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Report from Ground Zero
After a delay at the Lincoln Tunnel for a bomb scare, we arrived at the Javits Convention Center, the base of operations (called the “BOO”), at about midnight Sept. 11. By 3 a.m. we were ready to go to work. The team was divided into the day shift and the night shift. It was decided that local veterinary care would be harder to obtain at night, so I was on the night shift. The night search dogs were
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Minority children can have a dream—of dentistry
Neither A. Melissa Lopez (C’99,D’02) nor Jimmy Morrison (D’03) dreamed of being a dentist growing up. Well, they both say that hardly anyone dreams of growing up a dentist. But the two dental students, after observing the low numbers of minorities training for dentistry, want to plant that dream in the hearts of young minorities.
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Readers' Best: Best treats for Halloween
As Halloween approaches, Penn staff and faculty are starting to fill the candy bowls on their desks with more than just the typical peppermints. We asked around to find out what staffers consider the best treats to give this Halloween. Chocolate won hands down, with seven votes for goodies ranging from Kit Kats to Tootsie Rolls. But not everyone has chocolate on their minds. Here are some other choices:
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Lady sings the blues, Cape Verde style
Cesaria Evora had been singing the distinctive Afro-Portuguese blues known as morna for decades, but it wasn’t until a young Frenchman of Cape Verdean descent invited her to record an album in Paris in 1988 that the world discovered her talent. Already a sensation in Europe, “the barefoot diva” is now gaining fans in the United States through her appearances on programs like “The Late Show with David Letterman.” Penn Presents brings her to Philadelphia for the first time for a concert Nov. 4 featuring songs from her latest album, “São Vicente,” a tribute to her home town.
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Ed sec praises research
U.S. Secretary of Education Roderick Paige came to Penn Oct. 10 to praise an international education research project and to get a good word in for his boss’s education agenda. Paige delivered those messages to the international panel of researchers who participated in the Six Nations Education Research Project, a seven-year project led by the Graduate School of Education.
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Who’s the boss? Maybe not Papa.
One of the cleavages in American society has just gotten bigger—that’s according to Andrew Hacker, professor of political science at Queens College. At the annual Sackler Lecture hosted by the Sociology Department on Oct. 4 Hacker talked about the “growing gulf between men and women.” An expert in the dividing lines of America, he has published works on racial and class distinctions. Hacker now seeks to shatter the myth that men and women are balancing partners.
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So you want to be a homeowner
To help faculty and staff take advantage of Penn’s Guaranteed Mortgage Program and Enhanced Mortgage Program, the Office of Community Housing is conducting several workshops for members of the Penn community interested in home ownership. All workshops are held in Room 720, Franklin Building, 3451 Walnut St. Community Housing 101: Find out about the Guaranteed Mortgage Program, its benefits, the process, and general home buying information. Monday, Dec. 10, noon to 1 p.m. and 1 to 2 p.m.
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Lessons to learn, growing up black
Saburah Abdul-Kabir’s son had a difficult time hailing a cab. The 18-year-old had left work in a rush after learning that his mother was in the hospital. Standing on the curbside with cash thrust in the air, he saw one cab after another whoosh by him. Even though he was aware of the existence of racial discrimination, the experience left him angry and hurt.
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Penn Announces Largest U.S. Wind-Energy Purchase
PHILADELPHIA - The University of Pennsylvania has announced it will make the largest U.S. retail purchase of wind energy through an agreement with Community Energy Inc. The announcement was made at the dedication of Pennsylvania newest wind farms, the Exelon-Community Energy Wind Farms at Somerset and Mill Run. The event is being held at the Somerset Wind Farm and coincides with Gov. Mark Schweiker proclamation of "Wind Energy Week" for the week of Oct. 22.
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In a Show of Entropy's Benefits, Scientists Find 'Fuzzy' Molecules Can Assemble Precisely Into Distinct Lattices
PHILADELPHIA - Physicists at the University of Pennsylvania have determined that adding a "fuzz" of chemical chains to colloidal molecules can lead them to form a predictable array of lattices. The entropy-driven phenomenon represents a way in which the power of entropy might be harnessed by scientists for constructive purposes. The finding, in which researchers led by Penn physicist Randall D. Kamien examined the effects of a halo of polymer limbs on otherwise spherical molecules suspended in liquid, is the cover story in today issue of the Journal of Physical Chemistry B.