Nutter reflects on role as Phila. mayor

Mayor Michael Nutter's first 100 days in office have been anything but uneventful.

He has the sizable task of managing a city that has seen its share of crises in recent years. He became Philadelphia's mayor amid some criticism, but if the reception he got after arriving on campus yesterday was any indication, many members of the Penn community stand firmly behind Nutter.

Approximately 200 students and faculty were in attendance to hear Nutter speak about the local media and how it reports crime in the area. The lecture, entitled, "The Role of Local Media in Public Safety," was part of the Urban Studies Public Conversation Series.

Phyllis Kaniss, whose Communications class played host for the mayor's visit, launched the discussion by asking Nutter about his appearance on the Colbert Report, which had been taped Monday at the Annenberg Center.

"I was really very surprised - I had no expectation I would be on the Colbert Report," said Nutter. He added that part of his responsibility entails actively engaging in some matters that appear to be more social than substantive.

"Part of my job is to promote this city," he said.

Nutter also discussed a major Philadelphia issue - crime rates.

"What we're going to do is go where the crime is and try to stop people from hurting one another," he said.

Another question that got the room's attention was in regards to the racial climate of the city.

Nutter responded, "I think there are some race-based incidents that take place in the city from time to time, but I think we've made a lot of progress. Things are relatively calm, people are relatively decent, and I'm trying to make everyone act civil."

Speaking about the University's plans for eastward expansion, Nutter expressed his desire for Penn to enact an agenda that helps both the University and the outside community.

"You see, it's not just Penn," Nutter said. "When you look at Temple, St. Joe's, Drexel, there's always concern regarding expansion. It's not just about what you propose, but how you propose it," he said.

Kaniss said she was satisfied his speech answered some students' questions about campus safety and local media coverage about crime in the area.

"I thought it was a great opportunity for students to interact with our city's mayor."

College junior Yvette Aikins came away pleased with Nutter's speech.

"I think it's really cool he would come back and talk to us," Aikins said. "He answered some questions many of us young folks have about what's going on in the city."

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