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(01/19/95 10:00am)
Dents, dirt and scratches cover the otherwise bare walls. The hot, thick air makes it difficult to breathe, much less exercise. The floors remain covered with ripped plastic while concrete cures beneath it. A prison-like atmosphere has filled the Hutchinson Gym weight room -- now undergoing renovations after years of poor ventilation, worn floors and a generally unbearable atmosphere. Even the hallway leading toward the Hutch basement's exit has poor ventilation, stained and worn flooring and uncomfortable and crowded conditions. Yet that hallway is Hutch's current space for free weights while the weight room is under renovation. Those who want to work out in Hutch can do so only in that space. "Be prepared to sweat a lot and drink a lot of water," Recreation Assistant Director John Hamrick said, pointing at the one water fountain in the hallway. The conditions have forced many students to join fitness clubs -- ranging from those in Center City to the Penn Fitness Center located in Hutch, where a student membership costs $125. But even the Penn Fitness Center -- located throughout the upper floors of the gymnasium -- has poor ventilation and crowded conditions. The equipment, however, is more organized and in better condition than the free weights in the basement's hallway. "Students shouldn't have to [join clubs], but they don't want to come down here," Hamrick said, adding that the weight room's conditions have remained the same since it moved to that location over three years ago. The renovations first began after Athletic Director Steve Bilsky and Provost Stanley Chodorow became aware of the conditions last summer, and students signed a petition in October complaining of the condition of the gym. But because the concrete needs to cure for 60 days, the rubber floor cannot be placed down until March 13. The Recreation Department has set April 1 as a tentative completion date. In the meantime, students have to deal with the hallway, where roaches crawl along the side walls and students stand in line to quench their thirst at the single water fountain. "I certainly don't enjoy it and at my high school they have better stuff," Engineering freshman Roger Wallace said. Wallace added that the lack of electric fans and radios make the atmosphere even less pleasant. In the Penn Fitness Center, however, fans, open windows and radios are available. Hamrick said these extras, in addition to mirrors and painted walls, are just as important as the basic necessities, although the lack of money makes the facility itself the first priority.
(01/19/95 10:00am)
Wharton doctoral student Ari Brose was nominated and elected the new president of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly last night. She is replacing David Mestre, a fifth year astronomy graduate student who resigned from the position December 31. Brose had been serving as interim president since Mestre first announced his resignation in November. "I'm going to throw myself into it but I'm going to need a lot of help," Brose told the members of GAPSA at a meeting last night. Brose said she was originally apprehensive about accepting the position. But now she said she feels confident about her appointment. "I feel a little overwhelmed ," said Brose. "But I'm glad I'll be able to give something back to the University." GAPSA members said they are enthusiastic about their new president. "I'm glad to be working in partnership with her," Graduate Student Association Council President Bronwyn Beistle said. Mestre was rumored to have accepted a job at NASA in order to complete his doctoral work. According to Brose, though, Mestre does not have a job at NASA. "It was a personal decision," said Brose. "He's pursuing other educational opportunities." The GAPSA meeting continued with the proposal of a committee for the creation of a graduate student cafe. A group of Wharton School students will be conducting the market research and will provide a preliminary report to GAPSA. Several GAPSA members expressed their desire for a cafe -- or another location where graduate students could meet, and also receive information about different activities and clubs. "We have no central place where we can communicate with all of the graduate students," sixth-year medical student Erick Santos said. A teaching center that would provide a mentor service for teaching assistants was also proposed at the meeting. The center would sponsor workshops, along with being a resource network for graduate students. The proposal will be discussed in more detail at next month's meeting.
(01/19/95 10:00am)
The full University Board of Trustees will be on campus today and tomorrow for its traditional round of winter meetings. But six new Trustees -- four alumni and two Commonwealth of Pennsylvania officials -- are already immersed in the issues affecting campus life after having attended a day-long orientation program yesterday at the Faculty Club. University President Judith Rodin described the orientation program as an "institutional briefing" that allows the new Trustees to get an overview of the role they now play in University decision-making. The group of six also had the opportunity to meet deans of the various schools, Faculty Senate leaders and senior officers of the University. They will return to campus later this semester to meet student leaders and other faculty members. University Secretary Barbara Stevens said the entire Board of Trustees will be briefed on many aspects of campus life during the next two days -- listening to everything from student life and University responsibility to external affairs and budget and finance. Discussion of the strategic importance of the University's "mutually beneficial" partnership with federal, state and city government, to be led by Vice President for Community and Government Affairs Carol Scheman, is also on the schedule, Stevens said. And a first-of-its-kind plenary session on "The University in the Information Age" will be held today, so that faculty, staff and students with electronic expertise can share their knowledge with Trustees. Rodin said other topics of interest to the Trustees are the Coopers & Lybrand report on administrative restructuring and the 21st Century Undergraduate Education Initiative, which will be explained in-depth both during normal committee meetings and some special joint sessions. This cycle of meetings is the first full set that Trustees' Chairperson Roy Vagelos, who took office last fall, will lead.
(01/19/95 10:00am)
University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow probably felt a little clairvoyant at yesterday's University Council meeting. In their opening reports, each anticipated many issues that would later be raised by Microbiology Professor Helen Davies as part of the Committee on Pluralism's continuing effort to track the implementation of recommendations made last year by the Commission on Strengthening the Community. Rodin spoke about the release of the Coopers & Lybrand administrative restructuring report earlier this week, said that planning for a campus center will finally "move aggressively forward," and reported on dean searches that were successfully concluded over the past few months. Chodorow brought the Council up to date on the University's progress in implementing an "arm's length" arrangement for its Reserve Officers' Training Corps program, and said he is pleased that the Provost's Council on Undergraduate Education has begun work on the 21st Century Project for Undergraduate Education. Chodorow added that deanship reviews will begin in about two months for Law School Dean Colin Diver, School of Dental Medicine Dean Raymond Fonesca and Annenberg School for Communication Dean Kathleen Hall Jamieson. The University should also be closer to having a new deputy provost at the end of the month, when the search committee appointed by Chodorow submits a list of candidates for the post to him. Search committees -- and their composition -- proved to be a topic of prime importance at yesterday's Council meeting. When Undergraduate Assembly member Dan Schorr, a College senior, asked Chodorow why there were no students on the deputy provost search committee, Chodorow said he was unsure whether such an appointment would be appropriate. And sixth-year Medical student Erick Santos, Representative to Council for the Medical School Student Government, asked Chodorow to look into Medical School Dean William Kelley's decision not to appoint a search committee to find a new Vice Dean of Education for the Medical School. Council Moderator Will Harris, an associate professor of Political Science, then turned the floor over to Davies. She said the Committee on Pluralism is "very pleased" with the University administration's efforts to implement Commission recommendations, citing the revamped Code of Student Conduct and increased involvement of faculty in campus life through courses offered in residences as examples of progress. Council next debated the proposed Student Judicial Charter and Code of Academic Integrity, aiming to resolve ambiguities in the appeal and sentencing processes they advocate. Before adjourning, Council also received updates from the Committee on Communications -- which endorsed the merger of Almanac and Compass, the Committee on Safety and Security, and Undergraduate Assembly member Lance Rogers, a College junior, who briefed Council on the activities of Ivy Council this semester.
(01/18/95 10:00am)
Although classes have barely begun, University Council is not wasting any time getting back to the business of advising the University's administration. Today, the Council will hold its first meeting of the semester. Members will receive an update from the Committee on Pluralism regarding implementation of recommendations made last year by the Commission on Strengthening the Community. A report on the current status of the University's Reserve Officers' Training Corps program will also be included in that discussion, University President Judith Rodin said. The Committee to Review the Status of ROTC at Penn suggested last fall that ROTC be restructured under an new "arm's length" arrangement. Following the report of the Committee on Pluralism, the Bookstore, Communications, Library and Safety and Security Committees of Council will each give brief interim reports. Provost Stanley Chodorow said time has also been allotted at the meeting for discussion of proposals involving the Student Judicial Charter and the Code of Academic Integrity advanced by the Student Judicial Reform Committee. Additionally, a report on the Ivy Council is slated to be given before the meeting adjourns. Today's meeting will be the first conducted by Council under its revised bylaws -- which were approved by mail ballot on December 14, 1994 by a vote of 41-6. The revised bylaws provide for eight new Council members: one elected representative of the Penn Professional Staff Assembly, the Librarians Assembly and the A-3 Assembly -- and five additional undergraduates who are members of the Undergraduate Assembly. The allocation of additional seats to undergraduates became a hot topic last spring when UA chairperson and Wharton junior Dan Debicella asked that one of the new seats be given automatically to the chairperson of the United Minorities Council. That proposal was defeated. Graduate students protested the awarding of additional seats to undergraduates, since they were not offered an increased number of spots on Council. The new Council members will attend today's meeting, which will be held from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Quadrangle's McClelland Hall. The meeting is open to the public.
(01/18/95 10:00am)
"Bring Your Own Beer" will finally become reality at the University, InterFraternity Council President and College junior David Treat announced last night. After five years of struggling with the alcohol and BYOB policies, the IFC ratified a new policy which will be "strictly enforced" starting this weekend, Treat said. The new policy brings to the University a concept that has appeared on paper for years, but in practice has never been implemented fully. It also serves as a statement to the Greek Alumni Council, which developed its own BYOB policy in 1993. "It's an attempt to show GAC that we're capable of leading ourselves," said Alpha Chi Rho President T.J. Zane, a College senior. According to a letter sent this week to chapter presidents from the IFC Executive Board, the new policy was drafted in December during negotiations with GAC officers. The letter stated that policy specifics would not be released until the meeting last night, where the policy was introduced and ratified in a closed meeting in less than 90 minutes. Under the new "Greek Alcohol Management Policy," fraternities are prohibited from purchasing alcohol for consumption during social events. Instead, students attending the events will contribute alcohol to a pool. Although the IFC adopted BYOB five years ago as an effort to transfer liability from the fraternities to individual partygoers, enforcement has been problematic. This time, according to IFC officers, the policy is for real. "In the middle of the fall, it was clear that the policy was inadequate?it had loopholes," said IFC Judicial Manager Josh Gottheimer, a College sophomore. "The IFC has recognized [BYOB] as a body, and we are going to cooperate together to enforce it." Still some members of the Greek system said not only do the loopholes still exist, but that BYOB is not the answer to decreased liability. Zane said BYOB has been talked about for years, but has not been the cause for the reduction in alcohol-related incidents on campus. "It's because houses have become smarter with risk management," he said. Zane added that enforcement will depend on GAC's commitment to keeping monitors on campus. The IFC first adopted BYOB as part of its alcohol policy in September 1990 and a self-monitoring policy was announced in February 1991. And although faced with criticism that the BYOB policy had loopholes, the IFC was confident that it was a sound policy. Five years later, the new policy will potentially affect more students than in previous years. "Fraternities are serious about following the rules of the University," said College senior Ryan Heil, Social Chair and Risk Management Officer for Delta Psi. "Students are going to find that if they walk into a party and they expect to be handed a beer they could find themselves sorely disappointed in the future." Officers said social life will be maintained despite the policy. "Our efforts were geared toward altering the social life on campus as little as possible while satisfying the requirements of the insurance company and GAC," Treat said.
(01/18/95 10:00am)
Students would vote by geogrpahic district under Debicella plan Students would vote by geogrpahic district under Debicella planEditor's Note: This is the first of a series of stories outlining the various proposals for constitutional reform of the Undergraduate Assembly. Today's story focuses on UA Chairperson Dan Debicella's plans for revamping student government. Followers of the University's student government may need a constitutional scholar to help them understand the next few months of debate. Within a week of the beginning of the spring semester, student leaders have released nine separate constitutional proposals. Each one represents a major break from the current constitution -- which has been criticized by almost everyone involved in the movement to reform the way student government works at the University. "Constitutional reform is desirable," Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson and Wharton junior Dan Debicella said. "The UA right now has proven that the current structure can work, but no matter how well you're doing you can always do better." Debicella put forward seven proposals this week. Of the constitutional plans released so far, Debicella's most closely resemble the current constitution. All the proposals he put out this week are merely options for the University's student government to discuss, according to Debicella. He declined to endorse any specific plan at this time. While Debicella said he still has faith in the constitution, he cautioned that his drafts still mark significant departures from the present structure. "Actually, [the drafts are] hugely different," he said. "But I think the basic framework we have now works." Debicella focuses all of his plans on electoral reform, rather than a change in the balance of power within student government. All of his plans would change the election system from the current school-based proportional representation. Debicella would implement 33 geographic districts, each of which would elect one representative to the UA. He said the basic problem with student government lies solely in the operations of the UA -- not in the other branches such as the Nominations and Elections Committee, which UA representative and College senior Dan Schorr has suggested disbanding in his own reform proposal. "The other branches of student government work very, very well," Debicella said. "If you just do structural reform without electoral reform, it's just shifting the power around within government." He listed the accomplishments of the Student Activities Council and the Student Planning and Events Committee as reasons that a new constitution should not focus on those branches. But Debicella said all his options include increased UA supremacy over the other five branches of government. "In general, the branches of student government could use to work closer together," he said. "I think you definitely want the elected body of student government to be the final power in all decisions." Most of Debicella's other changes pertain to internal UA matters, he said. Two proposals put forth the idea of creating two positions for UA commissioners, who would study specific areas of the school. Debicella's proposals would make the commissioners responsible to the UA for all information in their area of expertise. "At each Assembly meeting, each Commissioner shall be required to give a written report to the Assembly consisting of recent events in their area?" reads the third of Debicella's proposals. "Failure to produce this report is grounds for removal." In addition, two of his proposals call for a general election for UA officers -- rather than the internal UA election that currently determines who holds office. "The main benefit is that it would make people feel much more attracted to their student government," he said. Rather than structural reform, Debicella said he wants to see an increase in students' understanding of and participation in the UA. "People shouldn't put so much emphasis on constitutional reform as a cure-all for any problems student government might have," he said. "I think that what we need to do beyond just constitutional reform is to get students more involved in student government." Debicella pointed to the UA's recent reports and proposals as evidence that the UA is quite active -- contrary to what he said is the general public opinion at the University. "The UA has gotten a lot done this year," he said. "Structure is important, but more important is what this UA is getting accomplished." Several other student government leaders -- each of whom have reform proposals of their own -- had comments on Debicella's plans. "Dan Debicella doesn't understand what the problem is," SAC Finance committee member and College junior Mike Nadel said. Nadel said electoral reform is not the solution to the problems facing student government, but that he is willing to include it in his plan. "[I am] open to considering electoral reform," he said. "[But] I haven't yet heard ideas that [I] consider good." Schorr said he also thought electoral reform was a secondary issue. "I don't think that's the big problem," he said. "It's being blamed for a lot of problems that are really the result of poor management." Tomorrow, part two of the series will examine UA member Dan Schorr's reform plan.
(01/18/95 10:00am)
W.E.B. DuBois College House Assistant Dean David Biggs is leaving the University for a position at Webster University in St. Louis. Biggs, who served at DuBois for four years, will begin his responsibilities at Webster as director of multicultural student services on February 1. In his new position, Biggs said he hopes to represent the minority community at Webster in decision-making. A University alumnus, Biggs received a bachelor's degree in philosophy and religious thought in 1977 from the College of Arts and Sciences. He continued his education at Boston University, where he received his master's of divinity degree in pastoral counseling and philosophy. Biggs became the first assistant dean of DuBois in 1990. He said he has seen major strides in academic support at the University since he took office. "Back when I was a student, we didn't have academic advisors in the residence halls," he said. "We had to go all the way down to College Hall and many times we wouldn't do it. Living in the residence hall allows me to hunt down the students who need help and make sure they get it." This type of advising and support is what students have said they will miss most about Biggs. "We had our house meetings and he was always telling us that we have a support community," Wharton freshman Miki Toliver said. "He always tried to let us know who could help us in every area." Since the beginning of his tenure at DuBois, Biggs said he has enjoyed many accomplishments in the advancement of the college house -- such as helping to start the practice of holding classes in DuBois, and improving communications between the house and other University departments and residences. Biggs said he is wary of the suggestion to randomize housing made by the Commission on Strengthening the Community last year. If the Commission's recommendation were to be implemented, DuBois -- currently a home for the African-American community -- would be "mainstreamed," he added. "After 23 years, [DuBois] is as much an institution as any other institution people think of when they think of the University of Pennsylvania," Biggs said. "And the commitment the University has shown to DuBois should be continued, for [a decrease in support] would be a blow to the quality of residential living the academic excellence the University is trying to purport with its undergraduate education programs." Biggs' colleagues said his departure will be a bittersweet conclusion to his exceptional leadership at the University. "I'm very ambivalent that he's leaving," Assistant Vice-Provost for University Life Barbara Cassel said. "I'm happy to hear that he's moving onward and upward. But on the other hand, he will be missed by colleagues and students alike." Biggs said he has enjoyed the time he has spent at the University. "The opportunity, honor and privilege to serve as the first assistant dean will always be a cherished memory of mine," Biggs said.
(01/18/95 10:00am)
In the maximum security wing of a mental institution, a woman lies horizontally across her bed, taken over by what appears to be a spasm of pain. A man clutches his wife as their two children sit next to them in an old dilapidated car that had become their home. These are just two images from the more than 200 photographs world-renowned photojournalist Mary Ellen Mark exhibited at the Annenberg School of Communications yesterday as part of the Women in the Public Sphere series. A graduate of the Annenberg School, Mark has had her photos printed in numerous publications, including Life Magazine, National Geographic, and The New York Times Magazine, according to Communications Professor Klaus Krippendorff. Mark, whose first pictures were published in the Pennsylvania Gazette, said she did not become interested in professional photography until she was 23 years old. Refusing to pull punches before an audience of about 25 people, Mark blasted current magazines for "not dealing with true content." She said magazines have changed in the last ten years by giving into pressure from advertisers to steer clear of the type real-life documentaries Mark insists upon shooting. "A magazine would rather do something commercial," Mark said. "My ideas are not commercial. I really am most interested in the single image -- images that can last by themselves. "At the end of my life I want to say I did pictures that really meant something," she added. Annenberg Graduate student Emory Woodward said he was impressed with Mark's candidness. "I appreciated the criticism she leveled against current photography," Woodward said. "Now I probably have a more critical eye." Krippendorff said Mark's trademark is to only "take the pictures that are real," something which sets her apart from other photographers. "For me, the pictures are really emotionally engaging," Krippendorff said. "That perhaps is the difference between her and other photographers. "She is not just a photographer," he added. "She is someone with a mission. She is someone with a heart." Mark said her pursuit of "real" stories has propelled her on photo shoots ranging from an Oregon mental hospital to the brothels of Bombay. Mark said she tries to photograph "universal subjects." She said one of the keys to her success has been an intimacy with her subjects that has been envied by other photographers. Currently, Mark is working on a book about American life, with photographs ranging in subject from shots of college students on Spring Break to the plight of the poor.
(01/18/95 10:00am)
HARRISBURG -- Surrounded by swirls of red, white and blue bunting, with the Capitol Building gleaming in the background, former Erie Congressman Tom Ridge was sworn in as Pennsylvania's 43rd governor yesterday. A six-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Ridge rose to statewide office in last November's Republican revolution. He defeated outgoing Democratic Lieutenant Governor Mark Singel in that race. Ridge, Pennsylvania's first-ever governor from Erie and the Commonwealth's first chief executive to hold his inaugural celebration outside the Capitol's East Wing, was sworn in at 12:15 p.m. by State Supreme Court Justice Ronald Castille. Following the oath of office and the traditional strains of "Stars and Stripes Forever" played by the Valley Forge Military Academy Herald Trumpets, Ridge delivered a 20-minute inaugural address, which focused on the themes of community potential, individual responsibility and governmental change. Thanking his predecessor, outgoing Governor Robert Casey, for his integrity and commitment to public service, Ridge vowed "to re-instill, to re-invigorate, a sense of community throughout all of Pennsylvania." He described the challenges that will confront his administration in the coming months -- creating a government intended to serve the people, combatting crime, implementing a balanced environmental policy and reshaping the state's educational system. "We must redefine the relationship between state and government, our communities, and ourselves," Ridge told a wind-whipped crowd of more than 6,000 supporters. "Woven together each thread strengthens the very fibre, the character, of our state." He added that he plans to call the state legislature into a special session today to "confront the violence" currently plaguing Pennsylvania. This provoked vocal protest from opponents of the death penalty -- which Ridge favors -- who had gathered nearby at Soldiers' Grove to bring attention to their cause. Ridge also pledged to preserve and create jobs in the Commonwealth, and "to create the most advanced partnership in the nation to promote and enhance our resources." Acknowledging that the change essential to progress is never easy to achieve, Ridge said his priority is to "get the job done" and to strengthen popular confidence in state government. "You did not elect a governor just to run a bureaucracy," he said. "As your steward it is my responsibility to listen, to hear your voice, to challenge, to manage and ultimately, to lead." At the conclusion of the ceremony, Harrisburg's first inaugural parade in two decades wound its way around the Capitol complex, with law enforcement divisions in squad cars and on motorcycles leading military color guards and high school bands through the streets of the capital. Ridge's Lieutenant Governor, former Bucks County Commissioner Mark Schweiker, took the oath of office in the state Senate chamber, which was packed with about 500 friends, family members -- including Schweiker's wife and three children -- and other well-wishers. President Judge of the State Superior Court James Rowley administered the oath to Schweiker yesterday morning before Ridge assumed gubernatorial duties. Schweiker's inaugural speech also emphasized the idea of change, invoking the examples of past political leaders William Penn, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin to encourage the development of a united, non-partisan state government. "These men are our mentors," he said, promising -- as he had many times on the campaign trail -- to make government work for the Commonwealth's citizens. "Our frame of reference, however, are the Pennsylvanians who hired us to do the people's business," Schweiker said.
(01/18/95 10:00am)
Fuhrman will begin July 1 Susan Fuhrman, professor of education policy at Rutgers University, has been selected as the new dean of the Graduate School of Education. She will officially take office on July 1. Fuhrman is replacing Interim GSE Dean Nancy Hornberger, who has held the position since Marvin Lazerson left the school to serve as Interim Provost in 1993. "I'm delighted that we have a new dean," Hornberger said. "We are all looking forward to bringing Dr. Fuhrman on board." According to Hornberger, Fuhrman's area of expertise is educational reform and policy. Along with her work as a professor, Fuhrman has also served as the founder and director of the Consortium for Policy Research in Education at Rutgers. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees in history at Northwestern University, and her doctorate from Columbia University Teacher's College. In addition to having several papers of her own published, Fuhrman has recently finished co-editing a forth-coming book entitled Governing Curriculum. Fuhrman is married with three sons. Her youngest son, Jeff, is a College freshman at the University. A group of ten people, including five GSE faculty members, submitted a list of finalists to Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow in July 1994. "All the faculty feel it's been a long time," Hornberger said. "But we're eager to have the new dean on board and to learn what she sees as our strengths and what our future directions will be." "I don't see how they could have done the selection process much faster with all the current changes at the University," she added. GSE faculty members received a letter from Rodin announcing Fuhrman's appointment yesterday afternoon. The letter also thanked Hornberger and the search committee for their continuing work on the search and for the GSE. Although Hornberger will remain acting dean until June 30, Fuhrman will visit campus frequently during the spring semester. Fuhrman declined to comment until she further discussed the appointment with Rodin.
(01/18/95 10:00am)
Individuals suffering from alcoholism can thank Psychiatry Professor Joseph Volpicelli and his colleagues for discovering the first new medication to treat alcoholism in the last 50 years. Volpicelli found that naltrexone, a drug previously used to treat heroine and narcotics addiction, blocks the craving for alcohol. It suppresses the the "high" many experience while drinking liquor. Unlike its predecessor Antabuse -- a relatively ineffective drug that often makes an individual physically sick after alcohol consumption -- naltrexone inhibits the motivation to drink. But the new drug is not completely without side effects. Naltrexone has induced nausea in 10 percent of the patients who take it. The DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Company announced yesterday that it would begin to sell naltrexone as a treatment for alcohol dependence. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the drug -- which will be sold on the market under the name "Revia," Volpicelli said. Volpicelli said the F.D.A. approval took six months, a decision that is "remarkably fast" in the medical world. He said he is very enthusiastic about naltrexone and its propensity to prevent relapse in alcoholics -- although he cautioned against using naltrexone as a cure-all. Naltrexone should only be administered in conjunction with counseling and therapy, Volpicelli said. Psychiatry Professor Charles O'Brien agreed. "None of these studies indicate this is a substitute for good psycho-social treatment -- 12 step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous," he told the Associated Press. But Volpicelli said the drug is revolutionary. "It's the most promising new agent for alcoholism in 40 or 50 years," he said. "It's not a magic bullet, though. "Many patients sort of slip and fall off the wagon," Volpicelli added. "It makes slips less severe so people can get back on the wagon." In researching the effects of naltrexone, Volpicelli and his colleagues conducted a 12-week study of 70 long-term alcoholic men. The study proved that only 23 percent of the subjects on the naltrexone relapsed -- compared to 54 percent of subjects on the placebo. Volpicelli said that he discovered the drug's effect on alcoholics 15 years ago as a graduate student at the University. His quest continued in 1981 when he began publishing his findings on the drug. In 1985, he began a study of naltrexone using patients at the Veteran's Administration Hospital. Volpicelli's findings prompted him inform representatives of Dupont Merck about the use of the drug as a treatment of alcoholism. The results of this study and another study done at the University were published in 1992, and Yale University embarked on a similar project which produced nearly identical results. Although the discovery is considered by many to be a breakthrough, Volpicelli said much more research needs to be done before a search for a cure for alcoholism is completed. Questions concerning how long the medication should be taken and other inquires into why people drink still remain unanswered, he said.
(01/17/95 10:00am)
More than two months after it was originally scheduled for completion, the administrative restructuring report prepared for the University by the professional service firm of Coopers & Lybrand is finally finished. The 32-page document, a preliminary version of which was issued last month, will be released to the University community today. It appears in today's Almanac, and copies of the report are also available for examination in libraries and offices across campus. The report assesses the University's current administrative organization, and offers recommendations for reengineering various tasks. Additionally, it discusses benefits that such changes could provide. The report also aims to assist the University by demonstrating ways in which it can reallocate and more efficiently use increasingly-scarce resources. In a letter sent to University faculty and staff yesterday, University President Judith Rodin said "the primary purpose of restructuring is to help us do a better job supporting and enhancing the primary missions of the University: teaching, research and service." Interim Executive Vice President Jack Freeman characterized the report as a "piece of a much bigger exercise," since its suggestions are designed to aid in improving services and reducing costs throughout the University -- although they focus on responsibilities that fall under the EVP Center. Among these responsibilities are human resources, public safety, information systems and computing, facilities management, finance and business services. Overall, the report also advocates "a change in the philosophy and programs for providing compensation and benefits to Penn's employees, with a greater emphasis on rewards based on performance." Freeman said the report represents the University's response to sharply rising administrative costs. He estimated that through restructuring over the next five years, these costs can be cut by 20 percent, ultimately resulting in savings of $25 million per year. "It's not just about cost savings, though," Freeman said. "It's about reallocation as well." Much of the expected savings will come from streamlining and improving existing administrative structures and processes, or from alterations in the University's traditional fiscal management approach that reflect current economic realities and technological advancements. But, he said, the University remains committed to the philosophy of responsibility-center management, which encourages individual schools and budgetary centers to be financially-accountable for their programs. "The whole idea of reengineering is to cut out work that is not productive -- to eliminate wasted steps that do not add value to the end product," Freeman said. As the amount of available work decreases, the University will need fewer personnel, he added. Positions will be eliminated through attrition and intra-University transfers whenever possible. But, layoffs are also expected to occur. Freeman said the report explains the importance of restructuring and "lays out a plan for virtually all administrative processes?in a coherent and systematic way." It refines, but does not fundamentally change, the University's existing system. The plan will be implemented University-wide in stages over the next two to three years, he added. The next immediate step is to hold meetings with the supervisors, administrative staff and faculty members of each school -- all of whom will be affected by administrative restructuring -- in order to "build an understanding of why we are doing this and what it will mean for the University," Freeman said. Following these informational meetings, the development of specific implementation plans will begin in earnest, with an assessment of responsibility and assemblage of a project team looking to coordinate and consolidate administrative services wherever possible. Coopers & Lybrand was originally retained by former Interim University President Claire Fagin. Rodin expanded the firm's role last fall, when she initiated the administrative restructuring project.
(01/17/95 10:00am)
The brothers of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity are calling for more University Police protection after nine out of 13 of the bedrooms in their house were ransacked over winter break. Residents of the house located at 38th and Walnut streets reported that a computer, a VCR, stereo, two bikes, an answering machine and a telephone were stolen. In addition, SAM Vice-President and College sophomore Abraham Fischer said a number of rooms were "trashed" and several doors would have to be replaced because they had been pried open by crowbars. "There has to be some greater deterrent to crime in the University community," College sophomore and SAM house resident Brendan Kalb said yesterday. "It is in the student's and in the University's best interest. "I feel the University should have some responsibility to maintain the safety of fraternity and sorority houses while students are away on break," College sophomore and SAM house resident Bobby Fingeroth added. The fraternity, however, did not utilize the Division of Public Safety's "special check" surveillance program, which is designed to combat burglaries over periods of low-occupancy, University Police Lieutenant Susan Holmes said. University Police periodically make exterior checks of the residences registered as part of the program. Fischer confirmed that the fraternity did not register for "special checks." He said he was unaware of the program's existence. Holmes said the burglar broke a window in the rear of the house to gain entry. On January 1, University Police observed a broken window and conducted an interior inspection of the house, finding all but four bedroom doors pried open, Holmes said. She added that University Police contacted Physical Plant to secure the window. The "special check" program was started after a rash of burglaries in High Rise North, the Quadrangle and several off-campus apartments over winter break two years ago. Since the program's inception, Public Safety has reported a significant decrease in burglaries. During Thanksgiving break, Holmes said that none of the 30 registered residences reported a theft. She added that statistics for winter break have not yet been complied.
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The Office of Off-Campus Living has been placed under the Department of Residential Living, Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta said last night. Former OCL Director Eleni Zatz Litt recently left her position to serve as director of student advising for the Wharton School. Moneta said he had considered the integration of the two departments for a while and found this the perfect time to complete it. "I have always felt that the residential opportunities for students were too fragmented because there isn't enough collaboration and cooperation," he added. "This will create a much closer linkage between on-campus and off-campus." Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone is taking over the direction of OCL. Simeone said the OCL offices, located at 4046 Walnut, will remain where they are for now, and that the change will be "invisible to students." "We intend to maintain the same quality of services," she added. Moneta said students would not see changes to services over this semester, but that Residential Living staff will evaluate the integration and how to best deliver services both on and off campus. "I don't have a fixed outcome," he said. "We will do an in-depth assessment of how the services can be delivered and by the end of the semester we will determine that." The change of jurisdiction is part of a larger plan to streamline services offered by Residential Living and similar departments, Simeone said. "When the University has talked about streamlining, off-campus is part of that," she said. "It will all be under the same umbrella now. It will be completely together instead of two different departments." The move will also affect the University administration's future plans, Simeone and Moneta said. The administration's undergraduate education initiative includes a major residential component in hopes to combine academics with residential life. Simeone said the combination of OCL and Residential Living will involve students who live off-campus in this part of the initiative. "I really want to make these services comprehensive," Moneta said. Currently, Residential Living staff members are holding discussions with those working in the OCL office. In addition, many have gone to the OCL office to "learn about what's going on and fill in for [Litt]," Simeone said. "We have to figure out what the long term structure will look like," she added, saying that she did not know if staff members from Residential Living would remain in the OCL office, or if OCL staff would come into Residential Living.
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Vice President Al Gore came to Independence National Historical Park yesterday to ceremoniously "ring" the Liberty Bell in celebration of Martin Luther King Day. Gore, flanked by Mayor Ed Rendell, former Senator Harris Wofford and a huge security detail, tapped the bell with his fist ten times to symbolize the tenth anniversary of the national King holiday. Shortly after the celebration began, Senator Carol Moseley-Braun also arrived. The event was planned by the Philadelphia Martin Luther King Association for Non-Violence as part of this year's Let Freedom Ring celebration. In addition, the Liberty Bell was chosen as the starting point of this years festivities by Martin Luther King, Jr.'s widow, Coretta Scott King. Even as the sky became gray and drizzle began to fall, the crowd stood solemnly and motionless, listening to Gore's words about King. In his brief speech, Gore discussed King's contributions as a man of service. "He dedicated life to service, freedom and equality for all," he said. "We depend on each other. We must work for unity of all people." Gore said King left an indelible mark on the United States, and his relentless promotion of nonviolence is something to be emulated by all. "By appealing to the conscience of America, Dr. King awakened America," he added. "And by speaking the the truth and resisting violence nonviolently, he moved the heart of this great nation." Rendell echoed many of these sentiments, but used Philadelphians as examples of people committed to volunteering and helping the less fortunate. "Three hundred sixty-five days a year, Philadelphians have stepped forward to help other people," Rendell said. "Today is a good day to reflect on the need to help others." Wofford, a friend of the King family, said that people should consider Martin Luther King Day a call to action to make a difference. "Martin Luther King was the greatest active duty citizen in our history," he said. Philadelphia resident Dana Kushwara said the ceremony was moving and stressed the importance of the King holiday. "We really respect all the ideals Martin Luther King tried to teach," Kushwara said. "We believe the races should be equal, and feel ceremonies such as this are important because they promote equality." Braun was presented with the "Drum Major" award for social justice by the PMLKA for NonViolence. In addition, Dr. Niara Sudarkasa, president of Lincoln University and retired Philadelphia Common Please Judge Harvey Schmidt were also given the "Drum Major" award.
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The movement to reform the University's student government took great strides forward during winter break, as several key players in the reform process released drafts of proposed constitutions this week. Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson and Wharton junior Dan Debicella said he welcomes the three proposals developed over break and hopes more will be released. The proposals reflect a wide range of ideas and opinions about the future of student government at the University. UA representative and College senior Dan Schorr proposed a plan which would combine most of the current functions of the Student Activities Council, the Nominations and Elections Committee, and the UA into one body. Schorr's draft would eliminate the NEC and transfer the budgetary aspects of SAC to UA committees. The most important aspect of his plan is that the functions of government would all be carried out by elected officials, Schorr said. "The basic principle is combining nominating, finance and lobbying power in one student government," he said. According to Schorr, this would simplify student government's functions and allow more students to become involved. "It is important that students understand how the government works," he said. "Right now, it's not possible to give a simple explanation of the student government structure. And students can't be a part of student government that isn't understandable." Schorr said his proposal would put the most important facets of government into the hands of elected officials, making student government at the University more representative of the student body. And with an increase in the UA's power, more qualified student leaders would run for office, Schorr added. But Debicella, who issued seven proposals of his own, said the key to a better student government lies in electoral reform, not power. "[Schorr's proposal is] lacking the one reform that is fundamentally needed--changing the way the UA is elected," Debicella said. "I will not support any reform." All of Debicella's proposals center around a new election system, involving 33 geographical districts -- in which each district would have its own UA representative. Debicella said this would provide for more accountability among UA members, therefore making the body more effective. "That is the way that a person can say, 'That is my UA representative,'" he said. "If that UA representative is crappy, they'll kick him out. If he's good, they'll keep him." Debicella said his proposals would also give the UA more authority over the other branches of student government. According to Debicella's plans, the UA would have the ability to overrule all decisions made by SAC and NEC. In Schorr's proposal, the UA would do the work currently done by those groups, Debicella said. SAC Finance committee member and College junior Mike Nadel also issued a proposed constitution this week. Nadel said his draft has much in common with Schorr's. But while Schorr's proposal would enhance the UA's power, Nadel said his plan would dissolve all branches of student government and create a new body -- the "Undergraduate Senate" -- which would perform all government functions. Nadel said he and Schorr worked together on their proposals until the time they were released. Before the April referendum on constitutional reform, the two plans will probably be combined. "We're going to compromise and reconcile and put forward one united front," he said. "We didn't plan a strategy for reconciling before going public." Schorr said he and Nadel are still discussing their proposals -- although he criticized Nadel's outright elimination of SAC. "It's very important that student activities at Penn have a forum to communicate," he said. "There has to be a slight check on UA funding so the UA can't indiscriminately wipe out student activity groups." Schorr said he also believes a separate body was needed to recognize and oversee student groups so the UA could focus on student advocacy. Debicella said that although he shares Schorr's concern, in Schorr's plan there is also a danger that the UA could be overwhelmed by non-advocacy responsibilities. "My biggest fear is that general student advocacy would be lost," he said. Debicella, Nadel and Schorr all said they would welcome comments and opinions from members of the University community in the next few months.
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African-American students must become future leaders in society, State Senator-elect Vincent Hughes said at a "sunrise breakfast" at W.E.B. DuBois College House yesterday. Hughes was the keynote speaker at the two-hour breakfast, which was held to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. But while students and faculty alike said they enjoyed Hughes' speech and the breakfast, some expressed disappointment that the University had not officially recognized the King holiday. "I'm disturbed, but not surprised," Wharton sophomore Imani Dawson said. "I think it's indicative of the University's lack of concern for the needs of its diverse student body." Director of the Program for Student-Community Involvement David Grossman agreed, but voiced support for the day's University-sponsored events. "On one level, I would like the University to honor the day," said Grossman. "On another, I am pleased that the University has supported today's events. Perhaps there could be a happy medium with the University open and classes closed." Regardless of University policy, though, many said the significance of the breakfast's theme did not go unnoticed. "The breakfast provided an opportunity for people to put the day into context," Grossman said. "It was the initial gathering point for people who wanted to celebrate and honor Dr. King." Black armbands reading "Now 95" in white letters were sold at the door -- a reference to the theme of the day's events, "In a word . . . NOW!" "The armbands were sold to commemorate the holiday," Wharton freshman Miki Toliver said. "I hope their presence will get people to recognize and remember the day and Dr. King." The breakfast was the first event in yesterday's day-long program honoring King. Sponsored by the Black Student League, it drew about 70 students and faculty members.
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As a part of yesterday's festivities in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., a town meeting was held to offer diverse perspectives on the president and provost's "Implementing a 21st Century Undergraduate Education." University Provost Stanley Chodorow answered student concerns about the proposal. In her opening remarks, Black Student League President Robyn Kent encouraged students to participate. "This is the beginning of a new day for students," the College senior said. "This is an opportunity for all students to speak up." Five student panelists spoke on their vision for undergraduate education in the twenty-first century. College junior Mika Rao, president of the South Asia Society, said she thinks there should be more female professors at the University. They could serve as mentors to female students, she said. Rao also offered suggestions for revamping the curriculum, stressing the need for greater minority and female representation in "mainstream" classes. "If we as female students and minority students don't see our cultures and our identities reflected in mainstream coursework, it is really disheartening to us," she said. "Maybe you should be forced to take certain classes just to be exposed to different perspectives." United Minorities Council Chairperson and College senior Liz Melendez said that after reading the initiative, she was both frustrated and bitter. "I suppose the bitterness came from the broken promises and empty rhetoric that assured us all of so much and left us with so little," Melendez said. She also expressed unhappiness with what she considers the initiative's assumption that all undergraduates share a common experience. Lesbian Gay Bisexual Alliance Chairperson Anthony Putz, a College of General Studies freshman, said there should be more safety nets for homosexual students -- as well as a more inclusive curriculum. After the panelists spoke, audience members offered opinions and asked questions. College senior Kristofer Love brought up the issue of living-learning programs and their role in the future of undergraduate education. Chodorow responded to students who felt such programs, in particular DuBois College House, might not be retained. "Over time, we will begin to learn what people think a good undergraduate education will look like," he said. After the event, Chodorow said there are many unconfirmed assumptions about the proposal. "People read that general document, and read things into it. They read their fears into it," he said. "Some of them read their hopes into it. Today, I think, we heard more about their fears than their hopes."
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Jorge Chambergo, the man who allegedly sought admission to the Penn Law School under an assumed name, was arrested in California last month by United States postal inspectors. According to U.S. Attorney Michael Schwartz, Chambergo will return to Philadelphia for a January 31 identification hearing. A date for the criminal trial will be set in February, he said. In November, a federal grand jury indicted Chambergo on seven counts of mail fraud and one count of attempting to use a false social security number. If convicted, Chambergo could face up to 40 years in prison and a two million dollar fine. The federal indictment charges that Chambergo applied to the Law School under the falsified name of "Dae Jorge Seu Chambergo" in December 1989. Chambergo is accused of altering his name in January 1990 in an attempt to pass off the the LSAT scores of another man, Dae Kyung Seu, as his own. The indictment also states that Chambergo submitted a financial aid statement with a false birth date. In addition, it charges that Chambergo arranged for letters of recommendation from Yale University and the Concerned Citizens of Queens written for Seu to be sent to the Law School under Chambergo's name. Although the relationship between the two men is unclear, Law School Dean of Students Gary Clinton said he believes Chambergo and Seu were classmates at Yale. According to Clinton, the Law School expelled Chambergo and notified the U.S. attorney's office after he attempted to remove the "Dae Seu" from his name and change his illicit social security number back to his legitimate one. Both Schwartz and Clinton said that such incidents, while not unheard of, are rare. "I have never had a false social security number case before," said Schwartz.
