*Condom Kingdom will open in the Radian
*This article appeared in the 2009 joke issue.
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*This article appeared in the 2009 joke issue.
Is the meaning of life simply to reproduce? Daniel Dennett says no.
What organizers had intended to be an open discussion forum aimed at dispelling misconceptions surrounding atheism quickly turned into support for atheism itself.
The team that senior Melina Tsui called "the best it's ever been" couldn't have seen this loss coming.
Welcome (or welcome back) to Philadelphia. Chances are, you're not from around here. In fact, most of the incoming class hails from outside of the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, and 12 percent crossed the Unites States border to study here. In this day and age, when Penn attracts students from all across the country and around the world, many outsiders descend on this city each fall. Most of them come seeking a first-rate education, and many choose Penn because of its urban environment. Sadly, though, scores of students fail to take advantage of the great things Philadelphia has to offer. Soon, classes will begin and the Philly heat will turn to cold, making it easy to pass the days from the comfort of your dorm room. Don't let that happen to you. This city was the birthplace of America two centuries ago and is very much alive today with culture and attractions on par with those of any other major metropolis. But too many Penn students only see their own campus and a handful of tourist hotspots. There is more history here than just Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. There is more shopping here than just campus stores and Rittenhouse Square. There are more places to explore culture than just the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The University has provided a few worthy avenues to explore in the coming week of New Student Orientation, including walking tours of Center City and University City, and everyone unfamiliar with the area should tag along. But that is just scratching the surface. Philadelphia is often referred to as a "city of neighborhoods." From Old City to Manayunk or from Fishtown to the Italian Market, there is something different to see in every corner of William Penn's city. (To get you started, section B of today's edition contains a set of 10 places and events you must visit during your time at Penn) There are also dozens of things to do around town that you might not be aware of and that some students never discover. Tomorrow is First Friday, a day on which more than 40 Old City art galleries open their doors to the public from 5 to 9 p.m. On the gastronomic side (where Philadelphia specializes), Restaurant Week begins on Sept. 10. From Sunday to Friday, more than 100 of the best restaurants in Philadelphia offer three-course meals for only $30. The city will be inviting college students from schools all over the region to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at the end of September for the Campus Philly Kick Off, which promises music, food and a rare chance to meet other students whom you may not otherwise encounter. And do not believe anyone who tells you that Philadelphia is not a haven for music. In the coming month alone, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Who and Bob Dylan will be playing in the area. It's really up to you what parts of Philadelphia you explore and what experiences make your Penn career memorable. After all, if you did not want to live in a city, you could have chosen Dartmouth. Everyone has something new to gain from the city, even those who have lived here their entire lives. So grab a friend and some SEPTA tokens and get going.
San Jose State University remained open this morning while campus, city, state and federal law enforcement agencies assessed the threat of continued attacks that destroyed two New York City skyscrapers and at least four airliners. Terrorists hijacked two airliners and crashed them into the World Trade Center in a coordinated series of blows that brought down the twin 110-story towers. A plane also slammed into the Pentagon, bringing the seat of government itself under attack. American Airlines and United Airlines both confirmed that each had lost two planes. Thousands could be dead or injured, a high-ranking New York City police official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The SJSU announcement was made shortly before 9:30 a.m. by SJSU Police Chief Ric Abeyta. Gov. Gray Davis has placed all state facilities on high tectical alert, said Sylvia Hutchinson, SJSU spokeswoman. The University Police Department has been in touch with all local state and federal law enforcement facilities, Abeyta said. "We are continuing to monitor the situation." Abeyta and and Lt. Bruce Lowe, UPD public affairs officer, were not available for direct comment.
- Counseling and Psychological Services is seeing students on a walk-in basis in the Center for Health Student Behaviors in Student Health Service.
Last spring, Penn's administration shocked students by mandating a number of restrictive changes to undergraduate meal plans.
Over at the intersection of Walnut and 38th streets, an enormous new Wharton School building is rising quickly, adding a dramatic new touch to Penn's skyline.
As construction is under way on Gimbel Gymnasium in order to make room for the new $23 million Pottruck Health and Fitness Center, students and faculty have no other option but to use Hutchinson -- a facility that is in disrepair.
With both Ma Jolie and El Diner having closed their doors, it appears as though Penn might need to rethink its real estate strategy to accommodate the constantly evolving University community.
Nearly six months after Wharton announced the creation of Wharton West -- its San Francisco satellite campus -- they have announced that the location will be on the top floor of the Folger Building. Amidst the historic location, this site marks a new trend towards the globalization of higher education.
Last week's announcement regarding the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's $650 million expansion plan was received with cheers by many, including Mayor John Street.
Friends and family looked for shelter as the students of the Class of 2001 braved the heavy showers on Monday morning, marking the University's 245th commencement. Despite a soggy Franklin Field, thousands of onlookers cheered for the graduates, refusing to let a little rain dampen their spirits. The University cancelled the student processional across campus in light of the dreary conditions, which was slightly disheartening. Seniors were robbed of their time honored tradition to walk side by side with their fellow classmates after four long years. In the midst of the unseasonal showers, the University unveiled its $200,000 renovations to Franklin Field for the commencement exercises. The rain masked any illusions of grandeur that were associated with the large scale project. Better luck next year. But it was the renown graduation speakers that helped compensate for the other shortcomings. Arizona Senator John McCain, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination last year, encouraged the students that the way to make a positive contribution was to be a leader, not a follower. What McCain says comes as no shock -- you have been hearing it since you got your first Penn T-shirt while you were in diapers. The school graduations also featured notable speakers, such as Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford, Jr., Class of 1992 and Philadelphia Mayor John Street. President Judith Rodin, in her speech, emphasized that now it is time for the students to give back to their community. Seniors, your President has called on you to fullfill your duty. As adults entering the real world it is time to leave your mark. For the last four years, Penn has given you a place to call home and a lifetime of memories. Remain active alumni and do not forget us -- a few donations could not hurt either. So congratulations and best of luck to the Class of 2001. We hope your accomplishments will make future classes proud.
On Monday morning, nearly 2,500 undergraduates who comprise the Class of 2001 will don caps and gowns, march across campus to Franklin Field and, together, take the leap from "students" to "alumni."
As college students, we would all like a high grade point average. We want to prove to our parents and friends that the hours spent studying in the library or staying awake during lecture have somehow paid off. We want big-name companies to take notice of our knowledge and potential -- and then we want them to offer us lucrative internships and full-time jobs. Most of all, we just want to be the best. We want to score higher than the student sitting next to us during the Chemistry exam or handing in the Management project. And we want to have that slight edge when decisions are made regarding honor societies, awards and employment. Unfortunately, just too many of us are competing for those high grades. And an even greater number, it now seems, are running home to their parents with near-perfect transcripts. Grade inflation is a trend that has taken America's top-tier colleges and universities by storm. According to recent studies, students at Ivy League universities now routinely receive higher marks than their counterparts 20 years ago. That kind of leap may be attributed to the advanced study options available at universities today. It may be linked to the growth of the Internet as a study tool. And it may, some say, just be the result of a harder-working generation of students. But a more plausible explanation is that students today -- embroiled in tighter competition for jobs and graduate school admission -- are more adept at persuading professors to augment their grades or offer higher marks to classes as a whole. Such practices are inherently dangerous, for they establish an artificial bar of achievement that makes it difficult for any employer or admissions committee to identify real accomplishment or potential. It also undermines the legitimacy and integrity of the grading process, which should be based on an established set of distributed requirements. Obviously, each professor or instructor is entitled to establish his or her own system of evaluation. And some of those systems, naturally, are going to be more generous when it comes to high grades. But that type of variation shouldn't stop concerned parties from taking action. Administrators, professors and students at universities as a whole should work to identify just how prevalent grade inflation really is. And then those same groups must take steps to eliminate it. Only then will we have a real measure of achievement to take home to mom and dad.
Just two years ago, the word "Napster" didn't exist. Metallica and Dr. Dre hadn't yet found their calling as legal vanguards -- they were simply performers. And college students around the world were forced to get their music through the same old channel: the music store. Oh, how things have changed. This week, the world of online music distribution was dealt a serious blow when a federal appellate court forced Napster -- a popular file-sharing service -- to begin restricting access to thousands of copyrighted songs that it had been making available for free exchange. In legal terms, the decision represents an enormous short-term victory for the big music labels. They have been vigorously arguing, and rightfully so, that Napster presents its users with an opportunity to obtain copyrighted music without compensating the artist or distributor. The recording companies may be right. In its current form, Napster's service may in fact infringe upon established laws concerning intellectual property. But that interpretation does little to account for the significant technological leap which Napster and its peers have brought to the music industry. And that development, it appears, will outlast any short-term court ruling. The simple truth is that electronic file sharing is a technology that has enormous future potential. Even if Napster is completely shut down -- which is not likely -- other companies will soon rise in its place to capitalize on the proven market and the proven technological platform. Great possibility also exists in file sharing as a means of promoting new and unheard musical acts. And even some popular performers -- such as Dave Matthews and Moby -- have decried the decision against Napster as a move against intellectual freedom. The recording labels would stand to benefit by embracing the technology which Napster has pioneered, instead of condemning it. To do otherwise risks continued music piracy, further legal battles and a stagnation of innovation in the industry that relies upon it the most.
When Kelly Greenberg came to Penn just two years ago to take the coaching reins of the women's basketball team, she encountered a program with a long history of futility. In 30 years as a team, in fact, the Quakers had amassed a paltry 289-440 record. They had never won a Big 5 championship. They had never been to the NCAA Tournament. They had never won an Ivy League championship. On Saturday night, inside an enemy arena in Boston, Mass., Greenberg and the Quakers turned almost all those fortunes upside down. The Pennsylvania Quakers are the 2000-01 Ivy League Women's Basketball Champions. To the entire team, we extend our congratulations for an amazing season and an incredible turnaround. By defeating Harvard this weekend, the Quakers have become the first team -- of all the men's and women's teams in the nation -- to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Such a feat is certainly a great accomplishment, and deserves the applause of an admiring campus. The Quakers likewise show little sign of slowing down, as their current 18-game winning streak is tops in all of women's basketball. How wonderful it would be to see such a streak continue into the tense, single-elimination days of March Madness. Winning an Ivy League title -- especially the first -- is an incredible accomplishment. It takes the contributions of an entire team, and that entire team is worthy of recognition. But in this case, one player is especially deserving. And for that, we congratulate Diana Caramanico for a stellar season -- and a stellar career -- during which she led the Red and Blue and put together more points than any other women's basketball player in Ivy League history. Caramanico's success, as well as that of Greenberg and Erin Ladley -- who joined the elite 1,000-point club this weekend -- are all part of the new winning tradition that is Penn women's basketball. We wish them all nothing but the best as they wrap up their season and prepare for the NCAAs.
The SAT has never been particularly popular. Millions of students fear taking the college placement test every year. Civil rights advocates decry it as discriminating against those of lower economic standing. And some college administrators say that it is an inherently flawed means of measuring academic potential. But despite all the opposition, one fact about the SAT is true -- it remains the most universally accepted measure of student ability in our country. This week, the president of the University of California made waves in academia by recommending that the state's system of colleges and universities drop its reliance on the SAT as a factor in its admissions process. Should the California regents and faculty accept the president's sweeping suggestion, the nation's largest state-controlled higher education system would be the first to abandon the oldest and most relied-upon measure of student potential. And that move, should it become reality, could be harmful. As college admissions becomes an increasingly competetive enterprise, the importance of consistent measures of ability and promise is going to grow even more prevalent. High school grades, recommendations and activity reports are all useful and necessary components of the admissions application. But the circumstances and standards surrounding these criteria vary tremendously, and demand an additional means of objective perspective. That's where the SAT -- despite its flaws -- still provides value. No test can predict academic performance perfectly. And, to be certain, there still exist many inherent flaws in the application and makeup of the SAT. But rather than dismantling the framework entirely, academic leaders would benefit from reworking the assessment -- rather than abandoning a measure that generally provides a clear picture of student abilities. To go in any other direction -- in California, at Penn and anywhere in between -- could threaten the integrity of a balanced admissions process.
A year ago, we came to our positions as editors and managers of The Daily Pennsylvanian with the mandate to produce, night in and night out, a newspaper worthy of this University and of you, our readers. We aimed to reach new heights -- in writing and reporting, in photography and design, in Web site design and content -- while adhering to our time-honored commitment informing the University community and honoring the sacred principles of fairness and accuracy. And while we hope we have succeeded, we realize now that this enterprise is about much more than paper and ink. It is about the awesome responsibility that a free press, with its credibility on the line each day, has to the people it serves. It is about about the people who toil through the night for little pay and less recognition. And it is about hard work and team efforts and the inherent value of a job well done. We have been tested many times over the past year. The sun rose the morning after the historic November elections with no clear winner in sight, and to a nation in confusion. Controversies over gene therapy, labor rights and Penn's position in West Philadelphia have pushed our staffs to dig deeper into stories that weren't always popular but were always central to the mission of this University. Throughout, we have operated on the dual premises that the faculty, students and staff of the University have the right to know what is happening on campus and that such information should be presented without bias or judgment. At times we have failed. We promise that we've done our best and have appreciated your feedback, positive and negative, over the past 12 months. Our time here done, we leave this newspaper -- this institution -- in the hands of as capable and committed a slate of young journalists and businesspeople as we could have hoped. Good luck and godspeed to our friends on the 117th Board of Editors and Managers. We can only hope that one year from now, you feel the same sense of accomplishment and camaraderie that we do today. And to our readers, thank you for making our time in these windowless confines worthwhile. Never forget that this is your University, and that neither this school nor this newspaper can prosper absent your active involvement.