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(10/04/90 9:00am)
Band executive board members have said they hope to occupy the former Psi Upsilon house at 36th and Locust streets when it becomes available in January. They insist their group will bring diversity to the center of campus. "If they're looking to diversify the Walk, we have 150 members from every kind of human being created," band President Michael Brose said last week. President Sheldon Hackney said earlier this semester that the Castle, which has remained vacant since Psi Upsilon fraternity was kicked off campus last May, will house students by January. He later said that no Greek organization will occupy the house. This opens the Walk to students who have no other access to housing in the center of campus. Brose said the band was prompted by Hackney's statement to send a letter to Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson at the beginning of the semester, requesting that they be allowed to occupy the majestic house. VPUL Morrisson said last night she has not decided who will live in the Castle, adding that she has received letters from several student and academic organizations. She said that she has not even decided whether the house will go to an existing organization or to a mixed group of students. Band Secretary Stacey Branco said band members would benefit from living together. "I'm really close to the people I work with," said the College junior. "I wouldn't have to trek to their dorms or to the band office all the time like I do now. It would take a lot of stress off of us." Some members of the a cappella group Counterparts have also discussed the idea of housing part of the performing arts community in the Castle. Student Performing Arts Coordinator Kathryn Helene said yesterday she was not sure that any single organization should occupy the house. "I would have to say there are so many deserving groups that I couldn't go out on a limb and say my group is the most deserving," she said. Performing Arts Council President Stuart Gibbs said last night that Arts House provides sufficient living space for performers. "I don't think performing arts needs the Castle," said the College senior. "There are many more worthwhile groups."
(09/20/90 9:00am)
Since then, PCB has expanded beyond landlord-tenant disputes to advise students and community residents on a host of legal problems. Staffed completely by students and a lawyer adviser, PCB acts as an examiner and mediator on issues dealing with consumer complaints, landlord-tenant laws and other community issues. "We have dealt with merchant complaints, falsely advertised markdowns, scams, and occasionally mail fraud," said College senior Sarah Schwenzfeier, PCB's director. Complaints that deal with illegal acts, such as mail fraud, are usually turned over to the Philadelphia Police, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Consumer Affairs or the post office. PCB is staffed by 14 administrative work-study students and 20 case-worker volunteers, who are trained to handle a variety of issues. Richard Lau, a College junior and assistant director of PCB, said that the group teaches all case workers basic landlord-tenant law, contract law, and techniques of handling cases. New volunteers are paired with returning workers for their first few cases. When a case involves legal issues, PCB workers refer to the state bar association for information. "We never want to say we can't help someone but we are not lawyers," Schwenzfeier said. "If it is not an issue we can deal with, we'll get the information or the name of a person who can help to them." Schwenzfeier said that PCB has a good relationship with city legal offices, which has helped the student group deal with the community. "We have a good reputation in the area so we find that most landlords are willing to talk to us," she said. Although 65 percent of the cases are student-related -- most of them landlord disputes -- many come from the surrounding community's residents. Each caseworker follows the case to its conclusion and each completed case is then reviewed by Lau or Schwenzfeier. PCB also conducts a Landlord-Tenant Survey comparing different off-campus living areas and landlords. The survey, which is published every other year, will be one of PCB's main projects this year. PCB has handled over 11,500 cases to date, and will see another 400 this year.
(09/20/90 9:00am)
The Underground Cafe, the popular student coffeehouse in High Rise North's basement, will reopen tonight. Opened in January in response to student demands for a campus hangout, the cafe features a wide-screen television, video games and a pool table in addition to live entertainment and casual conversation. Yenni Chen, the student manager of the coffeehouse, said new plans for this year include extended hours after fall football games, expansion of the gourmet pastry selection, and more live entertainment. "We were thinking about theme nights or open mike nights, but it all depends on what the students want to do," Chen said. In fact, student desires seem to play a big role in the functioning of the cafe. Operated by PSA -- a student-run organization that provides services including newspaper delivery, linen service and catering -- the cafe is run solely by, and for, students. "Our intentions aren't to make money but to give a place to the students for them to go hang out at," Chen said. The coffeehouse's menu includes gourmet coffees, teas, pastries, and cakes. Live student bands and other campus groups perform in the cafe, which is located in the High Rise North basement. The cafe broke even last year, surpassing initial expectations. "We were just trying to keep it open," Chen said. Lisa Cohn, assistant manager in charge of entertainment, said she enjoys working at the coffeehouse because the atmosphere is relaxed. "It's not going to be like Expresso Bongo, where people come in in black," Cohn said. During the school year it will be open from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
(09/13/90 9:00am)
Council votes to recognize four performing arts organizations The Performing Arts Council voted last night to recognize four new groups, but not before several current members asked for a refresher course in what membership in the council means. At members' request, PAC President Stuart Gibbs took a few minutes of last night's meeting to explain the benefits of being part of the council. PAC, an umbrella organization for campus performing arts groups, mediates rehearsal and performance space conflicts and serves as a forum for discussion for other issues affecting members. Gibbs said that PAC recognition entitles groups to participate in the lucrative Parents Weekend variety show, although non-member groups may also perform if the council approves. In addition, PAC . "Groups that don't have a lot of space options come into PAC and we keep them from getting screwed out of rehearsal space," Gibbs told the council. But PAC's authority to resolve space problems are based more on precedent than on written regulations. Whether they are PAC members or not, all performing arts groups apply to Student Performing Arts Coordinator Kathryn Helene for space. "There's nothing in the [PAC] constitution that says we have dibs on all space first, but it seems to work that way," Gibbs said. But earlier this week, he said that because of the space crunch, PAC cannot grant recognition to all the groups who want it. The council now consists of 29 groups. None of the four groups applying for recognition last night cited space as a concern. "We want to be more involved in the performing arts community and decisions made therein," said College and Engineering senior Heidi Saffer, chairperson of Arts House Theatre. "It's important to have the rest of the performing arts groups see you as one of them and not as an outside group." Both Saffer's group and the Theatre Arts program received full membership last night. Pennchants and Penn Pipers received associate membership, which means they may not participate in PAC votes. Since both are subsidiaries of the Glee Club, PAC members said they were concerned that the Glee Club would effectively be given three votes. Stimulus, a children's theater group, was denied recognition last year, but did not reapply this fall. The group was allowed to be in Performing Arts Night last weekend. Groups whose primary purpose is performing and who are recognized by the Student Activities Council are automatically PAC members. Groups which do not meet these criteria must apply to PAC yearly.
(04/18/90 9:00am)
First lady Barbara Bush and actor Bill Cosby are two of 11 luminaries who will receive honorary degrees from the University at the May 14 Commencement exercises. Bush, who will deliver the Commencement address to the nearly 5000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students receiving degrees, serves as honorary chairperson of several literacy organizations as well as chairs her own organization, the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. Cosby is the star of The Cosby Show and author of three books. He is a Philadelphia native. The other degree recipients will be: · Nobel Prize winner Baruch Blumberg, who identified the virus responsible for hepatitis-B and is currently a University Professor of Medicine and Anthropology. · University Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Professor Raymond Davis, known for his neutrino research · Mathematician Izrail Moiseevich Gel'fand · Primatologist Jane Goodall · Former Surgeon General and former Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Surgeon-in-Chief C. Everett Koop · Sony Corporation Chairperson and founder Akio Morita · Botanist Sir David Smith, who heads the University of Edinburgh · Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Faye Wattleton · Soviet economist Tatyana Zaskavskya, who directs the All-Union Center for Public Opinion Research on Soviet and Economic Problems. The Trustees Honorary Degrees Committee makes the final selections for the awards. The Trustees may add to a list of recommendations submitted by a University Council committee. This year's final list includes three minority members and four women. Students and faculty members have criticized the honorary degree selection in the past for not including a sufficient number of minorities and women. Mathematics Professor Peter Freyd, chairperson of the Council committee, said last night that he believes that "each choice individually is a fine choice," but added that he "could imagine someone objecting to the list as a whole." Freyd criticized the honorary degree process, saying the Trustees hold too much power over the final decisions. The Mathematics professor also said that a trend has emerged over the past several years in which fewer than one-half of honorary degree recipients come through the academic process. He added that a large number of Charter Trustees have received honorary degrees during their terms. Freyd said that members of the Council committee feel that the degree process needs review, adding that he thinks the Trustees and Council committees should make the selections jointly. "I am thinking there better be a very intense discussion in summer," Freyd said. "There's the strong feeling that this distinction [between the committees] should not even exist in the future . . . It needs to be a joint process." The Mathematics professor also said that this year, the Trustees made the final decisions in a one-hour conference phone call. Faculty Senate Chairperson Robert Davies last night declined to comment on this year's selections, saying that he did not consider it appropriate to discuss the recipients, but added that he sees "good reasons why each one of them deserve the degree." Davies added that he believes there needs to be discussion of the selection process, saying that "several faculty members have expressed extreme dissatisfaction with the way honorary degrees have been selected at this University and feel changes are necessary." Graduate Student Associations Council Chairperson Elizabeth Hunt, who served on the Council committee, said last night that the process needs to be reviewed, adding that the selection of recipients at times appeared to be a matter of resumes.
(04/17/90 9:00am)
The administration's announcement that first lady Barbara Bush will speak at the May 14 Commencement elicited mixed student reaction -- ranging from sharp criticism to indifference. Bush, who will address the approximately 5000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students receiving degrees, is noted for her work as an advocate of increasing literacy. She serves as the honorary chairperson of several national literacy organizations and chairs her own group, the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. Assistant to the President William Epstein said Sunday that Bush was the University's first choice for Commencement speaker. But several University students said they were disappointed with the choice of Bush, saying that although she is not a "bad choice," they would have preferred a more "prestigious" speaker. Neufeld added that he would have preferred Ivy Day speaker and former Philadelphia 76er Julius Erving, also known as "Dr. J.," to be this year's Commencement speaker. "Not only would he have been great because he's been very successful, but because Penn has been perceived as separate from the rest of the community," Neufeld said. "It would have been a good chance for the University to make a step towards playing a broader role in the city and in being a city leader." College senior Jordan Bernstein said yesterday that he was "a little disappointed" that the University had named Bush as this year's speaker. "I don't think she's known for her dynamic speaking abilities," Bernstein said. "I think the University was trying to get a big name. They got a name, but it's just the wrong name." And Engineering senior Mark Onufrak said that he would prefer that a distinguished University alumnus speak at Commencement. He added that although Bush has been involved in several activities, "so has every first lady." "If you had a female speaker who got to be where she was because of what she did rather than because she's the wife of the President, it would be better in terms of a role model," Onufrak said. Bush has also agreed to speak at Wellesley College's June commencement excercises, and students there petitioned against her selection. According to Wellesley News Editor-in-Chief Angie Garling, approximately 150 of the school's 2200 students signed the statement. "To honor Mrs. Bush as a commencement speaker is to honor a woman who has gained recognition through the achievements of her husband, which contradicts what we have been taught over [our] years at Wellesley," the petition reads. "She does not exemplify the qualities that Wellesley seeks to instill in us." Garling said that writer Alice Walker was initially scheduled to speak, but cancelled due to personal reasons. But several students voiced support for the University's decision, saying that Bush's personal qualities and contributions to literacy as well as her gender make her an "excellent choice." College senior Julie Phillips said yesterday that she is especially happy that this year's selection was a woman, adding that she expects Bush to appeal to the students and family members. "She seems to be a very nice, warm person," Phillips said. "I will be interested in what she has to say." Medical student Colleen Cooke, who will receive her degree at the Commencement ceremonies, said yesterday that she also greatly supports the decision, adding that "she's a celebrity and will probably have interesting things to say." Many other students said they were indifferent to the selection of Bush as this year's Commencement speaker. College senior Lisa Ortiz said yesterday that she does not think many people are concerned with the choice. "All we care about is graduating," Ortiz said. "I was kind of hoping we could get someone non-conservative, non-Republican, non-political -- except Gorbachev -- but I guess Brown [University] already got him." And College senior Cheryl Denenberg said that she has mixed feelings about the selection. "She's a wonderful lady, and she has many good viewpoints, but so does my grandmother, who happens not to be married to George Bush," Denenberg said.
