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(10/19/90 9:00am)
A recent Wharton graduate has returned to Philadelphia in order to "give something back" to the University campus in the form of sporting goods store geared specifically toward its students. As a tennis player during his undergraduate days, 1988 graduate Watson Brown said he thought the area around campus lacked a sporting goods store that sold the equipment he needed. His store, the Athletic Department, will specialize in tennis racket restringing and t-shirt silk-screening, and will also sell sports apparel and footwear. Brown said he hopes that if his store is successful, more area retailers will focus on the students, and expand the University community. A slide show showing University students in action on the court and the field will run against the back wall. Brown said he looked into many state grants to finance the store. He was able to get a state Minority Business Development Authority Grant, but in order to qualify, he had to have already raised 25 percent of the money and have selected a location. Brown got the initial 25 percent from the West Philadelphia Project, an organization funded by 1979 Wharton Graduate Michael Milken. Brown said the store will have an urban motif and a staff that is knowlegeable about the merchandise. "In today's active society, we are dealing with an educated consumer who knows what he is buying," said Manager Rob Gardner. The store's Grand Opening is slated for a week before Thanksgiving, although it may open in late October.
(10/11/90 9:00am)
When psychology graduate student Melissa Hunt agreed to help her parents move last summer, she thought all she was getting herself into was a day filled with lifting boxes. She did not know she would end up with a four-day hospital stay and bill for over $15,000, all the result of a freak accident that left her with a broken leg and an empty pocketbook. Like most University graduate students, Hunt was covered by the University health insurance policy that is selected by Student Health. The policy provides 80 percent coverage for graduate students, who pay a student health fee of $145, premiums of $700 for medical and $48 for dental, and 20 percent of whatever health care expenses they incur. Hunt's $15,000 bill meant she had to come up with $3000 -- about one-third of her yearly $9000 stipend. Graduate students say that cases like these have led them to meet with Student Health Service to voice concerns over insurance. In a meeting yesterday with MarJeanne Collins, the service's director, they requested that an eye care plan be added to their current coverage, that they be given a greater choice in selecting a plan, and that a University-wide policy include a cap on the amount graduate students have to pay for basic care. Lynne Snyder, who heads the Graduate Student Associations Council Health and Health Insurance Subcommittee, called the meeting productive but said the students were not given any guarantees. "It was a good meeting," she said. "I felt that [Student Health] was receptive." Collins could not be reached for comment. "If you're treated anywhere else in the city and certainly if you're treated out of state, you have to pay the $3000," said Hunt, who received care in Boston. "There is no maximum out-of pocket-clause. If I had been in a car accident and needed out-patient services for the rest of my life, I would have been bankrupted."
(10/10/90 9:00am)
Two University students suffered head wounds Friday night in a fight with a band of youths attempting to crash a party at the students' off-campus house. Canada said the students told police they were arguing with a few local residents who wanted to enter their party when a gang of about 20 to 30 males, about 14 and 15 years old, approached the house. Police said they believe the youths are members of an Asian gang. The youths climbed onto the porch and went into an alleyway and began shouting insults at the students. When one of the students told them to leave, Canada said, he was hit over the head from behind. The student told police he believes he was hit with a cinder block. When the other student also told the youths to leave, he was punched and then tackled by several youths. Friends intervened but he was struck again in the head and in the eye. Canada said the students did not report the incident immediately because of their injuries. She said students notified police Monday morning.
(10/09/90 9:00am)
Where do you go if you are standing in the Towne Building and all of a sudden, can't figure out why your hollandaise sauce failed? Try Room 107. New Engineering Dean Gregory Farrington may be able to help. Farrington, who assumed the seven-year deanship in July, is an expert in both culinary and material science. According to John Keenan, associate Engineering dean for undergraduate education, Farrington annually delivers a speech on the scientific basis for gourmet cooking. And others anticipate that the new dean will bring his creativity and enthusiasm from the kitchen to the boardroom. In an interview this summer, Farrington said his main focus as the new dean would be on supporting students and making their experience at the University more fun. He added that increased faculty interaction with students is essential for reducing the attrition in the school. "We have strayed too far from undergraduates and the undergraduate experience," he added. "The University can be big in opportunity but does not have to be big in feeling." Farrington said although his push for improving students' experience may be "Pollyanna-ish," he believes it is possible, adding that he wants to ensure that all departments -- including those in the College -- "take care" of Engineering students. The new dean, who has been at the University for 11 years, said a commitment to science education is crucial to keep the nation competitive with other powers in technological development. "Societally and economically, we're going to croak unless we have strong science and technology bases," Farrington said. He also said this summer that proposals to create a separate school for the Computer and Information Science Department "make no sense intellectually or administratively." He said the school should concentrate on unifying all its students and departments in order to provide a complete college experience. Former Engineering Dean Joseph Bordogna, now an Electrical Engineering professor in the school, said Farrington would bring his expertise and pride in the school to the position. "He was an excellent choice," he concluded. Fifth-year Chemical Engineering graduate student Greg Jones said yesterday that Farrington's appointment is "a great opportunity for him to make the school better." "My perception is he is a good leader," Jones said. "We all like him." And Jean Farrington, the new dean's wife of 20 years and head of Van Pelt Library's Serials Department, said yesterday that it was "attraction at first sight" when the two met almost 23 years ago. She added that living with the new dean is entertaining, saying that "he can see the humor in almost any situation." "He likes furry creatures," she said. "We have a collection of stuffed aminals that are supposedly my son's . . . He gives them names, backgrounds and histories." Farrington received his bachelor's degree from Clarkson University and pursued his doctorate at Harvard University. He served as a University professor of material science and chaired the department until his appointment as director of the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter in 1987.
(10/08/90 9:00am)
University Police responded to several reports of violent crime this weekend, including a shooting with a pellet gun, three gunpoint robberies and two indecent assaults. University Police Sergeant Susan Holmes said police were constantly busy during the weekend, especially on Saturday night, when they broke up several fights across campus. Responding to a call from a witness, police caught four suspects near the scene. They charged Andrew Niles, 20, of 309 South 40th Street with aggravated assault and weapons offenses. The other suspects were released. The victim, a fifth-year student, told police that four men approached him and one reached into his pocket. He said he heard a loud pop and then his leg went numb. He reported the incident minutes later to police. At the same time, a witness told police he saw the group shooting a gun at students. Police had caught the suspects before the victim was able to report the incident. The witness identified Niles as the one with the gun. Police found pellets in his left jacket pocket and found the gun in a hedge 15 feet away from where they caught him. This is the second shooting this fall with a pellet gun in the 40th Street area. Last month freshman Jarred Hirsch was shot just above the right eye outside of the McDonald's Restaurant on 40th and Walnut streets. Holmes said she did not know if Niles is a suspect in the Hirsch incident, but University Police spokesperson Sylvia Canada said the gun was sent to the Philadelphia Police Department's laboratory for analysis. In the first gunpoint robbery, a student was punched in the face and robbed on the 4300 block of Spruce Street at 8:35 p.m. last night. The student was treated and released from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. University Police arrested four men in connection with the robbery, and expect to charge at least one of them with robbery and aggravated assault today. Information on the men arrested was not immediately available. In a separate incident, police arrested a suspect in two armed robberies at 40th and Pine streets. Holmes said the suspect was released into the custody of city detectives, who will investigate the robberies. A student was robbed of $15 in cash at gunpoint by two men at 2:53 a.m. Saturday. Another student was robbed at the same corner at 4:10 a.m. at gunpoint, also by two men. The second student lost some cash and a watch. Police have made no arrests in a third armed robbery, at 10 minutes past midnight Sunday morning on the 4300 block of Spruce Street. Holmes said the victim reported being robbed at gunpoint by four men who fled in a black car. Holmes said police also investigated two reported indecent assaults, one by seven men on Locust Walk. The victim was unable to identify a suspect stopped by police. In the second, two women from another local school reported that they were grabbed on the breast and buttocks by several men at the St. Anthony's Hall fraternity house at 3637 Locust Walk. Further information on the perpetrators was not immediately available. One student sustained injuries to the face when he and another student were assaulted by two men at about 3 a.m. Friday on the 4000 block of Irving Street, near the Saladalley restaurant. Police also responded twice Saturday morning to break up fights at the Gold Standard/Christian Association building on Locust Walk. They arrested two males at about 1 a.m. for fighting, using obscene language and refusing to cooperate with police officers. The two men were issued citations. Minutes later, police issued two more citations to a man and a woman for inciting a riot and refusing to comply with a police order. Police arrested a student Saturday at the food court at 3401 Cafe at 34th and Walnut streets for underage drinking. Holmes said the student had a strong smell of alcohol on his breath, had speech problems and was carrying a flask. Holmes also reported two thefts in nearby subway stations Sunday. A student reported having his wallet stolen by a pickpocket at 30th and Market streets and another reported having a bag containg a $1,000 watch stolen at the 37th and Spruce streets station.
(10/05/90 9:00am)
While West Germany and East Germany became a single nation only last Wednesday, administrators and faculty said this week they have been making preparations for the merger for several months. For example, as a result of German unity, students can expect new places to study abroad. And faculty say they have already incorporated the changes into their classes. International Programs director Joyce Randolph travelled to Berlin this summer as part of a German Studies Group which is attempting to "link up" the University with German institutions -- making it possible for University students to study in the new Germany. "One of the reasons we were considering Berlin, of course, was because it is on the very frontiers of stuff, the cutting edge of what is happening with reunification," she explained. According to Randolph, reunification has brought a special urgency to looking into cooperative possibilities with German institutions. She added that the effort is part of the provost's long-range plan for "internationalization" of the University. Randolph added that these links may culminate in several faculty as well as student exchanges with the new German state, exchanges which should also bring more German students here. "Generally, what I've been hearing about East German universities is that many of the students would love to study in the West," she said. "But they have real financial difficulties." But the University is also taking steps to increase the number of applicants from Germany and other European nations. Director of International Admissions Elisabeth O'Connell is currently in Europe to recruit new students for the University. O'Connell, responding by fax from Belgium earlier this week, said that there are currently 19 German undergraduates at the University, all from what was previously West Germany. She said that reunification means the pool of potential applicants will grow to include students from now-defunct East Germany. "For the future I see us visiting Berlin, which will emerge as a key city with 'Eastern' Germans as well," O'Connell said. "We haven't visited in the past but I see us doing this." Still, the University will probably not receive a flood of East German students in the immediate future. O'Connell said she visited Germany last year and plans to return next year, but is trying to recruit from other European countries on this trip. Also, according to International Program's Randolph, plans have not been finalized for the links with German universities. "No decision has been made about whether or not we are going to pursue the possibility specifically with Berlin," she said. "But it's an indication of the fact that the faculty are interested, the provost is looking towards some of the ramifications of German reunification, and so are some of the people in our office." In the meantime, students can expect several classes to change in response to the rapid chain of events in Germany. "I've added several lectures on this to my EEC class," said Political Science assistant professor Michaela Richter, who teaches the class "The European Economic Community in 1992." And, according to German professor Frank Trommler, there is an increased popularity for German classes as students grudgingly decide that learning German may help their careers. "In general, I would say that for Americans to engage in foreign language is not really so attractive," Trommler said. "At the same time, with Europe being more important, some have brushed it up."
(10/04/90 9:00am)
Some professors have been waiting 45 years for this week. For the faculty members who were born in Germany or those who have spent their entire careers researching Germany, this week's reunification of East and West Germany represents the beginning of a new era in their research. And while the German unity is just a day old, some have already used the startling events as basis for studying, celebrating and re-assessing the world. "I think that it's a new world," said History professor Thomas Childers. "The second World War is finally over." Childers, who teaches the popular "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" class, said that since both his father and uncle fought in World War II, he has devoted much of his research to the evolution of Nazism in the early part of the 20th century. Childers said he expects the new Germany to be very different from the one that existed in the first half of this century. He said that the fact that most Germans today were born after World War II is an assurance that this united Germany would learn from its past mistakes. But Childers is not alone in his optimism for the future. "What has happened since January internationally is more or less a stunning execution of the impression that they belong together," German Professor Frank Trommler said this week. But professors added that there must be several economic and political changes before the reunification can be declared a total success. Economics and Finance professor Lawrence Klein has spent the last year studying the dramatic changes in Germany as part of Project Link, an international group which attempts to predict the world economy. Klein, a Nobel Laureate in economics, said that the former West Germany will need to "bail out" the financially troubled East Germany, adding that there will probably be a need to rebuild the infrastructure and modernize work habits in the former Communist country. Still, he also predicted that the merger will be successful. "On the whole, people believe that this will be a production juggernaut -- that it will be a very powerful economic state," Klein said. "I think anyone who has been through the second World War is thinking back to the contrast in emotions in 1945 and today, wondering whether there will be a new Germany or not," added Klein. Assistant Political Science Professor Michaela Richter, who was raised in West Germany, said she never expected anything but the status quo for her native country. She also said she is still awed by the speed of reunification. "One [will have] to rediscover the identity in being German," she said. But the reunification of the Germany has affected more than just the personal opinions of the professors. Trommler and Richter, for example, have both visited Germany in the past year to do first-hand research of the remarkable changes. Trommler visited Germany in May to study the new economic plans, while Richter spent the summer in East Berlin and Bonn meeting with German political leaders. And Richter added that she believes after talking with German leaders this summer, that the new goverment will be able to handle any short-term problems caused by reunification. "The first thing one can say is that it's approached in a much more sober fashion," she said. "The enthusiasm of last December has, well, not evaporated, but changed into a sober energy to transform this Germany." "Although there are some differences about what the costs are and who will pay for it, for the first time there is a consensus," she added.
(10/03/90 9:00am)
Chanting slogans and holding up signs that read, "I'm Pro-Choice and I Vote," the activists tried to rally support for candidates in next month's state elections who support abortion rights. Behind the abortion rights activists were approximately 20 people who were quietly demonstrating against legalized abortion. Only about five students went to yesterday's rally. Last year, approximately 90 University students attended a similar Harrisburg event. College senior Jane Miller, co-coordinator of Penn Students for Choice, said last night that she expected more students to come. Republican gubernatorial candidate Barbara Hafer -- who will oppose Democratic incumbent Robert Casey this November -- joined speakers from national abortion rights groups in encouraging ralliers to lobby against restrictive legislation. Other candidates who support abortion rights, including Allen Polsky (D-Delaware County), mingled with ralliers. Polsky, who spoke at the University last month, is running for election in the district now represented by Republican Stephen Freind, an outspoken opponent of legalized abortion. In August, Pennsylvania state courts found the 1989 Abortion Control Act -- previously the second most restrictive legislation against abortion in the country -- unconstitutional. Lobbyists against legal abortion are appealing the decision, and the case is expected to go to the U.S. Supreme Court by 1992. The act, which is no longer in effect, required that women under 18 obtain parental consent before receiving abortion; that any women requesting an abortion attend a counseling session with a physician; that there be a mandatory 24-hour waiting period following counseling; that a woman's spouse be notified before the woman gets an abortion; that abortions not be used to select the sex of the fetus; and that all abortions be prohibited after 22 weeks of pregnancy. Although the court struck down the act, activists in favor of abortion rights fear that equally restrictive abortion legislation will be passed unless their candidates are voted into office. After the hour-long rally in the rotunda, ralliers dispersed to lobby their representatives for support. Miller said that the current legislators representing the University's district all support abortion rights. "We just stopped by their offices to let them know that we're happy with what they've been doing and that we're behind them," she said, adding that candidates' position on abortion will determine how she will vote in this election.
(09/28/90 9:00am)
Last February it took editors of The Vision over nine hours to lay out the very first edition of their newspaper. But for the more experienced staff set to release its first issue of the semester next Monday, final production is just a short evening's work. As the campus's black student newspaper begins its second semester of publication, staff members say that they expect the publication to be a stronger force this year, and that The Vision is here to stay. The monthly newspaper was formed last January by then-College sophomores Harold Ford and Altoine Scarborough so that black students would have a forum in which to address the issues important to them. Ford, who is continuing as the paper's managing editor this semester, said last week that the publication "is there to articulate and reflect the concerns of the African-American community to everyone." The Vision, which came out three times last semester, is currently the only minority campus newspaper. Two other papers, The Voice and The New Voice, were last seen in the mid-1980s. Wharton senior Gabrielle Glore, The Vision's new editor-in-chief, said last week that although the newspaper's main emphasis is not on creating racial harmony on campus, she hopes that the paper will help non-black readers understand the issues important to black students. She said the paper can be used as a tool for understanding the differences between groups of people on campus. Glore also said the paper helps the black community to address issues openly and to strengthen bonds. She added that she is confident that it will remain a permanent part of the University. The 2000 copies of the first issue will be distributed to University buildings and to all West Campus residences and dining halls. Several black students said The Vision fills a void which they previously felt in their community. "African-American concerns written by African-American students have never been addressed in the DP and that is important," College senior Thomas said. "A lot of times it [The Vision] may not appeal to large proportions of the University population and people may take the stories for granted if they are written for the DP." And College junior Marcella Goodridge said this week that the paper "makes us as a community more recognized, more seen, more known as a force at Penn." "The DP is okay in terms of general information," Goodridge added. "But I think every ethnic group should have a paper to express their individual thoughts." And Wharton senior Stephanie McNeal said she thinks the newspaper is essential for black students because "some things are more important to the African-American community, but not to the University as a whole." While some non-black students said they do not understand the black community's need for a separate newspaper, others said they support The Vision's effort to publish black students' goals and ideas. "I would like to read [The Vision] to have a better understanding of the needs of black students on campus and what they as a community want to do," College junior Denise Wolf said this week.
(09/28/90 9:00am)
The Undergraduate Assembly last night debated a proposal to increase student voice in determining the amount of money allocated to student activities funding. The preliminary proposal, which UA member Dan Singer will formally present to the UA at the next meeting, calls for students to pay an activities fee separately from the general fee. It also calls for increases in activities funding. The division would allow the five branches of student government to decide how to allocate the money to student groups and organizations. The administration currently decides where the money goes. Undergraduates each year pay approximately $11 million for the general fee, five percent of which is allocated for student activities. The general fee funds other services including academic support, recreation facilities and student health. Singer, a College senior, said the current fund allocation system is unfair because students have no input in the decision-making process and that not enough money is spent on student funds. In other business, the UA unanimously passed a resolution calling for an administration investigation of an incident during Peak Week ceremonies last spring in which students say the University's open expression policy was violated. Several University students were ejected from former President Ronald Reagan's speech for carrying placards denouncing him. Administrators have said the open expression guidelines were suspended during the speech. The UA also discussed a provost committee report calling for the University to split the role of the Judicial Inquiry Officer into a "settlement" JIO and a "prosecutor" JIO. The UA is planning to form a committee to examine the proposal. UA chairperson Duchess Harris announced last night that UA Wharton representative Olu Rodney was paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident this summer and will not return to the UA this year. An election will be held on October 8 to fill the vacancy. UA Freshman elections are scheduled for October 8 and 9.
(09/27/90 9:00am)
Famed saxophonist Branford Marsalis will headline the Second Annual Celebration of jazz festival in November, as organizers hope to improve upon low turnout at last spring's festival. Organizers plan to captialize on Marsalis' popularity in order to draw a crowd to their weekend program of activities. "We're hoping students will take to it," festival Chairperson Alan Stern said earlier this week. The music of Marsalis, who has performed with rock musician Sting, was most recently featured in Spike Lee's Mo' Better Blues, released this summer. Stern said the festival needs to fill three quarters of the 1940-seat Irvine Auditorium in order to pay for Marsalis' performance fee of $12,500 on November 2. "We tried to figure out who would be attractive on that large a scale," said the College senior. Stern said that while Marsalis is a talented performer, his fame was an asset that made him one of the festival's top choices. "We don't want to get someone who we think is great, but who can't sell a single seat," he added. The festival began last year, when organizers attracted 1000 people to hear featured saxophonist Sonny Rollins, according to festival Vice Chairperson Sherry Riesner. The idea to bring jazz performers to the University began nearly two years ago when Stern and a friend decided to investigate the possibility. They organized a staff of student volunteers and gained recognition by the Student Activities Council. Since then, a core group of students have worked diligently to secure a top jazz performer and were rewarded with Rollins and now with Marsalis. The weekend's educational segment will include a panel discussion on the boundaries between improvisation and composition in jazz and an exhibit of photographs by Milt Hinton, a musician who photographed and performed with many jazz stars. History Professor Neil Leonard, who teaches a course at the University on the history of jazz and its impact on American society, said yesterday that the festival's presence on campus demonstrates positive interest in jazz music. "It's very encouraging," he said. "It's important American music. [The festival] represents an important reflection of the ethnic diversity that we seem to be achieving on this campus." The festival goes beyond big-name performers. "We want to combine the entertainment and educational aspect of jazz -- as entertainment and as part of history -- into one big weekend of activity," said Stern. Organizers said earlier this week that they are unsure if a jazz performer, even one as well known as Marsalis, will be able to draw sell-out crowds due to the waning popularity of jazz. And jazz critic Francis Davis, who will be a panelist at a festival discussion, added that public interest in jazz is low, both for performers and for writers. "If you're going through a period like we are now when jazz musicians are not much in demand, there's not much demand for articles on jazz, either," said Davis. The organizers say coordinating the festival was a learning experience. "Preparing for your classes is so abstract," said Vice Chairperson Stephen Lapointe, a College senior. "With this, we're actually making something happen."
(09/26/90 9:00am)
This year's celebration of the 250th anniversary has been marked by reflection on the University's past and on international upheaval and change. But as the festivities draw to a close, students are asking what the future holds for them and the University. "We want something more to come out of the 250th," said Andrew Miller, a member of the Student 250th Committee. "This should not just be a celebration of the past. By looking back, we should be able to see what's to come." Each forum will feature a two-hour discussion among six panelists and will address the relationship of college campuses to surrounding communities, standards for education, curriculum and student life outside the classroom. Miller, chairperson of the committee organizing the forums, said the group is trying to "get controversial people to raise issues that are relevant to the University." The American Civilization doctoral candidate said yesterday that the panelists will consist of students, faculty members, professionals and administrators from the University and other universities. Each panel will include one graduate student and one undergraduate student. Steve Mendes, chairperson of the Student 250th Committee, said that the committee is hoping to bring presidents from universities that are experiencing a lot of change. "This is the first time, so far as we know, that students will have the opportunity to see what experts have to say on the future of education," the College senior said. The final forum, to be held December 4, will attempt to sketch out what the University will be like on its 300th anniversary. At the session, panelists will judge an essay and design competition open to the student body and will award a $500 prize to the winner in each category. Entry deadline for the contest will be sometime after Thanksgiving. All forums will be held in room 110 of the Annenberg School from 4 to 6 p.m. and will be free to the public. The first forum, entitled "Ivy League and Ivory Tower: Examining the University's Role in Society," will take place October 9.
(09/25/90 9:00am)
Every year, more than 400 companies come to campus to recruit University seniors. Several recruiters said last week that their companies find what they are looking for in University graduates, whether they have technical, business or liberal arts backgrounds. AMS is a consulting firm specializing in information and systems engineering. Seven of the 249 undergraduates hired by the company last year were from the University. The company usually hires Engineering graduates, but last year one School of Arts and Sciences graduate was hired for a new program offering specialized training to liberal arts graduates, Schlessinger said. John Rae, Jr., Merrill Lynch's director of capital markets recruiting, said five of 80 undergraduates hired for the capital markets division last year were University graduates. "We look for liberal arts and business majors, and Penn has a good combination of both types," said Rae, who graduated from the SAS in 1976. "There is also a lot of interdisciplinary cross-over, which great." "The school attracts a diverse group of people and we're looking to hire a diverse group of people, so there's a good match there," Rae added. "Penn grads have done very well at Merrill." Rae said Merrill Lynch also likes to hire University graduates because they have spent four years in the rough West Philadelphia enviornment. "Most of our jobs are in New York city," Rae said. "The fact that you've lived in West Philadelphia for four years acclimates you well to what life in New York is going to be like. You'd be surprised how many people get to New York and after a year say they don't like it."
(09/21/90 9:00am)
College senior Jeffrey Bernstein remembers hanging out in cafes during his semester in Lyon, France and watching with amusement as French teenagers -- whom he says probably don't even know where Ohio is -- walked around in leather jackets bearing the names of Big Ten schools. "They hang out in cafes because they have nothing else to do," Bernstein said. "They dream of the concept of fraternities." Bernstein was one of 14 students who last fall attended the first session of an innovative study abroad program affiliated with the Centre International d'Etudes Francaises at the Universite Lumiere Lyon 2. The program, created by French Professor Frank Bowman and Associate Dean for the Humanities Steve Nichols, is unique because it is geared toward students who have recently completed a foreign language requirement. The program's aim is to immerse students in French language and culture so they quickly gain fluency. "Linguistically speaking this is the good time to go," Bowman said. Bowman said he decided to base the program in Lyon instead of Paris for linguistic, social, and economic reasons. "The temptations to speak English are much less [in Lyon]," Bowman said. In addition, Lyon is a medium-sized city with an active social life for its size, including discotheques and cafes, Bowman said. And it costs students about half as much to live in Lyon as it does in Paris. Students live with families during the semester-long stay, after completing a detailed application process that places each of the students with an appropriate family. Maneesha Sagar, a senior economics major at Bryn Mawr College, said she had only taken one year of intensive French before she went abroad, although she had some exposure to the language when she went to school in Switerland. "I think it was a very good program," Sagar said. "It [Lyon] was a good size. You get a more realistic view of life in France than in Paris which is more cosmopolitan." Much of the social life is similar to the life in the United States, Sagar said. "Essentially I think it is the same all over -- people just do things in a different environment with different food perhaps," Sagar said. She was the only non-University student to attend. The program started with week-long orientation, where students were given tapes of spoken French, including slang, to work with. "This gave us an advantage over people who were thrown in from the cold," Bernstein said. "Within three or three-and-a-half months people were fluent." Bowman said he thinks the program can be successful in other languages, like Spanish, where there is a large group of students to draw from. Only Dartmouth College has a similar program, he said. After completing the Lyon program, Bernstein spent the spring semester with Columbia University's program at Reid Hall in Paris. "This [the program in Lyon] is a very strong program in regards to language aspect, but very poor in regard to written expression," Bernstein said, adding that Reid Hall has a stronger writing program. The Lyon program is now offered both fall and spring semesters. There will be an introductory meeting on Monday, September 24 at 2 p.m. in Williams Hall 219 for the spring session.
(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.
(09/19/90 9:00am)
For many students, coming to West Philadelphia where crime is a constant threat can be a culture shock. Thrust into an environment where crimes occur with alarming frequency, students are forced to develop street smarts under fire. But campus crime officials say there's no need to panic. Members of the University's Safety and Security Committee and the University Police say there are several basic steps students can take to protect themselves and their friends. And College junior Jeffrey Jacobson, the Safety and Security Committee co-chairperson, said he has found that most victims of crimes in and around campus have not taken precautions. Students who use common sense, he said, are much safer. University Police Captain John Richardson said in a recent letter to the community that students and faculty must learn street wisdom along with book wisdom while at the University. "You don't have to be a victim simply because you live or work on campus," he said. "Street wisdom works on the campus just as it does beyond the boundaries of the campus." Richardson also outlined several ways students could be safer in dormitories. He advised students: · Not to prop doors open · Not to lend out their PENNcards · To lock door when sleeping and when out of their rooms · To always to escort guests in and out of building · To avoid allowing people who are not your guests to enter residence hall · To contact University Police upon receiving obscene or harassing phone calls · To report all security-related maintenance problems to residence hall staff · To be careful about leaving windows open on first-floor rooms · To attend all residence hall security programs · To report all suspicious persons in building to University Police immediately. Richardson said reporting suspicious behavior is especially important so that police will be able to respond before crime occurs. "Disinterest and complacency are the prime contributions to the success of crime," he said. "The burden of crime prevention rests not only with the University Police Department but also with each member of the Penn community. Safety is everyone's business." The police captain also said reporting crimes is crucial for future crime prevention. "University Police Officers are not omnipresent, and therefore are dependent upon you to recognize and report suspicious incidents and criminal activity," Richardson said. "Remember that unreported crimes cannot be solved. By not reporting crimes, you allow the perpetrators an opportunity to commit additional and perhaps more serious crimes." Students with security problems can call University Police by dialing 511 from any University phone. The telephone system will automatically tell police where the call is coming from. Richardson said students who live off campus can improve their safety by making an effort to be a part of their neighborhood. Introducing yourself to neighbors is a good start, he said, because neighbors will be more likely to watch out for students safety or come to the aid of a student they know.
(09/18/90 9:00am)
Though the calendar may still read September, students got a taste of a November election race last night as a candidate lashed out at his opponents stance on abortion rights. Amid a nearly silent room of 50 students at McClelland Hall, Allen Polsky, a Democratic candidate for State Representative in Delaware County, spent much of his 45-minute speech blasting recently adopted legislation which limits abortions in the state. "I think that government has no place to dictate whether a woman carries to term or not," Polsky said. Although University students cannot vote in the race, Polsky asked audience members for their help in the upcoming November election. Polsky, who supports a woman's right to an abortion, is currently engaged in his third attempt to unseat the incumbent Republican Stephen Freind, a vocal representative who has worked to outlaw the procedures. Polsky's speech was a sharp contrast to a heated appearance by Freind last February which was marked by hecklers and confrontational protests. Last night, protests were visibly absent from his speech and there was little vocal opposition to his remarks. Although most of his speech emphasized his abortion-rights stance, Polsky said later that he would like to focus on other issues in the campaign. "I want to put abortion on the back burner," Polsky said. "The environment, education, and health care -- those are three issues that we have to work on. Abortion is an emotional issue. Whatever you decide, its your choice, not mine." "I think that the program was very informative for all of us here, whether we are very strongly backing the pro-choice movement, or were unsure of ourselves," Miller said. Students said after the speech that they found Polsky's views on abortion very appealing and a welcome contrast to Freind. "The thing that I liked about Polsky is that he came off as someone who's not a strong liberal," College junior Rachel Solar said.
(09/17/90 9:00am)
A University student was shot just above the right eye with a BB or pellet gun early Sunday morning at 40th and Walnut streets, University Police said yesterday. Police officials said the student was walking in front of McDonald's restaurant at 1:55 a.m. when he was struck above the eye with a small object. "We assume it was a BB or a pellet-type projectile," Sergeant Thomas Messner said. Messner said neither the student nor the police know where the shot came from. He was then transfered to the Shea Eye Institute for further treatment. Messner said police expected him to stay there through today. He declined to give the student's name because his parents have not yet been notified. Police had no further details on the incident. The incident was the most serious crime reported to University police over the weekend, but police also responded to several burglaries and a fire. A male student reported that two males robbed him of $70 and an automatic teller card at 3:36 a.m. Sunday on the 4300 block of Larchmont Avenue. A graduate student reported that one male assailant robbed him of $22 at midnight Saturday on the 4500 block of Spruce Street. The student said he was grabbed and threatened and then the assailant forcibly removed his wallet from his pocket. Messner said police also responded to a burglary at the Class of 1925/Modern Languages House dormitory. He said a telephone and jewelry were taken from a room. Police also responded to a burglar alarm at the University Bookstore's Computer Connection and found the west window broken at 5:19 a.m. Sunday. Police have made no arrests and have no suspects for any of these crimes. Police also responded to a fire in High Rise South at 3:30 a.m. Sunday. Messner said someone apparently lit a hallway bulletin board on fire. The Philadelphia Fire Department responded and the fire was put out before it caused significant damage. Messner said police considered the fire "extremely dangerous." He warned that if police find the person responsible he or she could face expulsion and will be prosecuted.
(09/17/90 9:00am)
The food gave it away this wasn't a typical 250th Anniversary event. The Coke and pretzels served at Saturday night's Quarter Millenium Celebratory Jam on College Green were a far cry from the wine and hors d'ouvres served at a similar function during Peak Week in May. But those attending the event didn't seem to mind most were content to spend several hours dancing to the live band The Big Push and having a good time without champagne, laser shows or Dolly Parton. "Never have I seen tuition money spent for a better cause," said Wharton junior Jackson Pek. "This is really a blast." Most of the 5000 people who attended the three-hour party agreed that it was how all campus events should be. Although planners may have been a bit overambitious when they purchased 10,000 soft pretzels for the event, coordinator Dan Singer said the pretzels were just about the only thing left over. 250th Student Committee Chairperson Steve Mendes said that the extra pretzels were donated to St. Joseph's Hospice. In addition to students, faculty, staff members and local residents showed up for the bash. "The diversity of the crowd was incredible," Mendes said. Larry Bartsmith and John Kazantzidis, both Upper Darby High School students, stopped by the party after attending a wrestling match at the Civic Center. Kazantzidis, who said he had only been to the University once before, called the party "awesome." Mendes refused to say how much the event cost. Financing, he said, came from part of the 250th Committee's budget, and the Goldenberg Candy Company donated some of the night's eats.
(09/17/90 9:00am)
Thirteen years after graduation, David Biggs has come home. As an assistant dean for residence in DuBois College House, Biggs is reliving his undergraduate days just a few doors down from the room he slept in as a freshman at the University in 1973. Now Biggs, one of the first participants in the DuBois program, has vowed to share with new residents everything he learned in the house. He said the program, which focuses on black culture and history, was invaluable to him. Like the Universitys five other college houses, DuBois is a residence hall centered around the idea of building community. But DuBois might never be seen as just another college house. Although the house, located in Low Rise North, is open to all students, most residents are black. And on a predominantly white campus where diversity has become the buzzword, DuBois residents often feel pressured to justify why they have chosen to live where they live. Several of the houses 100 undergraduate residents came from predominantly white high schools to a predominantly white college. Many of them stress that the program develops a sense of community among residents by enabling them to learn about black culture and history, which they say is neglected in the rest of their education. To that end, the 18-year-old college house program sponsors trips to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., Alvin Ailey dance concerts or Philadelphia exhibits on African art. It also runs artist-in-residence and scholar-in-residence programs, which in recent years has brought celebrities such as filmmaker Spike Lee and author and civil rights activist Angela Davis. It also has initiated a new cultural program called the Souls of DuBois Conference. But many non-residents maintain that a predominantly black college house defeats University efforts to form a diverse and integrated community. And Ray Lewis, a senior in the College of General Studies, said last week that he believes students need to live together to establish a well-integrated community. One of the points of education should be to promote integration, Lewis said last week. This [DuBois] seems to go against that . . . It doesnt seem that we are ever going to get any kind of social peace if we cannot get different kinds of people living together. Other upperclass students said they had never heard of DuBois. While some non-residents said they assumed most of the black community lives in the house, only about one-fifth of the black student population at the University participates in the program, which is open to all students. DuBois has this image of being an all-black dormitory, former Faculty Master Allen Green said. Its not . . . The concentration of that small part of the African-American population tends to be a problem for people. DuBois residents said that while they are constantly accused of separatism, they do not live in the house to separate themselves from the white community. [Separatism] is one of the rumors that is definitely not true, Engineering sophomore Shelly-Ann Smith said last week. Its a lie . . . I came to live here because Im from a predominantly black community and coming to a predominantly white university world, I thought it would be a good support system. This is like home, she added. And many of the residents said they think it is misconceptions about the house that lead people to label the house as separatist. From the mispronunciation of the name many mistakenly pronounce DuBois in the French style to the widespread belief that only black students are eligible to live in the house, inaccuracies about the house are common throughout campus. And residents added that accusations of separatism extend from DuBois to the tables of the Class of 1920 Commons to Spring Fling. People see more than four black people together at once and they think theyre being excluded, College junior Dawn Johnson said. Everything thats not part of the general population, theyre going to say is separatist. Johnson lived in DuBois her freshman year. She opted to live in the high rises during her sophomore year, but moved back into the house this fall. She said DuBois is necessary because it offers security in addition to support. You have to deal with racial slurs and that bullshit at Penn, Johnson said. You should not have to deal with that where you live . . . That should be the community where you are safest. Residents and administrators also say the University community is more judgmental of DuBois than of other groups. They say that it is unfair that DuBois theme of black culture and history comes under fire while other college house themes do not. Why have we not asked the same questions about the other college houses? asked former Faculty Master Green, now director of the African-American Resource Center. He said that the community places the house under the microscope and overanalyzes it. Green, who served as DuBois faculty master from 1986 to 1989, said last week that students need the support the house offers. Because of the paucity of African-American students on campus and the lack of positive images and reinforcement that occur at a predominantly white University, it [the house] becomes a very important point of self-esteem . . . as well as allowing students to learn about their heroes and their heroines, he said. Program participants say DuBois consistently attracts applicants, and Resident Faculty Master Risa Lavizzo-Mourey said the number of applicants increased last year. Several candidates were wait-listed, but Lavizzo-Mourey said the house was finally able to accommodate everyone. People choose to live here because they are interested in the theme, she said last week. All the programs relate to the theme . . . It gives people real hands-on-experience to the culture, history and art of the African-American people. Part of the role of DuBois is to give a positive image of the culture you wouldnt ordinarily get, she added. Wharton freshman Michael Chang said last week that he chose to live in DuBois because he wanted to learn more about his roots. They dont teach about African-American culture in high school, Chang said. Theres one or two pages in the whole textbook about African-American or Caribbean-American culture. He added that the labeling of the house as separatist irritates him. Theyre putting down everything W.E.B. DuBois stands for, he said. He didnt stand for separatism. Were trying to live up to his ideals. Its not separate from the University, Chang added. It just brings people with common interests in the culture together. College freshman Yi Chen Lai is one of the few non-black undergraduate residents. He said he chose to live in DuBois as a freshman because of his interest in learning about other cultures. Its a nice house with a bunch of nice people regardless of the color of their skin, he said. Its not that they want to be separate, but others dont come here. I dont feel like the outsider, he added.
