Can't get enough Van Pelt? UA has it covered

Desperate students trying to cram in an extra hour of studying this week will now be able to do it in Van Pelt Library.

At the request of the Undergraduate Assembly, Carton Rogers - who runs Penn's libraries - decided to keep Van Pelt open until 2 a.m. from yesterday through the end of exams.

Last year, the library extended its hours only during reading days and exams, according to UA Vice Chairman of External Affairs and College junior Jason Karsh.

"This is starting a week earlier as a trial run," Karsh said.

Based on the number of people who utilize the extended hours in Van Pelt, permanent changes to the library schedule may be made.

Also in the UA this week:

n Laundry machines that eat up quarters and dryers that never seem to dry are the UA's next project.

The Laundry Facilities Plan of Action, spearheaded by UA member and College freshman Claire Choi, urges college-house staff to make improvements to "both current and future laundry-facility conditions."

The UA placed sheets where students can make formal complaints in two laundry rooms in Ware College House as a trial run for a potential school-wide laundry complaint system.

n Joining forces with the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education, the UA passed a proposal supporting SCUE's attempts to make syllabi for every undergraduate course available online.

We "hope by spring, most tentative syllabi will be ready," said SCUE chairman and Engineering junior Gabe Kopin, who attended last Sunday's UA meeting.

n Students who want to complain about that boring math lecture now have someplace to turn.

A new undergraduate advisory board plans to help professors learn what students themselves want. With members from the UA, SCUE and others appointed by the Nominations and Elections Committee, the advisory board will help TAs and professors "get help regarding all aspects of teaching," according to UA member and College senior Erin Cho.

The board will be run through the Center for Teaching and Learning, a School of Arts and Sciences resource center that educates faculty and staff about teaching.

n The UA welcomed its newest member - College junior Ashish Bhumbla- at its Sunday meeting, congratulating him on his new position.

Bhumbla, who previously worked with the UA as a voting committee member, will now take a place on both the Facilities and Campus Planning and Student Life committees.

Bhumbla replaced College senior Aaron Weissman, who stepped down last month after he missed more than 25 percent of required UA meetings.

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