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(11/08/00 10:00am)
Even though the lines didn't stretch around buildings, hundreds of Penn students hit the polls today, many for the first time.
Some noted that they went to the polls today because they realized how important it was to vote.
"I came out today because the election was close," Wharton sophomore Brooks Oppenheimer said.
"I think it's an election that started with a lot of apathy but I
think people [have realized] how important it is," College junior Akiva Fox said, adding that it was his first time voting.
Fox was one of several students who registered to vote in Pennsylvania because of the large influence the state had on the election.
"I'm from Massachusetts but decided [my vote] would do more good here," added Fox, who said he voted for Vice President Al Gore.
Penn students have shown themselves to be overwhelmingly in support of Gore, a Democrat. In a recent Daily Pennsylvanian poll, 67 percent of students said they would vote for him.
But the campus is not without its strong contingent of George W. Bush supporters.
Wharton sophomore Joseph Maharaj noted that he put in a vote for Bush because of his advocacy of tax cuts.
"I don't think Gore's trustworthy at all," he added.
And while most students were voting to make sure they had the right representative in the Oval Office, others were voting to keep the wrong candidate out.
A College sophomore, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed the sentiments of many.
"I came to vote [for Gore] because I don't want Bush to win," the student noted. "I don't think he's shown any responsibility or capability in running any kind of system."
"I voted for Gore because I think Bush is an idiot: he doesn't know about foreign policy," Wharton freshman Dwaune Dupree said.
Many female students said that abortion was the main reason that they voted for Gore.
"I don't want Roe v. Wade to be overturned," said one female sophomore who wished to remain anonymous.
Not all students, however, were casting votes for the Democratic and Republican candidates.
College sophomore Greta King voted for Green Party candidate Ralph Nader.
"[He] seems to be very for the people. He's the reason I came today," King said, noting that she was often disillusioned with politics until Nader came along.
College sophomore Brett Singer, who said he voted for Constitutional Party Candidate Howard Phillips, used his vote to voice dissatisfaction with the two major parties.
"I did it as a protest vote against the two [major] parties," Singer said.
"I think Phillips was the most qualified and intelligent," he added.
College freshman Mike Draper cast his ballot for Libertarian candidate Harry Browne.
"I don't think the Libertarians are going to win, but if enough people vote Libertarian, maybe it will force the Democrats and Republicans to become more libertarian," said the College freshman, who admitted that he was "a little disappointed" with his options.
(11/01/00 10:00am)
For more than two years, the monolithic corporation Bon Appetit has been taking over the food services on campus.
Starting with Penn dining halls in 1998 and moving to the new eateries of Houston Hall, Bon Appetit now controls the lion's share of campus eating options.
But still, not all eateries around Penn are controlled by a faceless corporation. In fact, Penn Student Agencies took over management of the Williams Hall cafe from Bon Appetit last summer.
PSA took over this venture after the Quad commissary, which they formerly ran, was closed last summer. Bon Appetit agreed to give up the cafe because it is busy operating Houston Market.
Director of the newly named PSA Cafe Chris Tenggardjaja said that student-run services such as this are largely overshadowed by the multimillion-dollar corporate retail projects around campus.
"A lot of things are happening on campus," the College senior said. "But I think what isn't covered is what students are doing on campus."
PSA runs a number of services around campus. In addition to the coffee shop on the first floor of Williams Hall, the organization operates a laundry service, the commissaries in the high rises and also prints the Penn calender.
Tenggardjaja also defended Dining Services' decision to shut down the Quad commissary with the opening of the food court in Houston Hall.
"If they were to close us out blatantly I would say that was monopolization," he said. But instead, PSA was given the Williams Hall cafe, opened just last year along with the Silfen Study Center.
Still, residents of the Quad are not happy with the fact that they now have to leave the complex to get food. And many say the PSA cafe does not make up for the commissary.
Tenggardjaja agrees with this, commenting that the cafe "doesn't replace the Quad commissary."
The cafe manager also said that in the future, he would like to see another PSA shop in the Quad.
"If the option is available in the future, I would like to see a new Quad commissary," he said.
However, Tenggardjaja also said that the new cafe is making PSA far more money than the old commissary did.
"In comparison to the Quad commissary, we do a lot more business," he said.
(10/27/00 9:00am)
Completion of the massive decade-long, $380 million dorm and dining renovation project has been delayed because of financial shortfalls, and a new dorm planned for Hamilton Village appears to be indefinitely postponed, according to sources familiar with the project.
The University's most ambitious renovation project in 30 years was to renovate nearly every dorm on campus while adding 1,000 beds to the college house system.
The new dorm was originally scheduled to open next fall to house students while each of the high rises is renovated. But although Penn commissioned several architects to draw up possible plans for the building a year ago, it is now unclear how soon, if ever, construction will begin.
A faculty member said that the delays were for financial reasons.
"There is a big problem. It's called m-o-n-e-y, and it's complicated by the problems with the Health System," said the professor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. And another person familiar with the project said that College House Director David Brownlee had said in a meeting that the new dorm was being delayed for financial reasons.
While administrators would not confirm that the Health System alone was to blame for the delays -- Provost Robert Barchi said it was like "comparing apples to oranges" -- they are now saying that it has caused them to rethink certain plans.
Executive Vice President John Fry said that the situation with the University of Pennsylvania Health System is causing Penn to evaluate all its major capital projects.
"I think that the status of the Health System is causing us to look at all of our financial expenditures," he said.
UPHS lost approximately $300 million in the 1998 and 1999 fiscal years, before beginning a recovery in the most recent fiscal year. Until now, administrators had been adamant in declaring that the deficits were not affecting the University's academic component.
In the fall of 1998, when the dormitory renewal project was first announced, construction of the brand-new dorm was scheduled to begin in late 1999 and reach completion in 2001.
The new complex would help accommodate the approximately 800 students who would be displaced when each of the high rises closed down for one year for renovations.
Now, officials say one high rise will be shut down each year between 2002 and 2005. They say they will reach a decision this winter on what to do about the displacement.
To offset some of these money problems, the University is planning a massive fundraising effort, advised by a committee led by alumnus Alan Hassenfeld, the owner of Hasbro Toys, Brownlee said.
According to Brownlee, Penn is "trying to raise tens of millions of dollars."
When they announced the project, administrators said they expected to pay for it through a variety of existing income streams, such as the Penn-owned University City Sheraton Hotel.
University President Judith Rodin said that the dorm and dining renovations begun before the onset of the deficit weren't affected by the Health System's monetary troubles.
However, Rodin did say that the situation of the Health System has become a factor in developing the University's financial five-year plans.
She also said that because of the deficit, the University cannot push projects as much they had hoped."We are not pursuing as aggressively some of the plans," she explained.
But Brownlee said that it is still a priority to create a huge amount of new bed space.
"We certainly do have an interest in 1,000 new beds," he said, though he would not say for sure that the University would go ahead with their initial plan for a new low-rise college house on an empty field at 40th Street and Locust Walk.
The project began with the renovation of Hill College House's dining hall in the summer of 1999. The Quadrangle also began the renovation process in 1999, and the major work on the first section was completed last summer.
The Quad project -- which will be done mainly in the summers between now and 2002 -- aims to overhaul the mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems of the complex and make the living space more attractive to upperclassmen by adding suites and other amenities. It will also replace the four current houses with three college houses.
Creating a large central space in each house for offices, lounges, mail rooms and libraries was a main priority in designing this renovation.
The middle house will be renovated next summer, and the summer of 2002 will bring the completion of the project with work on the house in the Upper Quad and major landscaping work.
(10/25/00 9:00am)
Residents of Stouffer, Van Pelt and Harrison college houses lost power for several hours during the early morning yesterday when a portion of the campus power grid went down.
While the electricity was restored again by about 6 a.m., some smaller locations, such as WXPN, St Mary's Episcopal Church and the Carriage House, did not get power until between 10:30 a.m. and noon.
According to Director of Campus Maintenance and Facilities Services Mike Coleman, the outage was caused by a failed underground line connection.
"We had a ground fault in a manhole [near] 38th and Spruce," he said.
A ground fault is when electricity jumps from a circuit to a ground and the circuit blows.
The failure occurred at 3:45 a.m. Tuesday morning and backup power was running in most buildings by 6:30 a.m. As of yesterday afternoon, it was unclear why this particular connection failed.
It took several hours to get the backup power going because in older buildings, like the high rises, it has to be switched on manually. The failed connection was fixed by the evening.
Maintenance personnel worked for approximately three hours to switch the affected buildings that had a manual switch over to the backup line.
"In essence, between the hours of 3:45 and 6:30, the buildings we could switch over, we did," Coleman said.
But some of the smaller buildings, such as St. Mary's Episcopal Church and WXPN, are not connected to a secondary power line. These buildings had to be provided with backup generators, which was finished between 10:30 a.m. and noon yesterday.
While this may seem a long time to flick switches to restore power to the larger buildings, Coleman said that this response time is good considering all the safety precautions that must be followed when working with electricity.
"You're dealing with 13,000 volt lines here," he explained. "It's not just as simple as going in and going, OOkay, line A, line B.'"
Students working during the power outage had to use emergency lights to study. Engineering senior Jason De Gaetano was studying for an exam when the lights went out.
"I had to go down into the lobby to study," he said.
However, De Gaetano shared Coleman's opinion that the response time was good.
"It was pretty quick actually," he said.
Also affected by the line failure were the Rosenthal Building -- part of the Veterinary School -- and the Levy Center for Oral Health Research, among others. The bad connection was expected to be fixed early yesterday evening.
(10/25/00 9:00am)
The United Minorities Council effort to send home official Penn documents in students' native languages is moving forward with help from the financial aid office.
The office has been talking with the UMC about offering forms in Spanish, as well as English. It will likely begin next semester, pending further discussion with the UMC.
"At this point, we have talked to Jerome Byam from UMC, and we want to be responsive," said Bill Schilling, senior director of Student Financial Services.
And Byam, the UMC chairman, said he wanted to see this happen for next semester.
"We should be able to do it [for this spring]," he said.
The project has been a UMC focus for the year and is very much the brainchild of Byam, who ran for his current position on the issue.
"It started as a general idea to translate the documents the University sends out," Byam said.
Last semester, the UMC said it wanted documents translated into several languages, including Spanish.
The group originally targeted the Admissions Office as a key source of mail home. But their work with that office has been slow. The UMC said the delays have been in part because they had difficulty providing all data -- including financial figures and language information -- on the necessity of the program.
The Office of Admissions did not respond to repeated requests for comment on the matter.
So it appears that Financial Aid will be the pilot office for this program.
Though Byam had suggested experimenting with Mandarin Chinese, Vietnamese and Spanish, it was decided that it would be best to try Spanish first.
As with any new program, the University was apprehensive about the expense, and Byam admits that there are many financial factors involved, but he couldn't give an exact estimate.
"There are a lot of hidden costs, but no, it's not [that expensive]," Byam said.
However, Schilling said more facts are still needed before the program can begin.
"Right now, we have no information on the languages spoken in the home," he said.
But Schilling said the program is necessary if numbers show that a significant number of students have parents who can't read the letters from the University.
"I think certainly that if there is an issue with parents not being able to understand the language [of the forms], we should try to accommodate them somehow," Schilling said.
Byam says that not being able to read the letters is definitely a problem since "a substantial portion of the minority students here are first generation."
(10/18/00 9:00am)
While most students have been happy with the opening of Houston Market this fall, Quadrangle residents may have noticed that some of their other eating options have disappeared.
McClelland Marketplace and the Quadrangle's commissary were closed over the summer.
Officials said the food service locations were not necessary with the Houston Marketplace and Bistro now open in Perelman Quad.
"We closed it [the Quad's food service] because we were opening up Houston," said Peg Lacey, managing director of campus dining.
But this means that there are no vendors located within the dorms -- a situation students say is annoying.
College senior Frank Canning, who works in McClelland, said the changes were frustrating.
"I think it's really, really dumb that there's no place to get food in the Quad," he said.
Although the lounge will remain, parts of McClelland Hall will eventually be turned into dorm rooms, officials said.
Though the McClelland Marketplace was opened in 1997 to offset the closing of food vendors in the old Houston Hall food court, it was not known that this facility -- as well as the Quad's commissary, formerly located in the Graduate Tower -- would close when the new food court was opened.
"In '97 we had no idea we'd be renovating the Quad," explained David Brownlee, director of college houses and academic services.
Brownlee also said that Penn was displeased with the little amount of business that McClelland Market was generating.
"I don't think it was enormously successful in recent years," Brownlee said. "I don't believe Dining Services was entirely satisfied with its performance."
But Canning also commented on the emptiness of McClelland now that the Marketplace is gone.
"No one's coming here anymore," he said.
McClelland Hall will be renovated this summer as part of the ongoing process of updating the Quad's facilities. It had been rumored that McClelland would close entirely, but Brownlee denied that that was true.
"It'll never close," he said. "The largest part of it will continue to be a giant, attractive lounge, both for house C [the currently unnamed middle house of the future Quad] and the rest of the Quad houses."
The back portion of McClelland will be converted into dorm space for the new college house C, and new exercise, service and practice rooms will be added to the existing lounge space.
The Quad renovations will make the facility a group of three college houses instead of the current four. It is not yet known what the names of the new houses will be.
The Quad is currently comprised of Spruce, Ware, Goldberg and Community college houses.
According to Brownlee, "All of the house C work will be done next summer."
(10/12/00 9:00am)
So you're walking out of class, finishing up that 20-ounce Coca Cola, looking around for a place to dump the bottle. But when it comes time to throw it out, there's not a recycling bin in sight.
Sound familiar? With only 11 outdoor recycling bins, Penn isn't always the most earth-friendly place to live.
Students have long commented that the University doesn't make it very easy to recycle. And while some updates to the system are underway, they are slow in coming.
Currently, Penn recycles about 26 percent of all its waste. While this is just below the national average of 28 percent, many of the environmentally conscious say the school could do more.
"In the past, Judith Rodin has sought to reduce binge drinking by changing a culture of the University," Undergraduate Assembly member Jed Gross said. "Right now, recycling does not seem to be at the heart of Penn's culture."
During the 1999 fiscal year, Penn produced 7,100 tons of trash, of which 2,100 tons -- or 26 percent -- was recycled.
In comparison, the city of Philadelphia during this time period recycled 35.2 percent of its total 645,000 tons waste -- but only 6 percent of specifically residential waste was recycled.
One reason for Penn's somewhat underwhelming recycling numbers may be that access to recycling in Penn's dormitories is currently limited and inconvenient.
Students living in the three high rises -- Hamilton, Harrison and Harnwell college houses -- have access to a chute for trash and paper on every floor, but only have aluminum-can recycling bins inside the building on even floors. Meanwhile, receptacles for cans, plastic and glass are only found outside the buildings.
"I always try to recycle," College junior Natalie Dunn said. "But living in the high rises, they could make it easier so that more students recycle."
This is currently true of most college residences. Though Penn has 131 spots on campus for the disposal of recyclables -- in buildings like David Rittenhouse Laboratory, Steinberg-Dietrich and McClelland halls -- outdoor recycling is only provided by 11 green igloos located around campus.
Director of Campus Maintenance and Facilities Services Mike Coleman said that "the original intention of the igloos [was] for students to come out to them."
Most of the recycling igloos are located up and down the Locust Walk area with three others placed near the graduate towers, Kings Court/English House and Hill House.
Recently, the UA passed a resolution asking Penn to step up its commitment to better access to outdoor recycling.
The current UA resolution, which is supported by the Penn Environmental Group, calls for more visible recycling receptacles next to outdoor trash cans, more frequent hauling of recyclables and a central office to handle recycling on campus.
"It's our view that many people don't recycle because it isn't convenient," PEG member Sharon Hsu said.
However, not until the end of last year did the UA join the effort. An informal task force was created by Gross, which also included Hsu, Kristina Rencic, Coleman, Penn Recycling Supervisor Ken Neborak and Julia Baylor Harton, another PEG member.
To the UA, one main problem at Penn is the lack of centralization.
"One of the problems is that there really isn't a single recycling program at Penn, but rather different recycling initiatives," Gross said.
Right now, the University is reviewing the resolution.
Though the proposals set forth by the UA are drawing praise from PEG, the environmental group still has loftier goals.
Other goals of PEG are to have recycling receptacles on all floors of the high rises and to place recycling bins in each student room.
In the meantime, work is underway to improve campus recycling. The college house system is gradually overhauling its facilities.
A program in the Quadrangle -- which should take off within weeks -- will place three separate containers, one for trash, one for cans, plastic and glass and one for paper, in every student room. And three giant chutes are being constructed around the Quad as the receptacles for the sorted waste.
The first one to open will be located at the Provost Tower, near the entrance to the lower Quad. Two others will be constructed near Speakman Hall in Ware College House and Graduate Hall in Spruce College House.
The upgrades in the Quad's recycling facilities are part of a four-year renovation project that the complex is currently undergoing. But officials would not say what the plans were for the other dorms.
However, college house spokeswoman Sue Smith hinted that the new Quad program is only the beginning, with similar programs to follow in each of the college houses.
"Working on the Quad program has led us all to believe that we want to look at the rest of the residences," she said.
(10/12/00 9:00am)
The Psychology Department faced a cold, hard truth when it tried to turn on the heat Monday morning.
Penn forgot to pay the gas bill.
When temperatures plummeted earlier this week, the main department office at 3815 Walnut Street tried to turn on the heat, only to get frigid cold air.
Apparently, the University neglected to pay the gas bill for the building, and consequently, Philadelphia Gas Works turned off the heat.
The building's occupants are puzzled as to how their particular facility was overlooked when it came time to pay the bills.
"For some reason that none of us really understand, the gas bill was not paid for this particular building," Psychology Department Chair Robert Seyfarth said. "We're not very happy."
Without heat Monday, Tuesday and most of yesterday, the department was forced to try to find other ways of warming the building.
"We've shut all the doors and have little [portable] heaters in the individual rooms," Seyfarth said.
Although the rest of the week is expected to be much warmer than the previous few days, PGW did finally restore gas to the building late yesterday afternoon.
PGW officials were unable to be reached for comment last night, and Penn Facility Services officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Many of the building's occupants found it strange that Penn was capable of making such a mistake, which only affected one building.
"I think it's rather odd to learn that the University hasn't paid its bill," Seyfarth said.
However, Seyfarth was also puzzled by PGW's sudden action, explaining that gas companies rarely discontinue service to a building without any warning.
"I also think it's odd that the gas company would shut off the gas to the University of Pennsylvania," he said.
(10/10/00 9:00am)
The Class of 1920 Commons is next on the list of dining facilities to be overhauled under Penn's extensive dorm and dining renovations.
Plans for the renovations are still on the drawing board, officials said, and the process will probably not begin until next summer.
"We're still a ways off," said Peg Lacey, managing director of campus dining. "It is still going through the phases of approval."
The Class of 1920 Commons provides food services for the dormitories in the Hamilton Village area, including the three high rises and Gregory College House.
When finished, the updated facility will be larger and less cafeteria-like, said Associate Vice President for Campus Services Larry Moneta.
This new renovation is part of a $378.5 million renovation project first announced in the fall of 1998. The project, which will span at least 10 more years, will renovate nearly every dormitory and dining facility on campus.
The Hill House dining hall was the first dining facility to be renovated. It was largely completed in the summer of 1999, at a cost of approximately $1 million.
According to Moneta, the renovations to the Class of 1920 Commons will greatly expand the size of the complex.
"The way we've always planned to do it is by enclosing the plaza between Class of 1920 and Harnwell House,"Moneta said.
The newly renovated facility will also attempt to deviate from the traditional cafeteria line setup, where food is prepared perhaps an hour before it is purchased, in favor of a system in which food is freshly made upon the request of the customer.
According to Moneta, the new Hill facility is operating along these lines.
"You've seen that a little bit at Hill with all the exhibition islands," said Moneta.
As of yet, the University does not have an estimate on the cost of this renovation.
"At the moment, we're designing independent of cost," Moneta explained.
Further renovations to dormitories and dining halls include tearing down the Stouffer Triangle, which is located at 38th and Spruce streets and contains a dining hall, residence and a popular retail strip. But officials -- who originally slated the demolition for 2001 and then pushed it back to after 2003 -- would not give an updated timetable for Stouffer's demolition.
Moneta explained that before any work begins on Stouffer, a new facility must be designed and other dormitories and dining halls made ready to cope with the loss of the facility and the ensuing displacement of students.
"We'd have to have a new college house designed for the Stouffer community," he said.
Lacey supported Moneta's reassurances that Stouffer is not going anywhere yet, explaining, "That is a much larger project," than the impending renovations to the Class of 1920 Commons. "We know that it will be done in phases."
And officials said it is not clear whether the retail facilities below Stouffer, such as Wawa, will remain in the new facility.
(10/04/00 9:00am)
For the past 10 years, Van Pelt Library has been undergoing renovations and additions to bring a new level of comfort to the facility.
This year, most of the projects within the building are nearing completion.
Over the summer the finishing touches were put on the Goldstein Undergraduate Study Center, located on the ground floor. The 24-hour study area, which houses the Rosengarten Reserve, has been completely redesigned over the past two years.
In the second phase of the $2 million renovations, new furniture, more Internet access and multi-media equipment were added to the study space. It was funded by private donations and the University.
Vice Provost for Libraries Paul Mosher explained the purpose of the renovation projects.
"The goal has really been to recreate the library for the 21st century," Mosher said. "It was clear that the building [before the current projects] was worn out, that it was a shell."
The library's previous construction over the past decade has included the renovation of facilities and the addition of more study and multi-media lounges.
In designing the new center, planners relied heavily on student recommendations.
"It [the study center] was done on the basis of what students said they wanted," Mosher said.
The furniture for the new area was designed by famous designer Thomas Moser. It is supposed to provide comfortable seats and desks for students, many of whom spend hours at a time studying in the building.
The study space is also equipped with numerous terminals for accessing the Internet, both through computers provided by the library and students' own laptops.
Another possible addition to the new center is a coffee bar. But Mosher said he would have to prove to the University that this will not compete with the cafes in the Perelman Quadrangle.
"Most of the people [in the study center] would be held captive anyway," he said, referring to students who wouldn't leave the books for coffee outside the building.
Penn is also in the process of placing its entire card catalog online, getting rid of the actual drawers filled with cards currently housed on the first floor of the building. From an original 20 million cards, Van Pelt is now down to 200,000.
Mosher stressed the importance of students to the renovation project.
"I think that it's been a lot of fun to work with students and design it in the way they want it for their studies and learning," he said.
The Rosengarten Reserve -- named for the late University Trustee Adolf Rosengarten -- is located on the north side of the center and can house up to 9,000 volumes at one time. Books are placed there on request by professors who want their classes to have guaranteed access to particular books.
(10/03/00 9:00am)
After months of renovations, the former Christian Association building at 3601 Locust Walk is officially open for business.
And it has a new name, too.
The building's new, but probably temporary name, is The Arch -- an acronym for the Arts, Research and Culture House. It was unveiled at the building's grand re-opening yesterday afternoon in front of about 100 people.
The building houses academic and cultural facilities, with the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowship, offices for minority groups and performing arts space under its roof.
The name was chosen from hundreds of student submissions. College senior Erick Guerra created the winning name, which was selected by a committee of the building's occupants and approved by Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum.
The grand prize was a $500 gift certificate to the Penn Bookstore. The new name will stand until a donor for the project is located, at which point the building will be renamed in that person's honor.
Speaking at yesterday's event, Provost Robert Barchi explained the history of the transformation of the facility.
"The idea of creating a new hub on Locust Walk grew out of conversations I had with [University] President [Judith] Rodin over a year ago," he said. He then went on to explain that "our focus was on retaining a balance of student life, residential programs and academic programs together."
Rodin was also present at yesterday's event, and praised the beauty of the architecture of the facility in the beginning of her speech.
"When we first toured the CA with the prospect of Penn buying it, the provost was very eager to move his offices here, and I had to fight to keep him in College Hall," Rodin joked.
Rodin went on to say that she thinks the new center will be a hotspot on Penn's campus.
"We expect this to really just rock both day and night," she said.
The facility is now home to a diverse group of student and academic organizations. The first floor houses various multicultural groups such as La Casa Latina, UMOJA and the Pan Asian American Community House.
Karen Su, director of PAACH, praised the central location of the building and explained that she hoped this would encourage more participation in the program.
"I hope that students will stop by that central location to see what PAACH is all about," Su said.
The second floor houses the offices of the Benjamin Franklin Scholars Program and University Scholars, both of which are now a part of the research hub.
Cheryl Shipman, a BFS administrative assistant, also praised the building's position on Penn's campus.
"The new space is going to give us the opportunity to better serve the student body," she said.
The building also houses Student Performing Arts, which is directed by Ty Furman.
Though the many organizations of the building have a wide variety of functions, Furman feels that the multicultural, academic and performing arts groups fit in well together.
"I love being with this crowd of people. Arts and culture go together," he said. "And the building has a lot of cool character to it as well."
(09/28/00 9:00am)
With Houston Market finally open this week, students are checking out the new facility, comparing it to other eateries on campus -- and seeing if it measures up to the array of fast food options available there before the renovations.
Overall, students said the prices -- which range from $.99 to $5.25 -- were pretty reasonable. And they were largely impressed with the stylish decor, including stone walls and elaborate windows.
But many seniors said they still missed the fast-food chains, like Burger King and Subway, that used to be there.
College and Wharton junior Matthew Vogele said, "I think it is much better than the dining halls, but it would have been better if they had had independent fast food dealers."
But College senior Zehra Naqvi said she liked the large selection provided by the five vendors.
"It is pretty impressive. They have everything that Moravian Cafes [the rival food court in Samson Common] does."
So how does Houston Market stack up against the food trucks and fast food spots around campus?
A cheeseburger is $2.80 at Houston Hall and $3.79 in the Moravian Cafes on 34th and Walnut. At McDonald's, it would cost $.99 and at the Quaker Shaker truck by Gimbel Gymnasium, the cheeseburger is $2.50.
The prices for entrees were also competitive. For instance, an entree at the Market's Global Creations, which serves cuisine from around the world, costs $5.25. In comparison, entrees range from $5.50 to $7.95 at Oriental Gourmet at the Moravian eatery. At Kim's Vietnamese, a food cart, entrees cost between $3 and $4.
Most students agreed that the prices of food at the new eateries were reasonable.
School of Arts graduate student Todd Bates praised the new prices.
"This [manicotti from Ciao] cost $3.95, and it would have been at least a dollar higher [from other vendors]."
And Naqvi said, "I think they're about the same as the cafes, maybe a little higher."
Though students seem generally satisfied with the new food court, many would like it to be more like the old Houston Hall food court, which consisted of fast food chains like Burger King.
"I miss the old one," said Naqvi, who was a freshman when the old food court existed.
Some students also wondered whether the new state-of-the-art facility was worth the money it took to build it.
"I appreciate the windows and the niceness of it, but I'm wondering how much it cost and how much of that could be used on other stuff," said Naomi Pitamber, a Classical Studies graduate student.
(09/27/00 9:00am)
As of today, Penn students and faculty have a new place to spend their lunch hours with the long-awaited opening of the Houston Market food court on the ground floor of Houston Hall.
Though the Market has been open on a limited basis since Monday, it does not officially open until today, when it begins its normal hours.
The Market is the last part of Houston Hall to be completed, meaning that the entire student center is now operational.
The new food court -- operated by the Bon Appetit Management company, which also runs campus dining -- is comprised of five sections, each offering a different type of cuisine.
Students can use their Dining Dollars to eat at the Market.
The grill area, which is called Blaze, offers fast food items such as burgers, cheesesteaks and hotdogs. Prices range from $.99 to $4.95.
Next to Blaze is Ciao, the pasta and pizza eatery. Students will be able to purchase Italian entrees like lasagna, stuffed shells and baked ziti.
The pizzas are cooked in a brick oven, one of the first items installed in the construction process. Prices at Ciao start a bit higher, from $1.25 to $4.95.
In the middle of the Market, pushed back a bit from the eateries on either side, is Global Fusion, which features multicultural cuisine. Anything from tacos to chow mein is available, ranging between $.99 and $5.25.
Salads and deli products are offered in The Wall, located directly to the right of Global Creations. The salads are tossed to order and students can make their own subs at the deli bar. Also, pre-made wraps are available.
The costs at this eatery are on the higher side of the Market, ranging from $2.85 to $5.95.
Finally, Pronto is located just before the entrance into the Hall of Flags. There, students can purchase a variety of bread, fruits and vegetables as grab-and-go items anywhere from $.65 to $5.95.
The Market features a dining room that can seat 278, but according to Peg Lacey, managing director of campus dining, the food court can accommodate many more.
"We're assuming that we are going to be able to use the Hall of Flags, which is another 315 seats," she said.
It's possible that the Market will hurt business of the Moravian Cafes food court in Samson Common, but Lacey expects the new eateries may give some of the campus food trucks a run for their money as well.
"Some of our prices are competitive with the food trucks," she said. "It depends on what the item is."
Though the Market is the last part of Houston Hall to open, Lacey said that delays were normal for a project of this size.
"It's not unusual for a renovation as massive as Houston Hall was to lag a little bit," she said.
Houston Market is open Sundays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Though breakfast is not served in the Market, it is served in the Bistro, located on the first floor. The Bistro is open 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 8 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays.
(09/25/00 9:00am)
For more than 70 years, the structure at 3601 Locust Walk has been known as the Christian Association building.
But that is about to change.
The University bought the building last fall and has since transformed it into student offices and performing arts space.
And now the Office of the Vice Provost for University Life has begun a contest to select a new name for the building. The contest is open to all Penn students and will run until Tuesday.
According to Ty Furman, the coordinator of Student Performing Arts and head of the renaming contest, student enthusiasm has been encouraging.
"I would say I have, [and this is] really a rough guesstimate, well over 100 suggestions," Furman said yesterday.
However, according to the VPUL office, the name selected from the contest may be only temporary. Donors are still being sought for the renovation project, and the building will more than likely be officially named after the principal contributor.
Penn students were informed about the contest via e-mail and through various newsgroups and listservs.
Suggestions can be submitted via e-mail to Furman at tyf@pobox.upenn.edu or in writing to his office at 3601 Locust Walk.
The contest will officially end on Tuesday at 5 p.m. The names will be reviewed by a committee of the occupants of the building, which include the Pan Asian American Community House, La Casa Latina, the Greenfield Intercultural Center satellite office, UMOJA and the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, among other programs.
The grand prize will be a $500 gift certificate at the Penn Bookstore. The final decision on the name will be made by Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum.
Of course, if the name is only temporary, why have the contest in the first place?
Leah Smith, director of communications for VPUL, explained why the temporary name is necessary.
"Typically, that's what happens around campus. It's if and when a donor is found [that the temporary name will be replaced]. We don't want to keep calling it the former Christian Association building," she said.
An open house will be held in the newly renovated building within the next few weeks, tentatively on October 2. This event will be open to the entire Penn community.
(09/20/00 9:00am)
More than a year ago the Hillel Foundation announced plans to tear down its current facility on 36th Street and erect an elaborate new building in its place.
But though the demolition process was expected to begin this past summer, no physical work has been done to date.
And it could be months more before anything happens with the project, according to officials, who would not specify what is delaying the process.
Hillel has been battling space problems for quite sometime -- the organization renovated its current 11,000-square-foot structure in 1984, and created a Jewish Activities Center in the Quadrangle four years ago. When the rebuilding project was first announced in July 1999, the new structure was expected to more than double the size of the current building.
The project's architectural firm, Jacobs/Wyper Architects, declined to comment on the current state of the plans, other than to say that a final decision on the building's design is expected by mid-October.
Building plans are currently hanging in the Hillel entrance, but according to the architect these plans are out of date.
Hillel Executive Director Rabbi Howard Alpert declined to comment other than to say that an announcement will probably be made within the next two months.
Kosher Dining was moved two years ago to 4040 Locust Street, after its former location, which had also been home to the faculty club, was selected to house the Graduate School of Fine Arts.
The rest of Hillel was expected to be moving to the 4040 Locust Street area as well during the period of demolition and construction.
The new building, when it was announced a year ago, was supposed to include a 350-seat dining room, two auditoriums and student lounges, a larger library, a game room and two seminar rooms.
A rooftop patio, space for small performances and more student and administrative offices were also being considered in the original discussions.
The current Hillel building was built in 1930. Hillel Director Jeremy Brochin commented last year on the need for a new structure.
"I think we're already a community that's busting out of the building," he said at the time.
Hillel officials also said last year that they wanted the new facility to promote harmony and interaction between Jewish students of differing backgrounds.
"[The new facility] will facilitate the blending of different communities," Alpert said last year.
Brochin and Alpert both made visits to Hillel facilities at Yale, Princeton, Harvard and Tufts universities last year in order to gather ideas for the planning of Penn's new facility.
(09/18/00 9:00am)
Perelman Quadrangle was officially inaugurated Saturday evening with a spectacle of lights, music and pyrotechnics.
The events were part of "No Place Like Penn" weekend and reached their peak with a concert by the bands Everything and Guster on the newly dedicated Wynn Commons in the center of Perelman Quad.
Earlier in the day, University administrators joined with 1963 College graduate Stephen Wynn, a casino mogul and Penn Trustee, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the space named in his honor.
Ronald Perelman, the Penn Trustee and cosmetics millionaire, who donated $20 million to the project was not present. Although he had been scheduled to appear -- and even play drums for Guster -- he could not come because he could not travel on the Sabbath, Wynn said.
Provost Robert Barchi expressed the hopes of Penn officials that Wynn Commons will become the new social hub of campus.
"I think that in years to come, the words on everybody's lips will be, OMeet me on Wynn Commons,'" he said.
University President Judith Rodin, also present at the ribbon cutting, added her voice to Barchi's prediction that the space will become a campus hub.
"Imagine, just a few hours from now, this place will be full of 2,000 students," she said, referring to the concert.
Rodin went on to say that Wynn will be credited with transforming Penn and Philadelphia the way he is credited with transforming Las Vegas.
"Your role in transforming Las Vegas is legendary. So, too, will it be throughout Penn and Philadelphia," she said, introducing Wynn.
Following Rodin on the podium, Wynn spoke of how the Perelman Quad area had been, in his days at Penn, the main social center of campus.
"Forty-one years ago, when I first came to this college and hung out in Houston Hall, this was the center of campus," he said, adding that the newly opened Perelman Quad will again bring activity to the area.
Rodin and Wynn joined together to cut the ribbon strung across the complex, officially opening it.
Just a few hours later, the tranquility of the ribbon-cutting was shattered as Everything and Guster brought a sell-out crowd of 2,000 to their feet.
Everything, best-known for their song "You Got the Hooch," opened for Guster and took the stage at around 8 p.m. Guster then went on at about 9:30.
The concert was accompanied by lasers, canisters of confetti and neon lights projected on the gothic College and Houston halls, making for a strange contrast of life in 1890 with life in 2000.
Guster's sense of humor seemed to appeal to the gathered crowd of Penn students, as the band suggested that they lead a chant of "Cornell sucks," after they told the audience they would be heading there on Sunday.
Students in attendance felt that the new paved area was a much better place for holding concerts than the grass-covered Hill Field.
"I would say it's better because the acoustics are better," College senior Blake Martin said. "Unfortunately for the body surfers, it's a harder fall," Martin joked.
The concert was part of the Social Planning and Events Committee-sponsored "No Place Like Penn" weekend.
The weekend was intended to showcase Penn's various student groups, as it did with Saturday's performance by the comedy troupe Mask and Wig, as well as provide other forms of entertainment, such as the concert on Saturday and Friday's campus version of Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher.
(09/12/00 9:00am)
A White House spin doctor, a former Saturday night celebrity, a local news star and a campus official will lounge in armchairs and chat with comedian Bill Maher on Friday night.
The late night comedian is returning to campus for the second year in a row to do a version of his discussion show, Politically Incorrect. The event is part of the No Place Like Penn festivities sponsored by the Social Planning and Events Committee. The program will not be televised.
White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart is the biggest name in the lineup. Having held his current position since 1998 -- weathering the Monica Lewinsky scandal -- Lockhart serves as the official voice of the White House. He recently announced that he will be resigning in October.
Local newsman Rick Williams, co-anchor of ABC-6 shows Action News This Morning and Action News at Noon, will also be appearing. Williams has worked for ABC in Philadelphia for 12 years.
Adding a lighter touch to the panel will be comedian Victoria Jackson, who was with Saturday Night Live for six seasons and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson for two. Jackson now has a weekly program on Comedy Central, records ukulele songs for children and writes short stories.
Also appearing on the panel will be Penn's own Neal Rajmaira, an associate director of Penn's Office of Student Conduct. An alumnus of Penn's Fels Center of Government, Rajmaira has a degree in law from Villanova University. His current position includes investigating student misconduct and designing community outreach programs.
Rajmaira has also served as both assistant district attorney in McKean County and special assistant attorney general for Pennsylvania.
Maher hosted a performance of his show last year at Penn.
The show is expected to focus on issues relevant to college students, according to organizers.
College senior Nishchay Maskay, co-director of SPEC Connaissance, said that this year's performance, like last year's, will be very successful, noting that this year's guests include some important celebrities.
The list is certainly more star-studded this year than last -- when the panel included Philadelphia 76ers owner Pat Croce, Philadelphia Daily News columnist Elmer Smith, The Daily Show's Lewis Black and then-Senior Class President Lisa Marshall.
"I think last year it was a very dynamic group," Maskay said. "This one is certainly very high profile."
Tickets will be available today and tomorrow on Locust Walk at 10 a.m. for $5 with a PennCard. There will be a limit of two tickets per person.
(09/11/00 9:00am)
Indie rockers, political know-it-alls and a few multi-millionaires will hit campus next week. The annual No Place Like Penn celebrations are combining with the grand opening of Perelman Quadrangle. And the Social Planning and Events Committee is bringing a star-studded line-up to campus to mark the historic event.
Indie rock band Guster is christening Wynn Commons on Saturday night, and on Friday night Bill Maher will do a local version of his late-night Politically Incorrect for the second year in a row.
The No Place Like Penn festivities will last from Thursday through Saturday night.
SPEC Director Theo LeCompte said he expects this No Place Like Penn weekend to be one of the biggest ever.
"I think because we have more events than in the past and people are curious to see the new spaces, [that] will combine to make this No Place Like Penn one of the biggest ever," said LeCompte, an Engineering senior.
Maher appeared on campus last fall with a version of his colorful discussion show. The four panelists who will discuss current events with Maher will be announced by tomorrow, LeCompte said.
Tickets for the politically charged dialogue will be available on September 12 and 13 at 10 a.m. on Locust Walk, and will cost $5 per person.
Boston-based trio Guster will perform Saturday night. The popular East Coast band is known for its irreverent lyrics and unusual sound, complete with acoustic guitars and bongo drums. The band has released three albums, selling its first two -- Parachute and Goldfly -- by word of mouth alone.
Ronald Perelman, Penn trustee and the largest donor to Perelman Quad, will make a special appearance with Guster on the drums.
Opening for Guster will be Everything, an alternative band known for its top-40 hit last year, "Hooch."
Concert tickets will be available at 11 a.m. Monday on Locust Walk for $5 a person with Penn ID.
Other festivities round out the busy weekend.
The first event, lasting from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. will be "Coffee's On Us" in the reading room of Houston Hall. Free coffee, scones and newspapers will be provided for anyone with a PennCard by the Vice Provost for University Life and the Tangible Change Committee.
And Philadelphia rock station Y-100 is holding a free give-away on Wynn Commons on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. This will be followed with an outdoor presentation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at 8 p.m.
Depending on the weather, the movie will either be held on Wynn Commons or in Houston Hall's Hall of Flags.
On Friday, "Activities Day" will showcase the various student groups and organizations now housed in Houston Hall from noon until 4 p.m. at the Gateway to Perelman Quad, located on Locust Walk. This will be sponsored by the Student Activities Council and the Office of Student Life.
Saturday afternoon will feature performances by Mask and Wig in the Houston Hall auditorium at 3 p.m., and The Ally and Jazzyfatnastees on Wynn Commons at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively. All of these will be free with a PennCard.
Penn Trustee and 1963 College graduate Stephen Wynn will be on campus Saturday afternoon for the official opening of the facility.
Saturday evening will close out the festivities with fireworks and music. After the concert, the night will end with a dance party in the Hall of Flags
(09/07/00 9:00am)
For a freshman, college is a new world with new classes, people and living situations.
But no one expects this new world to come crashing down around them within the first week.
Literally.
But that's what happened to College freshman Eric Lederman. Last Friday, one day after freshman move-in, the new student returned to his dorm room in Community College House in the Quadrangle to find a large section of his ceiling sitting on his floor.
Lederman recounted his shock at discovering a gaping hole in his new home.
"I was looking forward to comingS and then the ceiling started falling down."
Fortunately, Lederman was not in his room when the disaster occurred. Of his personal belongings, only a plastic fan was damaged.
According to Lederman, someone on his floor reported hearing a loud noise from his room while he was away.
"Someone heard a big crash from, like, seven doors down," he said.
Though the University offered to put Lederman up in the Penn Tower Hotel after the accident, Lederman opted to stay with a friend before receiving his new, permanent room in Goldberg College House in the Quad.
When Lederman arrived on freshman move-in day, he reported a leak in his ceiling to maintenance. Though maintenance was in the process of looking into the leak, the ceiling collapsed before the problem could be addressed.
According to Lederman, this leaky piping led to the disaster.
Community House is currently undergoing a large renovation project that includes installing thermostat-controlled heating and cooling in each room, renovated bathrooms and new sinks in the dorm rooms, among other things.
Lederman criticized the way the University dealt with him after the disaster.
"They weren't very cooperative until a couple days later," he said.
College house officials did not respond to several calls for comment.
Lederman also said housing officials told him he might have to move again from his new room in Goldberg until his parents spoke with University officials
(09/07/00 9:00am)
The former Christian Association building is set to finish its summer of renovation next month and reopen as a home to minority groups, the performing arts community and a new undergraduate research resource.
The Christian Association occupied the centrally located building until Penn acquired it last November for an undisclosed price. Renovations to bring the facility up to code began in July and are expected to be completed in the near future.
The new space will house offices for minority groups, the new Center for Undergraduate Research and a performing arts hub.
According to John Smolen, associate vice provost for university life, the renovations should be finished by the beginning of next month.
"We expect they're going to be substantially completed by October 1," Smolen said.
And Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum said the pace of construction has been right on schedule.
In an e-mail statement, McCoullum said, "We met our goal to have first and second floor tenants in before the start of classes."
Renovations included completely redoing the electrical system, improving lighting and fixing ceilings, floors and the heating system.
The Pan Asian American Community House (PAACH), La Casa Latina and an office for the Greenfield Intercultural Center will all be located on the first floor. Eventually, the first floor will also be host to a performing arts hub.
Located on the second floor of the building will be the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, which will advise and assist students interested in conducting research. That center has been a pet project of Provost Robert Barchi and will be headed up by former Harrison College House Dean Art Casciato.
The second floor's auditorium was also extensively renovated.
The Christian Association will be moving to Westminster House, near the Iron Gate Theater, the former location of La Casa Latina.
The new name of the facility has not been determined yet. A naming committee is currently being put together under the leadership of Ty Furman, coordinator of student performing arts.
Furman said the exact details of the naming process have not been worked out yet, but student involvement will be sought to a great extent.
"It's going to go out to the campus as much as possible," he said
