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(06/15/95 9:00am)
When the University solar car team heads out on Tuesday for Indianapolis, they hope to be basking in the sun for the next few weeks. If the team qualifies for Sunrayce 95 -- a 1,200 mile trek from Indianapolis to Golden, Colorado -- they will be one of 40 teams competing in a race designed solely for solar-powered cars designed and constructed by students. The race to Golden will take nine days, with the competition culminating on June 29 with a celebration. Last year the team competed in a considerably shorter race -- the Tour De Sol -- which went from New York to Philadelphia. The team finished third in the competition. Engineering sophomore Aaron Vernon said the team believes it has a decent shot this year, possibly finishing in the top 20. But the solar car, aptly named the Liberty Belle, will be facing some stiff competition from local rival Drexel and also former 1990 and 1993 national champion University of Michigan. Vernon attributed Michigan's racing prowess to the fact that Michigan has a $1.5 million budget, due in large part to corporate sponsorship from Detroit automakers. The University's solar car team has a budget of approximately $80,000, and Vernon estimated that the organization has spent $125,000 in the last two years. One difference that separate the University's team from other competitors is that the project is almost completely run by students, according to Engineering junior Ryan Crowell, who has been working on the car's electrical system. The team is so optimistic about this summer's race because some changes have been made on the solar car in the last year, he said. There has been a doubling of the solar cell surface area, a redesign of the rear wheels and suspension and the vehicle's electrical system is being upgraded from 100 to 200 volts. This change in electrical power should increase the speed and efficiency of the car, Crowell added. Another technological advance for the team is a state-of-the-art data acquisition system, which will be used in the chase car to collect 16 different types of data, ranging from the temperature of the car to how long the battery will last. In recent practice runs, the car has gone slightly faster than 40 m.ph., and Crowell said he expects the average speed during the race to be about 45 m.p.h. Although the solar car team is composed of 40 members, only 10 will actually be competing in the race. The 10 were chosen based on who put the most time into the project, Crowell said. He added that the team has recently been "burning the midnight oil," working on the car from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. for the last two week, putting on the finishing touches before race day. "We're the underdog, the cinderella story," Crowell said. "But we like it that way." The competition is not over when the teams finally reach Golden on June 29. The next day is Pike's Peak Challenge, in which the cars try to race up Pike's Peak. But Pike's Peak is not the last challenge of the summer, according to Vernon. In July the team plans to go to Pocono Raceway to attempt to break the world record for speed by a solar car of 83 m.p.h "We thought we could call Guinness and get him out here and see what this baby can do," Vernon said. In addition to receiving a big trophy, the top three finishers in Sunrayce 95 win an all expense paid trip to Australia, courtesy of General Motors, to compete in the 1996 World Solar Car Challenge. Sunrayce 95 is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, in an effort to promote solar energy as an alternative to the consumption of fossil fuels and to reduce pollution.
(06/15/95 9:00am)
Pennsylvania Attorney General Ernie Preate, a University alumnus, agreed to plead guilty to mail fraud and resign from office Tuesday. The attorney general, a 1965 graduate of the University Law School and a 1962 graduate of the Wharton School, could go to jail for as long as five years and be fined as much as $250,000 for the single federal charge. On Tuesday Preate told U.S. Middle District Court Judge Sylvia Rambo that he was pleading guilty. Preate turned control of the Attorney General's Office to top deputy Walter Cohen, and he will officially resign June 23. U.S. Attorney David Barasch said Tuesday that Preate engaged in "a decade-long scheme of repeated violations of state campaign finance law in a pattern of fraud, concealment and deception." Preate, a former president of the Newman Council at the University, had been under investigation for the last five years concerning his campaign finances. He solicited cash contributions for his campaign from illegal video poker operators and hid the funds from election officials, prosecutors said in court papers. The agreement, which was signed last week, says Preate filed false and misleading documents to conceal the cash donations. Throughout the investigation, Preate continually denied any wrongdoing and maintained that he would be vindicated by the federal probe. The investigation found that poker operators contributed about $40,000 to Preate's campaign, half of that in cash donations above the legal limit of $100, to buy relaxed enforcement of gambling laws by the state, prosecutors said in court documents. Preate was district attorney of Lackawanna County from 1977 to 1989 and has been attorney general since 1989. He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for governor last year. Pennsylvania state law requires the governor to nominate a replacement for the vacancy in the attorney general's office. The replacement will serve the remaining 1 1/2 years of Preate's term. The Associated Press contributed to this Article.
(06/15/95 9:00am)
Recent University graduate and Daily Pennsylvanian columnist Ian Blake was convicted of disorderly conduct at a court hearing at the Philadelphia Police Southwest Detective's station. But Blake contends that he was mistreated by the police officer who arrested him and he plans to mount an appeal. In court, in front of Judge Robert Blasi, Officer David Carroll testified that on May 2 at about 2:50 p.m. he was called to Van Pelt Library to respond to a complaint that a woman's wallet had been stolen. Carroll said the woman believed that Blake was the individual who took the wallet. Carroll explained that he approached Blake and asked to speak with him, but Blake raised his voice and spoke "very nasty" to the officer. Carroll also said that Blake pushed him into the library office. But Blake tells a different story. Blake claims that Carroll told him to go into the stacks, but Blake said he was unwilling because of Carroll's "reputation." "I was very reluctant to go into the stacks with Officer Carroll because of his reputation," Blake said Tuesday. Blake added that Carroll pulled him into the stacks and shoved him 3 or 4 times and told Blake that he was under arrest. He also said in court that he was arrested under false pretense, because a woman, who had been sitting next to him at a computer lab in Van Pelt, claimed he had stolen some items out of her wallet. University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich said he couln't comment on the case. University Police Chief George Clisby was unavailable for comment.
(06/15/95 9:00am)
and Jorie Green More students than ever are spending their summers gaining work experience with internships, according to Career Planning and Placement Service counselor Laura Praglin. Communications and marketing career opportunities in particular have expanded, she added. "Given the job market, employers are looking for some practical job experience before a person graduates," Praglin said. "It shows that a person is responsible, that they're ready to hit the ground running." Praglin also reported that last year, 600 of 625 surveyed University students held internships, and 75 percent received salaries of over $500 a month for their work. But the size of the paycheck may not be all that important in the long run. Praglin said unpaid or low-paying internships still contain one essential benefit -- connections. "An unpaid internship can often lead to something that does pay," she said. "These people that you are working for are the people who can write you great recommendations." But students working in the Philadelphia area said there are short term benefits to internships as well -- no homework. Becoming part of the "real world," may mean more time indoors and less freedom with dress. But it also means stress-free evenings filled with sit-com re-runs, long telephone conversations and in some cases, wild nights out on the town. "A lot of people get to roam the city and go out more than during the year," said Engineering senior Marsha Chan Wai Hong, who interns in the Marketing Department. "When I go out drinking, I wake up with a hangover [and go to work]." Edinburgh University exchange student Andrew Lin, who also has an internship on campus, has discovered a whole new perspective to Bennett Hall while conducting research for English Professor Rita Barnard. Instead of the classrooms, Lin said he finds himself spending much of his time in the English department office in 119 Bennett Hall -- photocopying. But not all interns in Philadelphia have managed to escape textbooks for the summer. Along with a research internship and a part time job at the Biomedical Library, Engineering junior Gabriela Gonzalez is also taking Mathematics 312. She said all of her summer activities are keeping her very busy. "I have free time when I sleep," she said.
(06/08/95 9:00am)
Scientist, researchers, company executives and military officials from around the world are meeting throughout the month of June to discuss solid electrolytes. But thanks to School of Engineering and Applied Science Dean Gregory Farrington transportation to the conference is free. That is because the conference is being conducted via the information superhighway from the University. And the "virtual conference" is one of the first of its kind, according to Associate Director of Computing and Educational Technology Services Helen Anderson. Farrington designed the entire worldwide internet forum and a program called Adobe Acrobat allows the magic to happen. Two hundred scientists throughout the world began meeting Monday over the World Wide Web to exchange ideas about solid electrolytes, the material batteries are made from. In this "virtual conference," authors from around the world have electronically submitted papers on the topic. Forty-five papers can be accessed on the Web for those who are part of the conference. Some of the countries participating include Sweden, India, Australia, Great Britain, Japan, Denmark, Brazil, Germany, and Spain. And Anderson said language is not a communication barrier, even though all the articles are written in English. She added that English has become the language of international science because most of the scientific journals are published in English. The purpose of the internet meeting is twofold, Anderson said, serving both scientific needs and experimenting with the new information technology. Batteries are a "hot topic" because of electric cars and the push to make more powerful, longer-lasting batteries, she explained. "Maybe there is a paper in their that revolutionizes batteries," Anderson said. From the Universities viewpoint, the real benefit of the "virtual conference" is the chance to experiment with new technology, cutting edge tools that might be the wave of future. "We have never tried to exchange information in this way before," Anderson said. Anderson said the conference not only attracts scientists and university researches, but military officials and large corporations like Dow Chemical. "It's of great interest to all kinds of people," she said. The first few days of the meeting have encountered some glitches, Anderson said, adding that this is to be expected in the initial stages of most new endeavors. After the month-long experiment concludes, Elsevier, a Netherlands based company is going to publish the papers.
(06/08/95 9:00am)
Annenberg School for Communication Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson will be serving on a national panel evaluating undergraduate education at research universities. Jamieson said the panel is going to examine alternative ways to educate undergraduates in higher education. She added that it was selected to represent both public and private institutions. "It's an attempt to step back from the entire process and take a look at where we have been and where we are going," she added. The panel also contains professors from the University of California at Berkeley, University of Chicago, State University of New York at Stony Brook, University of Virginia and Yale University. The senior vice president from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is also on the panel. The idea for this panel originated from Stony Brook President Shirley Kenny. It is also being supported by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The panel is slated to issue a report next spring. Jamieson said it expects to set up at least three meetings, the first of which is expected to take place this summer. Provost Stanley Chodorow said he thinks it is great that Jamieson has been chosen to serve on this committee. And University Spokesperson Barbara Beck said that Jamieson is "an excellent choice" for the panel. "She is a committed academic who year after year after year inspires undergraduates through her teaching and research," she said. "Dean Jamieson is yet another example of Penn's academic excellence." Beck added that many universities doing similar analysis of undergraduate education, including the University. "Judith Rodin is one of a few doing something about it. She has made it one of her goals as the President of the University of Pennsylvania," she said. "Today Penn offers a first rate undergraduate education," she added. "It is more competitive and more highly regarded as an undergraduate school than ever before. "However as good as penn is, it can be better," Beck added. "And we'll lead the way for undergraduate education for the 21st century."
(06/08/95 9:00am)
University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center Director John Glick was recently named president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology during the society's annual meeting in Los Angeles, California. Glick is one of the country's leading cancer specialists, and has been involved in clinical-trials research related to breast cancer, Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, for more than two decades. Glick, who is included in "The Best Doctors of America," a listing of the nation's top medical specialists, is currently a professor of medicine. Glick effectively became President of ASCO on May 23. He said he hopes to accomplish several goals, including increasing funding for clinical research, improving patient/physician communication and supporting translational research. He added that he also hopes to monitor the impact of the changing healthcare environment on clinical practice and patient care. "My commitment to these issues is based on their impact to the community at large and, most importantly, to individual cancer patients and their families," Glick said. "We need to carefully analyze how healthcare reform is affecting both patient care and access to innovative cancer clinical trials," he added. Glick has been a member of numerous editorial boards, including the Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research. In addition, he is presently a member of the editorial board of Breast Diseases and the advisory board of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology. He has served as chairman of the Subspecialty Board on Medical Oncology of the American board of Internal Medicine. The ASCO is the largest association of cancer researchers and clinicians in the United States. Founded in 1964, the society currently has a membership of more than 9,600. The University Cancer Center is one of only twenty-seven centers designated for comprehensive cancer treatment by the National Cancer Institute. The Associated Press contributed to this article.
(06/08/95 9:00am)
Looking for something new and exciting to do today? Take a walk down to Houston Hall Plaza -- the area between Houston and College Halls -- and take part in Summerfest 1995 between noon and two p.m. There will be vendors selling food and a radio station playing music. And, of course, there will be free ice cream for everyone. The Office of University Life and the College of General Studies are co-sponsoring the event. Acting Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum said the departments decided there was a need for this type of event because there are not many structured activities over the summer. "It's really important for us to come together as a nurturing community all year long," she said. "And I think new traditions to that end in the summer are terrific." She added that she believes this is the first time an event like this is being held in the summer. "It should be fun, and I hope a lot of folks come," McCoullum said. And Associate CGS Director Marion Bell said this event is something the two departments have been thinking about for a long time. "We thought we would like to do something to liven things up on campus for students over the summer," she said. If the weather is not good, the event will be held in Houston Hall's Bodek Lounge, Bell added. Both Bell and McCoullum stressed that they hope this event attracts not only students, but also faculty, administrators and community members. Bell said this is the first of four events the two departments are running. The next one is tentatively set for June 22, and there are two dates set aside during the second summer session. The future events will not be exactly like today's, she added. "There may be live music next time," Bell said. And McCoullum said the departments are planning a free summer film series at the Annenberg School. One film will be shown every Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. starting on July 6 and running until August 10. The series, which is being called "The City on Screen: Free Films at Penn," is currently scheduled to include the films Blade Runner, Manhattan, The Blues Brothers, Chinatown, Brazil and Philadelphia. All of movies will deal with "the intricacies and intrigues of urban life," according to CGS Publicity and External Affairs Coordinator Luise Moskowitz. And refreshments will be available at all screenings.
(06/08/95 9:00am)
Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Tricia Phaup announced Tuesday that she is leaving the University. Phaup said she is leaving in order to pursue another job offer. She will be working in a private hospital, primarily with geriatric patients. "I am totally switching fields so it will bring about a lot of new opportunities for me and push me in directions I have not been pushed in before," she said. Acting Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum said this new position will allow Phaup to use more of her talents. "She is trained in a lot of different areas, but one of her areas of expertise is in clinical psychotherapy," she said. "This gives her a wonderful opportunity to do work that is so important to her." Phaup said it is going to be difficult for her to leave the University. "I have been here for seven years now, and I have made a lot of great friends," she said. She added that she has enjoyed watching the Greek System grow and prosper. She estimated that the Greek community has grown by at least 15 percent during her tenure at the University. Phaup has had to deal with many controversial issues during her time here, including the University's alcohol policy. She reported that during her time here, student accountability in the system has grown. And McCoullum said Phaup has done a "fantastic job" dealing with the problems that came up. "During my term as acting VPUL, we have had a number of issues that students and alumni and Tricia have moved through very gracefully," she said. Phaup said the thing she will miss the most about her job at the University is working with the students. But she added that she is confident she is leaving the community in able hands. "[IFC President David Treat and Panhel President Lissette Calderon] have a lot of goals and directions and I know they will do a wonderful job moving the system forward," she said. Phaup served as the principal advisor to the BiCultural InterGreek Council, the InterFraternity Council and the Panhellenic Council. She also worked actively with the members of the Greek Alumni Council, as well as with many national chapters. "Her responsibilities range from helping to sponsor different on-campus events to working through any of the issues and concerns that come up as part of the work with the different student groups," McCoullum said. She added that Phaup always informed the University about the important community service work that the fraternities and sororities take part in. "She is one of the biggest cheerleaders in the world for the work the fraternities and sororities do in the community," McCoullum said. While Phaup's official last day of work is June 30, her last day at the University will be June 16. She said she is taking some vacation time until the end of the month. A replacement has not been chosen yet, but McCoullum said she will be working with Phaup, as well as students from the Big C, the IFC and Panhel to "make sure that we continue to provide exemplary support to the units." "But there is no one on earth like Tricia," she said. "She is absolutely fabulous. I am very very happy for her, but I am personally desolate that she is leaving." McCoullum added that she has been "trying everything" to talk Phaup out of leaving the University. "I have offered her ice cream, a constant supply of Philadelphia pretzels and chocolate chip cookies, but to no avail," she said. McCoullum added that Phaup will not be easy to replace. "She works 24 hours a day, seven days a week," she said. "I don't think there is anyone better at that job in the country than Tricia." McCoullum promised there would definitely be a new person in place by the fall.
(06/08/95 9:00am)
The University lost one of its most revolutionary alumni ever on Saturday, when J. Presper Eckert -- one of the inventors of the world's first electronic digital computer, ENIAC -- died at the age of 76. Eckert, of Gladwyne, Pa. died on Saturday at Bryne Mawr Hospital after a long struggle with cancer. Unfortunately, this death came only six months before ENIAC's Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration at the University, for which Vice President Al Gore will be serving as an honorary Chairperson. Eckert, along with co-inventor John Mauchly, invented the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer in February 1946, which some experts believed to be the beginning and catalyst for the computer age. School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Dean Gregory Farrington knew Eckert personally, and called him a"truly engaging and fascinating man." "It was fun to be around him," he said. "His partnership with John Mauchly in creating ENIAC, is the stuff of legend, and ENIAC is widely credited with giving birth to the computer age and the now the information age. "While many creative people contributed to the development of computers, it was ENIAC that captured people's imagination and gave them a glimpse of the future," Farrington added. "From it, the computer industry began its exponential development, which continues to this day." Eckert began work along with Mauchly on ENIAC in 1943, as a 23 year old research associate at the University. The impetus for the gigantic computer was the U.S. army, who wanted to speed up calculations in order to aim their big guns. At the time it took about 12 hours to plot the flight of each projectile. But with the invention of ENIAC, a trajectory could be done in 30 seconds, 1,440 times faster. And on April 9, 1943, Eckert's 24th birthday, the Army gave the University $150,000 to start building the mammoth calculator. Two and a half years later, after 200 people spent sometimes 16 to 20 hours a day working on the project, it was finally completed on February 14,1946. The ENIAC weighed more than 30 tons and was comprised of 40 panels arranged in the shape of an 80 foot "U." The colossal machine contained 18,000 vacuum tubes, 500,00 soldered joints, 70,000 resistors and 10,000 capacitors. According to Paul Shaffer, curator of the Eniac Museum in the Moore Building , many scientists and engineers mocked the idea of using vacuum tubes. But, he added Eckert and Mauchly would not be dissuaded. "Eckert and Mauchly had the courage to proceed in what was obvious to many people at the time, a foolish task," Shaffer said. "They proved it could be done, and there was no turning back from there." Shaffer credits the ENIAC for the development of the space program and many other facets of people's daily lives. After ENIAC was completed, Eckert and Mauchly stayed at the University for a year before being fired over a dispute concerning the commercial rights of the machine. Later in 1946 the two founded the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation. In 1950 Remington Rand took over their company and eventually after a few mergers the company became known as the Unisys Corporation. Eckert, who was granted 87 U.S. patents, remained vice president of the Unisys Corp until 1989, when he retired. Some of the awards Eckert received over the years include the National Medal of Science awarded, which was given to him by Lyndon Johnson in 1969,the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University and the Howard N. Potts Medal of the Franklin Institute and the Philadelphia Award. Services were held yesterday at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church in Gladwyne. Burial followed at Valley Forge Memorial Gardens. Eckert is survived by his wife Judith and a daughter, three sons and 3 grandchildren.
(06/08/95 9:00am)
On May 19, Religious Studies Chair Ann Matter was awarded the inaugural Outstanding Teaching Award by the College Alumni Society -- the University's oldest alumni organization. In order to get candidates for this award, the organization sent surveys to members of Class of 1985, asking them to suggest a professor "whose knowledge, teaching style, philosophy, or advice really made a difference in their lives." In the words of one alumnus who filled out the survey, it was Matter's "immeasurable open-mindedness, depth and breadth of learning, approachability, and commitment to her student's success" that stayed with her even 10 years after graduation. Matter joined the faculty in 1976 as an assistant professor and was promoted to full professor in 1990. Consistently praised by students throughout her years at the University, Matter was awarded the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1981. And this spring, Matter was one of five University professors to receive the Guggenheim Fellowship. Each year the Guggenheim Foundation grants $5 million to 200 researchers. The application process was comprehensive and competitive. To apply, each professor had to submit information on their research and careers. The foundation then contacted other leaders in the applicant's field for additional insight. Her research deals with the history of Christian culture, with emphasis on the Middle Ages. Some of her studies include the history of biblical exegesis, spirituality and mysticism, women's history and spirituality, music and the Christian tradition, and medieval textual studies. In addition to publishing various articles on these topics, Matter has published a book entitled, Voice of My Beloved: The Songs in Western Medieval Christianity. Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs in the College Kent Peterman described some of Matter's merits. "In conjunction with this substantial body of scholarship, her excellence as a teacher shines brightly indeed," he said. "This most recent recognition of her teaching demonstrates the impression she makes on her students endures years after they have left the University."
(06/01/95 9:00am)
Three University students have died this week in unrelated incidents. College sophomore Emily Sachs died as a result of a heart attack triggered by an asthma attack early last Wednesday morning. Joseph Walters, a 40-year-old part-time student in the Computer Information Science masters program in the School of Engineering, also died after experiencing a cardiac arrest on Monday. And John Marshall, a PhD candidate in Bioengineering in the School of Engineering, died on Friday of natural causes. Sachs was visiting some friends on campus last Tuesday when she experienced an asthma attack, according to Assistant Vice Provost for University Life Barbara Cassel. Sachs had asked her friends to take her to the emergency room, where she was admitted and put on a respirator. During the course of the night, she suffered a cardiac arrest and could not be resuscitated. Her mother, Jo-Ann Sachs, said she is still trying to figure out why this happened. "I sent her off at a quarter to four last Tuesday perfectly healthy," she said. "And then she died the next day. There was nothing wrong with her except asthma." Walters was found dead in his hotel room in Cambridge, Massachusetts last Monday, where he was attending a class for his job. He was a senior systems programmer. Marshall had taken a medical leave from the University last fall. Cassel said she did not know what his illness was. Sachs was diagnosed with asthma at the age of two. But friends said she never let it get in her way. College sophomore Marla Snyder, who described her as "by far the most genuine human being I think I have ever met," said she never let her condition affect her life. "She accomplished more in 19 years than any of us could expect to accomplish in a lifetime," Snyder said. She said Sachs was always referred to as 'little Em' because she was only five feet tall. "But she was definitely not small in spirit," she added. Snyder said she had never been as close with anyone as she was with Sachs, adding that they often referred to each other as sisters. The two were planning to live together next year. "We couldn't wait to decorate and hold dinner parties," Snyder said. "Our house was going to be constantly open for permanent socialization." She said she will always remember Sachs's laugh, adding that "she made every situation light up with her laugh. "She was always giggling no matter what," Snyder added. "She had the cutest laugh. She had a very playful soul to her." Class of 1995 graduate Tracy Layland also remembered Sachs's joviality. "She was so happy," she said. "She made everyone else happy she was around. Layland described the first time she met Sachs. "I have this memory of talking to her before the beginning of her freshman year and she was so excited and loved Penn so much," Layland said. Sachs, who was a member of the Chi Omega sorority, was an accomplished dancer and singer. She won both the Miss Dance Pennsylvania title and the Miss Teen Dance New York City title. "To her, that was her greatest accomplishment, winning Miss Dance New York City," Snyder said. "She was determined to be on Broadway. And she would have been." Layland, who was in the Arts House Dance Company with Sachs, agreed that she was tremendously talented. "As a dancer she was just amazing," she said. "Probably one of the best dancers if not the best dancer we ever had." Sachs was scheduled to direct the dance program at a camp this summer. Services were held for Sachs on Friday at the Har Zion Temple in Trenton, New Jersey. So many people attended that it was standing room only. Sachs's family set up a memorial fund at the temple, where contributions in her memory can be sent. The address is 491 Bellvue Avenue, Trenton New Jersey 08618. Sachs is survived by her parents Jo-Ann and James and her 15-year-old brother Andrew. Services for Walters were held Saturday at the Wilde Funeral Home in Parksberg, Pennsylvania. He is survived by his wife Nicki and his three children. A memorial service for Marshall was held at his home in Haddon Heights, New Jersey on Tuesday.
(06/01/95 9:00am)
While most students fled campus in mid-May, many remain on campus for the summer. "Everybody's gone," complained College junior Shannon Bisbee, who is staying around to take a course in underage drinking. And with a smaller number of students on campus, there are fewer activities available for them to engage in. Many students noted that fraternities, sororities and other organizations are less active over the summer. Yun Sheng Liu, a College freshman and member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, said the social life during the summer is "somewhat boring [because] you don't have frat parties." But despite the diminished amount of activities, most students reported that they enjoy the University over the summer more than during the rest of the academic year. Wharton junior Paul Wylie agreed, adding that the course load during the summer is not as intense. "The summer is much calmer and less stressful, with a lot more free time," he said. With fewer people around, University students have come up with alternative ways to have fun over the weekends. Yaakov Mandelbaum, a recent graduate, said that during the summer he does "a lot more things in the open," such as dining on "the Green" and taking walks. He added that he has the time to regularly cook in his apartment, giving him the opportunity to sharpen his culinary skills. But some students reported that without friends around, the social life can get pretty boring. "It's kind of dead if you don't know people who live here during the summer," College of General Studies senior Susan Siegel said. "I don't bother taking time to find interesting things to do, night-life wise." And campus life can be different, even for students with established groups of friends. While College sophomore Nilam Patel and her friends do not "go clubbing" on weekends anymore, they find other ways to spend their time. "This weekend everybody cooked dinner together and little things like that," she explained. And the benefits abound if you are old enough to legally drink. Engineering School graduate Alex Gizis said he and his friends enjoy the summer because, "we've got the bars more to ourselves." "It's not so crowded and obnoxious," he said.
(06/01/95 9:00am)
The doctor is in this summer at the University's Anonymous HIV Testing Site. Although campus activity slows down during summertime, the site -- which offers free HIV counseling and testing to the Penn community -- will operate on its regular schedule. Even in these months demand is steady, according to Kurt Conklin, a health educator in the University's Office of Health Education. Indeed, demand for the free services has been consistently high since the opening of the facility in October 1993. Since that time, the site has seen over 1,000 people, Conklin said. Project Coordinator Delores Solivan estimated that 15 to 25 people visit the center each Thursday. While the patients are mostly University students, the site is also frequented by faculty, employees and members of the surrounding community, Conklin said. While many patients visit the center in response to an experience such as sex, some visit the testing site out of routine regard for their health. "It is natural for a student to be worried about HIV, especially after an incident has happened that concerned them," Conklin said. "[However] many students are proactive about their health, just to get peace of mind." Solivan said patients are offered one-on-one counseling before being tested. "A counseling session involves reviewing HIV, what it means, asking the client why they want to be tested, and discussion concerning safer sex [and] drug use," she added. Conklin said this distinguishes the site from other testing centers, because "many places that do HIV testing do not offer any counseling." Although the facility is located in the Dental School, Solivan said it is not managed by the University, adding that the site is operated by the Women's Anonymous Test Site of Hahnemann University Hospital. "All Penn does is provide the space in the Dental School and some supplies," said Solivan. "The University has been really great so far in providing support for us." Because the service is anonymous, Conklin could not disclose whether any patients have been diagnosed as HIV-positive. However, he did insist that patient satisfaction is very high nonetheless. He said the feedback from an ongoing patient survey has been "overwhelmingly positive."
(06/01/95 9:00am)
Harvard University was struck by severe tragedy last Sunday when a student viciously stabbed her roommate to death and then hung herself in the bathroom. Another student was also stabbed in the incident. Harvard junior Sinedu Tadesse stabbed her roommate, junior Trang Ho 45 times. Tadesse also stabbed Thao Nguyen, a 26 year old resident of Lowell, Massachusetts who was visiting Ho at the time of the stabbing. According to Martin Murphy, the first assistant district attorney of Middlesex Count, Ho woke up during the ordeal and tried to block the knife, as evidenced by wounds to her hands. Police have been trying to piece together this extremely violent crime, deemed the worst in "at least two decades" by the school newspaper, The Harvard Crimson. Some officials and Nguyen believe the attack may have been planned as evidenced by a cryptic note that was sent to the Crimson last Tuesday. Along with the note there was a photograph of Tadesse. "Keep this picture," the note said. "There will soon be a very juicy story involving the person in the picture." The Crimson received the note, which had no stamp or postmark. After the events of Sunday morning, the Crimson contacted the Harvard University Police Department, which dispatched investigators to search through a garbage dumpster outside the school newspaper's building. The police recovered the envelope and photo. One possible motive that family and friends have been speculating about is the recently soured relationship between the two roommates, who had lived together for the past two years in the Dunster House dormitory. The relationship tensed up when Ho decided that she wanted to room with someone other than Tadesse next year. A letter sent by Tadesse to Ho last month echoes backs this theory up. "I thought we were going to do stuff together, you'll always have a family to go to and I am going to have no one," Tadesse wrote, the Boston Globe reported. Both Ho and Tadesse went through intense struggles to finally get to Harvard as pre-med majors. Ho, a native of Vietnam, had fled Vietnam on a boat along with her father and older sister about ten years ago. And Tadesse, the daughter of provincial school administrator in the poverty-stricken Ethiopia, won a scholarship to attend Harvard. A 1993 Boston magazine article listed Ho as one of the "25 Who Can Save Boston."
(06/01/95 9:00am)
After over four years of planning and discussion, the Institute for Advanced Science and Technology may actually become a reality. On Tuesday, Air Force Spokesperson Jane Knowlton confirmed that the Air Force had signed a Record of Decision that day, giving the University the last piece of government information it needs to demolish Smith Hall and begin the construction of the high-tech building. According to Vice President for Facilities Management Arthur Gravina, this means that the Air Force has evaluated all of the alternatives, and agreed that our siting for the IAST is ideal. As a result, they will release the funds necessary to build the first phase, which is the construction of the new building. While Gravina could not give an exact figure, as of March the Air Force had already allocated $23.75 million in grant money for the entire project, according to Associate Director for Federal Relations Carl Maugeri. It's total contribution could reach $35 million. Vice Provost for Research Barry Cooperman estimated in March that the construction phase of the project will cost between $44 and $50 million. Now that the University has financial commitments lined up, it has to obtain a demolition permit from the city to tear down Smith Hall. Gravina said if all goes well, Smith Hall will be demolished sometime this summer. The project began in 1991, when the federal government selected the University as the site for the IAST. The project was then turned over to the Department of Defense and subsequently to the Air Force. The building was slated to house space for the Chemistry Department, additional Chemical Engineering laboratories and research space for the Bioengineering Department. Three years ago, the Air Force began an Environmental Impact Study, analyzing the plan's historical and environmental significance, focusing specifically on Smith Hall. In March, the Air Force finally completed the EIS, deeming the site appropriate. And with the release of the Record of Decision, it is official. Phase two of the project consists of remodeling the Morgan Building and the Music Building and constructing a new wing that will connect the two buildings from the rear. For the third phase, the University will construct an engineering-science library in Hayden Hall. This will be expensive, and may take a long time to construct. The fourth and final phase of the project is the retro-renovating of space in both the engineering and chemical complexes. Because this phase is routine renovation work, its budget can be cut if the project gets too expensive. Gravina estimates that the entire project will take two years to complete.
(06/01/95 9:00am)
The quality of academia is on the rise even in the early months of summer at the University. Phase one of the 21st-century Penn Undergraduate Experience was released in the Almanac last Thursday by the Provost's Council on Undergraduate Education. Phase one was given by PCUE which is comprised of nine subcommittees of students, faculty and staff and is chaired by Provost Stanley Chodorow. According to the Almanac, this was the first step towards planning a design which would deal both -- directly and indirectly -- with students' undergraduate experience at Penn. Chodorow said that the premise of phase one is to, "provide a basis for a process of of experimentation with curriculum, service learning, the expansion of research opportunities for undergraduates, and the development of collegiate communities." "I wrote most of it, approved all of it, and chaired the committee that prepared it," Chodorow added. However, some question Chodorow's enthusiasm concerning the plan. College senior and Undergraduate Chairperson Lance Rogers believed that although he saw potential in the phase one version, there were ambiguous elements in the document's semantics. "From my first look at it, it seems pretty broad, pretty extensive, and pretty vague," said Rogers. "There are some interesting ideas -- definitely some good ideas," Rogers added. "As to how they will be carried out, that remains to be seen." For instance, the plan outlines the ideas of changing the undergraduate experience by stressing research collaborations, redefining the boundaries of the schools and promoting community service, he said. Rogers said that he felt the ideas were good ones, but he questioned whether they were probable. "[Students and faculty as collaborators in the search for knowledge], that is a great idea and a great premise," said Rogers, "However , student and faculty still don't have places to go where both can get together to hang out in an informal setting. "One of the first things you should do is to make sure the professors speak English," added Rogers. In reading over the first copy of Phase one, Rogers noted that the plan was written that left more to be desired. "I would like to look at the specifics of this plan," said Rogers, "Right now it sounds like a lot of mumbo-jumbo although I'm sure it has a lot of potential and will benefit students in the future." Phase two will follow phase one and will organize and monitor the progress of the present committees. The Council of Undergraduate Deans will take over and become steering committee for the 21st-Century Project, which is chaired by the Provost.
(06/01/95 9:00am)
Generally when things appear to be to good to be true, they are. And the University, like the 300 other organizations that stand to loose millions from the Foundation for New Era Philanthropy "ponzi" scheme, have also learned their lesson. Currently the University has a total of $1,550,000 invested in New Era, according to a letter written by Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Virginia Clark to alumni over the Alumni Weekend. The $1,550,000 is awaiting matching funds, which the University will never see since New Era filed for bankruptcy on May 15. Although the University, stands to loose over $1 million, compared to other institutions, the University sustained little damage. The University did not even appear on a list of New Era's twenty largest creditors. "From the beginning, it was clearly recognized that the New Era program was out of the ordinary," Clark wrote in the letter. "On a continuing basis, the University reviewed the foundation's track record with other institutions, its tax returns and available financial statements. "The experience of other institutions was quite positive," she added in the letter. "Even so, Penn's involvement was strictly limited – as was intended." In a new development, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Sunday that some of the money meant for charity went to the family of the organization's founder, John Bennett Jr. Bennett loaned his daughter and future son in law $227,000 less than a month before the bankruptcy so they could buy a new home, the newspaper said. And Bennett owned a $57,000 Lexus and took home about $27,000 a week this year in consultant fees, money that was earmarked for charity. New Era, which is based in Radnor, Pennsylvania, and has offices in London and Hong Kong, promoted itself as an innovative new charity capable of doubling nonprofit institutions' money by soliciting matching funds from a pool of anonymous wealthy donors who supposedly relied on the charity to find worthy causes. Along with the University, thousands of nonprofit organizations deposited their money with New Era, which said it would hold the funds for six months in brokerage accounts – rather than in escrow – and claimed to be investing it in certificates of deposit or treasury bills while finding matching donors. But according to New Era's attorneys, Bennett admitted to his staff that the anonymous wealthy donors, which were supposed to act as the source of funds for the charity, do not really exist. Bankruptcy Trustee John Carroll III verified last week that the anonymous donors never existed, estimating that the foundation had debts of $175 million to $200 million and assets of $30 million. The Pennsylvania Attorney General Office, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission are now investigation whether New Era is anything more than an elaborate pyramid scheme. Pyramid or "Ponzi" schemes promise victims huge returns on their investments and produce the illusion of financial success by paying off early investors with the money donated by later victims. The scheme eventually collapses when no more investors can be found – or the operator disappears with the pooled funds.
(06/01/95 9:00am)
The play Arcadia by Tom Stoppard has been selected for this year's Penn Reading Project. According to Academic Programs in Residence Director Christopher Dennis, the text was chosen because of the wide range of topics it addresses. Dennis described Arcadia as "a play about the intersection of two groups of people separated in time by almost two centuries, but connected by blood, culture, science, mathematics, literature and even landscape into a common human situation." "It is a very fresh, very compelling text and one that I think our new students will find lively and interesting," he said. He added that the play is similar to some of the works chosen for the project in previous years. "Like Einstein's Dreams, it combines sort of a good vibrant narrative with some interesting approaches of science and issues of the time," he said. The book was chosen from a pool of approximately 200 works. William Shakespeare's The Tempest, Albert Camus' The Stranger and Charles Dickens' Hard Times were among the works that made the final cut. The Residential Faculty Council formed the core of the project's planning group, according to Dennis. There were also two student representatives from the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education involved in the decision. "The group met and narrowed selections," Dennis said. "And finally we got a book that we thought offered a lot of different attractions ? to people of many different disciplines." Arcadia was published two years ago, and was first produced in London. Dennis said the play "is widely identified as the most important work of one of the world's most distinguished living dramatic artists." The Penn Reading Project was introduced four years ago as an intellectual gateway for incoming students to the University. It is intended to introduce students to faculty members and each other. Previous years have featured such texts as Bacchae and Frankenstein. A copy of Arcadia has been sent to every incoming freshman. These students will be involved in discussion sessions with faculty members on September 3.
(05/25/95 9:00am)
Provost Stanley Chodorow read the minds of many students sitting in Irvine Auditorium Saturday afternoon. "You may be asking yourself why would we invite the Secretary of Agriculture to speak at one of the nation's urban universities," he said in his introduction of Ivy Day speaker Dan Glickman. And, to the amusement of many audience members, he promptly answered this seemingly pertinent question. "Traditionally, a large part of our student body has been drawn from the vast potato fields -- of Long Island," he began. "Moreover, many of you are graduating from the Wharton School, which has a long promoted interest in soybean and wheat futures," he added. "It's no coincidence that Dan Glickman has served six years as chairman of a subcommittee on general farm commodities and as its predecessor a subcommittee on wheat, soybean and peach trees." After a more serious introduction, Glickman took over the podium and showed that he too could laugh at himself . "I think it was about 33 years ago that I either tried to get into Penn and applied, but was rejected, or I was told that my SAT scores were so bad that I shouldn't even try to get in," he began. "So I am honored that you either thought enough of me, or regretted not letting me in 33 years ago, to invite me here today." Glickman then added to the growing list of reasons why he is an appropriate speaker. "Some of you may not know that ivy is one of the leading agricultural commodities in this country," he explained. After entertaining the audience with his favorite chicken joke, Glickman proceeded to give the seniors some "gratuitous advice." But first, he assured the students that this speech would not be like his typical speeches. "Today, for the first time since I took the office of Secretary of Agriculture two months ago, I don't want to talk about the 1995 Farm Bill," Glickman said. "That will be something of a relief to me, and I know that will be a relief to you." In its place, he offered his top five list of adages by Ben Franklin, with his apologies to David Letterman, interspersing the Franklin quotes with humorous vignettes from his life. Glickman left his audience with a piece of sage advice. "Let me close by saying one final thing," he said. "Even he who sits on the highest throne, still sits on his own ass." Next on the Ivy Day agenda was an awards ceremony to recognize some of the outstanding members of the Class of 1995. This was followed by an Ivy Ceremony, led by acting Vice Provost of University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, senior class president Loren Mendell and co-captain of the Football team Michael Turner. The three led students to the area between Logan Hall and Van Pelt Library -- the site chosen by the Class of 1995. "We unveiled the stone, and then Pup and Loren planted the ivy in the tree right next to the button," McCoullum said. The spot is significant because "it is at the crossroads of Penn," she explained, calling it "an essential and important locus of student life on the campus." McCoullum added that the class had originally considered putting their stone in Houston Hall. "But my understanding was that they wanted to give that honor to a subsequent class, particularly with next year's 100th anniversary," she said.
