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(02/23/94 10:00am)
From Rob Faunce's "With Bells On," Winter '94 From Rob Faunce's "With Bells On," Winter '94You've heard the phrase a lot lately. The best current example of this is the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan saga. It is not about the "whack heard round the world"; it is about American identity. Who we are (Tonya) and who we want to be (Nancy). This media maelstrom has focused primarily on the question of Tonya's guilt. Many hypothetical questions have been raised by the pundits and the pollsters. Should Tonya represent the United States in competition? Does she "deserve" the "honor" of trying to get her pudgy face on the cover of a Wheaties box? Even with a gold medal, Tonya will not likely be gracing Wheaties boxes with her presence anytime soon. And that is ironic, in this age of mass-marketed "personalities" and manufactured heroes, since Tonya Harding is the most emblematic American athlete of our time. She is the epitome of all that is commonly American. She has asthma, but refuses to quit smoking. She does video-striptease for her husband. Her mother's marital record would make Elizabeth Taylor blush. Tonya is a blue-light Kmart special. Tonya Harding is white trash. And so she represents America. However, through this global soap opera we've witnessed since January, white trash America has arisen and laid its claim. White trash America will be ignored no longer. The sad reality is that white trash gets no respect or consideration. Witness our University. With all the recent discussion about quotas and potential recruitment, no one has once mentioned the distinct lack of white trash on campus. The underrepresentation here is overwhelming! Pinpointing an exact figure for white trash population is highly difficult and hotly debated. Yet we are confronted with it constantly, in our everyday lives, our businesses, and our entertainment. Witness the John Waters film "Cry Baby," featuring such white trash "supermodels" as Johnny Depp, Ricki Lake, Traci Lords, and the late transvestite Divine, in a story of "1950s white trash in Baltimore." Drew Barrymore, scion to the most distinguished name in acting history, makes her mark by playing white trash in everything from "E.T." to "Guncrazy" (with stops in between to play white trash slut Ivy in "Poison Ivy" and to play our favorite "Long Island Lolita" in "The Amy Fisher Story"). In the defense of white trash, I hereby present the first draft of what will be known as "The White Trash Manifesto." This is a statement of purpose and ideals for the emancipation of white trash everywhere: White trash is a buzzphrase that represents all of us in this "Land of the Free" who dared to be born a "have-not." White trash are born with a dream to make of themselves what their parents could not. "We remember our roots -- trips to Sears and Walmart for clothes, clipping coupons and buying generic cereal. We remember Dad's drinking problem and chronic unemployment, Mom's arthritic back and terrible food. We remember bunk beds and public schools. "We watch "Married...With Children" and laugh not at the farce but at the close resemblance to our own lives. We see Tonya Harding wearing too much makeup, or her mom with the Salvation Army fur coat, and we laugh at memories of home. "White trash is Hawthorne's Hester Prynne, the impure outcast of Puritanical society who was the only one who knew to "be true." White trash is Sam Walton, the late "richest man in America" who started as a stockboy. White trash is everywhere -- from Lawrence, Massachusetts to Little Rock, Arkansas. "White trash have been scorned and ridiculed for too long; from Scarlett O'Hara to George Bush, the American "nobility" has turned its collective nose to white trash power. No longer! White trash has persevered, and with Tonya as our leader, we will thrive as never before..." Perhaps the Commission on Strengthening the Community should have recommended more funding to form groups on campus to "sensitively address the needs" of white trash. We need to actively recruit white trash, in order to accurately balance the University with national percentages. We need to encourage "Moonshine nights" at fraternity houses and promote the formation of white trash dormitories and college houses. Only when these needs are met, then the University can accurately boast about its diversity. The University needs to make amends; like the Manifesto says, white trash is here, and we won't be ignored. Rob Faunce is a freshman undeclared major from Manchester, New Hampshire. With Bells On appears alternate Wednesdays.
(02/10/94 10:00am)
Elitist, sexist, racist, drunken slob. What is -- Frat brother? Unfortunately, it is a stereotype such as this one which puts the rights of students to be treated as individuals in Jeopardy. Intelligent, responsible, dedicated, student leaders. What is -- Fraternity brother? Surprised? Well, believe it or not, fraternity members, while far from perfect, still contribute positively to many areas of the school outside of the Greek System. Specifically, in the Residential Living section of the report, recommendation D.1.f. states: "Direct the Penn fraternities and sororities to delay their rush period until the first semester of the second year." It is our belief that if fraternities and sororities followed the Commission's suggestion and deferred rush to the sophomore year, the results would be extremely detrimental to the system. In fact, sophomore rush would most likely initiate the demise of the fraternity system. Since the majority of house residents are sophomores, some chapters would be unable to meet their occupancy requirements and risk losing their houses. Suppose the University finds that the College House system proposed by the Commission is truly the best course of action. Successful implementation would most likely require the elimination of all fraternity houses. Whether or not you are concerned with the perpetuation of the fraternity system as it currently exists, surely you must be concerned with the regulation of an individual's right to choose. The University portrays itself as a place where young adults are free to explore opportunities and make decisions that will shape their future. Disallowing any student organization to recruit members during the freshman year is a contradiction of this portrayal. In past college freshman handbooks, first-year students have been invited to "join ... in the exciting challenges and choices that will present themselves" and are further "invited to explore this huge world (the University), beginning in [their] first semester." How disheartening it would be for these freshmen to discover that instead, Mickey Mouse policies have made Penn "a small world after all." In all seriousness, we find it hard to believe that any recommendations could be made without the consideration of the perspective, input, and suggestions, of the organizations which will be directly affected. We would like to call attention to the fact that when the Commission met with members of the Interfraternity Council in November, the issue of rush was never broached. While united under the IFC umbrella, Penn's twenty-seven fraternities represent the diversity that the University is constantly striving to achieve. In fact, as a survey undertaken in 1991 clearly indicated, the composition of the Greek community is more diverse than the student body as a whole. We would hope that this reality would help to dispell any remaining myths about the fraternity system, and further encourage the Commission to incorporate our ideas and concerns into the final version of the report. One of the missions of a fraternity is to enhance the student life experience on acampus. However, this goal runs much deeper than simply furnishing alcohol to the student body. When a new member enters a chapter he is exposed to an extensive network of opportunities. Preliminary returns from a study being conducted by the IFC's Rush Committee and OFSA indicate that fraternity upperclassmen are responsible for introducing freshmen to two-thirds of the activities they participate in on campus and in the community. With this in mind, we can not understand the Commission's logic when they write that deferring rush to sophomore year would allow freshmen to explore more opportunities for involvement. While we realize that there are numerous aspects of the Commission's report that students will call into question, we can only hope that our classmates will support us in our efforts to give this recommendation the attention it requires and deserves. At stake is the freedom to choose, to associate and to explore the very opportunities that Penn is capable of providing. Hayden Horowitz is a College junior and president of the Interfraternity Council. Scott Litman is a College junior, Executive Vice-president of the IFC and Daily Pennsylvanian sportswriter.
(09/09/93 9:00am)
From Bertie Bregman's "On Call," Fall '93 Postmarked in Texas, it was a pamphlet of "abortionist jokes" - mostly recycled lawyer jokes with a sprinkling of racist and anti-Semitic favorites - illustrated with cartoons portraying doctors in a style reminiscent of Nazi propaganda posters from the 1930's. It turns out that a Texas pro-life group had printed 100,000 copies of these pamphlets and sent them to medical students all over the country. They tricked the AMA into providing them with a mailing list and stole material from a lawyer-joke book. Add plagiarism to the list of their moral shortcomings. Is there a connection between these two events - a doctor murdered in Florida and a medical student direct-mail campaign? The answer lies in the political shift toward abortion rights, and the reaction of some anti-abortion groups. Ever since President Clinton was elected, the anti-abortion movement has been on the political defensive. Strongly pro-choice, Clinton has the chance to steer the flavor of legal interpretation away from the social conservatism of the past 12 years by appointing a possible two or three Supreme Court Justices, and a slew of Federal judges to boot. In his first week in office, Clinton repealed Title X, which made it a crime for doctors and counselors in federally-funded clinics to even mention the word "abortion" to their patients. And it looks as though Congress may finally pass the Freedom of Choice Act, making the right to an abortion a publicly-mandated law. The anti-abortion movement feels itself backed into a corner, and is casting about for some way to counter their political losses. They have settled on two targets - doctors and clinics - and without intervention, their strategy is likely to succeed. In the chain of events leading up to an abortion in this country, the weakest and the most important link is access to the procedure itself. Many of us know that over 80% of U.S. counties have no abortion provider. What we may not realize, is that what few clinics there are have a hell of a time finding doctors. One Georgia women's clinic, for example, invited 3,000 doctors to apply for a position on their staff. They received only one response. Fewer and fewer doctors - including obstetrics/gynecology residents, for whom it is a common, basic procedure - are interested in even being trained to perform abortions. Their reasons are not hard to understand. Just last month, another doctor was shot by a fundamentalist woman at an abortion clinic in Boulder, Colorado. Between the harassing phone calls, the "wanted" posters plastered all over town, and the ever-present physical threat of clinic bombings, who needs the headache? Doctors willing to perform abortions these days are a dedicated, besieged, and dwindling breed. It is cold comfort for a woman to know that even though she can't get an abortion, at least it's her legal right. An obvious solution is to expand the pool of abortion providers to include nurses, physician's assistants, and midwives. There is no reason why these medically-trained professionals, especially those who are already qualified to deliver babies, cannot safely perform abortions. An abortion is not a very complicated procedure. I know a woman who used the menstrual extraction technique to abort her own pregnancy with the help of a circle of friends. Certainly, this was a risky, dangerous move - especially considering that she had access to a clinic - but she did it successfully and with no complications. Imagine the results if she had tried the same thing with triple bypass surgery. The point is, not all surgery is alike, and not all procedures require four years of medical school and a three-year residency. If we could increase the number of abortion providers, it would make them more difficult for extremists to target; it would make it easier to establish and staff clinics in underserved areas, and it should make abortions more affordable to low-income women through the law of supply and demand. This plan is already being tried in Vermont where physician's assistants are legally allowed to perform abortions in a clinic setting that ensures a sterile environment and prompt evacuation to a hospital if any complications arise. Women should not have to choose between an expensive, doctor-performed abortion, and an unsafe, self-performed abortion, when such a reasonable alternative exists. Opposition to allowing mid-level medical practitioners to perform abortions is inevitable. And it will come from places that may surprise those of you who don't hang out in HUP. The AMA, with its "slippery-slope" mentality, doesn't like to see change of any type, particularly if it means broadening the therapeutic scope of non-M.D.'s. Midwives, who have enough trouble gaining acceptance for birthing, may not want to risk their public credibility by getting tangled up in the thorny political thicket of abortion. But the alternative is to allow a de facto victory to anti-abortion forces just when it seems like the tide is turning in favor of abortion rights. Many pro-lifers are rational, thoughtful people, committed to fighting for their cause within the democratic process. But it only takes a few nutcase extremists, of which lately there seems to be no shortage, to block access to abortion in a system with so few providers left. Last time I checked, abortion was a legal right in this country. We are all responsible if that becomes no more than an empty phrase. Bertie Bregman is a second-year Medical School student from New York, New York. On Call will appear alternate Thursdays.
(11/06/92 10:00am)
From Ericka Guthrie's "The Fire This Time," Fall '92 As I was weaving my way between the ghosts and the goblins, I overheard two girls behind me comment on how few black students there were to accompany the children as they made their rounds. This is not the first time I have heard this type of statement, nor do I expect it will be the last. Despite what those two girls think, the future of the children of West Philly is a priority for the black community at Penn. Although the black organizations who sponsor these programs may not be as visible to the rest of the Penn community, they are indeed an active and productive force. As with everything else, though, community service at Penn has also become commercial. Not in all cases, but in some. Perhaps it is a good thing that community service has become "cool." Just think of the implications of a society where not trying to help out your community would be considered a crime, a display of poor social skills, a faux pas. I, for one, would not protest a society where community service was mandatory, so long as it was still done for the right reasons. But if community service becomes too commercialized, it will not be able to fulfill its purpose: to serve the community. It is a sad fact that a good number of Penn students have yet to realize this point. If the interest is not genuine, then the action will not be effective. Some people will argue that it does not matter why you serve, as long as you do. But it is on this point that I do not agree. If your heart and mind are not into it, then you are really of no service to the community. You could just stay home. Volunteering is not just a r sum builder, it involves human beings. And while your weekly tutoring session with a West Philly high school student may just be a way for you add to the "extracurricular" section of your portfolio, for the people you are helping, it is something far more important than just a gesture. Positive Images, a mentoring/tutoring program here at Penn, is a prime example of a group that is very successful, but is, to some degree, low key. Unlike many organizations on campus, Positive Images does not receive funding from the University. Not only is it a student-run mentoring program, but both the mentors and the mentees are black. While some may say that this component will not help the students of West Philly High, or Sulzberger Junior High, the members of Positive Images believe that it will. The whole concept behind Positive Images is that it allows high school and middle school students in the program to see that they can achieve the goals they set for themselves. It is a chance for them to accomplish anything they want in life, such as going to college. It is also a chance for the students to interact with people who are also in the process of attaining their goals. This is done through tutoring and academic assistance, and other programs in the schools. This message of higher education rings true for these students, because the people who are delivering this message are black students themselves. The Youth Forum, which is headed by Sabrina Philson-Skalski, a College junior, is one example of how the members of Positive Images try to let the students of West Philly see that their opinions are just as important as anybody else's. Sabrina stresses that the reason Positive Images is so successful is that when she or any of the other students goes up to the high school, she does not go to talk down to them -- she goes as a friend, as their peer. Each week, the facilitators of the forum present a topic to the students which is of particular interest to them. When the students get together, they not only are able to vent their anger and frustrations on a topic, but they can go a step further and organize their ideas. It is a means of getting them together, so that they can make a difference. While taking a mentee to a basketball game or to the movies would be nice, it really doesn't help the students to deal with the problems they face every day. And it does not get them to help themselves. Brian Peterson, an Engineering senior, and Sabrina's Co-Chair of Positive Images, has been involved in the program since his freshman year. He believes it is important to not only talk to the students, but to listen to what they have to say. "Oftentimes, no one is there to listen to the students, whether it be at home or at school," he said. "The Youth Forum is a chance for the students to be heard by the Penn students who facilitate the forums." "But perhaps more importantly, it is a way for them to listen to each other," he added. While the membership of Positive Images is not as large as many of the mainstream service organizations on campus, it is apparent that there is far more strength in a small group of determined and genuinely motivated people. As Brian explained, "The difference between Positive Images and some of the other mainstream community service groups is that we're not a community service group, we are the community." Perhaps it is this attitude that can help all of us. Ericka Guthrie is a College sophomore from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. "The Fire This Time" appears alternate Fridays.
(07/09/92 9:00am)
Thane Scott calls it charity. Two weeks ago, the lawyer for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology presented the school's opening argument as part of a trial in which the U.S. government charges that MIT and the eight Ivy League schools conspired to set tuition prices. The Ivies settled with the goverment, leaving MIT to fend for itself in the two-week trial. In his opening argument, MIT's lawyer said that the so-called Overlap schools operated in the "charitable world" rather than the competitive business environment. In this "charitable community," current antitrust laws shouldn't apply, he argued. Charity, charity, charity, charity, charity. He repeated the word over and over. And although he represented MIT, his opinions probably reflect every school in the Ivy League. At the very least, the schools agree adamantly that the Overlap Group was the right thing to do. According to Scott, the Overlap schools were simply a "group of charities who were acting cooperatively to meet the need of the neediest of our communities." "This is the function of charities," he said. "They exist to meet need." Perhaps. But I'm sure students everywhere who receive financial aid were surprised to learn they were charity cases. More than surprised -- even a bit offended, perhaps. Or a lot offended. You see, these would-be charity cases don't look at themselves as such. They consider themselves among the best students these schools could get their hands on. And they are right. Describing financial aid as a form of charity is garbage. And I use that word charitably. When I think of charity I think of giving ten bucks to the United Way rather than blowing it on a dozen Milky Way bars and a hoagie at Subway. It's altruistic. It involves giving up something I want for others and perhaps receive some satisfaction in return. The schools in the Overlap Group, however, receive far more than satisfaction for offering need-based financial aid. It's a necessity that helps them compete in both scholarship and prestige. Consequently, it isn't a selfless form of charity. Of course, Overlap schools weren't forced to offer financial aid, and they did not always offer it to guarantee that everyone qualified to attend could afford to attend. It's been my impression that at one time, Ivy League schools operated under more of a "If you have to ask, you can't afford it" system. In other words, there wasn't much in the way of grants and work study money for most students, since most students were the sons of fairly well-to-do families. Yet somewhere along the way, outside pressure -- or a change of heart -- changed all that. First of all, people realized that the list of the top however-many students in the country was not necessarily the same list at the top students in the country who were able to pay. In other words, just because a student could not afford to attend an Ivy League school did not preclude that student from getting higher S.A.T. scores and better grades than the people who could afford it. That being the case, schools may have concluded that making it possible for all qualified students to attend -- regardless of financial considerations -- leads to a higher-quality student body. And it stood to reason that better students would have a better chance of achieving fame and fortune later on, which would only add to the school's prestige. Meanwhile, the better students made for a better intellectual atmosphere on campus. Secondly, schools may have had another reason for offering need-based financial aid. They may have noticed that the ability of students to pay varied widely depending on gender, or religion, or ethnic or racial background. Consequently, the schools were almost exclusively made up of non-minority students. This homogeneity -- this consistency among the student body -- meant students and professors were exposed to somewhat narrow perspectives and a limited learning environment. Of course, these reasons haven't changed much. It is still true that the best students aren't always the ones most able to pay, and that those students who are least able to pay are often minority members. Providing need-based financial aid improves schools. It attracts better students. Broadens the curriculum. Enlivens the intellectual atmosphere on campus. Exposes everyone to new perspectives and different ways of thinking. Enhances a school's prestige now, and probably in the future as well. Providing need-based financial aid is hardly a form of charity. Rather, it's a necessity. Without it, a school couldn't realistically -- or idealistically -- hope to compete with other schools that offer it. It's one of those things that even when a school can't afford it, it can't afford to do without it. The court can decide the merits of MIT's defense of why schools met to discuss financial aid. MIT argues that the meetings made financial aid offices more efficient and less wasteful. I simply say that if schools were not efficient, they would be letting themselves down. When it comes to financial aid -- largely a self-imposed duty -- they would be negligent not to spread the scarce money around as fairly as possible. So how could it be considered charity? Someday perhaps, schools will be rolling in dough, and every student will be rich anyway so that no one will need financial aid. Then we can throw scholarship money at anyone who wants it. That would be charity. Or would it? It wouldn't contribute to the campus like more professors, new laboratory equipment, improved buildings and better research funding would. It would be charity, but it would cease to be for the best cause. Many of the other things schools spend money on would suddenly be better causes, or else the school could lower tuition. Financial aid would become selfless, but pretty stupid. But for now -- and way, way, way into the forseeable future -- students receiving need-based financial aid are an equally good cause. They simply are not charity cases. Which isn't to say that aren't grateful. But while these students may feel lucky to be at these schools, the schools should start feeling lucky to have them here.
(03/06/92 10:00am)
As a graduate student in the Department of English, I view as a grave, even morally reprehensible mistake the decision to not grant tenure to Professor Arkady Plotnitsky. Not only is the entire department -- faculty, graduate students and undergraduates alike -- outraged by the decision, what is more, Professor Plotnitsky's intellectual rigor and breadth, brilliant record of publications and unflagging devotion to his students and colleagues prompt serious questions as to the reliability, and even pertinence, of Penn's methods of tenure review. Admittedly, I might dredge up a sort of bitter irony from the fact that the single most brillant person that I have ever known, at Penn or anywhere else, was just now judged to be inadequate by the committee that reviewed his application for tenure. But by the same token, I can only condemn an administrative apparatus that visited this horrible irony upon us, no laughing matter for anyone concerned about the status of liberal arts in higher education today. Indeed, apart from the pain and uncertainty the decision has no doubt caused Professor Plotnitsky himself, the whole debacle has had an especially pernicious effect on graduate students -- not just graduate students in English, but also students in all the departments between which Professor Plotnitsky's seminal course on literary theory is cross-listed, including Comparative Literature, Romance Languages, Slavic Languages and Literature and English. As a first-year graduate student I myself took Professor Plotnitsky's literary theory class and there began to acquire what are arguably the basic tools of the trade in the field of literary studies today. In my own particular case, Professor Plotnitsky's literary theory course turned out to be the most influential and important class that I was to take during my entire career at Penn. That independence of mind, originality or research and the highest standards in teaching are not sufficient credentials for a career in the academy? What else is required? Whom must we court and whom must we bow down to when our own time comes? What propitiative rites must we ourselves one day perform in order to win over those higher powers of the administration, which now seem to meet the classical definition of deity, in that their mysterious actions do not conform to the dictates of our merely earthbound intelligence? As can very well be seen, the University's decision to grant Arkady Plotnitsky tenure has left me only with bitter questions, not informed answers, as I myself try to begin a life devoted to the pursuit of knowledge and instruction. In my younger, more naive days, I had thought that the University was the proper place to lead such a life. DAVID HERMAN Graduate Student School of Arts and Sciences
(03/04/92 10:00am)
Nearly all University students have a large debt on their shoulders after receiving a degree. And for medical students, this figure can reach as high as $100,000. While medical students currently are able to hold off on paying back their loans for up to 30 months due, the federal law which includes the deferment clause may be changed, eliminating the deferment option and forcing students to begin immediate repayment of their loans. Medical School Government President Mark Weiner said yesterday the Title IV reauthorization bill was passed on the Senate floor two weeks ago. But the bill has not yet passed in the House of Representatives, and may be sent back for a compromise if it fails. "He seemed very sympathetic to our needs," Weiner said. "But I was very disappointed to hear that he was unaware of our letter-writing campaign." According to Weiner, the revised Title IV would have a generous grandfather clause covering all students currently attending medical school, and possibly current undergraduate students who are planning to attend medical school. Medical School Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Gaye Sheffler said she is uncertain how the new law will affect the University. "We don't know what shape the new deferment policy will take until we know the exact wording of the change," she said. "My concern is that not all medical students have the income to repay their loans in such a short period [of time.]" Sheffler pointed out that the average indebtedness of medical students graduating from the University is $52,000, while the average first year income is $27,000 to $29,000. This first year is part of medical students' residency, a period in which they are paid but are still considered in training. Sheffler added that she is impressed with the letter-writing campaign the students have organized. She said the inclusion of a grandfather clause is a result of letters written by students all over the country. "Until a firm decision is made, we will watchfully wait and see what happens, then we will adjust to the decision," she said. "But hopefully, we want to influence the decision."
(03/02/92 10:00am)
Two University students are recruiting undergraduates for a trip to Harrisburg to lobby Gov. Robert Casey and state legislators to restore full funding to the University for next year. College junior David Rose and College senior Jonathan Colton plan to make the trip late this month with at least 50 University students as part of a grassroots movement to change Casey's mind about slashing all state funding to the University. The organizers said last night that The Philadelphia Inquirer and several television stations are eager to cover the rally. Casey, in last month's budget announcement to the State Assembly, proposed cutting over $41 million in funding requested by the University. "The purpose clear and simple is to make sure the students of the University of Pennsylvania don't get screwed," Rose said, adding that students contributed $72 million to the state's economy last year. Rose and Colton asked the Undergraduate Assembly to help fund the planned trip to the Capitol, but the student government instead only passed a motion tentatively endorsing the plan. If the UA will not fund the trip, Rose said he will raise the money himself instead of asking students to pay for the trip. "I'll go to the administration, faculty, non-profit organizations and corporations," Rose said. "Students are taxpayers, the University is a taxpayer, and work study students are taxpayers," Rose said. "Wouldn't it be nice for us to get a little bit of this money that we pay in taxes back?" While Colton has just five students who have committed to the trip so far, he said he has only been working on the plan for three days. Colton said last night the trip to Harrisburg will provide a means of personalizing the proposed budget cut. He said Casey views the cuts as affecting a big institution, but said students are ultimately hurt when the University passes along the impact of the cuts in the form of a higher tuition. Colton stressed that the students should not simply ask the University to keep tuition levels the same, but that students should put forth the effort by going to Harrisburg and lobbying state officials. "We want to target the governor and the General Assembly," Colton said, adding that state governments complained when President Reagan cut federal funding to states, but now the governor has turned around and done the same thing to students. Rose said that each bus will cost about $550 and the trip will be scheduled for sometime at the end of this month. "Right now we are in the process of setting up meetings with the governor and the speaker of the house," Rose said. "But we have no illusions they're going to speak to us if they have a political alternative." "If it means that we have to sing 'The Red and Blue' on the steps of the Capitol [building in order to get a meeting with Casey], then so be it," Rose said.
(02/28/92 10:00am)
Medical School students may have to do a lot more walking soon. A taxi service, organized specifically to accomodate medical students during their early morning hours, may run out of funds in the next ten weeks. Medical Student Government President Mark Weiner said the taxi service, which was organized about three years ago in response to the early morning mugging of a medical student, has already spent all of its $10,000 annual budget. Weiner said that this year students have used the taxi service "almost to the point of abuse." "Our budget of $10,000 ran out in six months," Weiner said. He added that the University had to give the program an additional $3000 this month, but that if organizers do not find a solution, the program may be forced to close down. Medical students established the taxi service to accomodate medical students who have peculiar off-peak shifts and are often waiting for public transportation as early as five or six in the morning. Initially, students attempted to organize a car-pooling system, where five or six students would call for a cab together and split the cost. However, the students were unable to give exact times when they could meet because of their varying schedules. The student pays one dollar, and the cab company charges the University six dollars. Weiner said yesterday that the program initially restricted how and where people could use the service, but said that once organizers removed the restrictions, students began to use the taxi service "ferociously." "It's not a matter of convenience," he added. "It's a matter of safety. It's hard to refute that I need the service every day because I go to the hospital at 5:30 a.m." And medical students say they do not want the service to end. "It is something that is definitely worthwhile, and something that should definitely be continued," fourth year medical student Jill Green said. "You could take a bus, but you're standing out there at five or six in the morning." She added that many of her friends are acting more safely and either using the taxi service or paying for a cab. Not all medical students said they use the service frequently, but most students said they would start using it when they begin their "clinics," when University medical students go to hospitals and assist interns with their rounds. During their clinics, medical students often have varied schedules and leave the hospital at odd hours. Fourth year student Karen Girard said she has used the service only once or twice because she used to live in West Philadelphia. Next month, however, her schedule will change and she said she plans to use the taxi service if it is still available. The taxi service has accumulated data on where students in Center City live, and what times they are using the service. Weiner hopes that the University's Escort Service will use this information to alleviate the taxi service problem. Weiner said he thinks Escort should hire medical students for the early morning shifts. "A lot of medical students would like a work-study job," he said. "They can earn extra money driving a van, so hopefully it will work." Escort Service officials, however, did not respond to medical students' specific transportation problem. "At this time, I am not ready to make a statement," Transportation and Mail Services Director Robert Furniss said yesterday. Furniss added that Escort Service is currently being reviewed by a process management team which consists of members from the Department of Public Safety, the Office of University Life, the Office of Transportation and Parking, and undergraduate and graduate students. Weiner said he is still hoping for an Escort solution to the problem.
(02/27/92 10:00am)
A female graduate student suffered minor injuries while being robbed on 45th and Pine streets at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday night, University Police said yesterday. The robber reportedly approached the student, threw her to the ground and then struck her in the face, UPPD Sergeant Michael Fink said. The woman and her assailant then struggled on the ground, while the robber attempted to steal the student's bookbag and the student resisted. The student finally relented, and released her hold on the bookbag. University Police transported the student to the West Detectives Division of the Philadelphia Police Department after the incident. The student described her assailant as a slim black man between 35 and 40 years old, who wore a red and blue jacket and blue jeans. In an unrelated incident, police reported a retail theft at the House of Our Own Books store at 3920 Spruce Street at 4:03 p.m. Tuesday. Two men reportedly stole five or six books and fled the scene in an orange colored four-door Chevrolet Nova. The first thief was described as a dark-complected black man of 40 years and medium build, 5' 8" tall. He was last seen wearing a tan down jacket. The second thief was described as a medium-complected thin black man of 25 to 30 years, 5' 6" tall. He was last seen wearing a navy blue down jacket. In another separate incident, police stopped a juvenile at the 7-11 convenience store at 38th and Chestnut streets at 10:46 a.m. yesterday. He had run away form the Glen Mills Juvenile Detention Center. Police returned the boy to the Center. Also, police reported a separate bicycle theft from the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house at 3934 Spruce Street at 9:31 a.m. yesterday. The bicycle, a 10-speed men's bike worth $500, was stolen from a wooden railing which was broken during the theft. Police also reported a bicycle theft from the Theta Xi fraternity house at 3643 Locust Walk at 10:08 a.m. yesterday. The bike, a men's red specialized mountain bike worth $350, was stolen from an unattended and unsecured room inside the house.
(02/26/92 10:00am)
A school as large as the University can sometimes make students feel like they have no impact on their own lives. But students who would like the opportunity to involve themselves in such diverse areas as academic planning, fraternity and sorority affairs or undergraduate admissions, can now submit an application to the Nominations and Elections Committee. The NEC is independent of the other four branches of student government and oversees both elections to the Undergraduate Assembly and nominations of undergraduates to various committees. The NEC holds biannual nominations to the numerous University-wide committees, during which candidates apply for committee positions, are interviewed by NEC members, and sit on most committees for up to a year. "It is a way to get involved and have a voice," Nominations Commitee chairperson Sharon Dunn said yesterday. "You're an actual member [of a committee] and you're sitting with faculty." NEC member Michael Monson said this week that "people should stop complaining and start acting." "It's an opportunity to get involved," Monson said, adding that committee members will have the opportunity to work with faculty, administrators and, occasionally, University Trustees. Monson said in past years the committee has had trouble fighting apathy from students toward their government. This year the committee has begun an aggressive advertising campaign which Monson said he hopes will get "the whole student body involved." "One of the things we want to do this year is to get word out [about NEC]," Monson added. "Students can make a difference." The committee, which just completed student nominations to University Trustee committees, will spend approximately $600 on the present campaign for University-wide committee nominations. "I felt that publicity hadn't been done very well in the past," Dunn said "[This year] we have put in a little extra effort." The NEC announced Wednesday night its appointments to six Trustees Committees including the Facility and Campus Planning, External Affairs, Student Affairs, Responsibility, Budget and Finance, and Academic Policy committees. Monson said that 44 students applied for positions on the six Trustee committees, adding that the turnout was large compared to previous years. The NEC, while monitoring elections and conducting nominations, collects feedback from committee members and students. Applications for the committees must be filled out in triplicate, but students who apply for a position on the NEC must submit five copies of their application. Students must submit applications between 12 and 5 p.m. on Thursday February 27 at the NEC office. Students can sit on more than one University-wide committee, although they must apply separately for each committee. After interviews, the NEC will select their nominations.
(02/26/92 10:00am)
African-American Day, held on Saturday at the University Museum, required no passport or plane ticket to visit the sights, sounds, and tastes of African and African-American culture. This third annual festival was organized by museum employees Debra Heller and Pat Goodwin. "There are a lot of resources in the city," said museum employee and University senior Sharon DeSipio. "This is good for them and us. They get to be well known in the area, and we get to see them." Hilary Lopez, a University student and employee, said she felt that the day was a positive event, but said she felt that not enough students saw events like this one as a form of learning. Uduak Essien, a College sophomore, said that it was an enjoyable day, but she said that one event was not enough to overcome her view that the University and its students do not do enough for the community. "The University needs to offer more services to the community," she said. "If the community people didn't come today, no one would be here." The day began with storyteller Jamal Koram, who spoke to many Philadelphia youths, including Sunday school groups and the Positive Intervention Program. He told folktales that had relevant messages for a younger crowd, such as staying away from drugs and alcohol and being proud of black heritage. "He had good messages delivered in a light, humorous, music-filled way," said Willie Kelly, who brought the Sunday school from Shiloh Baptist Church. "We all learned something." The day also included a dance demonstration by the Ibeji Performing Arts Company. Participants learned African dance steps to live drum music. "People love to dance, especially to music they usually don't dance to," DeSipio said. "You can't turn on the radio and find this stuff." The highlight of the day seemed to be the Nigerian food demonstration. Affiong Aquah showed the audience how to cook and eat such regional dishes as foo-foo, moi-moi, jeloff rice and plantain. People lined the Mosaic Gallery to get a taste of Africa. "We liked the food the best," five-year-old cousins Juliet and Gavin Shalon said. "We liked the spicy things the most." There were also day-long, smaller, participatory events. People got a chance to make jewelry and masks, practice crocheting and carve wood. Most of the people who ran these events were from the local community. Issac Maefield, who taught woodcarving, lives in West Philadelphia. Besides being a well-known sculptor, Maefield teaches wood-carving and creative writing workshops to local schools, colleges, and libraries. Yvonne Arango was another West Philadelphia resident who participated in the day. She presented the science of iridology, which is the technique of reading a person's health by the markings of the iris' tissue. "It is an Egyptian art coming into the medical society," said Arango. Drummer Ancestor Gold Sky presented music from Western Africa to America. His aim was to show the audience that most American music, not just jazz, found its origins in Africa. The last two acts of the day, the Women's Sekere Ensemble and the JAASU Ballet, both performed to a packed Harrison Auditorium. The sekere is a traditional African percussion instrument made of a dried gourd with a beaded macrame skirt. The four-woman ensemble has used these sekeres in many East Coast performances and workshops since 1988. The JAASU ballet was formed in 1985 as a music and dance group to inform Philadelphia about the West Africa culture. The performance was filled with intense movement and music and flamboyant costumes. A new feature this year was a dancing stiltwalker. These groups said they are vital to keep the African traditions alive and to teach them to children. "Without these people you children will have nothing to follow," Quaasi said, the lead drummer of the JAASU ballet. "The future lies in the eyes of culture."
(02/24/92 10:00am)
With enrollment at black colleges and universities at an all-time high, black students on campus said yesterday they think the University must increase its efforts to recruit and retain qualified black students. "The University cannot use the success of black colleges as an excuse to relieve the pressures to recruit," Black Student League President Martin Dias said. "The University is not off the hook just because more black people are choosing black colleges." Some students said they think the University is not currently doing all that it can to maintain and support its black applicant pool. Wharton senior Shareese DeVose cited her experience as a worker at West Philadelphia high schools. Many students said the University directs its efforts towards recruiting black students at private rather than public schools, thereby limiting its potential applicant pool. "They've got to look at high schools that don't necessarily have the Andover or Exeter name . . . they have to try and not be haughty and snobbish about recruiting," College sophomore and BSL Vice President Kaplan Mobray said. "In public schools, they assume that only the top percent of the class is qualified, and that could be a problem," Wharton freshman Mesha Jackson said. Many students said they think Scholars Weekend, when the University directly invites prospective minority students to campus to see the University, is an essential recruiting device. "Scholars Weekend is the biggest tool in making the University visible to black students," Mobray said, adding that the weekend was a turning point for many people he knows at the University. College freshman Gisela Gaulden said more programs like Scholars Weekend are necessary to make sure the University maintains its black applicant pool. "I think that they could do more . . . the numbers here aren't that great," Gaulden said. Harold Ford, College senior and editor of The Vision, the University's black student publication, said that the dearth of black students on campus is indicative of a recruiting problem. "They do make an effort, but there's definitely room for more work, without a question, or we'd have more black students at Penn," Ford said. Students said that while the University's position in the Ivy League may give it a competitive edge in vying for talented black applicants, the sheer cost of the University could nullify that appeal. "What black colleges do is say, 'Listen - you can still make it, and you don't necessarily have to pay $26,000,' " Mobray said. Dias added that the price of a University education can be enough to prevent a student from applying. "For a lot of black people, the name compensation [of an Ivy League school] isn't good enough to cover the financial issue, so you have a problem," Dias said. "Scholarships are not always forthcoming." Students said that in order for the University to appeal to black candidates, the presence of blacks must be supported and presented by admissions staff to prospective students. In addition, students said that a greater presence of black faculty is necessary to insure black students' comfort at the University. "When you don't see a role model ahead of you, that can make the journey seem that much longer," College sophomore Raqiba Sealy said.
(02/10/92 10:00am)
On Monday, January 20, 14-year-old black teenager Andre McNatte was killed: shot in the chest with a .357 Magnum by Sam's Place clerk Kevin Dales. Dales says that Andre McNatte and a companion demanded money and that his companion held a knife. The police have readily taken his word, although there are no witnesses or concrete evidence to support his claim, and Dales has not been charged. The media has also used every means of sensationalism and insinuation to, in essence, try, convict and sentence the victim, McNatte, while covering up what we should really be concerned about: how workers at "hip" white stores in gentrified University City can shoot and kill a young black man and get away with it. After the shooting, Sam's Place was successfully boycotted by the community, and subsequently closed this past Friday. This closing was a victory for the black community, but there are similar boycotts still going on all over this city to protest the violence that the black community experiences at the hands of gentrifying merchants. Sam's Place was something of an institution among University City denizens. Sam's and stores like it provide white people with places to buy our fresh pastries and exotic coffees and to meet up with fellow anarchists or intellectuals. But by being a Yuppie mecca, Sam's was an integral part of the process of gentrification that threatens black people's very lives. Sam's Place sits in a small white pocket in the middle of a black community. It's clientele was both white people who can afford the fancy goods and inflated prices, and black people who mostly can't. In this country, black people and white people live under completely different economic conditions. Unlike white people, black people don't have the ability to patronize stores whose profits go back into their communities. The number of black-owned stores in West Philadelphia could probably be counted on two hands. Black people have no choice but to shop at white or Asian-owned stores where the prices are high, the merchandise is poor and the owners are at best rudely racist and, at worst, armed vigilantes like Sam's Place owner Dave Graves and his employees. And, yes, vigilantism is a necessary part of gentrification. It takes the form of "block watches," neighbors with vicious dogs and the .357 Magnum that your local grocer keeps handy. Dave Graves said it best himself when, after the shooting death, he told The Philadelphia Inquirer that he feels "a little satisfaction about being on the winning side this time." But we can stand up and say that we don't want the violence of gentrification to be carried out in our names, that Andre McNatte's life is more important to us than having a trendy place to drink coffee. Gentrifying merchants, like Dave Graves, need to be told that they cannot take the life of a black person without paying a price. That price is the loss of their customers who can denounce the war that is going on against black people. Those who participate in this violence against the black community know exactly what they are doing. Dave Graves speaks of being on the "winning side" because he knows there is a war going on. The media builds support for this war by exaggerating the risks to our lives. Yet recent statistics published by the U.S. Department of Justice show that the violent crime rate has not increased since 1973. The media hype covers up the truth: that many black people are being murdered by local merchants and by the police. Prosecution of these murderers is extremely rare. In the past ten years over 300 people have been killed by Philadelphia police, and only one policeman was ever charged with murder. In fact, those who survive police assault, like MOVE member Ramona Africa and former Black Panther Mumia Abu Jamal, are themselves charged with murder. In the 1800s, most people thought that killing Indians was part of "developing civilization." Well, the civilization that we "developed" through genocide and slavery is now here. As we celebrate the 500th anniversary of plunder this year, we continue to act out the values learned through this process: that holding onto our loot is more important than people's lives and that people with property are more valuable than people without property. People like Dave Graves, who care more about property than life, cannot be affected by appeals to conscience. They can only be affected by a threat to their economic security. Those of us who no longer want to participate in this war against the black community should take every opportunity to defend black people's rights to democracy, to protest the media's lies and to protest any and all violence against the black community. Sarah Goldfine is a 1988 College graduate from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Theresa Weir is a Nursing junior from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Both are members of the National People's Democratic Uhuru Movement.
(01/21/92 10:00am)
The participants considered the questions, "What's going on between the races?" and "Why isn't Martin Luther King's dream of racial equality being fulfilled in America?" Gloria Gay, associate director of the Women's Center and Marcine Pickron--Davis, assistant director of the Program for Student--Community Involvement, led the discussion. Gay began by breaking students into smaller groups of five or six to determine problems that exist among different races at the University. A representative from each group commented on its conclusions. Lack of communication, apathy, and ignorance were cited as major sources of tension among the races. The ideas brought up by the small groups led to an open discussion, where participants shared their own ideas with other students. Those who spoke commented on the need to educate themselves about other ethnic groups, to recognize and respect differences and to eliminate stereotypes. Many students also expressed a desire for the University to recognize formally the day as a holiday. Gay concluded the discussion with her own remarks. She stated that Americans have inherited a racist society. "If you're having a conversation about race in America, it's not going to feel good," she said. But she indicated that holding these conversations is the only way to resolve racial tensions. "Martin Luther King didn't just do what he did for black people," she added. "He did it for all people." Students in attendance said they enjoyed the program and agreed that it was worthwhile. "I'm pleased to see a really diverse group here," College senior Lauren Hochberg said. "I think the discussion was honest and open . . . everyone here got something out of it," said Khalil Muhammad, a College junior. The discussion was sponsored by the Black Student League as part of yesterday's celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
(01/19/92 10:00am)
At the same time they are students, taking classes, studying, doing research, and working on their dissertations. Their work for professors must allow time for their work in pursuit of a degree. The new compact should do an excellent job of clarifying the specifics of graduate student employment, should a professor and student disagree at a later date. It will detail how much a T.A. is to be paid, what tasks a research assistant is to perform, how much credit a student will share with a professor on a forthcoming publication, and what a professor can expect. But the compact could also heighten awareness of the graduate student as a professional assistant, rather than a personal aide. "Taking professor's clothes to dry cleaners" will hopefully not appear in the section listing a student's responsibilities. Neither will "Discuss intimate details of personal life with supervisor" or "Socialize with advisor during off hours." We hope as many departments as possible -- and as many schools as possible -- will quickly sign on to the compact idea. Soon, this simple one-page form may guarantee that professors get what they expect, and students get what they deserve.
(12/06/91 10:00am)
The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly elected its third vice chairperson for Graduate Inter-School Activities Council last night in what one executive board member called "the first contested election at a GAPSA meeting" in recent memory. GISAC is the graduate students' equivalent of the undergraduate Student Activities Council and gives money to over 20 graduate student groups, including the Ultimate Frisbee Club and the Penn Cricket Club. Brennen, who was praised by Vice Chairperson for Policy Susan Garfinkel for her work with GISAC in the past, fills the post vacated by graduate student activist Elizabeth Hunt last month. Later in last night's meeting, Engineering School graduate student Sarah Mooers, a representative of Academic Planning and Budget Committee, told GAPSA members that the committee is looking for a way to cut costs and increase faculty productivity during what she called a "budget crunch" at the University. "[The committee] is talking about doing away with classes that have fewer than three to five people in them," she said. "[Currently] there is no University-wide policy on this." GAPSA members said the elimination of small classes would "disproportionately affect graduate students" because their classes usually have fewer students than undergraduate courses. Graduate School of Fine Arts student Robin Landow said that the change would "drastically affect" her school. "Some specialized courses attract very few people," she said, adding that it is important for professors with specializations to spread their knowledge. Another possibility the committee may look at is holding small classes every other year instead of every year, Mooers said. The committee also discussed the future of need-blind admissions at the University, saying that the University can remain need-blind until 1995 but beyond that it is unclear, Mooers said. In other business, GAPSA members overwhelmingly passed an amendment to the body's by-laws which makes the normal length of meetings two hours long, instead of the previous 90 minutes. GAPSA also unanimously passed a resolution calling on HIV/AIDS Awareness Week to be held on an annual basis.
(12/06/91 10:00am)
Administrators involved with the University's international programs find themselves at a crossroads. The choice they are facing is whether to maintain their middle of the pack position or to begin the huge undertaking of becoming a leader in the internationalization of higher education. Even though breaking into the top ranks of foreign programs would take a significant push, the University won't have as far to move as most. Foreign language proficiency, which is required of most undergraduates, is a well-established program. And the University also attracts large numbers of international students to study and has been successful in inviting visiting faculty to share special skills. But other areas, administrators concede, need improvement. Many of these areas have been targeted for improvement during the last several years. One of the weak spots is the traditional study abroad program. Only 22 percent of undergraduates take advantage of opportunities for overseas studies. While this is higher than many schools, peer institutions like Dartmouth College and Stanford University have over twice as many students who study abroad. One major recent development to combat this low participation is the creation of new programs which appeal to specific groups of students or allow students to finish requirements for their degrees abroad. Many of these additions are to non-humanities programs. Students in technical or professionally-oriented programs have in the past not been likely to study abroad because of time-consuming requirements. Two notable examples are French programs in Lyon and Compiegne. In Lyon, Wharton students can take courses in international marketing which apply to their degree. Likewise, in Compiegne, Engineering students can study at one of France's top technological institutions. The new programs will likely be used as models for similar programs in other locations, officials said. Office of International Programs Director Joyce Randolph said by setting up programs specifically for the University, the faculty and the administration will have more control over the quality of the program. More difficult to solve is how to change culture so that international travel and undergraduate education seem compatible. "Eventually, it wouldn't be a paradox for a student to think, 'The semester I spent at school Y in country X was my best semester at Penn,' " Nichols predicted. Some students find it difficult to leave the University for a year or even a semester after they have friends and activities here. "One of the things we do hear from students is student life is so rich at Penn and you bond so closely with your peers that it is a hard decision to go abroad," Randolph said. But officials say that the University's recent moves have been steps in the right direction. Inclusion of a report on International Dimensions in the Five Year Plan, released in 1989, demonstrated the growing priority placed on expanding horizons beyond the borders of the U.S. The provost and the School of Arts and Sciences dean both have committees which are exploring various aspects of international programs. Introduction of SCOLA, a cable television channel which has foreign language programming, also is an opportunity for students to learn more about cultures they may not be able to visit, officials say. The choices for international programming are beginning to be made, and administrators say new programs will continue to be created, allowing students to learn about an increasingly international world.
(12/06/91 10:00am)
The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly elected its third vice chairperson for Graduate Inter-School Activities Council last night in what one executive board member called "the first contested election at a GAPSA meeting" that she or anyone else could remember. GISAC is the graduate students' equivalent of the undergraduate Student Activities Council and gives money to over 20 graduate student groups, including the Ultimate Frisbee Club and the Penn Cricket Club. Brennen, who was praised by Vice Chairperson for Policy Susan Garfinkel for her work with GISAC in the past, fills the post vacated by graduate student activist Elizabeth Hunt last month. Later in last night's meeting, Engineering graduate student Sarah Mooers, a representative of Academic Planning and Budget Committee, told GAPSA members that the committee is looking for a way to cut costs and increase faculty productivity during what she called a "budget crunch" at the University. "[The committee] is talking about doing away with classes that have fewer than three to five people in them," she said. "[Currently] there is no University-wide policy on this." The elimination of small classes would "disproportionately affect graduate students" because their classes usually have fewer students than undergraduate courses, GAPSA members added. Graduate School of Fine Arts student Robin Landow said that the change would "drastically affect" her school. "Some specialized courses attract very few people," she said, adding that it is important for professors with specializations to spread their knowledge. Another possibility the Committee may look at is holding small classes every other year instead of every year, Mooers said. The Committee also discussed the future of need-blind admissions at the University, saying that the University can remain need-blind until 1995 but beyond that it is unclear, Mooers said. In other business, GAPSA members overwhelmingly passed an amendment to the body's by-laws which makes the normal length of meetings two hours long, instead of the previous 90 minutes. GAPSA also unanimously passed a resolution calling on HIV/AIDS Awareness Week to be held on an annual basis.
(12/04/91 10:00am)
Many programs at the University seem to be taking on a more international feel. The University, like other institutions across the nation, is seizing opportunties to increase international programs. In 1989, just as international programs at the University were beginning to expand, a faculty committee stressed the need to increase these programs to give a broader look at the world. And at the University and elsewhere, educators are looking at the position of the United States in the world with concern. "The U.S. may be a leader, but it remains a leader and intellectually strong only to the extent that we are not isolated," French Professor Stephen Nichols said last month. The concern now for Nichols and others is how the University, with diverse programs spanning 12 schools, can coordinate programs for the entire University. Unless the programs are better coordinated, he and others said, some programs will overlap, important areas could be missed and students might not be able to take advantage of what the University already offers. In the last two years, language requirements have been added for undergraduates in the Wharton School and in the Computer Sciences department of the Engineering School. Requirements also exist in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Nursing School. Experts say the language requirements are the first step to establishing a strong international program. The University took language study a step further with the establishment of the Penn Language Center in 1989. According to Michael Lenker, the director of the center, the Center's 35 offerings complement what is already available through departments and provides instruction in some new languages. For example, offerings this semester include Irish Gaelic, Yoruba and Lithuanian. The University also has an extensive program of institutional links -- faculty and student exchange programs -- with 93 universities in 32 countires from Belguim to Zimbabwe. But despite these strengths, many acknowledge that there are still areas where the University lags behind. Mentioned most often is the disparity between the number of University students who travel abroad and the number of international students who come to the University. According to the Five Year Plan report which focuses on international programs, in 1988 522 University students studied abroad while 2654 international students attended the University. The current freshman class contains 10.5 percent international students. The University is in the middle of Ivy League schools in terms of the percentage of each class that studies abroad. Approximately 22 percent of students in each class at the University study abroad compared to a high of 70 percent at Dartmouth College and less than 5 percent of students at Princeton University. Over half of the students who do study abroad travel on programs not sponsored by the University. Though officials say these programs are often valuable, sometimes it is more difficult for students to arrange credit for their courses. The reasons for students choosing non-University program vary widely. Joyce Randolph, the director of the Office of Internatiional Programs, said last month that students may hear praise about a program, may want to travel to a particular country or stay for a particular length of time. "Students may not have had strictly academic motives," added Randolph. To counteract this trend, more programs, many geared specifically towards students in specific programs in the University, have been created.
