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(10/25/00 9:00am)
Candles lit up College Green last night as students gathered to show support and speak out against sexual violence.
A group of about 50 people, mostly students and some faculty advisors, turned out either to share their own personal experiences or simply to listen to others.
The calm, almost soothing, discussion stressed listening and speaking out as a means of healing and fostering awareness of the danger of sexual assault on a college campus.
Elena DiLapi, director of the Penn Women's Center, told those gathered of the importance of supporting each other.
She said it's good to "get our collective strength together and understand and support each other as we heal, but also as we go about living our lives in ways that respect everybody."
The event, called "A Night to Speak Out -- Students Coming Together Against Sexual Violence," was sponsored by Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape, one of the peer health education groups on campus.
The evening began with opening remarks from STAAR member Nicole Plumez.
Plumez, a College senior, explained that the timing of this event was particularly significant, because the University has recently stopped requiring freshmen to attend workshops by groups such as STAAR.
She also noted that the administration is currently in the process of selecting a new head for the Division of Public Safety to replace Thomas Seamon, who was unpopular among women's groups.
"The outgoing VP has left a legacy of victim-unfriendly policies, and we need to make sure that the University picks a new VP that is conscious of problems such as sexual assault," Plumez said.
Ben Herald, a freelance educator in the area of fighting sexual violence, also offered remarks and opened up the mike to anyone willing to share their thoughts or experiences.
Herald emphasized listening, despite how emotionally difficult and painful it might be.
Several students shared their own experiences with sexual assault, experiences of their friends or family or simply their feelings concerning the issue of sexual violence.
STAAR advisor Kurt Conklin praised the efforts of current group members and urged more students to get involved in these types of workshops.
STAAR is unique in its emphasis on both male and female involvement in the struggle against sexual violence.
Take Back the Night, the nationwide annual march against sexual assault in the spring, does not include men, which motivated STAAR to sponsor this open event in the fall.
Although the audience at the speak-out was predominantly female, there were several male students who came out to listen and show support.
Engineering senior B.J. Jones, STAAR's only male member, said, "I feel that the only way we can overcome this problem is by men and women working together."
(10/11/00 9:00am)
There's a common belief around Penn that graduate students have no campus social life.
But just try walking past Houston Hall on a Thursday night.
Each week, hundreds of grad students gather in the Hall of Flags from 6 to 9 p.m., drinking beer, mingling and, on occasion, dancing the night away to such classics as "The Thong Song."
These weekly grad "blenders," as they've come to be called, are co-sponsored by the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly and the Graduate Students Associations Council. They draw students from all 12 graduate schools.
The free happy hour experience includes food, soft drinks, beer, music provided by a DJ and -- let's not forget -- the good company of fellow students.
Last year, Kyle Farley, current GAPSA chairman and Eric Eisenstein, president of GSAC, proposed the idea for these blenders. The first one was held at the end of February, and they continued weekly throughout the spring.
The event continues to become more popular. The average weekly attendance, approximately 600 last year, is now closer to 800, and over 1,000 students turned out for the first blender of the year.
The blenders are currently free for all grad students, who are simply asked to show their PennCard at the door.
"For me, the GAPSA blender is a chance to unwind at the end of the week, after classes all week. It's a chance to see people and make plans for the weekend, and it's also a good chance to get a free meal every once in a while," said Matt Carlson, a first-year Annenberg School for Communication student.
The blenders, which cost approximately $4,000 per week, are being funded primarily by GAPSA. GSAC, which has a significantly smaller budget, also contributes.
GAPSA and GSAC are now in the process of looking for corporate sponsorship to fund the weekly blenders, in order to allow overworked grad students to continue to eat, drink and be merry on someone else's tab.
According to GAPSA and GSAC officials, the primary goal of the blenders is to provide a bridge between the various schools and create a real sense of community among graduate students.
"You can just randomly go up to someone and meet them," third-year Dental student Gina Sajnani said. "Everyone is here to socialize."
While some students said they meet and socialize with students from other schools, others reported that the blender scene is actually quite "cliquey," and that groups of friends from the same schools clump together.
Still, the get-togethers seem to be a hit.
And apparently these weekly gatherings do not fully satisfy the social appetites of Penn's lively grad students. GAPSA also sponsors downtown events.
Last Friday, GAPSA threw its first big social of the year at the Loew's PSFS Building at 12th and Market streets.
"It's just a lot of work to get it all done, because there's not a whole infrastructure in place at the University level for organizing graduate student life programming," said Cassie Creswell, vice president of student affairs for GSAC.
But the work is worth it for Engineering first-year grad student Alex Yang, who summed up his reason for attending the blender by saying, "I was hungry, and I was single."
(09/28/00 9:00am)
The mood at last night's reception honoring the first birthday of the Center for Children's Policy, Practice and Research was one of excitement and celebration.
Following food and cocktails, the program began with opening remarks from Law School Dean Michael Fitts.
"I don't think there's any university which has a better record at facilitating collaborative research," Fitts said.
The year-old center combines faculty from the schools of Law, Social Work and Medicine . It addresses child welfare issues by various means, including developing legal policies and working with children and families.
Yesterday's program also included a speech from Professor Albert Stunkard of the Medical School, filling in for Medical School Interim Dean Arthur Asbury. Social Work School Dean Ira Schwartz, Provost Robert Barchi and center co-Director Carol Wilson Spigner also spoke.
Each presenter emphasized the support that the Penn community has demonstrated in this interdisciplinary and collaborative effort.
"Penn, it has been said, is probably the only university in the country of its kind that could put a group like this together," Schwartz said.
He attributed the success of the CCPPR to Penn's unique combination of schools and other resources like the children's hospital, the pool of students and faculty and strong leadership.
"It's been an incredible process," Spigner said. "This center is part of what attracted me to Penn, and it's just been wonderful to see it begin to take hold, to grow and to thrive."
Following Spigner's presentation, CCPPR co-Directors Barbara Bennett Woodhouse and Annie Steinberg announced the new advisory board members.
Woodhouse and Steinberg praised these new collaborators and expressed gratitude for their involvement.
In addition to faculty and administrators, students have also been involved in the center's initiatives.
Sacha Coupet and Tamara Zuromskis are two of the Law students who were involved in the research and drafting of the two amicus briefs produced by the CCPPR last year.
Coupet described her experience saying, "It allows you in some way to apply what you're learning in Law school to something more meaningful."
"You're actually part of law-making," Zuromskis added.
CCPPR Coordinator Alyssa Cowan concluded the program by encouraging everyone to stay in touch with the center and to continue to show their support in upcoming events and programs.
"It gathered a really diverse group of people, and it's helping both to celebrate what we've accomplished so far and to spread the word about what can be accomplished in the future," Woodhouse said after the event.
Of course one problem remains. The tongue-twisting acronym: CCPPR.
"We say it is a double dose of CPR for a system in need of resuscitation," Woodhouse said.
(09/27/00 9:00am)
Tonight there will be a party at the Law School to celebrate the first year of work on Penn's interdisciplinary Center for Children's Policy Practice and Research.
The center -- a collaborative effort of the Law School, the School of Medicine and the School of Social Work -- researches child welfare and develops policies to protect children's rights.
The CCPPR, currently located at 42nd and Pine streets, has been functioning for the past year.
"I think we've made tremendous progress over the last year," said Alyssa Cowan, the CCPPR coordinator. "We've really gotten our name out there -- not only within the city of Philadelphia, but to key players on both a national and international level."
The co-directors of the center are Annie Steinberg, a Psychiatry professor at Philadelphia Child Guidance Center, Richard Gelles and Carol Wilson Spigner of the School of Social Work and Law School Professor Barbara Bennett Woodhouse.
On a direct level, the center offers child and family evaluations and makes recommendations to family courts in child abuse and neglect cases.
The CCPPR also presents briefs to the Supreme Court in cases affecting the welfare of children.
Finally, the center consults on a national level with organizations such as The Department of Children, Youth and Families in Florida, regarding policy decisions and evaluations.
Cowan explained that the next step for the CCPPR will be to collaborate further with these key players to accomplish their goals.
Today's ceremony acknowledges the work of the center and thanks the various supporters. New advisory board members will also be appointed, according to Steinberg.
She added that the reception "really represents the crystallization of everything we have hoped for in developing the center."
According to Cowan, more than 100 guests, primarily Philadelphia professionals who work with children and child welfare, are expected to attend the reception.
Representatives from all of Penn's schools will also be in attendance.
The reception, which is open to the entire Penn community, will be held at the Law School at 3400 Chestnut Street from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.
(09/15/00 9:00am)
One Communications seminar this summer used the political conventions as its classrooms.
Six graduate and four undergraduate students participated in Communications 827 this summer and attended both the Republican Convention in Philadelphia and the Democratic Convention in Los Angeles.
"It was a fantastic opportunity. Not only did we get to do reporting at the Republican Convention, but first-hand observation," said Kate Kenski, a fourth-year doctoral student in the Annenberg School.
The students hit the convention floor each night, worked on an Annenberg study and posted commentary on http://www.philly.com about the Republican convention.
The course was taught by Annenberg Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson, with advisory and technical assistance from senior researcher David Eisenhower and former Congresswoman Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky.
The Institute for Public Service provided funding for the class. The information gained will contribute to the Annenberg 2000 survey, the largest study of the American electorate ever conducted.
The course was divided into five weeks, the first of which offered a general overview of political conventions.
During this section of the course, guest lecturer Norman Orenstein of the American Enterprise Institute presented the issues of the upcoming conventions and anticipated strategies.
After their introduction, the students were actually on the floor for all four nights of both the Republican and Democratic conventions.
"This kind of in-the-hall experience does not happen very often, but when it does, it is unbelievable," Eisenhower said. "Live experience really magnifies the conclusions that you draw, makes them more vivid."
Upon their return to Philadelphia, after taking notes, collecting information and documenting particular themes, the students convened to discuss their general impressions of the conventions and then recessed to write progress reports.
Some of the topics for these reports included gender roles in political conventions, references to religious themes in convention speeches and vice-presidential selection.
Eisenhower praised the quality of these reports and said they will most likely be put on the Web within the next several weeks.
Students also acted as a research team and assisted Jamieson in posting commentary on philly.com after the GOP convention, assessing themes of speeches, exploring specific references and replying to queries.
Eisenhower explained that they were very fortunate as a class to be able to interact with so many prominent officials in the fields of politics and journalism.
"There is really no way to map out a syllabus for a course like this. We respond to opportunities as they arise," Eisenhower said.
The students were even given the opportunity to meet and have their photograph taken with President Clinton.
Members of the class, students and faculty alike, expressed a positive response to the dynamic of the group.
College junior Dana Hork said, "I learned as much from the grad students as I did from the professors."
"This was an extraordinary experience, not only for students, but for the teachers as well," Eisenhower said.
According to Eisenhower, the department will plan a sequel to this course in the 2004 convention year, as well as modified versions in the intervening years.
(09/14/00 9:00am)
Addams Hall, the new Fine Arts building located on the corner of 36th and Walnut, is now partially open and almost entirely renovated.
The facility, which should be fully complete by next spring, will provide extra space for undergraduates taking classes in Fine Arts.
Graduate School of Fine Arts Dean Gary Hack explained that the new building will be able to accommodate many more students who have wanted to take Fine Arts classes in the past but were unable to do so due to a lack of space.
"We want to welcome every undergraduate at Penn to take classes in the Fine Arts," Hack said.
The building was formerly called Skinner Hall and served as the faculty club, which was relocated to the Inn at Penn and has been up and running for the past year.
The plan for a new Fine Arts building is not a new one. Charles Addams Hall was originally set to be located at 3317 Chestnut Street, but that building burned down in the spring of 1997 after two years of renovations.
Vice President of Facilities Services Omar Blaik explained that funding for the $5.5 million Addams Hall project has been raised through both gifts and school funds over the last several years, since the 1997 fire.
The Fine Arts school currently uses facilities in the Morgan Building and the Blauhaus, a small shack-like structure on Hill Field.
According to Hack, the interior of the new building is almost complete.
However, the three upper floors of the building are not yet in use because the windows must be replaced. This decision was not made until after the renovations began, and the window replacement process will delay use of the top floors until spring.
The basement of Addams Hall is currently being used for photography, computer and digital design space.
The new building will offer the Fine Arts program twice the amount of facilities than its former space did and will be primarily devoted to undergraduates.
The upper levels of the building will accommodate all of the fine arts, including painting, ceramics, clay design, drawing and sculpture. A digital editing room will also be available to students.
(09/12/00 9:00am)
Renovations to the Graduate School of Education building are currently underway, updating the school's technology and facilities and carving out a new entrance to the building.
The construction -- on the building at 37th and Walnut streets -- is expected to be complete in August 2001. Until then, the school's offices have been temporarily relocated to 3440 Market Street.
Priced at $8.5 million, the construction project includes complete interior renovation and refurnishing, as well as changes to the exterior.
Demolition of the interior began just after Labor Day, said Jerel Wohl, a GSE official supervising the project.
A new entryway to the building will also be created on 37th and Walnut.
The new GSE building will offer updated classrooms, state-of-the-art technology including video-conferencing systems, more student spaces, a larger computer lab and extended hours access, Wohl said.
"The main reason we did it was to serve our students in the 21st century," GSE Dean Susan Fuhrman said.
Fuhrman explained that the school was unable to simply upgrade technology without renovation, due to the inefficient use of space in the old construction which limited students.
The new GSE building will be able to accommodate all four divisions of the school -- Educational Leadership, Psychology in Education, Language in Education and Higher Education -- together in one location.
The school's research facilities will remain separate at 3440 Market Street, which Fuhrman hailed as "progress."
Funding will be provided by a combination of gifts and school funds.
While the GSE building is under construction, some classes will be held at 3440 Market and others will be at the School of Social Work building at 3701 Locust.
(09/07/00 9:00am)
The members of the Class of 2004 filed into the convention hall of the Philadelphia Civic Center last night for the official beginning to their Penn careers.
During Convocation -- the only time that the entire class will be together until their graduation -- administrators, teachers and fellow students welcomed the newcomers to the University.
Following dinner and presentations from several of Penn's performance groups, the evening officially began with opening remarks from Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, vice provost for university life, and the procession of the faculty and administration.
Admissions Dean Lee Stetson described the new freshman class as "standing out from nearly 19,000 applicants as the students who would benefit from a Penn education and offer something very unique to the University community in return."
In her welcoming remarks, University President Judith Rodin congratulated Stetson on once again bringing to Penn the most talented and academically accomplished class in the University's history.
"Our goal for you is to provide a transformational life experience in which each one of you grows intellectually, socially and morally into outstanding men and women who will make Penn and the world better than it has been," Rodin said.
On a lighter note, Rodin made the summer TV sensation Survivor a theme of her remarks.
"As far as I know, no one will force you to eat a rat," she said. "We want you to survive and certainly thrive."
Said Wharton freshman Rina Vazirani: "I really liked President Rodin's speech because it was relevant. It's not that it wasn't academic; it was academic with a more realistic twist."
Provost Robert Barchi also addressed the freshman class and emphasized the impact each member will have not only on the Penn community at large but on each other.
"As you sit together tonightS take a moment to carefully look around you at your most important teachers, for no one will help you learn more than your suitemates, your teammates and your classmates," Barchi said.
Convocation concluded with the presentation of the Class of 2004 flag by Ray Valerio, the senior class president, and the singing of "The Red and the Blue."
After the ceremony, College freshman Stephanie Restifo commented, "I thought it was more casual than what I was expecting."
Vazirani added, "It's hard to comprehend that this is the last time we'll be with our entire class until graduation."
The Class of 2004 is the most selective ever, as only 22 percent of the nearly 19,000 applicants were accepted
(08/31/00 9:00am)
Graduate students will have to wait a little longer for an on-campus hangout.
The new Graduate Student Activities Center, which graduate student organizations had hoped would open this September at 3616 Locust Walk, the former Phi Sigma Kappa house, is now not expected to be completed until the spring or fall of 2001 because of unforeseen structural problems.
The proposal for the center was submitted to University President Judith Rodin and Provost Robert Barchi late last December and approved in April.
But the Graduate And Professional Student Assembly and the Graduate Student Associations Council have been considering the idea of a social center for graduate students for almost a decade.
According to GAPSA, Penn is the only Ivy League school without a space devoted solely to graduate students.
Last spring, Rodin approved the recommendation by the Locust Walk Advisory Committee to give two floors of a former fraternity house at 3615 Locust, currently the Veranda, to the grad students.
The new building will offer meeting space for 20 to 30 graduate academic groups and also serve as a center for graduate student social life.
Although GAPSA and GSAC originally planned for the center to be ready this fall, they said the delay will not have any drastic impact on their plans for the upcoming academic year.
GAPSA Chairman Kyle Farley explained that he felt it was best that they hold off until the building is completely ready, rather than rushing a partial opening.
"Focusing on the long term rather than the short term, it's better to wait and do it right," Farley said.
Added Eric Eisenstein, president of GSAC: "The upshot is that with the opening of Perelman Quad and Houston Hall, because those are student, both undergraduate and graduate, spaces, we've already scheduled social events and weekly meetings.
(08/31/00 9:00am)
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge recently announced that the Penn School of Veterinary Medicine will receive an $18 million grant for a new teaching and research building.
Ridge made the announcement on August 9 at an annual fair at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg.
The grant is by far the largest that the Vet School has ever received.
"Our commitment will allow Penn to build a state-of-the-art teaching and research complex to better serve the state's agricultural needs," Ridge said at the ceremony.
The grant is part of an agriculture capital investment, and demands that the Vet School raise an equal amount over the next five years.
The Teaching and Research Center at Penn would be one of three projects funded by a $90 million state investment in agriculture, the largest investment of its kind.
"It is absolutely critical to the school that we get a new building," Veterinary School Dean Alan Kelly said. He added that the Vet School currently lacks sufficient lab space and that teaching facilities need updating.
The new five-story, 100,000 square-foot building will be located near 39th and Spruce streets. It will connect to the Rosenthal Building through an atrium, extending over the area where the library is currently located.
The two lower levels of the building will contain a new library, lecture halls, seminar rooms, a student lounge and exhibition space.
The third through fifth floors will be devoted to laboratory and office space. Research materials and animal colonies will be stored in the basement.
The center will accommodate research in a variety of areas, including infectious diseases, animal transgenesis and germ cell research, comparative medical genetics and comparative oncology.
The estimated cost for the building is $43 million, meaning the Vet School is responsible for matching the grant and then raising another $25 million.
"We now have a lot of work to do to raise the balance so this building can become a reality quickly," Kelly said in a statement.
Added Vet School spokeswoman Helma Weeks: "This is a very important first step. The school is now about to embark on the fundraising project."
Kelly said the project is in its very early stages, but the next several steps, such as hiring architects and creating a design plan for the building, are expected be accomplished within the next few weeks
(03/23/00 10:00am)
The screening was part of a series of programs on human rights issues. Last year's Academy Award-winning Italian film Life Is Beautiful simultaneously generated as much international acclaim as critical controversy for its unique and innovative exploration of the horrors of the Holocaust. Last night, as part of the Penn Humanities Forum's week-long series "Human Nature-Human Rights: A Civic Dialogue on Unfinished Revolutions," a small crowd of students, professors and Philadelphia residents gathered together to discuss some less publicized but equally controversial Holocaust films of the last half century. The series explores the struggle for human rights in recent history. Monday night, for instance, the Humanities Forum featured a screening of three episodes of the acclaimed civil rights movement documentary, Eyes on the Prize. Last night's event, held in Meyerson Hall, showcased presentations from Penn professors and screenings of two Holocaust film classics: Alain Resnais' Night and Fog, a documentary filmed in 1955 at Auschwitz, and Vittorio De Sica's The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, which won an Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 1971. Due to what event organizers described as a publicity failure, about 20 people -- only several of whom were students -- attended the program. English Professor Wendy Steiner, the founding director of the Humanities Forum, emphasized the educational value of the event and expressed regret that more students could not benefit from the discussion provoked by these influential films. In his opening remarks, Penn Law Professor Harry Reicher called the Holocaust "a catalyst for the human rights movement." Reicher teaches a course here, "Law and the Holocaust," which is the first of its kind to be offered at any Law school. "One can say in a few words the effect of the Holocaust on international human rights law in the post-World War II era has been dramatic and indeed revolutionary," he said. Communications Professor Barbie Zelizer, an expert on collective memory and visual representation, introduced the first film, Night and Fog, and participated in a panel discussion following the film. "One of the most difficult things about watching [Night and Fog] is to be able to separate oneself from a lifetime of seeing Holocaust imagery," she said. The other professors who participated in the discussion panel were Al Filreis, the faculty director of the Kelly Writers House and Holocaust literature expert Millicent Marcus, director of the Film Studies Program and an authority on the Holocaust in Italian literature and film. The experts identified stylistic elements of the film, presented their own impressions as both scholars and educators on this particular topic and then opened the discussion up to the audience. This discourse, coupled with an introduction from Marcus, provided the context for the second film, The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, which concluded the event. "I am quite interested in various studies of the Holocaust, and this program presented valuable insights regarding representations of the Holocaust in film," College freshman David Price said after the event.
(12/08/99 10:00am)
India may not have the same economic stature as the United States or China, but that isn't discouraging Penn students from finding out all they can about the Indian economy. About 250 Wharton undergraduate and MBA students, members of the media and assorted businesspeople gathered at the Wyndham Franklin Plaza Hotel on Friday for the fourth annual Wharton India Economic Forum conference. The conference was organized by the Wharton India Economic Forum, a collaborative effort of nearly 100 Penn students, both undergraduate and graduate, designed to foster awareness of the business climate in India among Penn students. The WIEF conference itself is designed to attract speakers in high-level business and government positions, event organizers said. Joseph Sutton, chairperson and chief executive officer of Enron International, a fuel and energy industry, delivered the keynote address. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, head of the Indian government-affiliated Planning Commission, made an additional presentation over teleconference. Following breakfast and registration, the conference began in the morning with an introductory presentation by Sutton. He opened by discussing India's tremendous potential for growth and development. Citing reasons why India was a smart investment, Sutton explained that India has a large open market, a very well-educated middle class, a willingness to expand and reform their system economically and a strong legal system. "For us, our story in India has been long; it's been a roller-coaster ride, but it's come out quite well," Sutton said. Sutton also discussed the importance of infrastructure for financial growth and success. He said a strong infrastructure can be achieved through the privatization of businesses, the development of a sound communication network and forward thinking. The conference also included a discussion among four panels about the future of the Indian economy. Each panel was composed of a moderator and three to four panelists, all of whom hold prominent positions in the business world. The members of a panel of entrepreneurs were all under the age of 30 and have already started their own Internet companies. College senior Kanupri Jhunjhunwala, a board member of the WIEF, praised the networking opportunities provided by the conference. "Students are enthusiastic because it is rare to have a list of such influential speakers gathered together at one event," Jhunjhunwala said. "The conference opens up a wonderful dialogue between so many different people."
(11/17/99 10:00am)
Students at the Harnwell College House event were divided into classes to show how many are ill fed. As students filed into the rooftop lounge of Harnwell College House yesterday evening for the "Hunger Banquet/Policy Forum," each guest pulled a piece of colored paper from a bag that would determine their "social class" for the evening. The event was part of Poverty Awareness Week, sponsored by Civic House to raise awareness for the 37 million Americans living below the poverty line. The banquet guests were divided among three locations and representative class distinctions: the table, which represented the 15 percent of the world's population whose annual income is $9,400 or more; the couches, which represented the roughly 30 percent whose annual income is between $755 and $9,400; and the floor, which represented the poorest 55 percent. Those assigned to the floor were given half a cup of water and a small plate of rice and beans, but no serving utensils. Those seated on the couches received a more substantive and nutritious meal, including vegetables and a bottle of water. The guests lucky enough to be seated at the table were offered a balanced meal and a choice of beverage. That structure was intended to illustrate the unequal food distribution in the world. History Professor David Ludden, one of the event's speakers, observed that the meal somewhat resembled a party and required "a little active imagination to try to crank up its symbolic significance." Ludden discussed the social and cultural differences and the forced separation of the classes, both in the context of the event and in the larger global context. He used Philadelphia as an example of a city in which the poor and the rich live side by side and are therefore forced to confront the reality of this separation. "There are various ways of rendering the dynamics of the real world more visible," Ludden said. "And one of those is to study them." Ludden teaches a course in which students analyze the dynamics of hunger and poverty. Social Work Professor Roberta Iverson began her presentation by asking members of the table, couch and floor "classes" to describe how they felt in their respective situations. Students' responses included guilt, discomfort, frustration and anger. Iverson pointed out that despite these strong emotions, no one actually did anything to change the situation. Iverson suggested that lack of action is an unfortunate reality that is characteristic of society. However, she also urged the members of each group to consider what actions they could have taken to alter their respective circumstances. "There's no doubt that every one of you, particularly in conjunction -- as a partner -- with others of you, can make a difference," Iverson said. "And it's up to you to do it." Ayala Abramovici, a graduate intern at Civic House, urged students to attend other events held both this week and throughout the year by organizations such as the Penn Society for International Development in support of the cause. Poverty Awareness Week also includes a panel discussion on the realities of homelessness today at 5 p.m. in Civic House called "Making It Real" and hands-on action projects in different areas of the community on Saturday.
(11/12/99 10:00am)
In a rapidly changing business world, even students have the opportunity to make their mark. That was the message Tuesday as Douglas Atkin, president and chief executive officer of Instinet Corp., gave a lecture in College Hall entitled "Technology Innovation in the Global Securities Market." This event was sponsored by Wharton Innovation and Talent Seekers, a non-profit student-run organization devoted to stimulating innovation among University students and to increasing awareness and protection of student inventions. Atkin joined Instinet in 1984 and during his tenure has helped design customized trading strategies for many of its largest U.S. institutional accounts. Under his leadership, Instinet International's revenues grew by more than 1,500 percent between 1992 and 1997. Instinet is the world's largest agency brokerage firm and uses technology in securities trading and research to bring issuers and investors closer together. Atkin opened his talk with a discussion of the role of change in the global equity market. "I feel very fortunate to live in a time when the shape of the financial services industry? can be materially changed and radically changed, and will be radically changed in the next two years," he said. He then suggested that, contrary to popular opinion, the past has very little impact on the present. He said the leaders of any company or organization must look to the future in making decisions concerning the present. "In developing my view of the future of the equities markets, what I've tried to do as much as possible --I don't think we can ever do it wholly -- is throw off the shackles of the past to the greatest extent possible," Atkin said. Before continuing, he acknowledged that his views are considered somewhat controversial in the securities industry, particularly among more traditional investment banks. Atkin said the global payment system has been almost completely transformed over the last 30 years. "Now, especially with the advent of the euro currency," he said, "the world is a much smaller place financially and foreign exchange is far less complex than it's ever been." In closing, he suggested ways in which he thinks the market structure needs to evolve and then took questions from members of the audience to gain student feedback on his suggestions. "These are exciting times and I look forward to things changing very rapidly and hopefully our company not only taking advantage of those changes but helping to create the change in the first place," Atkin said at the conclusion of his speech. "As a group, we are trying to promote innovation among students." said Karl Schulze, a Wharton sophomore and one of the 11 current members of the WITS executive board. "Therefore, we were very fortunate to have Mr. Atkin come and speak to us and to look at the financial sector in such a revolutionary way."
(11/05/99 10:00am)
The University Museum is typically a place for quiet study of cultural artifacts and ancient relics. But on Sunday, the museum's Harrison Auditorium will be "rockin'." The Social Planning and Events Committee will present "Rockin' in the Museum," a concert featuring indie rock bands Yo La Tengo and The Magnetic Fields, with special guest Flowchart. Doors to the Museum, located at 33rd and Spruce streets, will open at 7:30 p.m. and the concert will begin a half-hour later. The three groups performing are among the most popular indie rock groups in the country, according to an announcement by SPEC Concerts Co-Director Ari Jaffess, a College and Engineering senior. The idea for the show was presented to SPEC Concerts by College junior Jared Goldman, who also worked with Jaffess to plan this event. Goldman pointed out that although all three bands can be characterized as indie rock, each has its own style. "This concert is unique because it brings together bands that wouldn't ordinarily play together and therefore transcends musical boundaries," Goldman said. The concert, he added, is "a unique chance for people who are not ordinarily exposed to this particular type of music to experience a cross-section of what the art/music world is doing right now." In fact, the issue of bringing indie rock bands to campus has been on students' minds the last couple of weeks. The University is currently in talks with several music promoters to open up an alcohol-free music club near campus. SPEC expects the ornate Harrison Auditorium to serve as the perfect venue for this type of concert and help contribute to the overall atmosphere. Tickets for "Rockin' at the Museum" are currently on sale and can be purchased on Locust Walk or through the the Annenberg Center Box Office at (215) 898-3900. Admission costs $8 for those with a PennCard and $14 for the general public.
(10/26/99 9:00am)
As the Philadelphia mayoral election looms only a week away, Mayor Ed Rendell's speech on "the future of American cities" in Steinberg-Dietrich Hall yesterday afternoon had particular relevance for the Penn community. The lecture was sponsored by the Grusse Public Policy Forum Series, which brings distinguished senior government executives to the Wharton School to engage students and faculty in a discussion of important policy issues of the day. Rendell is the first lecturer in the 1999-2000 series. The mayor began his speech on a positive note, saying that American cities are doing extremely well. He attributed this current prosperity in part to a "new breed of mayors." "American cities have been blessed, in most cases in the 1990s, with a lot of new pragmatic mayors who weren't tied to the old ways of doing things? who were willing to take their own responsibility for improving their lot." Rendell used Philadelphia as an example, emphasizing the city's enormous growth and improvement during his term. "We turned a $230 million deficit, destined to grow to $1.4 billion, into a balanced budget in 18 months," he said, "and in the last five years, we've produced the greatest surpluses in this city's history." Rendell suggested that in addition to numerous economic improvements, mayors have been instrumental in bringing back dynamism and vibrancy to the cities. Philadelphia is currently involved in $2.5 billion worth of construction projects, yet another record for the city. New residential buildings, hotels, restaurants and entertainment centers all contribute to the cultural revitalization of cities, which results in an influx of people who want to live in these urban centers, Rendell added. The mayor emphasized that amidst the growth and development last year, there was still a 22 percent increase in requests for food from Philadelphia families and a 17 percent increase in requests for shelter. "It is absolutely clear that as America enjoys this period of record prosperity, cities have to step back," he said. "There are still huge gaping holes in the American mosaic." Rendell proposed a series of initiatives to "level the playing field" and make cities more appealing. "First and foremost, we've got to be as lean, mean and productive as we can," he said. "I think we're about 90 percent of the way there." He also emphasized the importance of regionalization, or burden sharing, suggesting that state and federal governments should create incentives for distributing costs. In response to a question concerning entertainment in Philadelphia in comparison with other large cities, Rendell said that taking advantage of what the city has to offer is a matter of knowledge and individual initiative. He stated further that downtown Philadelphia is more vibrant, diverse and safe than it has ever been and offers a plethora of social and cultural activities for young people. And Rendell expressed complete confidence that Philadelphia will continue to prosper under new leadership. Following the speech, Rendell attended a reception at which he took the time to answer individual questions. The mayor has spoken at Penn several times in recent weeks, including at Hill House earlier this month, and will continue to be a presence on the Penn campus. He will teach two Urban Studies courses at Penn after leaving office next semester.
(09/22/99 9:00am)
LaCasa Latina will provide social programming forPenn's Latino population. Dreary and wet weather couldn't dampen the excitement and celebration surrounding Westminster House yesterday afternoon for the grand opening of La Casa Latina, the University's new Center for Hispanic Excellence. The primary goal of La Casa Latina -- located at 37th and Chestnut streets -- is to encourage the recruitment, retention and academic success of Latino students at Penn. "I believe La Casa Latina will richly enhance the quality of life for Latino undergraduate, graduate and professional students on the Penn campus," Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum said in her opening remarks. La Casa Latina will offer mentoring, leadership opportunities and academic, cultural and social support. It will also function in collaboration with the Penn Latino Alumni Society and the Latino Community-At-Large. After administrators officially opened the center, student leaders pointed out the vast potential for interaction among the Latino community. In his remarks, College senior Jonathan Canto, president of El Movimiento Estudiantil Cicano de Aztl
