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(11/23/94 10:00am)
The Inspiration's fall show, "No Home Trainin'," played to a full house both Friday and Saturday nights last weekend at the Nursing Education Building, causing cast members and audience members alike to declare the show the group's most successful to date. The 16-member ensemble let loose with songs ranging from Janet Jackson to older Motown, jazz and gospel, showcasing the wide range of talent and vocal specialty within the group. "We try to get a combination of everything," said College senior and Music Director Liza Horne. Strongest numbers included the Temptations' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" -- which was tightened up further by solos from Horace Anderson, Pernell Williams and Athelstan Bellerand Jr -- and the haunting "Homeless" -- originally performed by Ladysmith Black Mambazo with Paul Simon -- an ambitious number sung in English and Swahili dialect. The show was divided into three acts, bridged by two side-splitting skits and guest performances by Vertigo Friday night and by African Rhythms Saturday. The skits, modeled after MTV videos, Miller Lite beer ads, and the hilariously repetitive "Beauty Shop" stage show, had nearly every audience member on the floor. Their sendup on "Showtime at the Miss America Pageant -- Live from the Apollo" featured Law student Horace Manning in drag, while "No Home Trainin'" brought "comedy! drama! intrigue!" and too many twisted takes on stereotyped black comedy to count. On the method behind the skits' madness, founding member and show co-coordinator Damon Bradley said, "It came from radio ads for this one type of comedy that always seems to arise in the black community?it almost says that we don't even look any more at what we're watching, and if we don't demand something more intellectual, we won't get any more. The skits were funny because people in the audience could recognize the lines immediately, but there was a message with the laugh." Overall the show's innovative musical style and comedy really hit home. The show's success was evident by the sheer number of people who constantly clapped with the music and who gave a standing ovation at the show's close. The Inspiration's spring show, which traditionally attracts many of the group's alumni, promises to improve even more upon the fall success. -- Jennifer Dowling
(10/29/93 9:00am)
In a move which hardlyIn a move which hardlystrengthens the community,In a move which hardlystrengthens the community,a new class being taughtIn a move which hardlystrengthens the community,a new class being taughtin a fraternity house willIn a move which hardlystrengthens the community,a new class being taughtin a fraternity house willset aside spots for its members.In a move which hardlystrengthens the community,a new class being taughtin a fraternity house willset aside spots for its members.__________________________________ Taught by noted Law School professor Frank Goodman, Political Science 198 "Free Speech, Free Press: The Supreme Court and the First Amendment" promises to be a scholarly examination of a hot topic on campus and in the country. It also promises to be the only class conducted in a room that at night is more accustomed to spilled beer and dancing. In a move to "bring the learning experience into the student living room environment," Goodman's class will be taught in the Sigma Alpha Mu house. Of the many reasons for such a move, College Dean Matthew Santirocco said that holding class in a fraternity would help realize the goal of "One University." Presumably, Santirocco was transferring the College's experience with classes that are held in dormitories such as the Classical Studies course that Santirocco holds in the Quad. As is done in these dorm classes, several spots in the 15-person seminar will be set aside for SAM brothers. Yet this is where the difference begins and Santirocco's vision for fostering "One University" ends. So unlike a course which reserves spots for such heterogeneous groupings as majors, BFS students, or residents of a dorm, the SAM class will from the get-go be drawing the bulk of its students from an elite, self-selecting pool. Intrinsically, the class will hardly include anything bordering a representative cross-section of the undergraduate population. It will rob students of the few acres of common ground which we still have. Classes are guaranteed opportunities for people of all backgrounds and ideologies to interact. In particular, seminars such as the one at the SAM house almost require this diversity. Without it, there is no fuel to feed an intellectual fire. If the University is truly committed to strengthening the community, then it must stop fraternity-based classes with set-asides for its members. This only divides the community further by sectioning off students in the classroom – a place where division definitely shouldn't be.
(02/25/92 10:00am)
Requested that Goode wait The City of Philadelphia was preparing early last month to join a local law center's class-action lawsuit against the University, when incoming Mayor Edward Rendell requested that then-Mayor Wilson Goode hold off on the move. In a letter dated January 6, Goode assured Rendell that he would let the new mayor decide whether to add the city as a plaintiff in the suit, which claims the University provides needy Philadelphia high school students with only one-quarter of the Mayor's Scholarships that a city ordinance requires. "If I had not received your request I would have filed the Motion [to intervene]," Goode wrote to Rendell. "Accordingly, I do urge you to file the [motion] once your City Solicitor has had a chance to review this matter." Last week, Judith Harris, Rendell's acting city solicitor, agreed with the University's stance on the controversial scholarship program, concluding that the lawsuit challenging the University is unfounded. And David Cohen, Rendell's chief of staff, wrote in a cover letter attached to Harris' opinion that, based on the solicitor's finding, the city would not join the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia in its suit against the University. Neither Harris nor Cohen could be reached for comment yesterday. Thomas Wamser, a former deputy city solicitor who drafted Goode's motion to intervene, suggested yesterday that the Goode and Rendell administrations reached opposite decisions on whether to join the suit because the "roles were different" for Wamser and Rendell's Harris. He said he simply decided at Goode's request that the city could intervene in the suit and defend its position reasonably well. Harris, by contrast, did not receive "directions from above" and based her opinion solely on whether the city should intervene for legal reasons, Wamser said. Although the city's intervention clearly would have bolstered PILCOP's case, Goode said yesterday that he had not taken sides in the case and wanted the city to intervene only "to get to the facts in the case." "My interest is to find out precisely what the truth is," Goode said. "I'm not reaching any conclusions as to what the facts are, but I think it's very, very important that the city be a participant in the overall process -- not to take sides but to let the facts come out." Goode added that his decision was not politically motivated, saying, "No one pressured me at all and no one called me at all." But Wamser said that Goode did take PILCOP's side and told him last fall he would like the city to join the suit "if at all possible." "The mayor's concern was that local high school students get everything they are entitled to under the law," Wamser said. "Having the city in the suit as plaintiff would help PILCOP because then the court would have both sides of the agreement there and we would be on PILCOP's side." The city's participation also probably would have damaged the University's argument that the plaintiffs' suit lacks standing because there was never any intent to give third parties the right to enforce the agreement between the city and the University. "As none of the plaintiffs to this action are parties to the contract between the City and the University, the interests of the City are not adequately protected by the current parties," Goode's unfiled motion reads. But Wamser said he had "some reservations" about recommending that the city join the suit because previous city administrations and Handsel Minyard, a former solicitor under Goode, had determined in the past that the University was in compliance with the ordinance. Minyard did not return a phone call placed at his home last night. The suit alleges that a 1977 city ordinance requires the University to provide 125 new four-year scholarships each year, for a total of 500 at any one time. The University maintains that the ordinance calls for a total of 125 scholarships at any one time.
(10/31/91 10:00am)
Republican Mayoral candidate Joseph Egan pledged not to raise taxes to solve the city's budget deficit and expressed his support of Senate candidate Dick Thornburgh at a Republican reception last night. But beyond his tax pledge, Egan did not elaborate on the plans he had to address the deficit. "This is a great city, with great potential," Egan said. "We have to bring it together first." Also featured at the two-hour reception held at Cavanaugh's were former mayoral candidate Sam Katz and David Thornburgh, the son of Dick Thornburgh. Egan opened by endorsing the elder Thornburgh, saying that it is "critical" that the former U.S. Attorney General be elected for positive change to come to Philadelphia. Egan also told the group of 50 that his own willingness to "take it slow" and "not shoot from the hip" are important qualities for the next mayor. He said the problems that plague Philadelphia must be examined carefully and that permanent solutions take time. He also said that he has a proper appreciation for the office of mayor. "You should have some initial fear, moving into a task like this," Egan said. Egan also challenged his supporters to work hard at raising support for his campaign as well as the rest of the Republican ticket. David Thornburgh said that his father is "very confident" about his chances in Tuesday's general election. "The secret is jobs, jobs, jobs," Thornburgh said, citing his father. Thornburgh also reciprocated Egan's endorsement, and discussed the importance of the Republican ticket. Sam Katz, Egan's campaign chairman and former candidate for the Republican nomination for mayor, followed Thornburgh with a short speech about Egan and the Republican ticket. "[Egan] is a man of integrity -- he has the skills to lead this city," Katz said. Charles Djou, a Wharton senior said that Egan is what the city "and Penn . . . need." "He's not part of the old machine . . . he can move Philadelphia," Djou said. Milton Pilgreen, a volunteer for the Republican party and a Philadelphia resident praised Egan's character and stance on crime. "He seems to be dependable, not soft on criminals, hardworking, and an honest individual," Pilgreen said. The beginning of the reception included short speeches by Republican city council candidates Thacher Longstreth and Diana Roca, Register of Wills candidate Harry Schwartz, and Common Pleas Court candidates Gary Glazer, Seamus McCafferty, Jack Snite, Webster Keogh, Anne Lazarus.
(10/30/91 10:00am)
Last night about 75 students chose to concentrate on a pretty girl and a monster rather than their school work. These students attended a Walt Disney Company presentation on the soon-to-be-released movie, "Beauty and the Beast." Disney Public Relations Representative Tricia Miller told the audience a brief history of Disney animation and showed them a short highlight film. The preview covered the different stages of the animation process and included three songs from the movie. "Beauty and the Beast," which will be released Thanksgiving weekend, will be Disney's 30th full-length animated feature and the fifth classic fairy tale to be animated by the company. It took nearly three years and a staff of 600 animators to complete. The movie features the voices of Robby Benson, Angela Lansbury and Jerry Orvach and includes over 1100 individual hand-painted backgrounds and computer graphics. The score of "Beauty and the Beast" was written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, the men responsible for the music of "The Little Mermaid" and the musical "Little Shop of Horrors." The last animated Disney tale was the Academy Award winning "The Little Mermaid" which, according to Miller, "signaled the rebirth of animation." Miller said the reason Disney is targeting college campuses for "Beauty and the Beast" promotions is due in part to the popularity of "The Little Mermaid." "Adults like fairy tales just like children do," she said. Miller also presented a history of the company through movie clips from various Disney classics. The clips included "Steamboat Willie," the first movie to feature Mickey Mouse and "Snow White," which to this day is the movie most people have seen. Abraham explained that Disney movies work like Shakespeare in that the audience can enjoy them solely for the story, although there are also "deeper meanings and perverse jokes." Students said they found the presentation amusing and enjoyable, as most left the auditorium singing songs from "Beauty and the Beast," and wearing buttons from the movie distributed by Miller. "I thought it was great," said Wharton senior Brian Fan. "I have more appreciation for the animation process and I'd definitely see this movie."
(03/28/91 10:00am)
Their upcoming performance will celebrate the season with a thematically and stylistically wide range of musically interpretive dance motifs. According to group members, the performance is will be composed of a repertoire of seven interelated pieces. Different combinations of company members will perform in each piece, but all will be part of the finale. These pieces have been choreographed by Assistant Director Vaughnda Hilton-Lyn, College senior Julie Choderker, and guest choreographers Norman Taylor and Peter McCoy. Music will range from jazz to pop. The dancers, whose last performance was Affinity in November, have been rehearsing three to four hours a night at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance and Fitness Center since January to prepare for Spring. College freshman Robin Pulis said that Penn Dance is currently "polishing" the performance. Members described their upcoming performance as both diverse and experimental, and the most challenging to date. Dancers also said that they are happy they have not been slowed by injuries or other obstacles. The dance company's performances have been consistently changing in style and theme over the years. Company member and College sophomore Allison Powell attributed this largely to the annual influx of new choreographers and directors, most recently, McCoy and Taylor. Current Assistant Director Hilton-Lyn said she is very pleased with the progress she has seen in Penn Dance. "I have seen them go from high school level to amateur-professional in the three years I have been here," Hilton-Lyn said. Penn Dance, founded in 1976, is an eclectic group whose dances cover the whole spectrum from lyrical modern dance to jazz. Spring, which will be presented Thursday April 4 through the Saturday April 6, each night at 8 p.m. at the Annenberg School Theater, is the second of Penn Dance's major performances of this academic year. Additionally, Penn Dance will make a guest performance at Villanova University later this year. Members said they are optimistic that the show will draw large crowds. "Not only are they going to see great dance, but they are going to have a great time," said College junior and Penn Dance member Jen Clagett.
(02/11/91 10:00am)
Over the past 10 years, the University has upgraded its research facilities only once -- with the construction of the Clinical Research Building. At the same time, many other schools, especially state schools, have updated their facilities at a rapid pace. As a result, the University is losing a competitive advantage in applying for research grants. Since 1978, the University's national rank in the amount of overall funding it receives has dropped 10 places. In the most recent report from the National Science Foundation on University research funding, the University has fallen from ninth place to 19th place in only 10 years. University officials said last week this fall is directly related to a lack of facilities and a static number of research faculty. Although there are no plans to increase faculty, University officials are looking to the construction of the proposed Institute for Advanced Science and Technology to turn around the University's funding dilemma. The Institute, to be built on a site now occupied by Smith Hall, will house laboratories for science and engineering departments. "We are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel," said Engineering School Dean Gregory Farrington last week. "The new facility is not a frill, but central to maintaining a major research university." And Executive Director of Sponsored Programs Anthony Merrit said he thinks the recent advancements the University has made and is making will help change the downward trend. "We think we have repaired that in the last two years," Merrit said. Although rankings have fallen, total funding dollars at the University have steadily increased. Between 1978 and 1988, the University's funding grew from $76,493,000 to $159,218,000, a 108 percent increase. In 1990 University faculty submitted proposals worth $388 million and 58 percent of the those proposals were funded. Nationally, only 24.1 percent of research proposals are funded. But funding in other universities has grown more rapidly. As the University's rankings fell, other colleges, mostly state schools, moved ahead. These schools include Pennsylvania State University, two Texas state schools and several University of California schools. These universities use part of the money they receive to build major new facilities which attract quality faculty and research grants. "The quality of facilities contributes to the quality of the faculty," said David Morse, Managing Director of the University's Institute for Higher Education. When the University chose not to spend its money on facilities, funding declined. As a result, the University was caught in a Catch-22 situation -- it had to spend money to bring in money. Engineering Dean Farrington emphasized that research is in trouble without new facilities. "I think we lag behind with the facilities and equipment that are necessary for an outstanding performance in the engineering fields," said Farrington. "We have no closet space left to renovate." Farrington said science and engineering research cannot make any progress without new facilities, and the current situation is "desperate." Not only has the University not seen any new research space, but the number of faculty members in the research fields has not increased either. According to Merrit, to increase funding the University must increase the amount of competitive faculty. The faculty already at the University are extremely competitive, he said, but the University needs more members to vie for top research funds. Vice Provost for Research Barry Cooperman said 65 percent of the University's 1,800 faculty receive outside funding. Farrington said increasing faculty does have returns. In the last few years the Engineering School has seen only a "slight" increase in faculty, but research income has grown significantly. Although the University does not receive much state funding, it remains in better standing with the federal government, from which it receives 72 percent of its research funding. In 1989, the University received 464 grants worth $97 million from the National Institutes of Health, and ranked 10th on its list. Most private universities receive more federal aid than state sponsored schools. John Hopkins University, a private school, received the most funding from NIH, while only ranking 12th in all funding received. Currently receiving the most research funding, Stanford University rose from fifth to first place in the 10-year span. Stanford's funding for research had a 215 percent increase, leaping from $88,198,000 to $277,504,000. According to National Science Foundation spokesperson Marian Moulton, funding depends on the specific departments at a university, not a university as a whole. The stronger the faculty, the stronger its chance of receiving research funding. NIH looks for basic criteria in all research proposals, including the significance, originality and methodology of the project as well as the success rate, qualifications and experience of the researcher.
(02/07/91 10:00am)
It's going to be a "Wild" April if Spring Fling organizers have it their way. Every year, organizers have seach for a moniker to dub Fling that will excite students and bring interest to the annual fete. And after weeks of deliberations, this year's organizers have chosen the theme "The Wild Fling." Fling co-director Todd Fruchterman said last night that the decision was made by the three co-directors of the annual event with advice from the rest of the Spring Fling Committee. "We tossed some ideas around within the Spring Fling committee," said co-director Denise Rubin. She said that input was sought from friends of those on the committee, emphasizing that the committee regarded the decision as "not something which should be made on our own." Fruchterman said that the theme will be important for adding interest and excitement to the two-day party. "Hopefully, the theme will bring back a lot of the old spirit in Fling," he said. "We wanted to make sure that the theme would be able to attract a lot of people," said Rubin. And they said that they think they succeeded. "We feel it has abroad appeal," she added. She said that the officials were also aware that the theme may cause students to make inadvertent associations to the song "Wild Thing." The theme, officials said, is important because it generates interest in the weekend. "It can add cohesion and direction to how the weekend is going," Rubin said. "It can help to get people excited about the weekend." "This year, we've made a lot of structural changes in Fling," Fruchterman explained. "We hope that this year's theme will get some energy behind [the event.]" Fling officials last night declined to comment on what act which will headline this year's Fling, saying only that the process underway to choose the performer is "elaborate." Fruchterman said the decision will be announced on March 18, the Monday immediately following Spring Break. Rubin said that other preparations for the seasonal celebration are going well. She said that publicity soliciting performers for the weekend is getting started and the two-week sign-up period for the annual air band competition will begin next week in the Office of Student Life. She also said that the committee is hoping to arrange outdoor concerts at Hill Field for this year's events. Headline concerts for Fling have in recent years been held in Irvine Auditorium and the 1923 Hockey Rink. "A lot of stuff is really starting to happen," she said. "A lot of things are starting to get rolling."
(12/04/90 10:00am)
Although Philadelphia's budget crisis has graced the front pages of national newspapers, prospective freshmen and their parents do not seem worried about attending college in a cash-strapped city. Admissions Officer Eric Furda, whose territory includes the suburbs surrounding Philadelphia, said that so far, students and parents only asked questions about how the financial crisis would relate to security. But he said if the crisis gets worse, it could have its own effects. "Down the road it could certainly affect applications or, more importantly matriculation," Furda said. Furda added that the students and parents who have asked questions about the budget crisis are from areas which traditionally criticize the city anyway. "A lot of people [in the region] had a bad perception of Philadelphia," Furda said. Nationally, high school guidance counselors at schools that are "feeders" -- who send a lot of applicants to the University -- say that no one has raised questions about the financial crisis. Norm Reidel, chairperson of the college counseling department at New Trier High School in the Chicago suburb of Winnetka, said that there was no decline this year in Early Decision applicants to the University from his school. He said any decline in applicants would be due to the declining population of high school seniors. "I haven't heard anything that is going to curtail interest or the number of applicants," Reidel said. Thomas Hassan, the director of college counseling at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, said that he hasn't "heard a peep" of concern from students or parents about the effect of Philadelphia's cash crunch. He said that the story has reached New Hampshire, but it is not front page news there. In fact, the University looks good to Exeter students. Glenn Singleton, the University's director of western regional admissions, said last week that although there has been negative publicity about the city, the skyline has looked attractive in recent Monday Night Football games and in a new Visa advertising campaign which highlights Philadelphia's Strawbridge and Clothier stores. The concern that students and parents have about Philadelphia's financial troubles is tempered by similar problems experienced in San Francisco and Los Angeles, Singleton said. Concerns about attending school in urban areas are widespread, he said. "It's not related to the crisis of [Philadelphia], but related to the crisis of cities," Singleton said. But Singleton said that high school students see universities as "being somewhat removed from the problems of the city." Cristoph Guttentag, director of planning in the admissions office, said that in seven weeks of travel up the East Coast he has heard "one question [about the crisis] from one student once." "My impression is that students and parents are wise enough and sophisticated enough to understand that while Penn is a part of Philadelphia, there is enough of an independence there that one wouldn't have too strong of an effect on the other," Guttentag said.
(12/04/90 10:00am)
and ROXANNE PATEL No one is surprised that fraternities are at the center of the debate over the future over Locust Walk. The 10 chapters have some of the most convenient, centrally located houses on campus, and they occupy the only residential sites on the Walk. But fraternity members say they have been shocked at the allegations and anger that the issue has aroused. They knew that anti-Greek sentiment had been rising for years, but the vehemence of the attacks was unexpected. In their attacks on the all-fraternity Walk, critics have charged that the chapters foster sexism, racism and violence. The system has been barraged with charges of sexual harassment, elitism, and rape. Although they knew their organizations would be central in changing the Walk, Greek members say the Walk dispute has caused the entire system to be unfairly criticized. What began as a discussion over housing has become a battle over the fraternities' place in the University community. · The linchpin of the Walk debate has been the claim that Locust Walk does not represent the entire University because its residents -- members of 10 predominantly white fraternities -- do not reflect the racial, sexual, and ethnic diversity of the University. These claims are accompanied by complaints by women and minorities who say they avoid the Walk whenever possible because they feel at best excluded and at worst physically threatened when they walk to work or class. Lydia York, who received a graduate degree from Wharton in 1987, said last week that because of the Walk's atmosphere, she consciously avoided the Walk at night and on weekends. "At night, Locust Walk takes on sort of a carnival atmosphere," said York, co-chairperson of a recent alumni committee on campus life. "I don't want to say I ever felt physically threatened, but I thought 'What if the boys get out of hand?' " "Personally, I think that something that important on the campus should be a little less threatening," York added. The anti-fraternity factions were given ammunition in 1987 with the release of a report of an ad-hoc committee on racial and sexual harassment. The study, dubbed the Berg Report, states that according to evidence obtained by the judicial inquiry officer and the Office of Student Life, fraternities were responsible for the majority of racial and sexual harassment charges. The report is still cited by a broad coalition of anti-fraternity groups as evidence that fraternities should be thrown off of Locust Walk. Additionally, in a report released this fall, the Committee on University Life noted that many student and faculty members had said they would like the fraternity system to be abolished. While the report did not take a position on the issue, it suggested moving the 10 chapters off Locust Walk. Anti-fraternity sentiments became markedly more vocal last spring, when a group staged an impromptu "Take Back the Walk" protest during a rally which protested crimes against women and minorities on campus. This vocal stance continued through last semester and into this fall. In a book published in August, Anthropology Professor Peggy Sanday increased anti-Greek ire with charges against the fraternity system and specific allegations of sexual harassment against some Locust Walk chapters. In October, she said that her aim in writing Fraternity Gang Rape: Sex, Brotherhood and Privilege on Campus was to help remove fraternities from Locust Walk within 10 years. Prompted by concern over reports of fraternities' harassment of women, some University Trustees who are also fraternity alumni have gone to their houses and explained that sexist behavior will not be tolerated, according to Trustee Richard Censits. "Fraternities provide people with the opportunity to get together and be part of a group," said Censits, who was a member of Beta Theta Pi when it occupied the space where the Sweeten Alumni Center now stands. "They don't have the right to hurt or be rude or crude to anyone." In response to these charges, fraternity members have gone on the offensive this year, accentuating their positives to counter the claims that they are intolerent and violent. They say that as an organized campus group, they have the best opportunity to counter racist and sexist behavior. Several fraternity brothers said many groups do not give them credit for their community service and social awareness programming. Consequently, brothers say, when they fight for their houses on Locust Walk, they feel that they are also fighting for a place as a legitimate group at the University. Sigma Alpha Epsilon President Mike Feinberg said defending fraternities' place in changing Locust Walk and defending the Greek system are "two different issues, but in a way it's the same thing." "On the one hand, the issue deals with pluralism, but on the other hand, the people most vocal about diversifying Locust Walk . . .are very anti-Greek and they want to see the fraternity system abolished," he said. Interfraternity Council President Bret Kinsella said last week he feels the Locust Walk fraternities can help the process of building a new Locust Walk. "Fraternities are in a unique position . . . to facilitate the pluralistic goal," Kinsella said. "Fraternities should be integrated in the process because they are first and foremost students of this University. [They] should have the opportunity to participate in a pluralistic campus and should help construct a pluralistic campus just as any other student." IFC President-elect Jim Rettew said last week that he does not fully understand why people are intimidated on Locust Walk. "Sometimes, people say fraternities make them feel uncomfortable," said Rettew, the current IFC secretary. "In a way I understand, but in another way I don't. Some of the guys living on Locust Walk are physically big, but they don't mean to be intimidating." "Fraternities were founded for all the right reasons: brotherhood, honor, trust, fraternity," Rettew added. "Once people get to know us, they will be able to get past this 'intimidating' stereotype." Rettew defended fraternities' place on Locust Walk, saying the Walk is not completely homogenous. "A key to diversity is integration, and fraternities provide the best means of this integration through perpetuating diversified interaction under a common roof in a fraternalistic bond," he said.
(10/29/90 10:00am)
Ray Ramos wants to buy a gun. Over the last 18 months, the Wharton senior's off-campus house has been burglarized three times. The last time, one of his female housemates was stuck in the house alone with the robber. "It's scary when you think you might have to confront a burglar sometime in your apartment," he said. "I wouldn't want to walk out of my room and find somebody there and be at their mercy." "It's pushed me to the point that I feel in order to feel safe at home I need a gun in case something happens. I hate thinking that that's what it has to come down to but that's how I feel." One of Ramos' housemates, College senior Adam Pines, said he has felt West Philadelphia's crime problem in many other ways. One of his friends was robbed at gunpoint at 41st and Pine streets. Another of his friends, upset that his apartment was robbed, just bought a $700 Beretta handgun. "It's pretty immediate," he said. "I think it's gotten a whole lot worse in the last couple of years, especially in the last year." ' Ramos and Pines are part of a growing number of students who no longer feel safe going about their daily life. Dozens of students are victims of crime each year. Countless others have adjusted their lives to protect themselves. And several seniors said this week they feel crime is as much, if not more, of a threat than it was during their violent freshman year. They said several highly-publicized incidents three years ago -- including a near-fatal stabbing of a student and the murder of a local youth outside of the McDonald's Restaurant at 40th and Walnut streets -- shocked them into changing their habits. After a two-year lull, many students said they think the University has been hit with more violent crime than ever this fall. This semester, no fewer than 15 armed or strongarm robberies have occurred. And a robbery 10 days ago in which a student was seriously injured has brought crime to the forefront of discussion. "This has gotten everybody talking," said College junior Jeffery Jacobson, a resident advisor in the Quadrangle and the co-chairperson of University Council's Safety and Security Committee. "I think this case has really sobered some people up. I think it's really a shame that it took this kind of case to make that happen." Engineering senior Kathy Magliochetti said the concern about crime she developed as a freshman is re-awkening. "Those [incidents] were kind of eye-opening for freshmen," she said. "Now it's back to a height where it's very scary to go out." · According to University Police statistics -- which do not include all crime involving students -- on-campus and off-campus crime has remained constant over the last three years. But some students say they perceive that the crimes have become more violent. Jacobson said it seems students are more likely to be hurt in crimes now than a few years ago. "There seem to be more reports of injuries than there were," he said. "The criminals have gotten more brazen." Pines said crimes no longer follow a predictable pattern. Pointing to the break-in at his house, he said location or time of day no longer seem to have any bearing on how crimes occur. "They've lost their shame," he said. "That they'd break into an apartment while people are home is pretty amazing to me." And Ramos, who said he is from a "bad neighborhood" in East Los Angeles, said he did not expect West Philadelphia to have the same crime problems as Los Angeles. Instead he found that the problem was worse. Other students said they were not prepared for the crime problems they faced upon arriving on campus. Only those students who come from urban areas or Philadelphia suburbs said they knew what they were getting into. While most students did not explicitly criticize University officials' response to crime, they said current measures are not sufficient. · Students differ in how they deal with the crime threat. A small handful dismiss the problem and do not let it affect their lives. Most students seem to adopt basic common sense principles, like not walking alone at night, but do not let it become a constant worry. Some, like Ramos, consider more drastic measures. Freshmen Paul Gait and Steven Marks fall into the first category. "I don't think it [the crime problem] is bad at all," said Marks, who is in the College. "Sometimes it's blown out of proportion. I'm pretty safe." "It's pretty overrated," Gait added. "I don't think it's bad unless you do something pretty stupid." But Gait and Marks are exceptions. Most freshmen, as well as upperclass students, say crime is a major threat. College freshman Marie Levine said the October 19 robbery, in which two men in a van grabbed the student's bag, dragged her 30 feet and ran over her, was a shock and has made her concerned she might become a victim. "I've never thought in that manner before but you have to," she said. College senior Virginia Young is living off-campus this year for the first time, about a block away from the site of the incident. Until recent weeks, she said, crime was not a major concern. Now it is. "In the future I imagine I'll be a lot more careful about walking home at night, even at eight or nine o'clock," she said. Young said in light of recent crimes, she has decided to buy mace. College freshman Holly Strutt keeps mace in her backpack. She said she was embarassed when her father suggested carrying it, but after being on campus for two months is grateful for the protection. And Friday two students, after perceiving an increased student concern about crime, sold a new mace-like weapon called CAPSTUN on Locust Walk. Wharton juniors Brian Butler and Marek Gootman sold about 25 to 30 of the two-ounce, chemical spray weapons as part of the Wharton Entrepeneurial Club. Butler said he read about it in a magazine and ordered one for himself to protect himself. When he read more about it, he decided to sell them on campus. He said several sororities have expressed interest in making large purchases. "There's definitely a need for some kind of deterrent," he said. "It's something to make you feel a little safer when you walk to WaWa." University Police spokesperson Sylvia Canada said police do not recommend buying weapons. She said students should just report crimes or suspicious activity and let police handle it. · Students say they see a big difference in crime once they cross 40th Street. "It doesn't bother me in any way to walk on campus," said Engineering junior Kaan Erenler. "But, past 40th Street, forget it." The addition of 31 new police officers over the past year, Canada said, has made the area within campus borders relatively safe. Jacobson agreed. "So long as you're within the radius of 34th Street to 40th Street, Walnut to Spruce, the safety is far better than it was," he said. "I look over my shoulder, but I don't have any trepidations about making the trip." And students living in the dormitories said they have few, if any, concerns about their safety inside the buildings. In 1985, University officials dramatically increased residential security after the murder of a graduate student during Thanksgiving break and the report of a rape in the Quadrangle. Some students say they hesitate to move off campus -- and their parents discourage them to -- because of concerns over crime. · Jacobson and University Police officials say students can significantly reduce crime risk. Jacobson said students are much less likely to be victims if they walk in groups, cut down on walking at night and do not antagonize others. He also said students should not hesitate to use services like PennBus or Escort Service. A few years ago, many male students said they felt uncomfortable or embarassed to use the service. Now, several male students said they use the service regularly. "Worrying about crime is not a macho thing," Jacobson said. "If someone puts a gun in your face it doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman. That person has control over whether you live or die. Walking through campus is not a test of masculinity -- it's a test of intelligence." Student use of University ride services has grown "drastically," according to Steve Carey, assistant director of transportation and parking. Carey said Escort Service serves nearly as many riders in a single month as it used to serve in a year. In the 1985-86 school year, Escort Service provided 13,350 rides. This figure jumped to 23,870 in 1986-87; to 24,722 in 87-88; to 41,244 the next year; and to 78,466 in '89-90. The service has provided almost 9000 escorts this month alone. Ridership of PennBus, which has routes in West Philadelphia and to Center City, has also increased, rising from 37,460 rides in 1987-88 to 69,188 in 1989-90. Carey said Escort has succeeded in decreasing the time students wait for the service, and tried to meet growing demand by adding a new van this year. In 1985-86, he said, about five percent of students had to wait over 30 minutes for a ride. This figure has now dropped under two percent, he said. Still, some students said they do not call Escort because they do not want to wait. Several students say they only use the service in extreme situations -- like when they are alone off-campus. Canada said students can take an active role in preventing crimes by immediately reporting suspicious activity to police. She said she believes students are reporting crime more often and more quickly than they used to, indicating more genuine concern for safety throughout the community. "When you have people actively coming into the department and reporting things, that's a good gauge," she said. "We have students coming in, pointing out suspects and going to court."
