Monthly Archives: May 2011

May 19, 2011 · 2:04 pm

Goodbyes on Wheels

Author: Molly Sloss, SEAS’14

Moving Day at Penn (photo credit: The Daily Pennsylvanian

I never thought I would hate a cardboard box. My last week at Penn, the brown cubes on wheels became a new nemesis. Room by room, microwave by microwave, they were taking my freshman year away from me.

With the start of the last week of exams, in rolled the goodbye machines. Vans and trucks with plates from Ohio, New Jersey, Maryland, and New York arrived on campus. Shortly after, the streets were filled with caravans of cardboard move-out carts. Some were filled with mini-fridges, some with stuffed animals, some with freshmen taking turns pushing each other down Locust. Yes, that was me. Don’t tell the staff at Hill that’s why I renewed my cart 4 times. So eventually I found a way to embrace these boxes from hell. But it was not an easy feat.

I started to count down the time I had left with my friends by how full their carts were. One empty cart got me about an hour of time before goodbye. Then my friends’ rooms were empty. Their blankets that I slept with were boxed up, their food that I ate thrown out, and their whiteboards were no longer available for late-night self-expression. All of these things were in boxes. The boxes went in carts, then in vans where they were joined by their owners and before I knew it we were rising sophomores. All thanks to those cardboard carts.

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May 18, 2011 · 1:48 pm

And Then They Were Gone…

Author: Lisa Vaccarelli, C’02

The Tuesday following Alumni Weekend and Commencement is always an eerie day on campus. For an entire year, those of us in Alumni Relations – as well as students, faculty and staff across the University – work towards the second weekend in May when thousands of alumni, family and friends converge on Penn’s campus for a weekend full of reunion parties, parades and picnics. All of this culminates in Commencement, Penn’s extraordinary university-wide graduation ceremony which draws 25,000 to Franklin Field. The energy level on campus throughout the weekend is contagious – enough to keep even those of us working 72 hours straight smiling. And then, it’s all over.

Commencement Parade Down Locust Walk

Don’t get me wrong – there is a general sense of relief upon returning to the office on Tuesday. The deadlines have all been met, the programs executed and well-received. And now, finally, there is a chance to catch my breath and start working my way through my momentarily neglected email inbox. Yet while I marvel at how quickly the Starbucks line now moves, or the lack of traffic at the Houston Hall salad bar, I do feel as though something is missing.

Lucky for me, that something will be back come September. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy not having to fight for an outdoor table at lunch.

Congratulations to the Class of 2011! I look forward to seeing you back on campus for Alumni Weekend next year.

A Moment of Celebration

More photos from Alumni Weekend 2011 coming soon here. Photos from Commencement 2011 can be seen here.

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Alumni Weekend, Alumnni Education, Commencement, Lisa V.

May 17, 2011 · 3:35 pm

Locust Walk Talk: Fall Forward

For our newly minted alumni, yesterday marks the high point of Alumni Weekend and Commencement at Penn, and the ceremony on Franklin Field is the crown jewel. In their last footfalls as students, they process from Hamilton Village (aka Superblock), over the 38th Street Bridge and onto Locust Walk. Penn Staff and West Philadelphia neighbors await the procession and congratulate the marchers along their way.

Graduates Processing down Locust Walk for Commencement as Alumni representatives greet them

Starting at 36th Street, Penn Alumni, ranging from our most venerable to most recent, line Locust Walk to represent the over 270,000 living graduates of the University in welcoming the class of 2011 into this great network with “all the rights, privileges and responsibilities which pertain to [their] degrees.” The class continues to the stadium cheered on by their professors who laud them for their years of diligent work that brought them to this day. Finally, they enter Franklin Field and are greeted by the warm loving roar of applause from their parents, spouses, partners, family and friends. Each one is a rock star, walking on the stage for the thrill of their lives.

Steeped with history and tradition, the ceremony starts solemnly with convocation and the singing of the National Anthem. Dr. Gutmann delivers her Commencement Address, giving a top ten list of lessons learned from the movies (don’t be surprised if I make this an upcoming Top Penn list post), and the Provost announces the recipients of various teaching awards and student honors. Between the conferral of degrees honoris causa and the degrees from the 12 schools of the University, Denzel Washington, HON’11, PAR’13, delivers a very poignant Commencement speech full of charm, modesty, humor, sincerity and sage advice.

Denzel Washington listens to his introduction at Penn's 255th Commencement ceremony

Mr. Washington admits that he is nervous to be in front of a crowd of thousands of people. He is used to knowing that millions of people watch him all the time – in movies – but when thousands of people can watch him as he can see them as well; he admits that he’s afraid of making a fool of himself. This launches him into lesson of his address is: Fall Forward. In order to succeed, each of us needs to embrace our failures. Since if we don’t fail, we’re not trying. Therefore, if you are going to fall, fall forward to see where you are going and find a way to continue in that direction after you fall.

Denzel Washington delivering Penn's Commencement address

Mr. Washington shares with the crowd his personal experience with failure before his success with an amusing and charismatic story of his first audition for a Broadway musical. Not being a singer and unable to navigate the larger-than-life styling of musical acting, he is not called back. Yet, Mr. Washington muses, “if you hang around a barber shop long enough, sooner or later, you’re going to get a haircut.” This practical pearl of wisdom emphasized both the secret to his success as well as the advice for our alumni: failure is inevitable, but success is not. Even Edison failed a thousand times before his 1001st experiment gave the world the light bulb.

From MSNBC / Getty Images

As with all things Penn, the ceremony ends with the singing of the Red and Blue, and true to the etymology of the word, commencement, it becomes the first Proud Penn activity that the graduates start as the new class of amazing Penn Alumni.

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May 16, 2011 · 9:11 am

Class of 1961 Celebrates in Style

Author: Aimee LaBrie

This past Alumni Weekend, we welcomed back members of the Class of 1961 as they returned to campus to celebrate their 50th reunion. With a Friday night dinner and dance at the Franklin Institute, a Saturday morning special Women’s Breakfast hosted by co-chairs Joy Hockman and Bobbi Jaffe at the Inn at Penn, and a Sunday AM champagne and pancake breakfast in Houston Hall, the members of the Class of 1961 celebrated in style…Just like they did back in the day when they were students.

Fashion in 1961

Hill House Dorm

Classroom

Dietrich Hall

Horn and Hardart

Congratulations to the members of the Class of 1961 and thank you to everyone who returned back to Penn to celebrate this past weekend!

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May 13, 2011 · 7:43 pm

Bike It or Walk It for Prizes

Guest Author: Nicholas Mirra of the Bicycle Coalition

I am very familiar with the impressive volume of foot and bicycle commuting taking place in the Penn area every day. So, I’d like to share a fun and addictive program the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is running this summer: The Commuter Challenge.

This free, ongoing event encourages people to walk or bike to work. Portland and Seattle do yearly Challenges, and now the Bicycle Coalition is bringing it to Philly. How does it work? Very simply. Register online and create or join a workplace team. Then, log commutes you take to and from work via foot or pedal power.

The Challenge runs from May 20th to August 20th, but registration is open all summer. Prizes are awarded to winning teams and participants are entered in raffles for great prizes. We will have pit stops, happy hours, and other events throughout the summer to celebrate the joy of human-powered commuting.

The Challenge has something for everyone:

* For exercisers: save time by combining your commute and your workout. Be surprised by how much more alert and less stressed you feel at work for having walked or biked to get there.
* For the environmentally-conscious: reduce your carbon footprint. Our website tells you how much CO2 emissions your human-powered commuting prevents.
* For peppy team-builders: build camaraderie by organizing an office or lab team.
* For ruthless competitors: challenge other individuals or teams for bragging rights and glory. A healthy excuse for being unnecessarily competitive.
* For stat heads: track commuting rates, miles traveled, updated leader boards, average commute lengths, and other statistics on the site.

Philadelphia’s prominence in the national bicycling community is growing rapidly. We believe Philadelphia has the populace, the weather, and the attitude to embrace foot and pedal-powered commuting on an even larger scale. The Challenge is a great way to get in this healthy and hearty habit, or to reward yourself for possessing such a positive pre-existing condition.

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is an education and advocacy organization promoting bicycling in the region. Our initiatives and programs include Safe Routes Philly and Bike Philly. Learn more about us and local bicycling news online and follow us on Twitter.

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May 13, 2011 · 8:47 am

Putting Some English on It

Author: Nicole C. Maloy, W ’95

A few months ago, I received an e-mail from the Free Library of Philadelphia  seeking volunteers to train to become English language conversation group facilitators. The timing on this was uncanny, as I had just begun looking for such an opportunity; I frequent a local French language conversation group, and the presence of native speakers is always a great help to the rest of us. We marvel at their generosity and patience as we stumble through the linguistic minefields of subjunctive tense and the gender of inanimate objects. Yet the French nationals in the circle gently guide us in the right direction and, most importantly, never point and laugh at us despite our frequent mistakes. I appreciate it so much that I wondered whether I could somehow do the same for people in Philadelphia who wanted to practice their English.

La Tour Eiffel! Was able to pop up North to Paris for a couple of days. Gotta love the “Train of high speed.”

Because I spent a semester abroad during the fall of my junior year, I know how intimidating it is to be surrounded by people who may as well be speaking a dialect of Charlie Brown Teacher-ese (i.e. “Mwah-mwah mwah mwah-mwah”). I know how unnerving it is to utter sentences to strangers not knowing how I will be received, or whether I will even understand the reply. And my trip was only four months long. Nothing was at stake but my semester grades.

Fall 1993 semester abroad in Lyon, France with 16 fellow Quakers and our advisor

I liked the idea of doing something to help people with much more at stake, who have made a longer-term commitment to conquering a language, and who are willing to put in the time to make it work. How pleasant it was to learn that library branches all over the city had begun to offer regular occasions for international adults to practice their English. I am so proud of Philadelphia for making these available for free! These are not English as a Second Language courses, but rather – just as important, in my opinion – casual conversation sessions where people can gain confidence putting to use what they have already learned, or are currently learning.

So far, I have met adults from their early twenties to their late sixties, hailing from Morocco, Ukraine, Spain, and more, all converging here in Philadelphia, all seeking to improve their ability to engage in the most essential of human social endeavors: to understand, and to be understood. I am honored to pay forward some time as an investment in the future of this great city of brotherly love. How happy am I to be a part of the effort? This happy:

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May 12, 2011 · 6:51 pm

Spinning My Wheels? Yes and No!

Author: Elise Betz

Warming Up for Class

Ready to Go

 

Imagine thirty stationary exercise bikes lined up inside a health club studio. “Riders” are on each bike, spinning the pedals as fast as they can. The lights are turned down, loud, pumping music fills the air and an instructor with a headset sits atop a lead bike, and is barking  out commands.

The Spinning Room

“Climb out of the saddle,” she barks at the class. “Big hill coming! This is a big, steep climb – about 7 ½ minutes.  Grind it out!” The riders rise as one, pedals spinning harder as we grimace with exertion, sweat dripping off our bodies to the deep, bass beats of the Beatles “Come Together.”  A fifteen second recovery is next as we all gulp down liquids from the water bottle we are required to have on our bikes.  We then get back into the saddle for a 4 minute sprint to The Jackson Five’s “Dancing Machine.”

Ready to Spin

What I am describing to you is a spinning class.  What does this have to do with my role as Executive Director of Alumni Relations at Penn?  Everything!  While I am spinning my wheels, my mind is just as active spinning with thoughts.  I get some of my best work done on that bike!

On the Bike

Sitting on that spin bike, I have thought through the process of launching our new Shared Interest Group initiative – groups of  alumni who share common interests arising from their Penn co-curricular activities or professional career experience and desire to affiliate with each other as a subgroup of Penn Alumni. Look for it in the fall!  

Made it Through

I have imagined and executed in my mind new events for students as part of our “Penn Traditions: Building Our Community” program designed to keep our students connected to Penn for their lifetime.  Last night, I spent my 60 spin minutes willing it to be 74 degrees and sunny from Alumni Weekend Friday through Monday’s Commencement ceremony.  Alumni Weekend 2011 is going to be the best ever!  You see – I am doing very important things on that bike.  So, you will have me to (at least partially) thank for the glorious next few days just ahead!  One final thought. . .

Ben Franklin Quote

Ben Franklin couldn’t have said it better.

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May 12, 2011 · 1:38 pm

Out of My Comfort Zone

Author: Jonathan Cousins, SEAS’14

When I was picking classes for this semester, I found that I had a few spots to take electives.  I was locked into math and physics, I needed a writing seminar, I wanted to take mechanical design, and I still had space for one more class.  I could have picked anything – but I chose to take Video 1.

This class, at least initially, was way out of my comfort zone.  Here I was, among students majoring in anything from fine arts to business, and we were all in the same room, doing the same thing.  The class topics ranged from technical camera details to discussions on visual storytelling – and it really appealed to me.  I loved how this class engaged all of the different parts of my brain – the creative side while writing or brainstorming, the artistic side while shooting video, and the logical side when editing.

I was worried at first that my lack of development in art would hinder me in an art class, but what ended up happening was completely unexpected.  My lack of sophistication allowed me to come up with ideas that others could not, and sometimes those ideas worked out very well.  This type of class is probably something I won’t experience again during my time at Penn, especially as my focus narrows down to courses in my field.  But my experience was so positive that maybe, just maybe, I’ll end up taking Video 2 sometime in the next three years.

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May 11, 2011 · 9:02 pm

Penn’s Multicultural Greek Alumni Weekend

Author: Cecilia D. Ramirez, C’05, SPP’10

Penn Relays 2011 Yardfest Crowd

Before I ever even knew what life at Penn was like, I knew what Relays Weekend was all about.  One of my first weekend visits to Penn as a high school senior occurred during Penn Relays, one of the biggest track meets in the country, and it ranks among the greatest weekends of my college career! It wasn’t just the thousands of people who literally come from around the world- displaying patriotic and collegiate pride- to watch the races that made this event so anticipated. Rather, for hundreds of people, this weekend was and remains highly- anticipated because of the Multicultural Greek events that take place.

Multicultural Alumni

Each year,  Penn’s Black Alumni Society (BAS) capitalizes on Relays weekend and the return of hundreds of Black alumni with their annual “Pass the Baton” Brunch. This year, BAS joined forces with the Association of Latino Alumni (ALA), and together, they held the first collaborative alumni event during Relays weekend. With nearly 100 people in attendance, attendees enjoyed a delicious buffet featuring salmon cakes, eggs, cheese grits, sausage, bacon, and vegetable quiche (yum!) and ALA & BAS successfully ushered in the homecoming of many Multicultural Greeks and Alumni.

Alumni Across the Years

 The Greek Side of Relays Weekend

For over twenty years, members of historically-Black, Latino, and Multicultural Greek organizations have been associated with Penn Relays weekend. Every Saturday of Relays Weekend, Penn’s Multicultural Greek Council (MGC- back in the day, known as the Big-C) hosts a “Yardfest” in the Wynn Commons area where Greeks from across generations and states lead chants, synchronized choreographed musical “party walks” or “strolls,” setup display tables, and sometimes even sell food or drinks.

Members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. Strolling Photo Taken by: Joanna Plazas

One of the biggest events of the weekend, however, has to be the Annual Step Show, a long tradition in the Greek world where representatives of historically-Black and, since the mid-70’s, historically-Latino, as well as multicultural fraternities and sororities, get together in teams to  compete against each other.  Finally, the jam-packed weekend is also known for some of the best parties of the year.

This past Saturday night was no different with the “ice cold” brothers, as they are commonly known, of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. hosting the official step show after party, The Ice Age. Some, eh… more seasoned Greeks also attended one of the many Relays-themed parties around the city including the Heineken-sponsored Green Room party at the exclusive Vault Ultra Lounge. While I couldn’t partake in nighttime activities since I was heading to bed early for the Broad Street Run the following morning, it was great to see so many alumni and other guests dressed to the nines on their way to the Greek side of Relays’ activities.

Members of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. Photo Taken By: Joanna Plazas

Stepping

Stepping is a percussive performance in which the entire body is used as an instrument to produce complex rhythms and sounds through a mixture of claps, stomps, and chants. Like several aspects of Multicultural Greek culture, stepping is typically done with precise synchronized movement and in formations that resemble a military assemblage.

Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Stepping

These multifaceted pieces are usually intermixed with references to historical Greek facts, traditional chants and songs, and humorous skits sometimes alluding to fun rivals between groups; usually all following a theme. This year, for example, members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. presented an impressive piece following the classic Dr. Seuss story, Cat in the Hat, which they creatively renamed, Kappa in the Hat. In this performance, each of the team members sported a red “Thing” t-shirt with different numbers staying true to the original storyline. They even coupled their step with a pre-recorded humorous video of “the Kappa in the Hat” instructing their movements.

Multicultural Greek Show Crowd

May 13-16: Alumni Weekend, Round II

As I gear up for yet another weekend dedicated to alumni, I am motivated in knowing that last weekend was such a smash. The Black and Latino Alumni Associations will not be taking a break as they, along with the Asian, LGBT, and Native Alumni Associations have big plans to capitalize on even more multicultural alumni that return for Penn’s official Alumni Weekend, chock-full of great events celebrating diversity. Even though it can get pretty hectic, this spring, I especially love being a Penn alumna, Alumni Relations staff member, and multicultural Greek! I hope to see you all there…

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May 10, 2011 · 3:38 pm

The Broad Street Run + Penn Pride

Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08

This was my first year running the 10-mile Broad Street Run. I arrived at Broad and Locust at 6:30 AM, and the street was completely deserted. Less than 12 hours ago, the street had been packed for the PIFA Street Fair.

Broad Street and City Hall at 6:30am before the Broad Street Run

Broad Street (looking southbound) at 6:30 AM before the Broad Street Run

I started the race with two of my friends, who happen to both be Penn alumni. Shortly after the starting line, we spotted Mayor Michael Nutter (W’79) on the sidelines. He was high-fiving all the runners who ran past him. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to give him a high five because I high-fived him at the beginning of the Philadelphia Rothman 8K back in November 2010. My friends and I were pumped, and we were ready to conquer 10 miles.

The Starting Line

The entire run is relatively flat (I don’t care what other people tell you – the course is NOT downhill), so we could see City Hall for the first half of the race. As we ran past Temple University, I wished the course included a loop around Penn’s campus. Before I knew it, we were already at streets I recognized: Girard, Spring Garden, and Vine. I couldn’t believe we were halfway done.

We rounded City Hall and started running down Avenue of the Arts. So far, so good. We passed The Union League of Philadelphia, The Bellevue, and The Academy of Music. There was a water station coming up around Mile 6 near The Kimmel Center, so I wasn’t surprised to see a group of people running towards the right side of the street. Then I realized Former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell (C’65) was high-fiving runners! He was wearing a blue track suit, much like the one shown in the photo (though the picture below is from the 2007 run). I was so excited about being halfway done with the run that I sprinted towards Governor Rendell to give him a high-five. As I high-fived him, I yelled, “Go Penn Alumni!” He probably didn’t hear me, but at least he was smiling.

Former Governor Ed Rendell (C65) high-fiving runners (Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwightevans/486502294/)

I finished the run 12 minutes faster than the time I signed up for, and I high-fived two of Philadelphia’s great leaders and notable Penn alumni. Success all around! I hope to see Mayor Nutter and Governor Rendell at the starting line when I run the Philadelphia Half-Marathon in November. On second thought, maybe they should stand at mile 13, so I get a surge of Penn Pride to get me through that last 0.1 mile.

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