Cheers & Jeers from fall 2004

CHEERS

To Amy Gutmann on completing a smooth transition into her new role as Penn's eighth president. In her inaugural address, Gutmann laid out an aggressive plan for the future of the University in what she called the "Penn Compact." Gutmann's goals -- which include increasing access to financial aid, furthering interdisciplinary study across the University and improving Penn's reputation both globally and locally -- are all laudable. Gutmann has made progress by improving financial assistance to graduate students. But a lot remains to be seen as to what will come of the other prongs, as specific plans so far have been hard to come by.

To the Penn community for actively engaging in the political process during the past election. Students from across the University made their voices heard on election day and during the weeks leading up to the vote.

To the Annenberg Public Policy Center for taking a leadership role in the dissemination of political rationality by way of factcheck.org and the National Annenberg Election Survey, among other things. The latter provided both journalists and the American people with credible information to help them sort through the political rhetoric and make informed decisions.

To the University for adopting gender-neutral housing options for those living on campus. Even though housing officials have not adequately publicized the change, it is a welcome alternative.

To WXPN on the opening of its new studios and World Cafe Live. The facility will undoubtably serve as an anchor for Penn's eastward expansion and provides another campus attraction for students and outsiders alike.

To the University for finally going ahead with renovations to several campus buildings, including Bennett Hall. Many of these improvements are long overdue and, when completed, should serve students and faculty for many years to come.

To Facilities and Real Estate Services for making strides to improve businesses along the 40th Street corridor. Openings of Marathon Grill and The Greek Lady provide much-needed dining options for students.

To the Penn field hockey team for claiming a share of the Ivy League title with a dramatic win on the road at Princeton.

JEERS

To Facilities Services for the continuing problems with Harrison College House, such as flooding, loss of heat, power failures and water shutdowns. After a $26.5 million renovation project, we would expect many of these issues to have been resolved before residents moved in. This was not the case with renovations to Hamilton last year, and sadly the problems have carried over into Harrison this year. For the University's next $26.5 million, which is currently being spent on Harnwell, there needs to be some oversight to ensure that further problems of this nature do not continue to inconvenience and irritate residents.

To the Penn Bookstore for charging outrageous prices for Penn logo apparel, among other things. It would serve the University to offer more alternatives for consumers to purchase Penn merchandise, as the free advertising is well worth the slight loss of profit.

To the state of Pennsylvania for failing to fund public transportation adequately in Philadelphia. SEPTA is also largely to blame for its financial situation, which has led to threats of service cuts and fare hikes. These consequences will be detrimental to everyone who relies on mass transit.

To the University for cutting short the winter break and holding classes the day before Thanksgiving. Allowing final exams to run until Dec. 22 leaves students little time to travel, especially for those who hail from other parts of the country and the world for that matter.

To repeated early-morning fire alarms that have afflicted college house residents. While often irritating, false alarms also pose a serious threat when residents begin to ignore them entirely and may fail to heed the alarm in case of a real emergency.

To the closure of many restaurants in the Moravian Cafes to make way for a CVS pharmacy. Food establishments may not have been popular with students, but replacing them with dining options that are more attractive would be preferable to yet another pharmacy on campus.

To the University for failing to enforce its own smoking ban in residences.

To the student body for poor attendance at Penn sporting events. The recent decline in support for student athletes and overall school pride is undeserved.

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