Bob Barker at a live taping of his show (Damian Dovarganes, AP)

Come this time next year, America may be home to more stray dogs. That’s because America’s favorite advocate of pet population control, The Price is Right’s Bob Barker, announced Tuesday that he’s retiring after 50 years on television.

At 83, Barker says that he wants to “retire while he’s still young.” After 35 years as host of CBS’s Price is Right, it seems like Barker’s earned his retirement. At second glance, he has a pretty good gig. He makes lots of money to hang out with beautiful models and make audience members happy. he’s like a fully clothed Hugh Hefner with lots of free carss!

Rumor has it he enjoys the models a little too much–several lawsuits too much. Nontheless, from the skinny microphone and doors opening at your command to price tag nametags, Barker’s retirement is the end of an era.

let’s be honest though, I’m not really concerned about Barker. But his retirement makes it certain that I will never fulfill a long time dream. I used to watch the Price is Right when I stayed home sick from school in middle school, which happened a lot when I was younger. I would curl up on the couch and wish I could be one of those college contestants with the awful teased hair and a white turtleneck poking out from under their college-logoed sweatshirt.

Oh well, I guess I’ll never get to the showcase showdown. What happens to a dream deferred?

I know the eighties are back, but Penn’s new “Cross Cultural Analysis” is so twenty years ago.

In the 1980s, it was chic for enlightened, progressive universities to create a requirement designed to expose their largely homogenous student bodies to diversity. A lot of the requirements were designed like Penn’s: existing courses about minority or foreign cultures were selected to fulfill the requirement.

But alas, just as Penn caught up it fell behind. The faculty at Williams College in Massachusetts noticed some big problems with their “People’s and Cultures” requirement (which is very similar to Penn’s “Cross Cultural Analysis” requirement) and decided to amend the program. The selection of courses that fulfilled the requirement were often seemingly picked arbitrarily and weren’t reliably rigorous. The requirement was also silly for growing population of international students at Williams–many of them took classes about their own cultures to boost their GPAs. In addition, the requirement didn’t include classes from the gender and sexuality studies departments.

Williams has tried to remedy these problems by revamping their program. Gender and Sexuality studies classes are now included. There is also more quality control in the program. Professors have to write a proposal to make the class qualify as fulfilling the requirement. All classes also now have a self-reflective element in them–all students are asked to determine which cultures they are part of and how those cultures relate to the cultures studied in the class.

The reviews aren’t in on Penn’s requirement–it is only half way through its first semester–but it seems fated to suffer the same shortfalls as Williams’ program. For instance, I was looking at the list of requirement fulfilling classes offered in spring 2007. To educate myself about diversity, I, who spent 13 years at a Jewish school, could pick one of two “Themes and Jewish Tradition” courses. I haven’t taken any “Cross Cultural Analysis” courses but if the “Quantitative Data Analysis” courses are any indication, quality control may be an issue. I took Oceanography last semester, and I don’t recall analyzing any quantitative data.

If cultural awareness is important enough to Penn to make its study a requirement, then the requirement shouldn’t be a joke. There should be real evaluation of the success of the program at the end of the semester and necessary changes should be made. Preferably before 2026.

I was supposed to be born on Halloween. Instead I was born on Election Day. Maybe if I wasn’t late (as usual) I’d have the same passion for masquerade as I do for politics. But alas, again this year I’m at a loss for a costume.

(familyfun.go.com)

Dressing as a hippie is so middle school and I was an angel last year (well, sort of) and I don’t want to dump a lot of cash on South Street. To solve this conundrum I did some research to find good–and possibly warm–Halloween costumes that you can buy on campus for very little money. Here are some of the best I found:

• Keeping in mind the birthday theme, a birthday cake could be a great costume. You can wear any color, with as much or as little clothing as you like. All you need is a solid color shirt, some sharpies, and maybe some tinsel or ribbon from CVS. And isn’t this little girl (right) cute!
• Dress as one of your friends, preferably a roommate. Everyone has that friend with mad unique style and great clothes. Raid the closet and get a quick lesson on their hair care routine. No preparation is necessary and it’s free!
• Last year two of my good friends were a train. They switched off being the engine and the caboose. It was hysterical! Hit up CVS for some paint and glue and the UPS store for a box. A cautionary note: make sure you like your caboose; you will be attached to them all night.

A word on the origin of Halloween costumes: Celtic people disguised as ghosts to protect themselves from the dead, who were allowed to roam the earth during the proto-Halloween festival of Samhadin. This is also the source of the tradition of drinking excessively on Halloween. You see, these particular Celts lived in the land now known as Ireland and were the ancestors of the modern Irish.

And college students thought we were being original for getting smashed before smashing pumpkins.

Students at Galluadet University are stickin’ it to the man in full view of the US capitol. Gallaudet, located in Washington DC, is the nation’s only university exclusively for deaf and hearing impaired students. Classes were canceled for three days last week following the seizure of a classroom building by a group of students in response to the appointment of former Gallaudet Provost Jane K. Fernandes as president.

Fernandes would be the second hearing impaired President of Gallaudet succeeding I. King Jordan. The hearing impaired community is a very tight knit community with a thriving, colorful culture of which it is very protective. The protectiveness makes sense to me. What doesn’t make sense to me is why Gallaudet students are so adverse to Fernandes.

Students assert that she is not integrated enough into deaf culture because she went to a school with hearing children and didn’t learn American Sign Language until she was 23. According to some students, the selection of a president that wasn’t raised speaking ASL was a result of “audism”–stereotypes of deaf and hearing impaired people. A CNN story also quoted Galluadet junior LaToya Plummer as saying “They have no idea who we are.”

The thing is, Fernandes is no stranger to Gallaudet–she’s been provostfor 10 years. As the chief academic officer of the University, she was involved in the development of the university’s strategic vision and plan and recently co-authored a report specifically addressing diversity at Galluadet.

There is no one who could possibly know the students better.

As for audism, certainly that is a concern with which I can sympathize. But while I’m not so familiar with the politics of within the deaf community, I feel confident saying that the current actions of Gallaudet students are not decreasing audism among the non-deaf population.

To be sure, the seemingly rash and irrational behavior has nothing to do with Galluadet students being deaf and everything to do with them being college students and protesters. Inertia often precludes deliberation among activists, even here at Penn. In an attempt to end the conflict at Galluadet, the University administration offered to have an outside review of the search process, involve students in the search for a new provost (a position that arguably has more impact on students’ lives), and give students a voice on the Board of Trustees. They were rebuffed.

I’m all for harnessing the “power to the people” instincts in college. Protests have a place as long as they are productive. But stubbornly fighting for an unachievable objective without any willingness to compromise seems a tad counterproductive.

(ceccr.asc.upenn.edu)

Yesterday I ran into four different campus tours on Locust Walk. I like to watch how parents act when touring campus with their kids. They usually fall into several categories. Here are three of my favorites I saw yesterday:

First there are the pushy parents. Pushies continually interrogate the tour guide about admissions (what’s Penn’s mean SAT score? What was your SAT score? What was your GPA? Did you take the calculus BC AP or just the AB?) After breaking conversation with the tour guide to take a very important business call on their hands-free Bluetooth ear piece, the interrogation is transferred to the other students on the tour. Once the SAT scores and GPAs of all the participants are tabulated, the pushy launches into a long monologue about how Penn has turned into a first class safety school.

Then there are the quiet parents. While some may interpret their silence as giving their kids space to make their own decisions, really there are deeper roots. These parents are having trouble coming to terms with the fact that in 1-2 years, their children will move out of the house. That wonder in their eyes is not enchantment at the beauty of Penn’s campus or admiration for the academic possibilities their children may obtain but rather the result of Father of the Bride-like delusions of their nearly grown up offspring strolling through campus as 7 year-olds.

Finally, my favorites: the alumni (i.e. my dad). These are the ones who chat up the tour guide asking all kinds of arcane historical Penn questions (When did Psych 1 stop being held in Irvine?) it’s easiest to spot them when the tour goes up Locust Walk: They’re the ones who look around manically and dart from student to student collecting flyers.

Oh, and their kid is easy to spot too. The legacy kid (i.e. me) walks around staring at their feet with a face that dares not convey any expression lest their over-anxious parent picks up any enthusiasm.

The horror of college admissions! My heart goes out to all those white plastic bag-yielding prefrosh and, of course, their parents.

The whole event was kind of trippy. It was 9:45 last Friday morning and I was waiting to hear House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and friends speak at a Penn Dems rally. I’m kind of a political junkie, but I had never heard Pelosi speak. The prospect of hearing the likely first female Speaker of the House is what got me up at that un-Godly hour.

Since it was a political event, the speakers were late. So, in an effort to pump up 150 students, someone turned on music. The DJ at Sigma Kappa’s Rock Steady event used the exact same play list the night before.

Pelosi in Logan Hall (Jeff Russ, The Daily Pennsylvanian)

It only got stranger from there. At long last the tempo of the music quickened. Pelosi and the two other speakers, Congressional Candidate Lois Murphy, and first term Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz entered the Terrace Room in Logan Hall. I expected two novices and a veteran politico. What ensued instead was a display of passion, polish and plastic.

Lois Murphy got to go first, I guess because she was the only speaker actually in a competitive race. Murphy reminded me of Scrappy Doo. She was like the precocious kid in the back of the class who jumps up and down every time the teacher asks a question, but in an endearing way.

Allyson Schwartz got the sophomore slump spot. Not yet a veteran but already an incumbent, she just came along for the ride. She also stole the show.

In what was more a pep-talk than a policy speech, Schwartz put her warmth on display. Schwartz talked about mushy inspirational themes like innovation and empowerment, but somehow managed to sound sincere by interspersing Penn-specific examples. Within the first two minutes, she had fashioned herself as everyone’s Jewish mother by mentioning her son, who recently graduated from Penn, and joking about the perils of speaking to college kids before noon.

Next up was Nancy Pelosi. The Sparknotes version: not ready for prime time.

Her talk, which rambled on aimlessly for too long, was not at all tailored for Penn. Oh, except for the part where she talked extensively about the founders declaring independence in Philadelphia. Even this (probable) history major who loves the Revolutionary War period thought the reference was lame. Schwartz and Murphy looked bored.

And her manor was all off. Pelosi’s silicon fake smile looked more like a grimace. After the rally, ace-Spinster Stephen Morse caught her off guard in an interview with a question and she looked like she was going to cry. That or get her security detail to rocket Morse across campus.

Everything was awry Friday morning. I expected candidate Murphy to appear inexperienced. Instead, she rattled off remedies for big problems like an old hand. I expected Schwartz to be as interesting as, you know, a sophomore, but I was wowed. I expected Pelosi to be energizing, but instead she was as exhausting as listening to Bon Jovi at 10 a.m.

The revelation of Representative Mark Foley’s perverse folly makes my stomach turn. There is nothing that is more inappropriate for someone in a position of power. Not to mention a potential role model taking advantage of a subordinate, especially a minor subordinate.

There is no question that Foley deserves to go–his behavior was unacceptably,
inappropriate, disgusting, illegal–I could go on and on. But the self-righteous lynch mob is leaping five or six steps further and calling an end to the page program.

Freshman Max Thompson was a congressional page for Republican Congresswoman Sue Kelly in the fall of 2004. He is adamant that the page program continue despite the recent controversy.

“There is no other way that I could have gained the level of intimacy with how Congress actually works than to have worked as a Page,” Thompson said in an e-mail interview. He went on:

You are right there, literally brushing shoulders with the men and women who are shaping American policy.

Here you are as a sixteen year old federal employee watching history
happen ten feet in front of you. There were moments such as the
Inauguration and hearing the Iraqi Prime Minister address Congress that
were absolutely incredible and even life changing for a lot of us.

To put it bluntly: America needs students who are inspired and excited about politics to this extent. Only people with this level of interest will have the will and dedication to actually solve the problems in this country.

There are definitely some bad apples in Washington and a handful of really rotten, wormy, untouchable apples.

But, I’ll tell you a secret: there are a lot of good people in Washington. Contrary to popular belief, there are politicians who do have a sense of mission and morality.

Walk around Washington at midnight and (if you don’t get mugged) you’ll find that the fluorescent lights of office buildings turned on. At Capitol Hill, in executive agencies and non-governmental organizations, there are dedicated, ideological, underpaid and sleep deprived staffers who are really trying to make an impact.

Washington is worth it. No matter what career-path you want to take–from business to medicine–the government will impact you and it’s important to know how it works. Despite the sheer awesomeness of School House Rock, you can never appreciate the real lawmaking process until you’ve lived it.

China is changing at dizzying speeds. Not only are the days where Chinese citizens were forced to wear drab grey and navy uniforms gone, but the days where any clothing is required of Chinese seem to be waning.

Last week, CNN reported that Mo Xiaoxin, an assistant professor of art at a university in Changzhou, (located in the eastern Jiangsu province) stripped naked during a lecture on human body art.

Before you go running over to the Office of International Programs to apply to study abroad at the Jiangsu Teachers University of Technology, know this: Professor Xiaoxin is 56 and was subsequently chastised by a Chinese cultural minister. A Chinese newspaper quoted the Chinese culture ministry official as saying “There are no taboos in the field of research, but to do this directly in the course of teaching is obviously not appropriate.”

No limits to the activities of academics in China? What?

Maybe I’m being culturally insensitive here but I think the Chinese government is a little confused here. It’s okay to insist that teachers wear clothes. It’s not okay to jail them for opposing you.

Still “naked professors”! (No offense)

First the new SAT, now no more early decision! Gosh, I’m getting old.

This week, Harvard rocked the world’s college-bound juniors by abolishing its early action program effective fall 2007.

Choice is good! (Penn Application, 2006-2007)

Experts have long debated the merits of early decision programs. Harvard’s move is significant in that it clears the way for other schools to also abolish their early admission programs. Indeed, Princeton followed suit on Monday.

Don’t worry, I’m not suggesting that Penn copy Princeton (ugh). But a little self reflection is always productive. Maybe it’s time for Penn to look at its early decision program.

Should Penn continue its early decision program? Short Answer: yes, at least for now.

Here’s why:

• Penn wants students who want Penn

  We go to a unique school with a unique bundle of opportunities, and an innovative, practical approach to education. Early decision allows students to indicate to the admissions office that they understand Penn’s shtick and that they really want to be at Penn. Also, from a more pragmatic standpoint, accepting kids early decision lowers the admit rate for Penn overall (because all students admitted early come) thereby raising the university’s prestige. Wouldn’t it be nice if we stopped getting confused with Penn State?

• Creating choices is better than eliminating them

  One of the main advantages Harvard cites for eliminating early applications is that doing so allows students to compare financial aid packages. The need to compare packages is certainly a good reason to not apply to early to college. Still, I have a hard time seeing how eliminating choices is in the best interest of anyone.

  Improving the affordability of college is a real issue. Penn’s solution ought not to throw our hands up and let other schools claim talented students because they offer students better financial aid. In other words, if we are trying to accommodate students with financial needs, we should improve our financial aid program so that they can not only afford college, but afford Penn. And all without eliminating options for the rest of the applicant pool.

• All applicants get a better shot if some students apply early

  18,824 students applied to Penn last year. That’s a lot of applications to read. Under the current system, 3,420 (18%) of those applications arrived by November 1st. In all those cases, a decision was made to admit, defer, or reject the student before the tsunami of January 1st applications arrived. Early decision spreads out the workload in the admissions office. It’s the difference between pulling an all-nighter and working ahead on a paper. What yields better decisions?

• Have some pity on the seniors

  Do you remember being a first semester high school senior? Do you know any high school juniors and seniors? My friends at Penn would say that I’m a pretty laid-back girl, but when I was applying to college two years ago I was a certifiable spazz. Many kids spend their whole high school careers scheming how to get into college. The last thing they need is to wait another few months, go to more costly college counselor appointments and retake the SATs, again. But, if a student needs more time to prepare their application (or wants to prolong the torture) they can have it and apply regular decision. Look, everyone’s happy!

My senior year of high school basically began December 10, 2004 at 5:05 pm. Until then I couldn’t focus on enjoying my last year with my friends in the school I had gone to for 13 years because I was so busy figuring out my next step. Maybe there are some kids who can multi-task better than I or for some reason need more time to decide where to apply. That’s fine; Penn has a regular decision program.
As for me, the opportunity to relax, get to know my friends again and learn for the sake of learning rather than grades was invaluable. It is also an opportunity I loathe to deny other students.

People do different things when they feel vulnerable. Some do reckless things like drink too much. Others take their unease out in more constructive ways like burying themselves in the library.

The worst insult someone can pay me is calling me “jappy.” But my unease manifests itself in a jappy habit. When I feel vulnerable, I hail a cab.

I moved into school by myself this year. I arrived at 30th Street Station for new student orientation armed with my two large camp duffle bags. I was mildly terrified at the prospect of hoisting them up the two flights of stairs to my room so instead of walking 14 blocks, I scurried to the cab line.

As soon as closed the door, the taxi driver struck up conversation with me. His English was good but the combination of his speedy cadence and heavy accent made his speech hard to understand.

But it was worth it. Turns out my cab driver was a doctor from the embattled Darfur region of Sudan. He has lived in the United States for more than a decade but most of his family still lives in the war torn area were the government sponsored Janjaweed militias are accused of committing genocide against the non-Arabs citizens of the region.

As soon as he figured out that I was interested in international affairs and had knowledge of the atrocities going on in his homeland, he eagerly shared some very astute observations about the prospects for peace in Darfur.

For once I didn’t notice the Philadelphia traffic. In 14 blocks I got more of a sense of the situation in Darfur than I had from several years of reading newspaper accounts.

But this taxi teaching wasn’t a onetime occurrence. Yesterday I was late for a friend’s birthday party. It was cold and wet outside and the party was downtown so I jumped into a cab. I ended up learning about the effects of nutrition on aging from a Pakistani cabby.

This got me thinking. Since I normally pay Penn tuition to take classes on Africa and South Asia, maybe cabs are a bargain after all!