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(10/25/90 9:00am)
Under a compromise which allowed the government agency investigating discrimination charges against the University to review complete tenure files, investigators are still studying the evidence to determine the validity of the five-year-old claims. Last January, the Supreme Court ordered the University to submit the confidential peer reviews to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The commission is investigating the racial and sexual discrimination charges brought against the University by former Associate Management Professor Rosalie Tung after she was denied tenure in 1985. But the justices failed to rule on the issue of "redaction" -- the process in which the names and other identifiable characteristics are erased from files. The University submitted redacted files to the commission in March, despite the EEOC's claim that the incomplete files would not provide the evidence needed to investigate Tung's charges. The University's move sparked condemnations from faculty and students, and resulted in prolonged negotiations with the unsatisfied government agency. The University agreed in June to submit unredacted files. University General Counsel Shelley Green said this week that the administration agreed to the compromise because the commission said it would return the unedited files to the University when the investigation is completed. Green said she is satisfied with the compromise. "I feel satisfied that the EEOC had understood the importance of the files," Green said. "The EEOC acknowledged that the documents would be treated with special care." EEOC lawyer Yolonda Hughes said this week that the commission is currently studying the submitted tenure reviews, adding that she does not know when the investigation will be completed. Hughes said she thinks the commission's compromise with the University was reasonable. But she added that the commission will still not have complete records for future reference. "We agreed on what would be taken out and what wouldn't," Hughes said. "It's probably less redaction than they would have preferred and more than we would have preferred. It was a compromise." "The real question is, based on what we've received, can the investigator now complete her investigation?" Hughes asked. If federal investigators determine that the University discriminated against Tung, the former professor could use the ruling as evidence in her suit. Microbiology Professor Helen Davies, who criticized administrators for submitting only partial reviews in March, said this week that she thinks the University should have given the EEOC the unredacted files upon the initial request. "I would like to know if the University administration thinks it was worth the amount of money it cost in legal fees to take the case to the Supreme Court to end up giving the EEOC [investigators] the unredacted files they asked for originally," Davies said. General Counsel Green said she does not know whether redacted or unredacted documents will be used in court if Tung pursues her suit against the University. Tung, who now teaches at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee declined to comment on the case yesterday because the investigation is still pending.
(10/24/90 9:00am)
The former Psi Upsilon fraternity house, central to the diversity on the Walk debate as the only vacant structure in the middle of campus, is likely to remain empty next semester. President Sheldon Hackney said in September that the house, located at 36th Street and Locust Walk, would be occupied by January. But Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson said this week that it will be difficult to fill the house because officials have not yet chosen future residents and that repair work has not begun. "We haven't ruled it out, but it would be difficult," Morrisson said this week. "There is a significant amount of work in terms of clean up in order to make it livable for people again." Several diversity on the Walk committee members said they are angry that the spacious building will not be used at all this school year, saying there would not have been a problem if the committee had met earlier in the semester. Morrisson said she does not know what type of group she wants to occupy the house, but she said earlier this month that she has received several letters from student and academic organizations requesting to move in. The house has remained vacant since Morrisson suspended the Psi Upsilon fraternity, known as the Castle, last May for planning and executing the January kidnapping of a Delta Psi fraternity brother. (****EDS NOTE: CLARIFICATION: THE General Counsel's office disputes the claim by a Psi Upsilon attorney that the building will revert back to alumni control if not used for residential purposes) According to a 1938 lease agreement, University Trustees control the Castle house as long as it is used for residential purposes, Psi Upsilon attorney John Ledwith said yesterday. Before Psi Upsilon was kicked off campus, President Hackney announced that he planned to bring a greater residential mix to the fraternity-dominated campus thoroughfare. Hackney said this semester that the new residents of the Castle house will be non-Greek students to open the Walk to students who have not had the opportunity to reside along the campus' main artery. Morrisson, who co-chairs the diversity on the Walk committee, said that repair work on the house will begin as soon as the University determines what specifically needs to be done. (****EDS NOTE: CORRECTION - Erica Strohl is Women's allaince member, not chairperson.) "I think if students push to try to use the Castle for something, it could be used," College senior Strohl said. And committee member Nalini Samuel said she thinks the diversity on the Walk committee should "get on the ball" and decide what to do with the house so it will not remain empty next semester. "One of the purposes of the committee is to decide what to do with the Castle," United Minorities Council Chairperson Samuel said. Materials Science and Engineering Professor David Pope, the other co-chairperson of the Walk committee, said yesterday that leaving the Castle vacant next semester will give committee members more time to discuss potential residents and to give recommendations to VPUL Morrisson. Graduate representative to the committee Susan Garfinkel said yesterday that the Castle plays an important role because "it touches very close to the issue of what to do about fraternity houses on Locust Walk." Garfinkel, chairperson of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, said she thinks it is better that the University wait another semester before filling the house rather than act imprudently. "I wouldn't want the University to put someone in hastily and then regret the decision after hearing the recommendations of the committee," Garfinkel said.
(10/23/90 9:00am)
The legal battle between the Psi Upsilon fraternity and the University may not be resolved until next summer, lawyers for both sides said yesterday. Lawyers for the 99-year-old fraternity, known as the Castle, filed an appeal in July so that the state court would invalidate the University's indefinite suspension of the chapter last May. Castle attorney John Ledwith said yesterday that the appeal, filed after an initial bid for an injunction against the University was denied, will probably not be decided for at least eight months. Ledwith said that he has requested that the case be expedited, but does not know if his request will be granted. The fraternity filed for the injunction against the University in May after the vice provost for University Life kicked the fraternity out of its Locust Walk house and withdrew its recognition for at least three years. The chapter was punished for planning and executing the January kidnapping of Delta Psi fraternity brother William O'Flanagan. Individual charges were also filed against 21 Castle members and one non-fraternity student, Judicial Inquiry Officer Constance Goodman said earlier this semester. Goodman said she settled all the cases, but would not give details. Some of the students have left the University. Under the sanctions, the University will not consider re-recognition until the fall of 1993 and former members are forbidden from participating in or organizing any events as a fraternity. Ledwith said that the fraternity wanted the injunction and appealed the denial because "the University did not comply with the requirements of due process." University General Counsel Shelley Green said yesterday she expects the judges to again rule in favor of the University. "The fraternity had no basis for getting an injunction and I expect that the lower court's decision will be upheld," Green said. St. A's member O'Flanagan filed civil suits against 23 individuals, the Castle as a whole and the Psi Upsilon national and local organizations last April, according to O'Flanagan's attorney James Rosenberg. Information on the amount O'Flanagan is requesting in his suit was not available. He also said no significant steps have been taken since the suits were filed, adding that litigation of the suits could take up to four years. O'Flanagan, a College senior, could not be reached for comment last night. Several Castle members involved in the suits also could not be reached for comment.
(10/18/90 9:00am)
Minority students yesterday condemned a fraternity's advertisement depicting a "lazy Mexican" -- the third such flier to appear on campus in four years -- and called the fraternity's subsequent apology inadequate. The poster, which advertised a Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity rush event, showed a man in a sombrero lying on the ground with several bottles around him. In an open letter to Sig Ep, the board of Asociacion Cultural de Estudiantes Latinoamericanos termed the flier "frustrating and insulting," and called on Greek leaders to develop guidelines to prevent further incidents. "Such depictions and stereotypes of our culture only serve to promote these false beliefs," the letter says. "It is very time-consuming to have to respond to this issue every time it comes up." Sig Ep Rush Chairperson John Grugan said last night that the fraternity did not mean to offend anyone, adding that when members heard reactions to the fliers they took them down and wrote an apology. In 1988, the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity portrayed a "lazy Mexican" on fliers for a party. And in 1986, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity used a picture of a sleeping man wearing a sombrero to advertise a "South of the Border" party. ACELA Vice President Ileana Garcia said last night that although Sig Ep's flier offended a large proportion of the Latino community, she does not believe it was intentional. "The whole problem is that they didn't even think," Wharton junior Garcia said. "I think that if any group is going to put on an event with a cultural theme it should know what the culture's about, not just a stereotypical image of the culture," Garcia added. Sig Ep's Grugan said he was unaware of the previous incidents when he allowed the poster to be hung. Sig Ep's apology, which was published in the DP last Thursday, said that "we at Sigma Phi Epsilon have continually striven for diversity both through philanthropies and recruitment, and therefore would never have intentionally offended any ethnic group." But Garcia called the letter "a poor excuse for an apology" because it did not state who was offended or what was on the poster. Grugan said he is surprised that there are no Greek system guidelines about posters and that rush chairpeople were not informed of the previous incidents. But IFC Vice President for Rush David Hecht said last night that he does not think the IFC should have to educate fraternity members about incidents that have occurred on campus in recent years. He also said he does not think guidelines would change how advertising is handled. "As rush chairman of this system, I'm not going to tell anyone what to put on posters, and I think it's ridiculous to tell them what not to put on them," Hecht said. "I assume that every fraternity will respect members of the community."
(10/12/90 9:00am)
Representatives from a national student organization are hoping to help students expand the University's diversity awareness programming through a multi-university institute to be held on campus next month. The American Association of University Students is organizing the four-day, independent diversity awareness institute, which organizers say will complement the University's own diversity awareness program. The conference, titled Common Ground: Building on the Strength of Diversity, will consist of a series of seminars and discussions about increasing diversity awareness on college campuses. Students from the University, Temple and Drexel universities, and Bryn Mawr, Haverford and Swarthmore colleges have been invited to attend the event, to be held November 1 through 4 at the Law School. The program is designed to help participants organize student-initiated diversity awareness programs on their campuses and to build a network between the schools. Next month's program is AAUS's first ever, but organizers said they plan to conduct the diversity institute around the country. Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson said last night that she thinks the AAUS' program will benefit the University because it "attempts to explore the issue of diversity." "I think that obviously this campus right now is quite sensitized to these issues so people will be receptive to the program," Morrisson said. The AAUS will choose two students from applicants from each school to coordinate organization of diversity programs on their campus and to act as mediators between the school and the national organization. Applicants not selected, as well as other students who register, can become part of each school's campus working group, and will assist the facilitators in arranging diversity programs. Organizers said approximately 20 students have applied to be facilitators, adding that they have received between 50 and 100 program registration forms. The program, which planners said will be a motivational session for the students, will center around racism, sexism, homophobia and religious and sexual intolerance on college campuses. The AAUS is advertising the institute by postering campuses with black and white placards listing 32 commonly used abusive terms. Temple University administrators forbade the AAUS from displaying the poster, fearing that it would offend students and faculty members. According to Lisa Jeter, Director of "Common Ground," the student facilitators will be charged with developing new diversity programming or supporting current efforts at their schools. She said the AAUS will encourage both single-campus and cross-campus events. Jeter said she is disappointed that more minority students have not applied to the program. "We're not getting a very good response from the minority community," the director said. "We hope for a very large turnout from minority students." College sophomore Stacey Kirkland said last night that she may apply to be a facilitator. "My being an African-American woman makes it especially important for me to be concerned with issues of diversity," Kirkland said. AAUS Executive Director Thomas Goldstein said this week that his program will award faciliators showing the most initiative $5000 to support diversity programming at their school. Kent State University senior Dorn Wenninger, a diversity awareness organizer who is half-Japanese, half-Danish and adopted, will speak on a panel at the program about his experiences as a minority and activist. Saying he hopes the conference's participants can learn from his experiences, the Kent State senior added that he will detail the importance of diversity on campuses across the country. "Race-related and gender issues are on top of national awareness right now, and it's something that's been neglected in the past," Wenninger said.
(10/10/90 9:00am)
Individual charges against current students involved in the Psi Upsilon fraternity's alleged kidnapping of a Delta Psi fraternity brother were resolved earlier this month, Judicial Inquiry Officer Constance Goodman said yesterday. But Goodman would not say how the charges were resoloved -- whether the charges had been dropped or punishments had been imposed in any of the individual cases. And the Philadelphia District Attorney's charges against several students for the same incident were dropped this summer when the defendants agreed to participate in a probationary program. Goodman said yesterday that the University charged 21 former Castle members and one non-fraternity student last April for planning and executing the January kidnapping of St. A's brother William O'Flanagan. The JIO in May released the 44-point findings of fact detailing the incident. The report said throughout the two-and-a-half-hour episode, O'Flanagan was "in fear of imminent serious bodily injury, and at one point, death." The 99-year-old campus Psi Upsilon chapter was suspended for five years after the University found that members were collectively responsible for the incident. Members were evicted from their Locust Walk house and are not allowed to organize any events as a group. A former Castle member, who requested anonymity, said last night that former members are not conducting any activities as a house. Goodman would not comment on the case status of people who have graduated or have left the University. She also would not specify what charges were brought against the students. The former member said that the students were punished for violating the University's code of conduct, adding that charges and punishments varied from person to person. College sophomore Carter Crum, one of the students charged, said last night he thinks he was sentenced fairly. And Goodman said she is "satisfied" with the results of the individual cases. "I hope that the campus can begin to heal and that the individuals who were involved know the seriousness of what they did," Goodman said. "I hope they can move on with their lives too." But the former member who asked not to be identified said he is unhappy with the University's handling of the case. "In retrospect, our honesty [in telling the JIO what occurred] really harmed us more than anything else," he said. "If the implication is that silence would have served us better, I don't think that's the kind of judicial system the University wants to espouse." The Philadelphia DA arrested former University students Aaron Castellano and Carlton Jackson in February on felony charges of kidnapping and making terrorist threats and several misdemeanor counts. The DA also charged eight former Castle brothers in July for second degree misdemeanors of conspiracy, simple assault and false imprisonment -- counts which carried a maximum sentence of six years. To avoid possible jail terms, all 10 students agreed to join the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program, a probationary program for first-time offenders. Under the terms of the program, the students did not enter pleas. The students charged this summer were former College senior and Castle President Kamuti Kiteme, Wharton junior Peter Stone, Wharton sophomore Chris Migura, College sophomores Crum, Matthew Baxter, Patrick Shanahan and Severin White, and former University student Walter LarMoore. Crum said last night that for the probationary program the students "have to stay out of trouble" for a period of time. He said that once the period is over and the students' behavior has been deemed satisfactory, the incident will be wiped off of their criminal records. Crum said the former Castle brothers accepted the DA's offer because they wanted to put the situation behind them. He said the case would have dragged on for at least a year or more if they had not entered into the probationary program. Former fraternity members said yesterday that they are angered that the University held the Castle collectively responsible for last January's incident, saying that there were some former brothers who played a larger role in the alleged kidnapping than others. The former member who did not wish to be identified said he thinks "the distribution of guilt and the distribution of punishment are out of whack" because most of the people "bearing the brunt" are the pledges, who he said were least culpable for the incident. He added that about one-third of the former brothers were away last semester, and that many of the former members who were involved are no longer at the University. O'Flanagan, a College senior, could not be reached for comment.
(10/08/90 9:00am)
The first-annual Latino Recruitment Program last year changed Evelyn Lafontaine's life. "It was the first Latino recruitment conference that made all the difference from all the other colleges," Lafontaine said. "It's why I came here." The second conference, held this weekend, attracted about 35 high school juniors and seniors from around the country. The event was sponsored by the University Admissions Office and two Latino student groups. The weekend consists of informational and social events designed to give Latino visitors an all-around view of the University. The prospective applicants, who stayed with current Latino students, attended panel discussions, a dance and a Puerto Rican dinner. In addition, the program was aimed at exposing the students to their own culture on campus, said College sophomore Elizabeth Cedillo, who helped organize this year's conference. "They're starting to see that they can make it here, and that is the point of the program," Cedillo said. The number of Latino students in this year's freshman class rose to 117 from 100 last year. Cedillo said some of those students attended the recruitment program, but admissions officials are unsure of the exact number. Several program participants said the weekend's conference convinced them to apply here, adding that they saw aspects of the University by which they were pleasantly surprised. Many also said they plan to attend if accepted. And Karen Velazquez, a senior from New York, said she enjoyed the program because "it made me feel proud to be a Latino student." She added that the University is her "dream school" and said the student hosts made her realize that Latinos on campus have a very close-knit community. Velazquez said that the program reversed ideas about the University which high school advisers give to Latino students. She said that counselors discourage her and other participants from applying here because "they think we can't make the grade here."
(10/05/90 9:00am)
When Geoffrey Cousins joined a fraternity three years ago, he knew he was in for intensive pledging, but was willing to pay the price for brotherhood. Cousins, who went through several grueling weeks as a pledge, said the period is an integral part of the black Greek system. But students joining black Greek organizations this year may have a radically different experience. The national black Greek organizations are discussing whether to abolish traditional pledge rituals, and have already agreed to ban "pledging," at least in name. Over the years, the pledging practices of several black Greek organizations have come under fire because of deaths and injuries that have occurred during hazing. Pledges have traditionally been forced to undergo mental and physical abuse on their way to membership. The pledging process at the University has been tempered in the last decade. Members of black fraternities and sororities here said they agree that some aspects of pledging still need to change, but the process is essential to the black Greek experience. (***EDS NOTE: CORRECTION - Cousins is Pres. of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity - Alpha Kappa Alpha is sorority) "I understand and realize there is definitely a need for change from the present system," said Cousins, who is now president of the Alpha Kappa Alpha fraternity. "But I don't feel the changes need to be so drastic as proposed." Black Greeks began deliberations about the pledging process after the National Black Panhellenic Council called on fraternities and sororities to abolish the system last February. The fate of pledging was left up to the national chapters of each organization. Each of the groups this summer decided to abolish pledging, but are still determining what will take its place. Several members said yesterday that they expect the organizations to set standards within the next few weeks. As nationals continue to debate, black fraternities and sororities on campus are still in the dark as to what will become of first-year programs and do not even know what they will do this year. Cousins, a College senior, said yesterday that he does not think his fraternity will completely phase out the pledging process. He predicted that changes will be made to standardize pledging processes in chapters around the country, adding that he thinks each campus branch will have its "own personal flair." And despite Black Panhellenic Council members' affirmation last spring that the groups would comply with their call to abolish pledging, some members said overturning pledging will not be that easy. Delta Sigma Theta President Ronnette Addison, a Drexel University senior, said yesterday that the citywide sorority's national chapter decided to continue the controversial pledging process, but is "developing and instituting" a new program to begin this fall. Sorority members do not yet know the details of the new system. The last major hazing accident in a black Greek organization at the University occurred in 1977 when an Omega Psi Phi pledge died of heart failure during a pledge event after being beaten by a paddle several times. The pledge, who was a College sophomore, was reportedly punched in the chest and made to do other strenuous activities causing his already weak heart to give out. Several accidents have occurred on other campuses since the 1977 incident, and black Greeks across campus said no occurence at the University had anything to do with the recent changes. They said controversy over pledging in black sororities and fraternities has been brewing for over a decade. Alpha Phi Alpha President Cousins said he thinks the pledging system could be salvaged if fraternities and sororities learned to oversee their members during pledging. "The problem would not happen if each chapter watched its members and disciplined them if they got out of line," he said. "We need harsher treatment for individuals who make the entire organization look bad." Alpha Kappa Alpha President Simone Frier said yesterday that her sorority pledging process already has a system of checks and does not need to be altered in any way. "We have a written pledge process to follow," the College senior said. "It prevents individual members from going astray from the designated program." Frier added that Alpha Kappa Alpha members never resort to hazing in their pledging processes. Black InterGreek Council Vice President Melissa Peterson said yesterday the changes to the pledge process will not harm the black Greek system because fraternities and sororities will continue to attract new members despite the changing pledge system. "The changes are important, but they're not as critical as people think," Wharton junior Peterson said. "Black Greeks will just keep getting stronger anyway."
(10/04/90 9:00am)
Band executive board members have said they hope to occupy the former Psi Upsilon house at 36th and Locust streets when it becomes available in January. They insist their group will bring diversity to the center of campus. "If they're looking to diversify the Walk, we have 150 members from every kind of human being created," band President Michael Brose said last week. President Sheldon Hackney said earlier this semester that the Castle, which has remained vacant since Psi Upsilon fraternity was kicked off campus last May, will house students by January. He later said that no Greek organization will occupy the house. This opens the Walk to students who have no other access to housing in the center of campus. Brose said the band was prompted by Hackney's statement to send a letter to Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson at the beginning of the semester, requesting that they be allowed to occupy the majestic house. VPUL Morrisson said last night she has not decided who will live in the Castle, adding that she has received letters from several student and academic organizations. She said that she has not even decided whether the house will go to an existing organization or to a mixed group of students. Band Secretary Stacey Branco said band members would benefit from living together. "I'm really close to the people I work with," said the College junior. "I wouldn't have to trek to their dorms or to the band office all the time like I do now. It would take a lot of stress off of us." Some members of the a cappella group Counterparts have also discussed the idea of housing part of the performing arts community in the Castle. Student Performing Arts Coordinator Kathryn Helene said yesterday she was not sure that any single organization should occupy the house. "I would have to say there are so many deserving groups that I couldn't go out on a limb and say my group is the most deserving," she said. Performing Arts Council President Stuart Gibbs said last night that Arts House provides sufficient living space for performers. "I don't think performing arts needs the Castle," said the College senior. "There are many more worthwhile groups."
(10/03/90 9:00am)
Several faculty and student leaders criticized President Sheldon Hackney yesterday for his proposed revisions to the racial harassment policy, saying that the revamped code could create a threatening campus environment. Most of the students and faculty members interviewed yesterday said that the new, narrowed definition of racial harassment proposed by Hackney gives too much leeway to people whose intent is to insult others rather than to hold open discussion. Hackney this week suggested the changes, which follow a nationwide trend toward removing limits on free speech. Discussion on the issue resurfaced last year after the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the harassment policy at the University of Michigan was unconstitutionally vague. The University's current racial harassment code is almost identical to the one ruled on by the Michigan court last year. Under the revised policy, an act could only be defined as harassment if it "villifies and intimidates" a person as determined by a three-part test. It must be intended to "demean, insult or stigmatize" a person on the basis of race; be addressed to the person or group whom it demeans; and make use of "fighting words" -- intended to incite violence -- or their non-verbal equivalents. The current policy has much less rigorous standards for determining harassment than the guidelines proposed by Hackney. It prohibits behavior that will cause a threat to a person's academic or work status, interferes with a person's academic or work performance or creates an intimidating or offensive academic, living or work environment. Past Senate Executive Committee Chairperson Robert Davies said yesterday that he thinks the president narrowed the harassment policy too much because "people can still behave in a very uncivil, uncollegial manner and get away with it." "I would like it to be a little more limiting than it is," Molecular Biology Professor Davies said. President Hackney has argued that while the new definition takes a clear stance against racism, open expression must take precedence in setting the guidelines. Hackney will make the final decisions about revisions to the harassment policy. He released the proposed changes in order to field reactions from University members. The revisions will be discussed at next week's meeting of the University Council, the president's advisory body. Davies predicted that University Council as a whole will advocate that the changes be put into effect. Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Chairperson Susan Garfinkel said last night that she is concerned about Hackney's statement that "fighting words" constitute harassment. She said it offers women less protection than it offers men because women are less likely to turn to violence when faced with provocative insults. Garfinkel said she thinks that the current policy is too vague and needs revision, but that the president has gone too far. "I feel strongly that there needs to be a maintenance of freedom of speech," Garfinkel said. "Narrowing the harassment policy is not necessarily the way to do it." She also criticized Hackney for insisting that an act only be considered harassment if it is addressed to the person or group whom it demeans. She said this would mean that some "harassment escapes persecution because it is institutionalized and accepted." But some professors asserted the pre-eminence of free expression yesterday, supporting the revisions to the harassment code. "With these changes we will be maintaining a civilized environment and at the same time protecting free speech," City Planning Professor Anthony Tomazinis said last night. Tomazinis added that he thinks the changes are a "very minute restriction of the harassment code." The president only proposed changes to the University's racial harassment policy, and not to the equally controversial sexual harassment code. Assistant to the President William Epstein said yesterday that the president did not consider changes to the sexual harassment code because University Council debate last March centered around the racial harassment code. He said Council members did not request that the president revamp the sexual harassment code, adding that the president has no plans to alter it. Currently the two policies define harassment differently. The sexual harassment code pertains only to "unwanted sexual attention." Racial harassment is more generally defined, leading some to charge that it curbs free expression. History Professor Alan Kors said last night that while he thinks the racial harassment policy requires amendment, the sexual harassment policy stands on its own. "The sexual harassment policy begins with the behavioral condition of unwanted sexual attention," Kors said. "You want a policy to protect students from the behavior of harassment but don't want a policy that will curb freedom of speech and debate." Kors said that the sexual harassment code is acceptable because it stipulates that harassment is only behavior, not limiting free speech. But United Minorities Council President Nalini Samuels said last night she thinks the sexual harassment policy should also be studied to determine if the wording is overly vague. And GAPSA's Garfinkel said she does not want University members to neglect sexual harassment policies in dealing only with racial conduct codes. "I think that sexual harassment is as big a problem as racial harassment and it shouldn't be downplayed in the face of racial harassment," she said.
(10/01/90 9:00am)
The number of minority students entering the Law School reached an all-time high this year due in part to a year-long recruitment program by minority student organizations, administrators and organization members said. The number of black students entering the school nearly doubled from last year's 14 to 26 this fall. Asian-American matriculation tripled to 19, and 19 Latino students matriculated this year, four more than last. Two Native Americans also entered the school. Law School Dean Colin Diver last week applauded the Law School minority student organizations for their efforts in recruiting the students to the University. He said the groups -- the black, Latino and Asian-American law students' associations -- were essential to the minority matriculation because they visited undergraduates at other universities and encouraged accepted minorities to come to the University. Diver said that every year the school admits nearly four times the number of minorities who attend. He added that he hopes this year's increased number of minority students will improve matriculation rates. "If by increasing the numbers of Latino, black and Asian students we can make the Law School more attractive to others, that makes this year's numbers significant," Diver said. Black Law Students Association President Margo Brodie said yesterday that she is "very excited" about the increase in Law School minority admissions, adding that the high numbers of minorities are important to recruitment. "One of the first questions asked is how many minorities we have," said Brodie, a third-year law student. "If the numbers are small, people tend to write the school off. When we tell them that the number doubled, they get all excited." Brodie, who entered the Law School with 11 other black students in 1988, said that her organization sent representatives around the country on recruiting trips, and held an on-campus conference last spring to attract prospective students and applicants. She said the recruiting sessions were often successful because they made people "definitely consider the University who would not have even applied otherwise." "We worked very hard last year," Brodie said. "We always wanted the numbers to be greater than they were. We were determined last year to do something about it." Dean Diver said the admissions process for this year's class was slightly different than in past years because the admissions committee put a greater emphasis on applicants' recommendations and activities. "We're trying to look at a broader range of requirements to try and look beyond raw numbers to the whole person," Diver said. The admissions committee also reviewed more applications last year because fewer applicants were eliminated before committee members considered them, Diver said. Associate Law Professors Ralph Smith and Lani Guinier reviewed individual minority files before the candidates were rejected. "[The professors' review of the applications] led to the committee's looking at a broader sample of the applicant pool, and looking at kinds of information they didn't normally look at," Diver said. Smith said last week that he also thinks this "oversight committee" contributed to the increased acceptance rate of minorities, leading committee members to study certain files more carefully than they would have in other years. Denise McGarry, the school's associate director of admissions and financial aid, said last week that minority applications increased by eight percent last year. She added that she is confident the number of minority applicants will at least remain constant during this year's admissions process.
(09/28/90 9:00am)
Last February it took editors of The Vision over nine hours to lay out the very first edition of their newspaper. But for the more experienced staff set to release its first issue of the semester next Monday, final production is just a short evening's work. As the campus's black student newspaper begins its second semester of publication, staff members say that they expect the publication to be a stronger force this year, and that The Vision is here to stay. The monthly newspaper was formed last January by then-College sophomores Harold Ford and Altoine Scarborough so that black students would have a forum in which to address the issues important to them. Ford, who is continuing as the paper's managing editor this semester, said last week that the publication "is there to articulate and reflect the concerns of the African-American community to everyone." The Vision, which came out three times last semester, is currently the only minority campus newspaper. Two other papers, The Voice and The New Voice, were last seen in the mid-1980s. Wharton senior Gabrielle Glore, The Vision's new editor-in-chief, said last week that although the newspaper's main emphasis is not on creating racial harmony on campus, she hopes that the paper will help non-black readers understand the issues important to black students. She said the paper can be used as a tool for understanding the differences between groups of people on campus. Glore also said the paper helps the black community to address issues openly and to strengthen bonds. She added that she is confident that it will remain a permanent part of the University. The 2000 copies of the first issue will be distributed to University buildings and to all West Campus residences and dining halls. Several black students said The Vision fills a void which they previously felt in their community. "African-American concerns written by African-American students have never been addressed in the DP and that is important," College senior Thomas said. "A lot of times it [The Vision] may not appeal to large proportions of the University population and people may take the stories for granted if they are written for the DP." And College junior Marcella Goodridge said this week that the paper "makes us as a community more recognized, more seen, more known as a force at Penn." "The DP is okay in terms of general information," Goodridge added. "But I think every ethnic group should have a paper to express their individual thoughts." And Wharton senior Stephanie McNeal said she thinks the newspaper is essential for black students because "some things are more important to the African-American community, but not to the University as a whole." While some non-black students said they do not understand the black community's need for a separate newspaper, others said they support The Vision's effort to publish black students' goals and ideas. "I would like to read [The Vision] to have a better understanding of the needs of black students on campus and what they as a community want to do," College junior Denise Wolf said this week.
(09/25/90 9:00am)
A Latin American studies minor -- a compromise between College administrators and those who have demanded a major program in the subject for nearly a year -- should be available next fall. Associate Humanities Dean Stephen Nichols said Friday that although there are still no plans to implement a Latin American studies major, School of Arts and Sciences officials agreed last week to support the minor program. Latin American Culture Program Director Nancy Farriss said yesterday that the minor program will take some time to develop, but added that she expects it to be in place by next fall. "I'd say that we got a clear sense of the interest and commitment on the part of the administration," Farriss said. Assistant History Professor Dain Borges, who is on the newly-formed committee studying the minor program, said last night that the group will present a formal proposal to the College curriculum committee this semester. Borges, who is the assistant director of the Latin American Culture Program, said that the proposal must be approved by the curriculum committee. The minor committee will continue to monitor the program after it begins to ensure that a wide variety of courses are offered each semester. It will also advise students on how best to choose their Latin American studies courses, which span a wide variety of departments including History, Romance Languages and Political Science. Students who have been fighting for a Latin American studies program since last year said this week that the proposed program is long overdue. "To have something like a Latin American studies program neglected is ridiculous," said College senior Carmen Maldonado. Maldonado, the former president of the Asociacion Cultural de Estudiantes Latinos Americanos, the Latino student association known as ACELA, led a student protest last year demanding a Latin American studies program at the University. Lorraine Flores, who is president of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano Aztlan -- the campus Chicano students association -- said this week that she is glad administrators are "finally opening their eyes that a program is definitely needed." The approval of the minor program, Flores said, increases the chances of one day having a Latin American Studies department at the University.
(09/24/90 9:00am)
College sophomore Elizabeth Cedillo said she felt alone when she first arrived at the University. After graduating from a Dallas high school where many of her classmates were Latino, Cedillo suddenly found herself adrift in a large university. She searched in vain during her first semester for a group of people to whom she could relate. "I needed something to make me feel comfortable not just as a student, but also culturally," Cedillo said. Cedillo said she found her place last spring when College senior Carmen Maldonado recruited her to join Sigma Lambda Upsilon, a Latino sorority founded last year as a support group for women. Maldonado, who is the chapter's president, said she became interested in starting a chapter of Sigma Lambda Upsilon -- Senoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc. -- two years ago when it was first organized at the State University of New York at Binghamton. Currently the chapter has four members, and Maldonado said it will concentrate on community service and networking with other Latino women on campus. They will recruit new members next spring. The sorority plans to participate in several service projects this fall, including tutoring Latino first- and second-graders in North Philadelphia and throwing a Halloween party for the children. They are also working on an AIDS awareness program and sending money to support a child in Colombia. Maldonado said the programs are part of her effort to "perpetuate Latino culture on campus and in the Philadelphia community." She said the sorority will be a member of the Black InterGreek Council, not the Panhellenic Council, because methods of recruitment and initiation are more similar to the predominantly black organizations than to other sororities on campus. Sorority Vice President Ileana Garcia said yesterday that Sigma Lambda Upsilon is the first sorority on campus that she really wanted to join. "I wanted to join a sorority [earlier], but I found that I wasn't attracted enough to those already at the University to go through with it," Wharton junior Garcia said. She added that she enjoys the sorority's focus on community service, and the fact that the organization enabled her to become friends with other Latino women on campus. College junior Lorraine Flores who is the sorority's secretary and president of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, the campus Chicano student organization, said she thinks the sorority is important because it closes the gap between various Latino groups on campus. "We went into this as strangers," said Flores. "We came out as sisters." Currently there are 15 members in the sorority's two other chapters, located at SUNY-Binghamton and the University of Buffalo. Although the University students established the sorority in order to further Latino culture, Maldonado said that at other chapters, several sisters are not of Latin-American descent. "We do not discriminate," Maldonado said. "In other chapters we have women of Korean, Irish and Indian descent too." While acknowledging that the sorority is still "too new to fit in" to the University community, Flores said she is confident that it will become a viable part of the Greek system. "I optimistically do think we will be known [at the University] and known as a positive influence," she said.
(09/21/90 9:00am)
After months of uncertainty over the status of their Locust Walk homes, fraternity members said they were relieved yesterday after President Sheldon Hackney promised they will not be relocated in his plans to diversify the Walk. But some women's leaders and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Alliance members said they are very disappointed with the president's definitive decision to preserve the status of fraternities on campus. On Wednesday, Hackney told the committee to diversify Locust Walk that the administration plans to accomplish that goal "without requiring the relocation of any fraternities" which line the campus' main artery. His statement to the committee was the first reassuring message Hackney has sent to fraternities since he announced plans to diversify Locust Walk in April. Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity president Bart Barre said yesterday that he was not surprised by Hackney's decision to leave fraternities on the Walk, because the groups are a vital part of diversification at the University. "If we're truly going to diversify the Walk, it means encompassing all areas of student life and all areas of the University," the College senior said. "Fraternities and sororities have always been an integral part of the University." Barre added that he thinks the president "sees how the Greek system is changing and addressing important concerns of students." Hackney established the diversity on the Walk task force at last April's University Council meeting, saying the center of campus needs to better reflect the diverse makeup of the student body. Since then, many students have expressed interest in moving to the Walk, sparking some fraternity members' fears that the administration would try to remove them from their homes. Phi Gamma Delta fraternity president Hunter Heaney said last night that he thinks Hackney made the right decision in specifying that fraternities will remain on Locust Walk. "We're happy to see he came out and said that the goals and objectives of the diversity on the Walk committee aren't mutually exclusive with the welfare of the fraternities on Locust Walk," Heaney said. Heaney added that like other students in other organizations on campus, fraternity members also see the need to diversify Locust Walk. But College senior Anne Package, who is active in women's issues on campus, said she was "appalled" by Hackney's statement. "I can't believe that he'd say something so all encompassing, so irrefutable," she said. Package added that "[Hackney's] probably just reacting to backlash from the Greek system." And LGBA co-chairperson Marci Gambarota said yesterday that she is "alarmed" that the president agreed not to relocate the Locust Walk fraternities. "Since the majority of buildings on Locust Walk are fraternity houses, it is inevitable that at some point they will have to be integrated and made more diverse," the College junior said.
(09/20/90 9:00am)
In a long-awaited meeting, President Sheldon Hackney officially empowered the diversity on the Walk committee and told members that Locust Walk fraternities will not be relocated. "One of the first questions you should address is, 'What would it take to make Locust Walk one of this country's premier residential walkways?' " Hackney said. The president called upon the committee, made up of faculty, students and administrators, to find alternative ways to provide residential space for non-Greek students along the main campus thoroughfare. He told them to focus on three goals during their year-long study of diversifying the Walk: · Reflecting the full range of diversity at the University · Encouraging student behavior that would set an example for others · Making the convenience and the privilege of living in the core of the campus more available to a wider segment of the student population Hackney said after the meeting that diversifying Locust Walk is a high priority for the administration this academic year. "It's important to have students living among academics in the center of campus," Hackney said. "[Diversifying the Walk] is important to set the tone for campus life, both for people who are members of the community, and for people who visit the campus." Hackney established the committee at last April's University Council meeting, saying the center of campus needs a more diverse residential atmosphere. Since then, many student groups have expressed interest in moving to the Walk, sparking fraternity members' fears that the administration would try to remove them from their Locust Walk homes. In his statement to the committee yesterday, Hackney for the first time sent a reassuring message to Locust Walk fraternities. "We intend to accomplish our goals without requiring the relocation of any fraternities currently located along the Walk," he said. Currently, the only unused building on Locust Walk is the former house of the Psi Upsilon fraternity, located at 36th Street and Locust Walk, a "Castle" from which the fraternity was evicted in May. Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson, a committee co-chairperson, said yesterday that she does not know who will occupy the house, adding that she is waiting to hear the advice of the committee before making recommendations to the president. The president said this month that he expects the house to be occupied by a non-Greek group by next semester. Yesterday Hackney told the committee to concentrate on residential living, but added that space on the Walk would also be allocated for academic buildings. Advising committee members to keep financial constraints in mind, Hackney told them to be "prudent but not to artificially limit their initiative." Hackney requested the committee's final report by the end of the spring semester. The group is composed of faculty members and representatives of women's groups, Greek organizations, minority groups, Residential Living, the Undergraduate Assembly and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Alliance. Morrisson said she hopes the committee will have its first meeting in early October. Committee Co-Chairperson David Pope said the committee may hold some open forums later in the semester, and encouraged input from the University community. Other committee members declined to comment last night, deferring to the committee chairpeople.
(09/19/90 9:00am)
Nearly a year after Latino student leaders staged a small-scale demonstration demanding a Latin American Studies program, School of Arts and Sciences officials said this week that there are no plans to start such a program. Latin American Culture Program Director Nancy Farriss said this week that the program is not feasible "in the foreseeable future" because it would require several new faculty members and courses. Farriss, a history professor, added that currently there are only high-level courses for Latin American Studies. But program Assistant Director Dain Borges said this week that several faculty members have discussed the possibility of making Latin American Studies available as a minor for undergraduates. "Our conclusion when we studied the idea was that there are barely enough faculty and course offerings for a minor, and not enough for a serious Latin American studies major," Borges said. Both Farriss and Borges said it is not for lack of interest that the program cannot be implemented. College senior Carmen Maldonado, who helped organize last year's student protest, said earlier this week that she was not satisfied with the amount of time the administration put into developing the program last year. She added that she has not been informed of any progress made since last May. "I think ever since I was a freshman at Penn I wondered why at such a prestigious University I couldn't learn about my culture," former Asociacion Cultural de Estudiantes Latinos Americanos President Maldonado said. "I would hope they'd involve Latin American groups on campus in any discussions about this." Maldonado added that she thinks it is unfair that any cultural population on campus is unable to learn about its heritage. Associate Dean for the Humanities Stephen Nichols said this week that the "Dean's office is very committed to Latin American studies." He added that he has planned a meeting with professors involved in Latin American studies "to decide what is feasible with the given resources and how to maximize use of the resources we have." Currently students interested in Latin American studies cannot major in the discipline. The students can participate in the non-curricular Latin American Culture Program, a year-old program focusing on area research. The program involves Latin American-oriented professors and students who share research results and ideas through monthly seminars and yearly symposiums. "We're trying to make the Latin American presence felt on campus," Director Farriss said. "We want to show that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts."
(09/19/90 9:00am)
Seven other passers-by injured as Center City storefront caves in A second-story storefront in Center City collapsed yesterday afternoon, killing three people and injuring seven others, including four police officers. According to witnesses, the brick facing of the three buildings, which housed shops near 9th and Market streets, collapsed shortly before 2:30 p.m., falling onto pedestrians on the busy sidewalk below. Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Roger Ulshafer said at the scene that the cause of the collapse was still unknown, but that it may have been the result of heavy signs and security grates pulling on the recently-remodeled storefront, shared by two buildings. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Willie Williams said that the Licenses and Inspections Department is investigating possible building code violations. Witnesses said the accident occurred without warning. "I felt the [Market Street El] train underneath and then [the building] just fell," said Rico Clark, an employee in one of the stores in the collapsed building. "It was so quick we didn't know what happened." "It was scary," Clark said. "It could have been my life lying there on the ground." The buildings, located at 930, 932 and 934 Market Street across form the Gallery mall, included a check-cashing center, an electronics store and a clothing store. Passersby and witnesses helped the six rescue squads on the scene clear away the bricks and to pull victims out of the wreckage. South Philadelphia resident Buck Ryder, who left the electronics store just moments before the collapse, said he turned around when he heard "metal crumbling," in time to see the whole front of the building "peeling off from left to right." "There were people screaming and hollering," Ryder said. "I just jumped in and started peeling bricks off and people up." Ryder said he uncovered two people, one of whom died from head and chest injuries. Bob Ott, manager of the Rite Aid Pharmacy nearby, said he was crossing the street when he saw the bricks falling, and ran across to "pull bricks off people to try and get them out." Market Street was closed to traffic from 15th Street to 5th Street for several hours yesterday.
(09/17/90 9:00am)
To historians, he was an author, a scholar and an activist ahead of his time. And to a group of students on the University's campus, he is an inspiration, a model of what hard work and hardship can bring about. The students, who live in the college house that bears his name, celebrated W.E.B. DuBois and his visions in the first-annual "Souls of DuBois" conference last March. Some house residents said they considered the conference to be the "event of the year," adding that they hope last year's event was the start of a tradition. "It shifted the focus of the college house from here's a bunch of African-American students who want to live together' into a group of students who want to come together with a mission," said House Faculty Master Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, an assistant medicine professor. DuBois was a Harvard graduate and an assistant professor at the University in the late 19th Century a time when few black men and women were even allowed to attend college. At last year's day-long conference, titled "Souls of DuBois: A Celebration of Culture and Achievement," University professors taught seminars focusing on the different aspects of the early civil rights leader's work, including his emphasis on education, his philosophy and his feelings about racism. The conference, named after Dubois' book, The Souls of Black Folk, attracted over 140 people and provided an opportunity for vendors to show and sell art, books and jewelry. Lavizzo-Mourey said last week that the program was designed to educate the University community about DuBois' work, and to bring house residents together. The conference attracted students and administrators from across the University and others from throughout the Philadelphia area. DuBois House Council President Melody Guy said last week that the conference was a bigger success than she had expected, adding that she expects next March's program to be even better. Guy also said that she was proud of the way house members pulled together to organize and run the program. In addition to focusing on DuBois' work, students at last year's conference also addressed current black issues. Wharton senior Isvara Addison-Wilson said the sessions offered her a different perspective of the world she lives in. "We talked about issues that were pertinent to the ideals that W.E.B. DuBois talked about," the house resident said last week. "I was amazed at the diversity of opinion that people had. It really made me think about my own opinions." Addison-Wilson, who worked on a committee which helped to plan the day's events, added that she was pleased to see so many non-residents of the University community attending the program.
(09/17/90 9:00am)
Thirteen years after graduation, David Biggs has come home. As an assistant dean for residence in DuBois College House, Biggs is reliving his undergraduate days just a few doors down from the room he slept in as a freshman at the University in 1973. Now Biggs, one of the first participants in the DuBois program, has vowed to share with new residents everything he learned in the house. He said the program, which focuses on black culture and history, was invaluable to him. Like the Universitys five other college houses, DuBois is a residence hall centered around the idea of building community. But DuBois might never be seen as just another college house. Although the house, located in Low Rise North, is open to all students, most residents are black. And on a predominantly white campus where diversity has become the buzzword, DuBois residents often feel pressured to justify why they have chosen to live where they live. Several of the houses 100 undergraduate residents came from predominantly white high schools to a predominantly white college. Many of them stress that the program develops a sense of community among residents by enabling them to learn about black culture and history, which they say is neglected in the rest of their education. To that end, the 18-year-old college house program sponsors trips to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., Alvin Ailey dance concerts or Philadelphia exhibits on African art. It also runs artist-in-residence and scholar-in-residence programs, which in recent years has brought celebrities such as filmmaker Spike Lee and author and civil rights activist Angela Davis. It also has initiated a new cultural program called the Souls of DuBois Conference. But many non-residents maintain that a predominantly black college house defeats University efforts to form a diverse and integrated community. And Ray Lewis, a senior in the College of General Studies, said last week that he believes students need to live together to establish a well-integrated community. One of the points of education should be to promote integration, Lewis said last week. This [DuBois] seems to go against that . . . It doesnt seem that we are ever going to get any kind of social peace if we cannot get different kinds of people living together. Other upperclass students said they had never heard of DuBois. While some non-residents said they assumed most of the black community lives in the house, only about one-fifth of the black student population at the University participates in the program, which is open to all students. DuBois has this image of being an all-black dormitory, former Faculty Master Allen Green said. Its not . . . The concentration of that small part of the African-American population tends to be a problem for people. DuBois residents said that while they are constantly accused of separatism, they do not live in the house to separate themselves from the white community. [Separatism] is one of the rumors that is definitely not true, Engineering sophomore Shelly-Ann Smith said last week. Its a lie . . . I came to live here because Im from a predominantly black community and coming to a predominantly white university world, I thought it would be a good support system. This is like home, she added. And many of the residents said they think it is misconceptions about the house that lead people to label the house as separatist. From the mispronunciation of the name many mistakenly pronounce DuBois in the French style to the widespread belief that only black students are eligible to live in the house, inaccuracies about the house are common throughout campus. And residents added that accusations of separatism extend from DuBois to the tables of the Class of 1920 Commons to Spring Fling. People see more than four black people together at once and they think theyre being excluded, College junior Dawn Johnson said. Everything thats not part of the general population, theyre going to say is separatist. Johnson lived in DuBois her freshman year. She opted to live in the high rises during her sophomore year, but moved back into the house this fall. She said DuBois is necessary because it offers security in addition to support. You have to deal with racial slurs and that bullshit at Penn, Johnson said. You should not have to deal with that where you live . . . That should be the community where you are safest. Residents and administrators also say the University community is more judgmental of DuBois than of other groups. They say that it is unfair that DuBois theme of black culture and history comes under fire while other college house themes do not. Why have we not asked the same questions about the other college houses? asked former Faculty Master Green, now director of the African-American Resource Center. He said that the community places the house under the microscope and overanalyzes it. Green, who served as DuBois faculty master from 1986 to 1989, said last week that students need the support the house offers. Because of the paucity of African-American students on campus and the lack of positive images and reinforcement that occur at a predominantly white University, it [the house] becomes a very important point of self-esteem . . . as well as allowing students to learn about their heroes and their heroines, he said. Program participants say DuBois consistently attracts applicants, and Resident Faculty Master Risa Lavizzo-Mourey said the number of applicants increased last year. Several candidates were wait-listed, but Lavizzo-Mourey said the house was finally able to accommodate everyone. People choose to live here because they are interested in the theme, she said last week. All the programs relate to the theme . . . It gives people real hands-on-experience to the culture, history and art of the African-American people. Part of the role of DuBois is to give a positive image of the culture you wouldnt ordinarily get, she added. Wharton freshman Michael Chang said last week that he chose to live in DuBois because he wanted to learn more about his roots. They dont teach about African-American culture in high school, Chang said. Theres one or two pages in the whole textbook about African-American or Caribbean-American culture. He added that the labeling of the house as separatist irritates him. Theyre putting down everything W.E.B. DuBois stands for, he said. He didnt stand for separatism. Were trying to live up to his ideals. Its not separate from the University, Chang added. It just brings people with common interests in the culture together. College freshman Yi Chen Lai is one of the few non-black undergraduate residents. He said he chose to live in DuBois as a freshman because of his interest in learning about other cultures. Its a nice house with a bunch of nice people regardless of the color of their skin, he said. Its not that they want to be separate, but others dont come here. I dont feel like the outsider, he added.