Welcome (back) to Penn

Some things, it seems, will never change. Every year, a new freshman class arrives to the plaudits of administrators -- once again, it is the most accomplished class ever to enter the University -- and the amusement of upperclassmen seeing images of their former selves. Every year, we marvel at the progress made to the campus' physical and intellectual infrastructure over the summer and lament those areas where the University has fallen short. And every year, this being no exception, we welcome you -- back or for the first time -- to a campus in transition. As in each of the last several years, construction dominates the headlines -- and sidewalks -- at the University of Pennsylvania. At the very least, the oft-delayed Sundance Cinemas and Freshgrocer.com projects on 40th Street promise new entertainment and nourishment options for students before the end of the academic year. And at most, they may spur the revitalization of the corridor that historically has served as the dividing line between campus and community. In the heart of campus, work is progressing on Huntsman Hall, the state-of-the-art academic center that will house much of the Wharton School upon completion in 2002. Meanwhile, work winds down on the Perelman Quadrangle and the newly opened Houston Hall is poised to reclaim its role as the center of student life. Academic life at Penn will also undergo its own renovations this year. Two hundred students will test the first revision of the College's general education requirement in more than a decade, while at the same time Penn's largest undergraduate school experiments with an overhaul of its notoriously dysfunctional advising system. Two deanships -- Nursing and Medicine -- remain vacant, and committees are or will soon be in place to plug those holes. The added catch is that with the resignation of Peter Traber, Penn is looking for a single candidate to head both the Medical School and the Health System, whose beleaguered finances should concern all members of the school community. Other issues that will earn attention this year include the state of Penn's alcohol policy, the travails of the Political Science Department and the deliberations over the faculty's intellectual-property rights. And of course, our men's basketball team has an Ivy title to defend. We hope this issue serves as an introduction to Penn for new students and a catalog of the summer's changes for those returning. For our part, we'll strive to uphold the highest standards of fairness and accuracy in everything we print. Over the course of the year, we hope that you'll continue to turn to The Daily Pennsylvanian for news that matters to you, and to this page for editorials and columns that shed new light on the issues. Every day, you'll see the editors of the DP take a stance in the staff editorial appearing at the top of this page, and weekly columnists will give their views on life and events at the University. But this page is also for you -- for you to share your views on major issues, to offer praise and level criticism, to offer wisdom that we may not be privy to inside these walls. Let us know when you think we've done something well or when we can be doing our jobs better. Welcome, and we wish you a successful year

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.