CAMPUS BUZZ
BY SANDY SMITH
Artistic alchemy: It’s almost as magical as turning base metals
into gold -- transforming chemistry into stagecraft. This chemical
reaction was initiated by the news of P. Roy Vagelos’ stepping
down as chairman of the Board of Trustees, and the reaction product is
“Perfect Chemistry” -- an evening of song, dance, music
and comedy, all using chemistry as a metaphor, presented by some of Penn’s
best student performers and directed by Seth Rozin (C’86).
And while Vagelos is the honored guest, everyone’s invited to this
special celebration on Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Annenberg Center. Tickets
are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Annenberg
box office from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday or by calling 215-898-3900.
And now for some shocking news: The University Police, who are usually in the business of making arrests, now have plans to stop them -- cardiac arrests, that is. The department has recently acquired two new automated external defibrillators, which are devices used to restart a heartbeat in an emergency. The AEDs will help the Penn Police, who are all trained in CPR and certified as first responders in medical emergencies, save more lives -- which should help us all feel a little more secure on the streets of University City.
Well-supplied: Kudos to the University faculty and staff who donated materials to Penn Volunteers in Public Service’s annual school supplies drive, which concluded at the end of last month. According to Penn VIPS Director Isabel Sampson-Mapp, volunteers donated enough stuff to fill 15 large boxes. Most of the supplies were donated to the People’s Emergency Shelter; the remainder went to community service agencies, after-school programs and needy families throughout West Philadelphia and University City.
Safe for now: Stouffer College House residents on pins and needles can relax, at least for the time being -- plans to replace the structure with a new residence and dining hall have been put on indefinite hold, which means that demolition of the structure will not take place next year as previously announced.
Penn in ink: It looks like we may have to rethink our use of the word “Neanderthal” as an insult. According to Professor of Radiology Morrie Kricum, who studied X-rays of Neanderthal bones unearthed nearly a century ago, our prehistoric precursors were not the sickly dimwits we thought they were: “Their bones were as healthy as [those of] modern humans,” she told the Associated Press. The AP story appeared in The Washington Post Sept. 28...What keeps thin people from eating so much they get fat? Whatever it is, it’s not willpower. The consensus among researchers, according to an Oct. 5 New York Times article, is that the term actually has no meaning when it comes to explaining or changing eating behaviors. Rather, as Psychiatry Professor Albert Stunkard put it, “Willpower was a kind of all-embracing theory that was used all the time to make doctors feel good and patients feel bad.”
What’s the buzz? Tell us what’s happening! Call us at 215-898-1426, send e-mail to current@ pobox.upenn.edu or drop a line to the Current at 200 Sansom East/6106.