Students grieve last night at a candlelight vigil at Virginia Tech (Taylor Howard/DP)

Monday’s shootings at Virginia Tech have prompted several pressing questions. What was the shooter’s background? What was his motive? Was there an accomplice?

While all of these questions indubitably require answers, what concerns me most is the Virginia Tech administration’s actions yesterday. To that end, I have one simple question: How could the University have responded the way it did?

Let’s review Monday’s chain of events. At 7:15 a.m., a gunman shot two students in West Ambler Johnston dorm. Police were called to the scene. Though the police didn’t apprehend the suspect, they believed he had possibly left the campus and even the state.

This assumption led to blatant idiocy on behalf of the administration — they didn’t send an e-mail warning students until 9:26 a.m.

Then, at 9:45 a.m., the second round of shootings began at Norris Hall, an engineering building. In total, the gunman shot 32 people, and then killed himself.

Tech’s administration defends its actions, saying it thought the shooting was a “self-contained case.” How could University officials have come to such a conclusion when they didn’t even have the suspect in custody? Why was an e-mail not sent at 7:16 a.m., warning students that a gunman was on the loose? At the very least, the administration should have evacuated the dorms or shut down campus.

Indeed, students were still in classes at 8 a.m. — after the initial shooting — and many students say that had no idea what was going on. They went to class, as usual, because no one had alerted them not to go.

Thankfully, Maureen Rush, Penn’s Vice President of Public Safety, has announced that Penn’s course of action would be to shut down if a similar situation occurred on campus. She also called for increased communication efforts to ensure the safety of Penn’s students and faculty in such a crisis.

Virginia Tech’s administration can defend itself all it wants — but the parents whose children died as a result of its inadequate response may not accept its excuses so readily.

It’s no secret that Philadelphia’s tourism industry has focused largely on attracting would-be settlers from New York City. The hipster side of Philly is a lure for artists who want to settle in an edgy area, but can’t afford exorbitant rents.

Ray King

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation has embarked upon a $5 million, two-year campaign to appeal to scrimping artists in New York City, Boston, and Washington, D.C.

So where can these artists relocate to emulate the coolness factor of Greenwich Village? The tourism bureau is fervently hoping that Northern Liberties will become the obvious choice.

But the artists’ trek to Northern Liberties isn’t new, said Deborah Scoblionkov, a spokesman for local Philly artist and Northern Liberties resident Ray King.

“Artists have been coming to Philadelphia, and Northern Liberties in particular, for years,” Scoblionkov said.

Bruce Pollock

King, who was born in Philadelphia, works from his studio on north 3rd street. But his works haven’t been restricted to the local area – he has shown his light and glass sculptures all over the world, from museums in Tokyo to a winery in Italy.

King attempts to fuse fiber optics with technology to result in “an interaction of light and shadows.” He uses glass reflectors to create prisms of color that truly dazzle the eyes.

Too high-tech for you? Check out another local artist, Bruce Pollock. Pollock received his Masters of Fine Arts at Philadelphia’s Tyler School of Art in 1978, and has shown his mathematically-scintillating paintings at galleries across the country.

Ray King

Pollock’s paintings, once described as “bracing as a shot of vodka,” are delightful in that they’re meticulously wrought according to various patterns, not unlike those explored in classes like Math 170: Ideas in Mathematics. No math lover myself, even I can appreciate the beauty of his works.

If the Golden Ratio isn’t your thing, look up the works of Huston Ripley , a talented drawer/painter who went to Penn. His works explore themes like terror, peace and death contained within haunting images that look like The Ring combined with ancient Mayans.

The gratifying aspect of checking into these works is that you can head down to the artists’ studios yourself — and talk with the artist face-to-face. And that makes it easier to track someone’s work over the years, especially if they’re only a SEPTA ride away.

Like a bridge over troubled waters, (www.phillywater.org)

I promised to examine Philadelphia’s edgy artist community in Northern Liberties in this post but it just wasn’t meant to happen. The artists skipped town and recent news about Pennsylvania’s water quality was so disturbing, I decided to take a break from my favorite neighborhood.

While Northern Liberties residents are concerned about sewage water backing up into their homes, local activists are also worried about the water after it’s been treated at one of Philly’s water plants. They claim that the treated water may have too many pollutants in it, which could have serious health consequences for both aquatic life and recreational users of Philly’s rivers.

Fortunately for the Sierra Club, the federal government seems to agree that Philly’s water is a problem.

A recent federal report entitled Toxic Pollution Health uses information accumulated in the Toxic Release Inventory — which collects information about local and state emissions of toxic chemicals into the air and water — to determine which cities are most detrimental to the environment.

For Pennsylvania, the report should function as a much-needed wake-up call.

Pennsylvania ranked 12th in the nation for air and water releases of developmental toxins, emitting 2,809,879 pounds of toxins. Of the 100 counties in the nation with the highest air and water releases of developmental toxins, nearby Chester County ranked 20th worst (797,278 pounds) and Lancaster County ranked 37th worst (425,852 pounds).

These figures should not be taken lightly, especially by Philadelphia’s Department of Environmental Protection and the Philadelphia Water Department.

What’s even more troubling is the EPA wants to relax its reporting requirements for companies, a decision that would allow companies to report less about the toxins they emit. This means that in the future, the reports like the one I just described won’t be able to tell us the harms these companies may cause to our health.

“Our best guess is this is some effort to give companies a little less spotlight on their toxic emissions,” said Sean Moulton, a spokesman for OMB Watch, a non-profit organization that monitors the Office of Budget Management’s activities.

If implemented, the proposals would cut states’ toxics databases in half, so it’s no wonder 23 state governments have already protested to the EPA. Those comments are in addition to those from 60 members of Congress, 200 public interest organizations, and over 120,000 average American citizens.

What makes this proposal so dangerous is the shortsightedness with which the EPA acted.

“We know they cut a lot of corners in their research,” Moulton said. “They haven’t released any models or statistics to see potential health effects of exposure to these toxins, so we know they haven’t done proper analysis.”

Luckily, the DEP has protested these changes. We can only hope that the EPA listens to their constituents and rethinks this disastrous decision. For Pennsylvania, it’s a clear signal that now’s the time to start thinking about the environment.

A series looking at Philly’s fastest-growing neighborhood

When neighborhoods undergo rapid development, their residents expect “Pardon Our Dust” signs and reassurances from the developers that the fork lifts and cranes will shortly disappear.

But for residents of Northern Liberties, those assurances don’t mean much when homeowners believe that sediment from construction finds its way into the city sewers –sewers that have problems of their own from faulty infrastructure.

Sediment clogs the sewers. (Hilary Regan)

The sewers in Northern Liberties don’t have separate pipes for storm water and sanitary waste when it rains, which means the infrastructure can’t handle the accumulation of water. The water then backs up to where it came from — the basements of Northern Liberties homeowners.

The backup has caused numerous problems for these residents, which I’ve chronicled before. Flooded basements have led to a number of concerns that have plagued residents for years: deleterious health effects from resulting mold, financial repercussions from having to replace water-heating systems and phone lines, and endless frustration with an antiquated system.

Sewer water floods the streets. (Hilary Regan)

The “construction run-off,” Northern Liberties Neighborhood Association member Hilary Regan said, is one of the key contributors to sewer buildup. Because the construction sites haven’t been properly managed, there’s no way to prevent the sewers from being clogged with debris, which, in turn, facilitates water backup into basements.

The Philadelphia Water Department and Pennsylvanian’s Department of Environmental Protection claim they don’t know why basements continue to flood, even when storms don’t occur. But to aggravated homeowners like Ubirajara Nascimento, those statements are tantamount to thinly-veiled excuses.

“They know what the problem is,” Nascimento said. “They just don’t want to fix it. There’s no concern for the infrastructure, and the neighborhood keeps getting bigger and bigger.”

Unfortunately for Nascimento, it doesn’t look the situation’s going to change any time soon. The main developer of the area, Bart Blatstein of Tower Investments, Inc., refuses to comment on the NLNA’s concerns, and the Philadelphia Water Department won’t admit any wrongdoing, stating simply that it’s working on ways to figure out why the problem is happening.

Clearly, there are issues that need to be resolved. But without cooperation from city authorities, very little can get done. For Northern Liberties residents, that means coping with flooded basements — no matter how many times they complain.

Check back soon for the next installment, a look at Northern Liberties’ cultural identity.

Sites like these new houses will soon be commonplace in Northern Liberties.

A series looking at Philly’s fastest-growing neighborhood

If you take a walk down 2nd and American streets in Northern Liberties, an area north of
Old City, you’ll notice a whole lot of construction.

An industrial wasteland that later became a red-light district, Northern Liberties has transformed into a bustling residential area. 5,000 people occupy 1/3 of a square mile, and the current population is estimated to be around 47,000 people. What’s interesting about these numbers is the median age for the
neighborhood is about 31. This is an up and coming neighborhood that’s doing pretty well for itself.

This Northern Liberties night spot is called The Druid’s Keep

The growth doesn’t appear to be stopping any time soon. Bart Blatstein of Tower Investments is the primary developer for the area, and he’s on a mission to add rows of houses, shops, cafes and bars to a previously- barren zone.

While rapid development has energized the neighborhood, it has also raised a host of issues concerned citizens grapple with daily. From construction sediment clogging the sewers to the homogenization of an area that prides itself on being unique, the future of Northern Liberties is anyone’s guess.

Check back soon for the next installment, a look at the environmental effects of gentrification in Northern Liberties.

Turnoff. Non-negotiable.

It was the fall semester of my freshman year at Penn when I realized that everything I had heard about college was true–at least when it came to the typical male dorm room.

Surrounded by posters of Pamela Anderson and confronted with the seemingly-ubiquitous green plaid sheets, I could only raise my eyebrows when my friend Tom confidently told me, “This room is the ultimate bachelor pad–what I like to call the Love Shack.”

Whether Tom’s dreams of Ware/Butcher Hall bachelordom ultimately came true I cannot say (though I’m inclined to believe the answer is no, judging from the copious amounts of the Backstreet Boys he tended to play), but one thing is clear: the penchant for the most pimped out room doesn’t disappear after college.

A recent article in The New York Times chronicled a trend in which successful, well-read, altogether attractive men just couldn’t keep a significant other–because of the oddities of their apartments.

And while Penn boys may not favor stuffed seals, I believe a few rules from the wiser sex may be instrumental in maintaining relationships far longer than one night in the Love Shack.

1. Throw out (or give to your younger brother) any remaining pictures of
   Jenna Jameson you may have worshipped in high school. This rule extends to any posters of Gisele Bundchen, Heidi Klum, or cutouts from Maxim’s 100 Hottest. We understand that Lindsay Lohan is hot. In fact, we probably ogle her as much as you do. But seeing her on your ceiling will not increase our affection for you nor will it convince us to spend the night.
2. Having multiple electronic objects does not make you manlier. One of my neighbors last year was so impressed with his new flatscreen/DVD/Tivo/MP3 player combo, he invited his crush over to watch a movie, suavely fiddled with the remote control and blew a fuse that knocked out the entire hall’s power. We like you for your charm, your intellectual finesse, your humor–not the size of your iPod.
3. Clean off your nightstand table before inviting someone over. This may seem trivial, but I cannot stress the importance of a relatively empty sleeping space. There is nothing worse than settling into someone’s plaid sheets and looking over to see all 14 members of the Greenbaum family smiling happily back at you. In these instances, subtlety is on the best policy, so having Marvin Gaye spontaneously erupt from your clock radio probably won’t do you any favors.

I realize these rules seem harsh. And I admit that the right girl probably will forgive you for a lot. But there’s a difference between charmingly odd and incredibly weird. And please, whatever you do, give up your Batman sheets from the second grade.

Sheldon from Manayunk

I have two goals I must fulfill before I leave Philly for the picturesque hills of Edinburgh in the fall. I need to procure a summer subletter (a fruitless endeavor, I know) and I’d also like to find cheap yet durable textbooks so that I don’t have to sink any more money into the Penn Bookstore. After perusing Craigslist in search of these items (and accidentally winding up on the “Casual Encounters” message board), I’ve realized something very important. I must accomplish these aims without interacting with the creepy people from this website, who refuse to accept that yes, I only want to buy their furniture, and no, I would not like to arrange a meeting.

Luckily for me (and you too, if you like to avoid virtual harassment), I heard about Campusdock.com, a website that’s geared specially toward college students. Sign up with a university e-mail address and you can navigate pages that pertain only to Penn. My favorite new pastime is happily coasting through pages and pages of cheap IKEA furniture that seniors can’t lug with them to New York next year.

Sign up and you’ll see — this site’s just as addicting as Craigslist, and there’s far less of a chance of acquiring a stalker named Sheldon from Manayunk who wants to help assemble your new chest of drawers.

Last year’s concert with OAR as the headliner took much longer to sell out. (DP)

The time was 1:28 p.m. As cascades of eager would-be ticket buyers lined up to guarantee their spot for Ben Folds, a petite brunette at the head of the line emitted a large gasp. “Sold out?!”

It was true. As the crowds parted, the Spring Fling banner on the walk could be seen emblazoned with those fiery, red letters. There was nothing to do but walk away (which most of us did without incident, save for the infuriated guy who couldn’t resist flicking off SPEC committee members).

Luckily, I had purchased my ticket this morning around 11, after reading the alarming news in the DP (sorry, shameless plug) that over half of the tickets had been sold. But for the rest of the Penn community (basically everyone except the fortunate 3,000), the only course of action now is to climb the fence of Wynn Commons or buy tickets from scalpers at outrageously exorbitant prices.

Perhaps no one expected the concert would sell out this quickly. After all, I remember buying my ticket for O.A.R last year nearly a week after tickets went on sale. And, as College junior and SPEC co-director Tony Rizzo says, “this concert’s ticket sales broke all the records.”

According to Rizzo, because of contractual obligations there will still be some tickets available the day of the show, though he doesn’t know how many. Still, 3,000 tickets for a community of 20,000? Seems a little low.

I realize that the 2005 Sonic Youth debacle sent SPEC’s expectations on a downward spiral, but this is Ben Folds we’re talking about. Wharton and Engineering senior Matt Mizrahi, co-chairman of the SPEC Concerts Committee, told the DP that it was evident that Ben Folds was a “favorite on campus,” as he was voted one of the most popular concert candidates by a survey SPEC conducted in October. Clearly, SPEC organizers understood that Folds would attract a lot of students.

As such, organizers should have anticipated heightened ticket sales and entertained the notion of switching venues. Artists used to rock out on Hill Field, then switched to Franklin Field in 2003, and finally to Wynn Commons in 2005. While Rizzo refused to discuss accommodation concerns, he says a change is something he’s “willing to consider” for next year.

Even without a change of venue, there are other ways to make sure as many students as possible can attend the show. Some students purchased up to ten tickets yesterday because there was no ticket limit imposed. And while I’m sure many of them were good-naturedly buying tickets for their friends stuck in class, I wouldn’t dismiss the idea that many students bought tickets to sell them at much higher rates.

For next year’s concert, organizers should discuss ways to increase the number of students who can enjoy the show. That way, when the banner on Locust reads “Sold Out,” 10,000 students can walk by unconcernedly, clutching their tickets in their hands.

Franklin Kramer (NATO)

If you rolled out of bed this morning and joyously thanked your deity of choice for finally sending warm weather, you might be surprised to learn that not everyone is as enthusiastic about this spring’s soaring temperatures.

As the issue of global warming edges its way forward in the media’s spotlight into the public’s consciousness, concerned citizens are finding ways to get out their message.

This past Saturday, Penn hosted Power Shift2007, a conference hosted by 2020 Vision, a non-profit lobby that urges Congress to promote global security and protect the environment by decreasing our dependence on foreign oil and switching to alternative fuels.

The conference, which featured workshops and keynote addresses from former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Franklin Kramer and Congressman Chaka Fattah, drew about 110 people, half of them students, College sophomore and conference organizer Katarina Lackner said.

It’s refreshing to see such a conference take place on Penn’s campus, especially in light of recent, more controversial speakers coming to town.

But if 2020 Vision may have thought it would make a deep impact at one of the nation’s best universities, it was sorely mistaken. As part of its fight to slow global warming, 2020 Vision wants to limit our dependence on foreign oil. According to its website, the group is dedicated to changing “an economy that ships billions of dollars per year overseas, bankrupting our economy and supporting nations that are committed to international terrorism.”

But as I reported a few months ago, Penn hasn’t taken any steps (like making a symbolic or actual divestment) to distance ourselves from companies that buy their oil in the Middle East. If Penn wants to live up to the new green standards sweeping the nation (especially across college campuses), I can only hope that 2020 Vision’s efforts will help influence our own administration.

If you’ve ever taken a spinning class with Christian at Pottruck, you know how hard it is to concentrate on getting to the top of that blasted hill, let alone trying to have a conversation or articulate intelligent thoughts.

For spinners at a Manhattan Upper West side studio, however, this Thursday’s class will focus on a different type of journey: the politically-arduous fundraising climb for presidential candidates.

And not just any candidate- Senator Hillary Clinton’s deploying what could be her most useful weapon in the fundraising race: her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

For the mere price of $2300 a bike (the maximum contribution amount allowed to be donated for during the primary cycle), spinners will have the chance to listen to Bill Clinton discuss his wife’s goals for ensuring health care for all Americans.

After a short question-and-answer period, studio owners will try to convince Bill to bike along with the class by playing some of his favorite tunes.

If only Pottruck were so creative. Penn students could listen to Avery Goldstein discuss Iran’s nuclear program as they weight lift, delve into the uncanny in literature with Liliane Weissberg as they tone their deltoids, or ponder supply and demand with Randall Wright as they StairMaster their way through Bon Jovi.

And of course, if this is what the Clintons are willing to do for a few thousand, I can’t wait to see what they’ll do for a million.