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(04/24/91 9:00am)
Student health insurance premiums will increase over $200 next year to $930, in by far the largest increase of the past six years, Student Health Director MarJeanne Collins said. The decision, which will mainly effect graduate students, effectively ends a year-long debate on the issue which has been a main point of contention for the graduate student leaders. Collins said the large jump was due mainly to the escalating costs of claims, but added that students will also be receiving additional benefits from the more expensive insurance plan. She said the only alternatives to raising the premiums would have been to reduce benefits or increase the deductible -- choices that both graduate students and administrators did not care to do. Since graduate students make up 80 percent of the over 5500 students on University health insurance, steps were taken to involve them in this year's decision-making process. Graduate Student Associations Council President Michael Polgar said last night various graduate student leaders have been meeting with the Student Health insurance administration since the fall and that this week's announcement culminated that process. As a result, this year's insurance plan will also allow students leaving the University to convert to their own individual plans. The University is also switching health insurance companies for the second year in a row, this time from Accordia to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Maryland in order to reduce premiums. According to Collins, a similar plan submitted by Accordia was over $1000. She said the average insurance claim by students has increased by over 100 percent since 1985 -- jumping from $386.76 in 1985 to this year's $792. "HUP is an on-the-frontier hospital," said Collins. "Where there are advances, they are using them." Collins also blamed the high premiums on the national health care inflation rate. Graduate students both criticized and praised the new insurance policy with some saying that students were not adequately consulted. Incoming Graduate and Professional Students Assembly Chair Michael Goldstein said last night he was disturbed by the high cost of the premium and blamed University administration. "People aren't concentrating on the issue partially because those who are making the decisions are not those that get saddled with the increasing premiums," said Goldstein. But Polgar said that while he was disturbed with the high cost, it was "the best of a difficult situation." "The policy is obviously very expensive, and the expense reflects the high cost of medical care, the fairly high level of coverage, as well as the relatively small risk pool," Polgar said. Goldstein said he felt students were consulted too late in the process and were left no option but to take the offered plan. Besides the $50,000 base plan, a $100 yearly deductible, as well as a plan that has the insurance company pay 80 percent of a claim with students paying 20 percent, the new policy also includes $250,000 catastrophic coverage and allows for 30 days inpatient hospitalization at full pay in any member hospital nationwide inluding less expensive Philadelphia hospitals. The new plan also includes a list of contracted providers, which are physicians and specialists who agree to accept insurance payment as satisfying 80 percent of the charges.
(04/23/91 9:00am)
Judicial Inquiry Officer Constance Goodman will begin investigating today a weekend incident in which a male University student was accused of lassoing a female Georgetown University student. Goodman said that she knows the name of the student under investigation, but would not release it. According to University Police, the Georgetown student reported that a man had tried to lasso her with a yellow nylon rope as she walked past Phi Delt's fraternity house with her boyfriend. University Police Lieutenant Susan Holmes said last night that her department responded to the call in front of Phi Delt's 3700 Locust Walk house at 8:30 p.m. Saturday night. Holmes said the officers interviewed the female student and her boyfriend, who is a Phi Delt brother. The boyfriend told the officers he thought he recognized the man with the lasso as a student. He gave police a possible name and address for the student, Holmes said. The police then visited the address given to them by the boyfriend, which was another fraternity house, and were told by residents that the student lived there but was not home at the time, Holmes said. Holmes would not release the name of the fraternity or its address. She said that later that evening, the alleged lassoer went to University Police headquarters saying he had heard police were looking for him. The student admitted to having used a lasso in front of Phi Delt's house. The student also said that he had tried to lasso only his friends but might have inadvertently lassoed a few people he didn't know. Holmes said the police referred the incident to the JIO rather than handling it as a normal criminal investigation. University Police generally do not arrest students unless the crimes are extremely serious, preferring instead to let the University handle cases before they reach the court system. Goodman said she will be contacting the student tomorrow but would not say whether the student is a member of any fraternity.
(04/18/91 9:00am)
A female graduate student sustained minor injuries when she was robbed last night in front of the Class of '23 Ice Rink, University Police said yesterday. According to University Police Spokesperson Sylvia Canada, the student was walking west on the south side of the 3100 block of Walnut Street at 6:45 p.m when a car stopped on the street just behind her. A man jumped out of the car, grabbed her purse, knocking her to the ground where she hit her head, Canada said. The man got back into the car and fled west, the student told police. Canada said the assailant was probably the only person in the car because the student saw him enter the car on the driver's side and did not mention seeing anyone else in the car with him. Canada said the student described her assailant as a male wearing a brown leather jacket. The assailant's car was white. No further description was available of the assailant or the vehicle. Philadelphia Police's 18th District and the University's Victim Support Services were both notified about the incident. Canada said there are no suspects in the incident and that the incident was being investigated by University and Philadelphia Police.
(04/17/91 9:00am)
The University has agreed to allow juniors to congregate at the Quadrangle's Junior Balcony before next week's traditional Hey Day march to College Hall, but only long enough to assemble and march out the gate. As part of what Director of the Office of Student Life Fran Walker last night called "a compromise that would address everybody's needs," the University has backed off from a proposal to begin the march at Superblock on the condition that the incoming senior class board assume responsibility for maintaining control of students participating in the event. Last year, juniors picked up and then dropped President Sheldon Hackney and poured beer on him during the event. Walker said that if problems continue to plague Hey Day, it is a "distinct possibility" that the traditional start will be moved permanently to Superblock next year. In past years, juniors were allowed into the Quad before noon, where celebrations lasted for several hours before the incoming senior class reassembled at Superblock around 3:00 p.m. Moore said juniors arriving at the Quad before 2:15 p.m. will not be turned away, but he stressed the University has "made clear to the new [senior class board] officers that they are responsible if people do what they're not supposed to do." Senior Class Board President Brandt McKee said yesterday the board "has accepted the responsibility." McKee added that five security guards will be posted at the Quad's two gates to ensure that no students bring alcohol into the Quad and to help maintain order. Moore explained a concern for student safety motivated the proposed site change, saying "the Quad portion of the event has gotten so out of control in years past." Moore said that many juniors who drank excessively in the Quad endangered themselves and others during past marches by stopping traffic on Spruce Street and climbing onto cars. "I'm not here to prevent people from having a good time," Moore said. "It's a fine tradition, but not at the risk of people's lives and their health and property damage." Moore claimed that shortening the length of time juniors spend in the Quad will not damage the tradition of Hey Day, saying the real tradition lies in the hats and canes and the official declaration by President Sheldon Hackney of their rise to senior status. Moore suggested the site change in a meeting with the senior class board Friday, but over the weekend the board received numerous complaints about the possible site change from students. McKee said after he expressed the board's disapproval of the change in a meeting with Walker on Monday, Walker checked with both Residential Living and the Office of University Life officials about moving the start back to the Quad. He added Moore presented him with the modified plan late yesterday morning.
(04/16/91 9:00am)
The Social Planning and Events Committee is ready to pump . . . (clap) . . . students up for Spring Fling this week. And they hope Kevin Nealon, the castmember of Saturday Night Live who made those words famous, is the man to do just that. Nealon will perform at Irvine Auditorium tonight at 8 p.m. as a "kick off for Fling," according to SPEC Comedy Club Co-director Wai-Sum Lee. Half of the proceeds from the show will go to Students Against Driving Drunk, an organization founded to encourage responsible drinking. Nealon will be the fourth SNL castmember to perform at the University in two weeks, after Adam Sandler, David Spade and Rob Schneider took the same stage for a benefit concert for Comic Relief in Irvine last week. But Nealon said he isn't worried about following his co-stars. "I am the funniest," Nealon said last week. "I am also the tallest -- even combining Spade and Schneider together." Nealon said he is looking forward to the concert because his roots are with stand-up comedy, even though in addition to working on SNL, he is currently writing a screenplay for a romantic comedy. "My real forte is stand-up," he said from his home in New York. "That's really what I enjoy doing the most. I was doing that long before SNL." Famous for co-starring with Dana Carvey in the weekly show's "Hans and Franz" weightlifting skit, Nealon also plays the popular "Mr. Subliminal" on the show. He said he will perform each character and "some of the attitude stuff I do on the show." "I hope people aren't laughed out down there," he added. Nealon is a veteran of the college circuit, having performed at several West Coast and Boston-area colleges. He said he especially enjoys playing to a college audience. "They're a little more intuitive than a night club crowd," he said. "If you're in a college, you can get across more clever material, more current topical material." Lee said last night that ticket sales are going "pretty well," with over 100 sold yesterday alone. Tickets are still available for $2 on Locust Walk until 5 p.m. At 5:30, students will be able to purchase them at the Irvine Auditorium Box office.
(04/15/91 9:00am)
Among the ten artists whose work is displayed in the show are University undergraduate and graduate students, in addition to local artists. The works are primarily of mixed media, and on Friday there was also a performance art piece. Most of the works in the show were created last Monday on Locust Walk as part of Amnesty International's "Art Day." According to Jason Soslow, a College senior and director of Art Day, the purpose of Art Day was to "publicize Amnesty's work to the Penn community, to show that human rights is an issue." Soslow said he hopes the public display made people realize that Americans have "the ability of expressing their conscience in ways which people in other countries do not." Soslow said that many of the works depict "the face which is faceless of people who 'go missing,' " meaning that they were "abducted by the government and hidden from public view." "These faces are struggling to be seen, and trying to resolve these faces and making them public is what Amnesty International is all about," Soslow said. The common theme is human rights and amnesty, and many of the pieces are very topical, focusing on Tiananmen Square, Tibet, Albania and the Middle East. Artist Rob Kirsch, a graduate student at the Annenberg School, created a piece in reaction to the Middle East situation. The work shows the word "peace" written in Arabic, English, and Hebrew. "My work is done not just with a theme, but as a piece of agitation, a way of provoking thought or discussion," Kirsch said. "Something political does no good if it's sitting on someone's walls," said Kirsch. "If my work can be of some use, use it." Kirsch is distributing his design idea across the country, and will be printing it on T-shirts. Each of the five exhibits by the Penn Student Gallery this year has had a different theme. Steve Gross, a College junior and Director of the Penn Student Gallery, said that the Gallery "is trying to reach out to the Penn community, and by having these different themes, it's a way of doing that." "While we exist as our own entity as a gallery, it has worked well collaborating with Amnesty International for such an important cause," Gross said. Alex Brubaker, a Wharton and Engineering Senior, was one of the approximately 50 people who attended the opening of the exhibit. He said that he appreciates the artwork because "there are many different places around the world where human rights are not observed." The last art show by the Penn Student Gallery this year, In the Spirit of Humankind is located in the Bowl Room of Houston Hall, and will be open Monday through Friday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. through April 26.
(04/12/91 9:00am)
The windy weather didn't stop over 50 teaching assistants from flocking to College Green yesterday. Or from bringing along more than 740 students. Yesterday and today mark the second annual Teaching Awareness Days, called "Class in the Grass," an event sponsored by the Graduate Student Associations Council to highlight the contributions graduate students make to the University community. The Days kicked off at 10 a.m. with a number of teaching assistants bringing their classes outside. According to the registration sign-up sheet, Romance Languages teaching assistant Gleef Doerr, who teaches a French 142 class, was the "first one on the Green." Graduate students said they were pleased with how the first day of the two-day event went. Last year, roughly 1000 students and 100 teaching assistants participated in the event, with more holding class outdoors on Friday rather than Thursday. Outgoing Graduate and Professional Students Assembly Chairperson Susan Garfinkel said the day's success was due to a number of different factors, including the good weather. "I imagine there is still momentum from last year's event and more people know about it this year," said Garfinkel. "It's becoming an established event." The GSAC Executive Committee sent letters to all graduate students at the beginning of the month, informing them of the event. GSAC also had a table set up yesterday, with newsletters and other literature about graduate student government, as well as the new proposed graduate student health insurance plan. "Free beer" coupons for the Fine Arts Happy Hour tonight were given out to participating graduate students as were as a variety of buttons publicizing the event. Both TAs and undergraduates said they were pleased with the event, with differing opinions on the impact it would have. "I think it's a great idea, but I question if the administration will pay attention to it," said College junior Jennifer Arbittier, a student in Cultural Studies TA Judith Filc's class. "While the purpose is so the community will realize what graduate students do, I don't know if it will help." College junior Jamie Altman, also Filc's student, said he thought the day would accomplish its goal and make the University community aware of graduate students' contribution. Some graduate students also said they felt the day was not political enough and had become "too bland." According to the sign-up sheet, the Romance Languages department had more participants than any other department. Yesterday's good weather is expected to continue today with the forecast calling for mostly sunny skies with highs approaching 60.
(04/09/91 9:00am)
The University Council Safety and Security Committee is considering possible changes in walking and riding Escort Services. Jeffrey Jacobson, co-chairperson of the committee, said this week that some of the major issues that need to be addressed include the number of escorts for walking Escort, the area the services cover, and the hours they operate. Jacobson said Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape has suggested that each walking escort consist of a man and a woman in order to reduce discomfort if a female is just being escorted by a man. STAAR Coordinator Erica Strohl said some women have said they are uncomfortable in such a one on one situation. But Strohl added the main change that students want is for riding Escort to extend its hours. "The main thing we're hearing from the students is that they want Escort to run from sunset to sunup," Strohl said. College senior Mike Murphy, an Escort Service dispatcher, said last night the service operates from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. Jacobson also said the Graduate and Professional Students Association has asked riding Escort to extend the area it covers. GAPSA Vice-Chairperson Elizabeth Hunt said last night extending Escort coverage over the Market Street bridge toward downtown would show that the University cares about the needs of graduate students, many of whom live east of campus. "We feel that if they really want to serve our needs better, they need to take a closer look at what our needs really are," Hunt said. Hunt added the fact that Escort does not go further downtown prevents many graduate students, especially women, from looking for housing outside the University area. "You'll find that more and more female graduate students are living closer to campus because they can't use Escort," Hunt said. "I was looking for an apartment next year but I nixed downtown because I couldn't use Escort to get home." Escort Dispatcher Murphy said that at present, vans go only as far east as 29th Street and cannot serve students who live downtown. Jacobson added that the administration realizes some changes have to be made and will work to do so. But some of the improvement must come from a change in the attitudes of the students, he said. "What every student needs to ask his/herself each time they use Escort, especially riding escort, is whether they are using it for their own safety or for their own convenience," Jacobson said. "We've got the perfect conditions to improve Escort," Jacobson added. "The solution to these problems will only come about when the administration agrees to spend more money on the services, and when the students decide that they will only take Escort when they need it and not every time they just want it." Jacobson also stressed that plans to improve Escort Services are not the result of the series of recent minor traffic accidents involving Escort vans in recent months. Jacobson said students should not let these minor incidents sway them into believing that riding Escort vans is unsafe. "Minor traffic accidents happen everywhere," Jacobson said. "We have no careless or reckless drivers driving the vans. It should also be pointed out that in the years escort has been operating, with up to 10 vans on the street at a time, there has never been an accident with any serious injuries."
(04/08/91 9:00am)
Penises were the common theme in last night's charity comedy concert, Stand-Up Against Homelessness. The four nationally-known comedians' humor ranged from comparing friends' penis sizes to telling masturbation confessions, and most of the approximately 1400 people at Irvine Auditorium lapped it up. Apart from penis humor, the four featured comedians, each close friends, offered a wide range of comedy styles and made themselves at home during last night's Stand-Up event, which was sponsored by Comic Relief, Kappa Alpha Psi and Tau Epsilon Phi. The first performer, Saturday Night Live cast member Rob Schneider threatened to hijack the show, staying on stage almost ten minutes longer than Apatow, the night's emcee, wanted him to. Schneider spoofed his "Makin' Copies" skit from SNL in introducing the University -- "University of Pennsylvaniaaaaa. . . The Pennmeister is coooool. . . Penn-o-ramaaaaa" -- and performed his widely-known "Elvis on a fishhook" impersonation. Near the end of his performance, Schneider tried new jokes while flipping the audience off when they did not laugh enough. SNL cast member Adam Sandler, back from taping last night's Late Night with David Letterman, tried out a new character, Opera Man. Opera Man sings a near-intelligible but highly expressive tenor, acting out improvisational scenarios Schneider and members of the audience suggested to him. He received his loudest applause in his closing joke, imitating a cross between Axl Rose and Edith Bunker singing. David Spade's act contained several impersonations, including one of Michael J. Fox -- "he's the same in everything, that's what makes it so funny" -- and one of Tom Petty, complete with hat, sunglasses and beard. Closing the show -- and drawing the most sustained laughter of the night -- was MTV's Remote Control host Colin Quinn. Quinn spoofed Irish wakes, a Friday night with the guys, and a "white man's fight," two men in a bar fighting because one looked at the other. Leona Smith, a Philadelphia homeless-rights advocate who was herself homeless for a year, spoke eloquently on the stereotypes surrounding homelessness, telling the audience most homeless people have jobs where they do not make enough to afford housing or health care. "We're the sons and daughters of somebody," Smith said. "I get frustrated when people pretend we're not there." Event organizer Thomas Reynolds said the event went "exceptionally well," adding he hoped the event could be hosted annually. "The comedians had a great time," Reynolds said. "They really wanted to do it." Quinn said after the show he was impressed with the event. "I've never seen [an event like this] before," Quinn said. "It's great they're actually trying to do something -- I know it's not the norm." All proceeds from the show go to the Philadelphia Health Care for the Homeless. Reynolds said last night organizers did not know how much the event made.
(04/08/91 9:00am)
Popular local reggae band Sons of Ace will open this year's Spring Fling, officials announced last night. This decision brings to three the number of acts set to take the stage during the outdoor show later this month at Hill Field. The other acts are the Indigo Girls, a Grammy-winning folk guitar duo, and Gerard McHugh, an acoustic guitarist who is touring with the Indigo Girls. "We wanted a band that had name recognition in the Philadelphia area," said Fling Co-director Rob Cohen yesterday. "We also wanted to diversify the musical venue. We thought that Sons of Ace was the best band to combine the two." He said the band will start its set at about 7:30 p.m. April 19, with McHugh playing from about 8:30 to 9 p.m. and the Indigo Girls performing at around 9 p.m. Ed Gold, a co-director of the Social Planning and Events Committee Concerts committee, said adding the third band has prompted the committee to rent another stage for the performance. The Indigo Girls specify that their stage be set up for their acoustic performance. The Indigo Girls will play on a covered stage and the local band will play on an uncovered platform. He added that despite the move, Fling will stay within its budget. "We didn't want to compromise our ultimate goal because of their limitations," Gold said last night. Cohen also said last night that four of the vendors who are set to sell their wares in the Quadrangle during the daytime portion of Fling will move to Hill for the evening concert. He declined to specify which vendors would be represented but said they would sell "everything from Mexican [food] to ice cream." Cohen also said students have bought about 2500 tickets for the show, which sell for $6. He said he hopes the announcement of the third act will push students to purchase the remaining 2500. "We're hoping that people who would not have gone to the Indigo Girls alone will go to see Sons of Ace too," he said. "We don't think we'll have a problem at all [selling the remaining tickets]."
(04/02/91 10:00am)
The 114 students in Assistant Law Professor Michael Schill's Property Law class wandered slowly into class on a Friday morning. Some came in talking together, others laughing, others just walked in silently, but all were carrying a thick red book entitled Property. Professor Schill began his 65 minute class on schedule, and his students quieted quickly. Across the long tables covered with heavily highlighted books, the students listened attentively. Yet unlike in Professor Kingsfield's class, of Paper Chase infamy, Professor Schill's class was not one where students feared their teacher. In fact many of the Law School's 220 first-year students said that pursuing their graduate degree is much more fun and often less stressful than they expected it to be. · The University's "One-L's," as first year law students are colloquially known, come from all over the country with the hope of one day being a star attorney, judge or law professor. About 20 percent of the nearly 4900 students that apply to the Law School each year are accepted, according to Law School Dean Colin Diver. Upon matriculation, the class is divided in half to make class sizes more manageable. Each group then follows the same course schedule throughout the year. First-year students are required to take 36 credit hours, including Professional Responsibility, an intensive two-week course given in January as an introduction to the legal profession and ethics. All first-year students are required to take the same classes, including Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contract Law, Criminal Law, Labor Law, Property Law, and Torts. Students are also required to take one elective. Though most Law students said that they feel academic pressure, most said that the Law School is not academically cut-throat. While most students said that they are not involved in a study group, they share their notes with other students to make sure everyone has mastered the material. "It's pretty mellow here except during finals, when people are on edge," said first-year student Marc Carrel. Contract Law Professor Elizabeth Warren said while students work hard, they do not try and get ahead of each other and instead help each other. "It makes me proud and happy, but don't let anyone kid you -- it's a lot of hard work," Warren said last week. Unlike undergraduate courses, which are often based on a variety of papers and exams, all grades in first-year Law School courses are based on a single exam given at the end of the semester. These exams usually last four hours and consist of several hypothetical cases, called fact patterns. Diver said that professors base their classes on discussion and role playing, and not solely on the traditional, Socratic method. "It is still a very powerful and intense experience," Diver said. "Some still find it full of anxiety, but very few people in the end fail to find it is an enlightening experience." All first-year exams are based on a curve: the top 20 percent receive a grade of "excellence," the next 40 receive a grade of "good," while the last 40 percent receive a grade of "qualified." The system is designed to relieve some of the pressure often associated with the first year of Law School. But Warren said students can still fail, and one or two exemplary students may receive a grade of "distinguished." Because students are graded anonymously through an elaborate process, class participation rarely counts, Professor Schill said. Diver added that about six students leave, for various reasons, while 95 percent eventually graduate. · In order to ease the transition to Law School and mitigate some of the stresses of pursuing a law degree, the school has implemented several programs. According to Diver, to help first-year students adjust, a brief orientation to the school and its resources is held at the beginning of the year. Diver also said that there is a Legal Research and Writing program, a full-year course where students meet in small groups to work on problems and learn to write in legal jargon, to help students overcome any problems they may encounter in their first year. Professors said to avoid overwhelming the first-year students, who are not familiar with the textbook's legal jargon, the assignments throughout the first semester are not lengthy. Assistant Professor Schill, who graduated from Yale Law School in 1984, said he only assigns one or two cases a night first semester, equal to approximately 10 or 20 pages of reading. Yet Schill and Warren were both quick to point out that students must attend class having fully absorbed the material they are responsible for having read. "It's not a lot of pages, but a lot of hard thinking," said Warren. Like undergraduates, first-year law students all have their own study habits and schedules. Most students said that they spend over 70 hours a week and a minimum of 3 or 4 hours a day with their books. "It's intense," said first-year Law student Richard Aldridge. "It's an awful lot of work and very interesting, but as the year goes along, it gets a little easier because you learn the ropes and where to spend your time." First-year Law student Cornick said that law school can be exhausting as well as psychologically demanding. "It's not just a mental experience, but in terms of endurance, a physical one as well," said Cornick, who graduated from Rutgers University seven years ago. "It's like running a marathon that's never going to end." Most students said their professors are not like the overbearing John Hausmann of Paper Chase fame. In fact, most said they like their professors. First-year student Donna Deal, who did her undergraduate work at Yale, said she did not think the professors were particularly intimidating. "It's not like Paper Chase, although it varies from professor to professor," said Deal. "There are none that really try to embarass their students or make them look stupid." But many law students said they manage to integrate fun into their hectic and often stressful work schedule. Some said they are active in University-wide organizations, and most participate in school activities. In addition, many law students said they work-out several times each week at Hutchinson and Gimbel gymnasiums. Nonetheless, according to University Counseling Director Ilene Rosenstein, law students in general are under more stress than the average graduate student. Rosenstein said eight to 10 percent of the people treated at University counseling services last year were law students. She said that law students are more prone to hypertension, heart disease, and smoke and drink more than other graduate students. But she added that the University was trying to be sensitive to the law student's stress level. She recommended that law students set their priorities and stick to them. She said it is important students have a support group and realize other people are going through the same experience they are.
(04/01/91 10:00am)
Several scuffles and other criminal incidents broke out last night at a gathering of hundreds of area residents lining 40th Street between and Locust and Walnut streets. University and Philadelphia Police were called to the block several times last night, starting in the early evening. Over the course of the night, a University student was assaulted, police broke up several fights and also shut down some businesses in the area. The violence came as hundreds of local youths gathered at the block in what is an annual Easter tradition of "hanging out" there. The tradition has led to incidents in the area before, but most said that this year's turnout was the largest and most violent. "I've been here for three years and never had it this way. This is something that has gotten worse," said Galaxy II manager Thomas Edwards, who had to close his arcade early. "I've never seen that many people on that street." During the day, the street had been filled with families walking on their way to church or just out for a stroll. But the scene at night quickly got out of control, with people running and yelling, and police cars everywhere. According to University Police Lieutenant Susan Holmes, a University student, whose name was not released, was standing outside his residence on the 4000 block of Locust Street at about 8:21 p.m. when he was punched in the eye by an unknown assailant. Police described the assailant as a 6 foot, 3 inch black male of medium build in his early twenties and wearing a brown leather jacket and red sweatpants. The student reported the incident to University Police, who were already on the scene. The police looked for the assailant, but he had disappeared into the crowd, Holmes said. With the aid of the student, the police later located the group he was with, but the assailant was not with them. Reports of the night's events from witnesses on 40th Street varied, but most observers said there were several altercations. According to an 18th District Philadelphia police officer, there was at least one other minor fight. Eyewitness Desmond Michaels, who said he saw this incident from in front of the Eric 3 On Campus movie theater, said a fight broke out between two black men, adding that the police came and broke it up after about 20 minutes. West Philadelphia resident Atif Oberlton said he saw a fight and called Philadelphia Police from the public telephone on the corner of 40th and Walnut streets. Oberlton and others said police arrived within five to 10 minutes. In addition to the fights, Philadelphia Police shut down the Galaxy II arcade for the night and the McDonald's restaurant at 40th and Walnut streets for about an hour at 10 p.m. "The manager [ of Galaxy II] just lost control [of the store]," 18th District Sergeant Steven Gwiazdowski said. Both Philadelphia and University police said they have special details assigned to the area for Easter. According to 18th District Police Officer Mary Connell, Philadelphia Police had a patrol in front of the AMC Walnut Mall Theater on 40th Street for crowd control once the scuffles broke out. Gwiazdowski and others attributed much of the problem in the area to overcrowding at the movie theaters. "It happens every Easter," Gwiazdowski said. "All the kids go to the movies. There have been a number of fights tonight." But Gary Langford, an usher at the theater and a student at Philadelphia Community College, denied there had been any overcrowding problems, but said that the gatherings are an annual event. "It's Easter, it happens every year. People go to the movies, they go out to show off their new clothes," Langford said. "Most people in this area go here [40th and Walnut] to hang out. We had no problem with overcrowding."
(03/27/91 10:00am)
React, a collection of social and political works of art by students, opened last week in Houston Hall. Most of the work portrays the artists' reactions to the Persian Gulf War. "Artists tend to react to the upheaval people are feeling," said Evan Bernstein, a College junior and curator for the exhibition. "Even though the war is over these issues are still pertinent in everyday life," Winegar said. Eun Han, whose works Midnight Caller and Desert Storm are on display at the exhibition, said everything she felt about the war is expressed in her work. "I felt a great anger against what [Iraqi President Saddam] Hussein was doing," Han said. Artist Lawrence Gleeson, a Fine Arts graduate student, said he found the war "mind boggling" and could not easily relate to it. He said he created his art for the exhibit because he wanted to do something so people would never forget the war. "It is in the forefront of my mind, and as long as I could, I didn't want people to forget it," Gleeson said. Gleeson also said the war can never actually be over since "the undercurrents that caused the war are still there." Brad Choyt's These Aren't Fish Falling from the Sky portrays an American flag in the shape of a mushroom cloud targeted at oil wells. Choyt said he wanted to convey how the world was misusing technology. Choyt's works Creation and Destruction and Creation and Destruction II are also on display. There were mixed reactions from those who attended the exhibit's opening on Friday. While some felt they did not quite understand the works, others enjoyed the exhibition. "I really enjoyed it, especially the different styles," said College sophomore Adele Moore. Barbara Verwoed, a College freshman, said she particularly liked Han's work. "It was very subtle and strong," Verwoed said. "The message was executed very well." The exhibition is being organized by the Penn Student Gallery. College junior Steve Gross, co-founder and director of the Gallery, said the idea behind the exhibition was to share thoughts through art. "For a school that's hurting so much socially, this is a great avenue to bring us together," Gross said. The exhibition will run through April 22 in the Bowl Room of Houston Hall.
(03/27/91 10:00am)
Turkish President Turgut Ozal will speak today at Dunlop Auditorium as part of the Wharton School's annual lecture series. But members of two student groups -- the Greek Club and the Armenian Club -- have pledged to hold separate protests at his campus appearances. Ozal, who has been Turkey's President since 1989, has a full itinerary that includes meetings with members of both the U.S. and Turkish press, a discussion with Wharton faculty members and a dinner with administrators, faculty and other invited guests. Ozal met with President Bush at Camp David this weekend, where the two leaders discussed the post-war Middle East and U.S. Turkey, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, helped the U.S. coalition during the Persian Gulf War by enforcing United Nations sanctions, sending troops to its border with Iraq, and allowing U.S. planes to use one of its air bases. President Sheldon Hackney will confer an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University to Ozal prior to his delivery of Wharton's annual Julius Steinberg Memorial Lecture on economic and social issues. Students opposed to his visit said they have varying reasons to protest his appearance on campus. Greek students said yesterday they will protest Turkey's occupation of Northern Cyprus and will call for Ozal to pull troops out of the island nation. They also criticized the University, saying that by honoring Ozal, the University is rewarding him for Turkey's occupation. "Freeing the territory Turkey occupies. . . is a test to see if Turkey is ready to join the community of civilized nations," said Engineering sophomore Alex Haidas, president of the Greek Club. Armenian students said they will demonstrate against Turkey's refusal "to recognize the planned genocide [of Armenians in 1915]." Wharton senior Ramzig Arzoumanian, a spokesperson for the Armenian Club, said last night that his group will be handing out flyers in front of the Nursing Education Building during the lecture. He added that he is upset at Wharton's "hypocrisy" in honoring the Turkish leader. Turkish students, however, said they are not surprised that there will be protests but said that they are not justified. "I am glad that he is coming, so that everyone can meet him," said one Turkish graduate student. "Maybe [the groups] will be able to see what Turkey's stance is regarding these issues." Ozal, who graduated from the Istanbul Technical University with a master's degree in electrical engineering, was once Deputy Director General of Turkey's State Electrical Authority. From 1967 to 1971, he was under-secretary of the State Planning Organization. In that position he helped to develop the Turkish economy. In the early 70s, he worked as an advisor to the World Bank. In 1983, after founding the Motherland Party and winning a majority in that year's general elections, Ozal became Turkey's prime minister until his election to the presidency.
(03/21/91 10:00am)
Faculty seemed to accept the administration's budget proposals for next year yesterday, even though the proposals include a reduction of 300 faculty and staff positions. The proposals, presented to faculty in a special meeting yesterday afternoon, prompted professors to call for grass-roots advocacy in an attempt to sway state legislators to reinstate funding. The University's budget problems are a direct result of Governor Robert Casey's proposal to cut $18.6 million in state funding to the University. President Sheldon Hackney yesterday described the new budget policies as a "careful and judicious" strategy to protect the University's academic core. But, without a reinstatement of state funding, the proposed cuts will halt the creation and expansion of several faculty programs and may even include faculty layoffs. Administrators said yesterday they did not know how drastic faculty and staff cuts would be, saying the reduction would be achieved through a combination of attrition, retirement, reassignment and layoffs. Administrators said they had not yet determined how many layoffs would be necessary or where layoffs would occur. Other cuts, amounting to $2.9 million, from the Provost's Subvention Fund could hurt faculty programs. The proposal eliminates plans for the Social Science Research Institute outlined in the University's five year plan, freezes further committments to the Trustees' Professor Program and eliminates additional funding that would help individual schools grant raises to faculty as part of promotions and merit awards. However, faculty yesterday appeared more interested in attempting to reverse Casey's decision than in protesting the cost-cutting proposals the University will enact if the state budget passes in its current form. During the faculty meeting and yesterday's University Council session, Microbiology Professor Emeritus Robert Davies, past chair of the Faculty Senate, urged faculty to start a letter writing campaign asking state legislators to renew funding. However, at the University Council meeting, City Planning Professor Anthony Tomazinis cautioned against allowing faculty salary increases to fall below the rate of inflation, pointing out that it is faculty work itself that helps bring in University funding. Several Council members also said they were concerned the University could eventually lose research funding. Council members said it takes competitive salaries to draw top-notch researchers to the University, who in turn attract research funding. If salaries do not keep up with inflation, researchers may be less willing to come to or remain at the University. Provost Michael Aiken, who helped present the proposed cuts yesterday, indicated after the Council session that he had expected more feedback from faculty during the budget presentations. "I expected more discussion and I can't really explain why there wasn't more discussion," Aiken said. Faculty leaders said the lack of debate may indicate professors' willingness to work with the administration to reverse the threatened cut in state funds. "They have my vote of confidence," Faculty Senate Chair Almarin Phillips said yesterday. He said Senate leaders have been in close contact with the administration throughout the budget development process. Statistics Chairperson David Hildebrand, who will become Faculty Senate chair-elect in May, indicated that the faculty as a whole seem willing to work with the administration. "Certainly it would be a lot healthier if we could work together to restore these cuts," Hildebrand said. Hildebrand described a bleak budget picture for the University if the state funding is lost, and joked that he is not expecting a 60% pay raise next year. "It's still not going to be much fun for the next year or two," Hildebrand added. "It's going to be rough unless the cuts get restored."
(03/19/91 10:00am)
College and Wharton sophomore Matthew Blau, the driver, and Jennifer Koons, a passenger, died when their car overturned on a Florida highway March 10 after another car tried to pass them, according to Florida state police. The driver of the second car, College freshman Mitchell Solow, was not charged in the incident. A second passenger in Blau's car, College junior Tom Eaton, suffered minor injuries. He said he believes the crash was an accident and does not blame Solow for the accident. The Penny Loafers members were traveling in a caravan of three cars from Jacksonville, Florida, where they spent Saturday night, to Orlando. Solow, however, has no connection to the group and was not part of the caravan. He said yesterday he was traveling with two other students to Daytona Beach. Funeral services were held last week for both students in their hometowns. A joint memorial service will be held March 26 at 4 p.m. in Bodek Lounge. A Florida State Police press release said Solow changed lanes into the path of Blau's car "causing [him] to lose control and overturn." Solow said yesterday that he tried to pass Blau, but when he realized he could not, he returned to his original lane of traffic. He said he was back in the lane before Blau lost control of the car. He added that he received a ticket for improperly changing lanes. Investigator A.G. Conklin of the Deland, Florida Police Department said yesterday an investigation is pending and no charges have been filed. He said alcohol was not involved in the accident. Students, particulary members of the performing arts community, returned to campus yesterday and gathered together to mourn and remember their friends. Both Koons and Blau were members of the performing arts group Penn Singers, as well as Penny Loafers. College senior Nadeen Thomas, the president of Penny Loafers, said the tragedy has brought the group closer together. The group cancelled all of its shows over break and an upcoming performance. Blau, who was a native of Bellmore, New York, is remembered by friends as having a somewhat off-the-wall sense of humor and an endearing love of material possessions, especially his Toyota Celica which he was driving at the time of the accident. He was a tenor and friends said he knew music well -- even obscure groups. He was also knowledgeable about history and politics, friends said yesterday. Blau had a solo in the song "Something About You" in Penny Loafers which he had not yet performed for an audience. College sophomore Wendy Levitis said Blau knew what he wanted out of life. He was sure he could judge people of vision and considered George Bush and himself among them. She said they had discussed his possible future as President of the United States. "He wasn't sure he wanted to be President, but he always said he would be good at it," Levitis said. "He knew if he wanted to, he could do it." Eaton said Blau was very intelligent and direct. He said Blau had no qualms about saying what he felt. Koons, who was majoring in communications, was going to sing one of the minor leads in Penn Singers' performance of Pirates of Penzance. She also sang a solo in "Busy Tonight" for Penny Loafers. Friends said yesterday she was an eternal optimist who trusted everyone and was continually happy and energetic. She was always singing and she liked to write -- especially poetry and short stories. She also liked to run and ice skate, friends said. Students who shared a suite in Hill House with Koons last year said she and her roommate of two years, Wharton sophomore Tammi Stegeman, were practically inseparable. College sophomore Jamie Thibault called them "my two favorite blondes." Stegeman said others called them "the twin sisters." "We could communicate to each other without even saying anything," Stegeman said. Eaton, who had been dating Koons since the fall, called her "the most fun-loving, full of life person" he knew. "She taught me a lot about life and how to live it," Eaton said. "She was beautiful, smart and caring." And those outside the University are remembering Koons, too. Stegeman said Koons' hometown of Littlestown, Pennsylvania, is in shock. A scholarship in her name has been established. Donations can be sent to the Jennifer A. Koons Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Stan Munnert, Adams County National Bank P.O. Box 99, Littlestown PA, 17340. Bruce Montgomery, the director of Penn Singers, said counselors will be available for group members at the group's first rehearsal today. After that, the group will begin rehearsing again because Montgomery explained, "the highest tribute we can pay them is to create the joy for others." Penny Loafers President Thomas said students who bought tickets to the Penny Loafers show which has been canceled can call her at 386-9044 for refunds.
(03/08/91 10:00am)
Fine Arts graduate student Bob Kim has never slept in a barn, but during Spring Break he will have that chance for five nights. But don't expect Kim to be frolicking in the hay. And while only the three male students will be banished to the barn, program organizer Bob Cardie of the Newman Center said Tuesday that everyone participating will come together during the day to work with the impoverished communities to alleviate the despair which pervades the region. Cardie said participants will travel to various sites in the area, including a shelter for homeless women and children and the homes of "shut-ins" whose poor health keeps them inside. Students will also assist a local Meals on Wheels program and help with home repairs, he added. The purpose of leaving Philadelphia -- a city with its share of problems -- for a remote town tucked away deep in the Appalachian Mountains is to show students that social problems are not confined to cities, Cardie said. "It's a good experience for students to see what poverty is like outside of the city," he said. "It is a completely different thing." Students participating in the program said they do not mind sacrificing the creature comforts of home for the chance to help others and broaden their own experiences. "I've always wanted to do something like this," College freshman Beth Penders said. "I just think it will be a really rewarding experience to get in touch with a different world." "I really want to be able to help people," agreed Kim. "I'm looking forward to the experience." Cardie said although the program is being organized by the Newman Center, students are paying the $85 cost with their own money. He added that several students from Fordham University, in New York City, will accompany the group to Frenchville.
(03/07/91 10:00am)
And to address privacy concerns that may result from the new technology, the Registrar's office is encouraging students to change their access code to PARIS immediately. The grade-listing function, which was installed on the computer system last semester, will list a student's course number, section number, and grade by alphabetical order for the last two semesters on record. Registrar Sanders said he expects students to use the grade-listing option almost as much as course-listing options. But Sanders said he is concerned with the problems that lie in the simplicity in getting access to records through PARIS. To enter the system, a person only needs to enter an identification, or Social Security, number, and a personal access code, normally a birthdate. Under federal law, people may only receive personal student records, including grades, from the institution if they have written permission from the student. Sanders emphasized it is easy for other people to learn those two pieces of information about students and illegally obtain their grade reports. Students will be able to change their personal access code as often as they wish and can change the code immediately. Sanders added that students should come to the Registrar's office with a valid PENNcard or another form of valid photo identification and complete a form to change the number. "We don't want to make this difficult," Sanders said. "We do want to make [students] aware [of security risks] . . . and keep their documents private." The registrar said that his office has mailed a letter detailing the new function to students. Sanders said the University decided it wanted grade-listing when it chose PARIS software from American Telephone and Telegraph, but that the basic program did not contain grade-listing abilities. Sanders said his office would be testing the PARIS's limits with the new grade-listing option over spring break, saying when they tested the system initially over winter break, it could not handle the increased demand. "We're trying to see if it will stand up to the expected volume of activity that it will receive from students," Sanders said. PARIS was installed in the fall of 1989 to both praise and criticism. Students have lauded the system as helpful, but said that there have been too many breakdowns and difficulties with the computerized system. Students have also complained that the system is impersonal.
(03/06/91 10:00am)
Associate Engineering Professor Jorge Santiago-Aviles is determined to improve the lot of Hispanics in North Philadelphia by opening their eyes to engineering. Santiago is currently applying for a National Science Fund grant to run a summer program designed to introduce Hispanics North Philadelphia high school students to engineering for a second year. Although the greater Philadelphia area has a Hispanic population of over 150,000, few enter the engineering sciences, Santiago said last week. Last year's program allowed ten high school students to participate in a seven-week summer program focusing on several fields in engineering. The National Science Foundation awarded the program $17,000 last year, but Santiago said he feels the program "has been funded at a low level." Santiago said more University programs should reach out and cooperate with the Hispanic community in North Philadelphia. "Penn has an obligation to the Hispanic population in North Philadelphia," he said. "There is a huge human resource pool." Santiago's program also incorporated the parents of the participants. He said it is vital for the families to understand the long term benefits of a college education, despite fears that studies may keep students from working to support the family. High school senior Felipe Valesquez praised Santiago and his program last week. "It helped me a lot," Valesquez said. "It gave me a look at the different fields of engineering." Valesquez is presently applying to college and hopes to be accepted at the University of the Arts this spring. Felipe Cruz also gave the program high marks, saying it opened his eyes. "It was a great program and we learned a lot about engineering," Cruz said. "It gave us some more ideas as to what engineering was about." Cruz and Valesquez both said the trip was one of the best experiences in their educational career.
(03/05/91 10:00am)
Researchers from the University have located several genes that play a key role in the development of bones -- information which could be a vital link to curing bone disease. Researchers announced last week that they had mapped the chromosomal locations of several genes that are responsible for the formation and regeneration of bone in human beings. "It is really one step in a very exciting series of investigations begun by others," said Pediatrics Professor Michael Zasloff, one of the bone researchers. "The genes that have been mapped are involved in the expression of proteins that are believed to start up the whole program of bone growth in man." Zasloff added that finding the chromosomal locations of the bone-forming genes is important since the gene-forming proteins may eventually be used to repair bones in the form of medication. "The research is exciting because the proteins have extraordinary potential as drugs," Zasloff said. "We imagine that it may even be possible to build portions of human skeleton by introducing pure proteins." "These tools are landmarks we can use for mapping various diseases in the formation of bone," said Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery Frederick Kaplan, the other leader of the study team. "We have the potential to shed light on disease in bone growth." According to Zasloff, once the chromosomal location is identified, researchers will be able to associate defects with these genes. Some researchers believe that particular genes may be responsible for rearrangements of chromosones and genetic defects. The localization of the genes may make it possible to focus on some genetic diseases and find a cure specific to that gene. Zasloff speculated that in the future, new bone diseases may appear due to mutations in the genes, adding that the research could then be a valuable crutch to finding a cure. But there are also several bone diseases now existing that researchers are trying to cure. The research team was originally organized to promote research of a particular bone disease, Fibrodystalsia Ossificans Progressiva -- an extremely rare disease in which tissues surrounding the muscles of a child form bone and eventually, the entire body is practically incased in bone. All the researchers contacted this week agreed that their findings are only one step in the continual investigation of bone disease and genetics. "We play a small part in a process that began years ago," Kaplan said. "We were fortunate to work with pioneeers." According to Zasloff, the bone proteins were discovered by Marshall Urist, director of the University of California at Los Angeles Bone Research Laboratory, in 1982. "I think that the predictions about this family of protiens will play an important role in human development, and over the next several years, we will see and hear of presence with increasing frequency," Zasloff said. Yet, both Zasloff and Kaplan will not take credit for discovering the location of the genes. Both researchers point to Jeffrey Tabas, lead author of the investigation and fourth-year Medical student, saying he deserves the credit. "The credit does not belong to me it belongs to Jeff," Kaplan added. Tabas did not return several phone messages placed at his room over the past week.
