News Archives

Caplan debates stem cells—with himself

Art Caplan, arguably the most quoted bioethicist in the country, tackled the timely subject, “Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Science or Ethics?” in a talk sponsored by the Penn Orthodox Christian Fellowship at the Newman Center late last month. Caplan is the director of Penn’s Center for Bioethics. Here are excerpts from his talk:

“If he wanted to be a figure skater, I would go along with it.”

Dan Burke has a huge gold medal on a red, white and blue ribbon set atop a cabinet in his office. On his office wall, he’s got a smaller gold medal, a silver medal and a bronze from past victories. Why he has them has to do with his philosophy of child-rearing. He doesn’t say it in so many words, but it doesn’t take long to get the gist of it. Your kids want to do something, you encourage them. And you keep them busy.

“The Man Who Made Wall Street: Anthony J. Drexel and the Rise of Modern Finance”

248 pages, 26 black-and-white illustrations, $29.95 cloth It was the height of the Gilded Age and J. Pierpont Morgan controlled the fate of railroads, corporations and governments. The wealthy and influential were said to tremble before him, yet he deferred to one man: Anthony J. Drexel. Drexel — whose name is familiar today only through the university he founded and his recently canonized niece, Katharine — was the most influential financier of the 19th century.

Genghis Khan, father of democracy

New source

Users of temporary staff will see a change in how Penn fills their needs come January. That’s when Unique Advantage takes over as Penn’s official temporary staff provider. The minority- and women-owned firm will also run the Job Application Center at 3550 Market Street and screen candidates for full-time positions. According to Job Application Center Manager Donna Showell-Brown, recent changes in technology and the temporary help industry led the University to review its options. “We wanted to see what was out there that we didn’t have,” she said.

Protect yourself and prepare yourself

Worried about rape, nutrition or health care? Several programs and lectures from the University of Pennsylvania address these concerns. Rape defense The Penn Police Department is offering the Rape Aggresion Defense (RAD) program this fall. It provides women with practical defense techniques and realistic, hands-on training. These multi-session courses are open to women only and are free to faculty, staff and students of Penn.

Fall TV shows

The tube is once again buzzing with activity. With the onset of fall, we have a whole new range of shows to choose from. Some of these will soon rocket to popularity and some will simply nosedive into oblivion. Curious? Then read on and take your pick. After all, this is a time for discovery.

“Yell-oh Girls!” break the silence

Growing up, Olivia Chung (C’03) felt unattractive because her eyes lacked the fold which many Caucasians have. At school, kids teased her, calling her names like “ching-chong” while pulling their eyes upward. Reflecting back, Chung said she felt alone in dealing with these issues. She didn’t know that other Asian-American girls, like Alaina Wong (C’02), also shared her insecurities.

A day for family fun

Whether or not you’re a football fan, there’s plenty of fun for you and your family guaranteed at the ninth annual Penn Family Day, Saturday, Oct. 20, rain or shine. The event begins with a tailgate party at 11 a.m. in the Franklin Field north parking lot. The party includes a box lunch and features entertainment and activities for the entire family. Then, at noon, the Quaker football squad takes the field against Yale in Franklin Field. Faculty and staff can see the game for free, and their families and friends can get tickets for $2 each.

Janet Reno to Help Dedicate Criminology Center at Penn

PHILADELPHIA -- Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno will join University of Pennsylvania President Judith Rodin and crime-prevention experts from around the world to dedicate the new Jerry Lee Center of Criminology at Penn Oct. 15.