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(06/24/99 9:00am)
A new Dental School dormitory located on the 4200 block of Osage Avenue will not be ready for its scheduled fall move-in after a fire broke out in the west wing of the building early Tuesday morning. The Dental House, a University-owned property set to become the nation's first dental school housing option designed to integrate teaching and learning, has been undergoing renovations to prepare for about 44 students scheduled to move in this August. The fire, discovered at about 3 a.m. by a resident of the street, was ruled accidental by the Philadelphia Fire Marshall, although the exact cause of the fire is not readily apparent. According to Lt. John Hartnett of the Philadelphia Fire Marshall's office, officials speculate that the blaze may have been caused by sparks from a welding torch or similar tool operated by one of the workers conducting renovations that went unnoticed and later developed into a full-blown fire. Hartnett said the fire originated on the second floor of the building's west wing, eventually spreading up the walls to the third and fourth floors and the roof area. While the fire did not leave the front part of the wing, Hartnett said that the areas the fire hit incurred "some structural damage," including damage to "the walls and ceilings and wood joists that supported the floors and the roof." "Some [joists] were badly damaged," Hartnett added. The Philadelphia Fire Department received the call at 2:58 a.m. and dispatched six fire engines to the scene. The blaze was placed under control by fire fighters by 3:47 a.m. According to Dental School spokesperson Lorraine Boehmcke, the property is slated to open this fall as a dormitory for up to 44 Dental School students of all years. The facility will also include academic space and will be headed by a residential faculty member who will create in-house programming for the residence's occupants. Boehmcke said the facility is "intended to be a lot more than a dorm," adding that "it was being designed to have dental labs for students to practice procedures on models." Thirty of the 44 spots in the residence have already been reserved, Boehmcke said, and those students will now be offered "comparable temporary housing in the vicinity of Dental House." While the extent of the damage has not yet been determined, Boehmcke said she could confirm that the facility will not "be ready for move-in in August as was originally scheduled." Boehmcke said that while the fire was an unfortunate setback for the project, Dental School officials are optimistic that the damage can be readily repaired and the facility open with as little delay as possible. "This is likely to discourage some students, but we know that this is going to be a valuable experience for them and we're hoping that temporary arrangements will be satisfactory," Boehmcke said. Osage Street resident David Vann, who discovered and reported the fire, said he was inside his home next to the property early Tuesday morning when he heard the sound of shattering glass coming from outside a second-floor window. Vann said he looked out the window and first saw sparks falling out of a garbage shoot protruding from one of the building's second-floor window. "I looked further up my window and saw flames," Vann said. Vann said that while he was only slightly concerned that the fire might spread to his neighboring home, he considered the fire rather severe. "I would say 12 to 15 foot flames were shooting out of the windows," Vann said. "It was a big fire in that room."
(06/24/99 9:00am)
What the campus needs now is love. Or at least that's what University officials, who recently welcomed Robert Indiana's "LOVE" sculpture to the University's family of public artwork, seem to be saying. The polychrome red, blue and green structure, one of Philadelphia's trademark sculptures that also stands in Love Park near City Hall, was donated by Graduate School of Fine Arts Overseer Jeffrey Loria and his wife, Sivia. "LOVE" first appeared at 36th Street and Locust Walk, across from the Psi Upsilon fraternity house, last week. It stands on the spot formerly occupied by Tony Smith's "We Lost." According to Penn officials, "We Lost" has suffered extensive weather damage, especially around its base, and has been removed from the spot to undergo repairs. "We Lost" has been at Penn since 1967, and for decades students have sat upon the large black sculpture to eat their lunches or take a rest in the summer heat. Executive Vice President John Fry said that although "LOVE" is now a permanent piece of the University's campus art, it may only remain at its new spot temporarily until a campus-wide review of Penn's public artwork is completed. Fry said that University officials reasoned, "This is a terrific spot, why don't we try the 'LOVE' here, see how we like it, and have the 'We Lost' renovated." Although "LOVE" is currently being used as a temporary replacement for "We Lost," facilities officials said that the future of the two statues have not yet been decided. University officials announced last April that they would create a new campus development plan to outline new architectural and landscaping plans for campus. "All artwork and sculptures are currently being evaluated on where [they] should go," said Financial Director of Facilities Services Mina Fader. According to Fader, when the restoration of "We Lost" is complete, there is no guarantee that it will occupy its old position on College Green. The position of both statues and all other artwork on campus will be reconsidered to fit with the new development plan once it has been finalized. Fry said that he would not be surprised if "LOVE" found itself a permanent home on the Green. "We thought 'LOVE' would look terrific on that spot," Fry said. Students and faculty seem confused as to why "LOVE" was chosen as a replacement. "I think its kind of cool and also kind of corny," said College senior Bikila Ochoa. "I kind of wonder why they put it right on College Green, what the message is supposed to be to us -- besides the obvious." Others felt that the statue did not belong at Penn. "It's a copy of what's downtown, and I think its disgusting," said College senior Josh Croll. "Its kind of tacky," College junior Jon Sell agreed. "I think they should set it on fire and put it on top of the high rises." But overall the reaction was mixed. Some students couldn't make up their minds what to think about "LOVE." "I love it and hate it at the same time," said College junior Victor Chien. And some faculty members seemed to like the sculpture on campus. "I like the sculpture and the fact that its a reproduction doesn't cause me any pain," said Dining Services employee Harmon Bryen. "Its a work of art, and as a work of art, it makes me feel good." The creation of the campus development plan was announced in April by University officials. A steering committee and five individual working committees composed of faculty and staff members were appointed to examine areas of concern around Penn's physical campus. Summer Pennsylvanian news editor Karlene Hanko contributed to this article.
(06/17/99 9:00am)
When a review of Scott McCartney's recently published book ENIAC: The Triumph and Tragedies of the World's First Computer was posted on the Internet, it revived a decades-old argument over who invented the first all-electronic digital computer. While some Philadelphia-area experts attribute the discovery to Penn, other people have made similar claims from as close as Boston to as far away as Germany and England. But according to McCartney, a staff writer for The Wall Street Journal, the ENIAC computer was indeed created by two Penn alumni during their academic careers at Penn's Moore School of Electrical Engineering. McCartney spoke to approximately 20 members of the University community at the University Bookstore on Monday. He signed copies of his book and discussed his investigative reporting of the ENIAC controversy. McCartney explained that although he had been covering the computer industry for The Wall Street Journal, he one day realized that he didn't know who invented the computer. "The inventors of the most important invention of the century remained obscure," McCartney said. In his quest to find the inventors, McCartney discovered John Mauchly and Presper Eckert, two Engineering students who met at the Moore School in 1941. Eckert and Mauchly were funded by the U.S. Army in 1943 to create a mechanism that would quickly compute the course of missiles during World War II. Their solution was ENIAC. McCartney searched through old records, diaries and video tapes stored in the Library of Congress. He found additional books that belonged to Mauchly in the rare book department of Van Pelt Library. ENIAC, unveiled on February 14, 1946, was accompanied by much University fanfare. It weighed 30 tons and occupied 1,800 square feet, McCartney said. The event, which should have been a momentous day for both the inventors and the University, was overshadowed by the patent fight surrounding who should get credit for actually inventing the first computer, McCartney said. "The three-century quest for computing machines melted into a three-decade quest to gain credit for it," he said. The Army gave Mauchly and Eckert permission to apply for patents for the computer technology, but the attempt was prohibited by the University. McCartney said the Moore School gave the two an ultimatum: If they wanted to remain at the University, they would have to give up patent considerations. According to McCartney, the University did not feel that a profit should be made on an invention that was created at an institution of higher learning and expressly intended for public use. Mauchly and Eckert resigned just five weeks after ENIAC was unveiled. Due to the inventors' failure to get a patent on time, other institutions also began producing computers, which led to the patent debate, McCartney said. Mauchly and Eckert went on to found the first computer company, but they could not compete when IBM eventually came onto the market. Their company was later bought out by Remmington-Rand, which is now called Unisys. "They were too far ahead of the game their whole lives," said McCartney. Indeed, McCartney claimed that when Eckert heard about the formation of Intel Corp., he predicted that computers would eventually be cheaper and fit on a desktop. And Mauchly supposedly recognized that computers could eventually be used to monitor weather around the world. Mauchly also worked on creating an Internet and electronic money transfers even before the technology was in place. Others who felt connected to the story of ENIAC attended Monday's book signing. Betty Davis, a graduate of the Class of 1942, retold a story of a conversation that she had with a friend while in college. A friend who knew Eckert had told her that she would eventually be able to use computers to keep track of sales in her department stores. "After all these years, as I saw his predictions come through, I've been waiting for this book and I couldn't stay away," she said. "What would have happened if Penn had played the hand dealt them differently?" McCartney asked his audience. "Philadelphia could have become a center of computing and technology." Presper and Eckert were both eventually given patents on the computer, but both died before ENIAC's 50th birthday celebration in 1996.
(06/17/99 9:00am)
The Trustees will elect a successor to outgoing chairperson Roy Vagelos. As the University Trustees prepare for their annual summer meetings this week, they will be faced with the standard issues of faculty appointments, budgetary policy and facilities planning -- in addition to the challenge of replacing outgoing Chairperson Roy Vagelos. Vagelos, who has served as chairperson since November 1994, will officially step down at tomorrow's all-inclusive Stated Meeting of the Trustees at 2:30 p.m. in the Faculty Club. The former chief executive officer of Merck and Co., Vagelos will turn 70 -- the required age of retirement according to statutes of the Trustees -- in October. A new chairperson will be elected tomorrow, but both Vagelos and University Spokesperson Ken Wildes declined to reveal the name of the new chairperson. "His contributions as chair of the Trustees have been extraordinary, especially his attention to the enhancement of the scientific research and teaching enterprise of the University and his deep commitment to undergraduate financial aid," University President Judith Rodin said Tuesday. The Trustees meet three times a year -- once each during the fall and spring semesters and once during the summer -- to discuss and vote on important issues pertaining to the University community. This week's meetings marks their final gathering of the current fiscal year. Although seven standing committees of the Trustees will meet this week, only three -- Budget and Finance, External Affairs and Academic Policy -- will open their sessions to the public. At the Budget and Finance committee meeting, which will take place today at 2:30 p.m., the operating capital budgets for both the University and the University's Health System will be discussed and then voted on at tomorrow's Stated Meeting. Last June the Trustees approved a total operating budget of $2.871 billion. University Budget Director Mike Masch was unavailable for comment this week. Other highlights of this week's events include tomorrow's Academic Policy meeting -- scheduled for 10 a.m. in the Faculty Club -- in which Medical School Vice Dean of Education Gail Morrison will present a resolution on Curriculum 2000, an innovative program first introduced in 1997 and designed to expose Penn's Medical students to a more integrated, broad-based approach to medical education. "We had to really take down everything, start over and say 'What is medicine going to look like in the 21st Century?'" said Morrison, the curriculum's chief architect. And School of Arts and Sciences Dean Samuel Preston will present two resolutions -- one encouraging the closing of the beleaguered Folklore Department and the other calling for the creation of a master of chemical education degree for students interested in teaching chemistry. "There is no source of contention as far as I can see," Preston said of the department's elimination, noting that Folklore will become an academic center and will remain a graduate group, while the department's professors will join other undergraduate departments. Although some of the issues to be discussed at the Trustees meetings are decidedly complex and multifaceted, McManus said she expects little heated debate during the sessions. "We spend a lot of time making sure that there are no surprises," she said. Other bodies scheduled to meet this week include the Development, Facilities and Campus Planning and Investment Board committees. And, as always, there will be a handful of academic appointments made this week. Jon Huntsman, a 1959 Wharton graduate and primary donor and namesake of the soon-to-be constructed Huntsman Hall, will be named chairperson of the Board of Overseers of the Wharton School. And former Trustees Chairperson Alvin Shoemaker will be tapped as the chairperson of the athletics advisory board, while Marjorie Rendell, U.S. Circuit Court judge and wife of Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell, will serve as the board of overseers of the Nursing School. Tonight the Trustees will take a break from their discussions with a party in honor of the recently-created Abramson Family Cancer Institute. Katie Couric, a co-anchor of the Today show, is the event's featured speaker.
(06/17/99 9:00am)
Bell Atlantic and Sports Authority both posted wins on Tuesday night. Of course Gene Lett cared about the outcome of the first college game of the season in the Sonny Hill League. He was coach of Bell Atlantic -- and his team was in the midst of a dogfight of a ballgame against Frankie's Fruit Freeze. But the game meant more than that to Lett. The coach for Frankie's Fruit Freeze was none other than longtime rival Rodney Wescott. "[Wescott] lives right around the corner from me," Lett said. "So this was a big game for me and it was also a big game for him. Last year we met up and he beat me, so this year it was a revenge-type thing." And Lett got his revenge. Bell Atlantic defeated Frankie's Fruit Freeze, 75-72, in the Hank Gathers College League opener on Tuesday night in Temple's McGonigle Hall. Although the teams were evenly matched, the two coaches could not have been more polar. Wescott stayed cool and calm, while Lett became progressively louder. Although mighty in stature, Wescott was barely audible over the noise on and off the court, while the short and stocky Lett could be heard loud and clear as he barked instructions to his guard Malik Moore. But while the coaches hoped for a controlled game by their players, the action on the court often had the feel of a pickup basketball game. "It was a little out of control for the first game," said Penn guard Lamar Plummer, who also plays on the Frankie's Fruit Freeze team. "But once everybody calms down, relaxes and realizes this is basketball, everybody's going to get better." Plummer, who ran the point for Frankie's Fruit Freeze for most of the game, scored 11 in his team's loss. The second game pitted two Penn teammates against each other. Geoff Owens and his Sports Authority team squared up against incoming freshman Ugonna Onyekwe and the rest of the Pep Boys. Owens, who finished with eight points, looked strong early. Although he lost the opening tip, he scored Sports Authority's first points with an explosive two-handed dunk thirty seconds into the game. Although Onyekwe and Owens did not match up against each other during the game, they did meet twice in the lane late in the first half. Both times Onyekwe fouled Owens, and, amazingly, both times Owens -- a notoriously poor foul shooter -- drained two foul shots. "I'm really trying to work on [shooting foul shots], gaining confidence and focus," Owens said. "I want to be consistent game to game. I've had my good games even last year. Every day is a new day with free throws so I'm keeping at it." Owens and Onyekwe both played a good portion of the game -- a 70-54 win for Sports Authority. Pep Boys had the lead for most of the game, but Sports Authority pulled away in the second half. The Pep Boys team is unique in the Hank Gathers League, as it is composed of high school -- not college -- players. "This team is in the college league for one purpose only -- for them to get experience against the college guys," commissioner John Hardnett said. "They're top notch players but they have no idea until they touch this floor tonight how physical these guys are. When they go home tonight they're gonna say, 'I didn't know these guys were that big and that quick and that strong,'" Hardnett said. Last year the Pep Boys high school team won the Hank Gathers League championship. Although this year's team got off to a rocky start, Hardnett believes they could win again. "The one advantage the young guys have during the summer is they have stamina and they can run," Hardnett said. "So if they learn to play together they can really play excellent defense against the older guys who are sometimes out of shape in the early part of the year." Among the crowd members that enjoyed the excitement surrounding the beginning of the league's 31st season on Tuesday was founder and former professional basketball player Sonny Hill. "At the time I started the program back in 1968 there used to be a lot of gang problems," Hill said. "I just felt that there was a need to have something organized where the youngsters could cross all turfs and there would be no problem." Hill keeps his program alive through sponsors and gifts, as admission is free to all Sonny Hill basketball games. About 200 spectators occupied the bleachers throughout most of the night on Tuesday. "During the course of an evening we may have 1,000 people pass through the building," Hill said. "Maybe not all at the same time, but [they] are passing through." Most of the Sonny Hill games are in McGonigle Hall, but Drexel, St. Joseph's and other sites are also utilized. Penn, however, is not home to any Sonny Hill games. Hardnett points out that the Palestra is too spacious and has too many entrances and exits. Still, both Hardnett and Hill agree that Weightman Hall, with its multiple courts, would be an excellent site for Sonny Hill basketball games. But Penn, although not discouraging toward the league, has not welcomed Sonny Hill with open arms. "There's procedures you have to go through and sometimes it's a little more difficult [at Penn] than it is at some of the other universities," Hill said. "That needs to be relaxed a little only because we serve a tremendous service -- not only for the ballplayers but for community outreach." The Sonny Hill League is not exactly suffering, however. They have 13 sponsors for teams, an air-conditioned facility in McGonigle Hall and many of the top college players in the area. And, as was evident in the post-game faces of the players on Wescott's losing team -- faces filled with exhaustion and disappointment -- the Sonny Hill League certainly has intensity.
(06/17/99 9:00am)
The UCD-sponsored Clark Park Farmer's Market opened for its second season earlier this month. and Karlene Hanko For the second year in a row, West Philadelphia residents don't have to leave the city to get a little taste of the country. The Clark Park Farmer's Market -- a weekly gathering of area farmers that makes organically grown fruits, vegetables and flowers available city residents -- opened earlier this month for its second season. Nestled on the corner of 43rd Street and Baltimore Avenue beyond the bustle of campus life, the market boasts fresh fruit and organic vegetables untainted by pesticides. Sponsored by the Philadelphia Farmers' Market Trust and the University City District, the market operates every Friday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. through October 29, rain or shine. According to UCD Marketing Director Allison Kelsey, the market is "a great amenity for the neighborhood." Kelsey said that last year's market had a "really nice turn-out," and she expects this year's market to be even better, with more farmers and a larger selection of produce to become available as the season continues. And UCD Executive Director Paul Steinke said that the market serves a dual purpose. "We saw an opportunity to both meet a neighborhood need for access to fresh produce and to create a community gathering place," Steinke said. "We believe it's been successful on both counts." Shoppers at the market can explore foods that they normally would not have access to in West Philadelphia, as well as obtain information and ask questions about food preparation and storage. Many community members, from students to professors to children, joined together to browse the three trucks present and enjoy the milieu of Friday afternoon's market. Farmers Annette and Bud Brown sold flowers and strawberries grown on their farm, called Uncle Frank's Garden. "This week's strawberries are much tastier than last week's," Bud Brown confidently told his shoppers. One farmer, adorned in a red apron, cooked up beached greens and swiss chard for all to savor. Other vendors sold fresh green lettuce, radishes, oregano and other spices. The goal of the market, to bring fresh food to areas with poor resources and access, was well achieved. West Philadelphia resident Marione Viglione was "delighted with the variety of the food" available at the market, adding "we all don't have time to grow a garden? or go out to the country." According to Director of Community Markets for Farmers' Market Trust Bob Pierson, the Clark Park market is one of six that will be operating in Philadelphia this summer, bringing a total of thirteen farmers into the city. The city's six markets provide a welcome alternative to grocery stores during summer time. Many loyal customers admit that they don't mind paying a little extra for freshness. Area resident Lydia Kelly, a shopper at Friday's market, said that she was pleased with the lettuce, tomatoes and white radishes she purchased at the market. "They were delicious," she said. And Viglione, a veteran market-goer, said that as the season progresses, "the produce will pick up in variety and amount." JoAnne Dubil, a Penn coordinator in the Comparative Literature and Literature Theory program, said she enjoyed the market and the fresh vegetables, fruits and plants she purchased at last week's market. "It was lovely," Dubil said. "It was very well-priced and I like the fact that [the vegetables] were organic."
(06/17/99 9:00am)
Penn Physics Professor Eugene Beier is one of many scientists now looking beneath the Earth's surface for answers to questions about the sky above. Beier, 59, is one of the creators of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory -- a Canada-based observatory dedicated to collecting information about subatomic particles called neutrinos -- that began collecting its first data last week. Electron neutrinos are emitted by the Sun during nuclear fusion and provide clues about the composition of our solar system's only star. The unique observatory is intended to detect neutrinos created in the Sun and the Earth's atmosphere in an effort to better understand the workings of the Sun and the universe in general, Beier said yesterday. SNO -- located 2,000 meters below the Earth's surface in a nickel mine in Sudbury, Ontario -- was created through the joint efforts of nearly 100 scientists from 11 universities and laboratories in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, according to a statement released last week. "How neutrinos behave? determines how heavy elements are produced in the galaxy," Beier said. "And that tells us something about the chemical evolution of the galaxy." Neutrinos created in the Sun travel to Earth, where they can be observed through their interactions with water. Although neutrino telescopes traditionally use purified water to study the particles, the SNO observatory is the first in the world to use heavy water instead, Beier said. According to Beier, the use of heavy water will allow scientists to distinguish between the several different types of neutrinos, only one of which comes from the Sun to the Earth. "What we're trying to do is understand the way the Sun loses its energy," Beier said. Beier worked on a similar project in Japan ten years ago that did not use heavy water. Beier said that distinguishing between different types of neutrinos is an important step in determining exactly what happens to the particles on their way from the Sun. "Neutrinos may be able to change into other types of neutrinos as they propagate through space," Beier said. Beier explained that, in the past, scientists have detected fewer neutrinos than they had predicted. "The neutrino emission by the sun as measured on Earth seems to be much smaller than what stellar evolution models predict," Beier said. But the new observatory should help scientists understand if those small numbers are due to the changing of neutrinos in space, Beier said. The project's creators have been developing the observatory since 1984. Construction began on the telescope in 1990, Beier said. "This is tremendously exciting," SNO Institute Director Art McDonald said in a statement released last week. "It is 15 years since the starts of the SNO project, and to see such clear examples of neutrino interactions within days of finally turning on was a real triumph for the entire SNO team." Beier, who has been a Penn professor since 1967, said that he has been interested in the interactions of neutrinos for his entire career. "Starting in the late '60s, all the most interesting questions were in studying neutrinos, at least as far as I was concerned," Beier said. Beier said past research indicates that "neutrinos contribute at least as much as stars or approximately as much as stars" to the mass of the universe. "So it's one of the steps in trying to understand what's in the universe," Beier said.
(06/17/99 9:00am)
Penn students teamed with students from K-8 Lea School to create a new garden in a concrete courtyard. They spent Tuesday afternoon performing spirited dance routines, dining on gourmet cuisine and frolicking outdoors on a sunny afternoon. The students at the local Lea School were unabashedly celebrating their new garden. But for the numerous Penn administrators, local politicians and Lea School faculty members who attended the grand opening of the school's garden -- jointly created by several Penn students, various faculty members and students from the K-8 public school and West Philadelphia community members -- Tuesday's ceremony meant much more. As part of a fall-semester Management 100 project, 10 Wharton School freshmen teamed up over the past several months with teachers and students at the Lea School -- located on 47th and Locust streets -- to convert a previously unused concrete courtyard into a vibrant garden that could serve both academic and recreational purposes. The project is the latest in a long series of collaborative efforts between the University and the local school. The garden was officially unveiled by Lea School Principal Cheryl Hazzard before a crowd of approximately 50 students, parents, faculty members and University administrators. Hazzard praised the University for playing an "integral part in our school" and for "serving our staff and students." "This is just the beginning. Wait until you see what's coming in the future," Hazzard said of the burgeoning "partnership" between Penn and the Lea School. Many audience members cheered as they stepped outside into the garden, which includes a dozen raised beds intended for growing a variety of plants, bushes and flowers; a raised bed with a shallow pond and seeding area and four murals depicting each season -- each element contributing to the garden's modest, yet graceful, botanical display. Prior to the unveiling of the garden, the audience gathered inside an auditorium to hear speeches from, among others, Hazzard, University President Judith Rodin and West Philadelphia Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell. Rodin lauded the garden as a location that should provide education and serenity for the student body. "I think the garden has enormous potential. It will be a place for students to learn about life, about beauty, about environmental science, about respect for living things in public spaces and, importantly, about how to work together as a team," Rodin said. "It's been teamwork that's made this creation so successful," she added. And Blackwell claimed that this endeavor is but the latest example of Penn's "outreach effort" in the community. "We could not otherwise have [the garden] were it not for [University administrators and students] commitment, dedication and their willingness to roll up their sleeves and get the job done," Blackwell said. After the speeches concluded and the ceremony moved outside, the mood became even more jovial as many Lea School faculty members and other guests ate fruit salad and pasta provided by the White Dog Cafe, while students explored the garden and chatted with their teachers. Larry Serinsky, who graduated from the Lea School in 1964 and has served as the students' counselor for 13 years, called Tuesday's ceremony a "triumphant" and "uplifting experience." "What a marvelous way to reassert our school as the center of a community," Serinsky said. Sixth-grader Shamsudin Kadir, who acknowledged that he played a direct role in the creation of the garden, said he felt pleased that other children -- especially his five siblings -- would benefit from the use of the garden. "I want my little brothers and sisters, when they grow up, to have confidence in this garden," Kadir said.
(06/17/99 9:00am)
University City District safety ambassadors will be able to work more closely with city police from their new home. Although they may wear differently colored shirts, the University City District's yellow-coated Safety Ambassadors and the blue-uniformed officers of the Philadelphia Police Department are now working together towards a common goal. The two agencies jointly occupy the new UCD operations center, which was dedicated Tuesday at a ceremony that united city leaders, Penn officials and community residents in celebration of the new facility and the partnership between the UCD and the Police Department. In addition to housing UCD headquarters and the organization's 40 safety ambassadors -- unarmed officers who patrol University City and assist pedestrians -- the building will also be home to a police substation where 25 officers from the 16th and 18th Districts will report. The UCD is a two-year old organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in University City. The $1.7 million building has rooms for administrative offices, lockers, roll call, police operations and the safety ambassadors. The roll call room will allow the officers and safety ambassadors to meet together twice a day, which is significantly more often than the two groups' former bi-weekly meetings. "Seeing these extra uniformed officers out there -- regardless of whether the uniform's yellow or blue -- makes a big, big difference," said Mayor Ed Rendell, one of the ceremony's speakers. UCD Executive Director Paul Steinke echoed Rendell's sentiments, explaining that the organizations' new partnership underscores the UCD's credo: "Making it Better, Working Together." "Our collaborations with the Philadelphia Police represents another in a series of collaborations designed to improve the quality of life in University City," Steinke said. Steinke said that the police and safety ambassadors can now "share information on crime patterns, develop coordinated deployment strategies and strengthen a rapport that will translate into continued improvement in public safety in University City." The ceremony was moderated by University Executive Vice President John Fry, who is also chairperson of the UCD Board of Directors. Praising University City as the "best kept secret in the city of Philadelphia," Fry lauded the UCD's accomplishments and thanked those who contributed to the planning and construction of the new facility. "University City is cleaner, University City is safer, University City is hot," Fry said. Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Timoney also addressed the several hundred University administrators, local politicians and West Philadelphia community members in attendance at Tuesday's ceremony. Timoney praised the collaborative effort, stressing the importance of "police and the community service officers actually work[ing] together and turn[ing] out together at roll call." The center, located at 3940-42 Chestnut Street, is a combination of a one-story renovated building -- formerly occupied by a Horn & Hardart restaurant -- and a new, single-story addition. The building covers a total of 10,000 square feet. The building cost $1.3 million to construct, while another $400,000 was put towards furnishing and supplying the center. The construction was funded through a no-interest loan by the University. The UCD will pay the building's operational costs and will repay the University through corporate and foundation funding. The UCD is currently fundraising for the money to repay that loan, and many contributors -- including Aramark, Bell Atlantic Corporations, Mellon Bank and the William Penn Foundation -- have already contributed funds. Rendell said Tuesday that the city of Philadelphia will also help cover the costs of construction. In addition, all of the members of the project team, including the architects, engineers and construction managers, discounted or donated services to the planning and construction of the new building, Steinke said. The center's groundbreaking took place last October and the UCD's offices moved into the facility earlier this month. The University owns the former restaurant's building and will rent it to the UCD for $1 each year.
(06/17/99 9:00am)
The Junior National Team is staying on campus this summer. They wake up at 5:30, practice, sleep for two hours, practice again and then basically collapse for the rest of the day. If that schedule sounds grueling, well, it is. But that's what it takes to be a rower in the Junior Women's National Team Selection Camp. On June 7, 20 women from across the country arrived at Penn to take part in this year's camp. The women -- who are in the 18 and under division -- will be staying in Hamilton College House and training on the Schuylkill River for Nationals and Worlds until July 26th. For the fourth consecutive year, Penn women's rowing coach Barb Kirch is serving as head coach for the camp. Her goal is to put together the fastest boat or boats possible out of the 20 rowers in the seven-week long camp. That means, of course, that not everyone will make the cut. Some rowers will be leaving after the National Competition in Indianapolis, Ind., in two weeks, as many of the camp members will not get the opportunity to row at the World Championships in Bulgaria. "I was kinda worried that it was going to be really cutthroat," camp member Laura Scherberger said. "But right now we're all really good friends. We're competing but at the same time we respect each other." To determine who will compete in which boat, Kirch uses both ergometer and seat racing tests. An ergometer is a rowing machine that measures how fast and how strong an individual rows. Seat racing, meanwhile, involves racing a particular group of people and then replacing one person in the boat. By comparing times of the two boats, she can determine the better rower. But the process for selection is a little more complicated than that. "[The coaches] try not to tell you a whole lot," camp member Joanna Riley said. "So you're always pulling hard and always doing what you think you need to do and not trying to analyze, 'Well, let's see, I need to beat this girl and this girl, and I need to do it this way and this way.'" Every practice is important for these rowers in trying to make the team, but there is certainly no shortage of practices. Kirch holds practices twice each day except for Saturday and Sunday, when the team only practices once a day. "We have the opportunity since they're not in school to train twice a day and have their undivided attention toward one goal," Kirch said. "It's a real luxury." Of course, Kirch does allow the team some freedom. They go out for food, shop, see movies, visit Fairmount Park and, according to Scherberger, "flirt with guys." But the rowers did not come to Philadelphia for the other activities. They have to pay for this camp, so they are definitely here to row. The crew members were chosen based on participation in National Team Testing, Talent Identification Camps, ergometer timings, letters of recommendations and spring race results. Five of the rowers are here for a second time. Claudia Durkin, Megan Burritt, Sarah Schreiner, Helen Dalis and Katie Baurichter have all participated in the Junior Women's National Team Selection Camp in the past. But three-fourths of the rowers are in their first selection camp. "I've rowed ever since my freshman year of high school and I've always wanted to get invited to selection camp," Scherberger said. "It's just an honor." The honor of being chosen for the Junior Women's National Team Selection Camp transcends regional boundaries, with rowers coming from all over the United States. Scherberger is from Atlanta, Riley from Connecticut, Schreiner from San Diego and Laura Mutti is from Dallas. But, despite being from different areas and never having rowed together, these women have no trouble rowing quickly. "All of us, since we were good enough to get invited here, were used to being the best or one of the best on our little home team," Scherberger said. "And then we all get here and come together and we're like, 'Whoa, these boats are really fast.'" Unfortunately for some of the women, some boats are faster than others. And that means some rowers won't make the cut when final selections are announced in two weeks. But are the rowers nervous yet? "Yeah," said Riley. "Oh yeah."
(06/17/99 9:00am)
Incoming freshman basketball player Andrew Coates was plagued with injuries and a case of pneumonia last season. When the NCAA Selection Committee decided to send the Penn men's basketball team to Seattle for the first round of the Tournament, it looked like the perfect opportunity for Andrew Coates. The Seattle native and incoming basketball recruit would be able to check out the Quakers in person for the first time without even leaving his hometown. It didn't quite work out that way. Coates had more important things to do that day. For only the second time in its history, Eastside Catholic High School had qualified for the state playoffs, and Coates -- a 6'8" power forward -- was a major reason for its presence in the highest level of playoffs in the state of Washington. "He led us into and through the state playoffs," Eastside Catholic coach Pat McCarthy said. Eastside Catholic lost in the first round, but won a game in the consolation round before being eliminated. The most impressive aspect of the Crusaders' success, though, is that this past season was filled with more than one pitfall for their best player. After a superb junior season in which he averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds per game and was named first team All-Seattle Metro League, Coates was forced to endure a difficult campaign in 1998-99. He missed the start of the season with an ankle injury, but that misfortune was only the beginning. Coates came down with a case of pneumonia halfway through the season that prevented him from repeating his 1997-98 performance. "I was out for about two weeks, but I never really recovered," Coates said. "I had a lot of trouble breathing and was coughing up blood." Although Coates' senior year was not the spectacular finale to his high school career that many expected, the four-year starter at Eastside Catholic has proven that he has the skills to play Division I basketball. McCarthy says that Coates has solid post-up moves and great footwork under the basket, but needs to gain strength and quickness. "I saw him healthy last summer and he played very well," Penn assistant coach Steve Donahue said. "This year he's been through every injury you could imagine so he hasn't had a chance to show what he can do. "He's 6'8", shoots the ball very well, runs the floor. He's athletic. He'll have to show us what he can do if he's healthy." Coates is currently working to show the Penn coaching staff exactly what he can do when healthy. He works on his game for at least two hours each day and performs exercises at the Washington Sports Institute to improve his quickness and leg strength. He also lifts weights four times a week to add bulk to his 210-pound frame. Coates will probably need these summer workouts to yield great results if he hopes to make an impact at Penn this year, however. Although the graduation of Paul Romanczuk leaves a huge hole at power forward, the competition should be fierce to fill the spot of the first team All-Ivy honoree. In addition to Coates, the Quakers will gain the services of 6'10" forward/center Oggie Kapetanovic and 6'8" forward Ugonna Onyekwe next season. Kapetanovic, a transfer from Brown, practiced with Penn all of last season, and Onyekwe is considered the top prospect in Penn's highly-regarded recruiting class. With forward Josh Sanger entering his junior year as well, Coates may spend a considerable amount of time on the bench next year. But after a season of learning the ins and outs of the Quakers' system, he could be an important contributor for the Red and Blue in the future. "I know he's a pretty talented kid when he's healthy," Donahue said. "How good I don't know exactly yet, but he'll be given the opportunity." And he'll travel all the way across the country to seize that opportunity. But that does not mean he will be alone on the East Coast. Coates' sister will enter her junior year at Princeton in the fall, but she will probably not be wearing orange and black when the Tigers take on the defending Ivy champs next season. "She's a basketball fan," Coates acknowledged. "But she's more of an Andrew Coates basketball fan than anything else."
(06/17/99 9:00am)
Republican Sam Katz is out to prove that the City of Brotherly Love can love a Republican, too. The Philadelphia summer may be hot -- but not too hot to stop GOP mayoral contender Sam Katz from hitting the streets in a relentless campaign to make himself known among voters of all party affiliations. Katz, who ran unopposed this past May, is looking to become Philadelphia's first Republican mayor since the early 1950s. He will face off against Democratic nominee John Street in this fall's general election. Katz said Tuesday that the thrust of his campaign this summer and fall is making himself known to Philadelphia's voters. "We're focused on getting out to the neighborhoods and being extremely visible in community events," he said. For Katz, in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a margin of more than three to one, conquering traditional party lines could be the key to a successful campaign. And so far, the response from a diverse pool of voters has not only been positive but has successfully transcended simple party lines, according to Katz Campaign Director Bob Barnett. Still, Katz is looking to persuade more than just the man in the street. In a letter sent last week to Philadelphia Democratic Committee members, Katz offered his hand in friendship to his traditional partisan enemies. Barnett said yesterday that many of those members have called or written back in support of Katz. "The party lines are not what's relevant [in this race]," Barnett said. "People are much more concerned about what's going on in their neighborhood." Street's power, however, lies not only in his affiliation with Philadelphia's large Democratic party, but also in his extensive experience as City Council president and his endorsement from popular Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell. Street garnered 35.4 percent of the vote during May's Democratic primary, edging out lifelong politico Marty Weinberg by a mere four percentage points. Street was unavailable for comment this week. During the last few weeks of the primary campaign, Katz released a series of negative television commercials aimed at Weinberg and Democrat John White, an almost unheard of move that many political experts claimed was Katz's attempt at picking Street as an opponent in the general election. But Katz said that he has never preferred to run against any one candidate and he would face any opponent with the same competitive drive. Earlier this week Street met with Weinberg for the first time since the primary election, a sign of a possible future alliance between the Democrats. But whether Weinberg will give his support to Street is not yet clear. "I've always assumed that the Democrats would be together," Katz said. "I have no other expectation." Katz rejected the notion that the possible alliance would hurt his campaign, stressing that voters are more concerned with issues that affect their neighborhoods, such as "public crime [and] poor performing schools," than with the party affiliations of each candidate. "Those are the things that people care about, not who's having lunch with whom," Katz said. Barnett echoed Katz's sentiment, explaining that "voters are going to have to chose between Sam Katz and John Street -- not the other candidates." Katz said he expects his campaign to raise and spend about $5 million and, so far, he says, the fundraising is right on target. "The response since the primary has been fantastic," he added. Barnett said that much of the campaign's funds will be used on media advertising, including radio and television ads, although he acknowledged that it was still too early for more detailed plans. "We will run an aggressive campaign that will hopefully be persuasive to the voters," Katz said. Katz has been making the rounds in Philadelphia ever since he began campaigning, but he said that the current race is "particularly intensive because its just two people."
(06/17/99 9:00am)
Penn men's fencer Cliff Bayer was honored recently as the United States Olympic Committee's Male Athlete of the Month for May, receiving five of the 11 first-place votes to earn that designation. The Penn senior and New York Athletic Club member beat out canoe sprinter Nate Johnson and boxer Demetrius Hopkins for the USOC award. Johnson and Hopkins finished tied for second with 23 points -- ten behind Bayer. Cycler Christian Vande Velde garnered 18 points for third place. Bayer won a bronze medal at a men's foil "A" World Cup event in Espinho, Portugal on May 22-23. His bronze marked the first senior World Cup medal ever earned by a male from the United States in the foil competition. In the tournament, Bayer -- ranked 26th in the world -- defeated No. 5 Ralf Bissdorf from Germany in the round of 64, 15-11. The Quakers' senior then took down Austria's Stephan Richter, 15-14, and 1995 World Champion Dimitri Chevtchenko of Russia, 15-6. Italy's Daniele Crosta was the next victim of Bayer's foil. The New York native beat Crosta, 15-11, before losing in the semifinals to eventual champion Oscar Garcia of Cuba, 15-11. "This is all on the road to the Olympic Games," Penn fencing coach Dave Micahnik said. "It's tough to make it when you're not a host -- you have to have a high world ranking, and a result like that just cascades into better seeds [in future tournaments] and better rankings." Bayer competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and is looking to return to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. To prepare for the Olympics, Bayer -- who is ranked first in the United States in the foil -- will be taking the year off from Penn to concentrate on his training. "A highly demanding academic schedule and a highly competitive international fencing schedule don't blend terribly well," Micahnik said. Bayer took a year off from schooling prior to the 1996 Olympics as well. A three-time winner of the Senior National Fencing Championship, Bayer will represent the United States team at the 1999 World University Games July 3-12 in Palma de Majorca, Spain. The team was selected on the basis of international and domestic competitions. Bayer, a Wharton student, is training with Yefim Litvan, his private coach from the New York Athletic Club. Litvan is a former assistant coach for Penn.
(06/10/99 9:00am)
The annual Army-Navy football game will be in Baltimore, not at Veteran's Stadium, next year. South Broad Street is apparently not south enough for the organizers of the annual Army-Navy football game. The game, traditionally played in Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium, will be played in Baltimore next year, at the new PSINet Stadium. Next year's change of venue has created a stir among military spokespeople and Philadelphia's politicians. In line with the city's contract, Army and Navy are able to play every fourth game in a city other than Philadelphia. An unfortunate event at last year's game, however, has led some observers to contend that there was more than a simple contractual clause behind the two academies' decision to move the game to Maryland. Nine Army cadets were injured when the railing they were leaning on collapsed and sent the group tumbling 15 feet to the field below. In Monday's Philadelphia Inquirer, both Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell and Army's Assistant Athletic Director Wayne Boy claimed that the incident last year had no influence on the decision to move the game. On Monday, Rendell told the Inquirer that the change of venue is part of the "regular contract" and an option that the Army and Navy have exercised regularly. "We knew with Baltimore building a new stadium, Baltimore would have a shot at the game," Rendell added. Boy stressed that the collapsed railing "had no bearing whatsoever on the decision to play in Baltimore." He added that since the last two games played outside of Philadelphia were held in East Rutherford, N.J. -- a location relatively close to West Point -- it made sense to play the game at a venue closer to Annapolis, Md., the home of the Naval Academy. But the move has implications that reach far beyond the year 2000 game. Philadelphia's contract with Army and Navy expires in 2002, and the competition for which city will ultimately get the annual game will likely be fierce. Baltimore's new PSINet Stadium has garnered critical praise and has so far been a success for that city. Rendell is hopeful that Philadelphia's own plans for a new football stadium will all but secure for Philadelphia the contract, a deal that could bring as much as $10 million in annual tourism to the city. "Had we not built a new football stadium, I think we would have been in real danger of losing [the game] to Baltimore," Rendell said. Thomas Muldoon, president of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, said that a new stadium for Philadelphia "seems to be likely," but did concede that, until a new stadium is built, Philadelphia has a "disadvantage from a facilities standpoint." The other venues are newer stadiums with larger seating capacities. The game's ultimate locale has yet to be decided. According to Muldoon, the game's organizers -- namely the two service academies -- "have made it clear that there's no rush to negotiate a contract extension," especially with Philadelphia's stadium plans still up in the air. Muldoon is not especially concerned about ultimately losing the contract. The only thing that may change, said Muldoon, is the number of consecutive years the game will have to be played in Philadelphia. Muldoon cited as strong advantages both Philadelphia's tradition with the game and the Vet's close proximity to the hotels, restaurants and bars that have been popular meeting places in the past. "These people don't walk away from tradition very easily," said Muldoon. He also explained that, while the newer stadiums in Maryland and New Jersey offer slightly more profit potential, Philadelphia has more social space for parties and reunions. "Meadowlands games were financially successful, but not as 'artistically' successful [as games in Philadelphia]," Muldoon said. The Philadelphia Convention and Vistors Bureau President explained that fans who left the Meadowlands were less likely to meet after the game because "everybody went in separate directions." Philadelphia is also centrally located between West Point and Annapolis, a fact that gives the city "the best location," according to Muldoon. Facilities which may ultimately vie for the game currently include Veterans Stadium, the Meadowlands, Jack Kent Cooke Stadium in Landover, Md., and Baltimore's PSINet Stadium.
(06/10/99 9:00am)
Five Quakers will play in Philadelphia's top summer hoops league. Temple's McGonigle Hall was filled with the sounds of the game on a summer afternoon. The squeaking of sneakers against the freshly waxed floor. The "thud, thud" of the ball being dribbled down the floor. And, of course, Michael Jordan's yelling. "Get it to Big. Pass it to Big." Herm Rogul, historian for the Sonny Hill League, fondly remembers that typical day in a summer of Sonny Hill basketball: "Two years ago, Jordan was at the scorer's table the whole day," Rogul said. "He was yelling at the players for three of the games -- all but his own. That was the first time I heard Geoff Owens called Big." Such memories are the norm in Sonny Hill Basketball, where top players join together in both competitive and more casual leagues, ranging in age level from high school to the Baker League, home of Philadelphia-area professional stars. Five Penn basketball players will be competing in the Hank Gathers Memorial College League -- a division of the Sonny Hill League for athletes who attend college or who played high school basketball in the Philadelphia area. "Philadelphia is a great college basketball town so there's a lot of guys from here that go to school at our schools that are from out of town that are playing here," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "It's been a great league for us to be a part of." The Hank Gathers League consists of 13 teams of eight to 12 players. No college teammates can be on the same squad, so the five Quakers are spread out among five teams. Jordan plays for the Camille Cosby team, Owens for the Doug Overton team, Matt Langel for Pittman/Scott, Oggie Kapetanovic for Gladys Logers and Lamar Plummer for the Rasheed Wallace Foundation. But these teams are not permanent. Players may change teams to balance the talent pool. Or, sometimes, players are needed when others don't show up. "One time we didn't have enough guys and Mike Jordan was sitting on the side and we asked him to come play with us," said Kapetanovic, who sat out last season after transferring from Brown. "That was fun for me because I didn't know any [of the Penn players] yet and I hadn't played much with Mike. He came in and we won, so that was fun for me." Penn's representatives in the league agree that the competition is not as great as in morning workouts with NBA players or as in, say, a regular-season game at Temple, but that is due more to a relaxed atmosphere than a lack of talent. "It's a little less serious than the season but you're still playing hard," Owens said. NCAA rules prohibit basketball players from competing in a league until June 15, so the Sonny Hill League will not begin before that date. Two games are usually played on Monday, two on Friday and four on Saturday morning starting at 10:30 a.m. Official schedules have not been released, but, like the rosters, they will probably change many times during the course of the season. "The schedules aren't written in stone," Rogul said. "They're written in sand." Except for one-minute halftimes, games are played under normal NCAA rules with collegiate officials. The style of play, however, is much different. "You're trying to do what you don't normally do," Kapetanovic said. "I'll try to dribble the ball more. I'll try to drive the ball to the hoop." But despite the seemingly laid-back atmosphere, the players do want to emerge victorious. "Every time I'm out there I try to win," Jordan said. "You play for bragging rights." Scores and statistics are kept, and the league holds a playoff tournament. Last year's winning team was the Pep Boys, led by Temple's Alexander Wesby. Dunphy tries to see each of his athletes play at least once a week, usually during the Saturday quadruple-headers. But the Penn coach does not over-analyze his players in Sonny Hill action. "I want them to be in a non-stressed situation," said Dunphy, who under NCAA rules is only permitted to watch games during a period in July. "We put enough pressure on them during the course of the year so the summer should be a little less stressful." But that's not always the case. "I remember one night [former Penn basketball player] Tim Krug had a great game," Rogul said. "But the next day he didn't play so well, threw a shirt in his coach's face and quit." But Krug could not stay away. He came right back with another team and another coach, realizing the Sonny Hill League is not just another summer basketball league. "It's as fine a summer league as there is around," Dunphy said.
(06/10/99 9:00am)
The football class of 2003 was influenced by Penn's 1998 success on the gridiron. Win an Ivy League Championship, get a strong recruiting class. Such a simple formula, but it worked for the Penn football team. "I could have went to Princeton or other Ivy League [schools]," incoming freshman Ryan Strahlendorff said. "But I figured if I was going to go to the Ivy Leagues I'm gonna go to the best football [school]." The allure of a successful football program -- coupled with Penn's usual academic reputation -- helped produce a strong group of freshmen football players. "I've been at Penn for 12 years, so I've seen 12 recruiting classes come through," Penn assistant coach Ray Priore said. "It has to rank in the top one, two or three classes that we've brought in as a whole, in terms of meeting our needs." One of the biggest needs the Quakers had was at quarterback with the graduation of Matt Rader. Three freshmen -- Michael Mitchell, Tony Zara and Jon Searles -- will join holdovers Ed Mebs, Tom DiMenna and Reed Werner in competing for the starting job this summer. "I would say the job's open," Mitchell said. "There's going to be good competition and may the best person win, whoever it may be." Mitchell, a 6'1'', 195-pounder from Orlando, Fla., is arguably the most coveted of the three quarterbacks in the Penn Class of 2003. The Colonial High School senior was a Second-Team All-State honoree in Florida last fall and the Central Florida 6A Player of the Year. Zara, who has played in the same summer league as Mitchell several times, is also from the Orlando area. The Lake Highland High School quarterback/free safety made Honorable Mention All-State his junior and senior years. Searles, a third option, could decide not to play football for Penn after being drafted as a pitcher by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Quakers also recruited a solid group of linemen, both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. One of these recruits, defensive end Strahlendorff, is only in his fourth year of football. The 6'2'', 250-pounder had played soccer until his sophomore year in high school. "I was a big-time soccer player but got too big for soccer," Strahlendorff said. "Too many red cards." Matt Dukes is another intriguing prospect in the freshmen football class. The offensive lineman, from the same high school as Zara, received First-Team All-State honors in football and stands at an imposing 6'2'' and 265 pounds. "He's a big, strong kid, real aggressive," Zara said. "He's the type of guy who plays 100 percent every time." Other Quakers' prospects include linebackers Vincent Alexander and Travis Beldon. Alexander was chosen to the All-State First Team in Michigan, while Beldon was runner-up for the Player of the Year award in Indiana. On the offensive side of the ball, Todd Okolovitch, a defensive back from Old Tappan, N.J., will try to make an impact as a running back in the Quakers' offensive scheme. Although Penn looks to have a plethora of first-year talent, head coach Al Bagnoli and the rest of the Penn coaching staff have a history of using freshmen sparingly. "The coach's philosophy is 'your ability to play is your ability to understand what we're doing,'" Priore said. "Certain positions are a little bit more difficult. The easier impact for many freshmen, at least immediately, is playing on special teams and then being role players on offense and defense." Priore points out that it takes football players a while to acclimate to the college game. Physically, the players are bigger and quicker, and, mentally, the plays and defensive schemes are more complex. "I know the playbook is very big," defensive end Chris Pennington said. "I think it's going to challenge me a lot more mentally than it did in high school." The Quakers' Class of 2003 is composed of 35 players -- including 12 from New Jersey. The recruiting class includes 13 linemen and three tight ends but only two wide receivers.
(06/10/99 9:00am)
Eight-round pick Jonathan Searles must decide whether to sign with Pittsburgh or pitch and play quarterback for Penn. Maybe Jonathan Searles will play football for Penn this year. Maybe the Huntington, N.Y., native will play baseball for the Quakers next spring. Or maybe the incoming freshman will play minor league baseball in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization. Searles, a top football and baseball recruit, will have some tough decisions to make about his athletic and academic future after being selected by the Pirates in the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft last week. Pittsburgh selected the right-handed pitcher in the eighth round of the 50-round draft held by conference call in New York City. He was the 242nd player chosen. Searles said he is still weighing his options and does not expect to decide whether to accept a Pirates contract offer for at least a few weeks. "One decision I have made is that I will enter Penn in the fall and start school in the fall," Searles said. "The rest of it, I don't really know. I'm weighing the factors of when I can go to school -- as far as if it's one semester a year, if I can get a whole year in and then play ball with the Pirates in their training facilities." Searles met with Pirate scout Dana Brown on Sunday morning to discuss where the pitcher would be originally assigned and how quickly he was expected to move up in the Pirates' minor league system should he decide to sign. But the Huntington High School senior is still not certain whether he would play both football and baseball if he does not sign with Pittsburgh. "If I can do both, I'll probably try to do both," Searles said. "It'll be hard with all the time it takes up, but right now it's another one of the options we're weighing out that we're going to have to come up with in the next couple weeks." Searles, a quarterback at Huntington, was originally only recruited by Penn football coach Al Bagnoli. Quakers' baseball coach Bob Seddon did not actively pursue the 6'3'', 200 pound quarterback until last spring. "I was naturally very aware of him," Seddon said. "At that point I was alerted about him and went and saw him pitch and stayed in touch with him." Seddon encouraged Searles to play baseball as well as football at Penn. "He throws 88 miles per hour," Seddon said. "He could make [the baseball team] a power very quickly in this league." If Searles chooses to sign with the Pirates, he will not be able to play either baseball or football in the Ivy League. Other colleges permit a professional athlete in one sport to compete at the collegiate level in another, but the eight Ivy League universities do not. "If you sign a baseball contract you can't play football," Seddon said. "It's Ivy League rules." Searles had planned on playing football exclusively at Penn until last spring, when Huntington baseball coach Harry Walla helped the hurler get noticed as a baseball player. "John was really serious about pursuing football over baseball," Walla said. "Earlier this season, as the football people began to get their ducks in a row, [they] sparked an interest and he kinda felt that was the way he was going to go." But Walla used his contacts with the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau to get a scout to evaluate Searles. "[The scout] came down to a game in the spring and he was impressed," Walla said. "He brought down one of the people that works for the Scouting Bureau and he was definitely impressed and that morning they sent out a report." Soon Searles had 10 scouts with radar guns behind home plate during his starts. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays flew him to Florida to try out after Memorial Day, but the Pirates were the team that most coveted Searles. "When I saw him pitch, Pittsburgh continued to pursue him," Seddon said. "The other teams dropped off him because they felt there's no way he'd be able to be signed because he got into Wharton." While Walla only advises Searles to listen to what people have to say, Seddon has been trying desperately to convince the right-handed hurler not to sign with the Pirates. "This is great for a high school 'C' student who's going to John Jones College," Seddon said. "But not for a kid who's got this opportunity. "The whole picture is 'don't sign if you get into the Wharton School and you have a chance to play football and baseball in college because you will be worth a lot more in the end of your junior year,'" Seddon added. Bagnoli and the Penn football staff are not as opposed to Searles signing with the Pirates, however. "I've spoken to the football people and they were pretty good about understanding that I got drafted and it was unexpected," Searles said. "I think they understand that it's a great opportunity." Although Searles expects to make a decision within the next month, he has no definitive timetable. If he decides to sign with the Pirates, Searles will be assigned to Rookie Ball in Bradenton, Fla. If he decides to compete in Penn athletics, he'll arrive on campus in late August for pre-season football practice.
(06/10/99 9:00am)
Marketing Prof. Scott Ward paid a fine to settle charges but did not admit any guilt. A Montgomery County judge last week fined Marketing Professor Scott Ward $2,500 and sentenced him to five years' probation on charges of attempting to promote prostitution and corrupt minors, according to Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Mark Miller. Ward, 56, entered what experts call an Alford plea, in which the defendant acknowledges that sufficient evidence exists for conviction but does not explicitly confess any guilt. Ward's plea and ensuing punishment marks the latest -- and likely final -- development in a case that dates back to October 1993, when Ward was arrested for allegedly soliciting sex from an undercover state trooper posing as a 15-year-old boy. According to a statement issued on Monday by the Wharton School's Office of Public Affairs, Ward's role as a University professor will not change and he will teach a graduate-level Marketing course in the fall. "Based on the policies of the University of Pennsylvania, Scott Ward remains as a member of the standing faculty in the Marketing Department," the press release said. Chairperson of the Marketing Department David Schmittlein refused to comment. In November 1995, Ward was acquitted by a Montgomery County jury on four criminal charges: involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, statutory rape, indecent assault and corruption of a minor. But in July 1996, he was once again tried in connection for three sex-related charges. A jury acquitted Ward of one of the three charges -- criminal attempt to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse -- but remained deadlocked on two other charges, the same two that he was sentenced on last week. Had Ward decided to plead not guilty, the trial would have started later this month. Now, with an Alford plea entered in lieu of a not guilty plea, both sides have differing views about the decision's actual implications. "My take on this is that he realized we could make a case," Miller said. "I don't know too many people who would plead guilty to sex-related offenses if they hadn't done it," added Miller, who has been involved in the case since 1994. Ward has adamantly denied the charges since they were first brought against him and recently maintained that he did "not have the financial and emotional resources" to plead not guilty and "go through [a trial] again." "Elementary analysis of the social psychology of juries, behavioral decision theory and risk management were important elements of my decision," Ward explained. But exactly how much evidence exists has been a major point of contention between the prosecution and the defense. Miller said the prosecution had evidence that, in October 1993, an informant told Montgomery County police that Ward often invited boys back to his Ardmore home, where he would coax them into having sex with him. As part of an undercover sting operation, then-23-year-old Pennsylvania State Trooper Sean McMahon -- posing as a 15-year-old boy -- arranged to meet Ward at the Ardmore train station on a Friday night in October 1993. When the two finally met at a Roy Rogers on Lancaster Avenue, according to Miller, Ward took him back to his home in Ardmore, Pa., and allegedly discussed prostitution and bisexuality -- all allegations that Ward refutes. "The trooper stated, under oath, that I never asked him for sex, at any time. He also stated under oath: 'It seemed like Dr. Ward wanted me to get some direction in my life.' This was the gist of the conversation between the trooper and me that was supposed to be tape-recorded," Ward said in a statement. Investigators have acknowledged that technical problems made parts of the alleged conversation unclear and that the recorder -- a small wire transmitter worn by the undercover trooper -- malfunctioned when a switch was set wrong. Due to the faulty setup, investigators said they failed to obtain a clear recording of the conversation. Although Ward admitted that he did ask the trooper about his sexual behavior, he claimed that he was solely concerned that the young man might require "immediately professional counselling" and had no sexual intentions in mind. Ward arrived at the University in 1979. He had taught at Harvard's Graduate School of Business Administration for 10 years prior to coming to landing a job at Wharton. He has received the Excellence in Teaching Award from Wharton's MBA students and has also also earned the Outstanding Professor Award from Wharton's undergraduate students.
(06/10/99 9:00am)
College freshmen living in dormitories are at least six times more likely to contract meningococcal disease -- a cause of meningitis -- than are college students overall, according to new data from a nationwide study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and the American College Health Association. In a statement released last week, the ACHA reported that while the college student population as a whole is not at increased risk for meningococcal disease, subgroups -- such as freshmen living in dorms -- are at higher risk than other students. Meningococcal meningitis is a potentially fatal bacterial infection passed fairly easily from one person to another. Death occurs in about 10 percent of cases, or approximately 300 Americans annually. Meningococcal disease can also lead to septicemia, a blood infection manifested by blood clotting. The study collected data from 89 cases of meningococcal disease in 48 states, six of which were fatal. "People with this illness can go from being well to being dead in 24 hours -- in spite of antibiotics," Penn Director of Student Health MarJeanne Collins said Tuesday. And another study, published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association, states that college students living on campus are three times more likely to develop meningococcal disease than students living off campus. "These data indicate the need for public health professionals to continue to educate college students of the signs and symptoms of the disease and to seek medical attention immediately if they experience these symptoms," CDC medical epidemiologist Nancy Rosenstein said in an ACHA press release. A vaccine for meningococcal infection that covers four strains of the disease is available to the public and is 85 percent effective, Collins said. Penn students had the opportunity to receive the vaccine -- at a cost of $65 -- earlier this year. Collins said that certain behaviors, such as "active [and] passive smoking, bar patronage and independent excessive alcohol intake" may lead to a higher risk of contracting the disease. Collins is the principle investigator of a different study -- currently underway by the ACHA and the CDC --examining these kinds of behavioral factors to determine if they increase the risk of meningococcal disease among college students. Fears of a meningitis outbreak hit Penn this past semester when a female University freshman fell ill with the disease while vacationing in the Bahamas during spring break. While it was unclear whether the student contracted the illness on campus or while in the Bahamas, no new cases were reported and she has since recovered. Collins said that although there is no official public health recommendation that incoming college students receive the meningococcal vaccine, the ACHA does encourage students to consider the vaccine.
(06/10/99 9:00am)
Administrators expect to accommodate the needs of the large Class of 2003. The issue, it seems, is not whether this year's approximately 2,550 incoming freshmen are ready for Penn, but whether Penn is ready for them. With the University preparing itself for about 200 more freshmen to occupy classrooms, bedrooms and dining halls than it had initially anticipated, ramifications -- mostly small and generally manageable -- are expected to be felt in both the academic and housing arenas. Despite a record-low 26.6 percent acceptance rate of applicants, an all-time high of 55 percent of accepted high school seniors have so far chosen to matriculate, though admissions officials expect some of those students to defer admission a year or decide not to attend at all. In the College of Arts and Sciences, for example, where the number of matriculating students has increased from around 1,540 to 1,650, plans are already underway. "If and when we see that the numbers really are that significantly increased, we will do a very careful evaluation of the College," College Dean Richard Beeman said. Beeman cited increased sections for large introductory courses, more teaching assistants and significantly more standing-faculty taught freshman seminars -- more than twice as many will be offered in the fall semester -- as examples of ways in which the College will accommodate the larger-than-expected freshman class. Still, Beeman stressed that the University's high yield rate hardly poses a problem for the University's largest undergraduate school. "I really do feel that we can handle this, not just by saying that it will somehow work out," Beeman said. "We are going to very actively ask ourselves where we need to add resources in order to accommodate this." One possible additional change, Beeman noted, may be in the College's advising system, which currently provides undergraduate peer advisers and faculty advisers -- both of which could conceivably be responsible for more students in the near future -- as well as assistant deans in the College office. And Director of College Houses and Academic Services David Brownlee said the 12 college houses should be "equipped" to accommodate freshmen housing needs as best as possible. Brownlee acknowledged that despite the perennial "waiting list" and persistent number of people "who can't get on campus," all freshmen -- the students most likely to live on campus -- will be guaranteed housing. "All of the college houses will see increased freshmen populations," Brownlee said, adding that many empty rooms in the college houses are being reserved for freshmen. And, like Beeman, Brownlee did not foresee too many problems with the size of the incoming class. "This is not a huge change from the situation that we've had in the past," Brownlee said. The high yield has produced mixed feelings among administrators who consider the large rate as proof of the University's growing popularity but, at the same time, do not want the above-average numbers to become a trend. Admissions Dean Lee Stetson said the increased amount of students interested in matriculating is "good news" and should lead to a more "attractive profile." And Beeman agreed that the high yield is "another indication that we're a hot school." Stetson also said that Penn is not the only Ivy League university with an increase in interested students -- indeed, several other Ivies had larger yield rates this year than in past years. "We heard that many other schools are over-subscribed too," Stetson said. Stetson emphasized that the admissions office will focus on decreasing the yield in the future and would rather view the incoming freshman class' size as an exception, rather than a norm. "I would anticipate that we would scale back [next year]" Stetson said, adding that the "Class of 2004 should be smaller" than the Class of 2003. Whether the University can easily succeed in this goal -- especially given the record-high number of applications this year -- is not clear, but Beeman said he would be happy to see smaller classes in the future. "I can't say I'm doing handstands that we've got this many [students]," Beeman said.
