Penn days dwindle for Tulane students

[Becca Starr/The Daily Pennsylvanian] Tulane freshman Thomas Krouse prepares for exams in Van Pelt Library. Krouse wants to stay at Penn next semester, but University officials say he cannot return.

Tulane University freshman Thomas Krouse has only studied at Penn for one semester, but he knows he wants to spend the rest of his college years in Philadelphia. The trouble is, Penn administrators won't let him.

Krouse is one of almost 100 Tulane students taken in by Penn after Hurricane Katrina forced the New Orleans university to close for the semester. Unlike many of his peers, however, Krouse does not want to go back to his home school.

Penn officials have said that no visiting students will be allowed to remain for the spring semester, citing the need for Tulane to have a full student body in order to fully recover.

"I would love to stay at Penn. I'm originally from New Orleans, and I really like the Northeast a lot more," Krouse said.

Krouse, who is gay, said he feels Philadelphia is more tolerant than his former home.

"I didn't like the South. I was tormented there, and [the Northeast] is much more accepting," Krouse said. "Penn has a great system, and they do a lot of great work with the Carriage House" which houses the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center.

Krouse said he looked into transferring to Penn permanently, but University officials said every student from Tulane would be forced to leave at the end of the semester.

"We did not treat these students like transfer students," Associate Provost Janice Bellace said. "We treated them like students who come to Penn for one semester on a study-abroad arrangement."

She noted that students were made aware that the setup was temporary when they were accepted in September.

"At the time the students were admitted for the fall term, we clearly stated that they were not matriculating at Penn," Bellace said. "We believe that it is important that they return to their home institution."

Bellace added that while students can apply to transfer to Penn, the school does not admit students mid-year and any applicants would have to apply for admission for the fall 2006 term.

While Krouse has tried to extend his time at Penn, other Tulane students are eager to return to New Orleans.

"I'm just really excited to see my friends and finish out my senior year," said Tulane senior Brandon Cohen, who was elected student body president last spring.

Cohen, who is currently at Penn, has been communicating with student-government members to ensure a smooth transition in the spring for all students.

"We have already put together some service projects and social events," Cohen said. "I am just ready to help the school get back on their feet."

Tulane sophomore Jessica Chane said she was never planning to stay at Penn for more than one semester.

"I was always planning on going back, and I was under the impression that we were accepted on a visiting-student basis," Chane said.

She added that while she has enjoyed her time at Penn, her loyalties lie with New Orleans.

"I love it here, and I had a great experience, but I miss my friends," Chane said.

Tulane Provost Lester Lefton said it is likely that most students share Chane's sentiments.

"There aren't many students who are not going back to Tulane," Lefton said in a speech at Penn in October. "We may lose some students -- we don't know, maybe 140 out of 13,000 students."

Lefton added he is glad that schools like Penn are not taking transfer students from Tulane, a belief echoed by most Penn administrators.

"Tulane University itself is under severe strain," Bellace said."Great universities are not created overnight ... and both faculty and students are essential to the success of a university."

As for Krouse, he will return to Tulane for classes in the spring semester, but he has not given up on Penn yet. This spring, he plans to apply to transfer to several universities in the Northeast.

"Hopefully I can wind up back at Penn," Krouse said.

Comments (7)

Dear Penn Students: I would like to thank you for your gracious words. I'm glad to see that most Quakers do, in fact, wish Tulane students well on their journeys back home. Unfortunately, some do not. For those, I'll quote a well noted theologian- "First let me seek to understand, then to be understood." For anyone to truly understand what I've gone through, you must be me. I hope no one has to experience what I did in high school. Moreover, I'm sure almost all have not experienced two homes being destroyed (my parents are divorced and remarried) and returning to city that is extremely different from the one you grew up in. As far as Tulane is concerned, I'm back in my dorm room and can't wait to get back in the classroom and to attend some parties. I'm keeping an open mind, something I wish more people had, no names mentioned, of course. Best of luck to everyone in the spring semester and happy new year! Thomas Thomas Krouse, student Wall Residential College @ TU

Ship em out, it is needless to say that your comments are inappropriate and smack of gay-bashing. Let's send you back to Tulane, I dare say we'd be better off. I agree though that it is the right thing to do sending those students back down to Tulane. But the kind of "we're better than you" pride that Ship em out has blatantly shown is the kind of ugliness that Penn can do without. Andy, Penn Student Philadelphia

I sure hope MOST Penn students are embarrassed to have "Ship 'Em Out" as one of their peers. For a number of reasons (not enough space being the primary one) the Tulane kids can't stay, but they should be wished well and it is hoped that they enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of Penn for this short time (despite the terrible circumstances that brought them here in the first place, which "ship 'em out" probably doesn't even realize). That Thomas would want to stay at Penn is a reflection of the university and MOST of its students - not this idiot. BTW "ship 'em out", I guess smart doesn't beget class...something you obviously have none of. Good Luck Thomas. Embarrassed

Just goes to show that being "Ivy League" doesn't guarantee a cultured intelligence. What a shame that people like "ship em out" have to mar what has otherwise been a great example of inter-school support. Good luck, Tulane students, no matter where your final destination. Not another asshole, Civilized Penn Student Philadelphia, PA

I want to a)agree with most of the comments on here in regards to Ship Em Out, and b)explain why I think we should return to Tulane. I am a junior at Tulane, temporarily at University of Colorado at Boulder. For most of us who have spent our early college career in glorious New Orleans, we can't stand wherever we are. Not one of my friends who are current Tulane students are even considering not going back. Thomas, I'm sure you love Penn. I in fact considered applying there, but decided against it in the end for personal reasons. Remember that you haven't yet experienced Tulane. Most freshman would be happy wherever they choose to attend. The school you chose, due to extrordinary circumstances, wasn't able to take you in first semester. Give it a chance. I think you'll find New Orleans is very accepting of your lifestyle. Although we all missed it, there's Southern Decadence in September, first week of school, down in the quarter. The City of Brotherly Love, sans Ship Em Out, may be the place for you. But give Tulane a chance. Experience it for yourself, and HONESTLY consider it. Don't go to Tulane wishing you were at Penn, you'll wind up having a horrific semester. Instead, enjoy all Tulane and New Orleans have to offer. Maybe you'll actually fall in love with it like the rest of us. Jewelyn, TULANE student Denver, Colorado jwellbor@tulane.edu

Dear Thomas, I applied to Penn, got in, and enrolled there. You enrolled in Tulane, meaning that you were not nearly smart enough to get into Penn. If you were qualified enough, you wouldn't have decided to go to that gay-bashing southern school. I'm sorry for whatever you've lost back home, but why the fuck should you get to take an extra spot in an already overcrowded class of 09. If we take you, we have to take all 100, and our current class is already 100 too big. We don't need extra gay stupid people like yourself who don't deserve to go here. If you like the gay scene in Philly, try transferring to Drexel instead. Hope that works out for you. Otherwise, stop being gay and go back to where you came from, asshole. Ship em out, real penn student West Philly

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