Letters to the Editor

To the Editor: Vice President for Budget and Management Analysis Michael Masch claims that the 5 percent tuition increase for the 2001-2002 academic year places Penn "in the middle of the pack" ("U. will increase tuition 5 percent," The Daily Pennsylvanian, 3/26/01). A closer look indicates, however, that Penn officials have failed once again to prioritize students' needs in mitigating the cost of attending this University and that we are actually behind our "peers" in addressing this issue. Princeton University, for example, only increased its tuition by 3.3 percent, while simultaneously revamping its financial aid system so that students no longer have to rely on loans. The cost of a Harvard education for next year is $34,269, only $400 short of a Penn education. This figure, however, represents only a 3.5 percent tuition increase and is partially offset by the $8.3 million Harvard added to its financial aid budget. Masch may be right in arguing that students come to Penn because they are "looking for the best faculty, the best facilities." But next year's tuition increase -- combined with the University's inability to significantly improve its financial aid system, -- demonstrates that the University does not consider the welfare of its students a top priority.

Ariel Glasner Wharton and College '01

To the Editor: When I decided last year to move to the 4000 block of Walnut Street, I anticipated merely walking down the block for groceries and entertainment. While the theater industry's dire financial position has been no secret -- and Sundance's demise therefore was not shocking -- I am amazed at the heights reached by the bickering across the street. Penn officials have dismissed serious problems as "nothing major," indicating a lack of responsiveness. When Trammel Crow ran housing maintenance, their repairmen were often mistaken for Maytag repairmen, so I understand Freshgrocer's operator's frustrations at Trammel Crow's intractability. But the DP's reports also indicate that Freshgrocer is being picky and inflexible. If Freshgrocer has 180 problems, I can hardly believe that Penn is to blame for all of them. Freshgrocer needs to show flexibility in working through the problems that naturally arise in the course of construction. Penn officials respond that the University is party to many business relationships which they don't directly control and that delays may therefore occur. Nonetheless, since Freshgrocer's original July 1, 2000, scheduled opening, we have received nothing but delays and excuses. The silver lining in students' frustration at the lethargic pace of development on 40th Street is that our disappointment indicates how much we are looking forward to these new businesses. The lightning-fast construction of El Diner, Addams Hall and the Law School are impressive, but the delays along 40th Street are equally unimpressive. In implementing the changes suggested by the new Campus Development Plan, the University must be careful not to publicize schedules so aggressively that delays last years. In the short term, however, the University and Freshgrocer must stop the finger-pointing and get the store open.

Adrian Jones Wharton '01

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