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Most Penn students understand why the Stars and Stripes are hanging nearly everywhere these days -- alongside the road, on construction sites and even pinned to clothing. After all, America is their homeland.
College junior Brian Cooper was on his way to class when he heard about the terrorist attacks in Washington and New York.
Fueled by patriotism and an increased sense of unity, over 8,000 runners competed in yesterday's 24th annual Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run. Organizers decided to hold the race in response to an overwhelming desire by participants to send a message that terrorism cannot prevail.
In Houston Hall, people sat stunned in front of the TV, their eyes glazed over. When a moment of silence was announced, all bowed their heads. Some got up and helped themselves to food arranged on a nearby tables; others discussed what is going on among themselves.
The College Board has announced that there was a significant gender gap in 2001 SAT scores, contributing to an ongoing debate about the validity of standardized testing.
After several recent upheavals in its administration, the Health System recently named Arthur Rubenstein, the former dean of New York's Mount Sinai Medical School, as its permanent leader.
Earth Week isn't just about a bunch of hippies who lobby on College Green preaching vegetarianism and recycling. Last Wednesday, the Penn Environmental Group sponsored a business and environmental panel that addressed the role of economics in environmental policy. "We we want to show how there is a happy medium between environmentalists and corporations," explained College senior Kristina Rencie, who organized the panel. "A lot of people think that the two are mutually exclusive." The event, which drew a crowd of about 15 people, featured Wharton Public Policy Professor Felix Oberholzer-Gee and Legal Studies Professor Eric Orts. Both professors offered their takes on the relationship between economics and environmental policy. "The standard approach for environmental organizations is to project the problems on someone else -- the whole idea that corporations are the bad guys isn't true," Orts said. Emphasizing the role of citizens in promoting change, Orts pointed out that individuals and corporations are dually responsible in addressing environmental issues. He stressed how consumer awareness and smart product regulation are key in solving these problems. Oberholzer-Gee focused more on the economic theories behind the environment. Citing the "big E" as the ecosystem and the "little e" as the world's market economics, he explained the close relationship between these two systems. "In a narrow sphere, private goods should have a temporal limit that corresponds to the consumption cycle," he explained. A discussion between the panelists and the audience tackled numerous environmental concerns, including the United States sports utility vehicle movement, the fuel economy and the long-term effects of global warming. The discourse also provided a forum to confront social change. "What changes the social norms of a culture is when people see the negative effects of their actions and realize that they are doing something to contribute to environmental problems," Oberholzer-Gee said. Some students complained about the low turnout. "The discussion was interesting, although I was frustrated that the event was [attended by] people who are already aware of what's going on," said Wharton senior Aubry Wise. "It was like preaching to the converted." Andrew Pike, a College freshman, had a more positive take on the panel. "I came in with a sense that the free market and the environment were in opposition, but I've since become aware that solutions exists that can take the best of both worlds," he said.
Jesus Week took on a scholarly twist last night when Robert Newman, a professor of the New Testament at the Biblical Theological Seminary, presented a lecture on the coming of the Christian Messiah. "One of the visions that we had this year was to bring in someone to address the intellectual aspects of Christianity," said Nursing senior Jill Mogenson, co-chairwoman of Jesus Week. "We want to disprove the assumption that Christians feel but don't think." About 150 students attended the event, held in Stiteler Hall. In his lecture, entitled "The Testimony of Prophecy and History," Newman addressed definitions of the Messiah in both the Old and New Testaments. He then used this evidence to prove that Jesus Christ was the only Messiah. "Agreeing on who the Messiah is has been controversial among Christians, Jews and secularists," Newman explained. "I want to determine who is right by analyzing both the Bible and the history of mankind." In his talk, Newman analyzed passages from the books of Isaiah and Micah. "There have been many people over the past thousands of years claiming to be the Messiah," said Newman. "Only [Jesus], however, started a world religion for the Gentiles." Using a Biblical timeline and other numerical data, Newman attempted to prove that the timing of Christ's existence corresponds exactly to the Old Testament's predictions. In his conclusion, Newman urged the audience to have faith in Jesus as the only Messiah, reiterating the textual proof that he had presented in his lecture. "If you trust in Jesus, his suffering can count for you," Newman added. A question-and-answer session allowed the audience to question Newman's assertions. While many attendees agreed with what he had to say, some disputed his argument. Students shared mixed responses about the speech. "For Christians, it was a good talk because it gave us evidence that proves what we believe," College freshman Michelle Lloyd said. "At the same time, I'm not sure how my non-Christian friends felt about it." Wharton senior Tanya Welch had a different take. "I think that [the lecture] was based on a lot of facts," she said. "Not only did I learn about Biblical tradition, but I found out about Jewish beliefs as well."
Ooey gooey peanut butter and jelly covered College Green yesterday, as students stuck together 2,000 sandwiches for the area's homeless population. "Leading the Way with PB and J," an event sponsored by the Steinhardt/Neubauer Jewish Heritage Programs, brought members of the Penn community together with Trustee and United Way Board Chairman David Cohen, and Southeastern Pennsylvania United Way President Christine James-Brown. Between noon and 5 p.m., over 300 Penn students and local volunteers gathered along massive tables to make sandwiches, which were later donated to Philabundance - a nonprofit organization that works to end hunger in the Greater Philadelphia region by distributing surplus food to local shelters. "We wanted to get the whole Penn community together to do something for Philadelphia," explained Rachel Baum, an intern for the Steinhardt Jewish Heritage Programs. The event was part of the Jewish Heritage Program's "Mitzvah Week," a five-day program geared toward increasing social responsibility and promoting awareness of Jewish pride. "It's a terrific marriage of public service and socializing," said Cohen, who helped kick off the event. "What could [students] be doing at lunch that's better than making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the homeless?" Many Greek chapters, Wharton groups and college houses co-sponsored the event. Additionally, Starbucks Coffee, Izzy and Zoe's and other local businesses showed support by donating supplies. Off the Beat, Dischord and Pennsylvania Six-5000 performed at the event, helping to draw in numerous passersby. By 3 p.m., the mass outpouring met its minimum goal of 1,000 sandwiches, but the crowds on the Green were not dying down. "I think that [making sandwiches] is such an easy thing to do," said Lauren Gross, a College sophomore. "I really hope that [the Jewish Heritage Programs] got the turnout that they wanted because what they're doing is important." James-Brown was also impressed by the magnitude of the turnout. "I think that the spirit of volunteerism is alive and well," James-Brown said. "As we move into the 21st century, it's going to be important to make a bridge with the community through service."
It's rare to find a Philosophy professor bonding with a calligraphy specialist. Last weekend, however, the Germanic Language Department and the Penn Humanities Forum brought academics from many different disciplines together at a conference on "The Practice of Style, Literature, and the Visual Arts from Weimar Classicism to the Present." The event featured about 16 guest lecturers who presented papers on topics ranging from Weimar Classicism to Germany's current artistic and media representations. Regardless of their subject matter, most speakers tried to link 18th century Germany's reinvention of style to today's German popular culture. About 80 Penn faculty, students and other local professors attended the event, which was held in the Carolyn Hoff Lynch Room of the Chemistry Building. "Style is a notoriously tricky and elusive concept," said Penn Germanic Languages and Literature Department Chairman Simon Richter, who introduced the event on Friday afternoon. "I think that what's distinct about German tradition is that in the 18th century, Germany took style and raised it to a level of importance in the aesthetic discourse." On Saturday, Dorrit Cohn, professor emerita of German and comparative literature at Harvard University, discussed self-portraiture in her paper entitled "Reflections on the Self-Portrait." The lecture, which analyzed the fundamental differences between artists' portrayals of themselves versus other people, focused on German artists like Albrect Durer and Edward Munch. "We don't know what we look like -- when we inadvertently look at ourselves we see strangers," Cohn said. "The self-portrait is the only genre where the artist knows his inner self along with his visible appearance." Daniel Devoucoux, lecturer of textile arts at the University of Dormund in Germany, examined the significance of apparel in film in his paper called "Styles of Costumes. Styles of Movies," which he presented on Sunday. "I want to focus on the significance of costume as a constitutive and constructive element of motion pictures," he said. Concentrating on the representation of women in German film and the connection between body and fashion, Devoucoux analyzed the transformation of fabric into costumes. "I think that the [conference] has been very successful," said Catroina MacLeoud, a professor of German at Penn and also the co-organizer of the event. "The best thing about it is that it has brought people together from many different disciplines." Deborah Sanford, the owner of House of Our Own bookstore and a West Philadelphia resident, agreed. "There was a nice mix of papers represented, some of which were oriented toward highly specialized areas, while others were highly accessible to undergraduates," she said.
It's rare to see a lawyer look beyond the courtroom -- and on to the streets of urban America. But on Friday and Saturday, about 150 law students, faculty and members of the Philadelphia legal community attended the 20th Annual Edward V. Sparer Symposium on "Social Movements and Law Reform." Sponsored by the Public Law Group and Public Service Program, as well as the Penn Law Review, the forum was designed to explore the role of social reform in law. "Essentially, we're investigating the relationship between social movement and law reform in many different areas," said Susan Feathers, the head of the Public Services Program at the Law School. The conference featured law professors who spoke about various social issues, including children's rights, workplace advocacy and the environmental movement. "We want to create a new discourse in legal scholarship," explained Penn Law Professor Edward Rubin, one of the academic coordinators of the symposium. "A lot of law is made on the streets, and legal scholars have failed to recognize social reform as an influence." On Saturday, Ian Lopez, a professor at the University of California Law School at Berkeley, explored the bond between racial protest and legal opposition in his lecture entitled "Rejecting a White Racial Identity: Legal Violence and the Chicano Movement." Lopez focused on the significance of the 1968 "East L.A. 13" trial, which involved an uprising amongst Latin American high school students in helping Mexicans distinguish themselves as a separate race. "I want to emphasize the unnecessary police violence and brutality as a central component in the Latino movement," he said. Reva Siegel, a professor at Yale Law School, focused her presentation on the legal analysis of gender in "Gender and the Constitution from a Social Movement Perspective." By discussing the 14th and 19th amendments -- the only constitutional ratifications connected to women's rights -- Siegel investigated the social movements that catalyzed these changes. "I want to point out that the suffrage movement has been largely erased from legal consciousness," she said. Attendees were impressed, specifically by the revolutionary ideas linking law and social reform. "I think that it's really interesting to get a group of forward-thinking people to attack the many problems that continue to plague our society," said Brent Starks, 25, of Washington, D.C. Starks works for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Chandra Bhatnagar, a third-year Penn Law student, agreed. "It's not often in a law school setting that you address issues of gender, race and the struggle for equality," he said. "We, as young people concerned with justice, need to create opportunities to discuss these issues and build upon the legacies of those who came before us."
The Sphinx and pyramids came to life Monday night in Houston Hall, where community members and students previewed a soon-to-be-released documentary. The documentary, First People, Our People: Ancient Egypt Revealed, a collaboration of Motivational Educational Entertainment Productions and scholar Asa Hilliard, uncovers the glories of the African civilization originally known as Kemet and aims to raise awareness of Egyptian and African history. About 75 students and Philadelphia residents attended the event. "No matter where you are in time, the past matters," said documentary-maker Hilliard, a professor of urban education at Georgia State University, who narrated the film. "Part of the reason why so many young [African Americans] are destroying themselves is because they are not conscious of how important they are." The film celebrated the Kemet's Four Golden Ages, which were the peaks of its scientific, architectural and theological achievements. Taking the audience on a visual tour of the Nile Valley region, the video provided footage of more than a dozen landmarks from the era, including the pyramids at Giza and Saqqara. The 30-minute segment pointed out accomplishments of the Kemet people that have become lost in history. Debunking myths that philosophical thinking and the scientific method originated in Greece, Hilliard's film claimed that the Kemets were the first to make these discoveries. "[The Egyptians] were a connected, not alienated, people, who had a great cosmological understanding," Hilliard said during the the segment. The documentary also confronted the persecution of Africans throughout time, encouraging the audience to see how history has been tainted by a predominantly Western perspective. "Oppression has certain rules," Hilliard added. "You have to make sure that the oppressed group loses its identity, and you must teach that the group that is oppressing is genetically superior." A brief question and answer session followed the screening, where Hilliard explained the 30 minutes of the film that were not shown. Audience members said they were impressed with Hilliard's representation of history -- a new perspective of Egypt. "I liked what I saw," said Reginald Platts, 23, of Southwest Philadelphia. "It makes me look at things differently -- not just Egypt, but everything in the past." Terry Reynolds, a College sophomore, agreed. "It was an excellent opportunity to see something different from Eurocentric ideas on history," she said.
One-upping the "Roses are Red" jingles circulating around campus yesterday, the Kelly Writers House commemorated Valentine's Day with real poetry. Yesterday afternoon, it hosted "Loved Poems and Poems about Love," a reading and discussion oriented toward the intersection of love and poetry. About 40 students and faculty members attended. "We want to examine what love poetry can do for our psyche, relationships and community,"said English Professor Max Cavitch, who introduced the event and served as a moderator for the discussion. He explained how the reading was intended to "whet [the audience's] appetite and desire for love." The event was composed of a panel of eight established writers, including Penn faculty and staff members Herman Beavers, Greg Djanikian, Bob Perelman, Kathy Lou Schultz and Susan Stewart. In addition, Houston writer Edward Hirsch made a guest appearance, along with employees of WHYY and The Philadelphia Inquirer. The participants began by reading their favorite love poems, offering a diverse mix of poetry to the audience. Poets represented ranged from John Donne and Emily Dickenson to Rihaku and Li Po. Djanikian, who is the English Department's Creative Writing Program director, serenaded the audience with Pablo Neruda's "Love Poem No. 44," a work that Djanikian said influenced him when he was writing his own poems. "The love vibrates and zings between two polarities in this poem," he said, describing the close proximity of love and hate that Neruda addresses. In contrast to the more stereotypical love poems shared, Perelman, who is associate chairman of the English Department, chose to read "Cornkind" by Frank O'Hara to "tease the whole notion of love and how corny love poetry can be." O'Hara, a homosexual who could not reveal his sexuality publicly, used poetry to "fight his way out of the agony of being confined socially," Perelman said. Following the reading, the guests led a conversation with the audience about love in literature. The discussion allowed both the attendees and the speakers to ruminate over what constitutes a love poem. "A good love poem is going to be a little ruthless," Hirsch noted. "It carries a piece of information that can't be gotten elsewhere, breaking the boundaries of what we consider to be socially acceptable." Audience members said they enjoyed the event, agreeing that "Loved Poems and Poems about Love" was an excellent way to celebrate Valentine's Day. "It provided a good perspective on love and love poetry, along with the motivation behind it," Engineering junior Osamah Saeedi said.
One-upping the "Roses are Red" jingles circulating around campus yesterday, the Kelly Writers House commemorated Valentine's Day with real poetry. Yesterday afternoon, it hosted "Loved Poems and Poems about Love," a reading and discussion oriented toward the intersection of love and poetry. About 40 students and faculty members attended. "We want to examine what love poetry can do for our psyche, relationships and community,"said English Professor Max Cavitch, who introduced the event and served as a moderator for the discussion. He explained how the reading was intended to "whet [the audience's] appetite and desire for love." The event was composed of a panel of eight established writers, including Penn faculty and staff members Herman Beavers, Greg Djanikian, Bob Perelman, Kathy Lou Schultz and Susan Stewart. In addition, Houston writer Edward Hirsch made a guest appearance, along with employees of WHYY and The Philadelphia Inquirer. The participants began by reading their favorite love poems, offering a diverse mix of poetry to the audience. Poets represented ranged from John Donne and Emily Dickenson to Rihaku and Li Po. Djanikian, who is the English Department's Creative Writing Program director, serenaded the audience with Pablo Neruda's "Love Poem No. 44," a work that Djanikian said influenced him when he was writing his own poems. "The love vibrates and zings between two polarities in this poem," he said, describing the close proximity of love and hate that Neruda addresses. In contrast to the more stereotypical love poems shared, Perelman, who is associate chairman of the English Department, chose to read "Cornkind" by Frank O'Hara to "tease the whole notion of love and how corny love poetry can be." O'Hara, a homosexual who could not reveal his sexuality publicly, used poetry to "fight his way out of the agony of being confined socially," Perelman said. Following the reading, the guests led a conversation with the audience about love in literature. The discussion allowed both the attendees and the speakers to ruminate over what constitutes a love poem. "A good love poem is going to be a little ruthless," Hirsch noted. "It carries a piece of information that can't be gotten elsewhere, breaking the boundaries of what we consider to be socially acceptable." Audience members said they enjoyed the event, agreeing that "Loved Poems and Poems about Love" was an excellent way to celebrate Valentine's Day. "It provided a good perspective on love and love poetry, along with the motivation behind it," Engineering junior Osamah Saeedi said.
It doesn't have to be Martin Luther King's birthday for his legacy of fighting for equality to live on. Last week, the Kelly Writers House hosted "Readings of Consciousness," a program intended to celebrate King's life and the lives of others who have pursued social justice. About 20 students, professors and community members attended the event, which was an opportunity for people to come together and share inspirational readings in an open-mic format. "'Readings of Consciousness' was designed to provide a forum to reflect on people who have given inspiration to imagine the world as we wish it might be," said Kerry Sherin, director of the Writers House. "We often forget the larger purpose of our work and our lives and don't take time to think about the ethical beginnings of behavior." Between moments of silent contemplation, attendees read the writings of notable activists such as Nikki Giovanni, Coretta Scott King and Jamaica Kincaid, while some shared selections from their own works with the audience. Steve Halpern, a Philadelphia resident, read a poem from his unpublished book, "What Does the Word Freedom Mean?" His piece commemorated the South African marathon runner Josiah Thugwane, who struggled with discrimination in his pursuit of an Olympic gold medal. Halpern said his poem "[draws] modest conclusions on historical events," hinting at the injustices that Thugwane experienced in pursuit of his goals. Following the event, Halpern said, "I liked how people said what they felt. With literature, it can be very ambiguous and you can get many different interpretations." College senior Blake Martin read a selection from his recent documentary project -- part of the new "Writing in the Documentary Tradition" course -- which examines the life of Ellis Sacks, a doctor at Student Health Services. Martin's piece is about the prejudice that homosexuals experience, offering humorous but cynical observations on coping with day-to-day discrimination. A brief discussion followed the reading, where people shared their thoughts on what King would say if present at the event. "[Readings of Consciousness] was ideal from the standpoint of extemporaneous expression," said Seymour Sloan, a resident of South Philadelphia. "I appreciated how it was right-off-the-cuff and natural."
Janet Reno and Donald Trump were not the only dignitaries speaking on campus last Thursday. Minutes after Trump began taping an episode of the CNBC political talk show Hardball at Irvine Auditorium, Anita DeFrantz -- the U.S. representative to the International Olympic Committee -- spoke on a more morally charged issue in a speech entitled "Ethics in Sports: Deciding the Game" at the Penn Law School. The talk was part of the Institute for Law and Economics lecture series, which, according to Law Professor and institute head Michael Wachter, "brings together faculty and students to see the critical role that alumni play in the economy." A crowd of about 50 Law students and professors came to hear DeFrantz's view on the role of ethics in sports and her experiences as an African-American woman in the mostly white field of sports law and management. DeFrantz began on a positive note, reflecting on the high level of thought and decision making involved in athletics, and the phenomenon that humans "derive joy" from participating in sports. She also praised the advances made in terms of equity in sports. "Sports belong to us all," she said, noting that women will be able to participate in all but two Olympic events by the 2000 games. But DeFrantz's optimism soon faded as she brought up the "bad news" -- the recently publicized scandals associated with the IOC concerning the Olympic site selection process. The problems originated in 1980, when the IOC proposed the idea of corporate sponsorships so that Los Angeles would be able to afford to host the 1984 Summer Olympics. While intended to be beneficial, the involvement of corporations and money in the Olympics took a turn, ultimately snowballing with the Salt Lake City bribery scandal that saw several members of the IOC expelled or resign. The committee's investigation found that Salt Lake City officials gave IOC members gifts, backed by corporate sponsors -- in excess of the amounts permitted -- in the hopes of hosting the 2002 Winter Games. DeFrantz, who worked for the Senate Commerce Committee investigating the scandal, was later appointed to a new reform committee on the IOC, and is often mentioned as a possible successor to IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch when his term ends next year. DeFrantz expressed her hope that the IOC will be completely reformed by the end of this year. Looking beyond the recent scandal, she encouraged the audience to celebrate the excellence of the Olympics and the athletes involved. "Sports are built on the rules," DeFrantz said. "When you get into the game, you decide to accept these rules." Afterwards, students said they found Defrantz's views enlightening. "It was inspiring to hear DeFrantz speak as an African-American female who graduated from law school in a time when it was not easy to do so," said Damon Hewitt, a third-year Law student. "She exemplifies the dignified leaders that Penn Law produces on an international level." Giovanni Turner, a first-year Law student, added, "It was very interesting to hear a view on athletics and law that did not focus on sports agencies."
Sorority and fraternity reunions weren't the only Homecomings that took place on Locust Walk last Saturday night. Kelly Writers House drew in an audience of students, alumni and members of the community to partake in an informal evening program featuring the works of five alumni writers. According to Writers House Faculty Director Al Filreis, who hosted the reading, the function was designed to "celebrate the fact that writers exist in the community" and to "lend support to young writers." Dan Rottenberg, a 1964 College graduate and former Daily Pennsylvanian sports editor, began by reading the introduction of his newest work, The Inheritor's Handbook: A Definitive Guide for Beneficiaries. An established local author who has written seven books, Rottenberg explained that his new work "offers advice on being an heir and having conversations about death and money." He deals with "approaching any complicated subject by making it clear and possibly funny." This humorous twist on mortality was only the beginning of the eclectic mix of readings that followed. Ellen Umansky, a 1991 College graduate whose writing has appeared in The New York Times, Playboy and, most recently, Jane, read an excerpt from her new short story titled "Who Wants is Wanting." Russel Like, a 1989 College and Wharton graduate, followed, sharing parts of his work titled After the Blue, a science fiction novel about "silly looking aliens who destroy the earth and then try to fix it," according to the author. Later, 1972 College graduate Joe Williams and 1998 College alumnus Nate Chinen brought a different flavor to the event by reading selections from their poetry. "My poems are obsessed with the dramas of guilt and sorrow in which we are actors and locate our humanity," Williams said. He read some of his sonnets, including "JonBenet" -- a poem referring to murdered child beauty pageant queen JonBenet Ramsey -- "My Sonnet for Doc" and "Stalled Birth." Chinen read from his book Lucky Stars (Thursday Night Express Poems) and shared a poem entitled "Travel Log," which was written on a bowling scorecard he obtained while traveling in New Orleans. Audience members reacted positively to the diverse program. "The event was a good opportunity to have alumni back and it was somewhat of a slant on the normal functions at the Writers House," Allie D'Augustine said. The College sophomore was impressed with the diversity of styles represented by the authors, commenting that it was a "good mix." Many members of the audience, including 1998 College graduate Luke Szyrmer, backed her sentiments, saying that he felt that "it was great that the Writers House was bringing everyone together for the event." In addition to reading from their works, the authors shared their insights on writing with the audience. "If you know how to communicate, you are well ahead of the game, even if you don't become a writer," said Rottenberg, who encouraged aspiring writers to speak with him after the program. Williams, on the other hand, said "writing is among the loneliest preoccupations" and that his path to becoming a writer was "a long road." "Everything you learn increases your world and the bigger the world, the more you have to work with," Williams added.
Patrons sitting outside of Xando enjoyed more than a cup of coffee and conversation last Wednesday night. Along with other members of the University community, they witnessed the Institute of Contemporary Art's Open Video Call, the first in a series of events from which video selections will be chosen and exhibited in the museum's new video viewing station. The Open Video Call, as the name suggests, was a non-curated event providing the opportunity for any artist to submit and receive feedback on a six-minute video clip. Video clips were accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis and the first 20 clips received were projected both on a giant screen outside of the ICA and in an auditorium inside of the museum. ICA Director Claudia Gould, who was recently named to her position and is working to increase student participation in the ICA, emphasized that this event would "open something up at the ICA and draw attention to it." "Being new in the community, [the Open Video Call] is a chance to become familiar with artists' work," she said. The film clips ranged from the realistic to the abstract. In one, a girl was portrayed struggling to do a sit-up, flopping to the ground after the six minutes of footage. Other clips included a tribute to the Jews in the Warsaw ghetto, a satirical film that made fun of advertisements in fashion magazines and a portrayal of people blowing glass and smashing glassware. In addition to the tone, the quality of the films also varied. While some resembled home videos, others incorporated special effects like animation and computer-generated graphics. Between each clip, the artists introduced themselves and briefly explained what their clips were about, and following the viewing, those who attended discussed the videos. "I found the clips visually entertaining and stimulating," said Raymond Hayes, an independent filmmaker, producer and director who was participating in the Open Video Call. He considered them "textually beautiful" despite the fact that many were made by amateur artists. According to Assistant ICA Curator Alex Baker, the Open Video Call was an easy opportunity to "access the creativity of the local video art scene." As opposed to going through the longer and more tedious process of submitting clips and waiting for a response, the event gave the artists immediate feedback on their work. That was an appeal shared by many of the artists participating in the Open Video Call, as it gave them the chance to get public exposure. "I've been looking for places to do installations and alternative venues besides broadcast," said Laureen Griffin, an artist from Philadelphia. Chris Mullen, also from Philadelphia, was excited about the chance to "expose [his] video and hopefully show it more than it would be shown otherwise." The gallery hopes to host three more Open Video Calls throughout the year, the next to be held on January 12, Gould said. Gould originally started Open Video Call five years ago at the Artist's Space in New York City, where she formerly served as executive director. "It was very successful," Gould said. "I have the same hopes for here."
Claudia Gould wants the gallery made more accessible to students. The photographs hanging in the windows of the Institute of Contemporary Art may be replaced by go-go dancers one of these days. That change is among the many that Claudia Gould, the recently appointed director of the Institute of Contemporary Art, has considered implementing. "I keep wondering where all [the students] are," Gould said. "I see them walking by and sitting outside of the Grad Towers and I really want to make the museum more open to them." Hence, the go-go dancers -- a solution that Gould jokingly proposes in order to accomplish her main goal as director: to attract a larger student audience to the ICA. The ICA was founded in 1963 as a venue for recognizing early and emerging artists and is responsible for the presentation and documentation of recent developments in visual arts. Located at 36th and Sansom streets, the ICA is one of the few contemporary art institutes in the country and is constantly showcasing new exhibitions. It has no permanent collection of its own. As director, Gould is in charge of the institute's visual identity, artistic direction and financial stability. She oversees all its exhibitions, financial and personnel management and academic interface with undergraduate and graduate education at the University. But Gould insists she will not stop there. Although she has only been director for a little over a month, she already has many plans, including converting the terrace outside of the museum into a cafZ, opening gallery space on the second floor for local and international emerging artists and, most recently, hosting an "Open Video Call" to be held on Wednesday. In the event, the ICA will encourage students to submit six-minute video clips., which will be screened on the exterior wall of the building. Curators will then choose selections from the videos for a new video-viewing station within the ICA. "The Institute of Contemporary Art is a very good match for me," Gould said. She is particularly pleased with its "contemporary art collection, university connection and Philadelphia's proximity to New York City." Prior to her work at the ICA, Gould was the executive director of the Artists Space in New York City. After five years on staff, she said, she felt as though she had "done everything there" and was ready to move on to her next endeavor. University Provost Robert Barchi said that Gould is an ideal person for the prominent position. "Claudia Gould is exactly the person we need to lead the ICA," he said. "She has keen insight and a deep background into the contemporary art scene and is enormously creative, energetic and articulate." Gould encourages students to come to the ICA's exhibitions, openings and special programs, noting that admission is free for Penn students. "I would love to know what interests young people," Gould said. "My mission is to know what students want here."