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Mother Nature herself must have been smiling upon the College of Arts and Sciences Class of 2000, as the rain that had been falling throughout Sunday miraculously let up for the evening outdoor ceremony on Franklin Field.
Early one Friday morning this spring, while the rest of campus slept, first-year Law student Erica Schauber was at Cavanaugh's beginning the odyssey that would ultimately land her on one of television's hottest new game shows: Greed.
The Penn women's crew team started this year with a goal.
By the way Assaf Tranopolsky greeted the recipients of master's degrees from the Wharton School, one wouldn't have thought someone about to embark on a serious corporate career stood before them.
Inside the Moore Building's computer labs, 12 dedicated machines are providing Engineering students with a way to do their work when the lab is closed or an idea pops into their head while taking a shower.
Just four years ago, approximately 400 then-high school seniors made the decision to attend the Wharton School.
The Institute for Human Gene Therapy will no longer conduct clinical trials, the University announced yesterday.
The Penn women's track team finished in a six-way tie for 35th at last weekend's ECAC championships.
The Penn men's heavyweight crew team is encountering some rough waters as it rows through the end of its spring season.
In the weeks leading up to its biggest race of the year, the Penn men's lightweight crew team was in a state of upheaval.
Gloomy skies and a persistent rain couldn't put out the Penn men's track team's competitive fire this past weekend.
Michael Rainey, a 30-year-old black male of the 4400 block of Sansom Street, was pronounced dead at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania on Friday at 9:20 p.m. after suffering a gunshot wound to the head early that morning near his home. University Police officers apprehended three unidentified black male suspects in connection with the shooting. The three were taken to the Philadelphia Police Department headquarters at 8th and Race streets where they have been charged with homicide, University Police Deputy Chief of Investigations Tom King said Tuesday. According to Lt. Susan Slawson of the Philadelphia Police Department's Office of Public Affairs, an investigation determined that Rainey was a bystander between two groups who were firing at each other from opposite sides of the street. University Police officers responded to a radio call-in of a shooting Friday at 1:50 a.m. on the 4400 block of Sansom Street. Upon arrival, they found the victim lying in the street with a gunshot wound to his head. Rainey was transported to HUP and was put on life support at 3:26 a.m., Slawson said. Two Penn Police officers then observed a white Pontiac on 46th and Walnut streets that matched the description given in the radio call-in and followed the vehicle for several minutes, King said. At 41st and Chestnut streets, the driver of the Pontiac crashed into two other vehicles that were waiting for a green light, King said. According to King, three males, whose names and ages were not released, then exited the vehicle. All three suspects were apprehended by Penn Police officers. One suspect was carrying a Tec 9-millimeter machine pistol and another male exited the vehicle carrying a .357-caliber revolver. A third male exited the vehicle but was not armed. The three suspects were then transported to the homicide unit of the PPD, King said. "This was excellent police work," King said. "Not only in the arrest, but in the fact that two of the three men apprehended were armed."
Many of coach Andy Nelson's 10 recruits arrive with national-level club soccer experience. To say that Heather Taylor is accustomed to playing in pressure situations would be an understatement. The incoming Penn freshman soccer player has been in state championships, regional championships and county championships with her Northport, N.Y., high school team. Taylor, however, has had even more pressure to deal with in playing for her club team, the Northport Piranhas. But what could be more pressure than playing for a state championship? How about a shootout that lasted for 12 players following a scoreless regulation and overtime in a game for the national championship? That's just what Taylor had to deal with on July 25 when her club team met California's Mission Viejo Elite Mirage team for the under-18 national championship. Oh, by the way, Taylor's team won 11-10 on penalty kicks. "Hopefully [the experience] will help me under pressure situations when we hit really tough games like Harvard and Dartmouth," Taylor said. Taylor is not the only one of coach Andy Nelson's 10 recruits that has experience in pressure situations. Heidi Nichols has been in the Olympic Development Program. Sara Zeilske's FC Royals club team took third at Nationals two years ago. Jessica Weber has been a goalie for the four-time state cup finalist Birmingham, Mich., Blazers. And Melissa Mandler joined Taylor on the Piranhas team that won the national championship in 1996. Many feel that club teams are on the same competitive level as top college soccer programs. In fact, a former teammate of Taylor's told the Northport, N.Y., native that playing for the Piranhas was "just as tough if not harder" than playing for Penn State. "A lot of these club teams can compete very well with Division I college teams," Nelson said, "so I think the experience [Taylor] has had over this year playing top teams in the country in the club level is going to help her in the college setting very much so. It won't be such as giant step up as it is with most players." But adjusting to the college competition will still be difficult for the freshmen soccer players -- as will adjusting to a new coach. Patrick Baker recruited most of the new soccer players, but he left Penn to coach Florida State's women's soccer squad in December. So the new recruits will be playing this fall for a coach who, because he took hold of the coaching reins in March, still has not seen all of them play yet. "I was disappointed when Coach Baker left because I kind of knew what I was getting myself in for when I met him and he talked about my role on the team," Taylor said. But Taylor and the rest of the incoming freshmen offer nothing but praise for their new coach. And Nelson did recruit one of his freshmen, Christie Bennett from Fallowfield, Pa., personally. "I saw her play in a tournament at Rider University and she might be a nice surprise," Nelson said. "She was not someone that was really recruited here but she's a good athlete." The 10 freshmen span the entire length of the country -- from New Jersey and New York to California, Oregon and Washington. And they might get a chance to play extensively early, as Nelson has no problem with starting freshmen. One of those players that might have an opportunity to shine from the start is Leigh Castergine, a speedy defender from Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J. "I think Castergine is going to be another good strong player," Nelson said. "We're a bit short on defenders, so I think she's going to help us right away." Castergine will be rooming with Zeilske this year after meeting her on their recruiting trip to Penn. Zeilske, with her speed and crossing ability, may also see action from the start. Smithtown, N.Y., native Mandler suffered an achilles tendon injury that sidelined her for several months, but she has been cleared to play again and could provide a boost to the Quakers attack if healthy. "[Mandler] can take on any player I know," Taylor said. "She can beat them one-one-one. And she's also very good defensively -- she won't let anyone past her." Goalie Weber, meanwhile, has been praised as one of the top goalkeepers in the midwest -- nearly missing the All-Region II team, which pools from schools in the midwest. California goalie Katherine Hunt, Holmdel, N.J., native Julie Siebert-Johnson, defender Jennifer Valentine and Portland, Ore., native Nichols round out the freshmen class of soccer players. Siebert-Johnson will also throw the javelin for the Penn track team, while Nichols' FC Portland club team was one of the top eight in the country this season.
Demer Holleran has assured herself of at least a silver medal in the Pan American Games. The Penn women's squash coach reached the finals of the individual squash tournament in Winnipeg, Canada, after knocking off fellow American Latoshya Khan in the semifinals, 3-2 (10-8, 9-2, 5-9, 0-9, 9-0). The final match, with Holleran taking on Canadian Melanie Jans, began last night at 7 p.m. at the Winnipeg Winter Club. Holleran, who won silver in the individual and team events four years ago in the Pan Am games, had no trouble advancing to the semifinals. She beat both El Salvador's Ana DeMiguel and Mexico's Teresa Osorio without losing a game. In fact, she did not give up a single point against Osorio in her 9-0, 9-0, 9-0 win. The United States team, of which the Penn coach is a part, will start competition today against Canada. Holleran and the rest of the Americans finished second in the 1995 Pan Am Games. Fellow Quaker Cliff Bayer did not fare quite as well in the individual foil competition. The Penn junior fencer lost to eventual second-place finisher Elvis Gregory Gil in the quarterfinals, 15-14, on Tuesday at Maples Complex. Bayer defeated Mexico's Gustav Simont, 15-10, to advance to the quarterfinals after winning two of his five matches in the preliminary round.
Construction on the Quadrangle this summer has focused on historical resotations to its exterior. Renovations to the Quadrangle are proceeding according to schedule and most of this summer's construction phase will be completed by August 16, University officials said earlier this week. The renovations, part of the University's 10-year, $300 million dormitory and dining hall renovation project, began in May and are expected to take place primarily during the next four summers. The $75 million project will merge the Quad's four existing college houses into three, add new facilities and utility systems and repair and restore parts of the building's architecture. Most of this summer's renovations have focused on historical restoration of the Quad's outside architectural elements and the installation of new mechanical infrastructure inside the residence that will allow for better heat, water and electrical systems. While only a portion of the total four-year project is nearing completion, University officials believe the residence is already looking better than it has in years. "I think people will see a difference," Director of College Houses and Academic Services David Brownlee said. "I'm very, very pleased. It looks great." The majority of the renovations has been taking place on Woodland Walk -- the area between the Quad and Stouffer Triangle that extends from Spruce Street to 38th Street – and inside the "baby Quad" areas of Lower Quad. Officials are still trying to assess what work will continue into the school year and plan to continue only those renovations that will not disturb students and faculty residents. "Our intent is to identify work that we can continue with that will not be disruptive to our residents," said Al Zuino, Penn's associate director for housing and conference services. Zuino said August 16 was chosen as the cutoff for most construction work because housing officials must begin preparing for college house staff and students to move back into the residence at that time. Project Manager Kevin Kimmel of Ewing Cole Cherry Brott, the architectural firm managing the renovations, said that although work may continue intermittently through December, most of the work will take place in "areas that are not accessible to students," including basements and storage areas. Along Woodland Walk, construction crews have been cleaning and refreshing the mortar on the outside of the Quad all summer, and workers should complete that part of the project by the August 16 deadline. And inside baby Quad, the ground has been torn up and trees removed in order to install new utility and drainage systems. While a temporary landscape will be reinstalled by the time students arrive this fall, the final paving and landscaping of baby Quad will not be complete until later phases of construction. "The pathways that will be put down in the next week or two will be the final pattern, they just won't be the final material," Kimmel said, adding that trees won't reappear in baby Quad until at least next year. Workers have also been repairing the surfaces of Memorial Tower and Provost's Tower. And Brownlee said that portions of Community House and Ware College House will receive new furniture in rooms and lounges this fall. After this summer, more visible work will take place on the Quad. By the end of next summer, new security systems should be in place at the Quad's two main entrances. During the third and fourth years of renovations, the rooms themselves will be redecorated, painted and repaired. Home to about 1,500 students, the Quad's four college houses will be merged into three, each with one faculty master, two faculty fellows and a house dean -- the same number of administrators who serve the four current houses. The new layout of the college houses will include a third entrance gate and will correspond more closely with the physical landscape of the Quad. Additional classrooms, seminar rooms, office suites and computer laboratories will also be added. The project will add both private bathrooms and more single rooms in an attempt to entice upperclassmen to stay in the Quad, which has traditionally been a first-year dorm. Last November, University administrators unveiled their 10-year plan to renovate every dormitory and dining facility and construct several new residences in Hamilton Village. The $300 million project is the single-largest construction binge since the early 1970s.
Renovations to the Law School's Silverman Hall are slated for completion by next fall, just in time for the facility's centennial anniversary celebration in November 2000. The building, formerly known as Lewis Hall, has been undergoing renovations since mid-May as part of an $11.2 million project designed both to restore the building's original turn-of-the-century motif as well as modernize its mechanical and electrical systems to make it more functional for future use. According to outgoing Law School Dean Colin Diver, the project includes the restoration of the building's entire exterior and entranceway; taking up the current linoleum floor and putting down the original marble mosaic pattern; replacing windows; providing additional space for classrooms and conference rooms; and improving accessibility to the building. "My ambition since coming here was to try to undo some of the renovations that were done in the '60s," Diver said. Last February, University Trustee and 1964 Penn Law graduate Henry Silverman donated $15 million to the school, marking the largest gift ever given to an American law school. Between 1/3 and 1/2 of the donation was intended to go towards the restoration of the Silverman Hall, the original Law School building on 34th Street between Sansom and Chestnut streets. Additionally, a separate construction project, made possible by a $2 million donation last May from 1972 Law graduate Paul Levy and his wife Karen, is being used to fund the Paul and Karen Levy Conference Center in Sharswood Hall, the south reading room of the old Biddle Law Library. "Fortunately, the two gifts were finalized within months of each other, so that we could incorporate the two projects into a single construction project," Diver said. The Levy facility will include a state-of-the-art lecture hall, a multi-purpose reception hall and a full service kitchen. It will also feature rear projection technology as well as voice-activated cameras. The new mechanical and electrical systems will be "compatible with the historical architecture of the building," according to Patrick Burkhart of Shalom Baranes Associates, the Washington, D.C.,-based architectural firm that has been responsible for coordinating the restorations. An additional feature of the renovations is the activation of the 34th Street entrance to the facility, which had been closed for more than a dozen years. Diver said no additions will be made to the exterior of the building since the emphasis of the project is on restoration rather than new construction. According to Diver, most of the renovations and restorations are being made during this summer and will continue next summer so as not to interfere with the daily activities of Law students and professors. Diver called the project a "slight inconvenience" for those who utilize the building during the summer. Twelve Law professors whose offices are in Silverman Hall have been relocated during the summer months but will return to their regular offices once classes begin in the fall. And although most of the renovations will take place during the summer, and not during the academic year, officials are still confident that the project will be completed before the November 2000 centennial ceremony. "We're right on schedule," said Joe Policarpo, the Law School's associate director of facilities. The recent renovations represent the second in what could be a series of phases of construction. Phase I, which began in 1993 and ended three years later, resulted in the restoration of the building's interior spaces, including classrooms and the basement, which the law clinic uses as its mock-trial room.
A new alcohol policy incorporating the recommendations of the alcohol task force will be in place for the fall. University President Judith Rodin announced this week that she has approved each of the alcohol task force's recommendations, meaning that the University will have a new alcohol policy in place for the start of the upcoming school year. Rodin said Tuesday that all students will receive a copy of the new policy, which incorporates the 45 recommendations presented in late April by the provost-appointed task force, via mail or e-mail later this month. The Provost's Office is currently working with the Office of the Vice Provost for University Life, the Office of the President and the Office of the Executive Vice President to formulate a budget and identify funds for the implementation of the various initiatives, according to Provost Robert Barchi. Barchi said Tuesday that he expects the task force's recommendations to be implemented regardless of their costs. "Although fully implementing all 45 recommendations will certainly tax our resources, it is our intention that funding will not be a rate-limiting factor for implementing these recommendations," Barchi said. Among the recommendations that administrators expect to have implemented by the time students return to school next month are those calling for increased non-alcoholic social programming. Rodin cited late-night dining options, a student-run music club, the re-opening of Irvine Auditorium and enhanced alcohol education as examples of non-alcoholic social opportunities that should be available in the fall. "In September, students can expect to arrive on a campus with a more vibrant and healthful way of life," Rodin said. Other possibilities mentioned in the proposal, such as a pool hall and a video store, are considered more ambitious and are not expected on campus in the immediate future. Assistant to the Vice Provost for University Life Max King said the recommendations, though "not the solution," will "give students something other to do than drinking." In addition, University administrators expect to hire an Alcohol Coordinator -- a position designated by the task force's report as a "confidential source to address all areas of of concern related to alcohol and other drugs" -- in early September. Rodin's approval is the latest in a series of developments that dates back to late March, when Barchi appointed a committee of students, faculty members and administrators to recommend changes to Penn's previous alcohol policy. Administrators formed the committee, comprised of 14 student leaders and seven faculty and staff members, in the wake of several alcohol-related incidents within the Penn community -- most notably the death of 1994 Penn graduate Michael Tobin, who was found dead outside the Phi Gamma Delta house on March 21 after an evening spent drinking. The University-wide task force convened for five weeks and, on April 26, presented its final report to Rodin that consisted of 45 recommendations to curb alcohol abuse on campus. Specifically, the task force called for a total ban of all on-campus undergraduate registered events; a stipulation that alcohol distribution end at 1 a.m.; more educational programming; more on-campus social options; and counseling and education for alcohol violations. Rodin then began a two-month period of consultation, during which she reviewed the task force's recommendations and ultimately decided to approve each of them and recommend them for implementation. Another provost-appointed committee of students and faculty and staff members, charged with the actual implementation of the recommendations, has been meeting throughout the summer and will continue to do so during the year, Barchi said. Now, with the task force's recommendations approved, the University is preparing itself for life under a new alcohol policy. "Students should not be concerned that the new policies will drastically alter their social lives," InterFraternity Council President Mark Metzl said Tuesday. "The policies should enhance the quality of the social scene at Penn, providing more avenues for a good time as well as safety to the existing ones," said Metzl, a College senior and a member of both the alcohol task force and the implementation committee.
In the fall, the Committee on Undergraduate Education will give further review to its proposal to test a pilot curriculum. The Committee on Undergraduate Education's proposal to test a revision of the existing curriculum of the College of Arts and Sciences, which was granted provisional approval by the faculty in the spring, will be examined again this fall. CUE Chairperson Frank Warner said Tuesday that the committee is inviting between 80 and 100 faculty members to convene in September with the goal of fleshing out more specific details to the proposal, which included a recommendation for an experimental overhaul of the General Requirement. "Our job between now and December is to get these groups of faculty, as many as possible, as broadly constituted as possible, working on the pilot curriculum" said College Dean Richard Beeman, who has fully endorsed the proposal. CUE presented the proposal at a faculty meeting in late April. At that time, 33 professors in the School of Arts and Sciences endorsed the idea of the pilot curriculum on at least an experimental basis, with the stipulation that the 14-member committee return in December with a more precise and detailed plan. Under the committee's proposal, 200 students -- beginning in the fall of 2000 -- will be exempted from fulfilling the College's General Requirement and will instead participate in a pilot curriculum. Randomly selected members of the Class of 2004 who express interest in fulfilling alternate requirements will then be enrolled in the pilot curriculum, which will require them to take one course in each of four specified categories, one per semester during their freshman and sophomore years. Writing and oral communications requirements are also included as part of the pilot curriculum. The proposed categories -- which Beeman termed "illustrative and not definitive" -- are tentatively titled "Freedom, Equality and Community," "Science, Culture and Society," "Earth, Space and Life" and "Imagination, Representation and Reality." But the actual content of the courses to be offered under the broad-based, interdisciplinary categories has not been determined and has remained a focal point of debate among faculty members since the proposal was first introduced. The meeting in September, according to Warner, will enable faculty members to voice their opinions about what directions the courses should take, though no final decisions about actual syllabi will be made at that time. "My approach to [the categories] is that they'll evolve," said Warner, who is also a Mathematics professor. "There's a lot of flexibility." Student Committee on Undergraduate Education Chairperson Aaron Fidler, a Wharton senior, said he supports CUE in trying to incorporate diverse ideas and views into the proposal. "Being a plan that right now looks to try and encompass all aspects of the college?[CUE] needs to get as many professors' input as possible," Fidler said. Out of this initial meeting will likely emerge four different committees of faculty members, each one charged with helping to formulate the curriculum for the courses under each of the four categories. An additional committee of faculty members will assess the efficiency of the pilot curriculum by monitoring the progress of its original participants. CUE's proposal says that a decision to extend the "pilot curriculum" to all students will be made by SAS faculty no later than the spring semester of 2004. "I'm not going to step forward and propose that we implement a new curriculum for the whole student body unless I think it is demonstrably more successful than our old one," Beeman said. "We the faculty are responsible for the integrity of our curriculum, and if after rigorously assessing the pilot curriculum, we think it's preferable to the old curriculum, then I think we should go ahead and implement it," he added. At a faculty meeting in December, CUE will present an updated proposal calling for the implementation of a pilot curriculum in the fall of 2000. If approved at that point, then the experiment will officially begin in the fall. Both Beeman and Warner said they hope to alleviate some of SAS' faculty members most pressing concerns by engaging them in conversation several months before the proposal is again raised. Some professors, particularly in the natural and physical sciences, have argued that the pilot curriculum's four categories are too confining and attempt to compress too much important material in too short a period, Beeman said. Others have raised the concern that the pilot curriculum, in reducing the number of required courses from 10 to four, would be so popular among participating students that it would easily gain support from the University.
Part of Sansom Common, the six-story Inn at Penn will open officially on September 1. The 238-room Inn at Penn and Ivy Grille, part of the Sansom Common shopping complex, are gearing up for their September 1 opening, and University and hotel officials say they could not be more excited. "I'm absolutely, unequivocally thrilled," Vice President for Campus Services Larry Moneta said. "The hotel has emerged exactly as designed and intended." The six-story hotel, located at 3600 Sansom Street, offers 238 guest rooms as well as 26 deluxe, hospitality and conference suites. The guest rooms are located on the third through sixth floors, while the first two floors are home to the Ivy Grille restaurant and bar as well as to the Faculty Club, two ballrooms and other conference and meeting rooms. Access to the hotel can be gained from both Chestnut Street and 36th Street. Ever since University President Judith Rodin announced plans to build Sansom Common -- complete with retail stores, restaurants and the upscale Inn at Penn -- in November 1996, University officials have said the hotel would become a major asset for Penn faculty members, visiting parents and visitors to Philadelphia in general. "We think parents and visitors and trustees and alumni and just guests in general will find it to be a very wonderful addition to the area," Moneta said. While the hotel is not set to open officially until September 1, a "soft opening" on August 16 will give the hotel a chance to get up and running and work out any kinks in the service before a grand opening in the fall. "In the soft opening period there are no conferences, no conventions booked, no very large events," Moneta said, explaining that the hotel is "only taking accommodations of folks who just sort of walk in." On August 16, the sixth floor of the hotel will be opened for guests, with each of the other three floors opening about every 10 days, according to Inn at Penn General Manager Dave Newhart. "What we're being very cautious of is opening up a product and rushing it prior to our service being able to match the product," Newhart said. A small fitness center and a bookstore operated by Barnes & Nobles -- as well as conveniences such as valet parking, 24-hour room service and an iron, ironing board, hair dryer, coffee maker and terrycloth robes in every guest room -- are amenities that officials hope will make for a comfortable environment. But aside from making the Inn simply cozy, the hotel's planners say they want to create a high-tech facility as well. To that end, each room is equipped with a 25-inch television, two phone lines, an Ethernet connection and "Web TV." A typical room rate will range from $165 to $250 a night, depending on the room's size and the season, Moneta said. Inn officials said they are already gearing up for the return of Penn students and their families during move-in weekend in early September and expect to book about 150 rooms for the weekend. The hotel space will also likely be useful during next summer's Republican National Convention, expected to bring thousands of people and millions of dollars to the city next summer. According to hotel officials, the Inn at Penn has already booked about half of its rooms for the event. Over the next few weeks, Inn at Penn officials will be preparing for the hotel's opening by training employees, receiving and installing furniture and equipment, and putting the final touches on the hotel's motif. The Ivy Grille, located on the ground floor of the hotel on the Walnut Street side, will open on September 1 and will feature an eclectic menu, a display kitchen where customers can watch their food be prepared and seasonal outdoor seating. "It'll be a fun atmosphere," Newhart said. Newhart said the restaurant will serve both standard menu items such as burgers and pastas, as well as more creative foods like paninis and fritatas. Most entrees will not exceed the $20 mark, he said. "We're trying to make it so that the students feel comfortable bringing their parents here and the parents feel comfortable and get what they want," Newhart said. The hotel will staff about 160 employees, Newhart said, adding that many of the already-hired employees are from the West Philadelphia area. The Inn will be operated by DoubleTree Hotel Corp. under the supervision of Promus Hotel Corporation, which either operates or is currently developing 12 other collegiate facilities along the East Coast. The relocation of the Faculty Club from its former spot in Skinner Hall to the Inn at Penn has long been a source of contention between University officials and Faculty Club employees. In March, the Inn agreed to hire 70 percent of all full-time Faculty Club union workers employees formerly employed by Penn. Newhart said Tuesday that 13 of the Faculty Club workers who were offered jobs accepted and have already started work in the hotel.
Pitcher Jonathan Searles, who will attend Penn in the fall, surrendered three runs in his first appearance. Professional baseball did not exactly greet Jonathan Searles with open arms. In fact, the Bradenton Pirates pitcher, who will be attending Penn in the fall, would be hard-pressed to call his minor league debut anything but a slap in the face. Searles took the mound for the first time professionally in the seventh inning on Friday at Twin Lakes Park against the Fort Lauderdale Orioles. He had an 0-2 count on third baseman Ed Rogers, the first batter he faced, and had a curveball gripped in his glove, but catcher David Diaz called for an inside fastball. And Rogers promptly smashed Searles' pitch over the left field fence. "I tried to throw a fastball inside," Searles said. "I made a pretty good pitch, but the hitters [in the minors] are basically the best hitter on everyone's high school team -- one after another -- so you can't get away with mistakes." Searles allowed no more long balls in his debut, but getting out of the inning would not prove to be easy. Orioles' first baseman Alfredo Leon followed Rogers' homer by reaching base on an error and stole third after teammate Alex Gordon drew a walk. Searles finally recorded an out when Charlie Dees flied to left, but Leon tagged up and scored on the play. Octavio Martinez flew out to center for the second out of the inning, but designated hitter Kyle Martin then proceeded to double to right, scoring Leon. Searles stranded Martin at second, however, as the 6'3'' 195-lb. right-hander induced shortstop Nicolas Garcia to fly to center for the third out of the inning. When the smoke cleared, Searles was saddled with three runs -- only one earned -- on two hits in one inning pitched. It was not a stellar opening for Searles, but he redeemed himself four days later against the Port Charlotte Rangers. Pitching at Bradenton's home park, McKechnie Field, Searles worked a scoreless eighth inning to preserve a 2-1 Pirates advantage. The Rangers would eventually prevail, 5-2, in 13 innings, but the incoming Penn freshman held the lead for Bradenton. The inning began much less auspiciously for Searles on Tuesday, as left fielder Ricky Angell quickly grounded to third for the first out. Searles gave up a single to the next batter, right fielder Eddy Ramos, but retired Orlando Cruz and Ernies Baez to get out of the inning without any damage. The Huntington, N.Y., native approached the game on Tuesday with a much different pitching strategy -- to utilize the fielders behind him. "I had Saturday, Sunday and Monday to think about how I did on Friday and it gave me a chance to look back on things and understand what I had to do," Searles said. "So I went out there and I just tried to throw strikes and keep the ball down." And that strategy worked nearly perfectly for Searles, as he retired the side in a Greg Maddux-esque manner -- in just nine pitches. Thus far, Searles has given up three hits and one walk in two innings for Bradenton. His earned run average stands at a respectable 4.50. Searles had been recruited as a quarterback for Penn's football team, but was drafted in the eighth round of the Major League First Year Player Draft by the Pirates in June. He gave up his athletic eligibility at Penn by signing with the Pirates on June 18 -- a decision Searles says he does not regret at all -- but the Bradenton right-hander will still attend Penn full-time as a student for at least two years. Searles, a projected starting pitcher, is expected to remain in the bullpen with Bradenton in the Gulf Coast League for the rest of the season as the Pirates increase his workload.