Search Results
Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.
(09/20/91 9:00am)
The Social Planning and Events Committee has booked a reggae all-star show, "The 10th Anniversary Salute to Bob Marley," for Irvine Auditorium as a "kick off for fall break," according to SPEC Concert Committee Co-director Stacy Feld. SPEC Concerts will also feature a free show on Superblock today at 4 p.m., featuring alternative bands School of Fish and House of Freaks. The reggae show, which is slated for October 9 at 7:30 p.m., will feature Rita Marley, wife of late reggae legend Bob Marley, the Wailers, formerly Bob Marley's band, Andrew Tosh, songstress Marcia Griffiths and the reggae group the Maccabbees. Tickets go on sale Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Irvine box office for the reggae show. Students will be able to purchase discounted $8 tickets. Students who purchase tickets after this weekend can buy them through the Annenberg box office and through Ticketmaster for $12.50 apiece, and non-students can get purchase tickets for $17.50, Edward Gold, SPEC Concerts Co-director said yesterday. SPEC Concerts also announced yesterday that local band Smokestack Lightning will star in the second of the free Friday concerts series, playing September 27 on Superblock. Smokestack Lightning is known among students as a Greatful Dead cover band and frequently plays South Street venue Khyber Pass, according to Feld, a College sophomore. Today's School of Fish and House of Freaks double bill marks the kick off of the free Friday concert series, and SPEC Concerts organizers said they are very excited and optimistic for the show's success. House of Freaks, a Richmond-based duo, is reknowned for their innovative approach to traditional Southern rock. Los Angeles-based School of Fish, known for the single "3 Strange Days," features catchy harmonies mixed with a pounding guitar sound and a driving drum section. College junior Gold said that if weather interferes with today's outdoor show, it will be relocated to Irvine. Gold said SPEC has not selected a band for the final Friday show on October 4, but said they are looking for lesser-known Philadlephia and New York bands that are "on their way up." "SPEC is trying to expose students to new bands," Gold said. "People at this school don't like to come out, but if you don't like the music you can walk away." Feld said he feels the the reggae show will be very successful and expects students to sell out the 1500 seat auditorium. "There is a big audience for reggae at Penn," said Gold. "It's good party music."
(09/11/91 9:00am)
Students interested in knowing the weather forecast need not wait until the 11:00 p.m. news to find out if they have to take an umbrella with them to class anymore. Now, they only have to pick up their phones and dial 898-4CST, the University's new, free weather information service. In what is one of the first systems of its kind, the University has combined Accu-Weather, a private weather information service, with voicemail to form a convenient and economical service for students. The service, implemented this fall by the Office of Business Services, had been discussed for a number of years, but due to a lack of technology and prohibitive costs, the project was unfeasible, according to Steve Murray, associate vice president of business services. Based on a survey conducted last year of all 573 and 898 exchange numbers, staff and students ran up a bill of over $30,000 in calls to Bell's weather recording. The new service will cost the University only $3500 a year, which will cover maintenance and Accu-Weather service fees. Murray said business services hopes to arrange a function by early October which would prevent students and staff from dialing the more expensive Bell number. The forecast can be heard 24 hours a day by calling 8-4CST from any campus phone. The information is updated at least three times per day and more often in the event of hurricane or tornado warnings. While many students said they have not tried the system yet, they agreed it will be convenient. "I'm from Texas and I have trouble telling when it will rain," Wharton sophomore Andrew Chen said. "And I can't check the news because I don't have a TV." "I [usually] listen to the radio, but if I didn't, it sounds like it would be a good service to use," said Engineering sophomore Matt Bixler. For those students who haven't yet found the time to call, today's forcast "exclusively for the University of Pennsylvania" is "partly to mostly sunny, breezy and warm, with lowing humidity, high of 84."
(09/11/91 9:00am)
The University will be hard-pressed to find money to pay the city "user fees" if a plan proposed by Mayor Wilson Goode is approved, Senior Vice President Marna Whittington said yesterday. The Goode administration has proposed the University and other non-profit institutions pay a combined $20 million in user fees -- money to support fire, police, sanitation and other basic services -- to help bail the city out of its current fiscal mess. Whittington said despite the restoration of $37 million state funds last month, the University's budget is "quite tight." Administrators did not plan for the city to assess user fees this fiscal year ending next June, she added. Whittington, the University's chief financial officer, said although she would have preferred that city administrators discussed their plans with the University before they wrote the draft, she hopes the University and the city will be able to work together to help forge an appropriate solution to the city's financial troubles. Currently, the city does not levy several taxes on the University that for-profit organizations must pay, although the University contends it deserves reduced tax rates because of the medical care, volunteer time and prestige the University offers the city. The suggested user fee hike is part of a proposed five-year plan the city must submit to its financial oversight board. The oversight board must approve the plan before it will borrow money on the city's behalf and before the city receives approval to charge a regional sales tax. It is not yet certain how much the city intends to charge the University under Mayor Goode's plan. The report has not yet been released to the public, and details of the plan were not available. Whittington said she has not seen a copy of the proposal, adding the University is trying to obtain one so they can analyze what the city wants the University to pay. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
(09/10/91 9:00am)
Until last spring, College sophomore Susanne Fausing expected to live this fall in a high rise room with a bird's-eye view of West Philadelphia. But in March, Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson announced that the Castle, a 100-year-old fraternity house at the center of campus, would become the home of a residential community service program. Fausing said she knew right away she was interested in the program. During her freshman year, Fausing had tutored local schoolchildren and participated in other activities through Kite and Key. But she, like many of the Castle's new residents, wanted to become more involved in community service at the University. Some, like Wharton junior Steven Foecking, haven't had significant community service in the past but still feel they have a significant contribution to make. Foecking said he hopes to become a role model for other students who either don't know how to get involved or tend to be scared off by the image of volunteers as either goody-two-shoes or resume builders. The idea of a community service house also appealed to the program's two staff members, director Lisa Barnes, a student in the Graduate School of Education, and College senior Joe Gaeta, the Residential Advisor. Gaeta, who was an RA last year, said he has been involved in a variety of community service programs which have an academic connection. Barnes worked on projects through her sorority as an undergraduate at Lafayette College and was later a Rotary Scholar in Australia. "I had been involved in residential life and service," Barnes said. "This is a way to get the best of both worlds." · The Castle was vacated in May of 1990 when the University revoked Psi Upsilon fraternity's charter for the January 1990 kidnapping of a Delta Psi brother. The Community Service Living-Learning Program, which has taken its place, is the first step in a University effort to diversify the main campus thoroughfare, Locust Walk, which is currently dominated by mostly white fraternities. But the residents said they don't feel like they are under a microscope and said they have been treated very well by other Locust Walk residents. Though the residents said they would have applied to the program even if it had not been located in a prominent home on the edge of College Green, they said the location will be important because it can serve as a focal point. "The location of the house is paramount to the house's success," resident Niranjan Karnik, a College junior said. "It makes community service a little more at center stage on this campus." The students also said there have been no problems among the diverse residents, who include 14 women and 10 men from almost every racial and ethnic group represented at the University. And they said their diversity goes beyond their backgrounds. Some are out-and-out activists who feel challenging the system is the best way to effect change. Others say they are interested in academically-based programs which work with the system for gradual change over time. Members of the house went on a retreat at Appel Farms in Elmer, New Jersey, before the start of classes and met each other while discussing ideas for the program. But Gaeta was hesitant about calling the situation idyllic. He wondered aloud whether reality had set in yet for the residents of the house. He said racism and sexism will be issues the residents will have to tackle in their time together. "If it happens out there, it happens in here," Gaeta said. He also expressed some skepticism about the support of the University community. "There is an attitude that seems to always to be challenging what we are doing," he said. One man came in to look around the house during move-in, Gaeta said, and his only comment was "It's a shame what happened to this fraternity." · Christopher Dennis, the director of academic programs for residential living, said last week that many rooms in the house still need work and that it was optimistic for the University to try to renovate the house to fit city building codes in only five months. Dennis said that when all the changes are complete, the renovations will probably have cost the University around $500,000. Most of the changes do nothing for the cosmetic appearance of the house, but many were necessary to assure the safety of the residents, Dennis said. He said termites had done major structural damage to the stairs, and parts had to be largely rebuilt. Safety and fire systems, including new smoke detectors, a card reader and bars on the windows were also installed. Dennis said all of the changes were done in consultation with a historical restoration group which helped the University to preserve the historical integrity of the house. New maroon carpeting was put in throughout the house, and wood-and-glass fire doors, which close automatically to prevent the spread of smoke when a fire alarm goes off, were installed on the residential floors. The 24 residents of the house live in double occupancy rooms which are furnished with wooden desks, dressers and beds, similar to those used in the renovated portion of the Quadrangle. Much of the house will contain common space which can be used by groups or classes for meetings. Some of these rooms are still under construction and many are still unfurnished. Dennis said the construction should be finished in about two weeks. One of the classes which will meet in a seminar room in the house will be School of Arts and Sciences Vice Dean Ira Harkavy's freshman seminar on University and community relations. Several students who were in past sessions of this seminar now live in the house. · The residents are still adjusting to their new home and say that they haven't decided exactly what sort of programs the house residents will help sponsor. They are working with almost every community service group at the University to provide them will information about what the house can offer them. "We want to try to keep the integrity of the residential community," Barnes said. "We also recognize the potential of the house to be a focal point [for community service activities at the University]." One of the biggest programs the house will sponsor is a dining program in conjunction with dining service which will be open to any interested students. To participate, students need to commit to eating dinner at the house on the same night once a week. Students who are currently on meal plan can have one dinner a week converted over to eat there and others can buy a special one-meal-a-week meal plan. Gaeta said they plan to invite speakers to join the house residents and dinner guests at least once each week. · Lurking in the background is the question of what will happen to the program if Psi Upsilon is allowed to return to campus when their sanctions can first be re-evaluated in the Fall of 1993. Administrators refuse to comment and have said that the question is premature. The residents have already decided that their program will be around with or without it's central location. "We're not planning for two years," Karnik said. "We're planning for this program to stay."
(09/09/91 9:00am)
Wearing a shirt emblazoned with a college's name and logo has long been a source of status and school pride for students, as well as free publicity for the school. But a growing market for collegiate merchandise -- ranging from shirts and hats to pens and paper to trash cans and bumper stickers -- has yielded another benefit to many colleges in the last ten years: big bucks. As the total annual sales of these products around the world approached $1 billion, most colleges began licensing the use of their name and logo to manufacturers both to ensure the tastefulness of the products and to cash in on a share of the profits. Cheryl Smith, an official with the Collegiate Licensing Company, which represents 122 schools in negotiations with sportswear manufacturers such as Champion and Russell, said the "main reason fans buy merchandise is the success of sports teams or name recognition." And buy they have. Smith said CLC's five top-grossing schools for 1991 were Georgetown University, the University of Michigan, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, the University of North Carolina and Florida State University, with each making about $1 million in royalties after taking a cut of 7.5 percent from total sales and paying CLC its share. Harvard and Yale universities, which enjoy high name recognition in the academic excellence arena, have fared about as well as the athletic powerhouses. Yale was ninth on CLC's list of top-grossing schools, the highest among schools without widely followed athletic programs. Harvard, which does not use an agent such as CLC, made about $1 million last year, according to Sylvia Struss, Harvard's trademark licensing officer. Steven Murray, who handles product licensing for the University, said the University earns about $20,000 annually from royalties, all of which goes into the general fund. By contrast, more Georgetown products are sold in New York and Los Angeles than in Washington, D.C., according to Brian McGuire, who oversees licensing for the Washington school. But Murray said although the University makes relatively little in added revenue, it is still important to make sure that the trademarks are used "properly." He said the University owns rights to the name "University of Pennsylvania," the blue and red split "P", the University's shield and circular logo, as well as the word "Penn" when used with the other registered trademarks. The University, like all schools, must first give a manufacturer permission to produce a certain product. Murray said the University rejects proposals "three or four times a year because somebody has tried to modify the logo or has merchandise that's in bad taste." But Smith said not all manufacturers follow the legal process of seeking prior approval from schools, adding that some products in the stores are not officially licensed. To eliminate the illegal competition, Smith said that besides accounting, royalty tracking and licensee auditing, CLC devotes substantial time to enforcing product licensing. She said CLC representatives "shop the market" all over the country in an attempt to root out illegal products and remind retailers not to buy unlicensed merchandise. In fact, Harvard University began licensing its name and logo only when a Japanese company tried to register trademarks for Harvard for a new clothing line. Struss said the Harvard Corporation, which had resisted "selling the Harvard name" for years, finally agreed to work with the Japanese group because "we decided we might as well have some control over it if it would be done anyway." That agreement led to the Harvard University line of clothing, complete with suits bearing the Harvard label, and has since earned Harvard $200,000 annually. Harvard, too, is vigilant in its efforts to control all Harvard products. Struss said the university sends representatives into the stores, gets information from manufacturers and retains attorneys who have "investigators" around the country. Struss added that while there have been "some problems" with unapproved merchandise, there have not been "enough to bring a lawsuit yet. And I emphasize 'yet.' " Each university decides how to use the profits earned on the sale of its products. Smith said the various uses include athletics, building funds and scholarships. Struss said Harvard, which she said does not really need the added revenue, has devoted all of its profits to matching scholarship grants. The only groups exempt from licensing restrictions are not-for-profit campus groups, including fraternities or extracurricular organizations. These groups still must receive prior permission from their school, but they are not required to pay royalties.
(09/06/91 9:00am)
A mailing mix-up has delayed progress on veterinary oncologist Ann Jeglum's year-and-a-half old tenure grievance against the University. According to University policy, Jeglum should have received a response from the provost's office to her complaints in mid-August. But she said this week the response has not come, even though the provost's office maintains it sent it a month ago. "The provost has written her and offered her something and she has not yet replied," Deputy Provost Richard Clelland said Tuesday. Clelland has just returned from vacation and said the response was sent "a month ago." But Jeglum said Tuesday that she has received any notification. "If they are communicating by lawyers, it hasn't happened there either," Jeglum added, saying she met with her lawyer Monday. Jeglum left her office in the Clinical Studies division of the University Veterinary Hospital last February. She now works in a West Chester veterinary clinic and lab. She was denied tenure in 1987 and 1989 and filed her grievance shortly after. Neither Jeglum or Clelland will specify the grounds for her grievance. The faculty grievance committee heard the case last year and forwarded its confidential recommendations to Provost Michael Aiken. Aiken reviewed these recommendations and made his own ruling, which is outlined in the letter sent to Jeglum. Clelland would not describe the provost's ruling. Aiken said he became aware of the communications mix-up yesterday. He declined to discuss his response.
(09/05/91 9:00am)
Half of the freshman class fell victim to an elaborate hoax Sunday night, arriving late to Convocation ceremonies after a fake memo stating the event had been postponed was posted around the Quadrangle and fake phone calls were made to residence deans announcing a change in schedule. Memos supposedly from Assistant Director of Student Life Pam Spicer were put up all around the dormitory -- from bulletin boards to bathroom walls -- stating that President Sheldon Hackney had been delayed traveling and that the event had been postponed by an hour. Approximately 750 freshmen were on time for the event's 7 p.m. kick-off at Irvine Auditorium, and about 750 more members of the Class of '95 arrived slowly at the 1500-seat theater until Convocation's conclusion at 8 p.m., at which point the room was packed full. "Furthermore, we wish to make it clear that we meant no malice to the freshmen class by this action . . . The freshmen, being the gullible creatures that they are, were just easy targets," the letter read. Witnesses said the pranksters were successful in executing the hoax, creating an atmosphere of bewilderment around the Quad and at Irvine. College senior and Resident Advisor Ethan Lazarus said students and R.A.s in the Quad did not know whether Convocation's postponment was real. "My students barely made it on time," Lazarus said. Assistant Residence Dean Jane Rogers said she received a message from the Office of New Student Orientation announcing the postponment, and as the rumor swept through the Quad, freshmen and R.A.s were barraged with conflicting stories about the event. Rogers said that they only were able to learn the truth when an R.A. ran across the street to confirm that the ceremony had started. The hoax was well executed, Rogers said, adding that the pranksters were clever to announce the fake delay early Sunday evening, so that it would be unlikely to be detected until it was too late. "Whoever did it knew enough to talk to the [residence] deans . . . they covered the major bases," said Rogers. Hackney said that he noticed that the auditorium was not quite full, but he "didn't have a strong reaction" to the hoax. "The freshmen missed a very nice ceremony," said Hackney. "It was not a nice thing, but it is not going to shake the foundations of the University."
(05/30/91 9:00am)
Longtime minority affairs administrator Valarie Swain-Cade is a finalist in the University of the District of Columbia's search for a new president, according to an announcement made this week by the search committee. Cade is currently an assistant provost and an assistant to the president. Cade, who has been at the University since 1978, called the position "an unprecedented opportunity," adding that she considered being a member of the short list of five candidates for the position an honor. "It's just wonderful to be in the company of so many wonderful people," she said. "It's very early in the process -- at this point I'm very excited." Calling UDC an "extraordinary institution," Cade said the decision will probably not be made until the beginning of July, with candidates facing a battery of interviews at the Washington school before then. "There will be a period over the next month where all of us will have the opportunity to meet the students, staff, faculty at UDC," said Cade, who holds a doctorate in Urban Education and Adolescent Psychology from Temple University. The other four candidates are administrators from California State University at Sacramento, Tuskegee University in Alabama, the City University of New York and the University of California at San Diego. Joann Mitchell, the director of the Office of Affirmative Action, called Cade a "catalyst" at the University, saying that she has been important in many respects. She said that were Cade to leave, "it would be a loss for the institution," but that Cade's impact would continue to be felt through the support systems she has created. "She has been able to impact the quality of life for students, faculty, and staff who are people of color," she said, adding that "it's been an across-the-board impact." Several other administrators declined to comment on Cade's appearance on the list, saying that their public statements at this time could interfere with the process. Cade said that her time at the University has been challenging and rewarding, and were she to leave, minority affairs would be in capable hands. The search process began after the firing of then-president Rafael Cortada after a dispute with university trustees a year ago over the handling of the university. Nor has the search itself escaped controversy. UDC students staged an 11 day protest at the school after being snubbed in their bid for representation on the search committee. Student government leaders eventually were permitted a say on the final decision. The Washington Post contributed to this story.
(05/17/91 9:00am)
Campus medical emergencies may soon be handled by University ambulances staffed with students and faculty. According to Fruchterman, students and faculty would staff ambulances and cover emergencies on campus as well as emergencies reported by off-campus students to University Police. "I felt there was a need to provide a pre-hospital service on the campus," Fruchterman said. The system called Penn Corp would consists of two ambulances and a supervisor's vehicle and would provide 24-hour care Fruchterman said. Presently, the University Police Department handles most medical emergencies. Staff members who would be strictly volunteer would have to take a course in pre-hospital care. According to Fruchterman, volunteers would either take a semester-long course in pre-health care or, if they choose only to be drivers, take a course in defensive driving and basic first aid. The start-up expense would be about $250,000, and Fruchterman said the program would not get its money from the University but from outside donations. In addition to providing support for the University community, Fruchterman said the program would be willing to help Philadelphia residents if needed. "The service would do wonders for the University, and it would provide excellent training for health care professions," Fruchterman said. In addition, Penn Corp would provide better access to student health.
(04/25/91 9:00am)
Building on their reputation as a national role model for homeless family housing and services, West Philadelphia's People's Emergency Center was recognized by President Bush this week as his 436th "Daily Point of Light." The President honors as a "Point Of Light" individuals, businesses, unions, clubs or organizations which volunteer to tackle social problems such as AIDS, drug abuse, illiteracy or homelessness in their own community. Gloria Guard, executive director of PEC located at 33rd and Chestnut streets, called the honor "fitting recognition" of the role PEC volunteers play in community outreach. "As one of many non-profit agencies working against tremendous odds to meet ever mounting needs, this award gives PEC the opportunity to focus public attention on the effective actions of thousands of individuals who wish to see an end to economic inequity and the national shame of homelessness in our country," Guard said. Susan Daily, PEC's development director, said that the recognition is a fitting honor, because "it gives us a chance to publicly acknowledge the fact that individuals can make contributions towards doing something effective to end homelessness." PEC was started as a volunteer organization in 1972 by two ministers from the University and Drexel University. Originally a weekends-only operation, PEC now operates around the clock, every day of the year -- and relies on the efforts of over 150 volunteers yearly. The Bush administration created the Office of National Service in 1989, which handles the Points of Light program. They currently receive over 200 nominations each week to be the Daily Point of Light. Some of the criteria that the office looks at when narrowing the field from nominations to honorees include a willingness to form a relationship with people they help while trying to solve the problem. According to David Goldfarb, a research assistant at the Office of National Service, PEC fits those requirements very well. "PEC makes sure that when [the homeless] reenter society, they're ready for it," said David Goldfarb. Volunteers participate at the PEC as board members, doctors, nurses and tutors. In addition to individuals, several religious groups support PEC through the Adopt-A-Room Program, through which the groups "adopt" a family room and provide furnishings, toiletries, linens and needed supplies for families living in transitional housing. Only four other groups and individuals have been recognized in Philadelphia for the Points of Light award. These include resident Dorothy Harrell for organizing tenant marches and protests to crack down on neighborhood drug dealers and the Drexel Town Watch program which patrols Powelton Village every night.
(04/16/91 9:00am)
Second-year Medical student Marshall Balk spends at least eight hours each day in the classroom. But unlike other students, Marshall and his Medical School colleagues spend these hours behind the Quadrangle, on Hamilton Walk, far from the center of campus and other University schools. The combination of a rigorous schedule and the physical separation from the rest of campus leads to a sense of isolation on the part of Med students and a lack of interaction with the rest of the University. In fact, many Medical students said that the only time they see the rest of the University is when they venture off Hamilton Walk to the food trucks on Spruce Street. And second-year Med student John Alexander said that most students have very little reason to spend time outside of the Medical School complex. "There should be more formal interaction between the Medical School and the rest of the University community," Alexander said. "Unless something is pushing you to interact with the other schools, you can spend all your time and never leave the med school." · Because Med students spend most of their time with their classmates, they seem to have created a community of their own outside the rest of the University. Alexander said that their isolation from the rest of the campus fosters a stronger sense of community between the Med students. "I think that, on the one hand, we're very busy," he said. "But after spending eight hours a day with the same people, our lives tend to revolve around our time together, which is one of the reasons we're such a tight community." Barbara Wagner, the Med School's associate director of student affairs, said that numerous extra-curricular activities have sprung up within the Med School that are drawing students. "The Medical School in itself is an all-encompassing experience," Wagner said. ""It's a very cohesive student body." Wagner pointed to Penn Med Horizons, a performing arts group comprised of medical students, as one of the main attractions for Med students. The group performs two shows each year. In the spring the group performs a "spoof" -- a legendary series of skits lampooning the faculty, administration, and the Medical School experience in general. "If the administration makes a decision about something, it usually comes back to haunt them," Wagner said of the humorous skits. "But it's all in fun and taken in good humor." Alexander said many students play intramural football, soccer, and lacrosse and work out. In addition, most Med students spend a lot of time interacting with the West Philadelphia community. According to Med students, there about 70 work with the Community Health Group. Participants, under the supervision of residents, travel to shelters in West Philadelphia to give physical exams, provide medical histories, and educate shelter residents about health maintenance. · Many Medical School students and administrators said that the atmosphere in the school is much different than most would expect. Paul Mehne, associate dean for student and house staff affairs, said that students have created an atmosphere quite different from that experienced by pre-med students. "One of the reasons I was so enthused about coming here is that the students are so supportive of each other," said Mehne, who came to the University in January 1990. Stuzin said that courses are graded on a pass, fail or honors basis and that students are motivated to learn as much as they can without being directly competitive with one another. "In the very beginning people may come to Med school with the pre-med mentality, but the reality is there is no reason to be that way any more," Stuzin said. "Med school isn't the hellish process everyone makes it out to be," she said. "You're just trying to get a base foundation of knowledge for when you go into the hospital. What was stressful to me in college was not learning the material but worrying what my final grade was going to be." · Med students said that they really want to increase interaction with undergraduates and other graduate schools despite their tight schedules. Stuzin said that, academically, interaction between the Medical School and other schools in the University could be stronger. "Med students feel like they're in their own separate community," said Stuzin. "When I was an undergrad, I thought the whole world consisted of undergrads, now I sometimes forget that they are there." She added that many Med student may be missing out on what the University has to offer by limiting themselves to the campus south of Hamilton Walk. "I don't think Med students realize what's out there," she said. "We get this blind statement about a One University concept, but you have to go out and find what's available." But Balk, who received a bachelors degree from the University in 1988, said that the fact that the Med students spend so much time together leads to a lively social atmosphere. He added, however that there is a need for more parties and increased communication between Med students and students from other schools in the University. "The undergrad lifestyle revolves more around off-campus and fraternity parties, and Med students just aren't a part of that," said Balk. "I wish there was one place for all students to hang out. It would be nice to have a central location for everybody." "Med School is similar to undergrad in that students certainly don't just study," he added. "We have a life, there's no doubt." Third-year student and Graduate and Professional Student Assembly representative Mark Weiner, who received a B.S. from the University in 1988, said that Medical students are even interested in being a part of the diversification of Locust Walk. "We've had less time to participate in University activities so we've tried to organize them ourselves," said Weiner, the president-elect of the Medical Student Government.
(04/15/91 9:00am)
Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. But some, apparently, find ways to duck it entirely. Both students and administrators say that there has been a vacuum at the top of many student groups at the University. And, citing the recent Undergraduate Assembly and Student Activities Council elections as examples, most say the reason behind the void is the upcoming senior class. This usual source of campus leadership seems to have sidestepped its perennial duties. Every member of this year's UA is an underclassman and not surprisingly, every member of the UA's new steering committee is either a freshman or sophomore. And many, both at the University and nationwide, say that this may be part of a trend, in which students are putting extracurricular activities on the back burner to concentrate on academics. In the recent Student Activities Council steering elections, for example, only nine students pursued the five prestigious positions. That number has been steadily declining according to Albert Moore, the assistant director for student life activities and facilities, noting that as many as 25 used to run. While administrators said they remember a recent, one-year dearth of student leaders about five or six years ago, few recall such a widespread absence of students willing to take the helm of their organizations. "What we're seeing in the case of this particular junior class is an example of a wider trend," said Student Life Programs Director Fran Walker. "It's disturbing to those of us who work with student programs." The UA has been particularly hard-hit by the apparent decrease in interest in student activities. The number of candidates running in each of the four undergraduate schools has steadily declined in the past ten years, from a high of 65 students seeking seats on the assembly in 1981 to this year's low of 33. Outgoing UA Vice-chairperson Mike Feinberg said he is concerned for the future of the UA if this trend continues. "The students have got to find some way of dealing with the problems of apathy and lack of involvement," he said. "If nothing is done to change student government and to try to attack the general apathy on campus, I'm very afraid of that." Moore said SAC leadership, both for its steering and finance committees, has faced similar conditions, with fewer and fewer candidates vying for spots. · Walker said the problem has not been confined to the University, either. Administrators across the country have also seen a loss of interest in leadership positions. Judi Biggs, the assistant director of student activities at the University of Southern California, said administrators there have noticed a shift of priorities among students as well. "What we're seeing is that the ways students are involved is changing," Biggs said, adding that many students are changing their priorities toward community service and the environment. While administrators say the apparent trend is "troubling," other universities have taken steps to increase participation in activities. By giving credit for participation in certain activities, some colleges are both encouraging participation and reaffirming their commitment to the importance of these activities. "They're creating programs that can be taken for credit," Moore said. "People are finally recognizing that this is an important part of the experience." Walker explained that some schools have had these programs in place for many years. She said the institutions, often state-administered commuter schools, enable students to earn credit for research or writing papers dealing with their experiences. "They are frequently courses in leadership," she said. "It's not a traditional academic subject which fits neatly into an academic department." But Moore added that giving credit for activities is a "mixed blessing," as it can be perceived as an attempt to bribe students into participation. He said starting such programs would probably spur heated debate at the University on how credit at the University is awarded. USC is already implementing a "co-transcript" of classes, an official listing of extra-curricular activities prepared by the university. "It's an evolving thing," Biggs said. Duchess Harris, the outgoing chairperson of the UA, agreed that such initiatives could be useful, saying students may need more incentive to pursue activities outside the classroom. "I think there should be some kind of benefit the University gives for community service," she said. · Administrators blame most of the shift away from activities to a rise in the perceived importance of scholastics. "It's been relatively clear that students have been more interested in academics and less interested in extra activities than in the past," Moore said. He points to SAC and the UA as just two examples of this waning interest in student activities. He said that interest in leadership retreats, which are organized twice yearly by the Office for Student Life, has fallen off as well. The retreats, which have been held for at least eight to 10 years, have in the past been "very popular," according to Moore. "It's been harder for us to attract people to the leadership retreat," he said, adding that even those who do commit to the retreat make it "very clear" that they may need to back out if a paper is almost due or a test is approaching. "It is always subsumed under their pursuit of academics," he said. Some have blamed the lack of interest to an attitude change, saying students today are simply less civic-minded than students in past years. Outgoing UA chairperson Harris agreed, calling this selfishness a possible outgrowth of the "me-ism of the '80s." She said the competitiveness of the job market and graduate schools adds to this, as does the high tuition which many prestigious universities charge. "People take with more seriousness the amount of money their parents spend to send them here," she said. "They put much more emphasis on the academics and [reevaluate] why they are here." Roper cites decreasing numbers involved in national youth organizations which encourage leadership and service, like the Boy and Girl Scouts. "To a certain extent, those kinds of organizations that one might be involved in before coming to college that involve leadership and leadership training do not have the same numbers as they did before," he said. "Accordingly, when they arrive at the University, they are less prepared than they were before." Another factor which may be drawing students away from activities outside the classroom, administrators say, may be a growing lack of confidence or unwillingness to take chances. "There's less willingness to take on leadership positions that require more time and more work," Walker said. She added that she sees "an unwillingness to take on leadership roles, and also a decline in student confidence in their ability to take on this responsibility." But this unwillingness could also spring from a general decline in the interest and respect held for government outside of the University, Roper said. He suggested that parents' attitudes could be leaving a bigger mark on their children than many realize. "If students grow up and see their parents not voting and not participating, then that sort of cynicism is going to be contagious," he said. "If our idea of a hero is a basketball player who makes a couple of million dollars, then we're going to have lots more people going into basketball than into public service." · But most blame the decline on the fact that for some, student activities do not provide enough tangible rewards. The committment of time and energy to out-of-class activities always cuts into time that could be spent getting a better grade point average, student leaders said. "For the job to be done right in any large student group, it requires a big time commitment," Feinberg said. "getting a 4.0 [GPA] and being the chair of the UA -- you can pretty much call those contradictory goals." Black Student League President Jessica Dixon said she sees this problem in her group as well. "Everyone has the idea that it's just an awesome responsibility," she said. "The time commitment, the status -- there's a lot of responsibility placed on you." Moore said that students may be shifting more towards classwork because of the growing economic uncertainty in the nation, which has constricted the job market and made GPA's more important. "I really think people are much more interested in getting ahead in the classroom," he said. "The crumbling of traditional ideas makes people a little less secure and sure of themselves." Administrators said the highly competitive job market combined with the uncertainty of the economy has also made students less willing to take risks or positions apart from the crowd. "They see the way people get ahead is by following the rules," he explained. "People are less willing to be seen as different from the rest of the group." But Roper maintained that students are missing out on opportunities that would make them more equipped in the job market when they only pursue high grade point averages. "If students don't use their opportunites on campus to learn about interpersonal and organizational dynamics and leadership, I think it's going to end up hurting them later," he said. "I am quite confident that the skills I honed here at the University [extracurricularly] were more useful to me in the workplace than what I learned in class." · Feinberg said that if the current trend continues, he sees a problems looming, especially for the legitimacy of student government. "The decreasing amount of people running is something that really needs to be looked at," he said. "The more people you have running, the more potential you have for stronger and legitimate leadership." But Moore said that most student groups at the University are currently not facing a crisis for want of participants or leaders. "I don't think we're in any danger of not having student in activities and being leaders," he said. But he warned "that the quality of leadership when the number and diversity of people goes down" may decrease. Without leaders on campus, however, some say it may take time for students to be re-exposed to leadership role models. "Most leadership skills are learned, not through the classroom but through observation," Roper said. "I think part of the problem right now is that we've lost a tradition of leadership. We have to jumpstart it, but once you do, it will continue." 'There is less of an ethic of public service in general in the current generation than in the last generation. They have somewhat more selfish interests in general.' Tex Roper Wharton junior 'The only thing you're going to get out of extracurricular activities is personal satisfaction -- you're not going to get paid. It's totally overrated for what it's going to do on your resume.' Duchess Harris Former UA chair
(04/10/91 9:00am)
Estelle Brookhouse had two children and was pregnant with another child when she was homeless about three years ago. She moved in and out of friends' homes and occasionally stayed in temporary shelters. Now, Brookhouse is working to solve the homelessness problem as the "teen coordinator" at the People's Emergency Center in West Philadelphia. "Of the shelters I've been at, this one is the best," Brookhouse said. She now lives in a private apartment on the third floor of PEC. For her, one of the more valuable resources that the center provided was childcare education. PEC started as an all-volunteer program staffed primarily with University and Drexel University students. At its beginning, the Center functioned from the first floor of the Asbury Methodist Church on 33rd and Chestnut Streets. It was only open on weekends and had beds for less than 10 people. In 1983, the facility underwent major renovations which allowed 25 to 30 people to be housed each night. But as the number of homeless families in Philadelphia increased, so did the demand for services beyond the traditional bed and meal. While the PEC provides emergency services that other shelters typically offer such as food and temporary housing, its strength lies in the implementation of transitional services which work to solve the causes of homelessness rather than simply dealing with its results. These services include case management, a parent-child day program, housing counseling and follow-up services. PEC also offers drug and alcohol counseling, health care and educational workshops which range from self-esteem building to life skills, and GED classes. PEC's parent-child day program is one of the first of its kind in the country. Mothers receive training in life skills, parenting skills, pre-employment, and academic training. During the last year, the service reached 56 mothers, 103 children, and 65 teenage girls. And the parent day care program teaches the women ways to discipline children other than hitting them, and gives them the tools and self-esteem necessary to make good parents. Seeing a need for continued services for homeless families who have been placed into permanent housing, PEC started a "follow-up service" this year. Case managers maintain contact with the families through visits, phone calls, and client visits to PEC. Of the 37 families that receive follow-up service, all are still in their permanent homes. · Through the cooperative efforts of city and state agencies, private foundations and individuals, the PEC moved into a $2.5 million facility on the 3900 block of Spring Garden Street last November. The building was converted from a three story carriage factory which the city sold to the PEC for $1. The first floor features a laundry room, emergency housing, and a restaurant style kitchen. The second floor contains space for administrative offices, classrooms, lounges, and 10 transitional housing rooms. The remaining floor contains nine apartments designated as permanent low-income housing. Seventeen different public and private agencies provided the money needed for the conversion. Often cited by housing officials as a national role model, the center is unique in the fact that it offers three types of housing under one roof -- emergency, transitional, and permanent. All residents at the shelter sign a contract and work towards reaching the goal of becoming self sufficient. "The others don't interact with their clients, they just serve them their meals," said volunteer Brookhouse. "PEC gets really involved -- the staff knew my children." The typical woman entering PEC is young and unmarried with two children, usually one infant and another young child, according to PEC Director of Development Susan Daily. The shelter has also seen an increasing demand for beds for homeless youth. Officials attribute the rise to an increase in substance abuse, especially crack cocaine, among Philadelphia families. Half of the homeless teens required shelter to escape abusive, drug-addicted parents. Daily said one of the more daunting issues facing shelters across the state is that government agencies are failing to place those who need low-income housing into appropriate facilities. "The women are being forced to remain in shelters for longer periods of time," Daily said. The average stay for a woman in the shelter is 46 days, an increase of six days from last year. Typically, the homeless women will stay on the first floor emergency housing for two to eight weeks. If they have made progress and have been working to help themselves, they will move into transitional housing on the second floor which features private family rooms. The women pay rent, maintain the condition of their family room, and enroll in an educational or employment program. After living in transitional housing for two to 18 months, the women move into their own apartments in public housing, Daily said. Last year, the emergency shelter section of PEC provided temporary housing for 68 women, teen and children per night, according to PEC's annual report. The transitional housing served 581 individuals, which included 304 children. Besides providing housing, PEC served 74,000 meals to shelter residents while an additional 12,000 meals were served to other homeless and hungry individuals. · The center manages all these services despite receiving only $10.50 from the city to shelter and feed each resident for a day. "There is a real hardship in the type of services that are able to be provided because all of the government services are very stressed," Daily said. But PEC, as a private agency, does not exclusively depend on public funding, and works to build a funding base of corporations and individuals. PEC has a paid administrative staff of 33 which includes the seven on-site case managers. Case managers work with their clients and help them to form and implement realistic goals. This service was utilized by 185 women and teens last year. The case managers also work with a number of dependent teens, those minors whose legal guardian is the Department of Human Services. Twice each week, a teacher comes to the PEC from another shelter to teach GED, or high school equivlency, classes. After living at the center, teens can move into supervised independent living situations, job corps or even group homes. Several University students can be counted among the over 100 volunteers who work at the PEC each week, according to Lorraine Latham, PEC's volunteer coordinator. Lisa deMello, a second year Social Work graduate student, works at the center 24 hours each week as part of her practicum. She said that she seeks to dispel "myths" about homeless people, such as those which attribute their status to laziness. "There are many factors that can lead to homelessness, such as substance abuse and domestic violence," deMello said. Colleen McCauley, a Nursing senior, choose to volunteer at the PEC for her clinical, a program required by the Nursing School. To McCauley, though, this experience has provided more than just a connection between academia and the real world. "It's a great education in itself just learning some of these women's life histories," McCauley said. "PEC has been very receptive towards using new energy."
(04/09/91 9:00am)
Art Buchwald, whose syndicated newspaper column has been making people laugh for over 40 years, will visit the University today to deliver the Nursing School's tenth annual Dean's Distinguished Lecture. Buchwald's columns appear in newspapers around the world and he has become one of the most popular columnists of his time. The lecture series, created in part because the Nursing School has "suffered from a lack of visibility" in the past, is "intended to have a mental health focus," though that intention has traditionally been interpreted in a very broad manner, according to Nursing Dean Claire Fagin. Though some lecturers in the past have included specialists in the mental health fields, Fagin said yesterday that she thinks Buchwald is an appropriate choice because he helps people "to laugh at both ourselves and others." Fagin said she feels the lecture will be entertaining for both Nursing students and the University community as a whole. "I'm very excited," she said. "I think everyone's going to love it. It should be great." Buchwald, whose speech is entitled "Nursing is No Laughing Matter," began his career in journalism in the mid-1940s at the University of Southern California as the managing editor of the campus humor magazine. While at USC, he also wrote a column for the college newspaper, the Daily Trojan, and wrote a variety show called, "No Love Atoll." In 1948, after leaving USC without a degree, Buchwald worked as a correspondent for Variety magazine in Paris. He took a trial column for The New York Daily Tribune and his career as a columnist blossomed. His speech will begin at 4 p.m. at Harrison Auditorium in the University Museum and is open to the public.
(04/02/91 10:00am)
Vice President for Human Relations Barbara Butterfield, who has primary responsibility for overseeing the University's employees, will leave the University in June to take a similar post at Stanford University. Butterfield, who has held the position for four years, will be Stanford's first human relations vice president. In her post, she managed the second-largest workforce in the city. Butterfield said last night she "has mixed feelings" about the new position, saying she will miss her staff and the administrators she has become attached to during her tenure on campus. The human relations head said she is moving to Stanford to be near her husband, who will soon become an out-patient of a cardiology program in Palo Alto. He is currently a patient at Duke University's program, forcing Butterfield to travel between North Carolina and Philadelphia every weekend. "The position at Stanford lets me balance both sides of my life," Butterfield said. Butterfield's duties at the University include setting and accomplishing goals for the University's work environment and improving employee relations. She said she is most proud of her department's focus on ethics, equality, diversity and balance in the work place, saying those are the values she has tried to instill in the administration's human resources planning. She added that she has recently concentrated on "conservation of the University's assets." President Sheldon Hackney yesterday praised Butterfield's work at the University, calling her a "rare talent in the field of human resources in higher education." "She helped build a sense of community among University employees," Hackney said. "It's because of her set of values. She cares about how people deal with each other and she's able to transfer that to policies and programs." Hackney said Butterfield has provided University employees with more extensive career advancement activities, more rational salary policies and better equity studies. He also praised her for helping to organize diversity awareness programs. Staff and Labor Relations Director Rogers Davis, who worked in Butterfield's department, said the outgoing vice president is extraordinary at unifying employees and bringing "a positive attitude to the issue of staff relations." Stanford University Provost James Rosse, who said he hired Butterfield based on her experience and accomplishments, said she will be the highest level administrator involved in developing human resources policies and programs. He said her duties at Stanford will be roughly the same as those at the University. Hackney, who said he learned of Butterfield's resignation on Friday, said he has not yet begun to search for her replacement and said he is doubtful the administration will fill the position before Butterfield leaves in June. Hackney said he will search for someone with Butterfield's same values and abilities to bring employees together. "If I could clone her, I would do it," Hackney said.
(03/28/91 10:00am)
Their upcoming performance will celebrate the season with a thematically and stylistically wide range of musically interpretive dance motifs. According to group members, the performance is will be composed of a repertoire of seven interelated pieces. Different combinations of company members will perform in each piece, but all will be part of the finale. These pieces have been choreographed by Assistant Director Vaughnda Hilton-Lyn, College senior Julie Choderker, and guest choreographers Norman Taylor and Peter McCoy. Music will range from jazz to pop. The dancers, whose last performance was Affinity in November, have been rehearsing three to four hours a night at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance and Fitness Center since January to prepare for Spring. College freshman Robin Pulis said that Penn Dance is currently "polishing" the performance. Members described their upcoming performance as both diverse and experimental, and the most challenging to date. Dancers also said that they are happy they have not been slowed by injuries or other obstacles. The dance company's performances have been consistently changing in style and theme over the years. Company member and College sophomore Allison Powell attributed this largely to the annual influx of new choreographers and directors, most recently, McCoy and Taylor. Current Assistant Director Hilton-Lyn said she is very pleased with the progress she has seen in Penn Dance. "I have seen them go from high school level to amateur-professional in the three years I have been here," Hilton-Lyn said. Penn Dance, founded in 1976, is an eclectic group whose dances cover the whole spectrum from lyrical modern dance to jazz. Spring, which will be presented Thursday April 4 through the Saturday April 6, each night at 8 p.m. at the Annenberg School Theater, is the second of Penn Dance's major performances of this academic year. Additionally, Penn Dance will make a guest performance at Villanova University later this year. Members said they are optimistic that the show will draw large crowds. "Not only are they going to see great dance, but they are going to have a great time," said College junior and Penn Dance member Jen Clagett.
(03/20/91 10:00am)
Researchers and officials at the University and four other schools facing a Congressional investigation into research costs defended their use of taxpayer money yesterday, but said some changes in the way research grants are administered may be necessary. "The tone of some of the stories that have appeared is that what is being revealed is that universities are ripping off the government," Physics Professor David Balamuth said. "I don't think that's precisely true." The probe by the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations comes after federal auditors discovered that Stanford University may have overcharged the federal government for research overhead costs by as much as $200 million during the last decade. The probe focuses on the use of indirect overhead funds, which are the expenses universities charge to the government for use of buildings, maintaining research facilities and administrative costs associated with research. A congressional aide said this week that the subcommittee will extend its review of the use of indirect research funding to the University, Harvard University Medical School, University of California at Berkeley, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Southern California. Administrators at the five schools singled out for scrutiny said the government itself may be responsible for some of the problems at Stanford because of vague policies, which leave the door open for arguable claims. "It's important to note that part of the problem that all of us see is that a lot of [the research contracting guidelines] are open to interpretation," said Jesus Mena, a Berkeley spokesperson. "It's a two-way street." Dennis Dougherty, who is a former University comptroller, said that although any audits of the research institutions could be "time consuming and expensive," they may have positive results. Dougherty, who is currently senior vice president for administration at USC, said the investigation could result in clearer funding guidelines, which would ensure that university administrators use federal money prudently. "If the outcome of this investigation is to adopt more strict and more objective [funding guidelines] than are currently put forth, [the investigation] will have indeed succeeded," Dougherty said. A Congressional aide to Rep. John Dingell (D-Michigan), who heads the subcommittee, said this week the investigations may indeed show that such policy changes are necessary. But Jim Culleton, vice president for financial operations at MIT, said the broad federal guidelines were developed to allow universities some freedom in research methods and to complement unique university research teams. Narrower policies may restrict that creative freedom, he said. "[Stricter guidelines] might produce more order, but it might make flexibility less possible and may lead researchers to sometimes miss opportunities," Culleton said. Administrators at the schools said they have not yet received official notification of the probes. Most, including those at the University, said they are not taking any proactive measures to prepare for the pending investigations.
(03/05/91 10:00am)
The apology will be part of the punishment handed down by Judicial Inquiry Officer Constance Goodman later this week for the show, which was criticized as "offensive and blatantly dehumanizing" even by station officials. President Sheldon Hackney called for a JIO investigation of the show one week after its October 2 premiere, asking Goodman to pay particular attention to the section of the show where hosts identified freshmen women by name and picture in the Freshman Record. Also during the 45-minute show, the co-hosts split a bottle of tequila, showed pictures of nude women and men and discussed oral sex in explicit detail. The co-hosts, who also produced the show, were fired by the UTV Executive Board the night after the show aired. Goodman said last night she would have a ruling on the case by the end of the week, but declined to comment further about the completion of her investigation, saying she could not comment without permission of the students involved. Rothstein was not available for comment, and Fumo changed his phone number after the show aired. UTV Station Manager-elect Kirk Marcolina said last night Rothstein contacted him less than two weeks ago, saying the JIO will require that he and Fumo tape an apology to be aired over UTV as part of his punishment. Marcolina said he talked with Goodman yesterday about the specific requirements of the apology and other measures the campus station, which can only be received in Superblock, must make. Marcolina, who was UTV Production Manager during the incident, said he would also receive a letter of reprimand from the JIO "to make UTV managers -- including myself -- aware of how important our responsibilities are." Marcolina said the letter would not appear on his permanent record. Marcolina said Goodman approved of subsequent policy changes UTV enacted which prohibits alcohol on the set, establishes stricter requirements for producers to receive approval for a new show, and requires a member of the UTV executive board to sit in on the taping of a new show. Marcolina also said representatives from UTV would apologize to University Council, where President Hackney called for the JIO investigation, and would explain the station's revised policies. Marcolina said last night he has learned a great deal from the incident. "I think personally I have learned a lesson because the way UTV is run -- it's a very laid-back organization and we usually allow, and still allow, a lot of leeway," Marcolina said. "Now I realize there are certain points where management must step in." Goodman said she completed her investigation nearly a month ago and has been working on a resolution since. She said that for her investigation, she interviewed Marcolina and Station Manager Diane Rekstad and viewed the show on tape. Marcolina said he explained to Goodman how Fumo and Rothstein outlined the show to him as well as background about the station itself.
(03/04/91 10:00am)
The last three years have been a period of tremendous change for the University Police Department. Three years ago, the "Department of Public Safety" was suffering from image problems and a lack of connection with students and faculty. Even the University administration didn't consider Public Safety officers real policemen, arguing in a contract fight that they were as much security guards as police. But things have changed. The department has made wholesale changes in administration, training and focus. They have hired dozens of new officers and added five new patrol cars. Many students and faculty said that it is now an organization more responsive to there requests and more understanding of their needs. Four years ago, when a wave of crime hit the 40th and Walnut streets area -- including the stabbing of three students and the shooting murder of a man in front of McDolnald's -- the response from the police was slow and minimal. Last semester, when a rash of crimes hit an area just west of campus, University Police doubled patrols in a matter of days and kept officers working 12 hour shifts for weeks. The change in the department began in 1988 with a University-commissioned security report outlining ways to improve the department. The report recommended numerous procedural as well as organizational changes, including adding a new administrator to relieve Director John Logan of day-to-day responsibilities and allow him to concentrate on long-range planning and policy making. Another major reason for the change was the work of Senior Vice President Marna Whittington. Whittington added the new position recommended in the report, but placed the new commissioner over Logan. Whittington also went beyond the report's recommendations, deciding to more than double the size of the police force. Further improvements for the department are still in the planning stages, the most important being a possible new police station on 40th and Walnut streets. · In 1988, the University asked two private security consultants to study the Department of Public Safety and make recommendations on ways to improve its capabilities and resources. The result was two independent reports -- the principle one by Philadelphia Police Captain Thomas Cooney and University of Washington Police Chief Michael Shanahan, and a smaller one by Ira Somerson, president of a private security consulting firm in Philadelphia -- both of which arrived at the same conclusion: a lot of work needed to be done. The reports found that Public Safety was still viewed by the University community as a separate entity. The report said there was an "us and them" mentality prevalent among students. Students and faculty did not feel that the department, as well as the administration, really were committed to doing something to improve campus security. The reports added that the department needed to improve its relationship and cooperate more with Philadelphia Police's 18th district. Furthermore, the reports said that the University's Victim Support Services needed to be broadened and that police officers themselves needed further training in victim support skills. The reports suggested several ways to improve different facets of the department, ranging from a police newsletter, to training officers in victim support skills, to improving police benefits. Additionally, the reports stressed that a task force should be formed, made up of officials from security-related departments within the University, to discuss the best ways to implement the reports' suggestions. Later that year, Senior Vice President Helen O'Bannon, among whose duties was supervising Public Safety, passed away. In December 1988, Marna Whittington was appointed to O'Bannon's post. This appointment proved to be a turning point in the status of campus security as Whittington adopted improving campus security as a major goal. Microbiology Professor Helen Davies, the former chairperson of the University Council Safety and Security Committee, said last week that many of the changes of the past three years might not have come about were it not for Whittington and her dedication to security concerns and issues. Since Whittington's appointment, the department has steadily improved its services as well as its relationship with the community by making the community aware of its programs and has started working more closely with Philadelphia Police. The department now has an officer appointed to coordinate investigations with Philadelphia Police. "Our relationship with Philadelphia is definitely much stronger than it ever was," Whittington said. "The work of the liaison officer has allowed us to dramatically increase the arrest record and to get the message out that if you commit a crime, you will be caught and prosecuted." Whittington has also tried to implement a policy of "community policing," a system based on residents of the community becoming more involved in maintaining safety and security. "I meet regularly with the University Council Safety and Security Committee, as well as with students and parents, and other administrators to help them deal with their concerns over the safety of our campus," Whittington said. But Whittington and the task force did not just follow the letter of the consultants' reports, but also molded their ideas into concrete programs tailored for the University. For example, Cooney and Shanahan's report said the department needed another supervisory position called "Chief of Operations" to relieve overburdened Director John Logan of some responsibilities. Whittington, together with the task force, decided that a commissioner was needed whose job it would be to examine long-term goals for the department, be the department's policy-maker, and act as a liaison between the administration and the department. It was to this position, that former Brown University Police Chief John Kuprevich was appointed last December. Another major change, and one which neither report suggested, is the large increase in the past three years in the number of officers in the force. Both reports specifically say that they do not recommend hiring any new officers. But Whittington said the task force decided on the level and concentration of security coverage it wanted for the campus and realized that such coverage would require more officers. "The reason for the increase in manpower is very simple," Whittington said. "We divided the area into sectors and decided that we needed 24-hour coverage in each sector and made the decision to hire as many officers as would facilitate that type of coverage." The University has gone from employing 43 officers in 1988, to 88 in 1991. In addition, in the past three years, foot patrols have been extended west to 41st Street. Three new patrol cars have been added, allowing vehicle patrols to extend to 43rd Street and bringing the total number of vehicles to five. An increase in officers has been a trend that many urban schools have undertaken in the last three years. But few have had increases as dramatic as the University's. The University of Chicago, for example, has upped its force by 35 percent. An impressive increase, but one which pales in comparison to the 104.5 percent increase at the University. Only the University of Southern California, which has been besieged by gang warfare in the area south of downtown Los Angeles, has a comparable increase, upping its force by 106 percent. · Although administrators and students seem to be in agreement that while a lot has been accomplished, most say more must be done. Upcoming plans for the department include relocation to a soon-to-be-built parking garage on the corner of 40th and Walnut streets. Not only will the new site have more space than the department's cramped Superblock office, but it may eventually accommodate a shooting range, gymnasium and holding cells. University Police officials said the station will serve as a deterrent on a corner which has become notorious for incidents of violent crime. President Sheldon Hackney said last week that while he is pleased with the improvements he sees, he is hesitant to say the problem has been solved "I would give us an 'A' for the effort we're putting into solving the problem," Hackney said. "It's too soon to see if we've turned the corner but we're seeing signs of that, like the lowering of off-campus crime. "The one thing we can completely control is our own measures to combat crime," Hackney added. "And we are making every effort to make this campus as crime-free an area as possible." Whittington also believes that today's students have different concerns than those at the University three years ago. She believes that the issue of acquaintance rape is more of a concern now than in 1988. "Acquaintance rape has become a bigger issue than it ever has been and the administration is re-evaluating our programs to help victims of acquaintance rape," Whittington said. "I think we, in 1991, are much better equipped to deal with these problems than three years ago."
(02/26/91 10:00am)
In the latest move in the ongoing fight over the University's charity campaign, the United Way this week has asked some of its agencies to urge University donors to vote for the United Way in a March referendum. And several faculty members said last night that the move is another in a series of "unprofessional" tactics to influence the vote. In letters sent to donor-choice organizations via fax, the United Way provided a list of past donors and their addresses to whom they are encouraged to write and explain how they will be affected by the referendum. United Way spokesperson Joe Divis said that they have only sent the agencies information that they normally receive with a pledge and that the move was designed to ultimately educate University voters. But Committee members said yesterday that the United Way's newest tactic is inappropriate. Associate Education Professor David Hogan called the fax "apalling." Hogan said that the United Way has statistically endured no ill effects from allowing a combined campaign elsewhere and that their opposition to the Combined Campaign stems from their need for control. "They don't lose anything economically, or financially by having a combined campaign -- the evidence is that they gain," Hogan said. "One must assume that this is an effort to maintain monopoly power." However, Divis said last night that the agencies of the United Way are going to be affected by this vote and therefore need their say in the issue. Faculty leaders also said last night that they were disturbed by the United Way's action. Associate Microbiology Professor Helen Davies said last night that she was upset with the United Way's efforts at the University. "I feel it muddies [the situation] because it is being done by an outside organization," Davies said. "They are not able to get people inside the University to back them up, people who know what is happening want a wider choice." Faculty Senate Executive Committee member Kenneth George also said he was "disturbed" with the United Way's actions and that this is the similar to what he has been hearing at the Faculty Senate Executive Committee. "It just seems to be a continuation of some of the unprofessional ways that the United Way is dealing with us at the University," George said. Divis said that the action was taken because although the United Way did not ask for the referendum, it has to deal with it. "This was brought upon us," Divis said. Barney Carter, the director of development at Planned Parenthood -- a United Way agency -- said that his organization received the letter from the United Way asking Planned Parenthood to write to its donors and explain how the referendum will effect their funding. "[It asks us] to write them and support the United Way," Carter said. Faculty Senate Chairperson Almarin Phillips said last night that the United Way has every right to try to marshall support, but that he feels they would be better off working with the other agencies. "My impression is that they remain an unpopular group at the University of Pennsylvania, my view is that they would be better off trying to cooperate," Phillips. The United Way and the Committee for a Combined Campaign at Penn will conclude their two-year long fight next month when University employees vote the charitable path they prefer. The United Way has historically been the sole vehicle through which faculty and staff could deduct funds from their payroll. Combined Campaign officials have argued that the number of fundraising groups should be expanded. The United Way has argued that one can donate to over 2700 groups through their method of donor's choice, which allows the donor to select who receives the funds. The Combined Campaign, however, has said that this is not a viable option since the funds are diminished twice through this path -- first, from the United Way's administrative costs and second, from the individual organizations administrative costs are both deducted before anyone benefits.
