College shorts

Author: Scott Greene

UPenn officials talk student off of rooftop

A female undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania threatened to jump off of the 10th story roof of an on-campus grocery store before being coaxed off of the ledge on Thursday, Sept. 6. It took Penn Police, Philadelphia Police and Fire Department officers, as well as university and city psychological counselors about two hours to dissuade her from jumping.

"We are extremely grateful that the young woman is safe, and we will work with her and her family to see that she gets the help she needs," the University said in a press statement.

The 23-year old student, whose name has not been disclosed, was on leave from the university at the time. The incident attracted crowds of students and local residents, many of whom stuck around to see the fortunate conclusion.

"I'm going to wait here until something happens - either until she jumps or until they rescue her," said University sophomore Zack Bader, who skipped a class to stay on the scene.

Philadelphia Police is not pressing any charges against the student, who will likely be held in the hospital for a two-to-three day evaluation.

-The Daily Pennsylvanian



Harvard moves game for High Holy Days

Harvard University will play the first nighttime football game in its history on Saturday, September 21. The game, originally scheduled for Friday evening, was moved in response to complaints from Jewish alumni and fans that the game would conflict with the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.

The Crimson athletic department convinced their own coach, Tim Murphy, as well as Brown University coach Phil Estes to move the game after receiving several complaints about the scheduling.

"I'm glad it was handled in such an amicable way," said Abraham London, a Jewish alum and a self-described longtime supporter of the Harvard football program. "I don't think this would have happened in the 1930s. Harvard has come a long way."

The University still faces criticism from the local community, however, which is perturbed by the lack of communication regarding the night game. Many members of the community claim the University is not sufficiently prepared to handle the large crowds and the heavy traffic that the game is likely to draw.

-The Harvard Crimson



Yale hires first female engineering dean

Yale University has hired its first-ever female dean of engineering, President Richard Levin announced this week. T. Kyle Vanderlick, the chair of the Chemical Engineering Department at Princeton University, will assume the post.

Vanderlick, who was the first female chair of any science or engineering department at Princeton, said she is anxious to help recruit women simply by demonstrating that women can be successful in engineering fields. She claimed that recent university decisions convinced her of Yale's commitment to growth in the field of engineering.

"The administration is very committed to engineering at Yale, as I think it should be, since technology is such an important part of the future and a premier institution like Yale understands that," Vanderlick said. "There's such a good base to build upon."

Vanderlick's long-term goals include establishing a relationship with faculty in other departments in hope of initiating interdisciplinary research.

-Yale Daily News