Under the spotlight at the unveiling of a model block on Pine Street, the West Philadelphia Partnership’s UNIVERSITY of PENNSYLVANIA Larry Bell (left) said neighborhood leaders and block captains can organize their blocks for better savings in the cooperative program for lighting up the rest of the neighborhood. Mr. Bell is shown here with Penn Tuesday, President Judith Rodin and Philadelphia Mayor Ed December 10, 1996 Rendell, who said he hopes the University City project can be replicated in other parts of the City—if donors, Volume 43 Number 15 leadership and partnership can be replicated, too. IN THIS ISSUE 2 News in Brief SEC Agenda for December 11 Institutional Planning Director: Dr. Lentz Public Safety Special Services: Ms. Hawkins 3 Speaking Out: Dr. Rodin’s Future at Penn; Lights . .Cameras . Action Paperwork Complaint; Safety Tip Suggestion 4 FROM THE PRESIDENT: In a well-attended press conference alongside Woodland Presbyte- Announcing the Penn National Commission rian Church at 42nd and Pine Street on December 3, Penn and some on Society, Culture and Community partners showed what increased lighting can do for the night visibility of one city block—and then announced that the whole 63-block area of 7 Of Record: Final Exams University City (from campus to 49th Street, Market to Baltimore) is in To Comment on Cultural Resource Planning line for the same dramatic improvement. “Street lights is just that: it 8 Campus Shopping: A Changing Scene lights up the streets,” said both President Judith Rodin and Mayor Ed _________________________________________ Rendell as they underscored the need to make street crime harder to COMPASS Features bring off, by illuminating sidewalks, porches, alleyways and cul de sacs 12 On the Shelf: New Books by Penn Faculty as well. Under the new plan, the West Philadelphia Partnership has devel- 13 A Writer Returns to Share Success oped grants that will give rebates to participating homeowners who in- 15 Class Conflicts in a Community’s School stall new fixtures at their homes. Estimating per-house costs from $25 to 16 Yiddish in the Original and in Translation $400 to buy and install lights, President Rodin said “Penn is committed, _________________________________________ with our partners, to making this initiative available to every home- owner in University City.” Among the grant donors are four of the 18 OPPORTUNITIES area’s most prominent landlords: Michael Karp’s University City 22 PENN PRINTOUT, The Digest Housing; Alan Klein Properties; Steve Herman’s University Enterprises; and Alan Horowitz’s Campus Apartments. 27 Winter Activities; Update; CrimeStats To launch the program, the north and south sides of the 4100 block 28 Lighting Up West Philadelphia, and of Pine Street were lit up dramatically this month, at no cost to the A December 15 House Tour block’s homeowners or the Presbyterian Church on the block. The City Pullout: Report to the NCAA Committee trimmed trees and shrubs; City Council’s Jannie Blackwell and Jim on Athletics Certification: Kenney joined the Mayor in putting together City and local resources; A Self-Study of Athletics at Penn PECO provided fixtures and coordination; and the International Brother- hood of Electrical Workers-Local 98 and MJK Electrical Corporation contributed the installation itself. A cheer went up on Pine Street as it all came together for the December 3 unveiling under the glare of still more lights from TV cameras. A Holiday House Tour: Nine Homes December 15 By tradition, the University City Historical Society doesn’t reveal in advance the names of those who will open their homes for the Holiday House Tour in the University City neighborhoods of West Philadelphia. To Light Up the Night . But the chance to see inside the Victorian and post-Victorian architec- tural showplaces, decked out for the season, always draws a crowd. A New Outdoor Lighting Program (And, said one Penn couple whose handsome Victorian is on the tour, for University City (see back cover) many faculty and staff in the area are inviting colleagues and students to come and see first-hand how wrong some out-of-town dailies like On the 4100 block of Pine, The New York Times—not to mention some hometown press—can be a demonstration program has in their descriptions of a historic neighborhood.) added porchlights and new sidewalk Besides traditional lights and trees, boughs and berries, each of this fixtures modeled on Victorian gas- year’s nine houses has something unique to show: a collection of Afri- lights—and continuing around the can-American Santas in one, contemporary art in another; sentimental house (back cover) a side passage Victorian Christmas heirlooms, a Hanukkah theme—plus, this year’s and driveway are also illuminated. tour dovetails with the annual caroling of The Friends of Clark Park Now the City, PECO and the (who will probably cross paths with at least two local church groups West Philadelphia Partnership caroling the same afternoon). want the same improvement The tour runs from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, December 15, with cookies for 63 blocks of University City. and cheer at the final house starting at 3:30. Tickets are $10 each, avail- able in advance from the UCHS c/o Melani Lamond, 1006 S. 46th St. Space permitting, tickets will also be available on site (call 387-3019 for information on that). Cover photos by Tommy Leonardi 24 Almanac December 10, 1996 Institutional Research: Dr. Bernard Lentz News in Brief Provost Stanley Chodorow has appointed Dr. Ber- nard Lentz of Ursinus College as Director of Institu- Penn National Commission tional Research and Analysis. Now director of institu- Dr. Judith Rodin has announced the formation of tional research, as well as professor and chair of eco- a Penn National Commission on Society, Culture nomics and business administration at Ursinus, Dr. and Community, made up of scholars and leaders Lentz will begin at Penn on January 2. from the U.S. and abroad who will “try to under- “Barney is a terrific hire. He brings excellent skills in stand the underlying social, historical and intellecutal IR, coupled with a great background in statistical tech- dynamics” of polarization in the present-day soci- niques,” said Deputy Provost Michael Wachter, who ety. Dr. Stephen P. Steinberg, Assistant to the Presi- coordinated the search for the position. “He has taught dent, has been named Executive Director of the econometrics for ten years in his current position, and Commission, launched this week with a two-day has published a variety of articles using advanced statis- plenary meeting on campus. (For the Commission’s tical analysis. He will be an important member of the membership and goals, see pp. 4-7 of this issue.) Provost’s team supporting strategic planning at the University.” Penn Cultural Resources Dr. Lentz will direct the staff who provide institu- A draft Cultural Resources Management Plan tional research supporting the policy and planning goals for the Univeristy is offered for examination, with of the University. The Office of Institutional Research comment invited by January 15, 1997. (See p. 7.) Dr. Bernard Lentz and Analysis also prepares the numerous reports and NCAA: Comment by December 20 analysis required by external agencies. In this issue’s 24-page Supplement, a self-study “I look forward to joining Penn at such a dynamic time in its history,” said Dr. Lentz. of athletics is presented for comment by the Univer- “Good, objective institutional research is essential to help meet the ambitious goals this sity community as part of an NCAA certification Administration has established in the Agenda for Excellence.” process. The Penn Committee’s chair, Vice Presi- An alumnus of Oberlin College, where he took his B.A. magna cum laude, Dr. Lentz dent Stephen Golding, asks comment by December received his M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from Yale University. He has been the recipient 20, 1996 (See p. S-3 of the Supplement). of numerous awards including a National Science Foundation fellowship and has written several books including State Government Productivity: The Environment for Improvement. Deaths: Dr. Case, Dr. Viteles At presstime, Almanac received notice of the Public Safety Special Services: Susan Hawkins deaths of two eminent emeritus professors, Dr. Lynn Cass of History, at the age of 93, and Dr. Susan A. Hawkins, a clinical psychologist and law- Morris Viteles of Psychology, who was also Dean yer who has been with the Philadelphia Health Depart- of GSE, at the age of 99. Articles are being prepared ment since 1988, will take office later this week as for publication next week. Director of Special Services for the University of Pennsylvania’s Division of Public Safety, Managing Preliminary Hearing: January 7 Director Thomas Seamon has announced. The preliminary hearing in the murder trial for Heading the section formerly known as Victim Sup- the three defendants charged with the death of Dr. port & Special Services, Ms. Hawkins will be respon- Vladimir Sled’ will be held Tuesday, January 7 in sible for all support services for victims of crime, and Courtroom 306 of the Criminal Justice Center. The will oversee all day-to-day operations of the department’s hearing was postponed because the district attorney seven-member special services team. made a legal motion to remove the public defender She will be involved in developing programs of as the defense for Eugene Harrison since the PD’s safety education, crime prevention, community out- office is representing the other two defendants in reach and victim services; responding to emergency another open case. Although Municipal Court Judge situations; recruitment and training of public safety Thomas McCormack ruled that the PD should be off personnel; and representing victims of crime.