News Archives

Penn Historian Explores Early Native Americans

Jan. 31, 2002 -- "Facing East from Indian Country: A Native History of Early America," a newbook by University of Pennsylvania history professor Daniel K. Richter, rediscovers early America as Indian Country, one in which Native American experiences were at the core of the nation's birth and identity.For three centuries after Columbus, native people controlled most of eastern North America and shaped its destiny. Richter keeps native people center-stage throughout the story of the origins of the United States.

“Crossing the Green Line: Border Struggles in the Palestinian-Israeli West Bank”

The Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority have negotiated borders, and now both sides have built permanent military checkpoints. “Crossing the Green Line” is about passing through these checkpoints—specifically those that mark the Green Line, the geopolitical border separating the West Bank from Israel proper—and how their existence affects the daily life of West Bank Palestinians.

Science, media and ethics contend

While the nation’s political leaders legislate and debate the future of stem cell research, Penn’s School of Medicine held its own heated inquiry on the topic titled, “What Price Cure? The Controversy Over Stem Cell Research.” Moderated by Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics, the Dec. 12 event featured a diverse panel, with voices ranging from the scientific to the journalistic and the legal.

Staff Q&A: Ron Washington

On the walls of the main staircase in Leidy Laboratories hang pictures of the turn-of-the-century scientists that made Penn a hotbed of research on the natural world. All but one of these pictures are old drawings or photographs of historical paintings. The exception is a color acrylic painting of Edward Drinker Cope, the famous 19th-century Penn paleobiologist. The painting, which replaces an engraved portrait of Cope that disappeared in March 2000, is the work of Biology Department Housekeeper Ron Washington.

Human nature takes a walk

Book Talk: This 20-year-old club speaks volumes

Universities take on the role of redevelopers

Across America, urban university administrators are waking up to the realization that as among the biggest players in their cities’ economies, they have a responsibility to the city around them. Penn administrators woke up early and other schools have since followed suit. “Penn and Yale are pursuing similar strategic initiatives, and I think both of us are ahead of the curve in a growing trend of the university being a good institutional citizen.” said Stephen Morand, associate vice president for New Haven and state affairs at Yale University.

Penn’s “greene countrie towne”

A documentary revolution

The Maysles brothers—Albert and David (1932-1987)—revolutionized documentary filmmaking with their practice of setting up the cameras and letting the story tell itself instead of imposing a narrative, an approach that came to be known as “direct cinema.”

People's Choice: Resolutions come and go; food servers keep serving

We visited Penn’s cafeterias and asked food servers to take a moment to tell us about the New Year’s resolutions they made and if they’ve been keeping them. A hard-working group barely able to squeeze in a moment to talk to us, they did manage to let us know that although some have already called it quits, and watched their resolve disappear as fast as this morning’s breakfast, most are still cooking, maintaining their resolutions for a brighter new year.