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(04/25/95 9:00am)
"PAN" spoke out yesterday, this time using computer paper instead of elevator walls. In a typed letter addressed to the residents of High Rise South and posted in the building's elevators, the vandal admitted to having scrawled "PAN" on every elevator in the dormitory. But he or she denied having anything to do with the "Fuck niggers" graffiti found in an HRS elevator Saturday night by first-year Social Work student Penny Alexander. And the vandal repeatedly noted that the signature "PAN" does not stand for "Penn Against Niggers," as High Rise South desk workers and security guards said it did. "PAN was originally meant to stand for 'Peter Pan,' the boy who refused to grow up," the letter stated. "I would like to sincerely apologize to anyone who has been hurt or frightened by the word PAN. "I never intended, and am indeed horrified by this mess," the vandal said. According to the letter, when the the original PAN vandal learned the signature was being "misinterpreted," he or she wrote "PAN loves everyone" all over the walls "to avoid confusion." The vandal said another person has now attributed "sick and racist" comments to the signature. "One person out there, not an entire organization, is playing off of our fears and is doing it through a word whose weight I never considered and whose sad interpretation I never imagined," the original vandal's letter said. But students who saw the letter did not necessarily believe this PAN's statements. College sophomore and Daily Pennsylvanian columnist Jamil Smith tore down three flyers he found in the same elevator yesterday. "I was one of the students who received calls in [W.E.B.] DuBois College House in October of 1993 and the person who called me on the phone said he was part of Penn Against Niggers," Smith said. "The flyers are a cheap attempt to win over the students who probably don't know any better." And Alexander said no matter what the vandal's intent, University policies were still broken. "What happened afterward is a symptom of a larger problem on this campus," she said. "There's a lot of racial tension and hopefully a dialogue can happen." And Alexander said whether PAN's statement was true is not an issue. "It doesn't matter whether I believe him or not," she added. "He defaced University property." Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone said University Police are still investigating the entire situation and "will determine what's going on." Simeone and Acting Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum will host an open meeting today at 6:30 p.m. in the upper lobby of High Rise South. Director of Victim Support Maureen Rush will also be in attendance. Simeone said she hoped students would come together to talk about the vandalism, and the racist graffiti found this weekend.
(04/25/95 9:00am)
Two University employees have accused their supervisor of sexual and verbal harassment -- and now they say the University has not responded to their complaints. Both Physical Plant housekeepers -- who have requested that they be referred to as "Spencer" and "Pita" in order to protect their identities and their jobs-- described incidents in vivid detail implicating their housekeeping manager, Paul Ross, in various examples of harassment. Ross refused to comment on any of the accusations made against him. Spencer, who began working for Ross in late August, said his problems began almost immediately. "Paul seems to single out people," Spencer said. He said the first hint of trouble came in September, when Ross made sexual remarks about Spencer's wife. "He said 'All I have to do is stick my 12-inch tongue down your wife's throat and she would never come home,' " Spencer said. "Paul doesn't have the right to degrade my wife in front of total strangers." Spencer added that Ross once came up behind him while he was cleaning and breathed on his neck, in a possible homosexual advance. Both Spencer and Pita complained that Ross would come up behind them without saying anything and stare at them intently until they turned around. "Especially when you're the opposite sex of the supervisor and you're in the bathroom, they're supposed to announce that they're coming in," Pita said. "He didn't." Pita said there have been several times when she would be bending down, cleaning a bathroom stall, and Ross would come up behind her and stand there until she turned around, only to find him staring at her. In addition, Pita said she has been the victim of verbal sexual harassment. Pita said Ross commented on the size of her breasts, saying that it was inappropriate for her to wear her housekeeping jacket open, despite the T-shirt she wore underneath. "He would tell me to button up my uniform and I asked him why once," she said. "He goes 'well, you could hurt somebody by looking like that' --Eand I got really upset." Pita also said she suspects Ross once stole money from her wallet when it was in her locker. And Spencer and Pita said these are only a few examples of what has become an on-going problem with Ross. Pita and Spencer went to their Teamsters Union Local 115 in February with grievances regarding Ross' behavior. "Nothing happened," Spencer said. "I was anxious to know why it is still being investigated [since] they interviewed everybody -- I wondered 'what more do they need?' " But the union's business agent, Ernie Harris, said the union is investigating the grievances but has no jurisdiction over Physical Plant management. He also said the investigation process takes time although it "usually gets done." With the help of their union shop stewards, Pita and Spencer also went to the University's Division of Human Resources and the Office of Affirmative Action. They said Human Resources has not responded to their complaints, although Affirmative Action officials were able to transfer Spencer to a different building in January. Representatives from both departments refused to comment on the allegations against Ross. They also would not confirm or deny that complaints had been filed. "The process takes time and it depends on a particular case," said Jeanne Howley, a University labor relations specialist. "The University takes any charge very seriously." Spencer said he fears that Ross is mentally unstable and could do something worse to those still working under him. And Pita, who still works for Ross, said she is "petrified," adding that the rape alarms on her floor do not work. "I dread coming to work because I never know what he's going to do next," she said. "Something should be done with him." Although Physical Plant Director James Wargo had not been notified about Spencer and Pita's situations, he said he would only have heard of them if the cases could not be worked out on a lower level. Wargo said a supervisor who harasses his employees faces a variety of punitive measures. "It could happen that the supervisor involved would have to apologize, they could be hurt financially, disciplined, given time off, up to and including discharge," he said. And Rick Buckley, building supervisor for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, said he thought Ross should be fired if the charges are proven true. "He's supposed to show an example by being a manager," Buckley added. Spencer formerly worked the day shift for Buckley before personal matters forced him to switch to the night shift --Eand to the building where Ross works. He said he is much more relieved and relaxed now that he works in another campus building, far away from Ross. But Pita said she did not want to leave her current station, despite Ross' continual presence, because she "didn't do anything wrong." "And I am not going to quit because of some jerk," she said. Wargo said determining harassment is difficult because employees sometimes complain when a supervisor is "only making them do the work." Spencer's supervisors and those employed in the Towne Building where he formerly worked praised him. "He was the best worker and best housekeeper I ever saw," Buckley said. And Shelley Brown, assistant to the graduate chairperson of Systems Engineering, said Spencer did work beyond what his position required and was always honest, friendly and up-front.
(04/25/95 9:00am)
A labyrinth of multicolored pipes snakes deep within the new parking garage at 38th and Walnut streets. The pipes are part of a chilled water plant, perhaps the least known part of the new parking garage. Some might even argue that the plant does more for the University than the garage itself, or the spaces that will soon house stores such as Thrift Drug and Campus Copy Center. The plant was built to conserve energy and save money, centralizing the system by which University facilities are air conditioned, Physical Plant Director James Wargo said. The total cost of the plant has come to $24 million, but Wargo said it is a cost-effective and advantageous addition to the University. Although Wargo said it still has some "kinks," he added that the plant is working -- and within another month should be fully operational. Three of the chillers in the system are designed for chilled water and three for the ice system located in the back of the plant. The large, complex plant is made up of blue, gray and green pipes, color-coded to indicate their role in the air conditioning process. The green pipes hold condensed water while the blue ones carry chilled water, Wargo said. Glycol, an antifreeze, runs through the gray pipes. A 10-ton crane and a large empty area for trucks to pull in allow maintenance workers to keep the chiller plant working properly. When the plant is functioning as planned, it takes city water into its pipes, treats and filters it, and then sends it through compressors which cool the water. The water is then pumped through lines running under the streets to bring air conditioning into the buildings. Juan Suarez, associate director of utilities and engineering, said the plant holds 14,000 tons of water. That water leaves the plant at approximately 45 degrees after coming in at around 60 degrees, Suarez added. The heat is transmitted into the atmosphere through a cooling tower attached to the plant. Ice produced during the process is stored in two large vats, and although ice is not being produced right now, a test of the ice-making system showed positive results, Wargo said. But Wargo added that the ice production will not be deemed completely successful until his department can test it on a "design day" -- a day in which weather conditions call for 95 degrees Fahrenheit and a 78-80 percent humidity factor. "We have to be able to design it to take care of that situation but we've checked everything we could," Wargo said. Suarez said the plant is one of the most automated in the world, noting that computers run the entire system. Although the plant is run electronically, maintenance employees trained to understand the system can use the computers to change any part of the plant's operations.
(04/25/95 9:00am)
It could be dubbed equal-opportunity technology. The new Kolvox Communications Voice Recognition Product will provide handicapped computer users with the opportunity to do what they never could before -- communicate. The product, which was introduced in February, is a computer program that allows users to instruct their computers to follow commands, simply by using their voices. "Anything you can do with the keyboard and the mouse you can do with your voice," said William Facko, the account executive of University City Computer Corporation. Facko added that an MS-DOS version of the program has existed for two years. However, he explained that unlike the new Kolvox product, the MS-DOS could not switch from "application to application, or program to program." The program is designed to aid those who have lost the use of their hands, paraplegic and quadriplegic individuals, those suffering from carpel tunnel and people who just cannot type, Facko said. The computer responds to a command of "Listen to me." The program then allows the user to dictate documents, capitalize words, type in different colors, cut and paste, fax and even participate in verbal electronic mail. The program guesses at the dictated words that then appear on the screen, Facko explained. If the word that appears is not the desired word, a "Take Box" presents a list of suggested changes. If the word still does not appear correctly, the purchaser can spell the word out using the international alphabet. Facko said he is very excited about the program. "I feel that this is finally going to put the 'personal' into personal computers," he said. "This will make it so user friendly, that this way you can just talk your way through it. And, it's a lot of fun." The program is offered in two separate package options. The OfficeTalk program costs about $1,400 and comes with a vocabulary of 60,000 words, according to Facko. The second package, LawTalk, is designed for attorneys and lawyers. It consists of the same package as OfficeTalk, but has a larger vocabulary, and costs nearly $1,800. Facko said University City Computer Corporation also trains users on how to operate the program. Lessons cost $300 for four hours, and $500 for eight hours.
(04/25/95 9:00am)
The University's Entrepreneurial Inner City Housing Markets class invited West Philadelphia residents to their classroom on Friday for a party to celebrate the end of the semester. Neighborhood residents wandered through a newly renovated house at 32nd and Spring Garden streets to inspect the results of four semesters of work and to mingle with the students who made it possible. "I wish they would do it next to my house," said Jerleine Bailey, who lives nearby. As students ate cake and reminisced about their experiences in the course, a video of their work during the semester played in the background. Class participants worked together to renovate the West Philadelphia house, merging business theories learned in the classroom with hard work to finish the project. "You have students who are studying all the issues and putting them into practice," said Carol Scheman, vice president for government, community and public affairs. "These are the kind of efforts that will make a difference in the community." City Councilwoman Happy Fernandez also made an appearance at the party. "You're not only providing a home for somebody, but you're helping the neighborhood," she told the students. Professors William Zucker and Hanley Bodek, who have taught the course since its inception eight years ago, said they have spoken to several other universities about duplicating the class. Scheman said the University is trying to form a partnership with local church ministers to include local residents in the renovation efforts. Over the years, Zucker and Bodek's students have renovated four houses. A fifth house has already been purchased, and work will begin next semester. "It teaches you how to cooperate," Wharton senior Catherine Henry said. "If you don't cooperate, you ain't getting the job done." College sophomore Allissa Zolla called the class "the most fun I've had at Penn." The students reworked the house from scratch, rebuilding the floors before renovating the interior rooms. The only professionals that worked on the project were a carpenter and an electrician. Each week, a different student served as foreman. The others oversaw different parts of the project -- including managing the overall implementation of the renovation plans, marketing the house and investing the profits. Students were required to work on the house at least four hours each week -- in addition to attending classroom lectures on community service and writing a final paper for the course. The class bought the dilapidated house from the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation two years ago after securing a loan of $30,000 from area developers. Jerard Williams, a city fireman, bought the house for $80,000.
(04/25/95 9:00am)
Winners chosen by peers The eight top members of the Class of 1995 have been selected by their peers. Notification letters were mailed last week to the winners of the Spoon, Bowl, Cane and Spade Awards for men and the Hottel, Harnwell, Goddard and Brownlee Awards for women -- some of the University's oldest and most prestigious honors. Scott Reikofski, assistant director of student life activities and facilities, officially released the winners' names yesterday. The students will be recognized for their achievements at the University's annual Ivy Day ceremony, to be held at 4 p.m. on May 20. The eight honorees were chosen by their classmates from a pool of 15 men and 15 women that a committee of students, faculty and staff generated earlier this semester. The selected students represent a diverse array of interests and talents, from involvement in Greek organizations and student government to members of athletic teams and those performing community service. College senior Hayden Horowitz, former president of the InterFraternity Council, said he is "thrilled" to be this year's Spoon recipient. "I'm ecstatic, it's definitely a great honor," he said, adding that he is happier about his success because his "best friend" and Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity brother Manny Citron was chosen as the Bowl winner. Citron, a Wharton senior who served on the Junior and Senior Class Boards, said he feels "honored" to have been given a senior award by his classmates. "I appreciate how much fun I had doing all the things that I've done here and all the people I've met," he said. "In and of themselves, they were great experiences -- this just sort of adds, it's like icing." College senior Leigh Molinari, a Junior and Senior Class Board member who has also worked with the Student Health Advisory Board, won the Hottel Award. Molinari said last night she is proud to have been recognized with other seniors of such high caliber. "It's really rewarding to know that the peer group has appreciated the work I've put forth the past three years," she said. Harnwell winner Jordana Horn, former executive editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian, said she is also pleased with her selection. "I've really enjoyed The Daily Pennsylvanian and everything I've done at the University of Pennsylvania, but to be recognized for it by my peers and my classmates is something that's very special," she said. Former Bi-Cultural InterGreek Council President Wayne Wilson, a Wharton senior, will receive the Cane Award on Ivy Day. Engineering senior Ha Nguyen, who chaired the Senior Gift Drive and was also involved with the Social Planning and Events Committee and the Undergraduate Assembly, is this year's Goddard Award winner. College senior Michael "Pup" Turner, a co-captain of the Quaker football team last fall, is this year's Spade man -- as well as the winner of the Class of 1915 Award recognizing an outstanding student athlete. "It's great," he said, when asked about his reaction to the awards. "I'm really excited and obviously doubly honored." College senior and Reach-A-Peer Helpline President Tama Weinberg will receive the Brownlee Award on Ivy Day.
(04/25/95 9:00am)
Students in the University's Entrepreneurial Inner City Housing Markets Class believe they are fulfilling Benjamin Franklin's vision of practical education by completing their fourth renovated house in seven years. "It is a very good lesson about how to manage a project," said Professor Emeritus of Creative Management William Zucker, who teaches the course. "Not until you really do it do you have real appreciation of what is involved." The class is taught every semester and features one two-hour lecture each week and three more hours of work outside of class. "The students are enthusiastic," said Hanley Bodek, president of the Philadelphia Construction Company and co-teacher of the class. "I continue to be impressed with what they accomplished." According to Zucker, the project was much more substantial than the single-family row houses they have usually worked on in the past. The students also faced additional challenges. The building was very large and deteriorated. The roof had even caved in. Zucker said all the work was done by the students themselves, including the actual construction. Students in the class said that it is a good example of applying their classroom education. "This was hands-on community service and making progress in the community," College sophomore Alissa Zolla said. Other students applauded the course's unstructured, unconventional style. "It was fun [and] the teachers were excellent," College senior Sean McDermott said. "It's not just sitting in a classroom." According to Bodek, it usually takes the class about two years to complete a building project. The pace has been altered somewhat by a doubling in the class' size this semester and by working on two houses at once. The class will be offered next year, and will be listed under the College's Dynamics of Organization Program.
(04/24/95 9:00am)
Residential Living touts the faculty-in-residence program as an integral part of the freshman experience. But some freshman have never heard of the program, much less interacted with the faculty member living in their residence. In fact, some students said they could not name their faculty-in-residence. "I don't get anything out of it because I don't know who that person is," said Engineering freshman Dan Saval, a resident of the Class of '28 building in the Quad. And College freshman William Elliot, who lives in Rodney, a building in the Spruce Street House section of the Quad, said he wished his faculty-in-residence attended floor meetings, beginning in September. "There was nothing to begin with," Elliot said. "I don't know mine and I don't know anybody who has had any interaction with theirs either." Philosophy Professor Scott Weinstein -- the faculty member living in Spruce Street House this year -- was unavailable for comment. But other faculty members who participate in the program said they attempt to develop strong contact with the students. "We make it abundantly evident that we're available," Sociology Professor Ivar Berg said. Berg, who serves as the faculty-in-residence for the Butcher-Speakman-Class of '28 section of the Quadrangle, actually lives in McKean, which is located at the uppermost part of Quad. But Berg said the physical distance does not detract from the relationship he establishes with the students. "People will even bounce up when I'm walking the dog," he said, adding that he teaches a seminar in his apartment that is open to Quad and non-Quad residents alike. Seven of the 11 students in the class are Quad residents, but none are from BS'28, Berg said. Berg has also invited students to his apartment for meals or study breaks and has brought in guest speakers. Regional Science Professor Stephen Gale said a major problem with the faculty-in-residence program has nothing to do with the faculty themselves. "We don't know what we are supposed to be doing," Gale said. "We are all waiting for a stronger sense of direction, but more importantly than that, a philosophy which is going to carry this entire program for a number of years." Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone said faculty choose to participate in the program because they want to have more interaction with undergraduates. Faculty members participating in the program also receive free housing. Simeone added that the future of the program will be addressed by the Provost's Council on Undergraduate Education. Despite the lack of official guidelines, Simeone said professors do develop their own methods of interacting with students. "I think that students really benefit from the opportunity to informally interact with the faculty," she said. "Students who don't take advantage of the opportunity to interact with faculty are really missing out." The involvement of non-tenured faculty in the program is another concern, Kings Court's faculty-in-residence Jorge Santiago-Aviles said. "This is not perceived by most of the faculty as much of a scholarly activity, so it might hurt non-tenured faculty," the electrical engineering professor said, adding that he disagrees with this theory. Students also suggested that the program be more structured. "There could be better lines of communication," Wharton and Engineering freshman Reshma Sohoni said. And College freshman Vanita Proothi, who lives in Brooks, a building in the Upper Quad, suggested scheduling dinners, lunches or meetings with the faculty members on a regular basis. Those students who did know their faculty-in-residence were often part of a College House or special program, such as the Humanities program in King's Court/English House. Wharton freshman You-Mi Lee said the group of students came together for meetings, events and trips which faculty members also attended. College freshman Dan Hall, a resident of Hill House, said the college house's faculty helped to organize events, signed letters and made themselves known.
(04/24/95 9:00am)
Surrounded by artwork depicting the despair of the Arab-Israeli conflict, a group of musicians performed in the Fisher Fine Arts Library's Arthur Ross Gallery Wednesday night to help bridge the cultural gap between Arabs and Jews. The group was composed of seven Arab and Jewish musicians. The Jewish musicians were part of a group called Atzilut, while the Arab contingent consisted of members of Firkat al-Amal accompanied by the master Arab musician, Simone Saheen. The concert, which drew a crowd of more than 80 students, faculty and community members, was arranged by the Middle Eastern Awareness Program, a small group of students from Hillel and the Penn Arab Student Society. College sophomore Sarah Weiss, a member of both Hillel and MEAP, introduced the musicians at the beginning of the show. She said their appearance was part of the Ivrim festival for cultural diversity currently being held in Philadelphia. Before each song, the musicians took turns describing the upcoming piece -- including its history and musical background. David Kessler, the vocalist for Atzilut, explained how the different musicians were able to play together by referring to the shared history of the Jewish and Arab people. "There is a great deal of commonality to traditional Jewish and traditional Arab music," he said. The last song of the night combined Shaheen's talents on the violin with a vocal performance by Kessler, who sang in Arabic. "Ivrim is about getting different cultural groups to work together," he said before the song. "Learning to sing in Arabic was my little contribution." The instruments used by the performers ranged from familiar pieces like violins and basses to the more exotic 'ud, an instrument in the guitar family with a short, bent neck. The Arthur Ross Gallery currently has a display of Palestinian and Israeli art entitled "Building Bridges." Both the exhibit and concert are "ways to increase dialogue between the two groups and alleviate any tension between them," said College junior Gisele Rahael, a member of both PASS and MEAP.
(04/24/95 9:00am)
Follows national trend The University of Pennsylvania Medical Center and Health System and the Presbyterian Medical Center announced Friday that they will merge within the next year. Although Presbyterian has existed for 125 years, there has been much talk over the years of a union of the two hospitals. The deal was sealed Friday with the signing of a letter of intent. The actual merger will not take place for at least three to six months, according to William Kelley, the chief executive officer of the University Medical Center and dean of the School of Medicine. "We've been flirting for 125 years and now we're finally getting married," University Medical Center spokesperson Rebecca Harmon said. The name of the merged hospital has not yet been decided, Kelley said. Presbyterian President Donald Snook said he did not believe that Presbyterian would be dropped from the new name. Snook said that changing times in the medical field have made the merger imperative. "It isn't reasonable, nor is it prudent, nor should any hospital go into the future standing alone," Snook said. "It's just not responsible. "This hospital and its mission is going to stay in West Philadelphia and continue to serve 125 years and you can't do that alone," he added. The joining of the University Medical Center and Presbyterian follows a nationwide trend in which many smaller hospitals are merging with larger institutions. Snook said the merger plans have been discussed for the past 35 years. Kelley added that although the University Medical Center and Presbyterian have always dreamed of merging, until recently the possibility of actually signing a deal was sketchy. The Scheie Eye Institute, located at Presbyterian, has housed the University's department of ophthalmology since 1972. "The merger we announce today is of a scope seen only by the best visionaries of those past days," Kelley said. "This merger is proper and appropriate for the 1990s and beyond." And James O'Dell, chairperson of Presbyterian's Board of Trustees, said both parties -- as well as the community -- will fare well in the merger. "It's good for Presbyterian," O'Dell said. "It's good for the University of Pennsylvania and its Health System. Most [importantly], it's good for the people of West Philadelphia and to the broader community." The merged hospital system will offer an increased focus on care for the elderly. The University and Presbyterian will form a joint venture company to own and manage nursing homes and to increase the number of beds available in the Philadelphia area. The merger will also consolidate many of the programs and services performed at the two hospitals, cutting costs and making the system more efficient, Kelley said. Some of the services rendered at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania will move to Presbyterian, and vice versa. The two hospitals -- which are among the busiest in the city, according to Snook -- have competed for patients in the past. But Snook said the merger ends any type of rivalry. "This a shaking of the hands that says 'No more competition, we're working cooperatively together,' " he added. City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, a member of Presbyterian's Board of Trustees, said she "never, never" expected a merger between the two hospitals. Blackwell added that she has seen a dramatic shift in the University's relationship with the local community with President Judith Rodin's administration. "Penn, since Dr. Rodin has come aboard has just been great in its community-outreach concerns," Blackwell said.
(04/24/95 9:00am)
Eight students were arrested early yesterday morning when University Police attempted to clear a crowd of about 3,000 people at Sansom Street's annual Spring Fling block party and a Delta Tau Delta fraternity party, according to University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich. Nearly 30 Philadelphia and University Police officers -- including University Police Chief George Clisby and Captain John Richardson -- began to break up both parties at about 1:30 a.m. The Sansom Street block party was located on Sansom Street from 39th to 40th streets, and the crowd spilled around the corner to the DTD party at 39th and Sansom streets. University Police Sergeant Tom Rambo said the arrested students were cited for crimes varying from disorderly conduct to fighting, dancing on cars and "aggressively refusing to leave the block." The eight students cited included former Undergraduate Assembly member Dan Schorr and Daily Pennsylvanian columnist Mike Nadel, sources said. Nadel refused to comment; Schorr was unavailable for comment. In addition to the arrests, Rambo said one student was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania after he fell on a broken bottle and injured his leg. Rambo added that to keep the Sansom Street Block Party from getting out of control, as it had in past years, University Police made an agreement with the houses on Sansom Street to stop playing music at 1:30 a.m. and to have partygoers begin filing out. However, DTD Vice President and College sophomore Jason Brenner said the DTD party was not connected with the block party and his fraternity not have an agreement with University Police to turn off the music at a set time. Kuprevich said two of the students who were arrested and cited for disorderly conduct are claiming University Police used an unreasonable level of force. Kuprevich also said the breakup of the parties was "handled extremely professionally" and these two were the only reports of unreasonable force made to University Police. But he added he would be meeting with the two students today to discuss the incident. He also said that the clearing of the parties was part of a series of actions taken by University Police to "maintain order" throughout Fling. Since Thursday night, University Police have responded to an average of 20 disturbance calls per night and taken about six students each day to HUP for alcohol treatment, according to Kuprevich. In addition, University Police also received a large number of noise complaints from neighborhood residents. Kuprevich added that considering the number of Fling events and large number of people involved, the level of University Police intervention was "really minimal."
(04/24/95 9:00am)
The words "Fuck niggers" were discovered scrawled on the wall of an elevator in High Rise South at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday night by first-year Social Work student Penny Alexander. According to Alexander, a Residential Advisor in the building, the letters "PAN" appeared underneath the ethnic slur. The phrases in question were erased by 11 p.m. last night. Alexander added that she has seen this type of graffiti in the HRS elevators since winter break, but only recently learned the meaning of "PAN" -- Penn Against Niggers -- from desk workers and security guards in the building. "It's frustrating that this is supposed to be a learning educational environment, and it's not safe at all," she said. "How are we supposed to learn where we get in an elevator and see racial slurs?" Alexander also said she plans to speak with Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone and Acting Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum about the graffiti this week. Second-year Social Work student Keri Raymond, who, like Alexander, is an African-American RA in High Rise South, said she is disturbed by the latest occurrence of elevator graffiti in the building and feels the community has been violated by whomever did the writing. University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich confirmed that University Police officers responded to a complaint about graffiti in an HRS elevator this weekend, adding that the incident could potentially be investigated as ethnic intimidation. To be considered ethnic intimidation, though, a base crime such as criminal mischief must have both verbal assault based on race, color, religion or national origin and a physical threat of some type, according to Victim Support and Special Services Director Maureen Rush. Cases of ethnic intimidation are investigated by the District Attorney's office, and a conflict resolution unit is brought in to work with the affected community, according to Kuprevich. Black Student League President Kendrick Cox, a Wharton junior, said last night he was away from campus this weekend, and as a result had not heard about the graffiti. But Cox added that he is confident the University will investigate this case and punish the perpetrator or perpetrators appropriately. "It's a sad case," he said. "I just wish that we could all live together?but things like this will happen." Daily Pennsylvanian staff writers Keith Huebsch and Jamie Phares contributed to this article.
(04/24/95 9:00am)
The faces of the children at Dixon House wavered from rapt attentiveness to broad smiles Wednesday afternoon as they watched a performance by Sparks Dance Company. As the dancers strutted and swiveled to C & C Music Factory's "Do You Wanna Get Funky?" the audience of six- to 12-year olds sang along and clapped to the music. When the music finally ended, College senior Lori Kessler issued a challenge to the students: "Okay, who can do the butterfly better than we can?" A few eager audience members jumped from their chairs to demonstrate their own versions of the difficult dance move. As a "community outreach dance troupe," the 14 women of Sparks agreed that their aim is to bring smiles to the faces of community members -- both young and old. Each spring, they put together a show of about 15 dances -- which they have choreographed themselves -- and take it on the road to hospitals, retirement communities and organizations such as Dixon House, an after-school program in South Philadelphia. Their dance numbers ranged in style from traditional ballets to more modern styles. The children watched in silence as dancers in filmy skirts performed a modern dance to Kate Bush's solemn "Women's Work," and then giggled as eerily-costumed performers presented their version of Michael Jackson's "Thriller." "The music and the styles of dance that we choose are chosen to please the audiences," Sparks President and Engineering senior Karen Oberthaler said. "Some, such as the tap numbers, please both younger and older audiences." The two tap dances included in Wednesday's show were 11-year-old Mia Carson's favorites. She said that watching Sparks has encouraged her to continue with the tap class in which she is currently enrolled. After the show, the dancers invited the students onto the floor with them and College sophomore Christine Tarr taught Carson a new step. Oberthaler said she thinks the performing arts are often overlooked as a means of community service. "At a lot of the places we perform, the people can't afford, or don't have the opportunity or are too sick to go to the theater," Oberthaler said. "There are few groups that will come to them, especially few that will come for free." Sparks also gives financial contributions to the organizations where they perform. At their spring show, "Dynamite," which played at Houston Hall on April 7 and 8, they raised more than $1,500 in contributions for Dixon House and the Ronald McDonald House.
(04/24/95 9:00am)
Spring Fling may have started Saturday on this year, but the party in Superblock began Friday afternoon. In celebration of the 25th anniversary of Earth Day, the Penn Environmental Group and the Social Planning and Events Committee held their fourth annual Earth Day concert. Bands Zex Sea and Mariner Nine opened the show, followed by the blues- and gospel-influenced rock of Joan Osbourn. Intermittent rain and cloudy skies did not deter the students who sat, stood or played hacky-sack and frisbee near the stage. Medical school student Dan Levy came with his wife and his six-and-a-half month old son Nicolas. "I'm a fan of Joan Osbourn," he said. "This is the third concert of her's I've seen." The bands were not chosen for their environmental views, although College sophomore Benjamin Hayflick, keyboardist for Zex Sea said that his group was "environmentally aware." Osbourn, who was scheduled to begin performing at approximately 4:30 p.m., arrived 40 minutes late. She began her set by urging everyone to "Plant a tree, recycle and buy fewer things." An acupressure therapist gave free Shiatsu message at the back of the field. The small crowd which gathered in Superblock swelled to almost 90 when Osbourn began to perform. The concert was the culmination of a week of Earth Day events. On Wednesday, Ann Rhodes, a speaker from the Morris Arboretum discussed "25 Years of Environmental Legislation and Danger." Thursday, nearly 20 University bikers and Philadelphia residents participated in the "critical-mass bike ride." "We biked through the city between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. to demonstrate alternative, clean methods of transportation," Wharton and Engineering freshman Peter Chowla said. "We got honked at a lot."
(04/24/95 9:00am)
The faces of the children at Dixon House wavered from rapt attentiveness to broad smiles Wednesday afternoon as they watched a performance by Sparks Dance Company. As the dancers strutted and swiveled to C & C Music Factory's "Do You Wanna Get Funky?" the audience of six- to 12-year olds sang along and clapped to the music. When the music finally ended, College senior Lori Kessler issued a challenge to the students: "Okay, who can do the butterfly better than we can?" A few eager audience members jumped from their chairs to demonstrate their own versions of the difficult dance move. As a "community outreach dance troupe," the 14 women of Sparks agreed that their aim is to bring smiles to the faces of community members -- both young and old. Each spring, they put together a show of about 15 dances -- which they have choreographed themselves -- and take it on the road to hospitals, retirement communities and organizations such as Dixon House, an after-school program in South Philadelphia. Their dance numbers ranged in style from traditional ballets to more modern styles. The children watched in silence as dancers in filmy skirts performed a modern dance to Kate Bush's solemn "Women's Work," and then giggled as eerily-costumed performers presented their version of Michael Jackson's "Thriller." "The music and the styles of dance that we choose are chosen to please the audiences," Sparks President and Engineering senior Karen Oberthaler said. "Some, such as the tap numbers, please both younger and older audiences." The two tap dances included in Wednesday's show were 11-year-old Mia Carson's favorites. She said that watching Sparks has encouraged her to continue with the tap class in which she is currently enrolled. After the show, the dancers invited the students onto the floor with them and College sophomore Christine Tarr taught Carson a new step. Oberthaler said she thinks the performing arts are often overlooked as a means of community service. "At a lot of the places we perform, the people can't afford, or don't have the opportunity or are too sick to go to the theater," Oberthaler said. "There are few groups that will come to them, especially few that will come for free." Sparks also gives financial contributions to the organizations where they perform. At their spring show, "Dynamite," which played at Houston Hall on April 7 and 8, they raised more than $1,500 in contributions for Dixon House and the Ronald McDonald House.
(04/24/95 9:00am)
As the semester winds down in Philadelphia, the pace of activity is quickening in Harrisburg, where members of the state legislature are deeply involved in the appropriations process for the 1996 fiscal year. During each of the past two years, the University has received about $35 million from the Commonwealth, according to Carol Scheman, vice president for government, community and public affairs. This year, though, the University has asked for $49.8 million in funding from the state, she said. The increase is primarily intended to help stabilize Veterinary School tuition for state residents, since the Vet School's high costs are forcing many qualified in-state candidates to obtain their education in animal medicine elsewhere. But with members of the General Assembly eager to balance the state budget and cater to their constituents' wishes, Scheman characterized continued funding for the University from Harrisburg as "far from certain." "I think there's enormous good will towards this University," she said. "There's also tremendous pressure on the budget." University President Judith Rodin agreed, explaining that the University -- as a "state-aided" institution -- can face concerted legislative opposition during the budgeting process. Some lawmakers feel that schools as rich as the University should not receive any state funding, and would prefer to eliminate the state-aided category from consideration, Rodin said. Others would rather allocate the available funds to Pennsylvania schools with a greater need than the University. "There is true anxiety at this time of the year, every year," Rodin said. "We think we've made a very strong case [for funding]." Still, Scheman said that because elected officials tend to cut funding for programs they feel are not necessary, student involvement is crucial to preserving the University's state appropriation. "I want to see an informed and active electorate on this campus," she said. "I stand ready to talk to any students who want to about the facts?This is a political issue that's on their pulse, it affects our lives." Money appropriated by the state is earmarked for the University's health professions programs -- specifically the Vet School, which is the only school of its kind in Pennsylvania -- and for the maintenance of a need-blind admissions policy, Scheman said. "At Penn, [need-blind admissions] means not only do we let students in on the basis of merit and not ability to pay, but second, we make it possible for every student who can get in to go here," she said. Part of the state appropriation provides direct scholarship aid for state residents studying at the University. Cutting-edge agribusiness research performed by Vet School faculty members is also supported by the state appropriation, Scheman said, adding that she thinks one of America's next Nobel Prize winners will come from the Vet School.
(04/24/95 9:00am)
The School of Arts and Science's tenure system has been the subject of a lot of recent debate. Students and faculty members were stunned when English Professor Gregg Camfield was denied tenure last month. Several weeks before that, Geology Professor George Boyajian was also refused a permanent position at the University by the School of Arts and Sciences Personnel Committee, despite his immense popularity among students. And in February, the SAS committee denied full professor status to Associate English Professor Vicki Mahaffey, who is also the Graduate Chair of the English department. In protest of this decision, more than 40 members of the University community joined together in a demonstration in front of Van Pelt Library. According to statistics provided by SAS Associate Dean Frank Warner, between the years 1980 and 1987, only 9 percent of 174 junior faculty members were turned down by the SAS Personnel Committee. Boyajian was voted down by the SAS committee despite unanimous support from his department, puzzling many observers of the tenure system. But College of Arts and Sciences Dean Robert Rescorla -- who has served on the Personnel Committee in the past -- said the rejection was not necessarily a mistake. "Unanimous support of the department is just one piece of information," he said. "And that's a very, very important piece of information. But you are there on the Personnel Committee to make your own judgement too. [Their input is] extremely important because they are the pros." There is a certain science to the seemingly mysterious tenure system. Assistant faculty are appointed on a seven-year track. They are reviewed in their third year for renewal, and again in their sixth year for tenure and promotion to associate professor. The tenured members of the professor's department constitute the first voting group that decides on the fate of these assistant professors. If this vote is positive, the candidate's dossier moves on the appropriate school's Personnel Committee, which is comprised of distinguished members of the faculty. Professors serve on this committee in three- or four-year shifts, in overlapping two-year terms. Rescorla said this is done in attempt to preserve continuity. If they approve the candidate, the case is transmitted to the dean, who reviews the dossier and takes it to the final step -- the Provost's Staff Conference -- which includes the provost, members of the provost's office and appropriate deans. While the dean has the right to challenge a negative vote by the Personnel Committee, SAS Dean Rosemary Stevens said she believes deans should have a "hands-off role in the stage of personnel determination." "My philosophy is not to override decisions of this committee," she said. "I think that they do a very good job and this is where the responsibility rests in the faculty for making judgements." If an assistant professor is denied tenure in his sixth year, his department has the opportunity to renominate him as a candidate for tenure in his seventh year. Otherwise, the seventh year is considered his last, after which the professor must leave the University. Of the 101 assistant professors appointed in the years 1980 to 1987 who were not granted tenure in their sixth year, 46 percent were promoted in their seventh year. According to Warner's statistics, 101 of the 174 assistant professors made it to their sixth or seventh year. Of these, 46 percent were promoted to a tenured position. Warner said there is "a lot of fuzz in the 'resigned' data." "It is impossible to know if someone left because of a more attractive offer elsewhere or because of anticipation of being turned down by the department," he said. Three criteria are considered in the evaluation of a candidate's dossier-- research, scholarship and service. Stevens said the University has made teaching "more important in tenure decisions at all levels." "An individual granted tenure has to have excellence in research and a base of a fine teaching record," she said. And Provost Stanley Chodorow said teaching "counts a good deal in the decisions." "We send back files that do not contain enough information or do not access the teaching performance of faculty," he said. Chodorow added that the quality of acceptable teaching can vary. "There is a range of acceptable performance in teaching, just as there is in passing grades in courses," he said. "We do not give tenure to bad teachers, but we also do not only give tenure to barnburner teachers." But while more attention is currently being paid to scholarship than in the past, Rescorla said he does not feel this should reduce the importance of research. "We are not going to a system -- nor do I think we should -- where teaching is the main criteria for tenure," he said. "I think institutions that have done this have gone downhill." Stevens said she views teaching and research as inseparable. "I see teaching and research as a whole," she said. "One is not a substitute for the other. I don't buy an argument that either you are a good teacher or a researcher. We have numerous professors at Penn who are wonderful at both." But Undergraduate Mathematics Chairperson Dennis DeTurck said research is the primary consideration at the University. "I don't think it's ever going to change and I think it's right," he said. DeTurck added that he knows teaching is considered too because he has been asked to give input on specific cases. He suggested that there be an explicit presence on behalf of teaching on the voting committees. "There is empirical evidence that we have people who care, but it might be a good idea to have a specific person looking out for it." Rescorla said he thinks the current system is good because it provides a good level of checks and balances. "You are going to make mistakes in any system," he said. "Our system is set up to avoid taking people who are not excellent. This sometimes means giving up someone who is." Rescorla added that he does not think a mistake was made in the decision to deny Camfield tenure. "It makes all of us sad when you have a superb teacher like Camfield and he doesn't make it," he said. "But you have to make sure he is an excellent scholar too." But many students have criticized the tenure system for not taking their opinions seriously in the decision. They feel their evaluations of a professor's teaching ability should carry more weight. And Camfield said he understands where they are coming from. "The student reaction to the SAS Personnel Committee's decisions on Mahaffey, Boyajian and me shows that students do not believe that student interests were really taken into account in the process," he said. "Student interests may very well have been taken into account, but since the result seems to suggest otherwise, the students are naturally skeptical; I don't blame them." Camfield added that the solution to this problem is to eliminate the secrecy of the process. "Call someone a witch in private [and] you don't have any responsibility for that denunciation," he said. "If you have to take responsibility in public for what you say, it's more likely to be substantive and based on good ideas. "If the system were open, if the medieval system of secrecy were surrendered to the democratic principle that any decision worth making can be made in the light of public scrutiny, then tenure decisions -- however painful -- would be accepted," he added. Camfield added that another flaw with the current system is that it is biased towards the negative, which he says discourages risk taking. "The way the system works, any negative component of your case can be enough to sink you," he said. He said this will lead to candidates going out of their way not to offend. "And if you are going to do intellectual work of any value, you have to be willing to challenge people," Camfield said. "If you are going to say something new it's going to step on the toes of some people who don't want to hear it." He added, though, that he is optimistic that University Judith Rodin and Chodorow will address these concerns and encourage change in the system. "The actions of the new president and provost show that they understand the value of open dialogue, that they recognize the need of the informed consent of those they govern here," he said. "They show remarkable openness as they formulate their plans for the university, so I am optimistic that they will seriously consider making democratic reforms in the tenure system." But Boyajian said he does not support the traditional tenure system, referring to it as an "imperfect system." "I think it's wrong that you perform for six years and you have a job for life," he said. "That's flawed. I think you should perform everyday." His suggestion for an alternative is to have 10-year tenure appointments for professors. "In that way you have no chance of being fired for a decade and a decade is a reasonable amount of time to pursue research that might not have immediate," Boyajian said. He added that the current process causes professors to burn out too easily. "The time you have to put in is ludicrous," he said. "Essentially, the amount of production they require warrants giving up a significant portion of your life. "I've heard more bitter junior faculty members or recently appointed associate professors than anyone else," Boyajian added. "Ultimately, dissatisfied employees is not something you want as employees." He also agreed with Camfield that secrecy is one of the downfalls of the current system. "Not knowing is a very difficult thing that also contributes to low morale among junior faculty," he said. Chodorow said the committees have to make certain predictions when they make their decision. "In the long run, good teachers are invariably engaged scholars or scientists, and therefore one of the ways we can judge the long-term promise of good teachers is by an educated guess based on the principle that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior," he said. "The tenure decision is about the future, not the past. The faculty to whom we give tenure will be here long enough to teach your children. It's a serious decision."
(04/24/95 9:00am)
It was all in the cards. Or at least in the tarot cards. In the midst of sunshine, blaring music and Spring Fling bedlam, about 30 Flingers waited to have their cards read by the three professional soothsayers stationed in the Upper Quadrangle. As each person wandered away from the fortune tellers, they rushed to friends and gushed out their predicted futures. But why did they do it? "I'm pretty willing to believe anything now for the future," said College freshman Jay Weintraub, summing up the crowd's general feeling. And according to one of the soothsayers, who only identified herself as "Rande," a little belief is all that is required to receive guidance from psychic sources. Looking fairly ordinary in her blue jeans and jean jacket, Rande said she learned how to read cards through books and colleagues. But she attributes her true ability to an intangible feeling, the "X-factor." "Well the [intuitive] factor is the X-factor," she said. "What there's no words for but there is a knowing you don't have to know but you know." But that inexplicable feeling is not unique to fortune tellers. Everyone has the ability to draw from psychic sources, but like a muscle, if the ability is not used, it is weak, Rande said. So, between her job with the Psychic Entertainment company, and her three others as an actress, a make-up artist and a bartender and waitress at the Catfish Cafe at 40th Street and Ridge Avenue, she exercises her "X-factor" through tarot cards, astrology and I-Ching -- an ancient Chinese book of changes. The fortune teller described her business as a puzzle. Each card means something and each series of cards creates a different story. College freshman David Slarskey said the future Rande predicted was applicable to his life. Nevertheless, as all readers are humans and have human faults, Rande said the truth in the cards is sometimes beyond human comprehension. "You just have to take everything with a grain of salt," she said. "And if it works for you, you take it, and if it doesn't, let it go." Although she does use occult tools, Rande depends on them as much as she relies on more common influences like common sense, intelligence and knowledge. And what did her common sense tell her about Fling? "I think it's too commercial," she said. "I felt like I was bombarded by commercials. It was like being in a television set. "But it's a great idea," she added. While Rande felt like she was in a television set, Wharton junior Dan So said he felt like he was the viewer. "Not being a drinker that makes it kind of like watching TV," he said. "Locust Walk was kind of like Woodstock without the mud -- just a bunch of people running around." College freshman Sudha Jayaraman said the concerts really brought her into the Fling spirit. "I like the Lidds because people were all standing there in the rain just dancing," she said. "It was just pure excitement and just fun. Fling is, like, the best." But Wharton freshman Seth Charnow had a different opinion. "A guy pissed on my door," he said. "I walk down the hallway and I turn the door and there was a guy pissing on my door. And I was like, 'What are you doing?' and he said, 'It's all cool.' And there was a big puddle of urine around my door which didn't make my roommate too happy."
(04/21/95 9:00am)
Pennsylvania Liquor Control Enforcement officers issued a total of 32 citations to underage drinkers during raids of area bars early Wednesday morning, according to Sergeant John Lyle, district office commander of the LCE for Philadelphia. At the Palladium Restaurant and Bar, located at 36th Street and Locust Walk, 14 minors were issued citations for drinking, Lyle said yesterday. Fourteen citations were also issued by LCE officers at the Blarney Stone, at 39th and Sansom streets. At Cavanaugh's Restaurant, located at 39th and Sansom streets, two citations were issued. And one underage drinking citation was issued at Walsh's Tavern, at 43rd and Walnut streets, in addition to one citation for possessing false identification. Those who were issued citations may receive a fine of up to $300, based on a sliding scale applied by the Pennsylvania court system, Lyle said, adding that he has no way of knowing how much each person will eventually be fined. The raided establishments may also be fined, Lyle said. He said the process by which bars are charged is handled by the Office of the Administrative Law Judge of the Liquor Control Board. But Lyle said that to the best of his knowledge, the LCB charges establishments without regard to the number of citations issued during a raid. The LCB's Office of the Administrative Law Judge could not be reached for comment last night. Owners of the bars raided Wednesday morning said they did not know what the consequences of the LCE operation would be. "They don't really tell you what's going to happen," Cavanaugh's owner Bill Pawliczeck said. "You have to wait for a letter in the mail." Pawliczeck added that he thought no Cavanaugh's patrons were underage at the time the LCE arrived. "I know [the LCE] checked the cards of the people here, but I don't know how many were underage -- if any," he said. "To the best of our knowledge, there wasn't anyone here who wasn't 21." Palladium co-owner Roger Harman said he also did not know if any charges would be levied against his establishment. But he said the LCE officers had indicated to the Palladium's night manager Wednesday morning that the bar was not to blame for the citations. "[The night manager] spoke to the LCE and they said their main concern was not so much us as it was the IDs that students were carrying," Harman said. "They verified that we were very thorough in checking IDs and that we had a blacklight and that we keep a file of problem IDs." Wednesday morning's raids were the second major operation the LCE has conducted on and around campus since the year began. On January 28, LCE officers raided Murphy's Tavern at 43rd and Spruce streets, issuing citations to 63 underage drinkers. The LCB brought charges against Murphy's for serving alcohol to minors. The final outcome of the case has yet to be determined.
(04/21/95 9:00am)
As of Monday, students trying to get to the airport will have another option over just cabbing it or taking an airport shuttle. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's new $9 million University City Rail Station -- located next to Franklin Field at South Street and Convention Avenue -- will provide direct train access to the airport in addition to area suburbs. To celebrate the opening of the station, SEPTA has planned a week of festivities, including performances by University groups Chord on Blues, Penny Loafers, Penn Dance and Quaker Notes. The city will hold an official dedication ceremony next Friday, with Mayor Edward Rendell, Councilwomen Jannie Blackwell and Happy Fernandez and SEPTA General Manager Louis Gambaccini on hand to cut the ribbon. According to SEPTA Manager of Communications Peter Hanlon, the trip to the airport will take approximately 16 minutes and will cost $5. During peak hours, four trains are scheduled to operate each hour, he added. The station is a state of the art, bi-level structure consisting of a mezzanine and a platform. It has a spacious design with skylights, a glass-enclosed lobby and is wheelchair accessible. "We tried to make the station as wide open with as much light as possible," a SEPTA spokesperson said. Director of Engineering and Construction Zia Khan said the long-delayed station has been under construction for two years. The aim of the new station is to "connect the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel [University], the hospital and other businesses to the SEPTA system," he said. The station will serve the R1 Airport line, the R2 Marcus Hook-Wilmington/Warminster line and the R3 Media-Elwyn/West Trenton line.
