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(09/26/95 9:00am)
Penn prof served as a Yale trustee During every sports matchup between Penn and Yale University, Medical School Professor William Kissick has divided loyalties. "When we play in Philadelphia, I sit on the Penn side," he said. "When I go to Yale, I sit on the Yale side." The George Seckel Pepper professor of public health and preventive medicine spent 12 years at Yale, completing his undergraduate work in 1953 and receiving his graduate degree in 1957. And even though he has now spent more than 25 years at Penn, Kissick, who has a wife and four children, still has very strong ties to Yale. He even served as one of Yale's trustees until this year. He ended his affiliation with Yale's Board of Trustees upon becoming the chairperson of the University's Faculty Senate, a position he will hold until the end of this academic year. As the University's faculty advisory organization, the Faculty Senate is made up of an executive committee, departmental representatives and at-large members. Three chairpeople are appointed to govern the Senate's activities -- a chairperson, a past-chairperson and a chair-elect. Kissick emphasized the collective leadership of the Senate, noting that the three leaders should have a "seamless relationship." He has a similar philosophy about the University, which he said should represent the "unity of campus." When he first came to the University in 1968, Kissick and others worked to create a solid partnership between the Wharton School and the Medical School. In that capacity, Kissick helped to develop Wharton's graduate program in Health Care Management, which was founded officially in 1970. And he has also worked in the University's Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, which was founded the year before Kissick came to the University. He has taught in the Medical School, the Wharton School and the Nursing School -- although the Medical School is his primary area. Besides his work combining business with medicine, Kissick has also done a great deal of research into national health reform. He notes that if President Clinton's health reform plan had been enacted, "it would have been repealed in two years." Kissick is currently working on three different books, all on various aspects of health care reform and the field of medicine. In his work on the Senate, Kissick said he does not have any specific issues he hopes to pursue this year, Kissick mentioned the 21st Century Undergraduate Education Initiative as a program that will "challenge" the faculty because it will create major changes in the University. "If we're going to achieve the president's agenda, it's going to take a great deal of effort," he added. Advising and collegiate planning issues will also play a role on the Senate's agenda this year, Kissick said. And he said he sees the issue of tenure as a "red flag" -- one that the Faculty Senate will have to deal with in the upcoming year. "If you're going to attack higher education, tenure's the target," Kissick added. He said he favors the creation of multiple tenure tracks that would differentiate the faculty. The system would create a hierarchy but would also make tenure more "pluralistic." As Senate chairperson, Kissick will also chair University Council's steering committee. By attending both Council and Senate meetings, Kissick has developed an understanding of the value of both open sessions, like those of Council, and closed ones, like the ones of the Senate. "It's difficult to change your mind in public," he said, explaining the advantages to a closed meeting. But he added that to some extent, his reports to Council on the Senate's activities give him the chance to inform the public of what is occurring behind closed doors. After completing his year as Faculty Senate past-chairperson next year, Kissick plans to take a sabbatical to focus on his research and writing.
(09/21/95 9:00am)
The mail that arrived opened at the Quadrangle last week was damaged by human hands, U.S. Postal Inspector Charles McManus confirmed yesterday. And employees of the 30th Street Post Office may be responsible, said McManus, the leader of the Philadelphia post office's Internal Crimes team. Last week, Residential Living obtained 76 pieces of mail that had been opened before arriving in the Quadrangle mail room, according to Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone. In addition, a pile of priority mail packages was discovered unattended and unsecured outside the Quad mail room Saturday. The Residential Living office has also received numerous complaints from parents and students regarding mail that never reached its recipients, Simeone said. Simeone gave the damaged mail immediately to U.S. postal inspectors on Friday. "Based upon what I saw, someone was getting into it," McManus said, adding that the inspectors are now investigating to determine who may have committed the federal offense. McManus said the majority of envelopes were greeting card-style -- indicating that the perpetrator was looking for money. "The people or person getting into the mail is obviously not interested in love letters," he said. He added that he thinks whoever was responsible was specifically looking for mail going to University students. Through examining the bar codes and other markings on the envelopes, postal inspectors can determine in what section of the post office the mail was handled and who may have been responsible for it. Simeone expressed satisfaction with the progress that the post office is making on the University's case. "They're working very cooperatively and I am delighted," she said. The maximum sentence for tampering with mail is five years and $1,000 for each count, McManus said. He added, however, that he has never seen a maximum sentence given for these crimes. McManus said that besides catching the perpetrator, the post office cannot do anything to solve the ongoing mail problems that have gone on since 1993. "It's a shame, but based on the population they have here -- and that it's a city --Eyou're going to have people prone to theft," McManus said. But Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta said he hopes for a stronger commitment and "aggressive" action from the post office. Simeone said there are various actions the University can take both proactively and reactively, including encouraging parents to send valuables by certified or registered mail. "And we are very vigilant about our own mail procedures so what we can do is to be very, very active within our own shop and to report to the post office whenever there are problems," she added. McManus stressed that parents should not send cash through the mail. Moneta added that greeting card envelopes should be avoided -- even when sending greeting cards. Residential Living representatives will be in the Stouffer Dining Commons lobby this afternoon to speak with any students who have had mail problems or who have questions and concerns. Simeone and Moneta also plan to meet with post office officials in the very near future.
(09/20/95 9:00am)
In the midst of dinner conversation, a professor, a dean and several students worked out a plan to create a partnership between the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Van Pelt College House last night. In the first segment of Van Pelt's annual "Dinner with Andre" program -- in which students meet informally with a prominent member of the University community -- Engineering Dean Gregory Farrington met with nine students and Van Pelt Faculty Master Al Filreis in a closed-off, seminar-size dining room located in the basement of Class of 1920 Commons. Named after a film entitled "My Dinner with Andre" which is set entirely during a long dinner conversation, the event is a "long-standing tradition" at the residence, according to Filreis, the English department undergraduate chairperson. Last night's discussion focused on the future of academics outside the classroom, specifically examining issues surrounding faculty interaction with students. And together, the group came up with a plan that would allow Engineering School faculty members to live in Van Pelt College House's guest suite with their families for a week at a time. Since the suite is currently occupied by visiting faculty, this newly developed program would not begin until next fall. And Farrington himself agreed to be the first to stay in the guest suite with his wife and 16-year-old son. Farrington said faculty understand students better after spending time outside the classroom environment. Filreis agreed, noting that this symbolic gesture could have "practical consequences. "We feel that an important part of undergraduate education will be housed, metaphorically and physically, in academic programs in residence," Filreis said. "We know that conversations of all intellectual sorts are going on avidly at Penn. We want to be part of that conversation." Besides the integration of residences and schools, the discussion also focused on technology and the extent to which faculty use the Internet as a means of communication. Since most of the students present were in the Engineering School, Farrington asked them how often they communicate with their professors via e-mail. No one said they consistently used e-mail with their Engineering professors. Engineering sophomore Ben Wu recalled one class in which he would e-mail his professor with questions and concerns, and would only receive short, curt responses -- as if the professor did not have time to communicate with him. Farrington said faculty members need time to change their old methods of teaching. "I think in the end the way we've taught has too often numbed us," he said. And Filreis said professors who take advantage of the Internet in addition to teaching class and holding office hours would be "living and breathing interaction with students." Another problem with the faculty's ability to interact with students results from the University's location in West Philadelphia, Farrington said. "What really frustrates me is that faculty live too far from the campus," Farrington said. "I'm not about to live in West Philadelphia but [living in the suburbs] is too far away for casual interaction." Farrington said he thinks the weekly living experiences at Van Pelt could be the perfect middle ground for those faculty members who do not want to permanently live on campus but want to increase their interactions with students. "The hard part is to get folks on the academic side in the schools to see that this kind of thing has real academic value," Filreis said. College freshman Jonathan Harvey said he never really understood the purpose of the faculty in residence. "I thought they're there to prevent major house parties where the place burns down," Harvey said. "The idea of showing up at 11 at night and talking about a problem I have or Shakespeare or calculus didn't really occur to me."
(09/20/95 9:00am)
Res. Living findsRes. Living finds76 opened letters Residential Living obtained 76 pieces of First Class mail that were opened before arrival in the Quadrangle mail room last week, Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone said last night. In addition, a pile of priority mail packages, unattended and unsecured, was discovered outside the Quad mail room Saturday by Resident Advisor Christopher Robbins, he said. These incidents mark the continuation of an ongoing problem with the security of mail delivered to the University. Since 1993, there have been multiple reports of damaged, unattended or stolen mail. Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta said he is confident the University -- including the mail room employees -- is not at fault for the most recent incidents. "It's a problem that precedes the mail's arrival on campus," Moneta said. "We really believe the post office has let us down." Since the beginning of the semester, Residential Living has been inundated with phone calls from parents and students complaining of mail that never reached its recipients, Simeone said. College freshman Roshini Thayaparan said her parents and friends have sent her letters that she says she has never received. "I've [also] been a little concerned that it takes 7 to 10 days to receive mail that normally takes 2 days," Thayaparan added. Simeone said her department continues to investigate the mail security problem at the University. Until the situation is resolved, she recommends that anything with sentimental or monetary value be sent by certified or registered mail. "We have found ongoing problems with mail over the years the most frustrating thing we've faced," Simeone said. "I know how important mail is to students and to their family and friends and we have worked diligently over the years in any way we can think of to try to correct the problem." Immediately after finding the opened mail Friday, Simeone contacted United States postal inspectors, who took the mail for examination and investigation. Students said they were upset with Residential Living for turning over the mail without first notifying the students whose names were on the envelopes. But Simeone said Residential Living was simply cooperating with the requests of postal inspectors in turning over the mail immediately. In a letter to Quad residents, Simeone said notification would take place once the inspectors returned the mail to Residential Living. But Wharton senior Richard Ahrens, a resident of Ware College House, said this is unacceptable. "I'd like to know now," he said. "I don't think that's too much to ask." The postal inspectors have to determine whether the mail was opened by human hands or whether the postal service's automatic sorting machine was responsible for the damage, Simeone said. Moneta and Simeone are planning on meeting with representatives from the 30th Street Post Office in the near future. Similar meetings have been held following past mail delivery difficulties. And Moneta warned that if no headway is made, he will "go higher." But neither Moneta nor Simeone could specify what the next step would be if the problems are not solved after talking with post office officials. Simeone said she has already sent letters to President Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and the postmaster general about past mail problems. Representatives from the 30th Street Post Office were unavailable for comment last night.
(09/19/95 9:00am)
"Virtual colleges" may become a reality at the University next fall. As part of the 21st Century Project, students will have the opportunity to interact in four "pilot" college house systems -- or "virtual colleges." The purpose of these colleges will be to incorporate academics with residential living and other aspects of student life. According to proposals released by English Professor Robert Lucid, who chairs the 21st Century Project, the four pilot colleges represent the first step in the eventual creation of "virtual colleges" -- a concept which the Residential Faculty Council developed last spring. Lucid is a member of the Committee of Undergraduate Deans, the group spearheading the effort to overhaul the University's undergraduate education system -- an effort first initiated by University President Judith Rodin last fall. Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow charged the Provost's Council on Undergraduate Education with developing preliminary recommendations for the 21st Century Project last spring. The organization then turned its report over to the Committee. Although the Residential Faculty Council developed an expansive proposal calling for "collegiate clusters," PCUE recommended that the Committee begin revamping undergraduate education on a smaller scale. In line with PCUE's suggestions, the four pilot programs are residentially based, although each goes beyond the residence it is housed in, Lucid said. He added that the Council hopes to eventually extend the scope of the virtual colleges beyond dormitory life. Undergraduate English Chairperson Al Filreis said that the pilots are almost superfluous because current models already exist in the form of college houses and living-learning programs. The first pilot will be housed at the Castle, on the corner of 36th Street and Locust Walk. This "Civic College House" will have many of the same community service-oriented objectives that the Castle has now, only with an added academic basis that may entail classes scheduled in the building. "It's best to think of all of this as faculty and academic items," he added. English Professor Peter Kahn will take charge of this program but Center for Community Partnerships Director Ira Harkavy will also play a key role, Lucid said. The second pilot program will be located in King's Court/English House and will center around science and technology. Although King's Court/English House currently contains the Science and Technology Wing, Lucid said the new plan will change and expand the concepts involved in the wing. Since the entire collegiate planning process attempts to involve students living off campus in academic pursuits outside of class, this second pilot plan will center around that effort. "We will use it as a base to reach out to Penn students in West Philadelphia," Lucid said. "It is the project that will show us if we can link up what is now a broken link." The third pilot program, to be directed by Political Science Professor William Harris, will most likely take place in the Upper Quadrangle. This phase, called the Residential Research Project, is "very ambitious," Lucid said, because it brings research into the residences. Primarily geared towards juniors and seniors who hope to do research that requires them to spend time on campus, this pilot is fairly vague in nature. According to Lucid, the specific areas of research to be conducted and the facilities required for them have yet to be determined and will be based on who shows interest in the pilot. "Some services are more readily available than others," Lucid added. "But we want to penetrate the world of the undergraduate research experience." The final pilot is simply titled, "The Hub," and is a very general program that currently lacks both a location and a faculty leader. "The students who come to the Hub will almost by definition be students not in the residences," Lucid said, adding that a specific student constituency may take over that fourth pilot. And although Lucid does not agree with the idea, he noted that it is also possible that the Hub could be the center for the other three areas. Last spring, reactions to the Council "collegiate cluster" plan varied and some thought the system would not work because many students would not be interested. But Lucid said he thinks the college house plan will work. "I think there is a constituency that wants it, needs it and is waiting for it," Lucid added.
(09/19/95 9:00am)
There have been three false fire alarms in the Community House section of the Quadrangle this semester, Assistant Dean in Residence for Community House Diana Koros said. During the most recent incident, which occurred Sunday, Community House residents stood outside for 45 minutes, College senior and Resident Advisor Christopher Robbins said. Robbins estimated that hundreds of man-hours were wasted with that false alarm -- since numerous students, staff and employees of Physical Plant, the Philadelphia Fire Department and University Police were forced to respond to the alarm. "The University has a legal obligation to take care of this," he said. "[But] this is getting ridiculous." According to Fire and Occupational Safety Director Jim Miller, the false alarms are being investigated by Residential Maintenance. Miller said he doubts that the alarms were set off in acts of mischief. Combustion probably activated the alarms, he said. In an incident that occurred last weekend, for instance, Miller said smoke from a barbeque may have set off smoke detectors in Community House. He noted, however, that there are no smoke detectors in the halls or rooms of Community House. Only the elevator shafts and air handling ducts have detectors. Miller said the University plans to eventually equip all campus facilities with smoke detectors throughout the rooms and hallways. Fire and Occupational Safety Department officials have also been dealing with mechanical problems in the Community House's alarm system. In Sunday's incident, the alarms went off, but the signal was not transmitted to the master panel that would have activated response from the fire department and Physical Plant, Miller said. Policy dictates that the RAs must call 511 in the event of a fire alarm. In the recent incidents, the appropriate departments responded to each call, Miller said. Despite the problems with Community House's fire alarms, Koros said the building is safe. And College freshman Jaclyn Halpern said she is relieved that the fire alarms are functioning. "At least I know they work so if anything happens, they'll go off," she said.
(09/19/95 9:00am)
University officials and the Philadelphia Fire Department are urging dorm residents to respond to all fire alarms, in light of the three cooking fires that led to the separate evacuations of High Rise North and High Rise South this weekend. In the event of an emergency more severe than Friday's or Saturday's incidents, fire fighters might have not been able to save students who did not evacuate their rooms when the alarm sounded, according Lt. Charles Crowther of the Philadelphia Fire Department's fire prevention division. The fire department's ladders and other aerial devices only reach to the seventh floor of high rise buildings, he added. This means fire fighters would be forced to perform rescue missions from inside the building. "If they don't evacuate and move themselves to the stairwells, all they're doing is inviting disaster," Crowther said. "It's going to be very difficult for us to get to you until we've already controlled the fire." Gordon Rickards, Residential Living's assistant director for residential safety, security and facilities, said this weekend's incidents demonstrate the need for students to follow fire evacuation instructions. When so many alarms occur within a short time span, some students decide not to bother leaving their rooms, Rickards said. Fire drills are always advertised through Residential Living signs in the lobby of each building. A danger is presented when dorm residents ignore unannounced alarms, he said. "And the amount of alarms that go off because of pranks also makes it harder for people to want to leave," Rickards added. "We do need the participation of the student body." But Fire and Occupational Safety Director James Miller said the high rises are structurally fire resistant and safe. High rises -- which are defined as buildings that extend beyond the reach of fire department aerial devices -- must meet more stringent regulations for construction and safety codes than smaller buildings, he said. "High rise buildings by their nature and construction are very safe," Miller said. He added that no more than one person has ever been killed in any Philadelphia high rise building fire. Rickards said special fire evacuation procedures have been set for those who need assistance or are physically disabled. He added that those students who do not follow procedures put fire fighters' lives in danger as well as their own. "Why put the firemen in jeopardy in order to rescue someone who refused to leave?" Rickards asked.
(09/18/95 9:00am)
From the outside, the future site of the Penn Women's Center looks the same as it did when the University community gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony last April. But engineers, architects and other specialists are hard at work examining the building and preparing to improve the facility's structure. And the Women's Center will officially open in the former Theta Xi fraternity house next September, Women's Center Director Elena DiLapi said. The move from the center's current location in Houston Hall is being delayed because the new building -- located at 3643 Locust Walk -- needs major renovations, DiLapi added. "It's a very long process," she said. "But what we are planning for right now is that beginning next school year, we will be able to open our doors and welcome in the Penn community." Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum said engineers and other contractors have conducted a thorough evaluation of the building's infrastructure, determining that the facility, which is now called Locust House, needs structural work in addition to other basic renovations. Once the renovations are complete, the Women's Center will fill the west half of the first floor and the office space on the second. The space will include a resource lounge, a conference room, offices and other counseling and support group space. "I think it will be a really lovely space for the entire University community," McCoullum said. The east side of the facility will include an all-University meeting room that student, faculty or administrative groups can reserve, McCoullum added. The tenant of the third floor is yet to be determined. McCoullum first announced in February 1994 that the Women's Center would move to Locust Walk. But a year of debate, discussion and delay ensued. At the time, a small group of students expressed concern about the "political agenda" of the Women's Center, saying that many might be uncomfortable or intimidated by its new, more central location. University President Judith Rodin did not make the definitive decision to move the center into Locust House until February 1995. The Women's Center held a groundbreaking ceremony in April to officially commemorate that decision. Daily Pennsylvanian reporter Amy Lipman contributed to this article.
(09/15/95 9:00am)
Students who cannot wait for tomorrow's football game can catch half the fun over the Internet today. The Penn Band has unveiled its World Wide Web home page just in time for fans to enjoy its sights and sounds before they traipse out onto Franklin Field during halftime. Developed over the summer, the Penn Band's home page marks the latest University performing group to grace the Web. And the band's page includes more than the typical membership list and group description. From "The Red and Blue" to "Hail Pennsylvania," the University's alma mater, anyone who accesses the home page can hear selections from the band's latest compact disc, "Here's a Toast to Dear Old Penn." "We just felt that for people who didn't know the Penn Band, it would be nice to hear the sounds of the Penn Band -- little soundbites of the songs we play," said Engineering junior and Penn Band member Ray Braithwood. Braithwood created and developed the home page along with Penn Band members Matthew Dunn, an Engineering sophomore, and John Parker, a College sophomore. Braithwood, Dunn and Parker started working on the project after seeing the home pages of other Ivy League bands last spring. "Everyone in the band thought it was a neat idea so a bunch of us got together to start writing it," Braithwood said. Braithwood stressed, however, that the page is still "under construction." He said he hopes to eventually add pictures, more songs and scripts from past and present halftime shows. The Web page "helps in publicity throughout the country or just in the school," said Penn Band President Jason Pollack, a College senior. Pollack, who noted that he considers himself "one of the far most computer illiterate people on the planet," said he has not yet seen the band's home page. But he added that he hopes the home page will inform band alumni, parents and others who are loyal fans. "I don't appreciate the Internet for what it's worth but everybody else seems to enjoy it," Pollack said. Braithwood said he plans to scan pictures of the band onto the page in the near future.
(09/14/95 9:00am)
Provost Stanley Chodorow has selected Rev. Frederic Guyott to serve as interim University chaplain, Guyott confirmed last night. Guyott, a 1971 College graduate, replaces Stanley Johnson, who retired this summer after 34 years in the position. But although Guyott may hold Johnson's title, his role at the University will be quite different. Under Johnson's tenure, the chaplain was primarily a counselor and advisor. In addition, he worked to develop programs addressing concerns such as women's issues and students' sexuality. Guyott, however, intends to deal with many more facets of the University, in accordance with the recommendations made by a committee established upon Johnson's retirement. That committee, chaired by Social Work Professor Jane Lowe, was charged with analyzing the role of a modern university chaplain. The group concluded that the University needed a chaplain who would serve multiple purposes. Guyott said he knows the University well beyond his experiences as a student, since he has worked with the board of the Christian Association during the last two years while at the same time serving as an assistant to the vicar at the Church of St. Andrew & St. Monica, located just six blocks from campus at 36th and Baring streets. "Coming back to my own university is a very special thing," Guyott said. Guyott said he expects to remain in the interim position for at least the rest of this semester, adding that the search for a permanent chaplain could last the entire year. And, he said, he is considering applying for the permanent position. Guyott added that he plans to resign from the CA's board because the University chaplain "needs to show no partiality." The Episcopalian minister added that he was looking forward to developing the new aspects of the chaplaincy advocated by Lowe's committee. "The chaplain, because of his or her neutrality, could be both visible and proactive," Lowe said, adding that the committee thought the chaplain should focus on issues of diversity, community and religious tolerance. But Lowe said the chaplain should be a more central figure in the University. "There have been many difficult community issues here and appointing a chaplain who would have an active role in promoting discussions around these issues would help University life," Lowe said. And Guyott expressed a readiness to work with the entire University community in his expanded role. "These are goals which I believe are all appropriate and all achievable," he said. Lowe said the position will still include pastoral responsibilities and coordinating the various religious associations on campus. And Guyott said he also hopes to improve the dialogue between those groups "who seek to minister all of the spiritual needs of the University." Before becoming a minister in 1993, Guyott, who majored in American Civilization as an undergraduate, worked as a stockbroker and then in the securities industry until 1990. After receiving his Masters degree in Divinity from the Episcopal Divinity School in Massachusetts, Guyott came to Philadelphia. His work with St. Andrew & St. Monica has included outreach programs with both the University and Drexel University.
(09/13/95 9:00am)
Although most students' interest in frogs does not stretch beyond The Muppet Show, one University professor has centered the past 13 years of his life around them. Biology Professor Neil Shubin has been studying the amphibian's origins since 1982. Now, his efforts have finally come to fruition. Shubin and Harvard University Professor Farish Jenkins have discovered the fossil of the earliest known frog -- dating back 190 million years. Their findings were printed last week in the science journal, Nature. Jenkins and his team first discovered an unusual fossil during a 1982 dig in Arizona. Shubin, then a Columbia University senior, began graduate school at Harvard the following year, and Jenkins became his advisor. After spending several years studying the fossil, Shubin and Jenkins discovered that it was from a frog. After more years of research, they realized the fossil was from the early Jurassic period -- making it the oldest frog fossil ever discovered. Shubin, who has taught at the University for six years and has recently been granted tenure, noted that the initial discovery led him to conduct further research into how frogs jump. By analyzing the fossil, Shubin realized that a rod-like structure located in the frog's pelvis area had evolved from the tail of an older amphibian. That structure, called the urostyle, gives the frog the capability to leap long distances. "The exciting thing about all this stuff was to take something that seemed initially so inexplicable and to all of a sudden find a very simple reason for it," he said. And although high school and college students often choose the ever- popular "Kermit" when naming the frogs they are dissecting, Shubin and Jenkins chose a more scientific and symbolic name for their discovery -- Prosalirus bitis. The name, which means "to leap forward high over it," comes from Latin and Navajo -- the latter because the fossil was found on Navajo land. Shubin's interest in paleontology took root in high school when he took classes in archeology. As an undergraduate at Columbia, Shubin went on a dinosaur dig through a volunteer job with the Museum of Natural History. "On that dig, I decided that's what I was going to do," he said. In graduate school, Shubin targeted the boundary between the Triassic and Jurassic periods as his specialty. This era interested him because it included the origin of many reptiles and amphibians and the extinction of many older creatures. Throughout the 13 years in which Shubin was working on the project, he continued to teach evolution courses and other biology classes. And his students have said his research adds another dimension to his teaching. "It made what he was telling us credible," said Anthropology graduate student David Zonies, who took Shubin's class last spring. "I'm lucky enough to teach material I really like," Shubin said. "The research and the teaching feed back on one another." He has also led other unrelated digs throughout the United States, Greenland, Morocco and Canada. Shubin said that although his work is at times tedious, the moments of discovery make the hard work worth the extra effort. "You never know when something amazing is going to show up," he said. Shubin is continuing to do research -- this time focusing on the origins of hands and feet.
(09/13/95 9:00am)
When College junior John Ng lies to his parents about his grades, at least he knows he is not alone. Ng also said he has friends who lie so often that "eventually you can't tell if they're lying or not." A recent study done by University of Virginia researchers validates Ng's experiences. College students throughout the country lie in half of the conversations they have with their mothers, the study says. Surveyed students did not talk with their fathers often enough for the researchers to obtain that data. The study also reported that students lied in 28 percent of the conversations they had with close friends and in 48 percent of the discussions they had with acquaintances. When talking with strangers, the study participants lied 77 percent of the time. University of Virginia researchers speculated that lying to strangers is easier than lying to one's parents. But University students said lying to their parents about small issues was not difficult at all. College freshman Nancy Holt said she has not had to lie to her parents yet, but could see herself doing it when "little things" arose. "If they asked me what time I got in, I would probably say it was earlier than it was," she said. University Psychology Professor David Bersoff, who is doing research on morality, noted that "it's very easy to tell a story and know it's unlikely that you'll get caught." "[Parents] are far away and they can't check up on you," Bersoff added. Holt made a distinction between lying about less important issues and not telling the truth regarding more significant topics, such as money or grades. "I find it disturbing when it gets to bigger things," she said. "When it's little, it's not right but it's not like you're harming anyone." The lies described in the University of Virginia study varied tremendously in nature. Some told their parents a required book cost more than it did so they would send them more money. Others claimed to be studying when they were really going out. But Bersoff said the study's results were "alarming" -- no matter what types of lies were being told. He added, however, that college students' lying patterns were probably not much different from adults'. "It's easy to think college students are particularly bad, but from my research I don't think that's true," Bersoff said. And some students said they were not sure how accurate the study was because the results did not portray their behavior. "I think I'm a lot more honest than most people," Wharton freshman Tara Pellegrino said. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
(09/11/95 9:00am)
Almost a year has gone by since a Yale University student journal accused University President Judith Rodin of wrongly diverting the use of a $20 million grant while she was Yale's provost. But the issue has now resurfaced, as Yale President Richard Levin decided Friday to expand the school's Western studies offerings. Last year, Yale's attitude toward Western studies and the funding surrounding the program came under scrutiny. That controversy culminated in Levin's decision to return Texas billionaire Lee Bass' $20 million donation -- a 1991 grant that had been earmarked for a Western Civilization program. Some critics have charged that Levin was being overly "politically correct" because the program would focus primarily on white males. Last December, Yale's student journal, Light and Truth, claimed that Levin and Rodin did not adhere to the grant's conditions and misled Bass, a 1979 Yale graduate. The article maintained that Rodin and Levin were influenced by faculty opposition, adding that some faculty members wanted the money to go toward their own departments. Rodin quickly responded to the allegations, saying that her decision to reject the hiring of four new assistant professors for the Western Civilization program was based on purely financial reasons. Last March, Yale agreed to return the $20 million to Bass because Levin said the school could not allow Bass to approve whatever faculty appointments were made for the program. But Friday, Levin announced his decision to expand an already existing year-long intensive program for freshmen that focuses on Western literature, philosophy, history and politics.
(09/11/95 9:00am)
If a recent Harvard University study applies to the University, then those involved in the Greek system drink more often and more heavily than non-Greeks. But University students and Greek leaders alike say they do not believe the study accurately reflects life at the University. According to the study -- which was completed by Harvard School of Public Health researchers and released this weekend -- 86 percent of fraternity house residents across the country reported having five or more drinks in succession at least once over a two-week period. And 80 percent of sorority sisters said they swallowed at least four drinks in a row within the same time span. The study found that these numbers were substantially lower for those outside the Greek system. But University students said they did not think the results were true for them. "There's nothing inherent in the Greek system that would lead to a greater consumption of alcohol," said InterFraternity Council President Dave Treat, a College senior. "I would guess [the results] would not be the case here." And College sophomore Mike Kahn said his friends who are not part of the Greek system drink just as much as he and his fraternity brothers. "It depends more on the person and their drinking habits than on a fraternity or non-fraternity situation," added Kahn, a Sigma Alpha Mu brother. But College freshman Jelena Vojinovic said that even in the short time she has been at the University, she has determined that those involved in the Greek system most likely drink more because "it's there." "People who are living there and always going to parties could drink more because it's available," she said, adding that she has no interest in joining a sorority. But College sophomore Sasha Schamber said she thinks sorority women do not drink nearly as much as the Harvard study indicated. The Chi Omega sister estimated that a large percentage of those involved with sororities "don't drink as much as the study said." Schamber noted that sorority sisters might drink more at mixers than at other times -- but even then, they drink "in a responsible way." The study also found that college administrations do not always attempt to curtail the heavy drinking. It showed that only six percent of fraternity house residents received warnings about their drinking and one percent were referred to alcohol treatment programs. But Treat was quick to point out the Greek system's efforts to work with the University in controlling alcohol consumption. Last year, the IFC voted to strictly enforce a "Bring Your Own Beer" policy at fraternity parties. The Harvard study surveyed 15,000 students representing 115 different schools. Last December, the same research group discovered that binge drinking had also become a problem on college campuses, finding that 44 percent of those surveyed had engaged in at least one binge in a two-week period. In the most recent example of universities taking action against alcohol consumption, the University of Rhode Island recently banned alcohol from all campus student events, including fraternity parties and homecoming events. Fines and suspensions could greet anyone who disobeys the new rule.
(09/06/95 9:00am)
Due to long lines at the advising offices of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Wharton School, many students are beginning their first day of classes with incomplete or incorrect schedules, undeclared majors and many questions. Wharton freshman Amy Greine had to wait three hours before she spoke with an advisor in Wharton's undergraduate advising office. And like the many other students on the office's lengthy waiting list, Greine said she was flustered and angry by the time her name was called. Although officials said these waits were typical for the first week of classes, College Dean Robert Rescorla said the delays may have been longer than in the past. He attributed the longer waits to the elimination of one day in New Student Orientation week. This is the first year that classes are beginning on the Wednesday, instead of the Thursday, following Labor Day. "Last year, I thought that day was dead time," Rescorla said. "We did it intentionally, but maybe it wasn't as dead of a day as I thought." The College also used some personnel and assistant deans for advising to run the Academic Fair on College Green yesterday, Rescorla said. Although their absence was felt in the office, Rescorla said the College did not foresee the longer wait caused by the loss of personnel as this was the first New Student Orientation Academic Fair. One assistant dean was also ill yesterday -- further limiting the College's advising capacity. Assistant Dean for Advising Harriet Joseph said hiring additional personnel and advisors could eliminate future crowds of advisees and delays. According to the walk-in list, the College office saw a total of almost 190 students yesterday, with at least 80 coming during lunch hour. "I need to do this now since classes start tomorrow," said waiting College sophomore Erin Meek, who just transferred from Bodin College in Maine. Meek, who was trying to check her schedule and discuss her major at the College office, had just waited almost 45 minutes at the Office of Transfer Credit. "I wish they had set up something to take care of the 250 transfer students earlier," Meek said, noting that she moved in last Thursday. She added that the advising she received over the summer was very general, and "not very helpful." "But I guess I could've done this sooner," she added. Other students voiced similar sentiments, realizing that their own procrastination was partly at fault for their long wait yesterday. "I'm getting what I deserve, I guess," College sophomore Jae Lee said.
(09/06/95 9:00am)
Meningitis has yet again taken its toll on a college campus -- and, as a result, Student Health officials hope to increase student awareness of the disease. Villanova University sophomore Joseph Hauck died August 27 of bacterial meningitis. The tragedy follows numerous cases -- both fatal and non-fatal -- which struck college campuses nationwide earlier this year. Although the University has not seen a meningitis case since the late 1980s, Student Health Director MarJeanne Collins noted that the recent increase in meningitis cases on campuses could affect the University community. "It's occurring in communities where young adults cluster," she said. "There's no question that it is an issue of increasing public health concern." Although early detection of the disease is important, Collins added that students may find it difficult to differentiate between meningitis and the flu. Meningitis, like the flu, causes severe headaches, nausea and fever. "You need a high index of suspicion," Collins said, adding that the disease can sometimes begin and advance rapidly and without warning. "Awareness is number one," she added. "Fear does not help." To alleviate student and parental concern, Student Health has developed a brochure that discusses meningitis and the various options students have. It is available to all students and was mailed to parents of this year's freshman class, Collins said. Despite the fact that college campuses may be prone to meningitis because of the close proximity in which people live, Collins noted that most cases occur individually without affecting anyone else. But some outbreaks have occurred, involving more than one case in a short period of time. The University of Illinois, University of Indiana and University of Connecticut -- along with several Canadian institutions -- have had outbreaks in recent years, Collins said. She said 21 outbreaks have occurred since 1981 -- seven of them taking place in the last three years. According to health care providers, college students suffer from the meningococcal bacterial form of meningitis. Bacterial meningitis has a pneumococcal strain and meningitis also exists in a viral form, but both do not generally affect young adults, Collins said. A vaccine does exist for two of the four types of meningococcal bacterial meningitis, Collins said. But public health officials do not recommend the immunization for most healthy young adults. According to Collins, the vaccination lasts for only three years and cannot prevent the more common types of the disease.
(06/30/95 9:00am)
Glen Rock High School '93 Glen Rock, N.J. University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow, along with members of the Class of 1998, have just completed their freshman year at the University. And although the two administrators both arrived on campus last summer, they officially began their term together with a huge two-day inaugural celebration in October. The event, which cost the University $180,000, included academic symposia, an inaugural dinner, an academic procession, a full ceremony and an open celebration on College Green. The entire inauguration was a lavish, celebratory display of University pride and hope for the future. "The University can show everybody that you can do it all, have it all," Rodin said at the party following the ceremony. Dignitaries from other universities and several former University presidents attended the events, along with alumni, faculty, students and members of the University's Board of Trustees. The official inaugural ceremony took place in Irvine Auditorium. Rodin's inaugural address focused on undergraduate education, the University's relationship with Philadelphia and the University's history. Before and after the inauguration, Rodin enjoyed a smooth transition period, especially compared to that of former President Sheldon Hackney. Hackney came to the University in 1981 amidst controversy, unhappy constituents, a financial crisis, resignations and the pressing need for policy and personnel decisions. Rodin had the support of the entire University community when she came to campus and the University is not faced with major financial difficulties. Instead, Rodin was able to spend her first year in office by beginning several projects and unveiling her plans for the University's future. Rodin, a University alumna, is a well-known research psychologist who specializes in eating disorders. She has a 13-year-old son, Alex Neijelow, from a previous marriage. She is currently married to Paul Verkuil, and the couple lives in the presidential mansion, Eisenlohr Hall, located at 38th and Walnut streets. Chodorow and his wife, Peggy, have been married 32 years and have two sons.
(06/30/95 9:00am)
Glen Rock High School '93 Glen Rock, N.J. The University Board of Trustees approved the appointment of four non-elected officials to the Board as part of a deal between the University and the state, last fall. In return, the University received $35 million in funding from the state for the current fiscal year. Although the issue has been controversial in the past, the resolution made at a Board of Trustees Stated Meeting in October was approved without debate, questions or comments. "A long-term question of Commonwealth support in higher education is not yet resolved," former Board of Trustees Chairperson Alvin Shoemaker said. "The University will continue to work with the state to craft the most productive relationship in order to move forward." University spokesperson Barbara Beck admitted that, given the November election results, "there is a certain amount of insecurity surrounding the future of state funding," adding that the Trustees' decision to appoint the state-selected Trustees decision was a good one. "If the state is going to give the University money, then the University should be accountable," she said. At that same meeting, the Board of Trustees elected its new chairperson, selecting former Merck & Co. Chief Executive Officer Roy Vagelos to replace Shoemaker. Vagelos, who graduated from the University in 1950, served as chairperson of Merck, the world's largest pharmaceutical company, since 1985. He retired last November. "I am sorry to see him step down," Trustee Gloria Chisum said. "But I think Dr. Vagelos will also be an outstanding chairman, because he's a superb human being and will work hard on behalf of the University, just as Mr. Shoemaker has done." Chisum, who serves as vice-chairperson of the Board of Trustees, noted that the duration of Vagelos' term at Merck was "an extraordinary period for that company." Vagelos also served on the consultation committee for the presidential search, which ended in University President Judith Rodin's appointment last December. Shoemaker chaired the Presidential Search Committee.
(05/19/95 9:00am)
When graduating seniors first arrived at the University in 1991, scaffolding surrounded Logan Hall. But if the weather cooperates and all goes as planned, seniors will be able to get their first unobstructed view of the building's exterior just in time for Commencement. According to Physical Plant Executive Director James Wargo, all of the scaffolding surrounding the building should be completely removed by May 23. Plans also call for the tarp covering the front of College Hall to be removed in time for Alumni Weekend so visitors can see the progress being made on the building's ongoing renovation. But if rain or last minute problems plague workers, the Class of 1995 will have to wait for future alumni weekends to see the restored buildings. Vice President of Facilities Management Art Gravina said the finishing steps on the outside of both buildings would not be rushed in order to meet the time deadline. "While we want to show it off, we worked too hard and won't want it done in a mediocre way," Gravina said. "I don't want to have the scaffold down and then have to rebuild it." Logan Hall has undergone renovations since 1989, when University officials first decided to repair the building's aging roof. "Then we found the chimney was a disaster and and the whole building needed repair," Gravina said. "It became evident we couldn't do anything the way we originally approached it." After the renovation process was reevaluated, occupants of departmental offices and classrooms in the building were relocated. Renovation then began again. "It didn't go quite as planned," Gravina said. But now, six years after the renovations first started, Logan Hall's exterior is nearly complete. "The exterior of the building will be structurally sound and totally rehabilitated," Gravina said, adding that the reconstruction should provide another 50 years of life for the building before additional repairs will be required. Facilities Management is also working with the School of Arts and Sciences -- which had numerous departments originally housed in Logan Hall -- to determine how the interior will be designed, reworked and restored. These plans will depend on the design of the new Perelman Quadrangle, the construction of which affects Logan, along with Houston Hall, Williams Hall and Irvine Auditorium. At this point, the Perelman plans for Logan include restoring the building's "grand staircase" and skylight, as well as creating a "dramatic" entranceway. Officials are also planning to hasten the renovation of College Hall this summer by moving the History Department from the building in August, Gravina said. Other work to both buildings will be completed over the summer.
(04/28/95 9:00am)
Housekeeping manager Paul Ross has been accused by three of his employees of sexual harassment, verbal abuse and theft. And while some housekeepers have supported Ross's accusers, two Physical Plant workers defended him yesterday. Earlier this week, Brian Hunt, Ann Lee and Tyrone Best came forward to accuse Ross of behaving inappropriately and making unwanted, often sexual comments about them and members of their families. Lee also said Ross may have taken money from her wallet. Hunt and Lee, who formerly asked to be identified as "Spencer" and "Pita" in order to protect their jobs, have filed charges with the University's Division of Human Resources and Office of Affirmative Action. But others who work for Ross said he is a "perfect gentleman" and a "fair boss." "Not only did they hurt Paul Ross with these statements but also his family," housekeeper Mary Slater said. "They partially ruined this man's reputation." Slater, who works under Ross in the Biomedical Research Building where Lee works and where Hunt formerly worked, said supervisors are sometimes charged with harassment "because they're simply doing their job." "In one short article, he's been accused of being mentally unstable, a pervert and a thief," she said. "I was wondering what psychiatric training [Hunt] has to be able to make such a statement." And Slater said she thinks Hunt and Lee should be fired if the charges are proven to be untrue. But others said they believed the accusations, adding that the problems with Ross are even more serious than those discussed this week. According to housekeeper Charles King, one of Teamster Local 115's shop stewards, Ross first worked the day shift in the high rises and was later transferred to the Quadrangle. He then moved to the night shift and the medical buildings where he now works. "Wherever this guy goes, he manages to bring a lot of trouble with him," King said. "I always hear about Paul Ross." King said housekeepers will often come to him before taking a grievance to a more serious, official level. But he said that despite the ongoing complaints he has received about Ross, the University has not made the situation a high priority. "They shift him around campus like a checker on a checker board," King said. A housekeeper who asked to be identified as "Julie," worked under Ross in the high rises and said he would make "off-the-wall comments" that offended some employees. "He's not exactly the most liked person on campus," she said. "He really could be a pain in the butt." Julie said some who worked for Ross had a more positive impression of him, adding that she herself was never harassed by Ross. And a Physical Plant employee who requested anonymity because she is "really terrified of the unions" said Best, Hunt and Lee have only levied the accusations in order to get revenge against Ross because he reprimanded them for unsatisfactory job performances. "I know they're devious people," she said. "They're trying to murder him through the media." The housekeeper also called her three co-workers "bums who don't want to do their work." And she said Best is "psychotic," citing examples in which he "terrorized other employees" who offended him. Best said he did not want to comment on those statements, noting that his problem is with Ross and not his fellow employees. But Hunt and Lee did respond, defending their decisions to come forward. "My record stands for itself," Hunt said. "Anyone on campus who knows me knows [such accusations] are false." And Lee said revenge has never been an issue. "I had nothing against him when I first started here," she added. "If I didn't do my work, I would be written up -- and I don't get complaints or write-ups." The union and the University are in the process of investigating the charges against Ross. Daily Pennsylvanian staff writers Jorie Green and Tammy Polonsky contributed to this article.
