News Archives

Enough reality already

Survivor,” “Fear Factor,” “Big Brother,” “Lost”—we have all heard about them. With all the attention and hype given to reality shows, you’d think just about everyone would be watching them. However, that just doesn’t seem to be the case here at Penn. Staff and faculty here just are not that interested in all the networks’ newest versions of “Survivor.” Why not? Here are some answers. Ethel Bernard Museum Education, ICA “I haven’t watched any reality television shows. I think most of them are disgusting.” Kim Gallon

Learning, one on one

It started small, just a few lemonade stands here and there. Then it got a little bigger, with a lawn mowing/fund-raising effort at age 12 for a Boy Scout trip to New Mexico. And now, it’s full-blown—the entrepreneurial bug has bitten J. Christopher Pienkowski (W’03) hard. Good thing the Wharton School junior has his own company, CoolSource Technologies, to focus his energies.

Penn Names Crowther Director Of Corporate Relations

PHILADELPHIA -- Steffen W. Crowther has been named director of corporate relations in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at the University of Pennsylvania. In this capacity, she will cultivate corporate support, including multi-national prospects, for the University.

Penn Professor Tukufu Zuberi Explores The Legitimacy Of Racial Statistics In New Book "Thicker Than Blood"

PHILADELPHIA -- Every day the public is served a steady diet of news stories that have one thing in common: racial statistics. From African-American test scores to Asian-American mobility, to Latino migration trends, the media reports study after study based on race-related numbers. Tukufu Zuberi, a sociology professor and director of the African American Studies Program at the University of Pennsylvania argues that when statistics are interpreted in a racist manner, no matter how inadvertent the racism may be, the public is misled.

Ground Breaking Oct. 4 For New Hillel Center At Penn

PHILADELPHIA Local Jewish leaders, University of Pennsylvania officials and scores of students will take part in a ground-breaking ceremony at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 4 for a new $12 million Hillel Center on the campus.To be located on 39tth Street between Walnut and Locust streets, the 35,000-square-foot center will feature a dramatic two-story glass-enclosed entrance and recreation area, complete with coffee bar, and an outdoor terrace at the front of the building.

Penn Alumnae Celebrate 125 Years Of Accomplishments; To Gather From All Over The World No. 1-2

PHILADELPHIA For 125 years Penn has served as a launching pad for women. It has provided the career foundation for such outstanding alumnae as Andrea Mitchell, NBC chief foreign affairs correspondent and Penn trustee; Ann Dore McLaughlin, former U.S. Secretary of Labor (1987-89); Susan Ness, former Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission; and Mary Ellen Mark, photo journalist.

Robin Beck

Robin Beck has no high-tech computer controls in her house. She turns the lights on and off manually. But Beck has spent this year overseeing and advancing the technology that makes life better for every sector of the University. In recognition of her technology management know-how, she has just been named vice president for Information Systems and Computing (ISC), Penn’s central computing office.

Penn Police get streetwise

In some communities, residents view the police as a hostile presence. As for the cops, they wonder why the people they protect resent them. Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush wants to make sure that never happens in University City. So this summer, she called on Elijah Anderson to run a series of workshops so Penn Police could avoid some of the things that rub citizens the wrong way.

Feeding frenzy

Top summer flicks

Although most of the summer’s blockbusters have come and gone, it’s still not too late to catch some of this season’s hits. Too many to choose from? Well, don’t despair. These Penn movie watchers can tell you the good from the bad. Oh, and while you’re pondering which summer flick to catch, don’t forget to bring extra change for the popcorn. Wynetta Davis Research Technician, Wistar Institute “‘Planet of the Apes.’ It wasn’t what I thought it’d be. It wasn’t as big. I thought it was mediocre.”