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(02/13/95 10:00am)
If you are fed up with striking Major League baseball players and can't even stand to look at their faces on baseball cards, you might want to start a new collection -- Economist Trading Cards. Economists are not likely to go on strike anytime soon, and they are steadier performers than the boys of summer. Two of the University's own, Economics Professor Lawrence Klein and Finance Professor Sanford Grossman, are included among 29 economists in the 1995 edition of the trading cards, which is produced by the Economics Club of the University of Michigan-Flint. Klein, who was awarded the 1980 Nobel Prize for Economics for building a statistical model for economic forecasting and analyzing economic policy, joked about the potential value of the cards. "Like baseball trading cards, in 50 years maybe they'll be very valuable," Klein said. Grossman said the photograph on his trading card did not do him justice. "I'm even handsomer than the picture," he said. University of Michigan-Flint Economics Club President Bonnie Kincaid said proceeds from sales of the cards are being used for a scholarship fund at University of Michigan-Flint. Some of the profits from the 1993 edition were used for this purpose. The remainder went to fund a trip the club took to Boston for the 1994 Economic Conferences. Kincaid said the club plans to use money generated by sales of the 1995 edition to endow the scholarship, and to fund a club trip to Chicago in the spring. For skeptics who think an economics club could have thought of a better way to make money, the popularity of the cards might be surprising: The club has sold approximately 5,500 sets of the 1993 edition, and received requests for 800 copies of the 1995 edition before it had even been released. Among those who have purchased sets are World Bank and Federal Reserve employees, as well as collectors, according to Kincaid. One Federal Reserve bank purchased sets for its entire staff. Kincaid explained how the cards gained popularity. "It went across the wire from the Associated Press, and it just went crazy everywhere," she said. The front of each card features a photo of the economist, along with the economist's name and university. The back lists, among other things, the economist's field, positions, contributions to economics and recommended readings. To choose economists for the 1993 edition, the club sent forms to approximately 100 economists, and the 29 who replied were included in the set. Others heard about the set and wanted to be included, and the club decided to again use 29 economists to form the 1995 edition. All economists included in the sets are relatively prominent, according to Kincaid. "We've stuck with a lot of Nobel Prize winners," she said. Kincaid said the club already has plans for its next two sets of trading cards. One will feature policymakers who are economists, such as Federal Reserve Chairperson Alan Greenspan, Secretary of Labor Robert Reich and Alice Rivlin, director of the Office of Management and Budget. Another will be a "dead set," to include important economists from the past, such as Adam Smith, Thomas Malthus and Karl Marx.
(02/13/95 10:00am)
For the first time this decade, the Undergraduate Assembly failed to achieve a quorum at its meeting last night and was forced to hold an unofficial session. More than half of the UA must be present for quorum. Furious, UA Chairperson and Wharton junior Dan Debicella lashed out at his political opponents last night, claiming the lack of quorum was not an issue, and was the result of "an effort to bring down the UA." "A lot of people throughout the year have been opposed to what this UA is doing," he said. "Since they can't pick on us for not doing anything, they're going to pick on us for petty things. It's accomplishments, not attendance." In order for UA meetings to be official, there must be 17 of 33 members in attendance, according to the UA Constitution. Without quorum, no official action can be taken by the body. When the meeting began at 9 p.m. last night, only 13 members were present. Quorum was reached briefly after 30 minutes. But it broke down again when Engineering junior and UA member Sundeep Goel left. Five minutes after Goel left, College junior Mike Nadel, a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist and Goel's roommate, brought Goel's jacket to him in the basement of Houston Hall. Goel did not return and there was no quorum for the remainder of the meeting. "Mike Nadel told Sundeep to leave so that we'd break quorum and they could point to this politically and say, 'Oh, look, the UA can't even get quorum,' " Debicella said. "Actually, we had quorum and it broke because Mike told his roommate to leave." Nadel, along with UA member and College senior Dan Schorr, has been active in recent efforts to reform student government at the University. Two weeks ago, he resigned from his position on the Student Activities Council's Finance Committee amidst threats of impeachment. After last night's meeting, Goel said he left because he felt sick. "I think I ate something funny today," he said. "I was planning on coming back, but there was just no way." Nadel denied that Goel's sudden departure was part of a pre-arranged effort to break down quorum. "He was really not feeling well," he said. "If members had wanted to break down quorum, they could have done so just by leaving the meeting themselves." But Debicella said he thought there was a movement among some members of the UA to sabotage his administration by breaking quorum and by drawing attention to attendance problems. "There are people who just don't like me or don't like what we've done, and they've quit," he said. He refused to name the specific UA members who have been trying to break quorum. But he said Nadel was responsible for leading those efforts. "It's obvious that Mike Nadel is trying to reform student government to his own advantage," he said. Schorr denied that there was any conspiracy behind the lack of attendance at recent UA meetings. UA representative and College junior Lance Rogers said he questioned why there was never a roll call or an announcement about the lack of quorum. Debicella said that there was no need for such an announcement, as no formal business was conducted at the meeting. Several UA members who were not present at last night's meeting said they had no knowledge of any plot to sabotage the meeting. "I was sick," College junior Eric Tienou said. "I apologize for not being there. I don't think there's a conspiracy to break down the UA by breaking down quorum. If something's going on, it's going on without me." Wharton freshman Alan Danzig, also a UA representative, said he missed the meeting because he had been studying all weekend for a Finance midterm.
(02/13/95 10:00am)
Members of the Philadelphia arts community gathered at the University of the Arts Saturday to discuss how reduced funding from the National Endowment for the Arts would impact the city's cultural resources. Organized by English Professor Bob Perelman, the event drew a crowd of approximately 60 people representing organizations ranging from the Painted Bride Art Center to the Institute of Contemporary Art. With the Republican sweep in last November's Congressional elections, many artists have reason to question how long cultural activity will continue in Philadelphia and around the country. Hoping to dramatically reduce spending, several legislators have proposed eliminating the NEA, the largest single supporter of the arts, and leaving private corporations and donors to compensate. If the government cuts the NEA, the 20 people who spoke at the forum emphasized, many organizations that cultivate the arts would not have the money to continue. There is not enough corporate funding to make up for NEA grants, and those corporations that do donate money are often unwilling to finance lesser-known artists. "The argument that is put forward seems to be that people are saying we haven't tested this premise yet," said Mark Weber, president of the Pennsylvania Composer's Forum. "But, the fact is we have. We've tested it for the past five years." Because NEA funding has decreased in relation to inflation in the past five years, private corporations are even more reluctant to donate money, Weber said. "When the NEA acts, people follow," he added. "The NEA, for better or for worse, is a stamp of approval." One major objection legislators have with the NEA is that only the elite can appreciate many of the works produced with its funding. But several speakers refuted this argument, giving examples of how they try to make the arts more accessible to the public and more representative of the community. Katy Milligan, who sings for the Mendlessohn Club of Philadelphia, explained that while her group still performs pieces by Stravinsky and Mozart, it has collaborated with Korean and Chinese choirs. The Mendelssohn Club also plans to feature 20th century African American composers. Hoping to exhibit prints in Senegal, Sam Young, the president of the board of the Fabric Workshop, said his organization also teaches inner- city children about fabric printing. The artists who spoke implored audience members to unify politically and write letters to legislators, stressing that art enriches society. "Artists are like a canary in the mind," Young said. "They keep things alive."
(02/10/95 10:00am)
Addressing an overflowing crowd of 150, Lawrence Summers, Undersecretary of the U.S. Treasury for international affairs, began the International Economic Policy Lecture Series yesterday afternoon. Summers, who was the former chief economist at the World Bank, spoke on "The Clinton Administration's International Economic Policy Agenda." He is also a former professor of political economy at Harvard University and winner of the prestigious J.B. Clarke Award, according to Public Policy and Management Professor Howard Pack. Referring to the challenges facing him and President Clinton since they took office in 1993, Summers focused his speech on the need for a new foreign policy after the end of the Cold War. "There had to be a new vision of American international policy and American international economic policy, in particular," he said. Stressing the connection between economic prosperity and world peace, Summers made references to the economic crisis in Weimar Germany that helped bring Hitler to power in the early 1930s. After outlining the administration's overall policy objectives, he discussed the promising nations of the developing world. "Within the lifetimes of the people in this room, China and India may become the largest economies in the world," Summers said. "People have traditionally thought of these countries as poor." But while outlining these countries' strengths, he also addressed their many weaknesses. Summers pointed to China's high inflation rate and production bottlenecks as genuine concerns. He said, though, that most of his time in 1995 has been spent dealing with the recent Mexican financial crisis. He spoke at great length about the troubles there. "In the last 12 months, Mexico has made critical macroeconomic errors," Summers said. "As this situation unfolded, it had consequences that went far beyond Mexico?The president decided that the costs of inaction were greater than the costs of action." Concluding with a passionate call for American internationalism, Summers warned against the nativist and isolationist winds blowing through America. "Our interests as a nation do not lie in isolationism," he said. "Our interests lie in world prosperity." The event -- jointly sponsored by the Economics and Public Policy and Management Departments -- was intended to honor Summers' mother and father, who both taught at the University.
(02/10/95 10:00am)
A line stretched out the doors of Meyerson Hall last night as a large crowd of new sorority pledges presented themselves as a group for the first time. The 386 new members of eight Panhellenic sororities filed into the lecture hall to install the six new officers of the Panhellenic Council as part of the "Circle of Sisters" event. With over 1,300 members, Panhel -- the umbrella organization that represents the chapters and coordinates various inter-sorority functions -- is the largest women's organization at the University. Former Panhel President Suzanne Rosenberg, a College senior, urged the new members to act as team players, mentors and to get involved with both Panhel and with the individual chapters. As representatives of such a large organization, the executive board faces important challenges, according to former Executive Vice President Toby Tucker, a College senior. "Just last year, our executive board had to fight for your right to rush as freshman," Tucker said. Each past executive board member then handed down the "symbols of office" to the new officers. Lissette Calderon, a Wharton junior who served as Panhel treasurer last year, was elected president of the new board. She passed the treasurer's sword to College junior Amy Greenfield. And Tucker passed the evergreen -- a symbol chosen for its longevity -- to new Executive Vice President Laurie Curtin, a College junior. Goals for this coming semester include efforts to collaborate with the other two Greek umbrella organizations, the InterFraternity Council and the BiCultural InterGreek Council, Calderon said. College junior Laurie Curtin, Wharton junior Tracy Akresh, Wharton Sophomore Danielle Morgan, and College junior Tara Troy were also inaugurated last night.
(02/10/95 10:00am)
It is just past 8:30 on a Monday night, someone just finished off your popcorn and everybody has already slept with everybody else on Melrose Place. You think to yourself, "I could do that better than Aaron Spelling, if only?" Four University students did just that each week. Until one day last fall, when they stopped saying "what if" and started to say "when." In October Wharton sophomores, Dan Khatib and Andrew Simonian and College sophomores Alex Saltzman and Andrew Waller began working on Locust Walk, a situational drama that will be broadcast on University Television Channel 13. "We watched the shows and thought it was time to put up or shut up," Khatib said. "So we started working." According to Todd Donovan, an Engineering senior and president and general manager of UTV13, this is not the first time the station has offered a show purely for entertainment value -- although it is the first time a program of this sort has been scheduled to air in about seven years. The four students are working as fast as possible to finish their first episode. They are currently rewriting the script to fit the actors who were cast last week, Khatib said. The premier episode will be taped before spring break and will debut sometime after the break, he added. Although they would not identify specific plot lines, the producers said the format of Locust Walk will resemble the popular Fox shows Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place. "I don't want to give anything away too much," Simonian said. "Hopefully it will be better than Melrose Place and 90210 -- a little less cheesy and funnier." Khatib emphasized the show's sense of humor and reality. "First and foremost it's going to be funnier," he said. "We're not going to have as many murders or trials or be as melodramatic. And nobody's baby is going to be kidnapped -- at least not in the first episode." Saltzman said the show would be an improved version of the television dramas. But it is definitely not a situation comedy. "Like 90210 and Melrose but hopefully slightly more witty and cerebral than your average trashy soap," he said. Out of over 90 students who auditioned for the drama last week, the producers chose four male and five female students as the show's recurring cast. One actor, College sophomore Matt Kapuchinski, said he did not know anything about the show except what one of the writers told him about his character. "I'll probably be playing a character that's a guitarist/musician kind of quiet guy," he said. "As far as I know they haven't really flushed out each character yet. We're playing it by ear." Ideally the show will run once a week by the end of the semester, Khatib said. Saltzman said he thinks the campus will be "receptive" to the show, but he said that availability is one concern for the show's success. "Although the whole campus is not wired and Rodin seems to be holding up getting UTV on cable we will be having special showings in Houston Hall Auditorium when the show premiers and for subsequent episodes until we do get on local cable," he said. The producers also chose a team of writers and technicians last week. In addition, College sophomore Nina Wolarsky joined the show as a co-producer.
(02/10/95 10:00am)
While students worked out in Hutchinson Gymnasium's makeshift hallway weight room last week, workers were removing asbestos from the pipes in the next room. But Recreation Department Director Robert Glascott said officials took measures to protect the area of removal, adding that the asbestos levels were not harmful. "We put up a temporary wooden wall [to enclose the area]," Glascott said. "It appears to me that they got it all and I assume that there is no more down there." The asbestos was discovered in Hutch's basement weight room -- which is being renovated due to poor ventilation and flooring problems. The pipe insulation in the weight room contained the asbestos. Students who use the weights, that were temporarily relocated in the hallway outside the weight room, expressed concern that the hallway area stayed open and no one provided adequate notification. "I wish they would have made people more aware about it," College junior and Undergraduate Assembly member Eric Tienou said. "It was kept really low-key." Tienou said he knew of only one sign posted in the area indicating that asbestos removal was taking place, adding that officials should have provided more information for the students using the weight room. "People that worked out in the weight room should have been notified about it in advance," he said. University Health and Safety Technician James Sillhart said the amount of asbestos on the pipes was so minute, it was practically immeasurable. "Asbestos materials are only harmful when they become airborne," he added. "We kept everything covered." He said the area where asbestos removal took place was isolated from the general renovation project, as well as the adjoining rooms and hallways. And Recreation Department Assistant Director John Hamrick said the asbestos was located in an area "not open to the public." "Everything was fine and no one was in danger," he said. Asbestos is not limited to Hutch, Sillhart said. When many campus buildings are being renovated, asbestos is found and then removed. Sillhart could not say how many facilities on campus contain asbestos, but indicated that "many" buildings on campus have the problem, although it has never been in harmful amounts or open areas. "Some of the buildings have asbestos in the pipe insulation," he said. "When areas come up for renovations, people are relocated and it is a good time to get in and do it." In addition, while the asbestos abatement takes place, the Department of Environmental Health and Safety monitors the entire process. In the case of the Hutch weight room, Philadelphia Air Management Services also inspected the area, Sillhart said.
(02/10/95 10:00am)
The Undergraduate Assembly will soon begin lobbying the administration to implement two more of the recommendations included in Project 2000. One plan, written by UA representative and College sophomore Adam Strunk, attempts to deal with professors who do not speak English proficiently. The University's policy manual contains a section that requires all teachers to be fully proficient in English. But a survey conducted by the UA as part of Project 2000 revealed that 49.8 percent of University undergraduates polled said they had been taught by a professor that was "difficult to understand because he did not speak English." Strunk said the University needs to begin enforcing the proficiency requirement. "Basically, what you need is professors for whom their ability to communicate in the English language does not in any way, shape or form inhibit their ability to teach," Strunk said. "If you've ever taken a math course at this school, you will notice that [the proficiency requirement] is not a particularly enforced rule." The recommendation proposes that a proficiency test be administered to all professors. If they fail, they would not be able to continue teaching until they could pass the exam. According to Strunk, the proficiency tests should already be in use. But because enforcement of the proficiency rule has been lax, the tests are not administered, Strunk said. The UA also proposed that an asterisk be placed in course guidebooks next to the names of professors who are judged to be only barely proficient by their performance on the tests. Strunk said he had not spoken to anyone responsible for publishing the course guides about this proposal. But he added that "it shouldn't be all that difficult" for the recommendation to be implemented. Another section of Project 2000 calls for the University to re-examine its budgeting procedures. Currently the University is divided into 33 "responsibility centers" that are individually responsible for their own budgets. Each of the 12 schools, The Book Store and Dining Services are examples of responsibility centers. At the end of a year, centers that make profits have their extra funds diverted to cover losses by other centers, UA representative and Wharton junior Vincent Scafaria said. But the UA would have the administration step in and take a more active role in the budgeting process so that centers can eliminate wasteful spending from their budgets. "Involvement from the central administration is needed," Scafaria said. Scafaria, who wrote the section of Project 2000 dealing with responsibility center budgeting, said the UA has proposed that the administration or an outside consultant examine each responsibility center's budget in detail. Once a spending analysis has been conducted for each responsibility center, the administration would impose specific spending limits -- eliminating spending that does not add value to a center, Scafaria said. Scafaria said he has spoken to University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow about implementing the proposal. He added that "they are heading along this path."
(02/10/95 10:00am)
Only 20 students attended an open forum with Provost Stanley Chodorow in the rooftop lounge of High Rise East yesterday. And many of them were members of student government or Residential Advisors in the high rise. During the open forum, Chodorow reported on the progress of the Provost's Council on Undergraduate Education and answered questions on a variety of issues, ranging from the Student Judicial Charter to why Logan 17 has no heat. The administration created PCUE at the very end of last semester and asked its members to form a model for the 21st Century Undergraduate Education Initiative first introduced last October. In response to a question posed by College sophomore Jamil Smith, a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist, Chodorow said the committee has met on an almost weekly basis since its inception and just completed the first phase of its mission. Each school's dean and student representative presented reports on their school's current status, Chodorow said. This step was completed at PCUE's last meeting. "Now, we need to create a series of goals," he said, adding that he hopes to set up focus groups of faculty and students to obtain input into this part of the process. Chodorow said he hoped PCUE would formulate tentative proposals before going to the focus groups. "It could be open-ended or it could be us presenting something and getting reaction," he said. Chodorow added, though, that he preferred the latter choice. As a result of Wednesday's University Council discussion on the proposed student judicial charter, College junior Max Jacobs questioned Chodorow on the issue last night. Chodorow said part of the problem with the charter lies in its outline format. "We didn't spell out what we had in mind but we will do that," he said. "It was a mistake to present that as an outline and we will now fill out the details." College junior Mike Nadel, a DP columnist, said he disagreed with the fundamental assumption of the charter that the ultimate system should not be adversarial. "Both sides will feel adversarial in a very serious situation," he said. "The best thing to do is accept that [a non-adversarial system] cannot be done and figure out how to promote rights for both sides." But Chodorow disagreed, saying that he believed a system could be fair and non-adversarial. "There are legal systems which are non-adversarial and no less fair to the person that is accused," he said, adding that the University's judicial system must be different than a court of law. Chodorow also said the Office of the Provost should have a role in the decision-making process because the interests of the University are involved. But he added that the participation of top administrators in the judicial process should be "very rare." A second year graduate student expressed concern regarding the University's relationship with Philadelphia in light of a rash of car accidents on Walnut Street last semester. "The relationship between the University administration and the city isn't very good, especially in regard to Walnut Street," Chodorow said. Chodorow added that the University has worked well with the city in West Philadelphia issues despite not getting "very good cooperation in regard to the Walnut Street corridor." The forum, which lasted for an hour and a half, also included discussion on issues of student apathy and the College of Arts and Sciences' General Requirement.
(02/10/95 10:00am)
For many students, martial arts is less a meansFor many students, martial arts is less a meansof self-defense than a search for balance within the self. They began with meditation. Then, in two straight lines, they simultaneously sliced the air with their powerful kicks. Thirteen strong voices counted aloud in Japanese, accenting the movement of their legs. But the Ryukyu Kempo Club had just warmed up. As part of the large network of martial arts organizations, their class was designed to teach students methods of self defense. The Ryukyu Kempo Club was founded by former University student Chas Terry, who has a black belt in three different styles of karate. His sister, Drexel University graduate Linda Terry, is a very enthusiastic club member who joined last October. Linda Terry was involved in a different style of karate 16 years ago and quit after gaining her green belt. She only became interested in the martial arts again after attending a seminar called "Weekend With the Masters," last October. "I had learned more in seven hours than I had in my whole entire life," she said. Terry's motivation to start studying Kempo stems from its emphasis on the attitude and spirit in the art -- in addition to the skills themselves. "I don't know how many styles [of martial arts] break down even the most simple initial techniques," she said. Terry said she attempts to focus on the uniqueness of Ryukyu Kempo. She added that Kempo's primary objective lies in the pressure point theory. "Pressure points are very effective," she said. "There are three levels -- they can create distraction or pain, knock someone out or least desirable of all, kill." Terry said that pressure points lie where the nerves cross, meet and end -- like the tips of fingers. "The ways to activate these pressure points are by rubbing, touching, and striking," she added. She emphasized that martial arts do not teach students how to kill. She said they are mainly for self-defense, and killing is in no way part of the teaching. "It's just to defend yourself," Terry said. "You never, never, never want to kill. The major philosophy is self-defense -- quick and effective -- and the goal is not to kill. "Karate is strictly self-defense. Anything else is a bad attitude," she added. "The main point is to get the offender out of commission so you can run. You want to do the very least while being effective." The ranking system of belt color for Kempo is similar to the system for other forms of karate. The order -- from least experience to most -- is white, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, and then black, Terry said. "If you practiced and worked very hard it's possible to get a first degree black belt in three and a half years," she said. "It all depends on how hard you are willing to work." People should be careful not to put too much faith into the ranking system, though, she said. It is simply a means to measure progress, and a black belt does not necessarily indicate proficiency. "It's sort of like competing with yourself -- a sign of what you have accomplished," Terry said. "Being a black belt does not mean you are an expert. It just means you have a solid foundation and understanding." The Ryukyu Kempo Club does not believe in all work and no play, though. Terry said it is like a family, and the students always hang out on weekends. "Actually most of the people I go to the movies with and do stuff with are from the club," she said. Wharton and Engineering senior Vandit Kalia is a board member of the club who was inspired to study martial arts by his father. "My dad is a black belt in Judo, and he thought it would be a good thing for me to do," Kalia said. "[But] Judo has more to do with grappling and throwing, while karate has a more kicking and punching emphasis." Kalia said his interest lies with the mental benefits of Kempo as well as the obvious physical benefits. "It calms you down and clears your mind which helps in everyday life," he said. "It's a good way to stay healthy." Martial arts originated in China and were brought to Japan in the Okinawan Islands where they were further developed, Kalia explained. This modified and simplified version of Kempo is known as karate. It is less lethal. Kalia added that karate is more sports-oriented than self-defense oriented. "We are teaching the original form-the stuff that hasn't been taught is what we do," he said. According to Club President Jeff Sparkman, Ryukyu Kempo is an Okinawan style of karate which is based on the use of nerve strikes for effective self-defense. "What most styles teach to be an obvious block or punch assumes a whole new meaning in light of pressure point strikes," he said. Sparkman also highlighted the social aspects of the club. "We have pizza and karate movie nights, martial arts rap sessions, attend seminars together, or just hang out together," he said. College sophomore Andrew Simonian said he joined the club for self-defense purposes and has been involved in Ryukyu Kempo since his freshman year. "I always wanted to do it, and I never had the chance before," Simonian said. "I knew I'd be able to continue for a long time." He added that Ryukyu Kempo is actually the predecessor to karate, which was invented so that it could be passed on to Westerners without revealing any of the art's secrets. Wharton sophomore Justin Faust is another member of the Ryukyu Kempo Club who started when he came to the University. "I wanted to take some sort of self-defense," Faust said. "I just went to two classes, and I became interested." He added that he usually practices four times a week for one to two hours -- which includes a hard workout and some calisthenics techniques. A typical beginner's Kempo class usually begins with a short meditation session followed ten minutes is devoted of stretching. Much of the rest of the hour is spent doing a series of kicks, punches and blocks. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, there are also several self-defense demonstrations. For example, a common attack consists of being grabbed by the lapel. The best way out of this predicament is to bend the attacker's thumb backward. This technique exemplifies the simplicity and effectiveness of Kempo. One of the instructors, Engineering senior Avinash Parashar, only began studying martial arts when he was in high school. "I wanted to learn how to fight, and I thought it sounded cool," he said. "I did Tae Kwon Do in high school and wanted to try a different style when I came here." The Tae Kwon Do Club is another popular outlet for martial arts fanatics. Felice Macera is a first degree black belt who has been instructing the University Tae Kwon Do Club for nine months. He said it took him eight months to reach his present level. He added that the main attraction for him lies in the mental aspect of Tae Kwon Do. "Traditionally the martial arts began as a conservative art form," he said. "It became more of a mental condition than a physical condition. Our club does more mental conditioning." He said his class usually meets five days a week for about one to two hour s in Houston Hall. Engineering junior Alex Miller, who is another Tae Kwon Do instructor, said his group has been very successful in competition. "[The Tae Kwon Do Club] is currently ranked second in the Northeast despite the fact that all the other schools have instructors that are paid to teach the clubs and ours is entirely student run," he said, adding that he views Tae Kwon Do as mainly a competition sport.
(02/10/95 10:00am)
Wharton students searching for consulting experience do not need to look any further. The Wharton Small Business Development Center, a firm dedicated to the needs of small businesses, employs a group of consultants whose main function is to aid entrepreneurs. And many Wharton students are part of this endeavor. The SBDC's new director, Clark Callahan, is working to help new businesses grow and expand. "You think of a challenge a small company will come up against and we're here to overcome it," he said. Fourth-year Wharton and Law School graduate student Gordon Walton, an SBDC consultant, said his advice helps entrepreneurs who have little business savvy. "You're someone with a lot of training helping a person with limited business experience," he said. "The incremental value that the SBDC provides its clients is enormous." Callahan plans to expand the firm's clientele by working with a greater number of West Philadelphia companies. He said he wants to create a set of business services that start-up companies may need to survive in their early stages. Callahan also said he is interested in helping companies dependent on military contracts adjust to economic conditions resulting from the closing of military bases. The SBDC employs 16 MBA students and four undergraduates as consultants. "The students are responsible for delivering the services," Callahan said. The student consultants each work in one-year rotations beginning in January and May. They help companies by offering phone consultation or meetings with the entrepreneurs. Each student also teaches a management training seminar in such areas as business planning and the legal aspects of starting a new company. Second-year Wharton graduate student Cynthia Grise said she believes her work with the SBDC has helped her a great deal. "Acting as a consultant is a great way to enhance the skills we learn in classrooms," she said. Walton said his experiences have given him greater insight in the workings of a successful small business. "It gives me exposure to a lot of different companies and [provides me with] ideas into what makes small companies succeed or fail," he said. "As a [future] entrepreneur, that's what I'm looking for." Founded in 1980, the SBDC provides management training and consulting services to small-size companies in Southeastern Pennsylvania. According to Callahan, the Center gives advice and teaches their client companies important skills. He added that his goal is for the companies to learn new skills quickly and efficiently. The SBDC helps companies find new markets, reach more customers and creates strategies for companies to raise money. It aids businesses with such problems as bank loans.
(02/10/95 10:00am)
Surrounded by a fairyland of candy and gingerbread, Stimulus Children's Theater performed Hansel and Gretel at the Castle for more than 50 children from the Penn Parent Infant Center and after-school program. The show began as the forest fairy sprinkled magic dust over the captivated children. And the audience watched, entranced as Stimulus, in conjunction with the Castle, put on their first-ever winter production. Designed to encourage audience participation, the production involved the children by asking them questions and teaching them about different aspects of the theater. The production tried to relate to the young audience by showing Hansel and Gretel's reluctance to do work over their "summer vacation" and the character's dislike of spinach. Hansel's inept dancing and silly antics amused the kids and the taunts of the evil witch made them scared. Many shouts came from the crowd as the witch said she wanted to "make children plump and then eat them." During the performance, the children tried in vain to warn Hansel and Gretel about the evil witch and howled at their capture. "Stimulus' goal is to bring performing arts to the children of West Philadelphia who wouldn't normally be exposed to theater," said the show's director, College freshman Kim Noble. This is the group's 12th show since 1987. College freshman Ben Berman, who played the role of Hansel, described the show as "pure fun." "Children are the perfect audience because they become so engaged," he said. One child remarked he liked the show because "they let me eat candy off the gingerbread house." Stimulus will perform Hansel and Gretel again tomorrow at 2 p.m. at the Castle.
(02/10/95 10:00am)
President Clinton increased funding for the National Endowments for the Humanities and the Arts in his budget plan released this week. But the future of these programs -- which are responsible for funding many departments at the University -- is by no means secure. Under Clinton's plan,the NEH would receive $182.8 million, a $5 million increase, and the NEA would receive $173 million, up $1 million from last year. While the NEH and NEA make up a fraction of the federal budget, Republicans in Congress who are determined to cut spending have targeted the agencies as wasteful. Many in Congress have argued that only the "elite" benefit from the NEH and NEA and that the projects the agencies support do not merit the money -- citing NEA funding for such controversial artists as Robert Mapplethorpe and Andres Serrano. Hoping to eliminate funding altogether, several legislators say that cultivating the humanities and the arts is not the government's responsibility. If the Republicans manage to substantially reduce or eliminate appropriations for the NEH and NEA, the result could prove disastrous for some departments within the University. The NEH, headed by former University President Sheldon Hackney, helps finance programs across the University, including faculty fellowships, seminars and restoration of special collections. The NEA subsidizes about half of the Department of Architectural Archives' budget for exhibitions and stabilizing old documents. Because of this support, the department was able to restore and catalogue the drawings of Louis Kahn, the late University professor who is often called the most influential architect of the past 50 years. Legislators have also threatened to abolish the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which subsidizes the University's radio station, WXPN. English Professor Bob Perelman determined that Americans pay 65 cents a year for the NEA, in an article he wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer. And other faculty members said that the fact that the allocations for the NEH and NEA are so small in proportion to the federal budget demonstrates that the Republican drive to cut the agencies is motivated more by politics than economics. Each year the NEH funds 2,200 projects, approximately one of every five applications the agency receives. Professors who are granted fellowships receive $30,000 to finance a leave of absence while conducting a year of research. "We're easy targets," said English Department Chairperson John Richetti, who received an NEH fellowship a few years ago to write a book. Without NEH support, the University, which prides itself on its research, could suffer financially and intellectually. Many Republicans have proposed that private foundations should support cultural projects. But Graduate School of Fine Arts Interim Dean Malcolm Campbell said not enough foundations exist to compensate for a total loss of NEA funding. Hoping to pressure legislators to sustain the agencies, organizations throughout the city and members of the University will hold a forum tomorrow. The event will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Great Hall of the University of the Arts in Center City.
(02/10/95 10:00am)
After weeks of anticipation and secrecy, the 19th annual Wharton Follies, entitled "Heaven Can Wait-List," hit the stage yesterday at Drexel University's Mandell Theater. Nearly 200 cast and crew members worked to prove that Wharton MBA students have a talent for something besides business. Each year, the MBA students use the Follies to poke fun at themselves and spoof their stressful lives, according to second-year MBA student Saleem Haque. Haque, co-publicity director for the show, explained that the show is completely student-run. Popular songs and Broadway tunes were rewritten to parody different aspects of the typical Wharton MBA student's experience, he added. The Follies is famous for its surprise guests, whose identities are not revealed to anyone until opening night, Haque said. He emphasized the importance of secrecy to the Follies and expressed his excitement about the show, praising Director James Sokol and the crew for their hard work. Sokol, also a second-year MBA student, not only directed the show but helped in writing, ticketing, fundraising and publicity. Haque said that being a part of the show entailed a lot of time and effort. The cast and crew returned a week early from their vacations to attend rehearsals-- which usually lasted until 4 a.m. The performance seemed to be a success with the audience, who gave the cast a standing ovation. "It was fantastic," second-year Wharton MBA student Mark Phillips said. "Very creative and well-written." The Follies is school-sponsored, but additional funding was generated through corporate sponsorship, ticket sales, t-shirts and even a video of the entire production. There will be four more shows -- today and tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. -- before the show travels to an off-Broadway theater in New York on February 24. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased at the door, although it is recommended that they be bought in advance.
(02/10/95 10:00am)
Aiming to ensure due process for accused students, the First Amendment Task Force yesterday announced plans to write its own version of the procedures outlined in the proposed Student Judicial Charter. On Wednesday, University Council voted by a wide margin to remand the Charter to the Student Judicial Reform Committee for revisions. Council wants the Committee to focus on protecting respondents' rights. According to College senior and Undergraduate Assembly member Dan Schorr, who also chairs the First Amendment Task Force, the proposed Charter does not provide sufficient protection for student defendants. "Our premise is this -- all rights, including free speech rights, cannot be secure if the system of justice is a system of injustice," he said. "Therefore, what we want to do is propose an alternative plan for University judicial hearings that protects the rights of student defendants and recognizes that a student being prosecuted is inherently a confrontational situation." Schorr said that because a student's future academic career and membership in the University community may be in jeopardy during judicial proceedings, it is essential that student defendants are permitted to call and cross-examine witnesses. Schorr also said it is essential to allow students' advisers to speak during the hearings. Additionally, the group contends that an open hearing should be granted upon a respondent's request. "I learned in high school that an open judicial system was one of the basic principles of a free society," Schorr said. "Under this system, students can't defend themselves and there's no public scrutiny." But College junior Wilton Levine, who chaired the Student Judicial Charter working group of the SJRC, said the Charter makes "every effort to protect the respondent's rights." "The purpose of the system as we have defined it is not for the complainant to gain retribution," he said. "The purpose of the system is to determine whether the allegations about the respondent are true or not." Levine added that the Charter does permit respondents to address the hearing board, and said he is open to allowing respondents to reply to statements made by witnesses. "[But] cross-examination takes it to another level, [and] makes it a more adversarial system," Levine said. College junior Maxim Jacobs, the First Amendment Task Force's vice chair for external affairs, will be chairing the group's judicial reform committee. Jacobs said he became involved in the reform process because he was concerned about students being "railroaded." "I looked over the [proposed] Judicial Charter outline and it really didn't say that we had any rights," Jacobs said. "It basically said that they could do what they wanted to us depending on who's their chair." Jacobs said he could not estimate how long the group's work will take, but Schorr said he hopes that the First Amendment Task Force can generate a preliminary document "within the next few weeks." Provost Stanley Chodorow said he has not heard of the First Amendment Task Force, but is willing to listen to the group's ideas. "In my view, all good ideas are useful and contribute to the process," he said. "Bad ideas are only a problem if they waste time by becoming the focus of an extended discussion that leads nowhere. "But bad ideas have their role; they help define the good ideas," Chodorow added.
(02/10/95 10:00am)
Former Hill House faculty fellow and part-time English Professor Martin Orzeck has accused officials from Hill House, University Police and the English Department of misconduct and "ridiculous and unreasonable" policies. Orzeck alleges he was harassed by University Police and Hill House security guards and that the English department is attempting to eliminate his teaching position. But officials have denied Orzeck's allegations. Although he has not filed any grievances at this point, Orzeck said his accusations are serious because they shed light on larger problems with how the University handles both academic and privacy issues. According to Orzeck, Allied Security and University Police harassed him and his wife, Bethann Morrison, repeatedly while he was a Hill House faculty fellow. As a result of the incidents and a lack of response to his complaints about the alleged harassment, Orzeck and Morrison left Hill House two weeks ago. The difficulties arose when Orzeck refused to allow Allied Security guards to swipe his PennCard through the card reader. "I showed it to them but desk security said it wasn't enough," he said. "I refuse to allow the University to monitor my coming and going and I don't feel the University is entitled to that kind of paternalistic monitoring." Orzeck said, though, that his refusals were "respectful." However, Orzeck said, Residential Security and University Police officers came to his apartment twice last semester demanding to see his PennCard in a "harassing" manner. "It was very humiliating -- students gathered in the hall and it was simply a systematic violation of my privacy," Orzeck added. The two incidents occurred on October 27 and November 6. According to University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich, Residential Security responded the first time. The police log indicates that the University Police responded the second time, although it provided no detailed information, Kuprevich said. But he said the police action was appropriate and "nothing unreasonable" occurred. "Nothing was done to harass him," he said, adding that the process of swiping a PennCard checks the card's validity as a safety precaution and does not violate a person's privacy. "Any information is very much guarded and not open except to Public Safety when we're investigating criminal behavior [and] no one monitors people's comings and goings," he said. "If people violate the process [of swiping PennCards], security has broken down and actions have to be taken." Orzeck said Allied Security guards know the faculty in Hill House, and therefore should not require the validation of those PennCards. "Once they recognize us, why can't they let us come and go?" he said. Allied Security guard Tyrone King said Tuesday night he dealt with Orzeck and encountered no difficulties. "He always showed me his ID, I knew who he was, and it was never a problem," King said. Orzeck said he and his wife decided to leave Hill after winter break. They now live in North Philadelphia. Orzeck has run afoul of the law before. In 1991, Orzeck, who began teaching at the University in 1989, telephoned the White House, lost his temper, and called former President George Bush a "Nazi racist." He was subsequently questioned by U.S. Secret Service officers. In addition to his problems at Hill House, Orzeck said English Department administrators have "wrongly" refused to give him the opportunity to teach or advise independent studies after this semester. Orzeck said he thought a connection might exist between the two situations because they seemed "too coincidental." But English Department Chairperson John Richetti said Orzeck's difficulties are due to economic conditions and his part-time standing. "He decided he can't do [independent study work] if he's not being paid," Richetti said, adding that the University does not pay part-time faculty for doing independent study. Orzeck, however, said money is not the issue, adding that he does not want to "continue to nurture these advisee-advisor relationships." "The issue of reenumeration was never central and people in the English Department are trying to make it sound like all I want is money," he said. Orzeck had several independent study students lined up for this semester -- all of whom are being reassigned. As a result, he said, he is worried about his future with the University. But English Department Undergraduate Chairperson Al Filreis said Orzeck's concerns are unfounded. "Marty is not being run out," he said. And Richetti said Orzeck is a "fine teacher," adding that he hopes Orzeck will be able to teach next fall. "His latest troubles in getting assignments have to do with the unfortunate economic system," said Richetti. He added that the University gives first priority in class allocation to standing faculty, while providing part-time teaching for recent graduate students who may have trouble finding employment in today's job market. The process leaves all other positions open to other temporary faculty members, such as Orzeck. Filreis said Orzeck is "paid by the class" and his status with the University is purely temporary. But Orzeck said his departmental problems indicated a larger, University-wide issue of concerning how teachers earn standing faculty status. "I am being classified as a part- timer even though I have taught more classes than almost anyone else," he said, adding that the system does not fit with "common sense." Orzeck's students agreed, saying that the University gives preference to professors who emphasize research and publishing, instead of faculty members who teach well. But College of Arts and Sciences Dean Robert Rescorla said "scholarly activity" is important to being a standing faculty member, adding that most part-time faculty are not promoted to full-time professorships. College senior Jim Downs, a student and advisee of Orzeck's, called him "a really incredible professor." "I am so shocked this is happening to him," he added. Orzeck served as Downs' advisor for an independent study project he did last semester, and Downs said those who were to be advised by Orzeck this semester will "lose out."
(02/09/95 10:00am)
When she's out of the office, you can often find her organizing volunteer missions to Thailand, Russia, or Eastern Europe. But at 9 a.m. yesterday, Peace Corps Director Carol Bellamy was a little closer to home, stepping off a train at 30th Street Station. Bellamy, who was appointed to the position by President Clinton, was in Philadelphia in an effort to recruit new Peace Corps volunteers, and visit a program for returned Peace Corps volunteers. And under Bellamy's leadership, the number of people in the two-year volunteer program has expanded by about 500. "It's still tough, we don't just take anybody," Bellamy said. "But there are more slots available, and we're looking for everything from the liberal arts graduate to the Wharton MBA." Bellamy said that people wanting to volunteer for the Peace Corps must fill out an application and take a medical exam. "You've got to be in at least okay shape to volunteer in the Peace Corps," she said. "The Peace Corps is not Club Med." Bellamy stressed that in addition to a service opportunity, the Peace Corps offers experience, and looks attractive to employers. "For example, a Wharton MBA would be great in one of our programs in Central or Eastern Europe or the former Soviet Union," she said. "[Somewhere] where we have volunteers working with budding entrepreneurs [who are] trying to convert state run economies?into free-market economies. "We're always looking for teachers," she said. Bellamy added that the Peace Corps, a U.S. government agency, receives $231 million a year in federal funding. And she wants University students to know that the Peace Corps experience is not merely "the recent college graduate digging latrines out in the middle of the jungle, next to mud huts," although she said that there are positions like this available for those who are interested. "We also have volunteers working in urban areas," she said. "Though not fancy urban areas, all of the volunteers live at the level of the community in which they are working." And while the individual experiences of Peace Corps volunteers may vary, the director said that all volunteers get something in common out of it. "You can really help people," she added, "I think it enhances people's careers." The Peace Corps will also pay for 10 weeks' language and cultural training, in addition to the two-year volunteer program. All living and medical expenses are paid by the Peace Corps, and though the volunteer does not get a salary, "they do get a lump sum of $5,400 at the end of service," Bellamy said. And while the volunteer is in the program, his loans are deferred and incur no interest during the two years. Bellamy said the typical volunteer "becomes a problem solver and a project manager, and you do it all in a different cultural environment, which is what employers all over the world are looking for?and it's also fun. "The University of Pennsylvania is the number two producer [of Peace Corps volunteers] in the state of Pennsylvania," she added.
(02/09/95 10:00am)
Philadelphia City Council President John Street was a no-show yesterday at a forum entitled "The Role of the Afro-American Collegiate in 1995" held at the W.E.B. DuBois College House. But the program, which was sponsored by the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, continued despite the absence of Street. However, the roughly 15 students who came to hear Street ended up hearing Arthur James, a Philadelphia attorney, instead. James' son is a Wharton sophomore. James stressed the need for blacks to be educated, and added that he was annoyed that more students had not shown up for the event. He said that if the rapper Tupac Shakur -- whom he referred to as a "faggot punk" who degrades women -- had come, hundreds of students would have attended the speech. "It's embarrassing to be a black man in America," he yelled. "In 1995 we have become a liability, [and] we've got to strive for academic excellence. "You guys are the tomorrow," he added. "But you scare me. I'm scared to death of tomorrow." James said blacks must not look to past figures like Malcolm X for inspiration, but must rely on themselves. "Find the Malcolm in you," James said. And James said blacks should not be getting a University education to merely get a job, but also to be the head of a law firm, or own a corporation. "If your education only allows you to think about a job, then you missed the boat," he said. "You must say to yourselves, what am I gonna own, [and] what am I gonna contribute to the community. We must take back our neighborhoods." James also said he is fearful of the current government and what they are going to do to blacks. He said blacks must be educated to understand what's really happening in government. "They're getting ready to turn this whole country around," he said. "If the people that are in power now get what they want, your ain't even gonna understand what America is." He added that blacks should not be angry with Koreans who own stores in the black community, but should rather learn a lesson from their example. And he stressed that blacks must interact with whites and stop blaming whites for black problems. "Don't turn your back on whites, it ain't about race, it's about your people, your business," he said. "In order to take back our neighborhoods you're gonna have to deal with a whole lot of people." College sophomore Obinna Adibe said he was not surprised at the turn out, but added that he enjoyed the speech, even though Street was a no-show. "It's a shame," Adibe said. "Nobody comes when something valuable is on tour. It was an excellent speech. It was real. I got enough there to take with me and tell my friends."
(02/09/95 10:00am)
Calls for more due process University Council voted overwhelmingly yesterday to return the proposed Student Judicial Charter to the Student Judicial Reform Committee for revisions aimed at explicitly protecting respondents' rights. The vote followed prolonged debate between Council members over the character and purpose of the proposed system. It also focused on presumption of innocence, role of advisers and right of appeal. Before discussion began, Provost Stanley Chodorow acknowledged the assistance of College senior Beth Hirschfelder and College juniors Ashley Magids and Wilton Levine -- each of whom chaired an SJRC working group -- in writing the draft document. Chodorow also clarified his views about the importance of fairness in the revised judicial system, in response to yesterday's editorial in The Daily Pennsylvanian. Hirschfelder then told Council members that the presumption of innocence in the Charter is "a given," and opened the floor to comments and questions about the roles of accused students and advisers in hearings. The Charter now states that respondents would be able to reply to questions from the hearing board but not address the board directly or call and cross-examine witnesses. Advisers could not speak during judicial proceedings. Emeritus Finance Professor Morris Mendelson was the first to respond to Hirschfelder. "[Under the proposed system], the accused can't ask questions," he said. "I think that every person in a judicial system needs to be able to ask questions." College junior and Undergraduate Assembly member Eden Jacobowitz agreed, adding that he feels a student's adviser should also be able to ask questions on the student's behalf. But Hirschfelder said allowing respondents to speak may cause the hearing board "to take on the role of prosecutor," leading to adversarial judicial proceedings and making it more difficult to determine the truth. Chodorow also said the revised Charter does not try to create a court of law. "As a matter of principle, this is not a legal system," he said. "It is the institution that is acting and seeks to find the truth." Chodorow added that he thinks the new system will reveal the truth as well as or better than an adversarial system. But College senior and Undergraduate Assembly member Dan Schorr, who chairs the First Amendment Task Force, assailed the draft Charter as "totally flawed" and "inherently confrontational." Jacobowitz then read portions of a letter criticizing the revised system from History Professor Alan Kors, who served as his adviser during the 1993 "water buffalo" case. Schorr asked Council to pass a resolution rejecting the principles of the revised Charter and creating a new judicial reform committee "that reflects the minutes of this meeting" to reconsider the applicable issues and write another document. "If the principles aren't those that this Council wants, we have to send it back," he said. Echoing sentiments expressed by Hirschfelder and Magids, Graduate Student Associations Council President Bronwyn Beistle said "the thought of sending [the Charter] back fills me with despair and dread." However, Beistle -- an English graduate student who is also GSAC representative to the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly -- added that she shares the concerns raised by other Council members. Following a suggestion by College junior and UA member Lance Rogers that representatives from Council be added to the SJRC to rework the Charter, Mathematics Professor Gerald Porter proposed that the Charter be remanded to the SJRC with discussion from Council. After this substitute motion was accepted, University President Judith Rodin requested that SJRC members bring a "simple, straightforward ?much more well-articulated document" back to Council for further discussion next month. While Chodorow declined to comment on Council's actions, Hirschfelder said they did not surprise her. "We hadn't brought them a final document anyway -- we were planning on taking and using their opinions to continue to make changes to the document," she said. "Substantively, I think we heard things we haven't heard in the past." Magids said the process of judicial reform has taught her that compromise is crucial to achieving change. "I think that the system we're proposing is better than the one that exists, it is definitely a fair system," she said. "We've learned through this long process that it's not possible to just jump from A to Z and we've jumped as far as we realistically can to get a new system in effect next fall," Magids added. Levine said he also remains optimistic that the new Charter will be implemented next fall, and is still hoping for additional feedback from members of the community "to create a fair yet effective judicial system that seeks to find the truth."
(02/09/95 10:00am)
An open door could be partially to blame for a rash of thefts in the Hutchinson Gymnasium, Assistant Director of Recreation John Hamerick said yesterday. The door in question connects Hutch to the Palestra. Hamerick said the situation is "extremely bad," adding that recently there have been five to 10 locker burglaries a week. He said the thieves are avoiding Hutch's main entrance, which is monitored by security guards. Instead, it appears the thieves are gaining access via unguarded Palestra doors and also through Hutch's side doors. "The problem is that [the thieves] are getting in through the Palestra," Hamerick said. "[Closing the connecting door] will not alleviate the problem, but it will deter it substantially. "There are numerous doors where people can let other people in," he added. "But to have a free access is another situation." University Police Detective Gary Heller said the Division of Public Safety has advised the Athletic Department that they should close the door attaching the Palestra to Hutch. He said the door is one of the entry points for the thieves. And last month two suspicious males were seen in the Hutch locker room carrying what appeared to be a bolt cutter, according to University Police Lieutenant Susan Holmes. The two males then fled the locker room and exited Hutch through the unsecured door leading to the Palestra, Holmes said. A wallet and a lock were later found missing. Currently, the connecting door is kept open for the convenience of athletes and recreational joggers, Hamerick said. But the price of convenience has been rather high for those victimized by the thieves. Hamerick said the thieves typically look for credit cards and quickly ring up significant charges before the owner notices the cards are stolen. "They are using these credit cards within a half hour of stealing them," he said. "The number one rule is don't bring valuables to the gym. All you need is your ID and your workout clothes." Hamerick added that the thieves are especially difficult to catch, because after cutting the locks they replace them with new ones. This strategy, he said, gives the appearance that the thieves are legitimately using the locker room. And the lockers affected in the crime spree have been the "transient lockers," Hamerick said. These lockers are available for temporary usage and require the user to bring a padlock. He said the year-round rental lockers have not been broken into because they have combination locks.
