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(06/01/99 9:00am)
Haverford Senior High School '98 Havertown, Pa. That is the question University officials hope Penn students will be asking this fall, when Sansom Common -- the hotel and retail complex located on the 3600 block of Walnut Street -- finishes two years of construction with the opening of three new stores, the Inn at Penn and an upscale restaurant. Much of the $120 million complex opened last summer, when the Barnes & Noble-operated University Bookstore opened for business, along with the Xando coffee house and bar. Several other retail stores opened in the fall. The goal of the Sansom Common project is to create "a vibrant, round-the-clock, exciting destination" in University City, University President Judith Rodin said when she announced the project's construction plans in November 1996. The retail complex represents one piece of Rodin's efforts to enliven the University City area. The shopping complex's current list of tenants -- which includes the Urban Outfitters clothing store, Eastern Mountain Sports and Parfumerie Douglas -- have all enjoyed success, University and company officials have said. The complex will also soon include the 263-room, DoubleTree Hotels-operated Inn at Penn and the Ivy Grill and Bar, both scheduled to open by this fall. Steve Madden Shoes and Ma Jolie, a women's clothing store, will likely join the current list of stores in the fall, according to Tom Lussenhop, the University's top real estate official. A third retailer -- probably a gift shop or similar novelty shop -- will join the shoe and clothing stores to complete the complex's retail mix, Lussenhop said. A new restaurant operated by renowned Philadelphia restaurateur Stephen Starr is also slated to open in Sansom Common. Starr, a former concert promoter and nightclub operator who owns two highly successful and trendy Philadelphia restaurants, said in February that he believed the venue -- possibly an Italian restaurant or conveyor-belt sushi bar -- would be a hit. The new restaurant will complete the second phase of the Sansom Common project. University officials released preliminary floor plans for the Inn -- composed of 238 rooms and 25 suites -- earlier this year. The new hotel will also house the Faculty Club -- Penn's dining and social facility for faculty members -- currently located across the street in Skinner Hall at 36th and Walnut streets. The Inn will be a "major asset" for Penn faculty, visiting parents, participants at local conferences and others, Associate Vice President for Campus Services Larry Moneta said in February. All construction on the complex is scheduled to be completed by the end of 1999. The University Bookstore was relocated to Sansom Common after its former location, University Plaza, was slated for destruction to make way for Huntsman Hall, a new Wharton School facility scheduled for completion in 2002. In addition to a new cafZ and added floor space -- more than double the size of the former Locust Walk location -- the new bookstore boasts longer hours, staying open as late as 11 p.m. during the week and midnight on weekends.
(06/01/99 9:00am)
Construction on the Robert Redford-planned cinema should wrap up next year. Haverford Senior High School '98 Havertown, Pa. The storyline has been scripted, the actors cast and the location set. And now, the final scene is about to be shot. Construction began last month on the Sundance Cinemas movie theater complex -- a pet project of movie mogul Robert Redford -- and a specialty food market with an 800-car parking garage above it. "The whole notion is getting people back on the streets at all hours of the day," Penn Executive Vice President John Fry said when University officials released construction plans in April. Construction on the site -- located on the northwest and southwest corners of 40th and Walnut streets -- is expected to be completed within one year. The project was announced last fall when Redford visited Penn's campus. The theater -- a joint venture between General Cinemas and Redford's company, Sundance Cinemas -- and parking garage with a fresh-foods market on the ground floor are set to open in spring 2000. The plans for the theater complex are hardly ordinary. In addition to eight movie screens, there will also be an independently operated restaurant, a tapas bar, an outdoor cafe, an espresso bar, gardens, a town-hall component, a lecture hall and a reflecting pool. "The big idea is you come, you see the film and you have the opportunity to hang out afterwards," Fry said, noting that Redford's vision for his theaters includes a place where film lovers can stay to discuss the movie. Inside the cinema there will likely be a video store that will carry a "focused" selection of independent films and some retail on the upper level that will sell Sundance merchandise, Tom Lussenhop, the University's top real estate official, said in April. The restaurant and coffee bars in the Sundance complex will be operated by popular Philadelphia restaurateur Stephen Starr, who is also in discussions to open a restaurant in the Sansom Common hotel-and-retail complex. Starr has been tapped by Redford to operate restaurants in all of Sundance's locations, Fry said. The Fresh Grocer.com, the fresh foods supermarket that will be on the first level of the garage, will have "everything a regular supermarket has but with an emphasis on fresh foods," according to Pat Burns, who will operate the market. The market will include an indoor and outdoor cafe -- which will serve beer and wine -- a sushi bar, juice bar and fresh meats, salads and flowers. The transparent garage above the market will hold 800 cars, which officials said will go a long way toward alleviating the University's parking crunch. Space will probably be even tighter once the theater and a new dental center opens nearby. Both Sundance and the parking garage/grocery store were designed by Carlos Zapata, a famed Boston-based architect, and The Moderns, an interior design and graphics firm. The project has gained the widespread support of community leaders, who feel that it will spur further revitalization of the 40th Street corridor. Fry speculated that the market would attract 400,000 more pedestrians to 40th and Walnut, while the cinema will attract another 200,000 -- which, coupled with Sansom Common, could make University City a destination spot for Philadelphians, a longtime goal of Fry and University President Judith Rodin.
(05/27/99 9:00am)
Marvin Johnson, 34, was arrested in April on rape and burglary charges. and Eric Tucker Marvin Johnson, the 34-year old man accused of raping a Penn junior in her Center City apartment last month, has been ordered to stand trial on charges of burglary, criminal trespass, rape and other sexual offenses by a Municipal Court judge, according to Assistant District Attorney Deborah Nixon. The victim testified at a preliminary hearing last Thursday that an unknown man entered her apartment at about 4 a.m. on April 9, raped her repeatedly, threatened to kill her and stole a credit card and several personal belongings upon leaving. Johnson, who police said has been arrested numerous times and has been out of jail for three years, will enter a formal plea of not-guilty at the arraignment -- scheduled for June 10, Nixon said. Johnson was arrested and charged with rape and related offenses after he allegedly used the victim's credit card at a nearby convenience store. Fingerprints and semen found in the victim's apartment linked Johnson to the crime scene, according to Nixon. Johnson allegedly entered the victim's apartment by cutting a hole in a window screen and climbing through an unlocked window on the first floor. Two nights after the rape, Johnson allegedly burglarized a first-floor apartment on the 1900 block of Spring Garden Street. Robert Webster, who lived in the apartment, testified on Thursday that he could easily identify Johnson because of his "bulging eyes," Nixon said. Nixon, who praised Thursday's witnesses -- including several civilians and numerous police officers -- for having "testified quite clearly," explained that she was "cautiously optimistic" that the defendant would be found guilty of all charges. "I think the evidence is very compelling," Nixon said. After issuing a warrant for Johnson's arrest, police received about 45 tips as to his whereabouts, including the tip which led them to his home on the 2000 block of East Ontario Street. After Johnson refused repeated requests to open the door, a SWAT team forced open a side-door and Johnson turned himself in without incident. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Friday that police found a purse, camera and jewelry belonging to the victim inside Johnson's home. The victim called 911 after the assault and was transported by police to the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Special Victims Unit Lt. John Henfry, who led the investigation, said last month that she did not suffer any other physical injuries. Police at first believed the incident was tied to the still-unsolved May 1998 killing of Wharton doctoral student Shannon Schieber, who was strangled to death in her apartment only blocks away from the location of last month's rape. However, DNA tests later ruled out any connection to Schieber's killing.
(05/27/99 9:00am)
The student-landlord rapport can sometimes be a little rocky. But a new program -- created by the Office of Off-Campus Living -- may help to repair that relationship, as well as provide more support for students living off campus. The OCL obtained funding earlier this month for a legal service that will allow students with a landlord-tenant dispute to seek affordable legal assistance through the University. The policy was generated in response to student need and gained momentum when the Undergraduate Assembly and Graduate and Professional Student Assembly both passed resolutions in February requesting an expansion of University legal services to include landlord-tenant disputes. "[The service] is an attempt to produce more responsible landlords and more responsible tenants? a way of dealing with problems in a successful and fair way," OCL director Mihaela Farcas said. The service will be available to both undergraduate and graduate students and likely other Penn affiliates, Farcas said. A sum of $15,000 has been allocated in the University budget for the Fiscal Year 1999, which begins on July 1. With this money in reservation, services will be available to students at about a 75 percent discount, Farcas said. Farcas stressed that OCL advises many students how to properly interact with their landlords, adding that many steps are taken before a potential dispute becomes a legal matter. Farcas said that sometimes landlord-tenant disputes can be easily resolved by educating both parties on their rights and responsibilities. "We will attempt to assist the student to resolve the matter before it needs to reach the court," Farcas said. The UA and GAPSA currently co-sponsor a service where undergraduate and graduate students can obtain free half-hour consultations with a lawyer, but landlord-tenant disputes are not covered in the policy. The University also does not currently have a legal service to address landlord-tenant problems. Farcas said that OCL is currently looking for a lawyer for the service, but no decision has been made. "We're trying to get somebody who has a lot of experience in this field," Farcas said. "The new legal services should prove extremely useful to students and will, I believe, improve their quality of University and community life," said Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum. UA Chair Michael Silver applauded the efforts of OCL and the University in making the legal service a reality. "I'm extremely excited that the University was willing to give money for the project," said Silver, who wrote the UA resolution in support of the program. Silver, a College senior, added that the UA's West Philadelphia Committee will work with the OCL to help refine and evaluate the program.
(05/27/99 9:00am)
Despite a seven percent national decrease in the number of crimes reported to police this past year, Philadelphia's crime rate rose significantly in 1998, lowering its ranking from the fourth-safest big city in America to the sixth, according to preliminary FBI crime statistics released last week. New York, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Antonio and Houston all have lower crime rates, with New York boasting the rating of America's safest city. But the FBI report -- also known as the Uniform Crime Reporting program -- said that Philadelphia's crime statistics from this past year could not be compared to the original 1997 data after an internal investigation in the Philadelphia Police Department last year discovered at least 3,000 unreported crimes. With the lost data factored into last year's reports, crime in Philadelphia rose about 11 percent in 1998 -- from an estimated 95,755 crimes in 1997 to 106,078 in 1998. But city officials have cautioned that the rise in the number of reported crimes is not necessarily indicative of a Philadelphia crime wave, but may be due instead to further inaccuracies in old crime statistics. Since the crackdown on false crime reporting -- led by Police Commissioner John Timoney soon after he entered office in March 1998 -- the city has been working on correcting false reporting procedures that led to the inaccurate crime statistics. "I don't think it indicates a crime increase," Timoney told The Philadelphia Inquirer last week. "It's an increase in reported crime. We are following the letter of the FBI's law regarding crime reporting so [crimes] that may not have been captured before have been captured." While Philadelphia originally boasted a two percent decrease in crime in 1997, the addition of the 3,000 unreported crimes reversed that rating, leaving the city with a two percent increase in crime for the year, according to the Inquirer. Philadelphia had the third highest murder rate among the nation's 10 largest cities, with 338 reported homicides. Only Detroit and Chicago exceeded Philadelphia in the number of reported murders per population. Aggravated assaults in Philadelphia totaled 8,701, giving the city the 6th highest rating in the nation's biggest cities. Philadelphia also ranked sixth-highest in burglaries.
(05/20/99 9:00am)
A law school graduation is the last place one would expect to hear a joke that pokes fun at the legal profession. But surprisingly, Sunday's Law School graduation ceremony was riddled with lawyer jokes, as several speakers took time to light-heartedly address the public's bad image of lawyers. The ceremony -- held at the Academy of Music -- celebrated the accomplishments of about 343 graduates and featured a surprise visit from Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell. Rendell, who was not originally scheduled to speak, delivered the keynote address after the scheduled speaker cancelled. In a speech that mixed humor with sensible advice, Class President Natalie Heiman acknowledged that young lawyers have a tendency to ignore society's negative perceptions of lawyers and the legal profession in general. "If graduation from an Ivy League law school opens enough doors, what difference does it make if the rest of society thinks we're losers, liars [and] criminals?" she asked. But, Heiman told her fellow graduates, the public's negative opinions can damage a young attorney's morale and vitality and, therefore, should not be ignored. "Young, almost-lawyers need to be aware of these perceptions and work to amend them as best we can," Heiman said. "When you hear a lawyer joke, laugh, if it's funny? but listen to the criticism underneath the humor, and ask yourself whether there is anything you can do to correct that particular misperception of the legal profession," she suggested. When Rendell took the stage, he first addressed one issue that he felt was on the mind of every graduate at the ceremony. "You have only one more examination -- the bar examination -- to take in your entire life," Rendell said. Rendell also addressed popular misconceptions of lawyers, assuring the students that lawyers make many positive changes in society. "It is true? that lawyers are not held in great esteem by the public," Rendell said. "[But] the good that we do is manifold. It is pervasive in every field of life." As lawyers, Rendell told the graduates, the members of the Class of 1999 will have the ability to make changes in society and improve the quality of life for their clients. "You have the capacity to change the direction of everything you get in touch with [and] everything you do," Rendell said. "You can make it better." Rendell also stressed that the satisfaction that lawyers gain from serving the public often exceeds the financial gains won by practicing law. "If there's anyone in this graduating class today who has thought to become a lawyer to make money, you won't be a lawyer very long," Rendell said. Rendell spoke at last year's College of Arts and Sciences' graduation ceremony.
(05/20/99 9:00am)
The New Orleans mayor offered graduates advice at Monday's ceremony. Every year, at every school's graduation ceremony, the departing students are offered words of advice by mentors and peers. They are told to pursue their dreams, to hold their heads high and to help those in need. But despite the wisdom inherent in these suggestions, there may be one piece of advice -- shared by student speaker and graduating senior Josh Styne -- that every graduating member of the College of Arts and Sciences' Class of 1999 will follow: "See Star Wars!" Styne and New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial were the featured speakers at Sunday evening's ceremony, celebrating the accomplishments of the largest of the four undergraduate schools. As the approximately 1,100 graduating members of this year's class marched together during Sunday's graduation ceremony on Franklin Field, friends and family members cheered and waved enthusiastically from the stands. The ceremony's speakers offered the graduates their congratulations and shared advice, memories and hopes for the future with both the graduates and their families and friends in attendance. "This class, the last of this millennium, has established a strong claim to being the best of this millennium," College Dean Richard Beeman said. "I hope you'll nurture within yourselves the open, optimistic and good-natured characters that will keep you young, active, inquisitive and joyful for all your lives," Beeman added. Morial, the ceremony's keynote speaker, also praised the graduates' accomplishments and spoke of their brilliant futures. "As you prepare to embrace the new millennium, you are the brightest, the most prepared, the most technically apt of the thousands of college students who will finish school this year," Morial said, reminding the students to use their collective "brain power" in helping society. Morial told the graduates that while they should display their skills to the world, they must also offer their care and compassion -- no matter what career path they may chose to follow. "Let your minds be stretched and let your hearts be stretched, because both, if they are stretched, can never go back to their original dimensions," Morial said. Morial is the second consecutive big city mayor to speak at the College graduation. Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell, a 1965 College alumnus, addressed the College graduates last year. Morial is a 1980 College alumnus who has attracted attention during his term for his outspoken attack on gun violence. He and the city of New Orleans recently filed a lawsuit against handgun makers, attempting to hold them financially responsible for the consequences of handgun violence. And Styne, a member of the Mask and Wig Club and Sphinx Senior Honor Society, shared with the graduating class his "keys to happiness" -- passion, persistence and gratitude. "They're not ordinary keys, they can't be duplicated by any locksmith. Yet the keys to happiness are in my wallet. Give me five minutes of your time and I'll give you a copy of these keys," Styne said. Reminiscing about the class's four years at Penn, Styne shared several of his favorite memories -- including relaxing on College Green, hanging out at Smokey Joe's, celebrating Hey Day and tearing down the goal posts after Penn's football team clinched a share of the Ivy League title in November. "Our youth and our inexperience, my fellow classmates, do grant us a certain wisdom: the knowledge that life will be beautiful if we carry in our wallets, always, the keys to happiness," Styne said.
(05/20/99 9:00am)
Incumbent City Council member Jannie Blackwell soundly defeated opponent Prentice Cole in Tuesday's election. Jannie Blackwell has done it once again. The incumbent City Council member -- who represents West Philadelphia -- earned a sweeping victory in last night's Democratic Primary against local entrepreneur Prentice Cole, who was seeking to unseat Blackwell as City Council's Third District member. With 97.3 percent of city precincts reporting, Blackwell received 12,979 votes, eclipsing Cole's total of 4,441. Blackwell, who has served on City Council since 1992, claims to have pumped $2 billion worth of development into West Philadelphia -- including a $450 million cancer research center at Penn and $40 million in affordable housing -- and has worked with Penn administration on a number of issues throughout her two terms. "Anybody who walks through West Philadelphia has seen this community changed in terms of housing? in terms of job creation and certainly in terms of how our overall community district looks," Blackwell said at a local debate last month. Blackwell's area revitalization plan, entitled "West Philadelphia on the Move," aims to make streets cleaner and safer and encourage reinvestment in the community. "We deal with social service, but also the economic base in terms of jobs, housing and companies moving in and expanding," Blackwell told The Philadelphia Inquirer last week. Blackwell has a history in politics extending back to 1975, when she served as an aide to her husband, former City Council member Lucien Blackwell. Lucien Blackwell held the West Philadelphia seat from 1975 until Blackwell took over in 1992. As the votes were counted Tuesday night, Blackwell held a steady and significant lead -- about 75 percent of the vote -- over Cole, who hoped to draw on his record as a leader in several community organizations to overpower Blackwell's familiar name and greater financial means. Cole, a 1976 Penn graduate and long-time West Philadelphia resident, has criticized Blackwell for her focus on issues like homeless and poverty while ignoring the middle class of her district. "When Jannie wanted to exempt West Philadelphia [from the controversial Sidewalk Behavior Bill], we realized that while she was representing the homeless, she was neglecting the middle class," Cole told the Inquirer last week. Blackwell, Council's current Finance Committee Chair, overcame several potential hurdles during her campaign: Cole received endorsement from both the Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News while Blackwell received negative press when her former aide, Michael Youngblood was convicted on 34 counts of extortion and bank fraud in connection with a homeless shelter project. However, these events seem to have had little, if any, effect on her electoral success.
(05/14/99 9:00am)
Although he may not have the political experience of incumbent Philadelphia City Council member Jannie Blackwell, local entrepreneur Prentice Cole has turned more than a few heads in his recent campaign for the Council seat representing West Philadelphia. Cole received the endorsements of both The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Philadelphia Daily News in his bid to unseat Blackwell, who has worked with the Penn administration on numerous issues during her nearly seven years on Council. Cole, a 1976 Penn graduate and longtime West Philadelphia resident, cited his history as a community leader and business-owner as the perfect basis for a career in City Council. A former Daily News photographer, Cole has served on the board or been a member of several community organizations. "I understand how a child can benefit from having grown up in West Philadelphia," Cole said. "I am that child. I am that person who's benefitted from being in West Philadelphia." Cole's main focus is creating partnerships with area institutions, corporations and organizations to pool resources that can help improve the quality of life in West Philadelphia. According to Cole, education and redevelopment of housing are two major issues that need to be addressed and can benefit from such partnerships. "Jannie claims to be a person who stands for development, $2 billion worth of development that's been brought into West Philadelphia, but if you go past 38th Street, you won't see this development," Cole said. During his campaign, Cole has repeatedly criticized Blackwell for her focus on issues like homelessness and poverty while ignoring the middle class of her district. Blackwell did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Cole's fresh face and new ideas have gained him the support of not just the media, but some local residents as well. University City resident Al Filreis, a Penn English professor, criticized Blackwell for a lack of significant legislation in the area of education, and called her $2 billion claim "absurd," adding that "she's obviously claiming all the money the University of Pennsylvania has spent in the district." "Prentice is creative, willing to think freshly," Filreis said. "He was born and raised in West Philadelphia -- he's there really because he cares about the neighborhood." And many community members say they have not forgotten what they say is Blackwell's tendency to do what is good for Penn -- not necessarily what's good for West Philadelphia. This has not been an easy year for Blackwell. Despite becoming chairperson of Council's powerful Finance Committee -- making her third in line for the mayorship -- she suffered both a personal and professional setback when her aide and confidant, Michael Youngblood, was convicted last month on 34 counts of extortion, bank fraud and tax evasion while working on a city homeless shelter construction project. But despite these potential obstacles, Blackwell is very popular with area residents and well-respected by other City Council members. "I think what I most admire is just an incredible discipline and work ethic," said Liz Campion, an area realtor and longtime University City resident. "I have found that if her opinion isn't formed or if she needs information, she's willing to do research and solicit community opinion." According to City Council member David Cohen, Blackwell's experience gives her an important advantage over Cole. "Incumbency is always an advantage, particularly where the Council member has been active, as Councilwoman Blackwell has been," Cohen said
(05/14/99 9:00am)
Though the University's decision to outsource its Dining Services to the Menlo Park, Calif.-based Bon Appetit Management Co. may have been announced without warning, the events leading up to it were not so sudden -- making the move far from surprising. The University enlisted the help of Bon Appetit over a year ago for consultation on Dining-related issues, as well as operating future retail operations in the Perelman Quadrangle and the University's catering operations. According to University officials, the decision to outsource -- which will result in the termination of 20 Dining employees who can reapply for positions with Bon Appetit -- was a natural step in extending its contract with Bon Appetit as well as an outcome of a long-term University review of Dining Services begun in 1996. "This was really something that is part of the consultation process we engaged in a year ago," said Associate Vice President for Campus Services Larry Moneta, adding that the decision was a "process of extending the contract [with Bon Appetit]." It also goes along with Executive Vice President John Fry's stated goal to use outsourcing as a way to improve services while cutting costs. Officials have stressed, though, that unlike in past outsourcing decisions, the motive here was purely to improve the quality of the food, not to save money. The move follows years of uncertainty about the possible outsourcing of Dining after Fry announced in June 1996 that the University would conduct an evaluation of the performance of Dining Services that may result in a decision to turn the department's management over to an outside firm. Earlier that month, Fry said that the University would consider everything -- including Dining -- for outsourcing opportunities at Penn. At the time, the announcement sparked concern among Dining Services employees, who feared that a move to outsource could affect their jobs. A nearly year-long evaluation -- conducted by independent food services consulting group Cornyn Fasano -- began in October 1996 and aimed to assess the state of all campus food services, including Dining Services, area restaurants and food truck vendors. The University also brought in two food service companies -- Bon Appetit and Philadelphia-based Aramark Corp. -- in December 1997 to help determine whether Penn should outsource its campus food operations. But in March 1998, after consolidating all of its information and recommendations, the University announced that it would not outsource Dining Services, although several revisions to Penn's food service system were implemented. Last week's Dining announcement follows a string of similar -- and often controversial -- decisions in recent years. The University's sudden announcement in October 1997 to outsource University facilities management to Dallas-based Trammell Crow Co. left many Penn facilities managers angry and many other Penn employees worried that a similar fate would befall their departments. The trend toward outsourcing is also apparent in other recent University moves -- including when Penn last year outsourced part of its benefits administration department to a national benefits management company and in the University's plans to outsource the Faculty Club to DoubleTree Hotels upon the facility's move to the Inn at Penn in Sansom Common.
(05/14/99 9:00am)
Officials broke ground on the theater and market set for 40th Street Wednesday. The storyline has been scripted, the actors cast and the location set. And now, the final scene is about to be shot. Officials broke ground Wednesday on the Hamilton Square construction project, which includes the eight-screen Sundance Cinemas movie theater complex -- a project of movie mogul Robert Redford -- and a specialty food market with an 800-car parking garage above it. Over 200 area residents, students and Penn officials attended the groundbreaking ceremony in the parking lot on the northwest corner of 40th and Walnut streets, the site of the future garage and fresh foods market. University President Judith Rodin and other Penn and city officials joined representatives from Sundance Cinemas in presenting their hopes for the project and thanking all those who have contributed so far. Construction is expected to last about a year and both sites are slated to open in the spring of 2000. Penn officials are hopeful that the new businesses will stimulate growth on the western edge of campus and prove to be a boon for both the University and the surrounding community. Among the highlights of the Sundance movie complex are extensive gardens, an independently operated restaurant, a tapas bar, an outdoor cafe, an espresso bar, a town-hall component, a lecture hall and a reflecting pool. Executive Vice President John Fry opened the ceremony, introducing the project and extending his thanks to those who contributed to its creation. "Our vision for Hamilton Square is that it will in fact serve as a town square on the main street of University City," Fry said. "And we'll begin the process of wiping away the unnecessary distinctions between campus and community and replace it with a wonderful common ground that we'll all be proud of and partake in." Fry said that the theater, market and parking garage would provide visitors and residents alike with "great entertainment, great food, convenient access all in a stunning setting." Rodin then took the stage, sharing her dream that Hamilton Square will transform the area into one of the major destinations in Philadelphia. "My prediction is that it will be University City where visitors come in the not-too-distant future and we're looking forward to that," Rodin said. Rodin echoed the sentiment of many other community and University officials as she explained "the enormous potential for growth on 40th Street" and the role of the Sundance project in catalyzing further progress in the 40th Street corridor. Two of Mayor Ed Rendell's top economic development officials also spoke briefly about the project. "This is another great example showing Penn's commitment to making West Philadelphia a great and thriving community and making this one of the best campuses all around," Director of Commerce Stephen Mullin said. After the speeches concluded, the 10 officials gathered on the stage symbolically thrust their silver shovels into the first small patch of dirt. Despite the celebratory occasion, a small group of people in attendance were not cheering. Protesters gathered on the sidewalk next to the parking lot bore balloons and fliers denouncing the wage policies of R. M. Shoemaker & Co., the Conshohocken-based construction company working on the Hamilton Square project. The protesters were accusing the company of unfair labor practices.
(04/28/99 9:00am)
Steve Madden Shoes and Ma Jolie, a women's clothing store, will likely join the current list of stores in the soon-to-be-completed Sansom Common retail complex this fall, according to Tom Lussenhop, the University's top real estate official. While negotiations are still in progress, the deals should be completed shortly, Lussenhop said. A third retailer -- probably a gift shop or similar novelty shop -- will join the shoe store and clothing store to complete the complex's retail mix, Lussenhop said. The three stores will be on the ground floor near the corner of 37th and Walnut streets. While the University originally planned to lease the remaining space to just two stores, Penn real estate officials said they decided there was enough room to create three retail spaces. "We have always tried to be opportunistic about utilizing the space we have available to tailor it to market demand," Lussenhop said. According to Kathy Sawin, director of leasing for a consultant group working with Penn on the retail section of Sansom Common, there are enough doors and floor space -- about 7,000 square feet remaining -- to accommodate three stores, so adding a third store made sense. "More is always better when it comes to retail because you're after a critical mass," Sawin said. Ma Jolie will occupy the most space -- covering 3,500 square feet -- while Steve Madden will take up 1,500 square feet and the third store will cover 2,000 square feet. Unlike other Sansom Common occupants which are chains such as Xando, Barnes & Noble bookstore and Urban Outfitters, Ma Jolie is an independent operator with only one current store, located in Manayunk. Ma Jolie co-owner Nickie Boston said she is excited that the store has been chosen to complement the national retailers in the complex. "Basically, we're pleased that they've recruited an independent retailer like us into what could have been a suburban mall mix," Boston said. Officials from Steve Madden did not return calls for comment. "They're both very unique opportunities that fit into the campus retail mix nicely," said John Greenwood, a top official with Trammell Crow Co., the Dallas-based company that manages University real estate holdings. Greenwood added that Ma Jolie will help to "more effectively cover the spectrum of alternatives for women's apparel" available on campus. All construction on the $120 million complex is scheduled to be done by the end of 1999, about two years after it began. By late summer, the 250-room Inn at Penn and Grand's Bar and Grill will open for business. A second restaurant -- to be operated by renowned restaurateur Stephen Starr -- is set to open later in the year. The current Sansom Common retail tenants -- which include Xando, Urban Outfitters, Eastern Mountain Sports and Parfumerie Douglas -- have all enjoyed success, University and company officials have said, with Xando and Urban Outfitters in excess of their initial projections.
(04/28/99 9:00am)
After more than two years of being told that the local branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia was no more, supporters of the location at 40th and Walnut streets finally have reason to hope. According to Beth Ann Johnson, president of the Walnut West Branch of the Friends of the Free Library, library officials last month agreed to allow the library to remain at its former site at the southeast corner of 40th and Walnut streets, where it has been for 83 years. Whether the old building will be renovated or a new building constructed is not yet clear and depends upon city funding for the project, said Helen Miller, director of public services for the Free Library. "The agreement is that we will retain the library at the current site," Miller said. And Johnson said, "We were told by the Free Library that they would construct a new building that incorporates elements of the existing library and we were asked what elements of that building the community felt were important." The library was closed for renovations in 1996, but upon inspection, electricians found the building structurally unsound. Free Library officials estimated the cost of repairs at $3.8 million and decided it was not feasible to fund them on the library's tight budget. University officials agreed to lease a small space at 3927 Walnut Street -- which used to house the Student Employment Office -- to the library for $1 a year, just one month after Free Library officials announced that the old building would never reopen. Last fall, dozens of area residents protested the Free Library's failure to reopen the site. While the University is not directly involved in the library controversy, officials have expressed interest in helping the library find a permanent home. "We're at the table simply because we want to see something good happen on that spot," said Carol Scheman, the University's vice president for government, community and public affairs. While the situation is far from resolved, another positive sign for the library is that the city budget allocated $600,000 to the West Philadelphia branch for Fiscal Year 2001. But the funding is still two years off, which means that while possible, the availability of those funds is not guaranteed, Miller said. Johnson said that the Friends of the Free Library originally believed the money would be in the Fiscal Year 2000 budget. They are currently working with the mayor's office to try to obtain the money sooner than 2001. While the money is not nearly enough to fund the necessary renovations to the existing structure, supporters say it is at least a start. "The good news is any money allocated for us in the city budget means that we can fundraise," Johnson said. "And that means that what we hope to do is raise enough money in the neighborhood to show the library how valuable we consider this [branch] to be." Johnson said the community hopes that however the library decides to fulfill the agreement, it will preserve certain parts of the current building's architecture, including a frieze depicting antique books near the top of the building that the community treasures. "Six hundred thousand dollars is a sign, but in terms of what it is going to cost to build a new building or to renovate that site, it's just the beginning," Miller said.
(04/28/99 9:00am)
One week after state police cited eight students for underage drinking in Mad 4 Mex, the Mexican restaurant on Moravian Street has decided not to allow minors inside after 4:30 p.m. during their three busiest days of the week. According to Juno Yoon, a partner for all Mad 4 Mex restaurants in the chain, a restaurant employee will card everyone entering the establishment after 4:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, when the bar is busiest. He added that employees will also card students on other days if they get too busy. "When we feel as though we have too many people in the restaurant, we're going to start carding everyone [entering]," Yoon said. "We really want to eliminate the underage drinking in this establishment." One of the reasons for the decision was the incident during Spring Fling weekend in which eight underage students were cited by agents from the state Liquor Control Enforcement bureau while drinking at Mad 4 Mex. The restaurant implemented a similar measure last spring, when it stopped allowing minors inside after 11 p.m. five days a week. While Yoon admits that the new policy may cause the restaurant to "lose a little business" through underage customers who previously came only to eat, he said that overall, the decision will help the restaurant keep the bar crowd under control and avoid future problems. Thursday through Saturday nights were designated as the times during which minors will be prohibited from entering the establishment because those nights typically have the busiest "happy hours." But Yoon pointed out that the policy is not restricted to happy hour -- which lasts from from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. -- and will also include all operations for the rest of the nights. "We're definitely trying to police [underage drinking] ourselves, starting with happy hour," Yoon said. However, the provost-appointed alcohol task force said in its recommendations released yesterday that on-campus restaurants should remain open to underage students at night to give them more social options. According to John Greenwood, an official with the company that manages all University-owned real estate, Mad 4 Mex is within its rights as a tenant of the Penn-owned 3401 Walnut Street complex to institute such a policy. But he said the University will try to find ways to help the restaurant's management allow underage students to eat there while strictly monitoring and preventing underage drinking. "They are certainly allowed to do what they're doing," Greenwood said. "We can't run their business for them but we can certainly try to be as influential as possible in terms of encouraging creativity in the ways in which they meet students demands." "I think that they need to understand and work with the student body to strike a responsible balance that protects their business as well as provides a food outlet for those underage on our campus," Greenwood said. While the policy may change in the future, Yoon said that it will be in effect at least until the end of the school year and possibly longer.
(04/28/99 9:00am)
With its current location set to become the new home of the Graduate School of Fine Arts, the Kosher Dining facility will move next fall to the warehouse near 40th and Locust streets where Boccie Pizza was formerly located, officials said. The University will lease the space -- previously occupied by a long list of retailers including Boccie and Urban Outfitters -- and use it as a place for kosher dining service. According to Associate Vice President for Campus Services Larry Moneta, the building has been bought by a private real estate operation that agreed to lease part of the warehouse to Penn for Kosher Dining. He declined to give the name of the company. Kosher Dining will occupy the restaurant portion of the building, which covers about 8,000 square feet, making it larger than the dining facility in its current location, Moneta said. "It provides an added space that's actually pretty attractive and funky," Moneta said. The space itself also provides opportunities for Hillel programming, one of many possibilities the University is currently considering in light of the upcoming move. Hillel Director Jeremy Brochin said that Hillel and the University are "considering options for programming" on the western end of campus to complement the new dining facility. "We're working very closely with Hillel to use the space effectively," Moneta said, stressing that these options are only a possibility and that the only confirmed plans at the moment are for the Kosher dining facility. The space will be renovated this summer to accommodate the dining facility, Moneta said. The cost of the project, which the University will likely fund, has not yet been determined. But although Kosher Dining is moving dinner service to the new location, lunch service will probably remain in the Hillel building because "student patterns are on Locust Walk near our building" during the day, Brochin said. "I think students are on this end of campus during lunchtime and that makes sense," he added. College senior Ami Butler, outgoing president of the Hillel student board, said that new location will open up exciting possibilities for more Hillel programming. "This is going to be a third center that is an opportunity to expand Jewish life all throughout campus," Butler said. He added that although the move may cause some students inconvenience from their regular evening schedules, it will benefit others who live on the western end of campus. "I think it's a balance and you're never going to make everyone happy," Butler said. "It's certainly not unmanageable." Boccie Pizza and Salad, the former main inhabitant of the warehouse, was formed in 1994 following the bankruptcy of both Boccie Pizza and Saladalley, two tenants in the warehouse. It went out of business last fall. A portion of the warehouse now currently houses the Video Library, which will not be affected by Kosher Dining's move.
(04/23/99 9:00am)
After eight years as a Philadelphia City Council member, Jannie Blackwell doesn't seem to be showing signs of slowing down. Last night, Blackwell -- running for a third term representing her West Philadelphia district -- debated her opponent in next month's Democratic primary in front of about 75 community members at the Cavalry Church at 48th Street and Baltimore Avenue. The question-and-answer style debate was sponsored by the Spruce Hill Community Association. Blackwell and her opponent, local entrepreneur Prentice Cole, engaged in a heated debate about their goals and answered specific questions submitted by those in attendance through a moderator. Blackwell, who has served on City Council since 1992, discussed her past programs and legislation. "Anybody who walks through West Philadelphia has seen this community changed in terms of housing? in terms of job creation and certainly in terms of how our overall community district looks," Blackwell said. According to Blackwell, her list of goals --Eentitled "West Philadelphia on the Move" -- includes making streets safer and cleaner and encouraging investment in the area and is "the only one of its kind in the country." Cole, a Penn alumnus, cited a need for more partnerships with corporations to sponsor community development programs. "We need to create after-school programs, homework programs, arts programs, community programs, culture programs for kids that will raise the level of their interest and skills," Cole said. Addressing the issue of area crime, Cole said residents must be taught to better utilize '911' services by giving information in a "certain concise way" that will increase the efficiency of police response to an emergency. In response, Blackwell said that more enforcement of the curfew and punishment for cutting school through community service should be employed to reduce crime. When asked to address the issue of area homelessness, Blackwell cited current outreach programs and group homes, and the West Philadelphia-based Horizon House -- which provides support and services for individuals with substance abuse programs. Cole stressed the need for homeless prevention centers to help individuals before they hit the streets, criticizing current shelters as "warehousing" the city's homeless population. "We have to solve the problem with homeless prevention," Cole said. "And we have to address the homeless of tomorrow while were are serving the needs of the homeless today." Both candidates said that they were in favor of gun control legislation, stressing that only police officers should be permitted to carry weapons. "We believe that the police should be empowered to have hand guns and weapons but citizens should not have them," Blackwell said. Blackwell suffered a setback in her re-election campaign when her aide, Michael Youngblood, was convicted this month on 34 counts of extortion, bank fraud and tax evasion while working on a homeless shelter. It is still not clear whether the case will hurt her electoral prospects.
(04/22/99 9:00am)
President Judith Rodin has focused on initiatives in her native W. Philadelphia. and Catherine Lucey When Judith Rodin assumed her position as University president in 1994, the West Philadelphia native and Penn alumna quickly made a commitment to work with the surrounding community. And after spending five years working to repair a relationship badly damaged by years of Penn neglect and lack of communication, Rodin can walk through the streets around Penn and see the tangible changes -- such as new retail venues, freshly renovated houses and clean, well-lit streets -- that have happened during her tenure. "The community as a whole did not have a uniformly positive opinion of Penn," Rodin said of the days before her arrival. West Philadelphia has a long memory, and many residents have still not forgiven the University for buying up the land in what is now Superblock and demolishing the existing residential area to make way for the high rises, among other transgressions. For the following 20 years, critics say Penn administrators did little to repair the damage that had been done to the relationship between the University and its neighbors. So Rodin said she moved quickly to work toward establishing better ties with the community, citing her belief that Penn should play an active role in improving the quality of life in the surrounding area. "She wanted to make it clear that this University was going to work hard at being a good neighbor, at consulting [and] at talking," said Carol Scheman, the University's vice president for government, community and public affairs. Upon her arrival, Rodin surveyed the existing community service projects and outreach programs in West Philadelphia and blended them with her own set of key initiatives to form the University's five-point West Philadelphia Initiative. The community development plan includes measures to make the neighborhood cleaner and safer, encourage faculty home ownership, support local businesses, improve public education and attract further retail development to the area. Rodin says she derives "personal pleasure" from the successful programming she has stimulated in West Philadelphia. "It was and is very personally rewarding for me to be able to give back," Rodin said. "I grew up there." Still, supporters say the plan has direct benefits for Penn students and faculty as well, particularly in the area of safety. Increased lighting and activity in the University City area are two of the major proactive steps Penn has taken since a 1996 crime wave that saw a multitude of armed robberies, several shootings and the stabbing death of a Penn scientist. Under the five key initiatives, the community has seen significant improvements in the quality of life in the neighborhood. The 18-month long UC Brite project, which installed about 2,400 lights on area properties, marked the first major West Philadelphia project under Rodin's administration. Rodin credits UC Brite with "[getting] the ball rolling" for further development of the West Philadelphia Initiative as a whole. "The most important part of the project might not even be the lights but the relationships and the trust that it started putting back into the picture," Penn Director of Neighborhood Initiatives Esaul Sanchez noted. In 1997, Penn, Drexel University, the University City Science Center and several other area institutions came together to create the University City District, a special services organization that aims to improve safety and cleanliness of the area. The organization is chaired by Penn Executive Vice President John Fry, and Penn donated $1.5 million of the group's $4.3 million endowment. Not only are the streets getting a new look, but many area homes are receiving a much-deserved face-lift as well. Through several home ownership programs, 13 formerly abandoned houses have been dramatically transformed into attractive and affordable homes and sold to new owners. And to encourage faculty and staff to live in the community where they work, Penn started offering cash incentives last year to employees who agree to buy homes in West Philadelphia. The program has already attracted over 100 faculty and staff members to the area and has redesigned nearly 20 once-condemned homes. Improving West Philadelphia's troubled schools is one of the latest projects to spring from Rodin's plan. Last summer, Rodin announced a partnership between the University and the Philadelphia School District to construct a pre-K-8 public school to open on Penn-owned property in September 2001. While the city is paying the construction costs, Penn will donate $1,000 per student annually to the planned 700-student school. Rodin's plan also calls for the development of retail establishments -- including Sansom Common and the Sundance Cinemas project -- to draw money and crowds to the area. Both retail projects are crucial to a third initiative -- supporting local businesses and residents through employment programs within University construction projects. While other urban universities have community service projects in place and try to reach out and work with their neighbors, few have matched Penn's deep-rooted commitment to its neighborhood. Fry cited the West Philadelphia Initiative as Rodin's biggest accomplishment, adding that "we're doing more in this neighborhood in this area [of community development] than any other institution." But despite all of Rodin's and Fry's efforts, there still exists a level of distrust between West Philadelphia residents and the behemoth organization that lives next door. Issues continue to arise periodically -- most notably the University's recent drive to kick food vendors off of campus streets -- that put a wedge in a still-precarious relationship. And even in specific instances where Rodin insists she is trying to help the community, she at times receives only a cold shoulder. She received criticism for her lack of consultation in announcing the Sansom Common project and some say her vision of an "upscale" and "trendy" University City may help improve Penn's reputation but does little to help the community. Tomorrow: Rodin's efforts in procuring donors and increasing the University's endowment.
(04/20/99 9:00am)
With over 1,700 outdoor wall paintings, Philadelphia boasts more murals than any other city in America. And in West Philadelphia, an area with an abundance of blank walls, the University City District is hoping to bring some colorful creations to this side of town. To that end, the UCD announced on Tuesday that it will collaborate with the City Mural Arts Program to paint two large-scale murals on blank area walls. The murals will celebrate the culture of the area and raise the public image of University City, UCD Executive Director Paul Steinke said. "Murals help to beautify the neighborhood and call attention to unique and positive neighborhood attributes," Steinke said. Two noted Philadelphia artists -- Drexel University Professor Michael Webb and mural artist Peter Pagast -- will design the murals, which will be painted on the walls of two Chestnut Street apartment buildings. "In each case we think we have one of the best mural artists in Philadelphia," Steinke said. The funding for the murals will be provided by the UCD in conjunction with Sovereign Bank and GMAC Mortgage. The first mural -- to be painted by Pagast on the wall of a four-story building at 4500 Chestnut Street-- will depict the late Paul Robeson, a West Philadelphia political activist and performer who lived at 4951 Walnut Street until his death in 1976. The painting of the mural is scheduled to begin next month and is expected to take about six weeks to complete, according to Steinke. The mural will cost about $15,000. Sovereign Bank is putting up $8,000 for the mural and the UCD will pay the remaining $7,000. And at 4008 Chestnut Street, Webb will create a three-story high mural -- estimated to cost $25,000, of which GMAC will contribute $18,000 -- capturing the arts and culture of West Philadelphia. The mural is still in the design stages but work should begin in early June and be finished by September. While the UCD does not currently have specific plans for future murals, Steinke said that the organization plans to continue with the mural program. The murals are part of a greater UCD initiative -- executed by the UCD's Capital Program Planning department -- to improve the public environment. Two other projects associated with this goal are the sidewalk construction along 40th and Chestnut streets that began last month and the improvement of University City street signage that is currently in the planning stages. University City residents Amy Orr and John Woodin -- who own the apartment building at 4008 Chestnut -- applauded the UCD's effort and gladly agreed to the painting of the mural on their property. "It seemed to everyone a perfect idea," Orr said.
(04/12/99 9:00am)
Architects and artists say plans for the new cinema and supermarket will fuse utilitarian function with an artistic flair. Whether you'll be there for the movies, the food or the convenient parking, the Sundance Cinemas movie complex, fresh foods market and parking garage is more than just a place to go on a Friday night -- it's a work of art, say the project's planners. The plans for the Sundance project -- which were approved by the city zoning board on Thursday -- include eight movie screens, extensive gardens, a restaurant, a tapas bar, cafes, a video library, a lecture hall and much more. And while the supermarket -- set for the ground floor of an 800-car parking garage -- will carry the foods one may find in a regular grocery store, it will also have indoor and outdoor cafes, a sushi bar, a juice bar and an emphasis on fresh and freshly prepared foods. "These are the first of what I would call a really cutting-edge building that we've done on campus for some years," Graduate School of Fine Arts Dean Gary Hack said. According to famed Boston-based architect Carlos Zapata, who designed both the theater and the parking garage building, the Sundance complex was designed not only to attract people to the cinema but to "urge them to stay" by "reinventing the movie-going experience." Unlike most movie theaters where customers come to see a movie and leave immediately afterwards, the design of the Sundance complex will encourage customers to remain and visit the various other attractions in the complex. "In this cinema we want you to stay there, instead of shuffling you through it," Zapata said. Indeed, Tom Lussenhop, the University's top real estate official, said that the theater harkens back to 1920s-era cineplexes. And not only will the design of the buildings encourage people to stay in the building, it will also bring activity into the surrounding area, according to planners. The design of the two buildings will "bring life and energy and activity into the streets," Hack said. "All the public spaces are on the outside so people can see out and see in and the activity can become a part of the street," Hack said. The materials that will be used to construct the buildings will make the buildings somewhat transparent so that the activity inside will be "opened up to the street," Hack said. For example, Hack said, instead of placing the corridors on the inside and the theaters on the outside edge of the Sundance building, the placement of the theaters will be reversed so that the corridors will overlook the gardens in between the building and the neighboring Rotunda. And the parking garage -- which will be composed primarily of glass and metal-mesh screens -- will allow people on the streets to see the movement of people and cars inside the garage, which will not only make the building more appealing but will also make it safer, Hack said. The total project will cost about $33.8 million and will be primarily funded by the University, according to Penn Vice President for Finance Kathy Engebretson. The University will pay the $15 million construction costs of the garage. While the costs of the Sundance and supermarket buildings will be borne by the University, the operators of the theater and the supermarket will pay for the construction of the buildings' inside components. Also, the University will be gradually repaid with revenues from Sundance and the grocery store, meaning that they are in effect only loaning the construction costs.
(04/08/99 9:00am)
Former Community House ADR Diana Koros filed a defamation suit against Penn officials. Former Community House Assistant Dean in Residence Diana Koros filed a defamation suit last month against the University and a current and former Penn employee. Koros, 35, who served as the equivalent of a current house dean in the Quadrangle's Community House for four years and was very popular among students, was forced out last spring when the creation of the college house system changed the faculty positions in the dorms. Koros was the only one of seven assistant deans re-applying for their jobs not named as one of 25 finalists for the 12 slots. The suit, filed March 22 in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, alleges that Koros' contract was not renewed because of comments made by then-Academic Programs and Residence Life Director Chris Dennis, who sat on the committee that made the decision. The suit alleges that Dennis had a longstanding feud with Koros. Dennis accused her of a "lack of professionalism, intractability and lack of cooperativeness," according to the suit. "Mr. Dennis's statements were knowingly false and were motivated by a malicious desire to have Ms. Koros terminated from the University," the suit said. Dennis resigned from his position as the college house system's No. 2 official in November. Last night, he declined to comment on the suit other than to say that it was not the reason for his departure. He would not reveal his current job. Koros is also naming Engineering Professor David Pope, who chaired the selection committee, as a defendant. She claims that Pope made defamatory statements to The Daily Pennsylvanian last April, when he said that finalists were chosen based on their "ability and interest in advising" and "their interest and enthusiasm for the whole academic and in-house programs." Michael Salmanson, Koros' attorney, said Pope's comments damaged his client's reputation. "I think a reasonable reader would assume that he was contending that Diana was not competent in performing her job," Salmanson said. "Diana believes she was more than competent in performing her job." Pope yesterday declined to comment on the allegations. Koros, a single mother of two, is seeking at least $50,000 in damages because of her inability to secure employment within or outside of the University, the damage to her reputation and emotional harm. "Not only did I lose my job, but me and [my] kids lost where we live, lost our way of life, lost our community all in one fell swoop," Koros said in an interview yesterday. "It's been very hard for me and my two kids -- both emotionally and financially." Koros was hired by the University in 1988 as a teacher and research assistant. In 1994 she was appointed as an ADR and spent four years living in a Community House apartment. "Given the hard work and the dedication, and the love of what I did and how I did it, I was very surprised the way things turned out," Koros said. "I believed what we were doing in Community House was consistent with the goals of the evolving college house system." Koros claims in the lawsuit that Dennis spoke out against her during the selection process because of personal animosity. She cited one incident when Dennis refused to give her her paycheck and also said she earned his ire by complaining that her apartment had not been "baby-proofed." Salmanson said that the case will likely go to a jury trial in about nine months to a year. When the University announced its decision last April to terminate Koros' employment, many Community House members rushed to defend her. Several Community House students and residential advisors said that the decision to cut Koros was unfair and voiced their opposition to her termination with a series of ads placed in the DP protesting Koros' dismissal and the new college house system. Then, in July, Regional Science Professor Stephen Gale -- a vocal ally of Koros -- was replaced as Community House's faculty master. Gale had submitted his resignation to then-Interim Provost Michael Wachter after Koros was cut from the applicant pool but withdrew it the next day. University spokesperson Ken Wildes did not return repeated calls for comment yesterday.
