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(01/24/95 10:00am)
The jury is split on O.J. Simpson. While some University students have lost interest in the ex-football star's double-murder trial, others say they are looking forward to watching the proceedings on TV. The trial, which begins today in Los Angeles, is being broadcast live on all of the major networks as well as several cable stations. "I think the trial is far, far overexposed," College and Engineering sophomore Matthew Finkelstein said. "It's a travesty of justice. I'm going to watch as little as possible." College freshman Jody Girgenti echoed Finkelstein's sentiments. "I think [the media coverage] is totally excessive," she said. "But I'm sure I'll end up watching because it's going to be on everywhere, all the time." Yet other students expressed an interest in the trial, and said they were going to make an effort to watch. "As a prospective lawyer, I think I'd like to keep in touch with it," Wharton and College senior Michael Hoffman said. "I think it's interesting because someone who was such a hero is now being challenged." Third-year Law student Bruce Koch said he would most likely watch portions of the trial because "it's good to learn from." "It's interesting to watch the tactics of the defense lawyers," he said. Koch added, though, that he did not understand why the networks were devoting so much air time to the trial. "There are a lot of other important things going on in the world," he said. But while most University students agree that the trial is receiving too much hype, most believe that the coverage has been fairly objective so far. "[The coverage] is all right," Engineering sophomore Victor Vuchic said. "It seems to be pretty solid and not too biased." Hoffman agreed, but added that the gluttony of "trash media" has made it difficult to understand the facts. "I don't know who to trust anymore," he said. Whether they believe it is over-hyped, everyone expressed their curiosity about the trial's outcome. "I'll probably pick [the trial] up at the end, because the middle's going to be really boring," Koch said. Vuchic said he will do the same. "I'll tune in when they deliver the verdict," he said. While curious to hear the jury's decision, the consensus among students is that Simpson is guilty but will not be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. "I want to think he's not guilty, but where's there's smoke, there's fire, if you know what I mean," said Hoffman, referring to the mounting evidence against Simpson. "[But] I have a feeling he'll be found completely not guilty." Vuchic agreed. "If it was some average guy, they'd probably put him in the chair," he said. "But O.J. will walk."
(01/24/95 10:00am)
Three years after an accusation of sexual harassment landed the Acacia fraternity on probation, Acacia "cleaned the slate" by initiating six new brothers last year. Now, the chapter is looking to expand its membership. And while InterFraternity Council fraternities typically hold rush events in the fall, Acacia members decided to start with a less formal rush process beginning next week. "[Although] we're having our rush in January, which is after the IFC rush, we're not looking to work outside the IFC, or to buck the system in any way," said College junior Adam Coates, the chapter President. Its preliminary rush event Monday is designed to attract freshman and sophomores interested in an "alternative" greek organization. "Alternative" means more community service, a smaller group of brothers, and close ties with alumni, according to Coates. The five juniors and one senior volunteer at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on a regular basis as a fraternity activity, he said. "Right now we're focusing on community service," said Matt Bixler, an Acacia alumnus still working with the new brothers. Acacia members said last night that while they would like to see a large number of rushees, the number of pledges will be kept small. The goal of the chapter is to roughly double membership. "Obviously it is a lot smaller than most fraternities on campus," College junior and Acacia brother Dan Song said. Coates added that it is important to not to expand too quickly. "You get some growing pains," he said. "You want to choose as carefully as possible." Acacia's problems began in 1991 when then College junior Judy Schlossberg filed sexual harassment charges against brothers. Schlossberg alleged they photocopied and distributed nude photos of her around campus. Since November 1991, when the Judicial Inquiry Office and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs ruled that Acacia was responsible for the incident, the fraternity has suffered from a negative image -- and subsequently has had difficulty recruiting brothers. With only four brothers, Acacia lost its house in late 1993 -- and officials speculated that the fraternity could lose University recognition. But after alumni held two unsuccessful rush events the following September, Coates and five of his friends saw an opportunity. "So we decided to call them up and we formed our own group," he said. The new pledges were initiated last April. And plans to acquire a house are proceeding, according to Coates. But Song said the chapter is not looking to move into its old house -- currently occupied by Lambda Phi Epsilon. "Probably we'll have a house sometime next year," he added. The first information session will be held next Monday in Steinberg-Dietrich Hall at 8 p.m. In previous years, between three and four IFC fraternities have held Spring rush, according to IFC President David Treat, a College junior.
(01/24/95 10:00am)
The Undergraduate Assembly released Project 2000, its five-year plan for improving the University Sunday night. With the release of the plan, the UA will now turn its attention to short-term goals -- including the implementation of some of the proposals included in Project 2000, according to UA Chairperson and Wharton junior Dan Debicella. But a small faction of the UA representatives still said they questioned the original purposes behind the project. Project 2000 consists of 30 recommendations for improving the University in 11 different areas, Debicella said. Many of the proposals were written by Debicella, but he gave credit to several UA members who also wrote recommendations. Debicella said the project's proposals fall into two categories. "There are a lot of proposals that are basically compilations of talk that has been going around the University a lot lately," he said. "[And] there are a couple of ground-breaking proposals that really haven't been thought of before." The most ground-breaking of these proposals is a new plan to fund the Revlon Center, a campus center originally slated to be built on 36th and Walnut streets, according to Debicella. The recommendation calls for a binding student referendum on a proposed "Campus Center Fee" to be included as a tuition cost. If students pass the referendum, the fee would go into effect, and its proceeds would be used to build the Revlon Center. "If the administration can't come up with the money for the Revlon Center, let the students vote," Debicella said. He added that the Revlon Center proposal is the Project 2000 proposal that he would most like to see implemented. "If [only] one proposal could pass, it would be for a campus center," he said. "It would be to have the administration commit to not using existing buildings as a student center, but to build a new student center." Debicella said Project 2000 represented the culmination of a semester's work. The UA began work on the project at the first meeting of the fall semester. Other major facets of the five-year plan include a recommendation that student advisory boards be created in order to deal with areas such as Dining Services, the Athletic Department and Residential Maintenance. The plan also suggests that University Police officers be made responsible for specific blocks off-campus and that a new proposal for the Revlon Center be created, according to Debicella. He said he did not expect the entire proposal to be adopted by the administration -- even after five years. "I would be thrilled if four years after I graduated, I come back for Homecoming weekend and I see 50 percent of these proposals implemented," he said. "I would be very, very happy if the administration implemented the important proposals that are in here." But some members of the UA said they did not share Debicella's enthusiasm for Project 2000. "I thought it would be much more productive for the UA to take another course and focus on short-term issues that would have an impact on this UA," said UA representative Eric Tienou, a College junior. "I wasn't against Project 2000, I just thought we had better options than Project 2000." UA representative Lance Rogers, a College junior, said he originally voted against the proposal because he disagreed with its basic purpose. "I don't think the UA should be focused around something that has long-term goals, such as Project 2000, and neglects the immediate future, the way Project 2000 did," he said.
(01/24/95 10:00am)
Members of Congress are talking about ways to cut federal spending, and financial aid is one potential target of the reductions. As part of the "Contract With America," Republicans in the House of Representatives have proposed cutting $9.6 billion from the federal budget over a five-year span by making students pay for the interest on student loans as part of the cost of paying off the loans. Currently, students do not have to pay interest on loans because the interest is subsidized by the federal government. Student Financial Aid Director Bill Schilling said this would place a larger financial burden on many students. "It would basically increase the debt of borrowers," Schilling said. He added that for an undergraduate who borrows the maximum possible amount in loans, the additional debt would be approximately $3,000 over a four-year period. University Federal Relations Associate Director Carl Maugeri said this would have a direct impact on students. He said the Republican Contract calls for the removal of all forms of campus-based aid. Such programs include the Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant, work-study grants and the Perkins loan program. According to Schilling, a decrease in campus-based programs might mean that students would have to borrow more money, possibly from a "different, less favorable source." Maugeri said the University currently receives $7.1 million in campus-based aid from the federal government. There is one proposal made by House Republicans that would move half the money saved by cuts in campus-based aid programs into Pell grants, a different source of aid that Schilling said has traditionally been aimed at low-income students. "But it's not clear that Penn would get the same money back," Maugeri said of the Pell grants. Schilling said only a small part of the money from Pell grants is directed at four-year colleges. He added, however, that this plan is only one of many currently being proposed in Congress. Changes in the national financial aid program could force the University to look for a different source of aid. "Then the question is, can an alternative source be found and would it be as attractive as the source that was eliminated?" he said. Both Schilling and Maugeri were reluctant to speculate on the future of this issue. Maugeri said the Contract is a "House initiative," and it has not been endorsed by Senate Republicans. In looking into the future of potential cuts, Schilling said that the University's policy would depend on the specific cuts that were enacted. He also noted that there would be some debate in Congress on whether aid for education is an appropriate place in which to cut spending.
(01/24/95 10:00am)
Students and Resident Advisors have found piles of what is believed to be human feces on bathroom floors, toilets and showers throughout the Community House section of the Quadrangle. The perpetrator, whom residents have dubbed the "Mad Shitter," has defecated in women's bathrooms in the Ward, Warwick, McIlhenny and Cleeman buildings in the Quad. The most recent instance occurred early Sunday morning, in the female bathroom on the first floor of Ward, Resident Advisor and College junior Rebecca Ullman said last night. Similar incidents occurred in Ullman's hallway last semester. As a result, Residential Maintenance placed locks on the women's bathrooms in the affected hallways. They provided all rooms occupied by females on those hallways with keys. Ullman said Sunday's incident meant the locks might not have helped. The problem happened between four and 10 a.m. Sunday, Ullman said. She said she had been in the bathroom at both of those times. "It wasn't there at four, but it was at 10," she said. "It was in the second stall on the back seat of the toilet? and it was gross." Although Ullman filed an emergency complaint to the front desk of the Quad, the fecal matter was not cleaned up until yesterday morning, when a Residential Maintenance employee came to perform a regular clean-up of the bathroom. Community House's Assistant Dean of Residence Diana Koros said the incidents began in mid-September, and continued, on average once a week, throughout the semester. College and Wharton junior Jon-Paul Momsen, resident advisor for the first floor of Warwick, said similar incidents occurred on his hallway last semester. "There was a point in time when it would happen, be cleaned up, and then happen again right away," he said. "They even stopped cleaning it because it kept happening so much." Momsen said the problem stopped toward the end of the semester. Locks were placed on the bathroom on his hallway as well. Koros said she had no idea who might be responsible for the incidents. "It's a very delicate situation because we're unsure if the person or persons who are doing this are committing a deliberate crime or in need of psychiatric help," Koros said. She added that she has spoken with representatives from Residential Living, Penn Police and University Counseling about the issue. Koros said the fact that the incident has happened since the locks were put into place simply means that the pool of those who might have done it "is narrowed down to those who have access to the keys." But the search is still expected to be difficult, Koros added. The Quad desk is holding one key in its lockout box, Residential Maintenance employees also have keys, and it is also possible that students might have given their keys to an outsider. "It's really peculiar because I thought all our problems were solved [when the locks were placed on the doors]," Ullman said. "My biggest concern is that perhaps there's more to it than vandalism, but it could be an obnoxious person just trying to be funny." College freshman Keri Reese, who lives on the third floor of Warwick, saw feces in the middle of her bathroom floor last November. She said she wished the response had been better. "It's Maintenance's job to keep the bathrooms sanitary to live in," she said. "It was pretty sick and disgusting." Reese also said last semester's problem with lack of ventilation in the bathrooms still exists in her building, and contributed to the smell emanated by the feces.
(01/24/95 10:00am)
For students trying to trudge through "great" literature, there is finally an alternative to the familiar yellow and black guides. MAXnotes are a series of literature guides which have recently been released by the Research and Education Association of Piscataway, N.J. Carl Fuchs, head of media services for REA, explained that MAXnotes offer a more contemporary interpretation of literature than Cliffs Notes. They are also "student-friendly" -- more entertaining and easier to understand, he said. Fuchs added that a unique feature of MAXnotes is their use of pictures that illustrate important ideas. "They contain drawings and illustrations of key passages which convey the moods and spirits of the work," he said. Fuchs said one of the main goals of MAXnotes is to provide students with a modern understanding of literature that differs from earlier analysis. "They reflect more up-to-date versions," he said. According to the product's brochure, MAXnotes feature concise summaries, topic suggestions for papers and study questions. There are currently 32 titles available in bookstores. Five additional titles will be available each month, Fuchs said. They include both traditional classics and recently published works including Gone With the Wind, Hamlet, Of Mice and Men, and Les Miserables. Many students have never heard of MAXnotes. Others seem hesitant to purchase them. Engineering sophomore Steve Shiming Lu said he sees no reason to buy them since Cliffs Notes have been adequate in the past. "I wouldn't trust them because they are new, and Cliffs Notes have always been very dependable," he said. Still, others are willing to give them a fair chance. "I'd really need to see them to decide if they are more comprehensive than the other style," College sophomore Ayana Green said. College freshman Lindsay Lion agreed. "I'd have to check out the MAXnotes and compare them to the Cliffs Notes to see which ones were better," she said.
(01/24/95 10:00am)
Washington writer also hired Assembling the best administrative team in all of American higher education is no easy task. Just ask University President Judith Rodin, who is still trying to round out her staff roster to accomplish this goal -- almost seven months after taking office. Rodin took another step toward finishing the job yesterday, welcoming two new advisors from Washington to College Hall. Chief of Staff Stephen Schutt, who held a similar position with former U.S. Senator Harris Wofford (D – Pa.), and Staff Writer Jeff Hartman joined new Director of the President's Office Linda Gilvear, whose appointment was announced last week. All three began the week in their new posts. However, Rodin is still searching for a permanent Executive Vice President, director of the Office of Affirmative Action and director of the African American Resource Center. Gilvear, Schutt and Hartman will be working in an environment markedly different from the one left behind by former University President Sheldon Hackney, Rodin said. Former Interim President Claire Fagin began the task of administrative restructuring by thinning out the number of middle-management personnel, and the positions Gilvear, Schutt and Hartman now hold resemble those recommended by a preliminary Coopers & Lybrand report Fagin commissioned last year. "[Gilvear and Schutt] are replacing Linda Hyatt and John Wells Gould, but their jobs are different," said University spokeswoman Barbara Beck. Gilvear, who spearheaded the recently-concluded Campaign for Penn, said last week she planned to spend many of her first days on the job "organizing my thoughts, prioritizing what needs to be done first." But while Gilvear may be performing mental gymnastics this week, Schutt and Hartman -- having just arrived from Washington -- will be learning their way around Locust Walk and attempting to meet as many people as possible. Schutt, a 1983 graduate of the University Law School, worked as an attorney and in state government before spending more than three years as chief of staff for Wofford. As chief of staff, Schutt recruited, hired and supervised campaign workers and devised and implemented legislative initiatives. He also directed a $13 million fund-raising effort. Schutt said he wanted to work with Wofford -- who was president of Bryn Mawr College before being appointed to the Senate by former Pennsylvania Governor Robert Casey -- because of Wofford's ties and commitment to higher education. Schutt added that the experience he gained while running Wofford's office should prove invaluable in his new role at the University -- where one of his responsibilities will be acting as a liaison between the president's office and many campus constituencies. "This University is a large place -- with many people, who have many legitimate needs that are not always in concert with each other," he said. "[But] they all need to be looked at and dealt with." Schutt will also be engaged in economic development planning and policy-making activities, assisting Rodin in achieving her priorities for the University. "It's a very exciting thing in life to join with somebody who really has a vision, and to try to accomplish that vision," he said, referring to Rodin's undergraduate education and administrative restructuring plans. Hartman, who is Rodin's new staff writer, will also be active in the implementation of the 21st Century Project on Undergraduate Education by serving as a liaison to a variety of student activities. "Some have remarked that I'm good with hot air," he said, acknowledging that his previous job was with the Natural Gas Supply Association. "[But] it looks like I'll be handling some of the correspondence duties and speechwriting assignments." A 1990 graduate of the College of William and Mary with a degree in English and a Princeton native, Hartman said he is glad to be at the University. "I enjoy writing," Hartman said. "I never believed that I could earn a living writing, and in that sense I am very appreciative of [this] opportunity." Rodin echoed her new employees' enthusiasm. "[Schutt and Hartman] will be significant additions to the Penn community and wonderful additions to my office," she said. "[They] will add strength and staff support where we need it."
(01/23/95 10:00am)
Although most of them traveled to campus by plane for the traditional two-day round of winter meetings, members of the University's Board of Trustees also found time for a trip on the information superhighway during their visit last week. While much of their time was consumed by committee meetings and briefings on the financial and academic state of the University, the Trustees attended a plenary session on Thursday entitled "The University in the Information Age." At this program, Engineering School Dean Gregory Farrington offered the Trustees an audio-visual glimpse of the Internet's potential for innovation in education, focusing on how technology has dramatically changed the processing, transmission and storage of information. Classics Professor James O'Donnell, who taught a seminar exclusively on the Internet this fall, and English Professor Alan Filreis, who created a computer listserv to encourage continuous discussion in his Literature of the Holocaust course, showed the Trustees how the use of information technology has expanded the frontiers of the classroom. Filreis, who is also the English Department's undergraduate chairperson, said he hopes the World Wide Web component of the Internet will help the department to become "paperless" by June 30, 1996 -- and to solve the problems of "uncreative course-taking" by students and "weak advising." Dental School Dean Raymond Fonesca said he anticipates using the Internet to develop a "life-long learning" and continuing education program to keep alumni involved in the Dental School's affairs. Farrington summed up the Internet as a combination of the best of the American educational system -- because it teaches large numbers of students at reasonable cost -- and the British Oxbridge model that emphasizes personal contact with faculty. Trustee Myles Tannenbaum called the demonstration "mind-blowing." "It's incredible," he said, referring to the Internet. "[Its] opportunities and what it will mean are every bit as significant as the printing press in terms of implication." At Friday's Stated Meeting, the Trustees approved the minutes of their October 20, 1994 meeting along with resolutions providing for an increased number of term trustees until December 31, 1996. The Trustees also heard reports from University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow on the current status of administrative restructuring, action on recommendations made last year by the Commission on Strengthening the Community, results of recently-completed dean searches and the 21st Century Project on Undergraduate Education. Acting Executive Vice President Jack Freeman said the University expects to break even financially this fiscal year, with the Schools of Nursing, Social Work and Graduate School of Education posting surpluses and the Annenberg School and Athletics Department running deficits. General Counsel Shelley Green updated the Trustees on the University's compliance with anti-trust laws, stemming from litigation first brought against the Ivy Overlap Group in 1989 that was related to the sharing of financial aid data for admissions purposes. The Budget and Finance Committee approved resolutions creating the TeleQuest radiology consortium, to be based at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, in addition to capital improvements to a planned Convention Avenue SEPTA stop near the Penn Tower Hotel. Purchases of computer equipment for the National Scalable Cluster Project and of several residential properties near campus were also ratified. Before adjourning, the Trustees discussed the proposed student judicial charter and the increasing internationalization of the University's student body. Rodin said she was pleased with the accomplishments that occurred during this cycle of meetings. "We always get a good deal of hard questioning and wise counsel from the Trustees," she said, adding that the Board now includes four new alumni Trustees and two Trustees appointed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. "This meeting was typical," she added. Trustees Chairperson Roy Vagelos agreed with Rodin. "When you're a Trustee it's your job to worry, because you're fiscally responsible," he said. "[But] this meeting went exceedingly well.?I'm always exhilarated by my time at Penn."
(01/23/95 10:00am)
In a dramatic auto accident last night, a Reliable Cab Services taxi flipped over, landing on the driver's side and slamming into three other cars at 40th and Walnut streets at about 9:30 p.m. last night. Miraculously, there were no injuries. Amidst the wreckage, Philadelphia Fire Rescue personnel extricated the taxi driver, Gen Chenet of Philadelphia, through the passenger side's door on what had become the top of the vehicle. At least 10 Philadelphia and University Police vehicles responded within minutes of the accident to close off the 4100 block of Walnut Street to traffic. In addition, although police scrambled to collect evidence about the incident, the cause of the accident remained unknown. One person who witnessed the incident, Kesha Wilson, said she saw another car hit the cab on its left side and flee west on Walnut Street. Latasha Wilson, another witness, said the other car involved in the accident appeared to be a green colored taxi-cab. Chenet, a taxi driver for over 17 years, said he did not know how the accident happened and never saw the second car. In addition, he said he was not speeding at the time of the accident while he drove west on Walnut Street at about 35 miles per hour. "It was happening so fast," he said. "It felt like the front [of the taxi] was shaking." Of the three cars damaged by the taxi, the most severe was a black Cadillac Eldorado. The left rear of the car was crumpled from the impact of the taxi, exposing the entire wheel. The Cadillac's owner, who was at the scene of the accident, was visibly shaken and refused to comment. As it crashed, the taxi pushed the Cadillac forward into a black Mercury, damaging the rear bumper. A fourth car on the scene was also damaged.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
Man had machine gun Five University students were accosted by a man brandishing what they described as an "Uzi or a TEC-9" within a block of campus Saturday afternoon. University Police Sergeant Keith Christian confirmed that University Police responded to an incident broadcast over Philadelphia Police radio at 2:42 p.m. describing four males with a gun at 40th and Locust streets. A College junior, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he and two friends were in the street loading furniture into a car when a dark green compact vehicle with three men drove by and honked their horn at the students. The student said the car stopped about 30 yards away from where he and his friends were standing, and a man approached them. "He gets out of the car and starts screaming 'Which one of you fuckers gave me the finger,' " the student said, adding that he and his friends did nothing to provoke the man. "I see that he is carrying a gun in his hand and it is pointed directly at me." The only description the student could provide was that the man was, "a black male, wearing a striped sweater and a ski hat. "I figured if I ran inside he would shoot and kill me," he added. "If I stayed there I thought I was dead." He said that after some confusion, he and his friends decided to run into the house even as the armed man continued to yell at them from the street for several minutes before fleeing in the dark green car. "I thought he was going to start shooting up our house," said another student, a Wharton senior, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "The way he was holding the gun, I was expecting shots." The students said they called Philadelphia Police after the car drove by their house a second time a few minutes later. The College junior said that later in the day, Philadelphia Police stopped men who matched the description given by the students. But the students said they refused to identify the suspects out of fear for their personal safety, he added. For the students, the incident has been a sobering experience. A College of General Studies sophomore, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that when he called Philadelphia Police he was so nervous that he ripped the phone from the telephone jack. "I was so scared that I couldn't even function," the CGS sophomore said. "I honestly thought the guy was going to shoot me. "I'm getting out of West Philly as soon as the semester is over," he added. "I thought when someone pulled a gun I would be calm and rational. When he went for the gun, I lost it. The guy really seemed like a psychotic." The CGS senior said that police could not have stopped the incident from occurring. "This is a safe street," he said. "I think the cops do a good job. [The suspects] don't care about cops. If they got a dispute to settle -- they are going to settle it their way."
(01/23/95 10:00am)
Irvine Auditorium's 30-foot steeple is coming apart piece by piece. But now the Physical Plant Department has secured the lead and steel structure so no further damage can occur, and officials have launched an investigation into the problem and possible solutions. When a Physical Plant employee recently inspected the roof, he unexpectedly found an piece of lead sitting there and realized that the steeple was beginning to fall apart, according to Physical Plant Executive Director Jim Wargo. Vice President of Facilities Management Arthur Gravina said the fallen piece of lead did not cause any damage to the roof. The department has covered and secured the steeple while structural engineers look into the situation, Wargo said. "We wrapped it so nothing will fall off of it and put up plastic netting to hold it together," he said. "We've been working on it to understand what the problems are." Irvine was built in 1928. There are no readily available blueprints of the construction of the steeple. However, Wargo said the department has learned that the structure is made of lead internally, with a steel structure surrounding it. Gravina said the steeple is actually made of sections of lead pieced together by pins. The lead has corroded and the structure has not been renovated in years. Gravina said no one in Physical Plant could remember the last time the steeple had been repaired, but he added that it was probably within the last 50 years. Physical Plant renovated Irvine's interior in October in preparation for University President Judith Rodin's inaugural ceremonies. Then, officials painted sections of the auditorium, repaired seats, and wired the facility for ResNet and the Academic Video Network. The discovery of the steeple's corrosion, however, had no connection with those repairs. Physical Plant has retained a structural engineer to research and investigate the problem and develop a proposal for fixing the steeple. In addition, Physical Plant employees are in the process of gathering documents and information about Irvine in order to understand more about the structure and how to best repair it. Once Physical Plant accepts the structural engineers' proposal, the department must go through the bidding process to hire a contractor before doing the actual repairs. Wargo said one difficulty that workers have and will continue to encounter involves the actual process of getting up to the steeple and repairing it, since it is so high. Gravina said the project has been labeled within the deferred maintenance category and added that the repair will probably begin this summer. But Wargo said -the entire process will take a long time -- although he could not specify how long the project might take. He said he could not estimate how much the project would cost.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
With fire in their eyes and words that could slice a raw beefsteak paper thin, the 750 young competitors in the University's 1995 Liberty Bell Classic High School Debate Tournament were welcomed this past weekend by the University's Debate Council. Although forensics competition was the tournament's primary purpose, the event also served to expose talented high school students to University life, Debate Council Members said. "We are part of the University, like the winning Penn basketball team, which attracts students to Penn and portrays it in a good light," said College senior and debate team member Randi Reich. "The participants are bright kids and we'd like to get as many applicants as possible." Tournament Director Paul Higday, a Management and Technology junior, agreed the tournament was aimed at recruiting the typically focused student characteristic of tournament participants. "For the most part, these are above-average students with upper-level intelligent thinking," he said. The Debate Council gave participating students an admissions information packet, in an effort to encourage participating students to apply to the University. In addition, because the contests were held in 10 buildings across campus, competitors became familiar with the campus. Tournament participant Jason Kochel, a high school senior from Ocean Township, New Jersey, said walking around the University's campus and interacting with the University students running the tournament gave him a well-rounded prospective of the University. He also said that his weekend in Philadelphia made him consider the University as a place he would like to spend four years. But recruitment is not unique to this year's annual tournament. College freshman and Debate Council member Joshua Rockoff said he attributes his presence at the University to his experience at last year's tournament. "I had never really seen Penn," he said. "I never really knew it existed. Then I heard of the tournament, came last year, thought it was really cool and I have loved it ever since. "I heard about the reputation of Penn's Speech and Debate team and coming from a strong program in high school, I knew I wanted to compete," Rockoff added. Bronx Science High School Forensics Director Robert Levinson, a 1984 Wharton graduate, said the competition allowed the members of his team to explore the University. "It can very much influence students' decisions," he said. "I have 25 juniors who see the campus. That makes it a more realistic option. "I know students who come because of the expertise of Penn's debate team," Levinson added. "It is a good option if they want to continue competing." Levinson, who was the the co-president of the University's Speech and Debate Team when he was a student, acknowledged a significant improvement in the University's tournament this year. He attributed this resurgence to the phenomenal organization of the entirely student-run event -- as well as strong financial and academic support from the Annenberg School for Communications. Members of the Debate Council agreed that the monies were key to the organization's success. "Annenberg's financial backing gives us the means to compete," said College sophomore Laura Paladino, the secretary of the Debate Council.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
Last week, students were still waiting in line at the Student Financial Services office, expecting refunds, only to be told the office made a mistake. But SFS Director of Student Services Carol Murphy said, despite "minor" problems, SFS is still providing the "best student services we can offer." Last week, the office discovered that many students mistakenly received postcards indicating that they had refund checks due to them. Murphy attributed the problem to errors made by temporary staff who were hired over winter break. "There are times that services might not be perfect," she said. "This was a mistake and it's easily corrected. It won't happen again." The SFS office changed its usual method of sending out refund checks this year in an effort to improve services, she said. Before this year, refund check notification was sent in the middle of January, after the post-break peak period ended. But because of a student's suggestion, the office decided to add temporary staff members over break to prepare and mail postcards for immediate notification, Murphy said. "We were trying to provide the best services to our students," she said. "And we came upon a minor glitch." Murphy said she cannot determine exactly how many students wrongly received postcards, although she said the number was "really small." She did say, however, that 1,500 actual refund checks were generated over break. According to Murphy, the "clerical error" did not cause major problems for some of the students affected by the errors because they had to go to SFS for other reasons. She added that only a small number of students were truly inconvenienced. Murphy said the SFS staff sees a "high volume" of customers at this point in the year, which contributes to the lengthy lines and irritable customers. She added that the staff is prepared for the influx of students, and attempts to accommodate them.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
For most University students, the summer is a time of fun under the sun and a welcomed escape from the classroom. But for College senior Kym May there is no escape. For approximately eight weeks during the summer, May is a full-time teacher for a national collaborative organization called Summer Bridge, a two-year tuition-free enrichment program for bright, motivated middle school children. The program targets high school and college students as its teachers, and educationally "at risk" and low income children as the students. "Summer Bridge functions as the bridge between middle school and high school to close the gap between students and their teachers," May said. "The students can really see their teachers as friends." And program director and middle school teacher Julie Friedberg said that "having such young teachers creates a sort of academic utopia for these students." The seventh and eighth grade students involved in the program go through a rigorous and competitive application process. On average, more than 60 children apply for only 30 spots. In addition, each classroom has only four to eight students. The reason behind keeping the size of the chapters small is to ensure that students receive adequate attention from their teachers. "It is ultimately the student's decision to apply to the Summer Bridge," said Friedberg, "The kids really want to do better in school. They have to be motivated to do two to three hours of homework each night of the summer." The students involved in Summer Bridge engage in a diverse courseload, consisting of literature, writing, mathematics, science, social studies and language classes. They also participate in after-school electives such as theater arts, journalism, and sports. May said that the program is supported by donations from private individuals as well as from large corporations. Its teachers receive a small stipend for the summer. She added that the Summer Bridge program was established in 1978 in San Francisco. As of 1991, there were only three chapters in existence. Now, however, there are 28 chapters of the organization in both the United States and abroad. Friedberg said that the Summer Bridge program has two main objectives. The first is to prepare middle school children for college preparatory courses, and the second is to encourage high school and college students to become involved in educating youth. Friedberg said that Summer Bridge is not just limited to the six-week, intensive summer program. There is also a year-round component in which students' progress is tracked throughout the school year. The students attend the summer session for two consecutive summers and optional tutoring sessions at "Saturday Schools" during the school year. The newest Summer Bridge chapter is slated to open this summer in the Germantown section of Philadelphia at the Germantown Friends School. The new chapter will be the only one in Pennsylvania, and consist of 35 seventh grade students and 15 high school and college staff members. And its organizers are encouraging University students and faculty to participate regardless of whether or not their interests lie in the educational field, she said. "The program is amazing -- it has a life-transforming effect on all who become involved, both teachers and students," Friedberg said. "One of the greatest learning experiences is for the teachers. It is so easy to be sucked into the lives of these children." May said that she agreed. "I believe that people here at Penn can really benefit from what Summer Bridge has to offer," said May. "Being a teacher and trying to communicate an idea to seventh graders is quite a challenge and has helped me become a better student. Besides, the relationships that you make with these kids are incredible." May added there will be an informational meeting tonight for students interested in participating in the Summer Bridge program. It will be held in the Bishop White room in Houston Hall at 7:30 p.m. In addition, the Germantown chapter is scheduled to begin summer session on July 5th with the staff working from June 26th until August 16th.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
Kicking off its 30th year of service to the University community, the Student Committee for Undergraduate Education held its annual steering committee elections yesterday. This year's new steering committee will include Wharton junior Satya Patel as chairperson, Vice-Chairperson Sharna Goldseker, a College junior, Treasurer Eugene Huang, an Engineering sophomore, and Secretary Ellona Wilner, a College junior. Also on the steering committee are members-at-large College junior Adam Hellegers and Wharton sophomore Ben Nelson. "Our mission aims have been the same, but we have manifested them into different areas," Goldseker said. "We're always working on education reform." She added that SCUE will be focusing on a new white paper regarding minors at the University. SCUE, the campus' oldest branch of student government, is largely research-based, but has a legislative body composed of a 33-member general assembly. The assembly is responsible for electing the six-member steering committee. Departing chairperson and Management and Technology senior Matthew Kratter described his former post as "highly influential in regard to the undergraduate curriculum." Kratter said the past semester has been a difficult one for SCUE, as their plan to revise the University calender was defeated by Provost Stanley Chodorow. "This was a very challenging year to be selling SCUE to the new administrators," he added. "[But] I think this committee has positioned itself at the top of this University." The group plans to release their 1995 White Paper on Undergraduate Education on March 23, the date of their 30th anniversary. This compilation will represent a "comprehensive five-year evaluation of undergraduate education at the University," according to its original proposal. In the past, SCUE has been responsible for such major University changes as the fall break vacation and the pass/fail course option.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
Members of the University's Board of Trustees discussed the need for minority role models at the University in a joint meeting of the Student Life and University Responsibility Committees last Thursday. Increasing the presence of minority role models -- such as professors -- is a primary factor in attracting a larger portion of the the historically small minority applicant pool, Board members said. In an effort to combat the problem, Roy Vagelos, the chairperson of the Board of Trustees, proposed a plan to cultivate minority role models. He said his plan was based on his experience as the former CEO of the pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. Vagelos advocated recruiting minority students to the University's undergraduate program, then "dragging" them through the University's graduate schools and encouraging them to stay with the University as faculty members. He also emphasized the need to keep minority professors on the University's staff. "Outplacement interviews have been suggested by administrators to evaluate how minorities felt about the University," he said. Other trustees agreed with Vagelos. "The number of minorities is few," said Trustee Ed Anderson. "And for the handful of minorities, an environment which provides people they can relate to is now more comfortable." Minorities are choosing schools in which the majority of students are minorities, Anderson added. According to Susan Catherwood, a vice-chairperson of the Board of Trustees, the University is actively recruiting minorities by offering financial aid, as well as tutoring. "Even though we are need blind, we have specific packages," she said. Despite an aggressive recruitment program to attract black students, there was a four percent decrease in their applications for undergraduate admission this year, according to Admissions Dean Lee Stetson. However, there was a 10 percent increase in the number of Hispanic applicants, and a one percent increase in the amount of Asians applying to the University.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
For the second time in less than two months, the completion of the parking garage at 38th and Walnut Streets has been delayed, Vice President of Facilities Management Arthur Gravina said last night. Originally, the department planned to open the garage immediately following winter break. The new scheduled date for completion is January 30, Gravina said. Labor disputes between the insulators and carpenters caused the delay, Gravina said. Both groups felt it was within their jurisdiction to take care of the insulation involved in the garage and the chill-water plant -- a facility that will be housed in the garage. The insulators picketed, and all workers involved in the project supported them by refusing to cross the picket line. "It cost us three or four weeks," Gravina said. "There's been a significant slack in construction? but now it has been resolved." Before the dispute began, the parking lot and chiller plant were scheduled to open immediately after winter break. The dispute was resolved last week and work began immediately after almost a month of stagnation, Physical Plant Executive Director James Wargo said. "We only have a small list of items left to do," he added. The project was launched in the spring of 1993 as a replacement for the lot at 36th and Walnut Streets. Administrators thought they would need to replace the lot because they had planned to build the Revlon Center there. Since then, however, the new administration decided to delay and research all capital projects -- including the building of the Revlon Center -- until they could investigate capital planning issues more thoroughly. Although construction on the garage continued, it was delayed for the first time at the beginning of December to take care of last minute details and mechanical problems, Business Services Vice President Steve Murray said. At the time, the fire alarm system did not pass proper testing procedures as well, Transportation and Mail Services Director Robert Furniss said. Gravina said labor disputes such as the insulators' picket happen frequently, but do not usually last this long. Extended delays occasionally occur when unemployment is higher, Gravina added. "Now, they are not about turn their heads when they see a possible jurisdiction problem," he said. The garage, once completed, will fit approximately 650 spaces in six levels of parking. Eventually, it will also include several stores such as Campus Copy Center, Joseph Anthony Hairstyling, Thrift Drug and Mail Boxes, Etc. According to Wargo, the garage will open before the stores do, although the stores should open before the end of the semester. The chill-water plant, now scheduled to open in February, will be able to chill water more cost effectively. It was designed to service new buildings, such as the Law School, the Institute for Advanced Science and Technology and the Revlon Center. Gravina said inspectors continue to conduct tests on the facilities, although it is "substantially complete." He added that since the chill-water plant is designed to produce ice during the night at lower electricity rates, it is used less during the winter. Therefore, there is no immediate rush to complete the plant, he said.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
Only a week after releasing separate plans for reforming the University's student government, College junior Mike Nadel and College senior Dan Schorr have reconciled their differences and published one united constitutional plan. And in reform meetings this weekend, other students said they disagreed with the major points of Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson and Wharton junior Dan Debicella's plan. But last night Debicella and Nadel, who is a member of the Student Activities Council Finance committee and a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist, said they were working on a compromise and hoped to have one plan on the ballot in April. Schorr, a UA representative, said the revised proposal would retain Nadel's name for the new student government -- Undergraduate Senate. But he added that SAC would continue to exist under the new plan -- an idea which Nadel at first did not support. "We wanted SAC as a check to ensure that groups don't get funding cut off completely," Nadel said. But SAC would lose almost all of its jurisdiction over student activity funding, he said. Most of its duties would consist of recognizing and organizing student activity groups. SAC could only overturn Undergraduate Senate cuts in activity budgets, according to Nadel. Nadel and Schorr support giving the Senate control over finances because they say that funds should be controlled by elected officials. The other elements of the plan are almost identical to the proposals Schorr and Nadel released last week, Schorr said. At a reform meeting on Friday afternoon, Debicella presented his proposals,which dealt mostly with electoral reform. Debicella said his plans represented an answer to the problems facing student government. But he added that he was going to work on a compromise with Schorr and Nadel. "The way to raise the quality of people on the UA is through electoral reform," he said. "But the key is that everybody be willing to compromise." Nadel and Schorr said they were only willing to compromise to a certain extent. "Dan [Debicella] wants us to compromise on the principle of having an open, democratic and solidified government," Schorr said. "Those are principles that we don't feel we should compromise on."
(01/23/95 10:00am)
and Melissa Wagenberg The dress was elegant, the food was not, and the behavior was? just silly. With characteristic Daily Pennsylvanian charm, the collective torch was passed from former Executive Editor Jordana Horn and the 110th Board of Editors and Managers to the 111th Board, led by incoming-Executive Editor Charlie Ornstein, at the annual DP banquet Saturday night. Following the cocktail hour and the generally forgettable dinner, DP bigwigs began a night of speeches and awards. The DP Alumni Association presented Wharton senior and outgoing Sports Editor Adam Rubin with an award for writing, and College junior and incoming Photography Editor Stephen Shapiro with an award for photography. Rubin also won the DP's prestigious Editor of the Year award. The News department awarded College sophomore Lisa Levenson Reporter of the Year, and incoming Associate Editor and College sophomore Kara Blond the Most Improved Reporter award. College sophomore Jeff Wieland received the Most Valuable Writer award from the Sports Department. He was joined in his honor by Wharton senior Adam Steinmetz, who took the department's Best Writer award, and by the Most Improved Sports Writer and College sophomore Srik Reddy. The Photo department became the focus of the evening when incoming editor Adam Mark, a College sophomore, stumbled up to the podium, to receive his award for Most Valuable Photographer. College sophomore Evelyn Hockstein was named Most Improved Photographer. College junior and 34th Street Magazine Managing Editor was named best Street writer, and College senior Bret Stuntz received the Most Valuable Player Street award. Among those recognized by the Business department were College junior Caroline Parmigiani and College junior Lori Lovitz, incoming Associate Sales Managers. But despite this glory, University President Judith Rodin said DP writers are more like "vigilantes" than honorable truth-seekers. "I watched the movie The Paper in preparation for dealing with people pretending to be reporters," she said in a speech which received a mixture of polite laughter and boos from the audience. After the dinner, banquet guests adjourned to the Penn Tower hotel for drinking and dancing -- with a decided emphasis on the drinking part. "If my memory serves me correct, the banquet was a lot of fun for all those who attended," Ornstein said. "But one thing is for certain. Kara Blond and Andrew Figel were the most drunk. I have never seen two people more drunk in my entire life." But while Blond and Figel were the most inebriated couple, they were hardly alone in their inebriation. "Jordana and I are lovers," said College junior Greg Montanaro, the new City editor. The very tipsy College sophomore and DP beat reporter Amy Lipman was overheard offering to bring the entire Sports Department home. Unfortunately for Lipman, no one took her up on her offer.
(01/23/95 10:00am)
Two fraternities were found in violation of the InterFraternity Council's "Bring Your Own Beer" policy this weekend amidst complaints that alumni monitors acted unfairly. Pi Kappa Phi and Zeta Psi were caught by monitors serving alcohol at parties Thursday. IFC sources said the remaining six chapters holding "large" events had relative success with BYOB. "We had a meeting this afternoon, [and] our general feeling was that this weekend was a lot like we expected," said IFC President David Treat, a College junior. "We expected some groups to comply more than others." But some fraternity members said the monitors were overzealous -- given that this was the first weekend since the new policy took effect. "At Pi Kap they individually counted the number of beers behind the counter, and then the number of people at the counter," said College senior Ryan Heil, Social Chair and Risk Management Officer for Delta Psi. "I personally witnessed them arrive at Zeta Psi before the starting time." Treat said the Graduate Alumni Council and the IFC are still working on the specifics of the implementation of monitoring. "Anytime you introduce a new policy, it takes awhile for it to get implemented fully," said IFC Judicial Manager Josh Gottheimer, a College sophomore. But Sigma Phi Epsilon Secretary and Wharton sophomore Tim Lash said the tough standards are necessary. "I believe that they might have seemed overzealous, but the policy will fail unless there is strict monitoring," Lash said. IFC executive board members said Thursday they expected some violations during the first weekend. The success largely depended on cooperation from the University community, they said. Sigma Phi Epsilon reported last night its BYOB event this weekend was a success -- and that students cooperated with the policy. "I think our guests thought they had a fine time," Lash said. Others said students were less than cooperative. "The amount of pressure [the monitors] put on fraternities this weekend and the amount of sanctioning is completely inequitable with the level of participation that the fraternities got from students," Heil said. Reports from monitors will be forwarded to the Greek Peer Judicial Board. Chapters could be placed on social probation for as much as three months. Pi Kappa Phi President Dave Robbins, a Wharton sophomore, refused to comment on the monitors' findings. Representatives for Zeta Psi were unavailable for comment last night.
