News Archives

West Philly by the numbers on the Web

A new, free service is helping to build a better community in West Philadelphia. InfoResources West Philadelphia (InfoR)—a database that facilitates information sharing, economic development and neighborhood initiatives within the community—can be accessed anytime via the Internet. Sidney Wong, assistant professor in City and Regional Planning, is heading this push to ease the public’s access to data as the director of InfoR.

Ask Benny: PennSTAR's helicopters rack up miles

Dear Benny, How many times a day does the PennSTAR helicopter fly out and how many miles a week does it cover on average?—Chopper Chaser

Hundreds pack Palahniuk reading

Chuck Palahniuk does not like books with long chapters. “Most novels seem to space out any transformation over hundreds of pages,” Palahniuk stated in an interview before a reading held at the Penn Bookstore Oct. 7. “I want a plot point every few pages.” This should not come as a surprise for anyone who has read Palahniuk’s work. His first novel, “Fight Club,” became a cult hit soon after its publication in 1996 and is known for its discussion of controversial societal issues, its fast pace and its distinctive style.

“I don’t think you can really manufacture remorse. It has to come from within.”

—Robert Sadoff, professor of psychiatry, on how prisoners subjected to shaming tactics, such as wearing a badge that advertises their crime, often react by becoming more violent (The Sacramento Bee, Oct. 11)

People's Choice: Spine tinglers

- The Eighth Annual Writers Conference at the University of Pennsylvania brings writers together from throughout the region to explore topics and techniques in many fields of writing. The keynote speaker for the Nov. 9 conference is Ken Kalfus, author of the short story collections “Thirst” and “Pu-239 and Other Russian Fantasies.” Fee $150. Info/registration: www.upenn.edu/writconf or Nadia Daniel, 215-898-6479.

At Work With...Keith Whiteman

Penn Researchers Document Large-Scale Voter Registration Problem: More Voters Registered Than Eligible to Vote

PHILADELPHIA –More people are registered to vote than there are residents of legal voting age in two states and 241 counties in the United States.Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Fels Institute of Government discovered the voting over-registration problem while conducting the Carnegie Corporation funded Fels Voting Index project, an annual ranking of states according to the accuracy, accountability and accessibility of their voting systems. The FVI project was launched in the wake of the 2000 U.S. presidential election.

Strategic threats discussed at forum

With defense against external threats high on the American agenda, a new interdisciplinary institute at Penn is helping policymakers identify and counter them. On Oct. 18, four faculty members associated with the Institute for Strategic Threat Analysis and Response (ISTAR) discussed some of those threats and how ISTAR could contribute to dealing with them. The discussion took place at an institute symposium, “Strategic Thinking: How Climate, Disease and Socio-Political Structures Become Strategic Threats,” held at the Annenberg Center.

Faculty Feature: Halls are alive with the sound of music lessons

Even though Penn’s Music Department offers no degrees in performance, its faculty are busy working to see that campus halls are alive with the sound of music. Leading the effort is Cristle Collins Judd. In addition to her appointment as associate professor of music and director of graduate studies, she also serves as the associate chair for performance, a new post in the department.

Halftime tunesmith