popularity threshold that candidates must meet in order to participate in the debates, which virtually excludes Green Party nominee Ralph Nader and Reform Party nominee Patrick Buchanan. And the major parties have never been able to agree with the CPD at a time prior to the nominating conventions. The reason that "we've had the problem every year is because the parties have no control over the candidates," Jamieson said. According to Jamieson, not having an agreement finalized presents a major problem to the political process. "The debate on debates takes time from discussing the issues when people start paying attention," she said. "We all suffer." The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Police blasted for underreporting crime

Blood Brothers

His case was all about beating the odds. A year and a half ago, Jim Sweet, owner of a chain of Arby's restaurants in Delaware County, came to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and was diagnosed with a type of leukemia that, left untreated, would kill him in three to four years. He would have to get a bone marrow transplant. Although the process often proves unsuccessful, the search for a suitable donor took only three months. A "perfect match" was found -- a one in three million chance. Sweet, 42, finally met his savior over the weekend at HUP, 15 months after the surgery that saved his life. Donors and recipients rarely meet because of strict National Marrow Donor Program provisions. Donor Damon Cook, 27, a Navy officer candidate stationed in Pensacola, Fla., came up to Philadelphia with his mother for a presentation at HUP yesterday. Sweet and Cook had dinner together the night before. "It's amazing how much alike we are," Sweet said. "We had a wonderful time talking." Cook was able to meet most of Sweet's extended family at a heart-warming gathering that brought Cook's mother to tears. "When you see a face," Cook's mother said, "it changes everything." The Sweet family presented two gifts to Cook. Sandy, Sweet's wife, gave Cook a picture of the Sweets' five children and a bag of lifesavers candy. Cook and his mother also received two Penn sweatshirts from the hospital staff. "Not only did he save me," Sweet said, "he saved a whole family, and that's so important." But Cook does not feel extraordinary because of what he did. "I would do it again," he said. Cook decided to be registered with the NMDP database in 1993 when asked to donate some extra blood for a Navy-wide bone marrow drive when he entered the military. When he found out in late April that he was a possible match, Cook was flown up to Georgetown University Hospital for tests. Doctors extracted the marrow in late June. The procedure was so painful that Cook was given general, rather than local anaesthesia. But the pain "didn't last that long," said Cook, a man who routinely donates blood. Sweet's transplant -- the first one performed at Penn with tissue from an unrelated donor -- was led by David Porter, director of allogenic bone marrow transplantation at HUP's Cancer Center. "A bone marrow transplant is generally reserved for patients with incurable cancers and is by far the most intensive therapy in all of medicine," Porter said. Sweet had to endure aggressive chemotherapy and massive doses of radiation to prepare his body for the new bone marrow. One in five patients who undergo the procedure die from complications. But Sweet says now he feels "terrific -- 100 percent." And though the recovery period for the surgery is usually no less than six months, Sweet "wanted to work a month after," said Kathleen Duffy, the nurse practitioner who works with Porter. "He's got his cellular phone on all the time," she added. While still work-driven, Sweet said he now has a new outlook on life. "I used to be a type-A personality," Sweet said. "Now I am a type-A personality with more feeling."

Philadelphia schools still in session

Classes are on for the city's children -- until Tuesday, at least. Philadelphia public school teachers continued last minute discussions with the Philadelphia School District last night. And with little progress reported, the city may soon see its first teachers' strike since 1981. After eight months of discussions, the city's 13,000 teachers are still without a new contract. The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers keeps haggling with the district, while the union has been hovering on the brink of a strike for more than a week. The old contract officially expired on September 1. A state Supreme Court order extended the contract, but it expires at 5 p.m. today. The key contract issues up for debate are the district's proposals to lengthen the school day and year and to tie pay with performance. Also on the table are medical benefits and work assignments. While teachers and district officials alike have been apprehensive at the possibility of a walkout by city educators, 210,000 children returned to school last Thursday without any problems. The district presented a new offer to the teachers this weekend, but PFT Chief Negotiator Jerry Jordan said that the issue has "never been close to a settlement." Jordan, leaving talks at the Wyndham Franklin Plaza Hotel last night, hinted at what kind of package teachers are requesting. While not offering specifics, he said that it is "not at all out of line with the 7 percent [raise] that the district administrators received" in their negotiations. "They need to respect the teachers and other employees," Jordan said. Should there be no new word from the courts, a Pennsylvania Supreme Court order that extended the contract expires at 5 p.m. today. Should that order expire, teachers would effectively be at the district's mercy. The PFT must by law give the district 48 hours notice before a strike can take effect. Union spokeswoman Barbara Goodman said that it would be up to the district on what to do should teachers have to work Tuesday without a contract. The state has also hinted that it might take over the school system under Act 46, controversial legislation that was enacted two years ago. Neither side wants that to happen. But the PFT is prepared to order its members to strike should negotiations fail. Strike captains were briefed last night. While "nobody wants a strike," Goodman said, strike captains are "prepared to do what the leadership tells them to do." Bruce Levin, a strike captain and teacher at the Franklin Learning Center at 15th and Mt. Vernon streets, said the district must "offer the teachers a package compensatory with what's being offered in the suburbs." Philadelphia Mayor John Street, present at talks yesterday, said that the talks had reached a delicate stage. "I've seen these things turn because of language," said Street, who narrowly averted a walkout by the city's municipal unions a month ago. "Right now, there are major differences," Street said. "These are critical and complicated issues that deserve a lot of discussion." Ken Tobin, a professor in the Graduate School of Education at Penn, said that the problems the Philadelphia School District faces can be caused by its size. "I honestly think these large school districts have problems because of their largeness," said Tobin, who conducts research in Philadelphia schools. "It's a pity the unions can't get more professionally involved" with the educational process, Tobin said

In race for Calif. House seat, U. grad faces an uphill battle

When he graduated from Wharton in 1987, Dan Rosenberg was not too concerned with politics. Though his freshman year roommate was class president, and there was an anti-apartheid sit-in his junior year, Rosenberg chose not to take an active role in politics, save for bringing food to his protesting friends at the provost's office. But after living in the Fresno, Calif., area -- a district that faces 15 percent unemployment and a high illiteracy rate -- Rosenberg decided there needed to be change. "I never thought a regular person could run for office," said Rosenberg, who is now campaigning to unseat popular three-term Republican incumbent George Radanovich in California's 19th congressional district. Tom Davies, a 1986 Penn graduate who considered Rosenberg his best friend in college, said that Rosenberg has what it takes to "overcome the inertia of a system that is so infused with special interest money." "There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he is the right man for Congress," Davies said. Rosenberg said he has always been concerned with labor. As a Wharton student, he took an Entrepreneurial Management class, which had "entire class sessions dedicated to fighting the unions." Now he is a "100 percent supporter of unions." While he said he wished that Wharton concentrated a little bit more on business ethics when he was a student, Rosenberg says that he had a "wonderful education" at Penn. "It allowed me to be successful in businesses and philanthropic ventures," he said. After graduating, Rosenberg went to New York City to work as a management consultant to the banking industry for several years. He then started his own screen-printing business, but decided to sell the business and move to California in 1995. In San Francisco, Rosenberg ran a non-profit screen-printing business that employed people recovering from drug addiction. But last summer Rosenberg decided to run for Congress against a man who, in his opinion, "reminded me of Chauncy the gardener in Being There by Jerzy Kosinski." That convinced him to go for it. And while he is running an insurgent campaign, Rosenberg said he is anything but dismayed at the obstacles he must overcome this November. Amy Walter, an analyst with the non-partisan Cook Political Report, said that Rosenberg faces an uphill battle. "I think he has positioned himself well for November," Walter said of Rosenberg's opponent, who enjoyed an 80 percent margin of victory in the last election. But Rosenberg's fearlessness in this campaign has been the status quo for a man who was captain of the sailing team while a student at Penn. "My life has been a great adventure since I graduated," he said. Concerned about campaign finance reform, Rosenberg said he plans to make that issue a big priority if he upsets Radanovich in November

Students receive crash course on IMF

International Monetary Fund and World Bank, look out. What happened to the World Trade Organization summit in Seattle last year is expected to re-occur at the IMF and World Bank meetings in Washington, D.C., this weekend More than 50 students attended a discussion at Civic House Tuesday night to hear why thousands of students, some from Penn, will be descending upon the nation's capital in protest. The discussion, or IMF Teach-In, was sponsored by Groove Phi Groove, Penn Students Against Sweatshops and Civic House. History Professor David Ludden began the discussion by giving a broad history of the IMF and the World Bank. He highlighted both the goals and the shortcomings of these international financial institutions. The IMF, formed in 1946, began as "the lender of last resort for countries in financial crisis," Ludden said. Along with the World Bank, it was intended to promote a "flourishing environment for international investment of private capital." Both institutions exist largely to enable needy countries to receive financial capital from private investors. But what was originally intended to fund post-World War II recovery has been transformed into a multilateral force in effecting policy change in debtor countries, according to Ludden. The IMF now has to "get into governments and alter the way governments work," he said. One major problem with the IMF's operations Ludden said, is the issue of structural adjustment. In the 1970s, saddled by debt, many developing countries found themselves dependent on international finance for survival. These countries began to look to debt-driven development to solve their problems. "Businesses do not invest in infrastructure," Ludden said. "They depend on government investment in infrastructure." The IMF, in a position to loan this needed capital, then dictated the ways in which debtor nations had to change their budgets. Ludden left Civic House after his 20-minute talk. Exiting audience members who left with the professor said they were pleased with his historical viewpoint. "I thought that it was about as unbiased as one could make it," College sophomore Alice Pink said. But after Ludden's exit, the discussion quickly changed to a more partisan viewpoint. College senior Miriam Joffe-Block, who participated in the Seattle protests several months ago and is a leader of Penn Students Against Sweatshops, took the floor to discuss the workings of the IMF. She concluded that the IMF is doing more harm than good. "The IMF is forcing a market economy and integration into the global economy much, much faster than happened for the U.S.," read one of the visuals that she showed. But audience member Alex Robinson, a College senior, pointedly asked Joffe-Block after her presentation, "Instead of protesting against the IMF, why aren't you pushing for another multilateral body?" Emily Nepon, a member of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, responded in her presentation that one cannot afford to be objective. "People are fucking dying because of changes being made in their countries by the IMF and the World Bank," Nepon said. Nepon was referring to the fact that the IMF has, in some cases, dictated the release of price protections sponsored by debtor nations. This could then limit the availability of food to poor people.

Penn groups rock with Israeli pop star

Dischord and Quaker Notes learned Hebrew songs for the concert. The Israeli flag flew proudly last night as a crowd of all ages -- students and non-students, Americans and Israelis alike -- gathered to watch Israeli pop star David Broza perform at the Harrison Auditorium in the University Museum. The show -- which was sponsored by Hillel, the Undergraduate Assembly and the Consulate General of Israel in Philadelphia -- marked the culmination of the campus-wide Israel Day, an annual celebration of Israeli society and culture. The Israeli Music Festival packed in several hundred fans of Broza from all over the city. But before he took the stage, Penn Israeli dance troupe Yofi!, and two a cappella groups each performed. With an electric guitar wailing in the background, Yofi! danced to one of its standard songs, "Pitom Kam Adam." Yofi! member and College freshman Micah Liben described opening for David Broza as "a huge honor." Dischord took the stage next, followed by the all-female Quaker Notes. Both a cappella groups worked hard to learn the necessary Hebrew to be able to sing their numbers in the language for the show. Organizer Jesse Rubenfeld, a College and Wharton sophomore, arranged their songs and backup music. "We worked pretty hard," Rubenfeld said. "They put in a lot of time." Rubenfeld, who originally intended the festival to be composed entirely of student performances said he'd like to have more a cappella groups perform at next year's event. After the stage was reset, Broza, garbed entirely in black, made his entrance -- and the audience made it clear through their rousing applause that he was who they had come out to see. Despite feedback problems with the sound system, Broza did not hesitate to start his set, stopping only to tell the audience, "It's good to be back here." His last performance at Penn was in 1997 at Irvine Auditorium, and he also played in Harrison Auditorium about 15 years ago. Broza, 43, has been compared to American musicians like Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen. He has gained international renown during his 20 years as a performer and sings in several different languages. Broza opened himself up to requests and sang his repertoire of folk, blues and rock. The audience members, almost all of whom were familiar with his songs, responded by shouting out numerous suggestions and later proceeded to sing along. Breaking only occasionally to converse with the audience in English, Broza sang every song in Hebrew except one. Midway through his performance, he sang a Spanish song off of his first Spanish album, which will be released tomorrow when Broza performs in Madrid. Those who attended clapped and sang along to Broza's last song of the set, "M'tachat Hashamayim," or "Under the Sky." Applauding in response to Broza's "thank you," the audience members begged for an encore with a standing ovation. Broza then returned to the stage to sing "Yiyeh Tov," or "It Will be Alright," one of his most popular songs. At one point during the song, Broza even stopped singing and, in typical rock star fashion, allowed the crowd to finish off the line. College freshman and Yofi! member Marjie Rosenfelt said she was amazed by the performance. "I was so moved," she said. "He's among the greatest."

Forum focuses on hate crimes

Yesterday's B-GLAD event at the Law School examined the pros and cons of hate crimes legislation. In 1998, a black man was dragged to death in Jasper, Texas. The very same year, Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming, was murdered after allegedly hitting on two heterosexual men. Hate crimes legislation, sponsored by such groups as the Human Rights Campaign and the Anti-Defamation League, is meant to deter such vicious acts of aggression. And while most Americans would never claim that hate crimes are not morally offensive, some, such as Penn Law Professors Heidi Hurd and Stephen Morse, feel that hate crimes laws go against the ideological framework of liberal political thinking. Hurd and Morse were two members of a panel of four at yesterday's B-GLAD event, "Hate Crimes Law: Defending Communities or Policy Thought?" They joined Keven Layton of the HRC and Andrew Torsy of the ADL, who spoke in favor of hate crimes legislation, such as the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The four discussed the issues surrounding hate crimes laws before an audience of about 125 people, most of whom were Law students, at the Law School yesterday. The debate was moderated by Law Professor David Rudovsky. Torsy, a civil rights counsel for the ADL, outlined why his organization feels that hate crimes laws are necessary. "When you have harm, criminal law all the time separates it on a spectrum," he said. He argued that because hate crimes are worse than the crimes themselves, they require a greater penalty under the law. Layton, the HRC's deputy legal director, discussed the nature of federal hate crime laws. Federal laws mandate that the FBI collect statistics regarding hate crimes. They also offer penalty enhancements for hate crimes on federal property. While some include protection based on gender and disability, not all federal hate crimes laws protect all groups. The HCPA "would amend federal law to include protection [based on] gender, disability or sexual orientation," Layton said. Hurd and Morse questioned the very premise of hate crimes legislation. Hurd, who teaches criminal law, said hate crime laws punish a perpetrator for what he cannot control. "The short of it is that enhancing penalties ultimately punishes defendants for bad emotions," she said. Hurd then issued an attack directed against the proponents of the HCPA. "Those of you who support hate crimes laws are not political liberals, but political perfectionists," she said. In agreement with Hurd's summation, Morse, an expert in criminal law, said liberal ideology completely opposes current hate crimes laws. Political liberals, instead of narrowly defining criminal acts, "would like to limit extensive criminal law," he said. "We want our criminal law to be as general as possible, and we would like fewer people in prison," Morse added. Hate crimes laws, he contended, go against all of these goals. After a lengthy question-and-answer session, most in attendance joined the panelists for a reception. First-year Law student Michelle Seldin said she would have liked to have seen an academic on the panel in favor of the HCPA. "I'm Jewish and a lesbian, and feel particularly strong about the necessary strong protection from hate crimes laws," Seldin said. First-year Law students Susanne Salkind and Richard Sandman, who organized the event, felt that the academic and professional mix of the panel added to the discussion. "I think our purpose was to have a broader discussion about hate crimes. It helped fill out the conversation," Salkind said.

Learning to live - with dessert

When looking at that warm, moist, frosting-covered piece of chocolate cake, stop deciding and go for it. Give in to your hunger. That was part of the message delivered yesterday morning at a conference entitled "Body Image and Judaism: Accepting Ourselves, Body and Soul." Drawing a crowd of more than 50 female students, almost all of whom were Jewish, the program kicked off Body Image Awareness Week, a five-day series of events designed to bring awareness to self-esteem issues as they relate to body image. Sponsored by groups like Guidance for Understanding Image, Dieting and Eating, the Jewish Renaissance Project, Connaissance and Penn Hillel, the conference attempted to debunk the myths of what it takes to be a successful woman in today's world. "To look at eating disorders is to look at the state of gender politics in this country," said keynote speaker Karen Smith, who told the audience that 95 percent of all people diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia are women. "Whereas the feminism of 30 years ago said, 'We're hungry, and we will be satiated,' we now have women saying, 'We need nothing,'" said Smith, who is a clinical social worker at the Renfrew Center, an organization that offers in-patient and out-patient treatment to women suffering from eating disorders. Smith argued that the self-sacrificial woman has become the icon of the modern world, a phenomenon that has proved detrimental. Today's woman, Smith said, should hunger for and go after her rights -- and her piece of cake. Smith, who will be releasing a new book entitled, From Chicken Soup to Going Nuts: Hungry Jewish Women and the Body of Our Tradition, offered an interpretation of eating disorders from a uniquely Jewish perspective. In Judaism, "Food is the transmission from mother to daughter," Smith said. It is only fitting then that young Jewish women would choose eating disorders as an expression of their conflicts, she said. And when compounded with the pressures successful women encounter in what Smith called the "Barbie Doll World," many women develop eating disorders because "the emaciated woman is the sexy woman." "Women think that they're not supposed to need," College senior Helisa Katz said in agreement. "I really liked the idea of giving permission to women to want." College sophomore Wendy Shiekman added, "I loved how Karen related the good versus the bad, and how hunger in life is actually a good thing." While the discussion was geared toward Jewish women on campus, the program was intended to appeal to all women who are struggling with eating disorders. College junior Miriam Kiss, one of the organizers of yesterday's conference, said the goal was to "educate students and let them know that people are talking about the issue." "We are kind of tying the problem in with Judaism, but I think you would enjoy the conference if you weren't Jewish," College senior Jordana Riklis said. The program also highlighted a number of resources open to Penn students. Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Health Services, the Women's Center and GUIDE all offer free and confidential services ranging from counseling and treatment to nutrition guidance and information.

Debate over Microsoft antitrust case comes to U. campus

Internet browsers and operating systems, Netscape and Microsoft, Java and QuickTime were the focus of a heated debate Monday night between two key witnesses in the government's suit against Microsoft. Sponsored by Wharton's Gruss Public Management Program, the debate, entitled, "U.S. v. Microsoft: Evaluating the Economic Arguments," drew more than 200 students and professors into a packed room inside Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. Daniel Rubinfeld, a Law professor at the University of California at Berkeley, faced off against Richard Schmalensee, the dean of the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The two economic and technology experts debated several key issues of the trial's most recent findings. While he blasted Microsoft last week, U.S. District Court Judge Penfield Jackson has yet to release a final decision in the case. At issue was whether Microsoft violated the federal Sherman Antitrust Act in tying its Internet Explorer web browser to its Windows 95 and, later, Windows 98 operating systems. The government, Rubinfeld explained, maintains that Microsoft took anti-competitive actions in the distribution of its web browser in order to maintain its monopoly over the operating system market. "This debate is not only significant in terms of policy, but in the legal proceedings as well," said Rubinfeld, who was in charge of the government's economic case against Microsoft. Rubinfeld, who was also the deputy assistant attorney general for antitrust from July 1997 to December 1998, identified three basic harms caused by Microsoft's actions. Specifically, Rubinfeld argued that Microsoft's virtual domination of the market has led to "fewer choices for consumers," a lag in innovation and "unjustifiably distorted competition." Schmalensee, who followed Rubinfeld in his presentation, contended that while "Microsoft is not a cuddly company," it certainly did not violate any laws in attempting to ensure its survival in the market. "Is it illegal to improve a product to maintain a monopoly?" he asked. "I think that is where the government is going, and I think that that is bad policy." Schmalensee, who was Microsoft's lead economic witness, concluded that, "Windows' 'monopoly' is far from obvious," and argued that, "consumers benefitted substantially" from Microsoft's offering of Internet Explorer. In their rebuttals, each commented on the role that the government plays in today's expanding technology market. "Don't underestimate the benefit to competition by having someone to watch over the market," Rubinfeld said. This debate will continue long after the speakers have returned home. Once Jackson releases his rule in 30 to 60 days, the losing side will likely appeal, meaning that there won't be a final decision for several years, Rubinfeld said. Wharton sophomore Chris Burton said he sided with Schmalensee's presentation on behalf of Microsoft. "He seemed pretty successful in trying to portray the media in taking a role that swayed public opinion in the case," Burton said. And Betsy Bailey, chairwoman of Wharton's Public Policy and Management Department, who introduced the speakers, said she thought that the debate brought forward a "highly relevant topic."

Journalist Mitchell offers first College 'Lesson in Leadership'

U. Trustee Andrea Mitchell lamented Americans' loss of political activism. Addressing issues ranging from the presidential primaries to the increasing apathy among American voters to student activism at Penn, NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell told students to simply "throw [themselves] into something and know that it is meaningful." Talking before 80 students in Logan Hall last night, Mitchell -- a 1967 College of Women alumna and University Trustee -- was the first guest speaker in a new lecture series, the Fox Leadership Program's Lessons in Leadership. "The role of leaders has changed in our society," Mitchell said. She noted that there have been shifts in how the media cover society, and was also critical of public apathy in the United States, saying that "if people don't care about politics, then there is a tendency among some in the media to say, 'We don't need to cover that.'" The consequence, she lamented, is that "our political process, so dependent upon an informed public, is now susceptible to leaders who use gimmicks." Mitchell also described Penn during her university days. With the war in Vietnam a major issue, students rallied often. In recent years, Penn students have often been criticized for their lack of activism on national and global issues. Women's rights were also a primary concern for Mitchell and others in the 1960s. She observed that there was resistance to women among all of the Ivies, except at Penn. Although Mitchell was actually denied entrance to Yale's press booth at one Penn-Yale football game, she was the first female program director of the University's radio station, WXPN. After she graduated, Mitchell went to work for WKYW radio in Philadelphia -- on the "bottom rung," as she put it. Breaking into a business dominated by men in the late 1960s was not easy. She had to take a job as a "copy-boy" on the midnight to 8 a.m. shift and fetch coffee for the anchors. But she eventually reached the pinnacle of her profession, serving as NBC's chief congressional correspondent, chief White House correspondent and now chief foreign affairs correspondent. Mitchell also highlighted the need to get out into the community. Students who attended the event agreed. "People are not seeing the link between community service and political activism," College senior Debra Kurshan said. And that was what Mitchell wanted to stress. School of Arts and Sciences Dean Samuel Preston said that this first event in the Fox Leadership Program -- funded by a $10 million donation to the College of Arts and Sciences by University Trustee Robert Fox -- is indicative of the series' potential. "Leadership is a high-energy concept that must be elevated throughout the College," Preston said. Those who attended were inspired by this story. "I think she is a great role model for students and women," College senior Jill Kleczko said. "What I liked is that what she said didn't necessarily apply to a budding journalist," College freshman Alicia Simmons said.