News Archives

Advice for homebuyers and tips for homeowners

Thinking of purchasing a home? Even if you don’t plan to take advantage of Penn’s guaranteed mortgage programs, the Office of Community Housing can help. The office’s brown-bag seminars cover all of the major issues involved in buying and maintaining a home. Except where noted, all of the upcoming seminars this spring are offered twice each day; choose either the noon to 1 p.m. session or the 1 to 2 p.m. session. The seminar topics are:

Penn and Hong Kong Engineering Schools Form Alliance

PHILADELPHIA -- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology School of Engineering and the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science will collaborate in their technology-management master programs. A newly signed agreement provides for student and faculty exchanges.

Campus Buzz

A night in “Olde Penn”: To celebrate its 100th anniversary, The Pennsylvania Gazette went back into its archives to pull out some literary gems. An audience of about 200 invited guests for the Gazette’s birthday party at the Inn at Penn Feb. 13 heard Editor John Prendergast (C’80), Senior Editor Sam Hughes, Associate Editor Susan Lonkevich, former editor Marshall Ledger and a host of Penn notables read selections from the mag’s past, all the way back to Vol. 1, No.

Whoa, Congress, courts can do it

The recent tanking, or near-tanking, of several of America’s large corporations—first the airlines, then Enron and Kmart—has sent Congress scurrying to clean up the mess, a move which Professor of Law David Skeel believes is not entirely necessary. Skeel, who penned a book on bankruptcy titled “Debt’s Dominion” (Princeton, 2001), said America’s bankruptcy system is well suited to preserving firms that are worth saving.

Student Spotlight: Egg donation ethics study wins award

“I saw your ad in the Cornell Daily Sun, and I’d like to become an egg donor.” No, Andrea Gurmankin wasn’t really interested in donating her eggs though she would have been the perfect recruit—a young college female attending an Ivy League school. What she was really interested in was the quality of risk information provided to prospective egg donors.

Ask Benny: About that Locust Walk bike-riding ban

Dear Benny, Is the ban on riding bicycles on Locust Walk during the hours of major pedestrian traffic ever enforced? I increasingly get the impression it is not. —Looking in All Directions

Annenberg pics ought-to-be Oscars

The Oscar nominations are out, and, as always, somebody’s favorite choice for Best Picture didn’t make it onto the list. We thought we’d find lots of oughta-be Best Picture pickers among the staff of the Annenberg Center and School, but to our surprise, many of the people we asked hadn’t seen a first-run movie in quite some time.

Crunch time

Penn-Assisted School Invites Submissions for New Name

PHILADELPHIA -- In keeping with the tradition of the School District of Philadelphia in naming new schools, the Penn-assisted school Home and School Association invites the community to help determine a name. Nominations must be submitted in writing by March 22 to the Penn-assisted School Planning Office, 4243 Spruce St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19104, or by e-mail to kreidlea@gse.upenn.edu.Each suggestion should, to the extent possible:

New Book Chronicles Lessons in Volunteerism at Philadelphia AIDS organization

PHILADELPHIA One of the founders of MANNA, a renowned Philadelphia AIDS organization, has chronicled his experiences in a new book. "MANNA in the Wilderness of AIDS: Ten Lessons in Abundance," by Kenwyn Smith contains many vignettes and insights about the growth that comes from serving others. "The greatest teachers in my life so far have been people living with AIDS," Smith said. "What I have learned from being with them is far greater than the cumulative insights I have gleaned from all the books I read and all the courses Ie taken."