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(10/24/95 9:00am)
With Election Day just two weeks away, Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell and former state Sen. Joe Rocks, the Republican challenger, went head-to-head yesterday in a debate at the Annenberg Center's Harold Prince Theater. Although the on-campus event was only a "tune up" for Thursday night's citywide debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters, the candidates didn't miss a beat, eagerly lobbing verbal barbs at one another. The debate featured about 30 minutes of questions from a panel of local journalists, then 20 minutes of questions from students in the audience. The candidates responded to each question for one minute. Much of what Rocks and Rendell said sounded similar -- both want to fight crime, improve the schools and spark economic development. But their views diverge markedly when it comes to how to accomplish these goals. Rocks told WWDB-FM's Tommy MacDonald that he believes the city's entire approach to economic development must be reconsidered. But Rendell has already promised to continue cutting taxes to accomplish this goal, and he eagerly cited statistics showing his administration's record on job creation. "Everybody talks about cutting taxes, but we did it," Rendell said. Responding to a question about labor-management relations in the city from Marc Kaufman of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Rendell said municipal workers deserve a salary hike. They took a severe hit during 1992 contract negotiations, a bitter series of talks that Rocks has harped on throughout the campaign. Philadelphia Daily News reporter Cynthia Burton then asked about new sources of revenue the city can tap to pay for slashed federal aid and the tax cuts both candidates would institute. Rocks did not answer directly, saying only that once in control of city government, he would "turn it upside down and shake it out" to eliminate corruption. Rendell reiterated his support for riverboat gambling. The give-and-take continued, whether the subject was the city's utilities -- which both candidates would like to eventually sell to private corporations -- or the state of race relations in the city, which both candidates agreed were good. Still, Rendell criticized Rocks for some of his statistics about utility rates, saying that "Joe as a candidate makes a lot of statements that just aren't true." Rocks fired back when a panelist raised the subject of Philadelphia public schools, which Rendell has begun to fund partially through a "liquor-by-the-drink" tax. "Public education has failed in the city of Philadelphia," Rocks said. He called the tax a "joke," heaped on the backs of small businessmen who happen to own neighborhood taverns. After the candidates addressed panelists' questions about the national politicians they admire and the possibility of a land-value tax in the city, students posed queries of their own. They asked about Ridge's proposal for school choice and what it might mean for magnet schools in the city, as well as the current status and future of Fairmount Park. About 125 students -- half the capacity of the theater -- attended the debate, which was sponsored by College Democrats, College Republicans and the Annenberg Public Policy Center. Despite the small turnout, College Republicans Chairperson Dan Debicella said that overall, he was very happy with the event. "Of course, I would have liked more [people]," the Wharton senior said, attributing the audience shortage to that fact that most University students are not native Philadelphians. College Democrats President Eric Roberson, a College senior, said the debate was "more contentious than I expected," while Daily News reporter Dave Davies characterized the discussion as "spirited, well-informed and articulate."
(10/23/95 9:00am)
Editor's Note: With the upcoming mayoral election November 7, The Daily Pennsylvanian presents a look at Democratic incumbent Ed Rendell. Reporter Lisa Levenson spent time with the mayor earlier this month. They call him Fast Eddie -- because of the way he has dealt with the city's unions, but perhaps more plausibly because of the grueling pace he maintains. At 5:06 p.m., on a typical day of campaigning, the mayor steps out of his office. He walks down the corridor to City Hall's Conversation Hall, where he was supposed to begin addressing a crowd of third-year Penn Law students at 4:45 p.m. At the podium, Rendell extols the virtues of public service work. When he became district attorney in 1978, Rendell says, an assistant district attorney typically stayed in the office for 1.8 years, then left to pursue a more lucrative, less stressful career in the private sector. By the time Rendell's second term ended eight years later, the average assistant district attorney's tenure was 4.6 years. The average prison term and conviction rate had increased, too, he said. The Democratic Rendell beams, the quintessential candidate as he spouts statistics but nevertheless manages to sound sincere. As an incumbent, the pressure of election season is somewhat lessened. But the mayor still makes eight or nine of these public appearances each weekday -- and as many as 16 per day on weekends. From the hectic pace of his campaign, an outside observer would probably never guess that Rendell's party has dominated Philadelphia politics for more than 40 years, and that many people credit him with saving the city from complete fiscal collapse. The same observer probably wouldn't notice that there is a mayoral race going on in Philadelphia this fall, due to the lack of press coverage and public interest. It's now 5:24 p.m. Back in his office after the obligatory handshakes, Rendell talks about the sacrifices he has made during his first term. Dinners and movies with his wife Marjorie, a federal judge, and time with his son, Jesse, are virtually non-existent. He gets by on about five hours of sleep, he adds, taking megadoses of Vitamins C and E to ward off illness. "Fortunately, I've been blessed with an enormous amount of energy," Rendell says. "I don't think that I could do this at the pace that I think is necessary?for more than eight years. And I think this pace is necessary because I can't ignore my substantive work, obviously, but I also can't not make appearances." The appearances are crucial, Rendell says, because even if they are only a few minutes in length, they show city residents that someone in government cares. Even in this campaign season, Rendell says his schedule has not become more rigorous because he already spends almost 20 hours at work every day. "When you're an incumbent, the best campaigning is to be the best mayor," he says. As he talks, he looks over two large blueprints on a table in his office and signs them, indicating his approval. He collects and organizes a ream of letters and memos, neatly sliding what was a blizzard of paper into five manila folders. Only then does he sit down. Asked about the University's relationship with the city, Rendell says it has improved during his term. The resolution of the Mayor's Scholarship case and the Payment in Lieu of Taxes/Services in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT/SILOT) issues have resulted in "a new era of terrific cooperation," he says. The mayor has a list of his most important accomplishments ready, too -- cutting the city's budget deficit and ending the past three years with surpluses, increasing city services and upgrading equipment and developing the city's economy. In fact, despite the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard's closure this fall and the collapse of a deal with German shipbuilder Meyer Werft to reopen it, Rendell says the city should gain 1,400 jobs this year. This can be compared with 1993, he adds, when Philadelphia lost 13,000 jobs. "We've got to be continually fiscally sound and manage well," Rendell says, describing his priorities for a second term while walking toward his black Crown Victoria. At 5:38 p.m., a car pulls away from City Hall, on the way to a premiere party for a new local beer. Rendell admits that the 2002 governor's race is a possibility, although political analysts are predicting that he will try for the U.S. Senate. His Republican opponent, former state Sen. Joe Rocks, has said sarcastically that Rendell -- known as "America's Mayor" -- should run for Mayor of the World, a suggestion Rendell shrugs off with a chuckle. Arriving at the City Tavern at 5:46 p.m., Rendell quaffs some beer and jokes with the brewery's investors, promising one an appearance for her group the next week. He grabs a sandwich, but does not sit down to eat it. Rendell is back in the car at 6:09 p.m., heading to a fund-raising campaign with the arts community at the waterfront -- just the first in a string of events where the city's chief executive will play politics and schmooze with supporters. His schedule shows that he will stop at other events before retiring to his East Falls home around 10 p.m. He says that after spending time with Jesse and looking over paperwork, he might get to bed by 1 a.m. Tomorrow is another day, and America's Mayor will do it all over again.
(10/23/95 9:00am)
Editor's Note: With the upcoming mayoral election November 7, The Daily Pennsylvanian presents a look at Republican challenger Joe Rocks. Reporter Lisa Levenson met with the former state senator earlier this month. Former Pennsylvania state Sen. Joe Rocks is in the race of his political life: A Republican running against a popular incumbent mayor in a traditionally Democratic city. By virtue of his party affiliation, Rocks has a minimal support base and name recognition to match. He is also battling Mayor Ed Rendell, who in the past four years has managed to bring the city back from the brink of fiscal insolvency. It's just after 10 a.m., and the Domino Diner on Umbria Street is bustling with a crowd of regulars. Rocks and press secretary Dale Wilcox are at a table in the front, smoking and talking to a campaign worker. Coffee cups, saucers, empty creamer tubs and sugar packets litter the table. Wilcox is intently revising a position paper on citywide educational reform, but Rocks is ready to talk. The son of a firefighter -- a fact he brings up repeatedly during a 45-minute interview -- Rocks was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1978. He served two terms there, followed by another two in the state Senate. After leaving state government, Rocks worked in business. But running for mayor, he said, was "always going to be my ultimate challenge?my final public passion." Although political pundits have been proclaiming Rendell's virtual invincibility since the start of the campaign, almost all of the city's public safety organizations have endorsed Rocks. Rocks said he believes this support is a result of his placing improved public safety at the top of his priority list, followed by better labor-management relations, increased economic development and revitalization of public education in the city. According to Rocks, the city's police and fire departments have been "decimated by the Rendell administration," in terms of manpower, morale, starting salaries, disability benefits and equipment. Rocks called the contract that city workers negotiated with the Rendell administration "punishing." "Every mayor develops a style, and Rendell's was to run around at public events and leave the management of the city to [Rendell Chief of Staff] David Cohen, and the combination of Rendell and Cohen became mean-spirited?in that they fight their work force," he said. Rocks also criticized the mayor for failing to develop a sturdy partnership with all of the city's workers, who he said are responsible for the health and safety of more than a million people every day. The citizens of Philadelphia need to be treated as customers, Rocks said. This may not be a new idea, but it is one that he believes has not been taken seriously by city administrators. "Making people respect and understand each other and come to a workable solution is a very important role for government to be in," Rocks explained. "In the end, there will be a larger price tag on Rendell's broken relationship with the workers in Philadelphia than there ever would have been from negotiating and treating them fairly." Rocks said he realizes that Philadelphia is not yet fiscally secure, and that for that reason, the city's next mayor will still have to make some difficult choices about how to best allocate limited funds. And despite Rendell's budgetary success to date, Rocks said 44 years of Democratic rule is enough. "Any team in politics that is left in charge too long will by the nature of politics begin to act arrogantly, will become more preoccupied with the political dealings that go on," he said. Rocks also found fault with the current state of the city's public schools, which he said have "the most bloated bureaucracy in the country." "If we don't improve public education in Philadelphia, we are writing off an entire generation," he said. "I want to be the mayor that's accountable."
(10/19/95 9:00am)
First-year Social Work student Lawrence Zuckerman died Tuesday of complications from Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, Assistant Vice Provost for University Life Barbara Cassel said yesterday. Funeral services for Zuckerman, a 1995 College graduate, were held yesterday in his hometown of New York City. Cassel said she had secured a bus to transport the "40-some" students who wanted to attend the services and burial. Most knew Zuckerman through his deep involvement in the Hillel Foundation. Brian Zuckerman said his brother was also an avid Penn basketball fan, to the point that he checked himself out of the hospital during his sophomore year -- against the advice of doctors who were treating him for an infection -- to see the Penn-Princeton game. Lawrence Zuckerman had struggled for years with Duchenne's, a degenerative genetic disease that causes progressive wasting of muscle tissue, said Evelyn Wiener, who is associate director of clinical medicine at Student Health. Zuckerman's death was ultimately caused by pneumonia, she added, which "was an unexpectedly sudden development in an illness which we knew could be serious." The pneumonia was fatal because Duchenne's weakens the heart, lungs and chest muscles of its victims. "Typically, it is a disease that many of the people who have it don't survive past their late teens or early twenties," Wiener said. Wiener was Zuckerman's physician at the University, but she credits the entire staff of Student Health and Zuckerman's New York pulmonologist with designing and carrying out a care plan that helped him achieve as much as he did. Despite his physical limitations, Zuckerman received a bachelor's degree in history from the University in May. "Last year at graduation, he was incredibly, incredibly proud that he could lead the procession from Superblock to Franklin Field," Brian Zuckerman said. "[Lawrence] marched up front with all the class officials, and he led everyone in. He was so proud to be able to do that, and we were all so proud of him for being able to do it," he added. Cassel described Zuckerman's perseverance in the face of adversity as "amazing," adding that she had worked with Zuckerman and his family since his freshman year to ensure that the University accommodated his needs. College senior Andrew Monfried assisted Zuckerman with many of the necessities of daily living -- such as taking medication and using the bathroom -- through an arrangement with the University's Office of Affirmative Action. Monfried said that despite Zuckerman's advancing illness, he was able to get around campus in his motorized wheelchair and was also able to take notes in class. Zuckerman did not always have to use a wheelchair, Wiener said. She ascribed his relative longevity to high personal motivation and strong family support. "I think it is a real tribute that he came to Penn," she said. "It would have been easy for him to have stayed at home and gone to college up in New York, but when he came to Penn he really had to put together his own structure for support and assistance to help him with things." Brian Zuckerman said his brother was "a fighter." He fondly remembered Lawrence telling him about a speech he gave last year to other disabled students, in which he encouraged them to go to college away from home, despite the challenges presented by an unfamiliar environment. "He was an inspiration to others to achieve, and to try, and to strive, and to go toward college, and make it all the way to becoming as 'normal' and productive members of society as they could," Brian Zuckerman said. "We are proud of him and will miss him."
(10/12/95 9:00am)
Eric 3 will be new practice site A recent agreement between Student Performing Arts and University City Associates will allow Performing Arts Council groups to rehearse in the now-closed Eric 3 Theater on 40th Street. UCA, the University's for-profit real estate corporation, agreed this week to permit PAC groups to use the space for a nominal fee, according to Laura Hammons, SPA administrative assistant. The precise amount of the fee -- which will cover electricity and other basic operating costs -- has not yet been finalized, said PAC Chairperson Pat Ede, a Wharton and Engineering senior. But Real Estate Director Chris Mason, who is also president of UCA, said "it is not a dollars and cents issue at this point." He added that UCA is in a unique position to help accommodate PAC's needs because it is an arm of the University. Discussions leading to this week's deal occurred throughout the summer, under the direction of then-SPA Coordinator Kathryn Helene, Hammons said. She added that the agreement between UCA and SPA extends only until the end of October, because the University wants the theater to remain marketable as a commercial property. Provost Stanley Chodorow agreed, saying that the administration is not certain how the Eric 3 will be used in the future. Mason ruled out the possibility of it reopening as a movie theater. Chodorow described the available spaces as "pretty crude," with sloping floors. He said he does not believe they would be suitable for performances. Ede said groups that want to use the Eric 3 for rehearsal will have to sign waivers stating that they are holding activities there at their own risk. Hammons said six groups have already expressed interest in the theater -- including Stimulus Children's Theater, Penn Players, Intuitons, Quadramics, the Theater Arts Department and African Rhythms. She added that she expects these groups to have their waivers in by the end of this week, so that rehearsals can begin after fall break. Earlier this month, the University purchased the First Church of Christ Scientist, located at 4012 Walnut St. Administrators announced that the facility would be earmarked for performing arts use. But after touring the church, members of various PAC groups said that in its present condition the church will not meet their needs. In 1987, when the University first proposed buying the church, administrators proposed using it as a new home for the Music Department. Music Professor Gary Tomlinson, who was serving as department chairperson at the time, said earlier this week that faculty members did not feel the space was appropriate for their needs.
(10/11/95 9:00am)
A proposal for University-sponsored, non-alcoholic parties at FUBAR -- advanced by club owner Jim Millspaugh and InterFraternity Council President David Treat -- is now being considered by a sub-group of the University's Drug and Alcohol Task Force. But at a meeting last week, members of the task force raised substantial concerns about the proposal, according to Ron Jasner, assistant director of risk management at the University, causing Treat to revise his original stance on the project. The task force's main concern is the nightclub's name, according to Assistant Vice Provost for University Life Barbara Cassel, who chairs the task force. FUBAR, located at 38th and Chestnuts streets, is an acronym that supposedly stands for "Fucked-Up Beyond All Recognition." Millspaugh said the name was chosen as part of a "marketing technique." "It's a little bit difficult for [Millspaugh] to urge us to sponsor activities at that establishment that are to be non-alcoholic in light of the name," Jasner said. "It just doesn't lend a lot of credibility." Treat, who worked at FUBAR until Monday night, said he brought Millspaugh to the meeting because he felt FUBAR presented an opportunity to have more substance-free programming close to campus. "I had been excited about having a new place on campus to utilize, and I helped present it as an option," Treat said. However, reactions of other task force members and conversations with some friends helped change Treat's mind about the proposal, he said. "I don't think it's feasible or a good idea anymore," Treat explained. "I think it would be wrong to associate non-alcoholic programming with a venue that for the other six days of the week is centered around the use of alcohol." But Wharton senior Jon Brightbill, president of the Drug and Alcohol Resource Team, contends that Treat's turnabout has another motivation. Brightbill said a fraternity brother told him that Treat and other IFC brothers were receiving perks -- such as FUBAR gold cards entitling them to front-line position at the door, and coupons for free food from Abner's -- in exchange for promoting the club to the University community. Treat called the cards a "promotional idea." He added that leaders of student groups at a number of local campuses had received the cards because Millspaugh thought they would then encourage their members to patronize the facility. Millspaugh gave the same explanation when asked about the gold cards, which he said are available to anyone who regularly visits the club and has proper identification. "I don't think that anybody should be held accountable for trying to better their business," he said. "I elected to be here because I wanted to promote myself to the Penn and Drexel [University] crowds." Millspaugh added that the IFC is not receiving special treatment from the club in order to thank Treat for promoting the non-alcoholic party proposal to the task force. Accusations to that effect "outrage me," the club owner said. "I don't pay anybody to do anything other than their job." Neither Millspaugh nor Cassel were aware that Treat had changed his position on using FUBAR as a location for non-alcoholic parties. "If Dave Treat, who actually brought this to our attention, is no longer supporting it, I feel the task force would not be in a position to support it either," she said. The task force's next meeting is November 1. Cassel said the subgroup looking at the FUBAR proposal should have a preliminary report or recommendation at that time.
(10/10/95 9:00am)
Mayor Ed Rendell brought his vision for Philadelphia to the University yesterday, speaking at the Law School and then visiting campus dining halls to register student voters. Rendell's speech was sponsored by the Penn Law Democrats. About 100 supporters -- mostly graduate students -- attended, nearly filling an auditorium in Tannenbaum Hall. Rendell, a University alumnus, began by reflecting briefly on his undergraduate career but then launched right into campaign rhetoric. The mayor explained that he was elected in 1991 as "the doctor to a very sick patient." At the time, the city was teetering on the edge of financial ruin, which Rendell described as "a bullet wound to the chest," and was also suffering from the "cancer" of an economic downturn. "Unless we cured the fiscal problems, nothing else would matter," he said. For this reason, Rendell's priority during his first term has been balancing the budget -- without raising taxes or cutting city services. He achieved this feat by imposing a 30-month wage freeze on city workers in 1992, a move that has resulted in continuing animosity from municipal unions. Yet Rendell said the city's work force has been slimmed by 1,500 through attrition over the past four years. He also cited a slew of statistics showing that city services have improved. The opening of additional recreation centers, more frequent trash collection, refurbished playgrounds, additional police and firefighters and increased library hours topped the mayor's list of accomplishments. Rendell also said he plans to gradually reduce the city's wage tax for the first time in a decade, and the gross receipts tax -- for the first time since World War II -- over the next five years, because current budget projections show increasing surpluses. But the continued migration of city residents to the suburbs has the mayor concerned, as does the increasing prevalence of poverty and dearth of jobs within the city's limits. "We can't keep losing jobs and gaining poor people who draw on our services," he said, criticizing nearby municipalities who have in the past deposited their homeless just inside Philadelphia's boundaries. After the mayor's speech, audience members tossed questions to him, inquiring about his interaction with the unions, the state and federal government and the city's neighborhoods. "The thing that makes government work the best at any level is fixed accountability," he said, when asked what can be done to fix the city's public schools. Currently, the school board is appointed by the mayor, but because members' terms are staggered, Rendell will not have a majority until December -- the end of his first term. Rendell also spoke about the potential revenues that could be realized through riverboat gambling, and the prestige the Avenue of the Arts will bring to the city when completed. After the question-and-answer session, Rendell shook hands at a Law School reception and worked the tables in the Hill House and Castle dining halls. The mayor explained to students that they can be registered to vote at both their home and school addresses, as long as they do not vote more than once in an election. Engineering sophomore Renee Deehan and College freshman Jay Mather, both Boston natives, said they would "definitely not" have registered without the mayor's encouragement. But College freshman Sophie Stein was more cynical, questioning the mayor's motivation for visiting the dining hall. She said she would register, although she does not plan to vote for the mayor in November. "I don't know what he stands for," she said, explaining her decision. Today is the last day any city resident can register to vote in next month's general election. College Democrats will have registration cards available on Locust Walk in front of Steinberg-Dietrich Hall all afternoon.
(09/29/95 9:00am)
Accompanied by the clicking and whirring of cameras, University President Judith Rodin and Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell brought good wishes to the third annual reception for Mayor's Scholars, held at City Hall yesterday afternoon. Twenty-three of the 36 Mayor's Scholars in the Class of 1999 attended the reception, organized by the University to recognize their achievements. Friends and family members, as well as local dignitaries, were also on hand for the celebration. Mayor's Scholars represent the "best of the best of the Philadelphia crew that was accepted" to the University, Rendell said. Each receives a financial aid package of about $19,000 per year -- without any loan obligations. This year, the group represents 14 city high schools -- public, private and parochial -- and 20 zip codes, Rodin said. A total of 126 Philadelphians accepted offers of admission into the University's Class of 1999. "To have won a Mayor's Scholarship is a tremendous achievement," Rendell said, characterizing the scholarship program as one of the best in the nation. Both Rendell and Rodin are University alumni. They graduated one year apart, and were friendly during their time on campus in the 1960s. "You have chosen a remarkable university," Rodin told the students and their guests. "We're very proud that you have come to Penn." She also highlighted the financial aid package offered to Mayor's Scholars, saying it sets a model for all of American higher education. Rodin encouraged the scholars to give back to the city after graduation. Each scholar was then presented with a certificate making the scholarship official. After the ceremony, attendees milled about the elegantly decorated Mayor's Reception Room, eating and talking excitedly as somber portraits of former Philadelphia mayors looked down on them. College freshman Kristen Tustin, a scholar from South Philadelphia, said she was "really excited" when she learned that she had won a scholarship. Her mother, Josephine Tustin, said the University had been Kristen's first choice school, although the family had visited more than 30 campuses. "From the moment she saw it, she was in love with it," Josephine Tustin said. "I feel better knowing that she's so close to home." Maria Smith, mother of Nursing freshman Dennis Smith, a scholar from Northeast Philadelphia, said she was more excited than her son when the family found out he had won a scholarship. "I can't believe that we've been this fortunate," she said. Because Dennis is one of five children, Maria said she and her husband would not have been able to send him to the University without the scholarship.
(09/29/95 9:00am)
Documents filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court this week reveal that the University has submitted a claim for $1.55 million against the bankrupt Foundation for New Era Philanthropy. The filing comes as somewhat of a surprise since administrators said this summer that the University actually profited from its investments with the Radnor, Pa.-based charity. According to a report published by The Chronicle of Higher Education in June, the University had invested $3.95 million with New Era and had received $6.05 million in return, for an apparent net gain of $2.1 million. University spokesperson Barbara Beck said these amounts "are in flux and are subject to question" until the University's auditors have completed their work. "We have no way of knowing right now how we stack up and how other organizations stack up in comparison," she said, explaining the apparent discrepancy between the University's investment and the amount it claims it is owed. The University's claim was filed on Monday, the deadline date imposed by Bankruptcy Judge Bruce Fox earlier this month. To date, 466 claims have been filed against New Era by various individuals, colleges and foundations, totaling more than $300 million. New Era had accumulated donations by promising nonprofit groups that it would double their investments in six months. The charity declared bankruptcy in May. Investigators have since alleged that New Era operated as an elaborate pyramid scheme, with its president, James Bennett, Jr., paying off old investors with proceeds from new groups. Beck said she did not know when the auditors will be finished examining the University's financial dealings with New Era. University General Counsel Shelley Green, who is handling these proceedings, referred all questions to Beck. Morton Branzburg, the Center City lawyer listed on court documents as a representative of the University's Board of Trustees, did not return telephone calls yesterday. Some schools and institutions that received payouts from New Era, such as the University of South Florida, suggest in court documents that they would be willing to return the monies they were given because of the staggering losses many New Era investors have sustained. Beck said the University will cooperate with any directives of this nature issued by Judge Fox. "We will not seek to benefit at the hands of another charity," she said. "Rather than benefit, at the appropriate time we will contribute, if asked, money to an equitable resolution of the whole matter." The New Era collapse has not changed the University's investment strategy, Beck added. Bankruptcy Court clerks said yesterday they did not know if the flood of claims filed on Monday had been fully entered into the court docket. As a result, the total number of recorded claims against New Era -- and the dollar figure for losses -- may rise again.
(09/29/95 9:00am)
Penn students will get an up-close view of Philadelphia politics next month, when Democratic Mayor Ed Rendell and his Republican challenger, Joe Rocks, discuss their visions for the city's future at an on-campus debate. A bipartisan coalition of campus political groups is sponsoring the debate, which is slated for October 23, according to Wharton senior Dan Debicella, the chairperson of College Republicans. This debate is the first of the fall campaign season to be announced. College senior Eric Roberson, president of College Democrats, said the debate will be held at 5 p.m. in the Annenberg Center's Harold Prince Theatre. Together, College Democrats and College Republicans have about 150 members on campus, Roberson said. But because most Penn students are not Philadelphia residents, interest in local elections has typically been minimal. Rendell's large lead in the polls -- combined with Rocks's virtual anonymity in West Philadelphia -- has not helped spark student interest either. But Roberson remains confident that "a pretty good crowd" will turn out for the debate. He added that although college students are often considered politically apathetic, his group's members are excited about the debate. Rocks's press secretary, Dale Wilcox, said the Republican candidate is looking forward to next month's debate. "We've said from the very beginning that we want to have as many debates -- forums of a head-to-head nature -- throughout the city, anywhere and everywhere, to get to the real issues in the campaign," Wilcox said. Rocks's three main concerns -- improving public safety, increasing the city's affordability and reforming public education -- have a universal appeal for students at an urban school like Penn, Wilcox added. Debicella said he began working last spring to bring the mayoral candidates to campus. He ironed out the last of the debate details this week. According to Debicella, both candidates have agreed to a format which includes brief opening statements of about two minutes each, questions from a three- to five-member panel, questions from the audience and closing statements of approximately five minutes. The debate will last for just over an hour, with the question-and-answer sessions each allotted a half-hour. Debicella said he would like local media personalities to serve as panelists for the debate. He has contacted reporters at The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News, but has not received any commitments. University President Judith Rodin has also been invited to serve on the panel. According to Debicella, she has not indicated whether she will do so. Debicella asked Annenberg School Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson to moderate the debate. But Jamieson said Wednesday that scheduling conflicts will prevent her from participating. With additional advance notice, she might have been able to accommodate Debicella's request, she added. "At this point in the semester, day by day, [my schedule] is pretty tight," she said. "It would've been fun." Roberson said College Democrats is already gearing up for the November general election, although it is more than a month away. Working with the Rendell campaign and Penn Law Democrats, the group recently kicked off a two-week voter registration drive aimed at signing up as many new voters on campus as possible. Members of both College Democrats and Penn Law Democrats will be manning a table on Locust Walk in front of Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. They will distribute registration forms for students who are not on the election rolls in Philadelphia, as well as change-of-address cards for students who are already registered to vote in their hometowns. College Republicans may join College Democrats in this effort, Roberson said. Voter registration ends October 10.
(09/27/95 9:00am)
Chair calls space 'useless' The interior of the First Church of Christ Scientist on Walnut Street will not be suitable for most performing arts purposes, members of the University's arts community said last night. "The performance space is absolutely useless to us," said Performing Arts Council Chairperson Pat Ede, who viewed the site along with 20 other PAC members last night. "Our conclusion is basically if it's anything involving more than one instrument or one voice, the acoustics are just too muddy." University President Judith Rodin announced earlier this month that the University is purchasing the church with the intention of transforming it into a performing arts facility. Though generally dissatisfied, Ede said the church may not be a total loss. There is an area available behind the sanctuary that would work well as office space or rehearsal rooms, and there are 10 to 12 rooms on the church's lower level that could serve as offices. Ede, a Wharton and Engineering senior, added that the sanctuary's high, domed ceilings create a disturbing echo that would mar most vocal performances. Acoustical enhancement devices would help, he said, but they represent an expensive proposition. "No one should consider [the church] a solution to our problems," Ede said. In his view, a cappella groups in particular would probably find using the new space "out of the question." Still, the space on the church's ground floor could be used for storage of costumes or props, he said. One area inside the church is large enough to house the scenery shop now located in the basement of Irvine Auditorium. But Ede said he would not advocate such a plan because that space would then be unavailable for other activities. Plans for the Perelman Quadrangle assume that the basement of Irvine will be available for use and may necessitate moving scenery shop, Ede added. For this reason, Ede advocates the purchase of the Eric 3 movie theater on 40th Street. He said he believes that problems with the technical aspects of student productions will continue with or without the availability of space in the Perelman Quad. "A cappella [groups] can rehearse in someone's living room," he explained. But the arrangements theater groups require, because of their props and scenery, are more complicated. Office of Student Life Activities and Facilities Director Fran Walker was also on the tour. She said the area behind the sanctuary is a "lovely," well-maintained, carpeted space that could seat up to 125 people for an intimate performance. Walker added that although the building was designed as a church, and therefore best suited for one person preaching from an elevated altar, "it fills some of the needs that student performing arts groups have, and in that sense it's certainly better than what we have now." Annenberg Center Lighting Coordinator Robert Drago, who works with a number of the 33 PAC groups, saw the church yesterday as well. He was more optimistic about the new space. "It is gorgeous and with some modifications can possibly be made into a performance space," he said. "There are people out there that are trained to turn practically anything into a theater, and they have, and they'd be able to work with what the space is."
(09/25/95 9:00am)
Tradition is a big part of life at the University -- look at the reverence accorded to Spring Fling, Hey Day, Commencement, Alumni Weekend, the ritual singing of "The Red and Blue" after sporting events, and the ever-popular toast throwing at football games. But just off campus, the businesses that occupy storefronts in the heart of the University City shopping district harbor as much history as the hallowed halls of campus buildings. The first-ever Urban Outfitters, for example, opened at in 1970 at 4307 Locust St. -- next door to another Penn institution, Koch's Take Out Shop. The offbeat store's founder, Richard Hayne, graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in anthropology. Hayne had a friend in the Wharton MBA program who encouraged him to open Urban Outfitters, according to Siobhan Knox, assistant to the chain's chief financial officer. The "fashion-forward" store moved in 1976 to its current location, inside the Warehouse at 4040 Locust St., she said. There are now 22 Urban Outfitters stores nationwide, Knox added, primarily on the East and West coasts but also in college towns like Ann Arbor, Mich. and Madison, Wis. "The recipe [for Urban Outfitters] is a major metropolitan area with a large university population," she added, explaining the philosophy company executives use when they are searching for new locations. "We never do malls, we look for sites that have a lot of walk-through traffic, foot traffic and high density of apartment residences," Knox said. "Also, it's not only where students go to school, it's where they live and shop." Although Urban Outfitters is currently known for its wide selection of '70s apparel and retro, inexpensive-but-hip home furnishings, it wasn't always that way, according to Knox. "We're not a retro shop per se," she said, adding that when the store opened, it sold mostly jeans and T-shirts, not relics from the '40s and '50s. "We sell whatever is fashionable and trendy." Down the block from Urban Outfitters, at 208 S. 40th St., is Smokey Joe's, which bills itself as "University City's most famous bar and restaurant." Walk a bit farther, to where 40th Street intersects with Walnut Street, and two more long-standing businesses come into view. To the left, at 4034 Walnut St., is one of the 20 Lee's Hoagie House franchises in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Owner Jan Zucker, who recently celebrated his shop's 10th anniversary, said he chose to open in University City because he wanted to be on a college campus and felt the University had the "most advantageous location" of any school in the city or suburbs. Zucker said that although he has an accounting degree, he has been working in the food-service business for 34 years and has seen many changes during that time -- most notably, a desire for more healthy food. While Urban Outfitters has secured a niche with its unique -- even odd -- blend of merchandise and industrial ambiance, Zucker said he has been forced to contend with increasing competition from restaurants not on campus when Lee's opened in 1985. Despite the competition and fears Zucker said the University fosters in new students about crossing 40th Street, he and his wife "plan on being here for a very long time." His manager has been with the store since opening day, and many employees have worked at Lee's for a number of years. "We've been to weddings of students, baby showers," Zucker said, adding that he and his employees pride themselves on knowing what regular customers like to eat. "We love it -- it's fun -- that's what makes coming to work every day enjoyable." Look right from the corner of 40th and Walnut streets, just past PNC Bank, and another University City landmark comes into view. Stanley Shapiro's Campus Copy Center has been in University City -- in various incarnations -- since 1959. The business started as a photography studio, Shapiro said. He then added copy machines, typesetting and offset printing in 1972, in a four-story building that has since been demolished. "Campus Copy Center as you know it today opened in 1990," Shapiro said. He's all but given up photography at this point -- but he still does instant passport photos. A second Campus Copy location opened in 1983 at 3736 Walnut St.; it closed last year and will reopen across the street October 2 at 3733 Walnut St., in the University's newest parking garage. Campus Copy is a family-owned business, Shapiro said. He and his wife both work at the store and his son Ronald serves as general manager. "We want to keep it family, keep our hand on it," he added. However, 15 non-family employees keep the place running, and most have worked at Campus Copy for five or more years. Shapiro said that like Zucker, he has had to deal with increased competition over the years -- not only from Kinko's Copies just two doors away, but also from Wharton Reprographics and University Copy Service. At 3741 Walnut St., two doors from the Campus Copy location that will open next month, is Joseph Anthony Hairstyling, which is now celebrating its 50th year on campus. Owner Anthony Voci said his father came from Pittsburgh in 1945 to open the barber shop's first location at 3645 Walnut St. Voci joined his father in business in 1957, then opened his own shop at 40th and Spruce streets in1960. He moved to a storefront at 3738 Walnut St. in 1968, and just a month ago relocated to his current space. Although it seems that he's moved as many times as hairstyles have changed during the past few decades, students, faculty, staff and neighborhood residents haven't forgotten him, Voci said. "I was raised here, I worked here all my life, and I enjoy the campus very much," he said. "I've met a lot of nice people -- I wouldn't think of working anywhere but here." Even the opening of competing salons in the area hasn't impacted him, he added. "I just take care of my own business -- we do the best we can here."
(09/22/95 9:00am)
Engineering junior Andrew Apple used to be a registered Democrat. But after the so-called "Republican Revolution" of last fall's elections and the congressional battle over the Contract with America this spring, Apple decided to switch his registration. "The Democratic party is too disorganized," Apple explained. Some might call him a turncoat, and question his commitment to GOP ideology. But one point-and-click on the World Wide Web toward Apple's home page should make all of those doubts disappear. While Campaign '96 has barely begun, Apple has been maintaining one of the country's two unofficial "Bob Dole for President" sites on the Internet since April. Beau Benjamin Bruce, a student at Georgia Institute of Technology, maintains the other site. Apple said he started compiling his home page because he noticed that there were "a few generic information pages" about Dole (R-Kan.) on the Web, but "nothing substantial." Creating the page didn't take that long, he added, but fine-tuning its colors and backgrounds was tricky. "I didn't want it to look like one of those Netscape extension-type pages that jump out and kill you," Apple said, emphasizing the importance of keeping the site simple enough for most Web-browsing software to pull up without crashing. The project began with only 10 hypertext links, but "kept growing from there, and now it's a monster," Apple said. Although he is an Engineering student, Apple's major is bioengineering, and the home page is something he's developed for "fun and stress relief," he said. About every two weeks, Apple updates the page, adding four or five new links. At this point, almost everything in cyberspace about the Senate's majority leader, his political career and his presidential aspirations already resides on Apple's portion of the Engineering School's Web server. "The guy clearly has too much time on his hands," said Dole for President spokesperson Nelson Warfield, when asked to comment about Apple's home page. The page is divided into numerous separate sections, ranging from trivia presented in a question-and-answer format to the full text of some of Dole's more memorable speeches. Apple said he has gotten most of this information from other on-line sources, but typed in two speeches he received from from Dole's campaign headquarters word by word. The home page even has links to articles written about Dole in Spanish-language newspapers, Apple said. It also includes both positive and negative information about Dole, which Apple said has resulted in some flak from Dole supporters. So far, Apple's home page has received virtual visitors from as far away as New Zealand, Australia, Sweden and Japan. Apple has had political science majors ask him for help on their theses, he said. And his site has been mentioned in national publications such as WebReview. Apple does not think he will be able to devote as much time to the home page this semester, since he is a pre-med student enrolled in organic chemistry. But he expects to spend about an hour each week answering e-mail from the approximately 70 people who subscribe to his Bob Dole mailing list. Dole for President will unveil its official Web site on September 26, and the address will be "http://www.dole96.com". Information provided by the campaign states that the site will be "the most cutting-edge and interactive of any of the presidential contenders." Apple's site can be accessed at "http://www.seas.upenn.edu/~lapple/bobdole.nscape.html".
(09/21/95 9:00am)
But PAC chair concerned that space is too big Performing arts groups will finally have a home at the University, in the form of the First Church of Christ Scientist at 4013 Walnut Street, University President Judith Rodin announced yesterday. But Performing Arts Council Chairperson Pat Ede, a Wharton and Engineering senior, said said he is concerned that the church's 1,200-seat sanctuary may be too big for some of the University's performing arts groups. And the pews that are currently installed for audience members do not represent the best possible seating arrangement, he said. "I'm not going to be too picky in the short run, but it's no Zellerbach," he said. Still, Ede said he is reserving judgement on the space as a whole, as he has yet to see the church's interior. "Any additional space would be helpful, but whether it will be actually be useful as a performance space remains to be seen," he said. Last week, Mary Epstein, the church's congregation president, said that in 1987 an acoustical consulting firm concluded that the church would be well suited to house performing arts. Rodin said that within the next week, she will form a "large-scale committee" of students and other members of the University community who have an interest in the arts to decide how best to allocate space within the church and the eagerly awaited Perelman Quadrangle. The students will probably be selected by the Nominations and Elections Committee and PAC, she said. The number of students that will serve on the committee has not yet been determined. Rodin said the committee will address two central concerns -- how to best accommodate the arts while work on Perelman Quad progresses, and how to integrate the arts with other kinds of campus activities. On its second floor, for example, the church has offices that could be converted to meeting rooms or rehearsal space for student groups. But, said Rodin, "the basement needs work." She said the University plans to put off as many renovations as possible until the summer. "We'd rather have it accessible for students to use," she said. Rodin said she does not want the church to become the only "hub" of performing arts on campus. "That's why I want a committee, because this is the time to really think about it strategically," she explained. "Knowing that we have Perelman now, how are we going to in the short-term serve the community?" According to Rodin, the University needs the space in both the church and the Perelman Quad to make its performing arts facilities truly "first rate." In addition, she said, safety on Walnut Street between 40th and 41st streets -- an issue of particular concern to members of the six Greek groups with houses on that block -- may increase with additional student usage of the church. The committee that Rodin will appoint next week will also work with the Council of Undergraduate Deans to implement ideas about the arts on campus generated by the 21st Century Project on the Undergraduate Experience.
(09/20/95 9:00am)
For just over two weeks last spring, Philadelphia writers Cathy Crimmins and Tom Maeder locked themselves away from family and friends. They worked feverishly to finish a compact, 95-page volume of politically incorrect satire, entitled Newt Gingrich's Bedtime Stories for Orphans. Dove Books published Bedtime Stories at the end of July, and it is currently in its third printing, according to Dove spokesperson Wendy Walker. The book has sold more than 25,000 copies. Crimmins and Maeder have been promoting it through bookstore visits and more than 40 radio interviews. The idea for Bedtime Stories developed last spring, Crimmins said, as she and Maeder watched Speaker of the House Gingrich and his Republican band take control of the halls of Congress. At first, they worried that they might not have enough material to write a thoroughly funny book. But then the Speaker began talking about Boys' Town and orphanages as a solution to single-parent families on welfare -- and it wasn't long before they grabbed their pens and started scribbling. In the interest of equal opportunity, though, the book also roasts President Clinton, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and former White House Communications Director George Stephanopoulos. The authors nearly drove everyone crazy during the writing process, said Crimmins, who is teaching Advanced Non-Fiction Writing at the University this fall. "It was very exhilarating to have something out that quickly," Maeder added. Bedtime Stories represents the latest collaborative effort for Crimmins and Maeder. The pair met at an informal writers' group about nine years ago, he said, where members did more drinking and complaining about their publishers than work. Since then, the group has dwindled from 10 members to four -- and Crimmins said she's still eager to publish a "serious book." "It's not for lack of trying," she added. Crimmins studied Old and Middle English at the University for a dissertation she has since put on hold. Her stable of published titles includes mostly humor works, such as The Secret World of Men and When My Parents Were My Age, They Were Old. "Cathy Crimmins is a cunning aphorist," English Undergraduate Chairperson Al Filreis said. "She takes what seems natural in the language of popular culture, then makes it seem odd and strange, and then twists it verbally into a truism." Maeder, on the other hand, majored in biology at Columbia University, then took some graduate courses at Penn. He has written extensively about the pharmaceutical industry, and he and Crimmins have also produced an educational CD-ROM about Thomas Edison and various museum exhibits, he said. "We like to do lots of things at the same time," Maeder added. "We get bored if we don't work." Crimmins said that once she and Maeder found they could write about Gingrich from a coherent point of view, they plunged into this assignment. In fact, Gingrich himself ordered 20 copies of the book -- and some bookstore owners think the Speaker wrote it. "Apparently, he likes anything to do with himself," Maeder quipped. Crimmins and Maeder split up the writing duties for Bedtime Stories, then swapped drafts of sections like "The Three Little Pigs and the Perils of Subsidized Housing," "School Lunch Hot, School Lunch Cold" and "Where Has Genny Flowers Gone?" for comments and editing. But by the time the manuscript was ready for publication, it was too late to include "Packwood's Playhouse" and "Mr. Robertson's Neighborhood," Maeder said. The duo will write three more books in the same humorous vein for Dove in the next year. They would not disclose the identities of their next targets, but Maeder admitted that he and Crimmins are working on "a spoof of a perennial best-seller -- of the world's most-famous novel."
(09/19/95 9:00am)
Speaking to a crowd of enthusiastic young Democrats in Philadelphia yesterday, President Bill Clinton reviewed his accomplishments in office and lashed out against Republican critics. Clinton and Vice President Al Gore were in town to kick off the second fund-raising leg of their re-election effort. They first appeared at a $100-a-person dinner, sponsored by Young Democrats for Action & Education, and later spoke at a $1,000-a-plate event, both of which combined to raise more than $50,000 for the candidates' war chest. "The reason that you are here is that we have given this country a new direction, to bring ourselves together and look toward the future, to keep tackling our real economic challenges and to try to find ways to liberate and empower Americans in areas that have been too long ignored," the president said to the excited group of supporters. Clinton's day-long visit to the city included time with church and community leaders in West Philadelphia, and discussions about the redevelopment of the now-closed Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Mayor Ed Rendell and U.S. Representative Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.) joined the 400 Young Democrats to welcome Clinton and Gore to the city. Several University students and alumni were among those in attendance. In a ballroom filled with red, white and blue balloons, the local politicians drummed up support for the Clinton administration in light of fierce opposition to the Democratic agenda from the Republican-controlled Congress. "Here in Philadelphia, we have not given up on the American dream," Fattah said, highlighting a central theme of the evening. The Young Democrats formed about a month ago, and last night's fund raiser was the group's first event. Although many doubted the possibility of hosting a successful large function so soon after its founding, Chairperson Lisa Dykstra said "nothing has been more impressive than the spirit that I've seen from people here." Gore remarked on the need for the group to stay active in politics. "To see young professionals who are taking a special responsibility in helping our nation make the right decisions about our future is cause for consistent optimism," he said. The vice president also spoke on issues of great concern to the crowd, vilifying Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) for trying to cut student loans, educational and social programs such as job-training initiatives, and funding for scientific research. Gore described Gingrich's proposals as "appalling," and said they represent "a victory thus far in their party for ideological zealotry over common sense." While Clinton joined Gore in criticizing Republicans, his speech focused on the great changes currently affecting the nation and the world. The president reviewed his achievements to date, emphasizing his administration's record on job creation, unemployment, wages and the stock market's ascent to new heights. He also urged those in the audience to talk to their friends, family members and co-workers about his administration's successes, saying that "the worst thing they can do is take a quick, easy, simple, wrong answer" like the one offered by the Republicans to balance the budget. "We can build a majority for positive, constructive change in this country, if you do what you can," he said. "We'll have a great victory next November, and the American people will be the winners." Clinton will visit seven more cities this week in order to keep contributions rolling in to his 1996 presidential campaign war chest. Other stops include Miami, Denver, San Francisco and Los Angeles. If the campaign is able to raise the $4.2 million it expects from the planned fund-raising events, Clinton's re-election fund could reach $18 million by the end of the month. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
(09/15/95 9:00am)
Republican mayoral candidate Joe Rocks released his plan for education reform in Philadelphia yesterday, supporting school choice, mayoral control of the school budget and the dismantling of the school district's bureaucracy. "In Philadelphia, we must have the vision and courage to try bold, new approaches to ensure that every child is educated at levels equal to those of our suburban neighbors," the plan states. If elected, Rocks says he would create a School Police Force, composed of retired Philadelphia Police Officers, to deal with crimes committed inside the city's schools. He would pay these officers through an augmentation of their pension plan. Rocks also advocates altering the system of discipline used in the city's schools. He would institute a network of "motivational schools" in each section of the city designed to cut the truancy rate and eliminate the need for suspensions -- which he says are ineffective punishments for disruptive students. Saving taxpayer dollars is another main theme of the Rocks campaign. Within the educational arena, Rocks says he would accomplish this goal by creating an "Education Cabinet," composed of the Superintendent and Managing Director of the city's schools, the President Judge of Family Court, and the commissioners of the city's Health, Human Services and Recreation departments. Savings would also be realized by providing crucial social services -- such as health-care clinics and day-care centers -- on-site at city schools. Rocks would also cut the number of executive management positions within the school district's administration by more than half, and would slash the number of directors and assistant directors by two-thirds. A former state Senator and state Representative, Rocks sponsored legislation that tightened teacher certification requirements and helped write the Vo-Tech Equipment Act while serving in the General Assembly.
(09/15/95 9:00am)
jSpace may be allocated for student use The University is in the process of purchasing the First Church of Christ Scientist, located at 4012 Walnut Street, Real Estate Director Chris Mason confirmed yesterday. The space inside the building, which includes a 1,200-seat main auditorium, will probably be earmarked for student use, Mason said. The University has not decided which student groups will get to use the new space. However, congregation president Mary Epstein said that in 1987, an acoustical consulting firm concluded that the church would be well-suited to house the performing arts. "It's not the traditional church edifice, it's just a beautiful space," she said. Performing Arts Council Chairperson Patrick Ede said PAC groups -- such as Mask & Wig, Without A Net and the various a cappella ensembles -- would love to have the building for performance and rehearsal use. "I think we all know how bad the situation is," Ede said, adding that PAC's efforts to obtain space in the old Eric 3 theater on 40th Street have been "going nowhere." He admitted that he is only cautiously optimistic about PAC's chances of getting the space. "I know that the administration is concerned," he said. "But we've been led along before." The deal is expected to be closed early next month, and Mason said student groups could begin using the space soon afterward. "The building won't be touched for awhile," he said. "It's a glorious building?the condition it's in requires very little renovation to be used." The University has signed an agreement with the congregation to buy the building for "under $1 million," Mason said. But he would not reveal the exact cost of the building. "It's a fair price," Mason said. "They had an appraisal done, and they realize it's a very limited market, and they agreed to sell it to the University for something less than the appraisal." The church was designed by Carriere and Hastings, an architectural firm prominent around the turn of the century that also designed the New York Public Library and New York's Penn Station, Epstein added. The church was completed in 1910, and is recognized as one of the top three ecclesiastical buildings in Philadelphia. Epstein said the University first approached the congregation about selling the church in 1987. Among congregation members, support for the idea was not unanimous so the plan was tabled. Mason said this round of negotiations began about nine months ago. Epstein would not disclose the congregation's current size, but said the building is "just too large" for it. The congregation is not disbanding because its building is being sold, said congregation member Marinell Roberts, who was working at the Christian Science Reading Room across the street from the church yesterday. Instead, she said, members will meet for Sunday services at the Christian Science Church at 1915 Pine Street in Center City. They will hold Wednesday evening "testimony meetings" at the Reading Room at 4015 Walnut Street. That space is leased from the University, Mason said. "I'm glad the University bought it," Roberts said yesterday, referring to the church building. "Our membership no longer needs the space." Both Roberts and Epstein said they are not sad that the church has been sold, despite the congregation's long history at the site. "Religion is more than a building," Epstein said.
(09/14/95 9:00am)
Some students around the country haven't been able to "read all about it" in their campus newspapers recently, due to another rash of confiscations and other abridgements of student journalists' rights. Officials at the Student Press Law Center say recent incidents at the universities of Virginia, Texas and Nebraska demonstrate a disturbing trend -- newspaper theft as an "almost acceptable" action from dissatisfied readers, according to SPLC staff attorney Mike Hiestand. "It's outrageous," he said. "What's even more outrageous is that school officials and faculty -- whom one would hope would know better and understand the free speech principles at stake -- look the other way." At the University of Virginia in Charlottesville on August 26, food service employee John Darmstadt took 4,000 copies of the Cavalier Daily so incoming freshmen and their parents would not see an unfavorable review of the food served in campus dining halls. Darmstadt first told the newspaper's editors he had thrown the issues away, leading them to order another 6,000-copy press run. But in a meeting with University officials and Cavalier Daily editors later that day, he admitted that he had only hidden the newspapers, and agreed to redistribute them throughout campus. "[The food-service company] and Mr. Darmstadt have agreed to make a $2,000 contribution to a university scholarship fund of our choice," Cavalier Daily Editor Michael Sampson said. They will also repay advertisers for any damage done during the eight hours the newspapers were not on the stands. Later the same week, 5,800 copies of the August 31 edition of The Daily Texan were allegedly taken by Corrado Giovanella, who had been denied admission to the University of Texas at Austin after officials discovered that one of his recommendations was fake. The newspaper had written a story about the case. "I haven't really received too much student reaction" to the theft, said Daily Texan Editor-in-Chief Robert Rogers. "But I hope by taking vigorous action, The Daily Texan can deter other newspaper thefts in the future." Criminal charges were filed against Giovanella on September 7, Rogers said. He added that the newspaper will decide whether to file a civil suit after the criminal case has been decided. Shortly after that case, on September 5, University of Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne banned Daily Nebraskan reporters from practices for the season. The newspaper had run two cartoons critical of football players' off-the-field actions on its editorial page. Two days after announcing the ban, Osborne reversed himself and began letting Daily Nebraskan reporters in again, Editor-in-Chief Christopher Hain said. However, their access -- as well as that given to members of the local and national media -- has been severely restricted. Hain said members of the media are no longer allowed to attend the team's entire practice, and while Osborne used to speak to them as a group, he now takes each person's questions individually. "If things don't change soon, we're going to have to do something," Hain said, although he is not yet sure what his next step would be. But Hain said the controversy has not affected the way in which the newspaper's reporters cover the football team.
(09/12/95 9:00am)
They say radio journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal is not guilty of murder Waiting anxiously for word from Senior Common Pleas Court Judge Albert Sabo's third-floor courtroom, supporters of Mumia Abu-Jamal created an almost festive atmosphere at Philadelphia's new Criminal Justice Center yesterday. They traveled from as far away as Atlanta and New York to plead for the freedom of Abu-Jamal, a former radio journalist and Black Panther who they say is an oppressed political dissident. Waving banners and placards and singing folk songs, supporters canvassed passers-by, trying to draw attention to their cause. Abu-Jamal is on Pennsylvania's death row, convicted for the 1981 shooting death of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner. He was scheduled to be executed on August 17, but received a stay last month. Yesterday's hearing represents Abu-Jamal's last hope for a new trial. Prosecutors claim there is no reason to grant a retrial. But Abu-Jamal's defense team contends that he had ineffective counsel during his first trial and that one key witness -- his brother William Cook -- has never testified. Sabo himself has come under scrutiny, because he was on the bench for the 1982 murder trial. Abu-Jamal supporters have also cited statistics showing that Sabo has presided over more cases in which African Americans received the death penalty than any other judge in the nation. The Abu-Jamal case has inspired controversy that is often tinged with racial overtones -- most notably after the release of Abu-Jamal's autobiographical book Live From Death Row. But it was a diverse crowd that gathered in the morning chill outside the new courthouse yesterday. Some wore snug-fitting caftans over nearly shaved heads; others sported dreadlocks or braids with brightly colored beads. Still others were dressed solely in black, and had proudly plastered themselves with "Free Mumia" stickers. Many wore buttons demonstrating their allegiance to activist groups like Food Not Bombs, the anti-Fascist Refuse & Resist!, the Partisan Defense Committee and the Revolutionary Communist Youth Movement. Others hocked socialist and workers' newspapers. Jimmy Vincent, a Baltimore native working with Refuse & Resist!, said he had attended some of the Abu-Jamal hearings this summer. He was attracted to the case because "the tone and tenor of the times smacks of 1932 Germany," he said. Outside the highly secure courtroom, another throng of Abu-Jamal's supporters waited quietly, hoping that even one of the 120 seats inside the proceedings would become available. The swarms of Philadelphia Police officers who clustered around the courthouse seemed to largely ignore the protesters. But one sported a button that read "Adieu Abu" as he strode through the new building's revolving doors. No decision in the case had been announced at press time. Abu-Jamal's lawyers have said they will appeal to a higher court if Sabo does not rule in their favor.
