Author: Lex Ruby-Howe, C’07
With New Student Orientation (NSO) now just three weeks away, the campus is starting to busy with preparations for the hive of activities that welcome new and returning students to Penn’s academic and social life.
Last night, representatives from the hubs and centers across campus headed to Bodek Lounge to present their wares to the 100 or so pre-freshman program (PennCAP) students, in a hope to orient them to the soon-to-be-alive campus and all it has to offer.
While the excitement of joining their 2400 peers at NSO looms, some of those students will, after a summer of relative freedom, be stepping into a somewhat restrictive environment.
The City of Philadelphia has experienced several spontaneous, and somewhat destructive, flash mobs this summer, and is taking action to ebb the flow of youth to the streets. These mobs have seen hundreds of young folks taking to the streets, and in some instances causing damage to businesses and storefronts.
The Mayor’s Office is enforcing a pre-existing city-wide curfew. The curfew will be most heavily implemented (and policed) in Center City and University City. Details of the curfew can be found here –but minors under the age of 18 must be inside from 9 PM-6 AM every day, or accompanied by an adult 21 or over.
Mayor Nutter Presenting the New Curfew Plan
After a presentation by a detective from Penn’s Department of Public Safety at the resource fair last night, the PennCAP students became concerned they’d be stopped or face punishment when walking back from class each evening. Penn’s Divison of Public Safety is making sure any individuals under 18 who are Penn affiliated have as much information about the curfew as possible, and act responsibly if they are challenged. They are taking measures to ensure students always carry identification, and if stopped suggest the students mention their participation in the PennCAP program and should not face any problems.
The campus community should be glad that safety is of the utmost priority. The students will no doubt benefit from the actions the City of Philadelphia is taking to make sure our their 2400 undergraduate students peers are safe come September too.
City of Philadelphia Curfew Map
Frankly Penn 