Search Results
Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.
(04/18/95 9:00am)
Two University professors have formed a highly controversial support group for parents who feel they have been falsely accused of sexual abuse When Frank Kane read the letter from his daughter Mara accusing him of sexually abusing her when she was two and a half years old, he could barely speak. Positive that he had never committed any of the crimes his daughter had alleged he had, Kane struggled to find some explanation for why Mara, who was 25 at the time, would make such claims. The same day, he contacted a social worker he knew, but was too distraught to read the letter aloud. Kane had never experienced what he calls such a "shock to the system." "I couldn't even carry on a normal conversation," Kane said. "You could have asked me if I wanted milk and I would have started crying." Two years later, Mara retracted her accusations, realizing that during hypnosis she had retrieved false memories. When Mara confronted her father, the notion that memories of abuse might be confabulated was not a common one. But in March 1992, a year after Kane received the letter from his daughter, Mathematics Professor Peter Freyd and his wife Pamela, who has lectured at the Graduate School of Education, founded the False Memory Syndrome Foundation. Pamela is now the Foundation's Executive Director. The Freyds' daughter, a University graduate, had also accused her father of sexual abuse. The Freyds then enlisted the help of several professionals, some of whom are at the University, and other affected families to form the Foundation, the first of its kind. Introducing the term "false memory syndrome," the Foundation defines it as "a condition in which a person's identity and interpersonal relationships are centered around a memory of traumatic experience which is objectively false but in which the person strongly believes." The syndrome, according to a Foundation pamphlet, is especially dangerous because the memory is so "deeply ingrained that it orients the individual's entire personality and lifestyle." In addition, the person often refuses to acknowledge any information that challenges the memory. Most of the people making the accusations are adults who claim that the abuse happened at least 10 years ago. While Pamela Freyd emphasized that the Foundation does not deny that child abuse occurs, she said the Foundation hopes to prevent future false accusations by educating the public about the syndrome. Because so many people are affected when a family member accuses another of sexual abuse -- the Foundation estimates between 40 and 90 people per report of incest -- the Foundation provides a range of services. More than 14,000 families have contacted the Foundation with varying concerns. For example, parents who want advice about how to reach out to their accusing adult child or children often call the Foundation. And children who realized they have falsely accused their parents of abuse go to the Foundation for advice as well. And, acting as a national headquarters for accused parents, the Foundation puts troubled families who live in the same vicinity in touch with each other for additional support. The Foundation also directs therapists who cannot determine whether their patients' memories are true to more highly trained professional help, and directs families that want to file lawsuits to potential lawyers. But, Freyd cautioned, the Foundation does not take an official stance on any individual case. "We don't encourage lawsuits or discourage lawsuits," she said. "We just track what's going on." The Foundation also conducted a survey of 1,000 families that contacted the Foundation to determine any patterns in the type of family producing a child with false memory syndrome. The results have not been fully analyzed yet. The Foundation, however, does have some preliminary data based on 14,000 reports it has received as of October 1994. According to a Foundation pamphlet, 92 percent of accusers are female and 74 percent are between 31 and 50 years old. Sixty-two percent of the adults say their fathers abused them and their mothers are in denial. While little is known scientifically about the syndrome or its causes, Freyd said therapists are often to blame. Many people visit therapists when they are emotionally unstable and trust that the therapist will provide guidance. If a therapist suggests that a patient shows symptoms of past abuse, Freyd said, the patient often accepts this diagnosis without hesitation. "It's a very powerful suggestion," Freyd said. "When the patient says 'I don't remember' and the therapist says that it is very common not to remember abuse, then it seems reasonable to the patient. The therapist will often say, 'If you really want to get better you have to find your memories.' For someone who wants to get better, that person is going to work very hard." Therapists commonly use hypnosis to help patients retrieve forgotten memories, claiming that patients would not remember something so traumatic if it did not happen. But psychologists and psychiatrists nationwide have voiced serious doubts about the validity of memories recovered through hypnosis. According to the American Medical Association, the memories can reflect "an emotional reality" but are not "necessarily historically accurate." Even more worrisome to some experts is the fact that subjects under hypnosis are more susceptible to leading questions, making it possible for a therapist to influence what a patient considers the truth, producing a memory when none existed. In addition, the AMA reported, hypnosis can "increase errors while also increasing confidence." But according to New York University Psychology Professor Judie Alpert, who says she is skeptical about the number of truly false cases the Foundation has tracked, people should not automatically blame therapists. When people undergo a traumatic experience they often mentally "dissociate" themselves from the situation, losing any recall of the event, she said. Children who are abused by their parents use dissociation to cope with the horror. Many children who were abused then abuse their own children, Alpert said, and dissociate themselves from the act. These parents, many of whom Alpert said may have contacted the Foundation, can become convinced that they are innocent. When deciding how to respond after a person accuses someone of sexual abuse, Freyd said it is important to first look for additional evidence. "When there is no evidence it doesn't mean the abuse isn't possible," Freyd said. "What it means is that you don't destroy a family for something that might be possible." For Alpert, part of the responsibility of curtailing false accusations must therefore lie with the patient. It is virtually impossible to monitor therapists, Alpert added, so patients must make sure that they are seeing trained psychologists or psychiatrists. Within the past few years, the issue of false memory syndrome and repressed memories has exploded in the public arena. Most major bookstores house shelves of self-help books that provide long lists of symptoms suggesting repressed memories of child abuse, including self-hate and an inability to trust intuition. Several celebrities, including Roseanne Arnold, have brought more attention to the issue by coming forward and describing their repressed memories. Even the popular prime-time soap opera Melrose Place has caught on, depicting the character Allison as suddenly remembering her father's abuse while embracing him on her wedding day. Kane's daughter Mara said in a recent PBS documentary, Divided Memories, that because she saw so many people who suffered from repressed memories, the idea that she did also became even more plausible. The issue of repressed memories has also filtered into the legal sphere. The False Memory Syndrome Foundation is currently tracking more than 800 lawsuits regarding recovered memories -- many of which involve parents who are suing therapists. For example, last year in Napa Valley, California, a court awarded $500,000 to Gary Ramona, who sued his daughter's two therapists. But for families in which a child retracts the accusations, problems do not end with a lawsuit. According to Emeritus Psychiatry Professor Harold Lief, who serves on the Foundation's Advisory Board and has counselled several families with retractors, families never return to the way they were. In some cases, the bond between relatives can often grow stronger, but other families lose all contact with the retractor, unable to recover from the pain they experienced. Lief meets with the parents and the child separately, helping them sort out their emotions, and then encourages them to discuss together what they have learned. But both sides usually undergo the process guardedly. "The retractor is very cautious because of fear of rejection," Lief said. "She feels guilty for inflicting pain on her family members. She wonders, is she doing the right thing? There is a feeling of safety mixed with terror." Parents also find the process emotionally trying. Many become hypersensitive to signs that the child has not fully recovered and have trouble approaching the retractor. When Kane's daughter retracted, he said he felt as if the "weight of the world" was lifted off his shoulders. "She gave me an Easter card asking for forgiveness," said Kane, who has since joined the Foundation. "It's my prized possession."
(04/18/95 9:00am)
The University is continuing with plans to develop and build the Institute of Advanced Science and Technology, despite concerns from students and alumni who feel numerous campus buildings are at risk. Although plans only call for the destruction of Smith Hall, some feel that other buildings -- including ones with historical value -- could be affected. But according to Vice Provost for Research Barry Cooperman, such concerns are unfounded. Some students have also suggested that the historical and environmental problems involved with the construction of the IAST may be more serious than administrators have admitted. The Environmental Impact Statement released last month advocates the destruction of Smith Hall to make room for the IAST, a project that has been discussed by the University and the U.S. Air Force for over four years. But 1993 College graduate Jonathan Goldstein said because no blueprints have been released for the renovation of the Music and Morgan buildings, as well as Hayden Hall, they could be adversely affected by the move. In the long run, Goldstein added, those buildings could be demolished as well. Cooperman denied this claim, saying the "only building scheduled for demolition is Smith Hall." But according to Goldstein, even if Smith Hall is the only building destroyed, the entire campus area is still affected. "If you destroy Smith, you are changing everything," Goldstein said, adding that other buildings, such as Irvine Auditorium, the Fisher Fine Arts Library, College Hall and Meyerson Hall, would be "encroached on" by tearing down Smith Hall. "My concern is that once again the University is running roughshod over its historic heritage," he said. "You don't go blowing up a bunch of old buildings because you need the space." Other students voiced similar sentiments, saying that the University's distinctive architectural style would not be preserved with the IAST's construction. "The new administration, in its plans for reforming undergraduate education, has been touting the institutional distinctiveness of Penn," College senior John Leibovitz said. "I think it would be a shame to ignore the architectural distinctiveness of Penn by going through with that plan." Cooperman said only the Morgan and Music buildings, along with Hayden Hall, are slated for renovations. And even with these changes to Smith Walk, the area will maintain its historical integrity, he added. "Every attempt is going to be made to preserve the area," he said. "Building a new building does change things but we will make the new building harmonize with what's there." Cooperman said the IAST construction will create a juxtaposition of new styles with old. "A new building today will one day become an old building," he said. "It'll be an example of late-20th century architecture." Another concern involves the new building's focus on research which may create even more hazardous waste, Goldstein said. But Cooperman said the IAST will house activities and research similar to those done in the other science buildings on campus. And he added that the University has a system to ensure proper waste removal. Goldstein and Leibovitz both said they wished the administrators involved in the decision had looked more carefully into other possible IAST sites, such as the parking lot of the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter located at 33rd and Walnut Streets. In addition, Goldstein said the parking lot at 36th and Walnut streets -- the former Revlon Center site -- provides another option worth considering. But Cooperman said such alternatives were discussed thoroughly and abandoned for a variety of reasons.
(04/18/95 9:00am)
A student group decided to bare the naked truth on College Green yesterday. Literally. In a demonstration in favor of nudity as a form of expression, four members of the Naturist Student Association stripped in front of the Peace Symbol. Speaking in front of television cameras and in the buff, Association President and third-year Law Student Gons Nachman, explained the Naturist platform. "Nudity does not have to be sexual. It is very positive, very wholesome, and very natural," he said. "We feel a strong connection to our planet and to other creatures that were born naked like ourselves. "We also enjoy a certain amount of freedom from embarrassment -- from having to worry about our looks without shame," he added. Although many members of the organization chose not to bare it all for the public yesterday, Nachman said the demonstration was necessary to correct the myths that nude exhibitions create a public disturbance. "After a while, people just went about their business on the Green," Nachman said. And indeed, student reaction -- or the lack of reaction -- to the Naturists' exposition seemed to support Nachman's claim. While Nachman stood with his unclothed counterparts, and fully clothed Naturists handed out literature, the majority of students and passers-by dedicated no more than a puzzled glance at the exposed bodies. But amidst this nonchalance, one individual made his condemnation of public nudity obvious to Nachman. About 50 posters publicizing the event were torn down yesterday morning, he said. Nachman also said he received a nasty message on his answering machine last night. "He said we were knuckleheads and should have nailed [the posters] to the foreheads of children," Nachman said. The two incidents were especially disturbing to the Naturists, who harbor the motto, "Be natural, be rational, be nude, be free." "We have never ever had anyone approach us and express any anger," Nachman said. "I'm sure it's someone who works for the University and I was disappointed because we were the target of censorship." Nachman added that the references to posters in the message he received lead him to attribute both incidents to the same person.
(04/18/95 9:00am)
More rejection letters -- that's the trend in Ivy League admissions this year as several schools hit all-time lows in their applicant acceptance rates. Harvard University, which received a record number of applications -- 17,700 -- accepted only 2,124 -- its lowest acceptance rate ever, barely more than 10 percent. And Brown University's acceptance rate was 20 percent-- four percent lower than last year. It also received an all-time high of applications this year. Princeton University accepted 2,010 students, which amounts to the same 14 percent acceptance rate as last year. Yale University accepted 2,400 of its 12,617 applicants, also consistent with last year's numbers. Dartmouth College reported that it was "more selective" than last year in accepting 2,163 of its applicants. Columbia University accepted 22.7 percent of those who applied -- down from 24.6 percent last year. The process was more competitive and selective than in past years, according to Columbia admissions spokespersons. And Cornell University accepted 33 percent of its 20,578 applicants -- the same rate as last year. The University had one of its most selective years ever with a 33 percent acceptance rate. Admissions Dean Lee Stetson said last night that the University's large class size makes it harder to move the admission rate down. "We made major progress this year both in admit rate and quality of the entering class," he said. "We must reach the point where we don't compare ourselves to the other Ivies." Stetson added that the University has improved its selectivity greatly over the last few years, pointing out that two years ago the acceptance rate was over 40 percent. "We turned away this year the same number of students that we had applications from five years ago," he said. Stetson added that through talking with rejected students, his department has learned that they have turned down a higher caliber student than in the past. "Based on the responses, it is clear that we have turned away students who have very strong alternative opportunities," he said. Stetson said he is confident the University will be able to enroll students who were accepted to other Ivy League schools. "My sense is that we will do well against the other selective schools," she said. "It will be interesting to see how many we enroll." He added that as the University continues to lower its class size, the admission rate will decrease.
(04/17/95 9:00am)
When University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich came to the University, he was given a daunting task: To make the University community secure. Kuprevich knew when he came to University City -- located in one of the higher-crime sections of the fifth-largest American city -- he would have to be innovative. Friday, after four years at the University, Kuprevich announced that he had completed all he wanted to accomplish and that he would be stepping down as police commissioner at the end of July. As to whether he was successful in creating a secure community, the jury is still out. Although Kuprevich has repeatedly said that campus crime is down, his statistics have remained controversial. On October 31, 1994, The Daily Pennsylvanian reported that from September 15, 1992 to September 15, 1993, robberies and attempted robberies increased 32 percent, robberies with firearms increased 52 percent, aggravated assaults increased 16 percent and simple assaults 15 percent. In addition, increases were reported in rapes, aggravated assaults with firearms, weapons offenses, kidnappings, aggravated indecent assaults, arson, auto thefts and purse snatches . Meanwhile, homicides, burglaries and thefts decreased. At the time, Kuprevich said, "all I can really tell you is that looking from one year to the next there are a tremendous amount of variables that can account for increases and decreases." To his credit, Kuprevich oversaw the doubling of the police force, the institution of bike patrols, the creation of two police mini-stations and the drafting of a master plan for campus security. But University Police officers often complained that the department was ineffectively managed. On October 26, 1993, the DP reported that only two of the department's fleet of vehicles were operational due to lack of maintenance. Two days later, University Police responded to the situation by purchasing three new patrol cars. On October 6, 1994, University Fraternal Order of Police President Dave Ball complained of poor radio equipment that he believed placed the officers at risk. Ball also complained that unlike most police agencies operating in Philadelphia, University Police did not carry semi-automatic pistols. Ball said that he hoped that progress would be made with equipment issues. However, the officers did gain some concessions. University Police bought a paddy wagon last year, despite complaints from Kuprevich that it would do nothing to improve safety in the area. In addition, all officers now have state-of-the-art radios that scan Philadelphia Police frequencies to aid the officers in their police work. But semi-automatic guns have yet to be purchased, and do not appear to be in any future plans. Officers also decried Kuprevich's actions against Officer John Washington for striking a student in the upper thigh with a mini-baton during the confiscation of 14,000 copies of the DP in April 1993. Washington was suspended, and his record marked. Last January, however, arbiter Thomas DiLauro of the American Arbitration Association found Washington "acted in an extremely professional manner." Several times, Kuprevich was accused by officers of having a poor rapport with the rank and file and lowering morale. Many officers have said this was due to broken promises. When Kuprevich became commissioner, he told the officers that he wanted to construct a new police station at 40th and Walnut and that the department would be an elite force. Four years later, the officers are still working out of a former parish house at 3914 Locust Walk, although the station has been renovated recently. However, Kuprevich is not to blame for many of these unfulfilled commitments. Rather, the almost constant turnover in the Executive Vice President's Office -- which oversees the Department of Public Safety -- during the past four years and a lack of commitment on the part of previous administrations, often meant Kuprevich's projects were ignored or under funded. Under the new administration of Judith Rodin, the past trend of University inaction has been reversed. Last week, the University announced that it would construct five security kiosks around campus. The architectural drawings -- released by Kuprevich -- dated from 1992. In addition, the dispatch area was only recently expanded from its former cramped room about the size of a Quadrangle double.
(04/17/95 9:00am)
No judicial hearings held Undergraduates accounted for more than 98 percent of violations of University policies during the fall semester, according to statistics recently released by the Student Dispute Resolution Center. The Judicial Inquiry Officer, working inside the SDRC, handles complaints made by students, faculty and staff against University students for violating the Codes of Student Conduct or Academic Integrity. Of the 119 charges last term, 117 were against undergraduates, while only two were filed against graduate students. Most of these charges were dismissed after an investigation or settled by an agreement. None of the incidents required a hearing -- which, according to JIO Steven Blum, is the way it should be. "We try to reach a resolution by agreement whenever possible," he said. Most of the 119 cases were violations of the Code of Student Conduct. There were 21 cases of disorderly conduct, 17 reports of assault, 14 charges of attempted theft, 13 charges of vandalism and 11 cases of alcohol violations. There were only two reports of cheating and one violation of the Sexual Harassment Policy that were reported to the JIO. According to Blum, after the JIO receives a complaint against a student, it investigates the matter and tries to reach a settlement. It is only if both parties fail to reach an agreement or if the accused pleads innocent that a hearing is arranged. After the hearing or resolution, a sanction is given to the student. Blum said there were four purposes to the sanction: to insure the student will not make the same mistake again, to attempt to reconcile the student and any injured party, to insure that the charges are consistent with prior cases and to help the student learn and grow from the experience. "The sanction should fit the kid," he said. "We try to move the student along in his or her development." Blum said the reason for the difference between reports against graduates and undergraduates is that not every graduate school is under the JIO system. For example, the Law and Medical Schools handle the charges within their own jurisdiction. But Blum admitted that the undergraduates seemed to violate University policies more frequently. "We simply get more reports of alleged undergraduate misconduct," he said.
(04/17/95 9:00am)
Annenberg School for Communications Dean Kathleen Jamieson is devoting April to promoting her newly published book, Beyond the Double Bind, which discusses issues in the feminist movement by synthesizing various academic theories and the overall history of the movement. Recently praised in The New York Times Book Review, the book encourages women to continue fighting for equality, citing recent court cases and female political leaders as inspiration. "She makes you want to get in there, on either side of a big, interesting war with lots at stake -- a war intelligent people should find worth fighting," the Times review stated. The book comes in response to Susan Faludi's best seller, Backlash, Jamieson said. "I was alarmed when I read the book," she said. In Jamieson's opinion, Faludi presented a negative forecast for the battle against sex discrimination by focusing on only one side of the issue. "We have surmounted the double binds and are dealing with the residue of those binds," she said. "The book offers solutions on how to deal with that residue." Jamieson also documents the obstacles women face in politics and business. She devotes an entire chapter to Hillary Rodham Clinton. The Book Review praised her for her textual analysis and writing style. "Ms. Jamieson's real talent is for ripping the pants of emperors and apparatchiks without regard to party line," the review stated. In the past week, Jamieson gave several book signings in Chicago and Minneapolis and spoke to University of Chicago students about the book and the feminist movement. Later this year, she will speak about her book at the National Women's Political Caucus, a nonpartisan meeting of prominent public women. "Women ought to be optimistic about their future and vigilant on protecting their rights," Jamieson said. While on her book tour, Jamieson is trying to balance her traveling schedule with her responsibilities as dean. Her deanship is currently being reviewed for a recommendation of reappointment. The committee has "filed the report and turned it in to the President's Office but I haven't seen the report yet," Jamieson said.
(04/17/95 9:00am)
Black student protesters are continuing their sit-in at the Weekly DePaulia, the DePaul University student newspaper, in response to an article the paper published in February which the protesters believe was racially offensive. Although DePaul officials have offered to increase recruiting of minority faculty and students, members of the Coalition for Concerned Black Students said they will not end the sit-in until they receive an apology from the newspaper, which is funded by the university. The article at the center of the controversy quoted a police report about a fight that happened at dance sponsored by House Call, an African-American student organization. The report referred to male African-Americans as "M-B's" which the protesters say perpetuates a negative stereotype of blacks. But Weekly Depaulia Editor-in-Chief Zack Martin said House Call did not respond when asked to comment on the fight. The paper did print all of the letters written in response to the article, Martin added. Student protesters have met with administrators several times this past week. The protesters have asked that the paper's student editor be fired but administrators said they would not consider it. The Weekly DePaulia will soon resume operations at another location, DePaul administrators said in a statement. This is not the first incident of this kind to receive national attention. In April 1993, 14,000 copies of The Daily Pennsylvanian were stolen from distribution points by students calling themselves the "Black Community." The theft was in response to pieces written by then-DP columnist Gregory Pavlik, which the protesters viewed as being racist. The destruction or theft of newspapers by students is not uncommon. Twenty-four such incidents have occurred so far this year and 38 cases occurred in 1993-94, according to the Student Press Law Center. Two years ago, the student newspaper of Northern Illinois University was stolen by students protesting the paper's coverage of the Rodney King Trial. But not all newspaper thefts involve racial issues. Last fall, a student at Briar Cliff College in Iowa stole copies of the student newspaper because he did not want other students to know he was involved in a traffic accident. The Chicago Tribune and The Washington Times contributed to this article.
(04/17/95 9:00am)
Gina Grant, the honor student whose early admission to Harvard University was revoked April 3 after school officials learned she had killed her mother, has also been admitted to Columbia University, The New York Times reported Saturday. According to Admissions Dean Lee Stetson, Grant did not apply to the University. But Stetson said last night he thinks her case -- in addition to that of Yale University senior Lon Grammer, who was expelled last week for falsifying significant parts of his application -- will impact future Ivy League admissions policies. Stetson said that as students feel increased pressure to apply to top-echelon colleges and universities there may be more cases of like these in the future. Grant was the subject of an April 2 article in The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine about the resilience of young adults who have overcome severe adversity while growing up. Raised in South Carolina, Grant moved to Massachusetts in 1991, when she became an orphan at the age of 14, the Globe reported. She now lives alone on income from a family trust fund. Grant's father died of cancer when she was 11, and she told Maria Karagianis -- the free-lance writer of the Globe story -- that her mother's death was too painful to discuss. But following the article's publication, both Harvard and the Globe received anonymously mailed clips of South Carolina newspaper stories that ran during Grant's trial and after her conviction. The stories detail a gruesome crime -- that of Grant bludgeoning her mother, Dorothy Mayfield, to death with a lead crystal candleholder, and then stabbing Mayfield in the neck to make her death look like suicide. Grant ascribed her actions to years of verbal and physical abuse by her alcoholic parents. Ultimately, she "pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter," according to the Globe, and served six months in a juvenile detention facility. The Harvard Crimson reported last week that during Grant's interview with a Harvard alumnus, she allegedly said her mother had died in a car accident. Harvard rescinded its offer of admission to Grant because of this lie -- a decision Harvard Law Professors Charles Ogletree and Alan Dershowitz have decried because they contend it was made hastily. But Grant's attorney, Margaret Burnham, claims Harvard "intentionally leaked information" about her client's circumstances, The Crimson stated. Burnham has also challenged Harvard's action because the application question regarding disclosure of a student's background is vaguely worded and could be interpreted to include only incidents of academic dishonesty. Stetson said staff members in the University's Admissions Office "do our best to validate every application" by requiring original transcripts and recommendations from a student's secondary school and test score reports directly from the testing agency. But he admitted that the admissions process is "based on an honor system to some extent," especially when it comes to plagiarism-prone essays. Stetson estimated that the University encounters four to six cases of dishonesty from applicants -- out of 15,000 applications -- in an average admissions cycle. He also said while he believes the University is not permitted by law to ask applicants about crimes they may have committed as juveniles, he "would expect that students would inform us where appropriate."
(04/17/95 9:00am)
In a dizzying swirl of oranges, pinks and reds, members of the University's South Asia Society danced and sang in celebration of spring Friday night. The performance was organized by the South Asia Society to celebrate "Holi," the Hindu festival of spring, which the show's program described as the "Mardi Gras" of Indian culture. An enthusiastic crowd of nearly 1,000 friends and relatives showed up to cheer on the performers in a packed Zellerbach Theatre. At the start of the show, the first Master of Ceremonies, College senior Sunil Budhrani, urged the crowd to "get pumped." And, the audience responded. The show mixed in slower, traditional dances with more modern pieces that energized the audience. The first segment of the program was a repeat of the South Asia Society fashion show at the United Minorities Council annual Celebration of Culture on April 8. After a brief interlude to introduce next year's South Asia Society officers, the show continued with several vocal arrangements -- performed by College sophomore Azhar Iqbal and College freshman Swathi Kappagantula, accompanied by a tabla drum. The evening continued with a comical dance routine performed to the song "Amma Dekh." The energetic performance featured six male sophomores -- half of whom were dressed as women. Wharton and Engineering sophomore Amit Patel, a member of the "Amma Dekh" group, said the decision to cross-dress was actually made in desperation. "After we had chosen the song we wanted to do, we said 'Oh, wait a minute. We don't have any girls,' " he said. Several other performances had the crowd clapping along in rhythm, and the show ended with a group of eight seniors giving a rousing dance performance to the song "Humma" from the new movie Bombay. Wharton senior Lynn Patel was one of the stars of the night, performing both solo in the opening act, and as a member of the "Humma" group to close out the show. Patel, who has been dancing for more than 10 years, has been performing for the South Asia Society since the first semester of her freshman year. "I've always been the opening act because the type of dancing I do is an invocation dance -- blessing the stage for the other performers," she said. "It's a pure classical form, and you need to get formal training in order to dance it." According to College junior Mika Rao, president of the South Asia Society, there were no auditions for the performances. "We try to let as many groups perform as are interested," Rao said. "The only requirement is that they must be a South Asia Society member." This was the third year that the South Asia Society put on a Holi festival, and according to Rao, the celebration has grown dramatically each year. "We are getting a reputation for having good shows," she said. "We are also growing in size as an organization." Rao added that the actual festival was held nearly a month ago in India, but that the South Asia Society celebration was delayed because of scheduling problems.
(04/17/95 9:00am)
The real world is crashing in on many college students today. People across the country will be dashing to their local post offices to send away their tax forms to the Internal Revenue Service. And to their chagrin, many students are discovering that as young adults, they are not excluded from this yearly ritual. College and Engineering senior Amon Seagull said he filed his taxes last week. "It's something I definitely didn't want to do," Seagull said. "I was glad I hadn't waited longer." College senior Eric Stock also sent away his tax forms last week. He added that has mixed feelings about the IRS getting becoming more strict with their auditing. "The best thing about finishing was realizing you don't owe any more money," Stock said. "Too many people cheat on their taxes. It's okay, as long as they don't audit me." Stock also said that even though the IRS has changed the forms to make them easier, he has not seen much of a difference. And when asked if he had a party to celebrate paying his taxes -- as did many tax filers nationwide this year -- he responded that taxes are not something that puts him in the partying mood. "Anything with taxes doesn't really excite me," Stock added. College freshman Emiko Yohimatsu said that most taxes are taken out of her paycheck. She added that she is not worried about getting a refund because it would be miniscule. "It's not much of a problem," Yohimatsu said. "I don't have to write a check. If I were to get a refund it would be for about $5, so I don't ask for a refund." Engineering sophomore Ryan Crowell summed up a common observation about taxes. "Taxes are a necessary evil," he said. But some students are still sheltered from the bane of IRS forms. Several students interviewed said their parents filled out their taxes, so they really had no first-hand dealings with tax forms.
(04/17/95 9:00am)
The study of the Holocaust at the university level is increasingly becoming more than a blurb on a page of a Modern European History textbook. But the question of how best to approach this emotional topic in more depth has sparked debate among academics. According to a recent New York Times article, there are two primary opposing views on teaching the Holocaust: while some universities have considered endowing their own Holocaust chairs or hiring independently funded professors to teach Holocaust courses, others have moved to integrate the Holocaust into a broader European history curriculum. A few colleges and universities have also included the study of the Holocaust in their respective Jewish Studies departments. Undergraduate English Chairperson Alan Filreis teaches a Holocaust-related course at the University. The class, "The Literature of the Holocaust," is instructed "in such a way that the very issue of how one teaches the Holocaust is itself an important part of the course," he said. College senior Tracy Layland, who was in Filreis' class last semester, believes the Holocaust should be approached from various perspectives. "Our approach was a literary one," she said. "But I don't think that any one [approach] is better than another. [The Holocaust] needs to be taught as far and wide as possible." As an example, Layland mentioned another student in her class, who was also enrolled in History Professor Thomas Childers' class "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich." While Filreis' course approached the Holocaust from a literary perspective, Childers' class approached it historically. But regardless of the approach taken, "no class taught on the Holocaust should indoctrinate students with facts or ideas about the subject," she said, "because the Holocaust occurred partly because people became indoctrinated in the 1930s." Academics who advocate the creation of endowed chairs to teach the Holocaust feel that this is the best way to give the subject its due attention. But proponents of integrating the Holocaust into modern European history curricula suggest that relegating the subject to its own department would further marginalize it. Many oppose its being affiliated with Jewish Studies departments in fear that the Holocaust would be presented as strictly a Jewish issue, according to the Times article. While some attribute the Holocaust-teaching impetus to the success of Stephen Spielberg's Schindler's List, Filreis disagrees. "Spielberg's Hollywoodized Holocaust bears little relation to that which is taught at universities and, let's hope, in high schools," he said. While people study the Holocaust for various reasons, Layland said people must continually ask themselves, "Why are we studying this?" "It must be studied in the hope that it will never happen again," she said. "Although we have no way of knowing whether it will, studying it is a good start. We need more classes like [Filreis'] at Penn."
(04/17/95 9:00am)
As the newly installed Undergraduate Assembly begins its term, members are focusing closely on avoiding the mistakes of last year's body. One of the most frequently repeated lines at the UA transition meeting on April 6 -- when the body elected its officers for the year -- was the claim that this UA will degenerate into the political infighting and personal quarrels that plagued the Assembly last year. From the beginning of last year's term, problems between members of the UA presented stumbling blocks to the body. At last year's transition meeting -- at which Wharton junior Dan Debicella ran against College senior Dan Schorr and Engineering sophomore Manny Calero for UA chairperson -- supporters of Debicella and Schorr hurled insults at each other before Debicella eventually prevailed. The aftermath of the bitter election put a personal slant on many of the issues the UA tackled. In October of last year, several UA members -- including Schorr and newly elected UA Chairperson Lance Rogers, a College junior -- attempted to bring articles of impeachment against Debicella. The members involved in the impeachment attempt said Debicella had lied to the body on several occasions. The impeachment did not come to a vote, because not enough members of the Assembly were willing to support the action. At the time, several UA members said the issue of impeachment did not die with the end of the meeting. "[Impeaching Debicella] is always an option but at this point it's not being pushed forward," Schorr said last October. And Rogers said at the time that he did not trust Debicella. "It was definitely more than one time [that Debicella lied to the body]," he said. "I don't trust him now. I hope one day I can." With the movement to reform the UA constitution early this semester, student government leaders raised more personal issues. Schorr, along with College junior Mike Nadel, a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist and former member of the Student Activities Council's Finance Committee, wrote a proposal for constitutional reform in direct competition with a draft by Debicella. And, as each proposal became more refined, Debicella, Schorr and Nadel began to snipe at each other. When quorum broke down at the UA meeting on February 12 because former UA member and Engineering junior Sundeep Goel left the meeting early, Debicella blamed Goel's roommate -- Nadel. "It's obvious that Mike Nadel is trying to reform student government to his own advantage," Debicella said then. He added that a "conspiracy" of UA members was devoted to bringing down the Assembly. Debicella then campaigned heavily for students not to vote on constitutional reform in last month's elections, in an effort to prevent the Schorr/Nadel plan from being adopted. And when Rogers was elected chairperson at this year's transition meeting, Debicella refused to participate in a traditional ceremony in which the outgoing chairperson tosses his gavel to his successor -- whom he referred to as "Forrest Gump" that night. This year's UA members have said the key to their success is to avoid such personal fights. "A lot of the infighting last year was a function of personal rivalries and hostilities that existed in and outside of the UA," Wharton junior Gil Beverly, the new UA vice-chairperson, said last night. "Last year was ridiculous. I'll be personally embarrassed if the UA self-destructs like last year."
(04/14/95 9:00am)
Last year, the University became the first school on the East Coast with a Kappa Delta Phi colony. And now, members of the only Asian sorority on campus are striving to become an associate chapter -- and hopefully in the future, a full-fledged chapter. "Asian women on campus did not have a voice," Engineering junior and sorority President Charissa Huan said. "We founded a sorority that would be a different kind of organization for women to join. It's much more closely knit than a regular [Greek] organization." She added that their main objectives include performing community service and giving Asian women on campus a political presence. Alison Chen, a Wharton sophomore and KDP spokesperson, said the sorority has already organized several activities, although others are still in the formative stages. For Asian Pacific American Heritage Week they organized a forum in which Asian businesswomen spoke about "cultural pressures, career decisions, and the difficulty of balancing the two," she said. Huan said the sorority also sponsored a raffle with the Korean Students Association. The proceeds went to Women Against Abuse. The sorority has also been working with Intercultural Family Services, an independent West Philadelphia organization, on various projects. They have worked as translators for IFS's Asian clients, and organize Asian cultural events there. Sisters have also been helping to compile surveys about Asian women's health needs, as many pregnant Asians in West Philadelphia tend not to seek medical assistance. IFS is trying to start a health clinic for them, according to Chen. Huan said the sorority is also trying to organize "an after school program for Asian high school and middle school-aged girls in West Philadelphia, in which sorority sisters would act as their tutors and mentors." She hopes to begin this program next semester. Chen said the sorority, which currently has 14 members at the University, hopes to join the BiCultural InterGreek Council after they revamp their constitution. "All women, of any ancestry, who are committed to Asian-American awareness and who feel comfortable in a sorority setting are welcome to join," Huan added.
(04/14/95 9:00am)
More than 600 juniors and seniors recently received invitations to join a new chapter of the Golden Key National Honor Society. In existence almost 20 years, Golden Key will be presenting a charter to the University for the first time on April 30. College senior and Chartering President Lisa Getson described Golden Key as "a non-profit, academic honors organization founded for the purpose of recognizing and encouraging scholastic achievement among students from all academic fields." Only the top 15 percent of the University's junior and senior classes is eligible for membership in Golden Key, she added. Students inducted into the Society will receive career assistance and lifetime membership in the organization. In addition, two annual scholarships will be awarded to the most distinguished junior and senior Golden Key members. The University's chapter will support a variety of activities -- from serving the community to providing social interaction, Getson said. According to Associate English Professor Alice Kelley, the group's charter advisor, students from different backgrounds and interests will be able to share their experiences and learn from each other. Getson said she hopes the University's Golden Key chapter will increase faculty and student interaction and help students get involved in the community. "[We're looking for] people with curiosity, imagination [and] energy who want to get together and make some kind of difference in the University of Pennsylvania and West Philadelphia," Kelley said. She added that Golden Key "is an experiment as far as Penn is concerned, but it's something worth trying." Golden Key National Honor Society was founded at Georgia State University in 1977 by a group of undergraduates. Applications for the University's chapter are due tomorrow.
(04/14/95 9:00am)
Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" played in the background as friends of late College junior Justin Koppel offered their condolences to his parents last night following a memorial service at Houston Hall. "It still seems so unreal to me," Koppel's sister Julie said. Koppel was killed in a car accident in Florida during spring break. His family flew in from California to meet with Koppel's friends and Sigma Alpha Epsilon brothers. Hillel Rabbi Howard Alpert led the service entitled, "A Celebration of Life," inviting loved ones to share memories of Koppel with each other as part of the healing process. Koppel's roommate, College senior Josh Lipman, recounted stories of living in the SAE house with Koppel. "Justin lived his life like an invitation," Lipman said. "He made special things happen when he was around you." Engineering junior Ed Vincent fondly remembered pledging with Koppel. "Justin was the glue that kept us all together," Vincent said. Jean Morse, deputy to University President Judith Rodin, spoke briefly, offering condolences. Sylvia Koppel, Koppel's mother, had requested that the service be videotaped as a commemoration of how his friends remembered him. When the memorial ended, the crowd of about 100 remained seated and observed a moment of silence. "None of us will ever forget you, Justin," Vincent said, looking up from his seat.
(04/14/95 9:00am)
Nationwide search announced for replacement University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich announced last night he would resign his position at the University on July 31. Kuprevich said he has finished all he wanted to accomplish at the University and is ready to pursue new challenges elsewhere. As the University's first commissioner of public safety, Kuprevich oversaw the University's police department and the Victim Support and Special Services unit since assuming the post in December 1990. "When I came to Penn there was a purpose to help create a safer environment and I think I've done that," Kuprevich said. Although he does not have other jobs lined up, Kuprevich said he will continue to stay in "campus law enforcement." Kuprevich said he concentrated on preventing crime through "community policing" and the expansion of the Division of Public Safety. And his efforts have resulted in a decrease in the number of criminal incidents, Kuprevich said. University President Judith Rodin applauded Kuprevich's accomplishments. "He has made significant strides in helping us think about a broader and more integrated set of security initiatives," Rodin said last night. As for a replacement, Executive Vice President John Fry said he will start a "very thorough national search" for Kuprevich's replacement beginning next week. Fry, who received Kuprevich's letter of resignation Monday, said he was confident a new commissioner would be in place by July 31. "We are going to continue and move ahead aggressively -- and we are not going to take a break for transition," Fry added. "We have a day-to-day responsibility to keep this campus safe and secure." By having a replacement by July 31, Fry said it would give the next commissioner the entire month of August to become comfortable with the position before students return to the University for classes in the fall. Fry said the next commissioner's transition would be smooth because Kuprevich has "put in some very good people over the last couple of years." Before coming to the University, Kuprevich was in charge of Brown University's police and security force for nine years. At Brown, Kuprevich was credited with expanding the university's police department and improving relations between Brown and state and local police. He also helped create a volunteer program to help female crime victims. He also survived scandals there in which Brown University students were robbed on a weekly basis by local gang members and Brown security officers were charged with participating in a campus theft ring. Kuprevich's career began as a Pennsylvania State University police officer. He then worked at Wayne State University in Detroit for 11 years.
(04/14/95 9:00am)
Last year, the University became the first school on the East Coast with a Kappa Delta Phi colony. And now, members of the only Asian sorority on campus are striving to become an associate chapter -- and hopefully in the future, a full-fledged chapter. "Asian women on campus did not have a voice," Engineering junior and sorority President Charissa Huan said. "We founded a sorority that would be a different kind of organization for women to join. It's much more closely knit than a regular [Greek] organization." She added that their main objectives include performing community service and giving Asian women on campus a political presence. Alison Chen, a Wharton sophomore and KDP spokesperson, said the sorority has already organized several activities, although others are still in the formative stages. For Asian Pacific American Heritage Week they organized a forum in which Asian businesswomen spoke about "cultural pressures, career decisions, and the difficulty of balancing the two," she said. Huan said the sorority also sponsored a raffle with the Korean Students Association. The proceeds went to Women Against Abuse. The sorority has also been working with Intercultural Family Services, an independent West Philadelphia organization, on various projects. They have worked as translators for IFS's Asian clients, and organize Asian cultural events there. Sisters have also been helping to compile surveys about Asian women's health needs, as many pregnant Asians in West Philadelphia tend not to seek medical assistance. IFS is trying to start a health clinic for them, according to Chen. Huan said the sorority is also trying to organize "an after school program for Asian high school and middle school-aged girls in West Philadelphia, in which sorority sisters would act as their tutors and mentors." She hopes to begin this program next semester. Chen said the sorority, which currently has 14 members at the University, hopes to join the BiCultural InterGreek Council after they revamp their constitution. "All women, of any ancestry, who are committed to Asian-American awareness and who feel comfortable in a sorority setting are welcome to join," Huan added.
(04/14/95 9:00am)
The sound of reggae music and the scents of Caribbean food drifted from the Greenfield Intercultural Center last night. Inside, the Caribbean-American Student Association was hosting a cultural workshop -- complete with dancing lessons and a cooking demonstration. College freshman Gravette Brown, secretary of CASA, said the evening was intended to educate the University community about the Caribbean's dialects, dance, cooking styles, history and culture. "We want to teach people about different aspects of the Caribbean besides what one may find out as a tourist in the area," she said. Wharton senior Anya Parkes, former president of CASA, explained that the group tried to have all the different cultures of the Caribbean represented. "We wanted a well-rounded look at all the islands and how they are different nations," she said. "It was really interesting. I learned that it can be difficult to dance to Reggae," College freshman Vivian Ruperto said. "But it was cool to learn [here] by oneself." College freshman Karlene O'Hara agreed. "I'm from Jamaica so this is really fun for me," she explained. "I haven't danced reggae for a long time so it was great doing it here with other people." CASA President Hugh Harmon, an Engineering sophomore, conducted a reggae dancing workshop. As someone from the Caribbean, Harmon said he learned reggae from his family and from going to clubs. College senior Christina Kononenko noted that while Harmon was teaching reggae, the new dancers seemed embarrassed. "They first are embarrassed because they see [the dancing] as strange," she said. "But once they learn the basic dancing techniques and start improvising, they have a good time." Engineering sophomore Jason McHugh was the leader for a dialect workshop. He explained that many new words in the Caribbean language come from popular culture. "Often words from songs often become the hot new words in Jamaica and other islands in the Caribbean," he said. Last night's Interactive Workshop was part of a week long series of events planned by CASA to expose the University community to Caribbean culture.
(04/14/95 9:00am)
University alumna Kathleen Sullivan died at 1:30 p.m. yesterday after she was struck by a drunk driver Tuesday night at the corner of 48th Street and Larchwood Avenue. The driver, who tried to leave the scene of the accident, was later identified and arrested. The impact of the car knocked the 1993 College graduate from her bicycle and threw her 50 feet. Sullivan suffered massive brain injuries and broken legs, according to Gloria Casarez, her housemate and co-worker. Casarez, who identified Sullivan after the accident, said although the 23-year-old was declared brain-dead early this morning, doctors kept her alive so her organs could be donated. Six people will benefit from the transplant of her organs. Nothing characterizes Sullivan better than this donation, according to those who knew her. It is befitting that she is helping others to live, even after her death. "Kathleen was a completely giving, completely selfless women," Casarez said. "She gave of herself, worked tirelessly for others and was really committed to living her beliefs and not just believing." Sullivan's fight against poverty began while she was a student at the University, Casarez added. Sullivan's list of accomplishments exemplifies her devotion to service. She was the Community Projects Director of Kite and Key, the founder of Alternate aSpring Break, chairperson of the Penn Volunteer network and a participant in Empty the Shelters. David Grossman, director of the Program for Student-Community Involvement, said Sullivan will be greatly missed by the University. "She was extraordinarily committed and generous," he said. "She made extraordinary contributions to Penn students as much when she was a student and in her life after Penn." After graduating with honors as an International Relations major, Sullivan devoted all her time to serving the community, Casarez said. Sullivan was working for several community service organizations including: Empty the Shelter, the Kensington Welfare Rights Union, the Union of the Homeless, the Annie Smart Leadership Development Institute and the Up and Out of Poverty Now Coalition. Sullivan's parents are setting a memorial fund in her name. All donations will be given to the charities she supported. A memorial service will be held for Sullivan at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Friends' Center at 15th Street and Cherry Avenue. A separate memorial service at the University has yet to be organized.
