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(01/13/99 10:00am)
Jannie Blackwell's campaign for Council's No. 2 post is in jeopardy because of an aide's legal troubles. The new year has gotten off to a tumultuous start for City Council member Jannie Blackwell, who is pursuing a powerful Council post at a time when her top aide is facing federal corruption charges. Blackwell, a Democrat whose district includes West Philadelphia, is attempting to become Council majority leader as well as chairperson of the powerful Finance Committee -- a position that would make her third in line for the mayorship. But as in our nation's capital, partisanship has stepped in -- only this time the battleground lies between two groups of Philadelphia Democrats, the party which holds 12 of 15 seats on the local legislative body. City Council will elect a new leader tomorrow to succeed longtime Council President John Street, who resigned last month to pursue a mayoral bid. Since then, the Council's Democrats have broken into two camps of six people -- one led by Council member Anna Verna and the other by Council member Marian Tasco. Verna, who represents Northeastern Philadelphia, has been the expected winner since the three Republican members announced their support for her earlier this month. "She does have the necessary nine votes to win," said Kathleen Murray, Verna's chief of staff. But Blackwell's ascension is not as guaranteed --Eespecially after the indictment of longtime volunteer Michael Youngblood, a controversial figure inside City Hall. Tasco's proponents are supporting Council member Michael Nutter for the Finance Committee slot, though they have agreed to support Blackwell for majority leader as a compromise, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. However, Verna has refused such a compromise, saying she wants Blackwell to serve in both positions. The indictment of Youngblood -- who was at one time a paid City Council employee before Street cut him from the payroll -- served to exacerbate the rift between the two sides. But Verna was quick to defend her ally. "[Blackwell] has the commitment and the stamina to serve this Council well," she said in a statement released by her office. "Jannie Blackwell was not involved in any way with Michael Youngblood's alleged criminal wrongdoing." But as city officials have been almost unanimous in condemning Youngblood, a convicted drug dealer, Blackwell told the Inquirer last week that "this whole issue has been, and continues to be, politically motivated and inspired," de-emphasizing the importance of the charges. Blackwell did not return repeated calls for comment this week. According to the U.S. Attorney's office, Youngblood was charged January 5 with 36 counts of extortion, bank fraud and tax offenses. In 1995, Blackwell tapped Youngblood to head the building of a 400-bed homeless shelter in the city, a project from which the subsequent indictment arose. Youngblood, 41, whose real name is Michael Williams, allegedly extorted $36,000 worth of cash and valuables from contractors and also forged checks totaling more than $16,000. The indictment also alleges that while Blackwell granted Youngblood access to her personal bank account, Youngblood used the account to launder the money. Daily Pennsylvanian staff writer Jeffrey Joseph contributed to this article.
(12/02/98 10:00am)
In the City of Brotherly Love, the setting for the AIDS-themed film Philadelphia, close to 50 people gathered at a candlelight service on campus yesterday to commemorate World AIDS Day. Doctors and staffers from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania joined friends and family members of victims yesterday in the Penn Tower Hotel's Ivy Room for the fifth annual event, which mixed laughter and tears to honor victims of the incurable disease. "We didn't want to let World AIDS Day go by without acknowledging the victims' struggles," said Rob MacGregor, one of the founders of the infectious disease clinic at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. "It's been very rewarding to all of us." The event was open to the public, but invitations were sent directly to the families of former clinic patients. The program was led by Stephen Gluckman, director of infectious disease clinical services at HUP, who opened the evening by speaking about the need to remember AIDS victims, as well as the incredible influence they had on others. "This is a short time to slow down for just a second to conjure up some pleasant memories, some fond memories," he said. Following Gluckman's introduction and a musical selection, several members of the HUP staff addressed the subject of death and its complicated meaning with readings from the Bible and the Koran, as well as poetry. With the conclusion of the readings, the service's organizers lit several dozen candles, each one in memory of a patient who recently succumbed to AIDS. Audience members were then invited to share personal stories and memories, which elicited occasional laughter from the somber audience. Some participants carried handmade quilts and spoke of their siblings who had died, while others reflected on the loss of their lovers. The program closed with a moment of silence and then broke for an informal reception -- offering guests, many of whom had forged bonds of friendship while their loved ones were being treated at HUP, a chance to talk. Similarly, Gluckman noted that doctors and family members enjoy a special bond, which was part of the reason for holding the service. "You really get close to these people," Gluckman said. "Caring for AIDS patients is strangely uplifting. Unlike other types of medicine, you try to find as good a resolution as possible. We get to mix real science with old fashioned doctor stuff." Bill Grant Sr., who paid tribute to his son Bill Jr. by reading a poem during the service, spoke afterwards about his family's reasons for attending the event for the second time since his son passed away two years ago. "Our purpose is twofold -- first, to remember Bill and second, to say thank you to the people who helped," he said. "He gave us a lot and so did the hospital."
(11/16/98 10:00am)
Intended as a proverbial meeting of the minds, the Minority Recruitment Symposium held Thursday night at Civic House ended up looking more like a disorganized high school student council meeting -- but was a necessary first step in the struggle for campus diversity, according to those present. More than 30 student leaders and representatives from various campus organizations met to "discuss minority recruitment programs and methods," with hopes of crafting a formal proposal to present at a race relations panel of University administrators during the upcoming Unity Week. Kicking off the evening, Wharton junior Ryan Robinson -- student life committee chairperson of the Undergraduate Assembly -- explained the impetus for the symposium. "The reason we planned this event is not because Penn necessarily has a problem with minority recruitment," he said. "But it's always an area that can be improved." Subjects of conversation ranged from the history of minority issues to Penn's present minority situation -- with most people agreeing that diversity is not what it should be at the University. The 143 African Americans and the 117 Latinos in the Class of 2002 make up 5.9 and 4.8 percent of the freshman class, respectively. Both figures, however, are much lower than the minority groups' representation in the wider American population. "Diversity adds to the education of all of us here," said College junior Charles Howard, chairperson of the United Minorities Council. "Penn likes to pride itself on firsts. I think we should be the first Ivy League school to pride itself on diversity." As the night progressed, the group began to lose focus, with students disagreeing about what the ultimate objectives of the meeting were and how to go about accomplishing them. Long-term goals included making Penn more attractive for minority applicants, utilizing the network of minority Penn alumni and working to make the University's minority population proportional to that of the general population. However, failing to stick with the common agenda and allowing too many differences to get in the way, representatives were unable to reach a concrete proposal and the discussion remained on a very non-specific, theoretical level throughout the evening. But the symposium was not a total loss, in fact serving to be quite the contrary. Participants' reactions to the forum were positive and optimistic. "It was the right first step," said College senior Hillary Aisenstein, a member of Civic House's steering committee. "Expecting that this meeting would run smoothly would have been naive. It was good for a broad-based group of people to meet about minority issues. We started something." Robinson later added his reflections on the night: "I think it was great that 35 of the University's student leaders, whether minority or not, came together and said this is an issue they want to tackle and improve." College junior Megan Davidson, also a member of steering committee, felt the symposium proved successful, despite some of the conflicts. "We knew it would be a heated discussion," she explained. "I'm glad it happened because it meant people cared." Davidson noted that many of the evening's participants hoped for another meeting. After the symposium broke for dinner the representatives seemed anxious to continue the discussion in smaller groups. "I think that a lot of people were frustrated that nothing tangible got done and that we couldn't address every issue," said Wharton junior and UA Chairperson Bill Conway. "With that, the symposium did its job. People right now are talking to each other about the issues [and] arranging meetings, and that was the aim of the symposium," he said.
(11/12/98 10:00am)
To impeach, or not to impeach. That was the question University of Chicago Professor Cass Sunstein posed at Tuesday's Owen Roberts Memorial Lecture, just one day after he appeared before the House Judiciary Committee as an expert on the subject. Close to 200 people, mostly Penn Law School students and faculty, packed the Law School's McKean Hall Classroom to hear Sunstein, a constitutional theorist and noted author, discuss the topic that has gripped the nation since January -- the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the potential for impeaching President Clinton over his conduct in the matter. While the theme of the lecture focused mostly on Clinton's current predicament, Sunstein also traced the development of the impeachment clause in the Constitution and how the past influences Congress' actions today. "If you look at the impeachment debates in the Constitution, the debaters were well aware of the issues which are affecting us today," Sunstein explained. "The founding fathers found limiting the impeachment process important." Sunstein cited past presidents, including Lincoln, Roosevelt and Reagan, all of whom could have been subject to impeachment inquiries, but were not. As the lecture progressed, Sunstein expressed his opinion of the Clinton situation -- siding in favor of the damaged leader. "Perjury and obstruction of justice are impeachable actions, but it depends on what the president obstructed," Sunstein said. "President Clinton has not, even if the allegations are correct, committed an impeachable offense." Sunstein agreed that the allegations against Clinton are very serious, but warned that the future consequences of an impeachment hearing could be even more severe. "If we have an impeachment hearing now, we will have two more in the next 30 years," he said. "The long term nature of the Clinton situation has nothing to do with Clinton. It will affect the system of checks and balances." Following his speech, Sunstein opened up the forum for a question and answer session. Students and professors alike asked questions ranging from the press' influence and responsibility to whether Clinton should face legal consequences following his presidency. "I don't think President Clinton should be indicted," Sunstein responded. "An ordinary citizen would not be indicted in this situation? Enough for him." As the program moved to a cocktail reception, students immediately began sharing their reactions. "It was a very clear description of both the original understanding of impeachment and how it has historically been applied, or in some cases, not applied," second-year Law student Margaret O'Shea said. "I agree with the speaker. I think we should move on." John Carney, also a second-year Law student, disagreed. "I think President Clinton is impeachable, even after this speech. Professor Sunstein gave the best case he could, but it still wasn't strong enough."
(11/10/98 10:00am)
University Police say the device will slow traffic on Walnut Street, making it safer for pedestrians. Students and faculty have long complained about careless drivers who rocket down Walnut Street at speeds that often exceed the speed limit by as much as 40 miles per hour. But the drivers who have been responsible for hitting numerous students in recent years will soon be facing a new enemy -- a high-tech radar tracking device designed to identify speeders. Last Friday, University Police demonstrated the system at the corner of 33rd and Walnut streets. The radar, which was tested regularly between September 21 and October 16, is part of Operation Cross Walk -- a pedestrian safety program jointly developed by the University's Division of Public Safety and the Mayor's Office of Transportation. The speed trap is conducted by two police teams. Officers operate the radar at one corner, where the speed of passing cars is displayed on a large electronic sign mounted atop an officers' vehicle. If the speed is above the limit, the officers radio to the second team, parked one block ahead. The second team then stops the speeding car, verifies the driver's license, registration, and insurance. If all checks out, the driver is free to go, unless he has committed another violation. Under state law, only state troopers can give speeding tickets using radar. As a result, Penn Police can only issue warnings unless the speeding driver has committed other traffic violations. But not being able to give speeding tickets does not necessarily make the radar initiative unproductive, according to police. "The purpose of the radar is to educate drivers," said University Police Lt. Tom Messner, who was involved in the demonstration. "We want to let drivers know how fast they were going and tell them what the speed limit is." Director of Police Operations Maureen Rush was on hand for the demonstration, and later explained her hopes for both the radar and Operation Cross Walk. "Our goal is not to give tickets," Rush noted. "We're out here to bring attention to the fact that Walnut is a very dangerous street. People, both drivers and pedestrians, need to take care, especially during high volume, high traffic times." Operation Cross Walk has used a similar radar in years past and has even distributed informational flyers to pedestrians in hopes of making the area safer. The results of the radar test period indicated the potential danger on Walnut Street. During the month-long experiment, police stopped 36 vehicles for speeding. The fastest car was clocked at 76 miles per hour, and the average speed of violators was 53 miles per hour -- well over Walnut Street's 35 miles per hour limit. "When people are snagged for going 76 miles per hour, the picture is worth a thousand words," Rush said. "The look on their faces is incredible." Friday's demonstration gave a clear indication of the radar's influence. Many drivers traveling at high speeds immediately hit the brakes after they spotted the radar crew. "The program is for the safety of the pedestrian. If drivers know the laws are going to be enforced, they will obey. If we get people to slow down, it will be a positive step," said Penn Police Officer Joe Fischer. Walnut Street has traditionally been a place where drivers "open up their speed," according to Rush. In recent years, she noted, several Penn students have been struck and seriously injured by motorists. One incident occurred last April, when a College freshman broke his leg when a car struck him on the 3900 block of Walnut Street. Messner added that "getting run over is just as big a problem as getting mugged or some other type of crime." Each year, about 50 pedestrians are killed in Philadelphia, and another 2,500 are injured in collisions with cars, according to police statistics. Rush cited bad driving as the No. 1 cause of accidents. "The skill of drivers has absolutely decreased in recent years. People are in more hurries, bigger rushes, and, as a result, are going faster," she said. Although the radar monitoring system was on loan from another area law-enforcement agency and will now travel to another district, Penn Police are looking to purchase similar equipment in the near future. Until then, they will continue their ongoing traffic enforcement detail, which includes stopping motorists for traffic violations but not giving tickets.
(10/27/98 10:00am)
They're just looking for a few interesting people. This past week, the Philomathean Society -- Penn's oldest student organization -- conducted a series of interviews in search of new members. Philo, as it is more commonly known, was founded in 1813 as a student government group. Over the years, it has evolved into a literary society, but even this broad term cannot fully describe the club. In the beginning, the club was comprised of all 50 members of the Penn senior class. Today, the society continues to limit its membership to 50, and currently has 37 members. "Philo is, if nothing else, a collection of what its members do," said Wharton and Engineering senior Eugene Huang, the Philomathean moderator. "We have individuals involved in every facet of the University. Essentially, the society's purpose today is to enhance the learning of individuals, just as it did in 1813. Philo is a place to make things happen," Huang explained. The past is something the society holds very sacred. Within the confines of Philo's offices on the fourth floor of College Hall are its archives, housing the original charter, the cornerstone of old College Hall, records of all kind and even a direct cast of the Rosetta Stone which the society translated into English in 1859. "The history of Philo parallels the history of the University and of Philadelphia," said College junior Peter Martelli, the society's archivist. "I really appreciate Philo as a place for academic discussion to thrive, a breeding ground so to speak." The society even boasts seven United States senators, two ambassadors and an attorney general among its list of alumni. Eli Price, the founder of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, was also a member. Philo's offices include an extensive library with books donated solely by the members, and an art gallery which used to be the premier place to exhibit art in all of Philadelphia. But what exactly is Philo? Any member responds with the group's motto, "Philo is as Philo does." Activities range from human chess matches on College Green, to the annual publication of Philomel, the society's own literary journal. Meetings are held every other Friday at 8 p.m. and are open to the public. "Events that Philo holds are spontaneous and uncalculated, whatever the members choose to do," Huang said. "In Philo, the limits are your limits. We bring together the academic, scholarly, literary and social aspects of the University in a very unique way." Huang insists that there is no single type of Philo member. The society is just looking for "interesting" people. At the interviews, prospective members are greeted with smiles, a questionnaire and a glass of wine. Each presents the officers with a creative submission, which in the past has included everything from Spam bombs to Elvis shrines. "They try to find out what you think," College sophomore Margaret Karnaze said of her interview experience. "They don't have a strict set of questions. Basically, they question and respond to what you say. I felt there was a lack of intellectual atmosphere at Penn, and that is what brought me to Philo. I had a good time." Huang added, "my advice to people out there is to check out our Web site, e-mail the society and most importantly, come to the meetings and find out what Philo is all about."
(09/23/98 9:00am)
The bus is on a national tour to educate people about the cable network. The students who passed the big yellow bus in Superblock yesterday may not have realized what was inside -- a fully operational studio and a one-of-a-kind educational tool to boot. In partnership with the Wade Cable company, which provides cable TV in West Philadelphia, the C-SPAN School Bus made a stop at Penn yesterday during its fifth nationwide tour aimed at educating and entertaining students and community members alike. Passersby were invited to tour the 45-foot mobile television studio and demonstration center -- which featured information about the network ranging from its live Congressional coverage to the more technical aspects of production. The goal of the bus, according to C-SPAN, is to introduce the importance of the network as an unbiased political tool while showing different aspects involved in television programming. Another goal of this year's tour is to educate people on the 106th Congress and the workings of the legislative branch. "The bus is really a double-edged sword," said Bob Reilly, the bus' production crew chief. "It's a production unit as well as a presentation vehicle. Basically, we are the extended arm of C-SPAN, constantly on the road." C-SPAN Affiliate Relations Coordinator Liz Jasper added: "The Penn community seems like a really intelligent group. Students that have been on the bus so far seem politically aware and have knowledge of what's going on." C-SPAN, which stands for Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network, is a non-profit organization that relies on sponsorship from individual cable companies, like Wade. The goal of the 19-year-old network is to provide direct, balanced and unedited political programming which presents all sides of the issues. "Not only is Penn a college that C-SPAN is trying to target, but Wade Cable actually covers the Penn area, making this visit unique," said Charlotte Sistrun, Wade community and government relations coordinator Inside, students could see the bus' control room, soundproof set and several robotically-controlled television cameras, all ready to film interviews and events while on the road. Curious students who passed through the bus on the way to class were curious about the network and responsive to the demonstrations. "I wanted to check out the big yellow bus," Engineering sophomore Jeff Loman said. "You don't see something like this on campus very often. The technology I've seen is pretty amazing." Other students immediately recognized the unusual C-SPAN vehicle. "I had seen the bus on TV before and it was cool to actually go inside," College junior Neal Mueller said. "The people involved seem really enthusiastic."
