Post-Reunion Fried Oreo Withdrawal

Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08

My fifth reunion was a HUGE success! Now that it’s over, I keep thinking about is how much I want more fried Oreos. They are so delicious! The tasty treat brings back great memories of Spring Fling.

Fried Oreo at the Saturday picnic of Alumni Weekend 2013.

Fried Oreo at the Saturday picnic of Alumni Weekend 2013.

When I was waiting in line at the cookie tent, an alumnus standing in front of me was explaining the importance of fried Oreos to his guest. “They’re a Penn icon,” he said. “You aren’t a Penn student until you’ve tried one.” His guest hesitated, but agreed to try one.

I remember experiencing the same hesitation before trying my first fried Oreo during Spring Fling of freshman year. My upperclassmen friends insisted that they were delicious – how could they not be – they are Oreos encased in fried dough AKA delicious covered in delicious. I tried them, I loved them, and now I want some more.

I hope fried Oreos become a tradition at Alumni Weekend, so I can eat more when I attend my “sixth reunion” in 2014!

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Filed under 5th Reunion, Alumni Perspective, Alumni Weekend, Stephanie Y.

Ben Franklin says “Congratulations!”

Author: Dan Bernick, 2014

Not many know it, but there is a statue of Ben Franklin as a young boy on campus.

Of all the Ben statues, this is my favorite because it shows him when he was ready to conquer the world – exactly where so many Penn students are in their journeys.

Untitled

To all my friends who are graduating, go off and do great things!

 

 

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Filed under Student Perspective

Time to Vine: Alumni Weekend 2013 in Six Second Snippets

Author: Aimee LaBrie

We’ve been dabbing our toes in the water with Vine videos lately, just to see if we could capture the essence of events in just six seconds.

Go here to take a look and let us know what you think: https://vine.co/v/b2V119zHUK2

If you are a Twitter or Instagram user, please use our Alumni Weekend hash tag: #PennAW. We’ll create an entire Storify snapshot of all that was happening via social media over the weekend, and we’d love to include you in that time line.

Haven’t registered for Alumni Weekend yet? No problem! You can walk on to register any time. Don’t miss the fun. Look what’s already happening:

PennAWPinWheels

PennAWLoveStatue

PennAWBen

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Filed under Alumni Weekend, Reunions, Social Networking, Uncategorized

Locust Walk Talk: Regional Club Member Meet Up

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

Alumni Weekend is frenetic, hectic, crazy and frantic for us as staff.  We spend our hours running from College Hall to Hamilton Village (Superblock) and then off to the Stouffer College House in order to staff a board meeting, check in attendees at a panel discussion, or manage registration for one of our hundreds of our events.  We are in a constant state of flux.  It’s important though, because if we’re frenzied behind the scenes, then we know that everything is being accomplished to make sure that our alumni have an amazing time over the weekend  And the adrenaline does us all good.

I think you can see me darting from one location to the next in the background.

However, one of my favorite times during the weekend is the Penn Alumni Regional Club Member Meet Up.  It’s an hour out of our busy schedule to take some time to visit with our incredible volunteers:  club presidents, club leaders, club members, Interview Program Chairs and interviewer.  It’s so valuable to have the opportunity to see folks for a nice chat in person.

Campus is always so nicely done up.

While the event is primarily for our volunteers to network and meet their peers from next door or from around the world – last year, I was privy to Club members from Shanghai and Interview Program volunteers from Cherry Hill having a riveting conversation – this event is a break in the day to see our alumni friends, welcome them back to campus , and to thank them for all the hard work they’ve done for Penn.

So, if you are Interview Program chair, an interviewer, a club leader or member, you are welcome to join the Penn Alumni Regional Club staff for the Meet Up, which will be held on Saturday, May 11 in the Class of 1953 Lounge at E. Craig Sweeten Alumni House (3533 Locust Walk) from 3 to 4 PM.

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Alumni Weekend, Casey R., Locust Walk Talk

Welcome Class of 2013 Senior Women!

Author: Kristina Clark

wineandcheesewelcome

WOW!  The final count of last night’s Class of 2013 Senior Women Wine & Cheese Reception indicates that we welcomed over 360 new alumnae!

As you may know, the event is a collaborative effort by the Association of Alumnae and the Trustees’ Council of Penn Women.   Association of Alumnae board member Patrice Green, and Trustees’ Council of Penn Women’s vice president Dawn Eringis each took the opportunity to welcome the seniors to the ranks of alumnae, and their words to our senior women about transitioning from a Penn student to a Penn alumna were so incredibly relevant and inspiring!

It was a wonderful event, and we continue to celebrate Penn women!

wineandcheese

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Filed under Alumni Programming, Alumni Weekend, Association of Alumnae, Kristina C.

Celebrating Diversity at Alumni Weekend

Author: Lillian Galindo Gardiner, GEd ’11

It may not be your reunion year, but there are other fun reasons to come back for Alumni Weekend this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Online registration is now closed, but you can still register on-site this weekend.

The Multicultural Outreach Team in Alumni Relations has worked with alumni leaders to plan some exciting opportunities for reconnecting with friends and celebrating the diversity of our Penn alumni.

Read on for details on events hosted by the Penn Alumni Diversity Alliance!

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SATURDAY, MAY 11

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
University of Pennsylvania Asian Alumni Network: Reception
Houston Hall, Ben Franklin Room, 3417 Spruce Street
Meet with UPAAN at our alumni weekend reception to meet fellow alumni, reunite old classmates and connect with past, current, and future members of the Asian & Asian-American community at Penn. Alumni, bring your memories, Students, bring your energy. Refreshments will be served. Following the reception, please join us in a joint panel discussion in collaboration with our fellow Diversity Alliance groups on the topic of faculty diversity and initiatives.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Association of Native Alumni: “A Tribute to Bob Preucel”
Houston Hall, Bishop White Room, 3417 Spruce Street
“A Tribute to Bob” (Robert W. Preucel), Department Chair, Sally and Alvin V. Shoemaker Professor, Anthropology: Curator-In-Charge, American Section, University Museum; Director, Penn Center for Native American Studies. With best wishes for a continued stellar journey at Brown University, we are remembering our time with Bob at Penn by sharing an archive of videos, stories, pictures, individual and collective memories. We recognize his work to develop the Center for Native American Studies and his ongoing support. Although Bob will not be joining us at Alumni Weekend, please gather with your fellow ANA alumni and Native students to pay tribute to him.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Association of Latino Alumni: Networking Reception
Houston Hall, Golkin Room, 3417 Spruce Street
Join ALA at our alumni networking reception, the first of two events that will focus on the evolution that is sweeping campus. While you reconnect with fellow alumni and reunite with old classmates, meet current students and Latino faculty. Refreshments will be served. Following the reception, please join us in a joint-panel discussion with our fellow Diversity Alliance groups on the very current and relevant topic of faculty diversity and initiatives.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
PennGALA Networking Hour
Houston Hall, Brachfeld Room, 3417 Spruce Street
PennGALA and the LGBT Center welcome you to network with fellow alumni during Alumni Weekend. Learn what other alumni are up to and the paths they’ve taken since graduating. You’ll also hear about the LGBT Center and the ways students benefit from its presence on campus today.

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Black Alumni Society Reception
Houston Hall, Platt Rehearsal Room, 3417 Spruce Street
During the Alumni Weekend festivities, we welcome you to enjoy a reception hosted by the Black Alumni Society. This will be a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with friends and reminisce about your time at Penn. We will also acknowledge the 40th Anniversary of the W.E.B Du Bois College House with a few words from House Faculty Master, Rev. William Gipson, who also serves as Associate Vice Provost for Equity and Access at Penn.

4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Penn Faculty Panel: Co-Sponsored by the Penn Alumni Diversity Alliance
Houston Hall, Class of ’49 Auditorium, 3417 Spruce Street
Please join us for a panel discussion featuring Penn Professors Dr. Eric J. Schelter, Dr. Emilio Parrado, Dr. Grace Kao, and Dr. Tukufu Zuberi, who will discuss what achieving diversity means to them. Following the panel, there will be time for audience Q&A.

6 PM – 10 PM
Taste of Penn Spectrum: A Celebration of Diversity
Location: Tent on College Green
Spend an evening surrounded by friends, food, and music celebrating Penn’s cultural diversity. Enjoy the company of the Penn Alumni Diversity Alliance: The Association of Latino Alumni, The Association of Native Alumni, The Black Alumni Society, The James Brister Society, PennGALA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alumni Association), and The University of Pennsylvania Asian Alumni Network. All alumni are welcome to attend.


Special note: on Sunday, May 12 at 10:30am, join the Greenfield Intercultural Center at 3708 Chestnut Street for an alumni celebration in honor of their new Native American community garden!

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Filed under Alumni Profile, Alumni Weekend, Lillian G., Multicultural Outreach

Memories of Penn: Guest Blogger

Author: Jay Hansen, W’85

I met Craig during our freshman year at Penn. I lived at Hill House and Craig felt “exiled” to live at Kings Court English House. Craig had a friend, Diane, from high school who lived near me in Hill House. Diane introduced all of us. As I recall, Craig had a difficult roommate situation his freshman year. He used to complain about it all the time. Luckily for Craig and us, Craig has mellowed since those days in the early 1980s as the world was starting to change.

We are very excited to have Craig come to speak to the Penn and Wharton Alumni Association of Michigan on May 21, 2013. In his role as the chief financial and administrative officer of Penn (reporting to President Gutmann), Craig will have some unique insights into what is happening at Penn now and what has changed since we graduated or last visited campus, a glimpse into some of the challenges and complexities involved in running one of the world’s premier institutions of higher learning, as well as a preview of some of master plans for the future of the campus. In addition, Craig will talk about ties between the ground-breaking community revitalization work that Penn did with West Philly and the direct ties it has with similar work being done here in the Midtown area of Detroit.

It is truly an honor to have Craig take the time to come speak to us and we are really looking forward to it.

A photo drawing of the new plans for Hill Field starting in  2014, courtesy of Penn Facilities and Real Estate services.

A photo drawing of the new plans for Hill Field starting in 2014, courtesy of Penn Facilities and Real Estate services.

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Campus Life, Clubs, Guest blogger, Memories of Penn, Penn Clubs