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(10/24/90 9:00am)
According to Penn News General Manager Mark Stanley, West campus subscribers will be forced to used drop boxes in the dormitory lobbies, adding that subscribers have been sent letters informing them of the lock combination to access them. A similar system will be instituted in all North campus dormitories by the end of this month. Residents in the Quadrangle will continue to receive doorstep delivery, for now, Stanley said. Stanley said yesterday that the inability to pay deliverers a satisfactory wage, theft, and difficulties getting newspapers distributed by the vans early enough for student deliverers were the main reasons for stopping the popular delivery service. "For every newspaper that's going out door-to-door, we're losing money," he added. "In order to continue the service, we would have to charge more than cover price. I'm sure there are a lot of people willing to pay, but we wouldn't be providing what is an important factor for the majority of students, the discount price." Since Penn News' separation from Penn Student Agencies over the summer, the delivery organization has run into several financial and operational difficulties. Stanley said that in the past, subsidies from the University and from the newspaper companies have allowed for the doorstep service. He added that these subsidies were cut this year and since then, the agency has been unable to draw early morning deliverers with an attractive wage. Currently, Penn News -- which delivers newspapers to approximately 1000 students -- still hires van service from PSA to distribute the newspapers to the dorms. Stanley called PSA's service "marginal," but said that he hopes to work with PSA managers to resolve the problem. Tom Hauber, the associate director of Student Life Facilities, said that he was surprised that doorstep delivery was stopped. He also said that PSA has no plans to resume the newspaper delivery service. Students voiced anger that doorstep delivery was discontinued, and many said they were considering cancelling their subscription. "The good thing about it is getting it right at your door, said Bill Loller, a Wharton sophomore. "Otherwise, there's no point. I might as well go to a street corner and buy it." Richard Lau, the assistant director of the Penn Consumer Board, said that they have received numerous phone calls from students wondering what Penn News' contractual obligations to students are. (***CLARIFICATION: The Consumer Board's advice is based on the Pennsylvania Bar Association) He added that since Penn News has breached a verbal contract of doorstep delivery, students are entitled to a full refund of the undelivered newspapers. Stanley said yesterday that students who want to cancel their subscription will be entitled to a refund on newspapers for the rest of the semester but added that as of yesterday only 10 students had canceled their subscriptions. Dennis Lin, a College junior, said that the drop boxes are only the latest in a saga of bad service and inefficient delivery. "I feel cheated. I expected it to be delivered," he said. "There's not too much difference between going to Wawa and going downstairs."
(10/23/90 9:00am)
The University might be able to stop students from biking over the 38th Street bridge, but there will be little it can do when 22 floats cruise over the bridge from Superblock to Hill Field Friday afternoon. The floats are part of the Homecoming Parade -- the first ever -- which will kick off a weekend of festivities for undergraduates. The Quakers will play Yale University on Saturday afternoon. Each of the floats, sponsored by fraternities and sororities, performing arts groups, sports teams and cultural societies, are supposed to depict the group's activity and some aspect of the University's history. Mark Epstein, Homecoming Committee co-chairperson for the Social Planning and Events Committee, said that he expects student interest to be sparked by the number and diversity of the groups participating in the parade. A group of about 15 faculty and administrators will judge the floats and the winning organization will receive a trophy. Following the parade, SPEC wil sponsor a free picnic on Hill Field, featuring several performing arts groups. Black greek organizations will also perform a step show at the picnic. SPEC Homecoming Co-Chairperson Lorie Gleim said that organizers included a wide range of performing arts groups so that the event would appeal to the entire campus. Friday's festivities will culminate in a pep rally and bonfire at Hill Field, following the picnic. Football coach Gary Steele and athletic director Paul Rubincam will speak. On Saturday, there will be a free "spirit" brunch on College Green. Gleim said that she expects many "recent" alumni will attend the brunch, providing an opportunity for students to meet friends who have graduated. The weekends activites will culminate in a dinner and concert in the Palestra following the football game. The Hooters, Mary Wilson and the Supremes, and the Four Tops are scheduled to perform. Tickets for the dinner and concert cost $10, and students can sign up at either the Sweeten Alumni Center or Houston Hall information booth. Gleim said that she expects students to be excited this year because events have been planned for undergraduates. "In the past, homecoming was a time when the administration planted grass for returning alumni," Gleim said. "We planned this year's festivities in hopes that homecoming could be a time for undergraduates to celebrate as well."
(10/19/90 9:00am)
Yesterday's severe rainstorms caused damage throughout Philadelphia, downing trees and power lines, disrupting traffic and leaving parts of the city in the dark for up to two hours. Philadelphia Electric Company spokesperson Ron Harper said last night that 1700 customers in the University City area were without electricity at some point during the early evening, but that most of them had power restored by 9 p.m. Some fraternities along Locust Walk and houses along Spruce and Walnut streets lost electricity between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., and regained it between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. University Police Sergeant Thomas Messner said last night that police were "bombarded" with scores of alarms, including fire alarms and intrusion alarms, which were triggered by the blackout. Messner said that police responded to the alarms at fraternities and houses around campus, but that all of them proved false.
(10/19/90 9:00am)
Students need not fear -- Dining Services' styrofoam will be politically correct next year. Dining Services will restock dining halls with polystyrene foam products as soon as next semester, Hospitality Services Executive Director Donald Jacobs said yesterday. But Jacobs said that the new styrofoam products will not be hazardous to the environment. They do not contain the ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons, typical of many styrofoam products, that have incurred the wrath of environmental groups. He also said the products will be recycled, not stored in a landfill. Styrofoam products were banned from dining halls two years ago in response to student demands, according to Jacobs. He said he anticipates some opposition to reintroducing styrofoam products to the dining halls. "Styrofoam is seen as a no-no," Jacobs said. He said officials may install displays to inform students about environmentally safe styrofoam and its recycling process. And Jacobs added that styrofoam has advantages because it weighs very little and could be used as a source of fuel. Dining Services Director Bill Canney agreed that reintroducing styrofoam products may be difficult because of misperceptions about its environmental effects. "It's an emotional issue," he said. Canney added that details have not been worked out, saying a polystyrene recycling facility may be constructed on campus. And styrofoam will not be the only change in Dining Services. In compliance with recycling laws, dining hall kitchens now separate paper products, aluminum and plastic, according to Jacobs. However, when the Philadelphia Recycling Plant cannot handle such solid waste, the University must transport it to New Jersey, costing $78 per ton, Jacobs said. Jacobs said that one of Dining Services' main targets is "source reduction," in which officials will try to decrease the use of items requiring disposal. "The reason we will do a better job of recycling is because we'll do a better job of source reduction," Jacobs said. He added that Dining Services is "doing all we can physically do" to recycle, adding that dining halls are complying with the law and that he expects the program to improve. Dining Services Director Canney said that although students are participating in the recycling program, he believes the program needs to pick up its pace. "There's more that we have to do," Canney said. "This is just the start of the program." Other changes involve transporting milk in recyclable containers instead of the bags and boxes which wasted cardboard and paper, Canney said. The recycling program has been implemented to varying degrees in all the dining halls for the past few years, according to Canney. Jacobs said Dining Services adopted the measures in anticipation of the recycling laws. Canney also said he is unsure whether recycling demands are more costly to Dining Services, although they do require more time from workers.
(10/19/90 9:00am)
Yesterday was an unusually lucky day for Room 205 of Harrity Elementary School. At 8:30 a.m., parents and students of the 26-member third grade class learned that through the University-run Say Yes to Education program, Bucks County residents Robert and Jane Toll have guaranteed college or vocational program tuition for each student who completes high school. Mr. Toll is a 1966 Law School graduate and Mrs. Toll received a master's degree from the Graduate School of Education the same year. The gift appeared to be a surprise to the bright-eyed third-graders and their anxious parents, who had been summoned mysteriously to the West Philadelphia elementary school's gymnasium for the announcement. Smiles, applause and a standing ovation greeted the news. Carrie Graham, grandmother of third-grader Rahee Graham, beamed as she called the opportunity for her grandson to go to college "incredible." Jane Toll said that she and her husband wanted to "give [the students] the ability and opportunity to become anything they wish to be." Robert Toll is the chairman and chief executive officer of a construction firm. Jane Toll is the president of a real estate development corporation. In addition to paying the tuitions, the Tolls will contribute to educational enrichment and mentorial programs for the students throughout their school years. Say Yes to Education was born in 1987, when University Trustee George Weiss and Overseer and Associate Graduate School of Education Trustee Diane Weiss pledged to pay for the college educations of 112 sixth-graders at the Belmont Elementary School, if the children had to promised to finish high school. Its goal is to redirect the lives of West Philadelphia elementary-school students by providing financial, educational and psychological assistance and encouragement. Jane Toll said that she and her husband were inspired by philanthropist Eugene Lang, who in 1982 promised to pay for the college education of all 57 graduates of the East Harlem Elementary School in New York City. The Tolls handpicked Harrity because of its proximity to the University, and because it was suggested by the Collaborative for West Philadelphia Public Schools, created by Philadelphia School Superintendent Constance Clayton and University President Sheldon Hackney. The original Belmont Elementary School students, now in 10th grade and numbering 67, were present to welcome their new "brothers and sisters" to the Say Yes to Education "family" and to pass on footballs to each child. The football is the program's symbol -- it represents the chance and opportunity to achieve their ambitions. Linda Hampton, mother of a student in the original sixth grade class, encouraged the parents of the third graders to get involved. "This program will allow my son to become a good and productive person," she said. Diane Weiss instructed the thrid-graders to "take this football and run with it as far as you can go because we have a goal, winning, getting a college education." Superintendent Clayton gave the class her own present, an oversized diploma representing the students' "first touchdown." The diploma proclaimed that the third graders will complete their high school education. In addition to matching donors and classes, the Say Yes to Education program sponsors trips to various universities to show the students what college is like. University of Hartford President Humphrey Tonkin told the audience that the "Say Yes family" is expanding to his city. Tonkin, Hackney and the Weiss's were preparing to fly to Hartford yesterday to announce a sponsorhip there.
(10/11/90 9:00am)
The Undergraduate Assembly unanimously passed a resolution last night demanding that the University recall an acquaintance rape brochure published and distributed this fall. The resolution states that the brochure, published by the Office of the Senior Vice President, uses "victim-blaming language" and does not discuss the issue of acquaintance rape directly. College senior Carla Hutton, who is not a UA member but drafted the resolution, condemned the pamphlet, because it addresses the friend of a rape survivor. Hutton said that this approach buys "into the myth that rape can't happen to them." Hutton, co-chairperson of the Women's Leadership Network, also disputed the use of the "key and keyhole" illustration which dominates the inside page of the pamphlet, saying that it has phallic implications. "As an education tool, it fails in every way, shape and form," Hutton said during the meeting. "Hopefully they will take into account the fact that when dealing with the issue that so much revolves around students, they need to take student input into account," Hutton said last night. Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson said yesterday at a University Council meeting that few students were involved in the the brochure's production because administrators worked on it over the summer to get it out to "vulnerable" first-year women as quickly as possible. She also said rape survivors helped produce the brochure. She added that the brochure is a first step and that the administration is planning to work with STAAR on revising it. In other business, the UA discussed changing the name of the Oriental Studies Department to Asian Studies. United Minority Council Vice Chairperson John Shu proposed the move, and also chastised the department for failing to employ any full-time Asian faculty, adding that a "qualified Asian perspective is needed." Shu called on the UA, the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education and the UMC to join together to address the issue. The UA also unanimously passed a resolution to form a joint committee between the UA and SCUE to study the need for increased classroom space at the University. The resolution says that the availability and condition of classrooms at the University is currently "deteriorating." The UA also discussed students' problems in receiving mail in the Quadrangle. UA member Alexander Lloyd said last night several UA members will go to President Sheldon Hackney's office this morning to bring the issue to his attention. "If delivering mail is essential to the federal government, than it should be essential to the University," College senior Lloyd said.
(10/05/90 9:00am)
Two University Television producers who were fired after they drank tequila, showed photographs of nude men and women and discussed oral sex on the air, claimed yesterday that UTV officials had approved the content of their show before it aired. Fumo and Rothstein, the two hosts of the show, said that UTV Production Manager Kirk Marcolina approved an outline of the program on September 13, two-and-a-half weeks before it aired. "His only problem was that we were only showing a [nude] female," Fumo said. "He advised us to show a male centerfold also." Marcolina said last night that he approved a plan for the show in advance, but was shocked when he viewed a video tape of the program several hours after it aired Tuesday. "I realized that things had gotten out of hand on the show," Marcolina said. "Immediately after I saw the show, I called [Station Manager Diane Rekstad] and asked to have an executive board meeting to discuss what action should be taken." Fumo and Rothstein also said they described the program to the entire UTV staff during a general meeting on September 18, indicating that it would contain nudity as a promotional gimmick. Rekstad acknowledged yesterday that station officials had approved moderate drinking and the display of one nude photograph of a woman if a nude photograph of a man was also displayed. But Rekstad said the show went "way beyond" any outline that station officials might have approved and violated long-standing UTV rules against programs containing material that is "degrading, dehumanizing or blatantly offensive." "They showed a picture of a 300-pound woman," Rekstad said. "We knew the format, but we didn't know it would get into the vulgarity that it got into. They took it too far. It made reference to JAPs and Jewish women. We found it was harassing." Rekstad said the show was canceled because of the content, but the student producers were fired because their behavior recklessly endangered station equipment. "They drank excessively," Rekstad said. "Vince took about 10 tequila shots. You could tell that they were drunk. They were throwing microphones. How could we trust them with our thousands of dollars of equipment?" "We don't kick people out just because their show is offensive," she added. But not everyone at UTV agreed that the students should have been dismissed. College junior Robby Koeppel, producer of the station's Dating Connections, said last night that the students were being "unfairly treated," adding that they were just exercising their rights of free speech. "They did a disclaimer," Koeppel said. "If there is something that grosses me out on PBS, I turn it off." Fumo, who is the son of high-ranking Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Fumo (D-Phila.), said yesterday that he does not think he and Rothstein did anything wrong. "I adamantly believe that the station mangers were aware of what we were going to broadcast and they hung us out to dry," Fumo said. In the future, Rekstad said UTV officials will sit in on any live program which might have offensive material and will pull the plug if the show crosses the line between humor and degradation. "This is the first time we censored any show," Rekstad said. "We just assumed that people knew where the lines were. In the future, if it's a new live show and we're not sure what it's going to include, we'll be there monitoring it."
(09/28/90 9:00am)
Last February it took editors of The Vision over nine hours to lay out the very first edition of their newspaper. But for the more experienced staff set to release its first issue of the semester next Monday, final production is just a short evening's work. As the campus's black student newspaper begins its second semester of publication, staff members say that they expect the publication to be a stronger force this year, and that The Vision is here to stay. The monthly newspaper was formed last January by then-College sophomores Harold Ford and Altoine Scarborough so that black students would have a forum in which to address the issues important to them. Ford, who is continuing as the paper's managing editor this semester, said last week that the publication "is there to articulate and reflect the concerns of the African-American community to everyone." The Vision, which came out three times last semester, is currently the only minority campus newspaper. Two other papers, The Voice and The New Voice, were last seen in the mid-1980s. Wharton senior Gabrielle Glore, The Vision's new editor-in-chief, said last week that although the newspaper's main emphasis is not on creating racial harmony on campus, she hopes that the paper will help non-black readers understand the issues important to black students. She said the paper can be used as a tool for understanding the differences between groups of people on campus. Glore also said the paper helps the black community to address issues openly and to strengthen bonds. She added that she is confident that it will remain a permanent part of the University. The 2000 copies of the first issue will be distributed to University buildings and to all West Campus residences and dining halls. Several black students said The Vision fills a void which they previously felt in their community. "African-American concerns written by African-American students have never been addressed in the DP and that is important," College senior Thomas said. "A lot of times it [The Vision] may not appeal to large proportions of the University population and people may take the stories for granted if they are written for the DP." And College junior Marcella Goodridge said this week that the paper "makes us as a community more recognized, more seen, more known as a force at Penn." "The DP is okay in terms of general information," Goodridge added. "But I think every ethnic group should have a paper to express their individual thoughts." And Wharton senior Stephanie McNeal said she thinks the newspaper is essential for black students because "some things are more important to the African-American community, but not to the University as a whole." While some non-black students said they do not understand the black community's need for a separate newspaper, others said they support The Vision's effort to publish black students' goals and ideas. "I would like to read [The Vision] to have a better understanding of the needs of black students on campus and what they as a community want to do," College junior Denise Wolf said this week.
(09/27/90 9:00am)
and DANIEL SCHWARTZ Students who subscribe to local and national newspapers will no longer have the luxury of a paper on their doorstep and will instead have to use a drop-box system. In addition, the Wharton junior said that Penn News -- which delivers newspapers to approximately 1000 students -- will probably cancel door-to-door service to virtually all campus dormitories and off-campus residences later this semester. Stanley said that the changes are necessary due to rising delivery costs as well as the increasing amount of newspaper thefts. "I know they are going to be upset, but we are doing our best to keep it," Stanley said last night. The new drop boxes would dispense newspapers to customers who enter a numerical access code. The change will also affect some off-campus residents who use Penn News to deliver their papers. These deliveries will be transfered for the newspapers to handle themselves. Stanley said the Penn News managers will contact all subscribers this weekend and offer to cancel their subscriptions with no penalty. He added though that if 40 percent of the students cancel, all delivery on campus will be halted immediately. The final decision to cancel doorstep deliveries will be made by this weekend, pending negotiations with The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Wall Street Journal. Stanley added that it was unlikely that any resolution could be reached. The Penn News manager said that although it will be impossible for Penn News to stop theft from the new drop boxes, there will be different numerical combinations for Sunday and weekday newspapers. "I hope students who subscribe [to newspapers] in the Quad will think of themselves as a closed community and as paid customers and will not give out their combinations," he said. Penn News also estimates that 20 percent of the subscribers will not pick up their papers on any given day, Stanley added, and so thefts would not dramatically deplete the supply. Since Penn News' separation from Penn Student Agencies over the summer, the delivery organization has run into several financial and operational difficulties. Stanley said the decision to cancel doorstep delivery is due to the increased cost of vans used for delivery. In most businesses, companies cover rising costs by raising their prices. However, the newspapers forbid the agency to increase prices. Stanley said last night that Penn News received permission from the Department of Residential Living to set up the drop boxes in all campus dormitories except the Quadrangle -- though the decision on the South Campus residence has not yet been finalized. South Campus Assistant Director David Heary said yesterday afternoon that the proposed drop boxes must meet certain space and aesthetic requirements, adding that Residential Living would like to preserve the historic beauty of the Quadrangle. Several students expressed their anger with the change last night. Disgruntled College freshman Andrew Eisenstein said that he "will stop [his] subscription," saying that without doorstep deliveries, Penn News' service is pointless. "What's the point of dealing with Penn News if I have to go down to the Quad gate every morning to get my paper," Eisenstein said. "I might as well buy it at Wawa." College sophomore Michael Clark said that "the service has been poor. I've had my papers stolen before." Clark added that cancellation of door to door service leaves him feeling "duped." Penn News will also be forced to fire 10 of the 15 students it currently employs as deliverers.
(09/25/90 9:00am)
Capital Campaign Director Brodie Remington probably did not learn his skill of soliciting donations during his years as a History graduate student at the University. But Remington apparently learned very quickly once he joined the ranks of the Development Office. "His assurance and skills have developed at an accelerating rate," said History Professor Lee Benson, who worked with Remington in his graduate days. "He has become a splendid advocate for the institution." And as Remington prepares to assume his new post of vice president for public affairs and development at the University of Oregon, he leaves the legacy of a successful career. Over the past 16 years in the development office, he has helped garner millions for the University. After graduating from the University of Rochester with a degree in history, the New Jersey native enrolled at the University in 1970. He joined the development office four years later and never left. The 41-year-old father of two said he has stayed at the University because of its people, its energy and its sense of progress. Administrators said yesterday that they were happy for Remington, but regretted his departure from the University. "Brodie's leaving is a major loss for the University," Provost Michael Aiken said. "His deep understanding of the nature of the University and its needs for the future will be sorely missed. Yet it is a wonderful opportunity for him." "You can never overestimate the level of contribution he has made to the campaign," Vice President for Development Rick Nahm said. "He knows the University of Pennsylvania very well and he gets along with everyone, which is a combination that's rare." "He'll be a great success if he can keep his mind on work and not on all that you can do in Oregon," Nahm added. "Like skiing and horseback riding." Although Remington said he is looking forward to joining the population of Eugene, Oregon, he added that he will miss the University and its people. "I'll always be a Red and Blue alum," he said.
(09/20/90 9:00am)
Thanks to an anonymous University graduate, 6400 students last year got the chance to forge better relationships with their often-distant professors -- and even sample some of their teachers cooking. For years, faculty members have invited groups of students to their homes to taste a home-cooked meal or chat over coffee. And in 1983, President Sheldon Hackney helped make those get-togethers a little easier -- and cheaper -- by establishing the President's Fund for Student-Faculty Interaction with an unrestricted gift from an anonymous donor. The fund provides teachers with money to entertain students for lunch, dinner, or a snack to the tune of $6 per student for dinner and $4 for lunch. But the money is not just for food -- professors have also used it for class presentations. Since 1983, faculty members have dipped into the fund 1507 times. Last year teachers set a record, using the fund 271 times -- $27,8449 worth. Faculty members may use the fund only once a semester. German professor Francis Brevart, who used the fund for a dinner with his students, said that his wife was so enthusiastic when he brought students home -- she treated them "as we treat kings" -- that he was forced to take them out to a restaurant instead. The closer relationship that developed between Brevart and his students as a result of these dinners brought immediate rewards in the classroom, the professor said. Knowing the students personally "made work in the classroom pleasant," and students began to speak out in class and attend more office hours. "This is unkown at my other universities," said Brevart, who has also taught in Canada and Germany. "I speak to other colleagues, and these programs don't exist." "I never had this when I studied -- they were gods and we were the rabble," he added. Student Life Director Francine Walker said that the "major users" of the fund are those professors with relatively small classes. Walker said that hundreds of faculty members entertain students on a personal level, but not all of them use the fund. She said the fund supports faculty members who had been bringing students into their homes for years, but often found the cost prohibitive. She said that last year an equal number of graduate and undergraduate students benefited from the fund. Last fall, Law School Dean Colin Diver invited his first-year Torts class -- 110 students -- to his home for a catered dinner. He said programs such as the President's Fund, which reimbursed him $660 for the event, help release some of the anxiety that first-year law students often feel. "The first year can be a scary experience," Diver said. The Law School dean said that many law professors entertain small groups of students. (****EDS NOTE - CORRECTION - Professor should be Paul Korshin) English professor Howard Kaufold said he entertains students several times each year, although he can use the fund only once. Kaufold hosted a lunch last May during Peak Week for his students from the last 25 years. Kaufold, who teaches Madness in Literature, has in the past invited his entire lecture class to a reception, and even invites large classes to his home. "A barbeque is a good idea," Kaufold said. "I always do the cooking. Heaven knows they all eat it." Entertaining students is a two-way street for Kaufold, who said that students often reciprocate by taking him out to lunch. "I get booked up to six weeks," said Kaufold. He said he eats a Reuben sandwich almost every day during the term. Kaufold said that former Education Secretary William Bennett criticized the program when he visited the University calling it frivolous and a way for professors to fraudulantly earn extra money. He said the $6 per student for dinner "doesn't cover a whole lot," but "it gives a respectable reimbursement."
(09/19/90 9:00am)
The alleged 1983 gang rape of a University student at the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity has returned to campus debate after the release of a University professor's analysis of the incident and of fraternities as a whole. Anthropology Professor Peggy Reeves Sanday's latest book, Fraternity Gang Rape: Sex, Brotherhood and Privilege on Campus, examines cases in which fraternity brothers in small groups attempt to dominate women by "pulling train," or gang-raping them. Several faculty members called the book an excellent analysis of fraternity culture and Womens Center Director Elena Dilapi called Sanday's work "the book to read" at the University. And although some fraternity members acknowledged that many of the events in Fraternity Gang Rape did occur, most say the book portrays a system of the past. Some members criticized Sanday for trying to inflame passions with her book. Sanday writes in her introduction that she is bound by professional ethics not to reveal the location of her study. However, several references in the book make it clear that Sanday is describing the University, including details about Locust Walk, the high rises, and even the modern-art sculptures which dot the campus. The anthropology professor describes incidents in specific houses using pseudonyms and in most cases does not give distinguishing characteristics of the houses. The alleged 1983 gang rape is attributed to the "XYZ" fraternity, but it is clear that the incident occured at ATO because of the citations and supporting evidence she uses. Sanday also says the case has received too much publicity to be truly disguised. Sanday uses personal, legal and journalistic accounts of the ATO rapes from the night of the crime to ATO's final eviction from campus nearly one year later. She also uses documented studies in anthropology and other social sciences. Sanday and members of her staff interviewed the victim, whom she calls Laurel, members of ATO and other University fraternities, and two other women who had contact with ATO. The book focuses on the initiation process, containing graphic accounts of the initiation of two fraternity brothers interviewed by Sanday's research staff. According to accounts in the text, brothers first attempt to cleanse pledges of their weak "femininity" during initiation. After the pledges are "cleansed," the brothers test their loyalty to the fraternity and attempt to prove their strength. Sanday writes that as part of one man's "cleansing," the brothers forced the pledges to stand nude from the waist down while brothers degraded their penises and coated the pledges' testes using Ben-Gay and a basting brush. The book also says that the brothers concocted a drink containing sour milk, hot peppers and rotten squid for the pledges to drink and subsequently vomit. Afterwards, the brothers forced them to clean up the mess they made. Sanday's premise is that men do not inherently seek to rape women. She asserts that during pledging men are conditioned to downgrade women because older fraternity brothers try to destroy pledges' feminine traits. Sanday argues that gang rape is an expression of male sexual domination and that fraternity brothers judge their self-worth by the number of women they have sex with. She says the brothers bring women to near unconsciousness with alcohol and put them into inherently coercive situations. Using the ATO incident as a springboard, Sanday concludes that gang rapes are the result of brothers' "working a yes out" -- pressuring women to change their "no" to a "yes." She also says the brothers receive satisfaction for both their homosexual and heterosexual desires during a gang rape. (****EDS NOTE: Clarification - Kinsella said that the system MAY have showed a system of the past...) Interfraternity Council President Bret Kinsella said yesterday that Sanday's book accurately shows a fraternity system of the past, but said the University's fraternity system has sought to eradicate the problems Sanday traces out. Kinsella, who said that he has not read the whole book, said yesterday that the IFC has moved closer to solving problems such as alcohol abuse and acquaintance rape. He said the IFC now requires each fraternity to have a "social awareness chairman," who works to educate brothers about such issues. "As a Greek system we have taken several steps in the past three years to deal with the issues forwarded by Sanday which seem to be so prevalent in our society," Kinsella said. "I think the issues she deals with are far too serious to ignore, but we have attempted to deal with [them]." Kinsella refused to comment on specific incidents in the book and did not say whether initiation practices criticized by Sanday are still used. Beta Theta Pi brother David Wessells said that Sanday is both too general and too critical in her evaluation of fraternities, adding that incidents such as the ATO rapes are "isolated." "Too many times Professor Sanday implies the fraternity system is the cause of sexual abuse on campus," Wessels said. "[Unless] feminists such as Sanday begin to offer solutions and advice rather than antagonize the situation, the campus will continue to grow more and more divided." Current ATO President Nick Lobaccaro did not return repeated phone calls. Women's Center Director DiLapi said yesterday that "Fraternity Gang Rape" can help both men and women solve problems of abuse of women. "With understanding [about fraternity practices], . . . we can look to a future that doesn't hate women so much and doesn't perpetuate crimes against women," DiLapi said. Dilapi said she believes the fraternity system will be able to change in positive ways. Microbiology Professor Helen Davies called Sanday "a brilliant anthropologist" and said the book contributes knowlege to both the University and the academic world about the fraternity culture. "It's going to be a very important anthropological research book because she's gone to the source of the information -- the people," Davies said yesterday. "It gives us a perspective that people haven't had before." DiLapi said she thinks the details of both the rape and the initiation will not in themselves incite women. "I am sure that there will be men on this campus who will be as outraged as women," DiLapi said. "It is my hope that those men will join with us."
(09/18/90 9:00am)
Angry that funding for the Student Activities Council has not increased relative to inflation and tuition hikes, SAC leaders said they are preparing to fight the administration for more money. SAC Chairperson Sue Moss said yesterday that while tuition increased over 7.2 percent last year, the SAC working budget rose by one percent, which she said could leave many student clubs and organizations underfunded. Moss said SAC, an umbrella organization which allocates money to over 160 student groups, needs substantial increases in funding to meet rising costs in advertising, printing and facilities. She added that SAC is already "slowing down" its funding and clubs are "starting to feel the pinch." "Because funding is not there, student life is being sacrificed," Moss said yesterday. "Activities must be adequately funded to account for increasing cost everywhere." But Student Life Director Francine Walker said last night that total student government funds have kept pace with increases in the general fee, adding that some funds have shifted from SAC to the newly-formed Student Planning and Events Committee. Walker said that the funding shift was approved by student government members, including SAC members. Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson said last night that because of the formation of SPEC, SAC will not receive any more funds. Moss said that SPEC and SAC have a separate purpose, adding that the money allotted to SPEC should not be subtracted from the SAC budget. "Regardless of how much money goes to SPEC, the clubs and organizations funded by SAC have certain needs and those needs have to be adequately funded," Moss said. "Just because SPEC exists does not mean that the funding for those clubs should be affected." VPUL Morrisson said the administration is committed to increasing student activity funding but that the increases must keep pace with hikes in the general fee. "There are limitations in terms of fee increases," Morrisson said. "There is no other money to reallocate." According to Assistant Student Life Director Albert Moore, SAC's working budget last year was $543,000. He said this academic year's budget is $548,000. Moss said she is drafting a proposal critizing the administration's funding policies which she will present to the entire SAC body in October. The SAC chairperson added that if SAC members back her proposal, SAC will implement extensive lobbying efforts to receive more money from the administration. SAC Vice Chairperson Greg Shufro, a College senior, said the administration failed to provide sufficient funds for extracurricular activities and does not listen to student requests for more money. "It seems to me, at least in my experience and many student's experiences, students activities on campus are an extremely valuable part of the college education and it seems narrow-minded of the administration to neglect such a vital part of our education," he said. "It is frustrating to find ourselves without a true voice within the administration to increase funding when we know how much worthwhile student activities are proposed to SAC."
(09/17/90 9:00am)
A University student was shot just above the right eye with a BB or pellet gun early Sunday morning at 40th and Walnut streets, University Police said yesterday. Police officials said the student was walking in front of McDonald's restaurant at 1:55 a.m. when he was struck above the eye with a small object. "We assume it was a BB or a pellet-type projectile," Sergeant Thomas Messner said. Messner said neither the student nor the police know where the shot came from. He was then transfered to the Shea Eye Institute for further treatment. Messner said police expected him to stay there through today. He declined to give the student's name because his parents have not yet been notified. Police had no further details on the incident. The incident was the most serious crime reported to University police over the weekend, but police also responded to several burglaries and a fire. A male student reported that two males robbed him of $70 and an automatic teller card at 3:36 a.m. Sunday on the 4300 block of Larchmont Avenue. A graduate student reported that one male assailant robbed him of $22 at midnight Saturday on the 4500 block of Spruce Street. The student said he was grabbed and threatened and then the assailant forcibly removed his wallet from his pocket. Messner said police also responded to a burglary at the Class of 1925/Modern Languages House dormitory. He said a telephone and jewelry were taken from a room. Police also responded to a burglar alarm at the University Bookstore's Computer Connection and found the west window broken at 5:19 a.m. Sunday. Police have made no arrests and have no suspects for any of these crimes. Police also responded to a fire in High Rise South at 3:30 a.m. Sunday. Messner said someone apparently lit a hallway bulletin board on fire. The Philadelphia Fire Department responded and the fire was put out before it caused significant damage. Messner said police considered the fire "extremely dangerous." He warned that if police find the person responsible he or she could face expulsion and will be prosecuted.
(09/11/90 9:00am)
Greek reaction to Hackney statement mixed Greek reaction to the president's announcement about the future of the Psi Upsilon house split along gender lines yesterday as fraternities criticized and sororities lauded the move. President Sheldon Hackney announced Friday night that next semester a non-fraternity group of students will be housed in the Castle, located at 36th Street and Locust Walk. The move marks the administration's first step to diversify the Walk. Several fraternity members said that while they support bringing a more diverse student population to residences on the Walk, they were dismayed by the announcement which eliminated all fraternities from the running for the Castle house. Kappa Alpha Psi President Lerone Sidberry, a Wharton senior, said that Hackney's plans to diversify the Walk unfairly discriminates against black fraternities. "I'd like to see the walk diversified, be it a sorority, or a Latino organization, or something other than a white fraternity on the Walk," Sidberry said. "By [Hackney] excluding all fraternities from the Castle, he seems to have killed the hopes for a black fraternity on Locust Walk." But sorority members, who are still in the running to live in the facility, said they were excited by the president's statement. And Chi Omega President Kelly Christie said last night that her group would love to move in. "This vacancy affords the opportunity for the University to provide a safe and viable housing option for women at the center of campus," said Christie, a College senior. "As a diverse group of women, Chi Omega would be pleased to begin the trend of diversifying the Walk." Interfraternity Council President Bret Kinsella said last night that while the IFC fully supports diversifying the Walk, he is disappointed that Hackney has denied fraternities a chance to live in the Castle. "I see it as unfortunate that Dr. Hackney seems to have categorically excluded fraternities from the opportunity to reside in the Castle," Kinsella said. Several fraternity members said they hope moves to diversify the Walk will not include any relocations of current Locust Walk fraternities. Pi Lambda Phi house manager Daryl Michalak said he does not think any current Walk fraternities should be punished in the efforts to diversify residents of the area. "I don't believe we should randomly kick off fraternities," he said. "It's an accident that Locust Walk was the center of campus." Theta Xi member Jason Soslow, a College senior, said that he does not object to a non-fraternity group moving into the Castle. But he said he sees the administration's interest in diversifying the Walk as an image-boosting campaign. "The administration has funny ideas about the center of campus and its hopes for it," Soslow said. "Over the past 15 years, the University has spent a lot of money to increase ratings in certain polls, and a major goal is to eliminate negative press." Several fraternity and sorority members expressed support for Hackney's statement that he would consider relocating office space to make it possible for a large concentration of students to live on the Walk. Beta Theta Pi brother David Benditt, a College sophomore, said clearing out offices for student housing would be an "easy solution" to diversifying the Walk. But he said he does not think most people are irritated by the present make-up of Locust Walk. "My personal belief is that the president is feeling a lot of pressure [to deny fraternities the opportunity to live in the Castle]," Benditt said. "Personally, it's not irking me that Locust Walk is not diverse."
(04/18/90 9:00am)
Over 400 fraternity members marched in silent protest to President Sheldon Hackney's house last night to present demands regarding the president's proposal to increase the diversity of students living on Locust Walk. Interfraternity Council President Bret Kinsella read a resolution calling for Hackney to include fraternity members on the committee which will formulate proposals for diversifying Locust Walk. The resolution also called on Hackney to prevent any fraternities from being relocated without "due process" in the University judicial system. Hackney announced his intensions to increase the representation of women and minority students on Locust Walk at a University Council meeting last week. In a separate statement last night, the IFC criticized the administration for what it said is the University's lack of recognition of fraternity contributions. The statement said that the administration has not fulfilled its "self-assumed obligation to advocate the Greek system." In the 40-minute protest, the fraternity members gathered on College Green at 10 p.m. and walked down Locust Walk to Hackney's residence in the 3800 block of Walnut, where they gathered for more than 10 minutes. Hackney came outside to listen to the group's demands, and spoke with several IFC leaders before re-entering his house. According to Kinsella, the IFC unanimously decided to hold the protest at a meeting yesterday evening. IFC Vice President David Hecht called the rally "the greatest thing we've done in the Greek system in 10 years." Hackney said last night that the his proposal to diversify the Walk is "not an attack on fraternities or the fraternity system, but a statement of a goal for diversity on the Walk." The president added that fraternities would be represented on the committee to diversify the Walk, which he said will be appointed in the "next couple of weeks." The committee will be headed by Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson and Mechanical Engineering Chairperson David Pope. According to Hecht, the number of fraternity members who participated in the protest demonstrates the IFC's influence and unity. Kinsella said that he was pleased with Hackney's response to the fraternities' demands, adding that the he expects the administration to continue to be receptive to fraternity input. "We feel that we are in a partnership with the University and I think that the University, with a little encouragement, will cooperate with us in the future," Kinsella said. "We are seeking a commitment from the president and we would like his support in recognizing the progress the fraternity system has made." Hackney said that he was impressed with the manner in which the protesters presented their demands, adding that "I appreciated the decorum of the group."
(04/18/90 9:00am)
First lady Barbara Bush and actor Bill Cosby are two of 11 luminaries who will receive honorary degrees from the University at the May 14 Commencement exercises. Bush, who will deliver the Commencement address to the nearly 5000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students receiving degrees, serves as honorary chairperson of several literacy organizations as well as chairs her own organization, the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. Cosby is the star of The Cosby Show and author of three books. He is a Philadelphia native. The other degree recipients will be: · Nobel Prize winner Baruch Blumberg, who identified the virus responsible for hepatitis-B and is currently a University Professor of Medicine and Anthropology. · University Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Professor Raymond Davis, known for his neutrino research · Mathematician Izrail Moiseevich Gel'fand · Primatologist Jane Goodall · Former Surgeon General and former Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Surgeon-in-Chief C. Everett Koop · Sony Corporation Chairperson and founder Akio Morita · Botanist Sir David Smith, who heads the University of Edinburgh · Planned Parenthood Federation of America President Faye Wattleton · Soviet economist Tatyana Zaskavskya, who directs the All-Union Center for Public Opinion Research on Soviet and Economic Problems. The Trustees Honorary Degrees Committee makes the final selections for the awards. The Trustees may add to a list of recommendations submitted by a University Council committee. This year's final list includes three minority members and four women. Students and faculty members have criticized the honorary degree selection in the past for not including a sufficient number of minorities and women. Mathematics Professor Peter Freyd, chairperson of the Council committee, said last night that he believes that "each choice individually is a fine choice," but added that he "could imagine someone objecting to the list as a whole." Freyd criticized the honorary degree process, saying the Trustees hold too much power over the final decisions. The Mathematics professor also said that a trend has emerged over the past several years in which fewer than one-half of honorary degree recipients come through the academic process. He added that a large number of Charter Trustees have received honorary degrees during their terms. Freyd said that members of the Council committee feel that the degree process needs review, adding that he thinks the Trustees and Council committees should make the selections jointly. "I am thinking there better be a very intense discussion in summer," Freyd said. "There's the strong feeling that this distinction [between the committees] should not even exist in the future . . . It needs to be a joint process." The Mathematics professor also said that this year, the Trustees made the final decisions in a one-hour conference phone call. Faculty Senate Chairperson Robert Davies last night declined to comment on this year's selections, saying that he did not consider it appropriate to discuss the recipients, but added that he sees "good reasons why each one of them deserve the degree." Davies added that he believes there needs to be discussion of the selection process, saying that "several faculty members have expressed extreme dissatisfaction with the way honorary degrees have been selected at this University and feel changes are necessary." Graduate Student Associations Council Chairperson Elizabeth Hunt, who served on the Council committee, said last night that the process needs to be reviewed, adding that the selection of recipients at times appeared to be a matter of resumes.
(04/18/90 9:00am)
University admissions officers love to talk about the "Cookie Queen." Although the option to create something interesting with an eight-and-a-half by 11-inch piece of paper has been removed from the University's application this year, admissions officers said this week that they can easily recall several unusual applications to the Class of 1994. And one of the most memorable, according to Christoph Guttentag, director of staff for undergraduate admissions, was the early application of the the girl who admissions officers called the "Cookie Queen" -- Virginia high school senior Elizabeth Brinton, who appeared in several national magazines including People when she was 14 years old after selling the most boxes of Girl Scout cookies in the nation -- over 16,000 in one month. With her application, Brinton sent a portfolio of articles written about her, some showing her with former President Ronald Reagan, to whom she said she had sold boxes of cookies. She also said she sold cookies to then-Vice President George Bush. The fact that Brinton sold cookies to these customers showed that she had a knack for "persistence," Guttentag said, but that type of feat alone does not qualify such "compelling candidates" for admission. "No matter how special these people are, there's absolutely no question that they are completely qualified to do the work," Guttentag said of the accepted applicants. Another memorable application came from former tennis star Kathleen Horvath, who beat Martina Navratilova in the 1983 French Open. Horvath recently ended her career, during which she had earned over half a million dollars, to attend college. The 24-year-old Floridian applied to the University early decision and was accepted, but not on her tennis merit alone. According to a November 1989 article in the St. Petersburg Times Horvath had numerous academic accomplishments including achieving a score of 1300 on her Scholastic Aptitude Test the first time she took it. "I'd had enough," Horvath said yesterday of her tennis career. "I'd always wanted to go [to college] sooner or later." "I figured, well, I'll go to Stanford or Harvard, and then I realized I wanted to be on the East Coast, but [when I visited] I couldn't stand the attitude at Yale and Harvard," Horvath said. Horvath, who said she is interested in going to medical school, said she found the people at the University very "friendly" and "enthusiastic," while at Harvard's information session, "this guy was just sitting there going, 'well, I had a great time a Harvard'. He had no personality." Horvath said that though she wants to be involved with tennis at the University, NCAA rules forbid her from playing on the team because she was a professional. Another athlete, a Latin American triathalon champion from Brazil who received all 'A's except one in the last three years of high school, was also admitted, but said she is uncertain about whether she will attend. And there were many more applications from unusual or outstanding students. One came from the county champion capon raiser in a rural Pennsylvania county. Other "special" candidates, according to Guttentag, included the leading male rider of the National Equestrial Team for the United Arab Emirates; a student who started his own ecology club in school, began a recycling program, and ended up having his program used as the plan for the entire state of Tennessee; a Californian who is ranked third in the nation for fencing in the under-20 category; and a student who has been building houses for the poor with the Habitat for Humanity organization. Notably absent from Guttentag's pile of memorable applications were students from famous families. Although Guttentag said that some may attend, "in the end, we evaluate them on their own accomplishments rather than the accomplishments of someone they are related to." He did admit, however, that applicants with famous names might at first "get a closer look." Guttentag said that the admissions office holds programs all over the country for prospective applicants and matriculants. Two will be held in Illinois today, he said, and two were held in Florida over the weekend. "Sometimes we find them, sometimes they find us," Guttentag said. Though students sometimes in their applications are "afraid of coming on too strong" and appear to brag, Guttentag said, the admissions office advises against not revealing a good deed. "It's one thing to not sound conceited, but it's something very different to not share an accomplishment," Guttentag said.
(04/17/90 9:00am)
Ten years ago, Sally Hammerman's friends convinced her to take a pattern-making class at the Arts League, a small school two blocks from the University that offers courses in everything from pottery and jazz dance to tarot-card reading. The hobby soon became an occupation for Hammerman, who now works as a fashion designer and comes back to the school to teach her craft. But many who take her class at the Arts League do not intend to make a career out of dressmaking, she said. Most are just interested in making their own clothes. "Some clothes in stores cost thousands of dollars," she said. "If you make them yourself, you get exactly what you want and what fits you." For some of the 450 to 500 students who take classes there each term, the ceramics workshops, dance studios and darkrooms of the Arts League provide an outlet for hidden creative urges. For others, they are a springboard for a leap into a new career. Like the dresses that students make in Hammerman's classes, the building at 4226 Spruce Street that clothes the Arts League fits it well. Except for the signs in the windows, the Arts League looks just like the other old houses in the tree-lined block of Spruce Street. But inside, the wooden floors creak, and even the bathrooms look antique. Each stairway is narrower than the last, but the rooms on the fourth floor are as large as those on the second. The building is unique, very much like the school that occupies it. Gifts for Your Friends First-year University Medical School student Cindy Weinbaum, who takes pottery classes on Tuesday nights, is one of those students who uses the Arts League classes as a creative outlet. "It was very different from medical school," she said. "What I really like best is the opportunity to be creative." Weinbaum said that in addition to attending her course, she goes to the school on her own three times a week. She said that the course fee, about $100, includes paints, glazes, studio hours and 25 pounds of clay. "The great thing about pottery is that you end up with gifts for all your friends," Weinbaum said. Many of the Arts League teachers are professional artists who teach at the school in addition to their regular work in studios and darkrooms. Instructor Jennifer Hook, who got her graduate degree in painting from the University in 1989, said that she first became involved with the school during a fund-raising activity. Hook, an illustrator for the University Museum, said she helped a friend who worked in the ceramics department make commemorative mugs to raise money so that the Arts League would not have to sell its building. She said she decided soon after to teach a course at the school. "I wasn't thinking about teaching, I was just having some fun," she said of her original involvement with the Arts League. The school's teachers said they enjoy their classes immensely. Fran Scott, a full-time studio artist who started teaching pottery classes 20 years ago, said that the Arts League was "part of [her] neighborhood." Medical School student Weinbaum, who is one of Scott's students, described her teacher as "this hysterical woman who loves anything anybody makes." Commercial photographer John Mahoney manages the Arts League darkroom and teaches photography classes at the school. "Once people have the basic equipment, which is a camera, they can get started," he said. And University physics graduate student Kelly Ray, who serves on the Arts League's education board, shares his love of dance with students in his two swing dancing classes. Ray said he became involved with the school several years ago when he convinced a female friend who did not know how to dance to sign up for a class in ballroom dancing, which he took with her. When the class' teacher discovered that Ray "knew as much if not more than she did," she suggested that he teach a class. And when she left a year later, the school asked Ray to join the staff. Ray has taught courses in dancing to disco and rock music, and currently teaches ballroom and swing dancing, in which he said there is a "revival of interest." Ray helped organize the upcoming May Fair at Clark Park and an upcoming church auction, which will be held April 28. 'Publicity Saved It' The Arts League's status has not always been as stable as the old building in which it is housed. In January, the Arts League had to push its fundraising efforts beyond the usual pottery sales and donation solicitation, raising $20,000 in two months. According to Arts League President Tom Hutchinson, the school "came close to closing down, but the publicity saved it." Students and instructors said they believe that the Arts League is well worth the money that supports it, because it is a valuable asset to the community. "There is very much a need to accumulate and have available the various resources." Hammerman said, adding that people who have an interest in the arts "need to be in contact with each other." And dance instructor Ray said that the Arts League "provides a nice place for people in the community to get together and do things right in the community." Past Life Workshop In addition to the traditional creative arts, the Arts League will also sponsor several upcoming workshops. Among them are a "past life workshop" on April 22 in which students will "get the opportunity to explore three past lifetimes through the process of group regression" and examine "past hurts that block you from living to your full potential." A May 20 "crystals and colors" workshop will help students "create a mandala based on the crystals and colors which best attract and represent you."
(04/17/90 9:00am)
The administration's announcement that first lady Barbara Bush will speak at the May 14 Commencement elicited mixed student reaction -- ranging from sharp criticism to indifference. Bush, who will address the approximately 5000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students receiving degrees, is noted for her work as an advocate of increasing literacy. She serves as the honorary chairperson of several national literacy organizations and chairs her own group, the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. Assistant to the President William Epstein said Sunday that Bush was the University's first choice for Commencement speaker. But several University students said they were disappointed with the choice of Bush, saying that although she is not a "bad choice," they would have preferred a more "prestigious" speaker. Neufeld added that he would have preferred Ivy Day speaker and former Philadelphia 76er Julius Erving, also known as "Dr. J.," to be this year's Commencement speaker. "Not only would he have been great because he's been very successful, but because Penn has been perceived as separate from the rest of the community," Neufeld said. "It would have been a good chance for the University to make a step towards playing a broader role in the city and in being a city leader." College senior Jordan Bernstein said yesterday that he was "a little disappointed" that the University had named Bush as this year's speaker. "I don't think she's known for her dynamic speaking abilities," Bernstein said. "I think the University was trying to get a big name. They got a name, but it's just the wrong name." And Engineering senior Mark Onufrak said that he would prefer that a distinguished University alumnus speak at Commencement. He added that although Bush has been involved in several activities, "so has every first lady." "If you had a female speaker who got to be where she was because of what she did rather than because she's the wife of the President, it would be better in terms of a role model," Onufrak said. Bush has also agreed to speak at Wellesley College's June commencement excercises, and students there petitioned against her selection. According to Wellesley News Editor-in-Chief Angie Garling, approximately 150 of the school's 2200 students signed the statement. "To honor Mrs. Bush as a commencement speaker is to honor a woman who has gained recognition through the achievements of her husband, which contradicts what we have been taught over [our] years at Wellesley," the petition reads. "She does not exemplify the qualities that Wellesley seeks to instill in us." Garling said that writer Alice Walker was initially scheduled to speak, but cancelled due to personal reasons. But several students voiced support for the University's decision, saying that Bush's personal qualities and contributions to literacy as well as her gender make her an "excellent choice." College senior Julie Phillips said yesterday that she is especially happy that this year's selection was a woman, adding that she expects Bush to appeal to the students and family members. "She seems to be a very nice, warm person," Phillips said. "I will be interested in what she has to say." Medical student Colleen Cooke, who will receive her degree at the Commencement ceremonies, said yesterday that she also greatly supports the decision, adding that "she's a celebrity and will probably have interesting things to say." Many other students said they were indifferent to the selection of Bush as this year's Commencement speaker. College senior Lisa Ortiz said yesterday that she does not think many people are concerned with the choice. "All we care about is graduating," Ortiz said. "I was kind of hoping we could get someone non-conservative, non-Republican, non-political -- except Gorbachev -- but I guess Brown [University] already got him." And College senior Cheryl Denenberg said that she has mixed feelings about the selection. "She's a wonderful lady, and she has many good viewpoints, but so does my grandmother, who happens not to be married to George Bush," Denenberg said.
