Monthly Archives: October 2012

October 17, 2012 · 12:29 pm

Daily Perks of Penn Park

Author: Patrick Bredehoft

As an Admissions Officer traveling for Penn last year, I knew that I was supposed to talk about Penn Park while I was on the road. It was an easy selling-point: a new campus space that very few people had seen, a significant expansion of Penn’s athletic facilities, and a bridge between the university and the city of Philadelphia. It made for great press, as well: urban renewal, convenient access, collaboration between the university and the West Philadelphia community.

I do think Penn Park is a special part of the university’s growing identity: it boasts an underground cistern that captures excess storm water, allowing every raindrop to be reused for irrigation. It brings 500 additional trees and native grass species back to the banks of the Schuylkill. It also increases Penn’s total campus green space by 25%, while reducing the campus’s carbon footprint–and opening up opportunities to convert old campus spaces into even more greenery, as with the recently-completed Shoemaker Green. It’s entirely open to the public, but hosts advanced security systems that make it safe at all hours.

But as a Center City resident, I’ve come to realize that these aren’t the reasons that I love Penn Park. I walk to work over the South Street Bridge each day, I follow my dog through the park in the evening, and I jog along the paths to find new energy at the end of an exhausting day. Each time I pass through Penn Park, I’m struck by some new aspect of what it lends to this city: seemingly endless team and club sports practices, of course, but also hosts people from beyond Penn competing and engaging with one another, couples smiling in the grass as they bask in the sun, photographers trying to capture an ephemeral sunset on the Philadelphia skyline, children still unsteady on new bikes, baseball games, tennis matches, soccer, football, Frisbee, and perhaps even a flock of geese that have stopped to rest along a much grander journey. Each time I see the place, I feel lucky to live in Philadelphia, and glad to be part of a city that continues to rediscover itself along the banks of a winding river. Penn Park is a new link in an emerald strand connecting the River Walk, Fairmont Park, Wissahickon, and more trails than anyone could properly walk in a single season.

I’m proud to be a part of Penn not just for what it is, but also for what it will be, and for the ways in which the continually-developing campus benefits the city I live in. Penn Park is one step in the university’s grander plan to transform the surrounding landscape for the better, but mostly, I’m glad that I get to walk by it each day.

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October 16, 2012 · 4:59 pm

My Top Penn List: Looking forward to Homecoming 2012

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

We only have a few more days to register for Homecoming, and here is a list of the top 10 things I’m looking forward to, whether or not I actually have the time to get to all of them.  (I’ll be at the last three in my list with bells on! And I have a personal plug for my event that I’m organizing too.)

10. Regional Club Member Meet Up: Saturday 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Class of 1953 Lounge
E. Craig Sweeten Alumni House
3533 Locust Walk

The Global Alumni Network staff invites alumni club presidents, leaders, members, Second School Committee Chairs, and volunteers to stop in to meet each other before the great festivities during the weekend. At the meet up, we will celebrate the Alumni Club Award of Merit winner, Penn Club of San Antonio, and achievement winner, the Penn Club of San Diego. For questions, please e-mail Casey Ryan, C’95, at cjryan@upenn.edu.

9.  California Impressionism: Masters of Light: Friday 10 AM – 5 PM & Saturday 12 PM – 5 PM

Arthur Ross Gallery
Fisher Fine Arts Library
220 South 34th Street

California Impressionism: Masters of Light presents thirty-five paintings that illuminate the exceptional natural beauty of California and its rugged coastline. While some of these late 19th and early 20th century artists are renowned, other California artists remain unknown east of the Mississippi.

In 1874, when the First Impressionist exhibition was held in Paris, French critics derided it as radical art. By 1886 an exhibition of 300 French Impressionist paintings was held at the Durand-Ruel Gallery in New York. American audiences were enthralled and embraced the artists’ use of light, color and optics. Many American artists subsequently traveled to Paris to study the style and work “en plein air”, taking their easels outside, working directly after nature.

On loan from the Irvine Museum, works by Franz Bischoff, Colin Campbell Cooper, Anna Hills, Granville Redmond, and Guy Rose are included in the exhibition among others. A series of related programs and events is planned.

8. Student Film Shorts, Presented by the Penn Alumni Film Festival: Friday 5 PM – 6 PM

Claudia Cohen Hall, Terrace Room
249 South 36th Street

Whether you believe life imitates art or vice versa, there may be no better insight into the Penn experience of today than through these selected film shorts, each written, directed and produced by current Penn students. Join fellow alumni and students for a screening of five short films, ranging in genre from drama and documentary to animation and experimental. Space is limited; advance registration is encouraged.

7.  Du Bois College House Celebrates 40 Years: Saturday 4 PM – 6 PM

Du Bois College House
3900 Walnut Street

Please join us for a kick-off reception in recognition of the 40th Anniversary of the W.E.B. Du Bois College House. This gathering, co-sponsored with the Black Alumni Society, is the place to be immediately after the game if you lived in, attended events in, or visited friends in Du Bois during your time at Penn. Live music , refreshments, memories, and conversation are all on the agenda.  Award winning poet, spoken word artist, actor, and Penn alumnus Carlos Andres Gomez, C’04 will open the event. Please share photos from your time in Du Bois for an anniversary slideshow by e-mailing them to pcw2@upenn.edu.

6. Classes without Quizzes: Frank Furness and the Evolution of the Modern Library: Saturday 9:30 AM – 11 AM

Reading Room
Anne & Jerome Fisher Fine Arts Library
220 South 34th Street

Take advantage of this unique opportunity to spend 90 minutes in the Reading Room of the Frank Furness designed Anne & Jerome Fisher Fine Arts Library with three architectural historians and one practicing architect, all closely associated with Furness’s work. The discussion will focus on the ways that Furness’s design for the Fine Arts Library profoundly influenced modern library design. Participants include Dr. James F. O’Gorman, a leading architectural historian and author of The Architecture of Frank Furness; George E. Thomas, Gr’75, noted cultural historian and author of Building America’s First University: An Historical and Architectural Guide to the University of Pennsylvania; Henry Myerberg, C’76, founder of HMA2 architects with a specialty in library design; and William Whitaker, GAr’96, curator of the University of Pennsylvania’s Architectural Archives and the Kroiz Gallery. A continental breakfast will be provided starting at 9:00 AM and an optional tour of the Library will be available following the program. Space is limited; advance registration is encouraged.

This event is co-sponsored by Penn Alumni, PennDesign and Penn Libraries

5. The Philadelphia Film Festival presents FLIGHT, presented in collaboration with the Penn Alumni Film Festival: Saturday 7 PM – 10 PM

Zellerbach Theater
Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
3680 Walnut Street

Join fellow Penn alumni and the Philadelphia film community for a sneak preview of the film FLIGHT, starring Denzel Washington, John Goodman, and Don Cheadle. Presented on the closing night of the 21st Philadelphia Film Festival, this pre-release screening will be attended by the film’s director, Robert Zemeckis, the Academy Award-winning director of Forrest Gump and Cast Away. For more information about FLIGHT, visit http://www.paramount.com/flight. An additional $15 fee applies to this event. Advance registration is required.

4. The Blutt Band Slam: Saturday 4 PM – 6 PM

College Green
(Please note: in the case of inclement weather, this event will be cancelled.)

Following the football game, make your way back to College Green to cheer on Penn student and alumni musicians as they compete for cash prizes in the Blutt Band Slam. Channel your inner rockstar with kid-friendly activities while you enjoy performances by members of the Penn community. This event is made possible by the generosity of Mitchell Blutt, C’78, M’82, WG’87. For more information about the competition, visit www.alumni.upenn.edu/bluttbandslam.

3. 78th Annual Alumni Award of Merit Gala: Friday 6 PM – 10 PM

Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
3680 Walnut Street

Join fellow alumni, friends and guests for the 78th Annual Alumni Award of Merit Gala, honoring alumni who have demonstrated a deep commitment and undying passion to make Penn a leader in the academic community. Hosted by Penn Alumni President, Lee Spelman Doty, W’76, the event will recognize the outstanding achievements of the chosen alumni honorees, as well as the class and club award recipients. Board of Trustees Chair, David L. Cohen, L’81 and President Amy Gutmann invite all alumni to participate in this splendid occasion.

Alumni Award of Merit
Dale B. Bell, MT’81
Harve D. Hnatiuk, EE’74
Paul K. Kelly, C’62, WG’64
James J. Kim, W’59, G’61, Gr’63

Young Alumni Award
Brett E. Weinheimer, W’00
Melissa Wu, C’98

Creative Spirit Award
Jennifer C. Egan, C’85

Class Award of Merit
Class of 1992

David N. Tyre Award for Excellence in Class Communication
Class of 1967

Club Award of Merit
Penn Alumni Club of San Antonio

Additional Fee: $75 General Admission, $55 Young Alumni (2002-2012)

2. Penn Football: Homecoming Game vs. Brown: Saturday 1 PM

Franklin Field
235 South 33rd Street

Cheer on the Penn Quakers as they challenge the Brown Bears in this Homecoming match-up on Franklin Field! General admission tickets are $15, or free with the purchase of a Blue Quaker Pass. Alumni in the class of 1962 and earlier will receive chairback tickets; all other seats are general admission.

1. QuakerFest:  Saturday 11 AM – 1 PM

College Green

Join fellow alumni to raise a toast to dear old Penn during this pre-game tailgate picnic. Enjoy kid-friendly activities and entertainment. Get Pennergized with performances by the band and other student groups!

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Filed under Alumni Programming, Alumnni Education, Athletics, Casey R., Homecoming Weekend featuring arts and culture, Multicultural Outreach, The Arts at Penn

October 16, 2012 · 12:23 pm

Look Up

Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08

I walk by this building every day, and I only recently realized it says “University of Pennsylvania Medical Center” at the top. There are so many tall buildings on Penn’s campus. I have to remind myself to “look up” every once in a while, so I don’t miss the details. Has anything on campus surprised you recently?

View of the Biomedical Research Building II/III from University Blvd and Curie Blvd.

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October 15, 2012 · 7:42 pm

Last Flowers

Author: Sabrina Shyn, C’13

As the leaves start to change on campus, I decided to walk around and capture them in their last bloom. Here are some last remaining flowers as we move into the fall season.

And because fall is also beautiful here…

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October 12, 2012 · 6:17 pm

(Re)discovering Penn

Author: Lillian Gardiner, GED’11

As a graduate student at Penn GSE, I had just 12 months to get a taste of what Penn has to offer. Since returning last month to work in Development and Alumni Relations, I’ve already learned new things about this “small city” we call Penn.

My role has exposed me to places on campus that I didn’t even know existed! For example, we hosted an event at the Penn Museum for alumni in charge of planning their reunions. Here, they enjoyed cocktails with sphinxes and dined in the Chinese Rotunda.

On another day, I had lunch in the museum’s front garden where there is a pond filled with brightly colored carp.

I’ve also now had a chance to work inside the Law School (which appears to have a living roof), the newly renovated LEED Gold Certified music building, and the LGBT Center’s gorgeous space in the Carriage House.

Food on campus is another story… With time to visit the ample food trucks around campus I’ve added a few new ones to my repertoire. In addition to my grad school favorites, Kim’s Oriental Food and Tacos Don Memo, I’m now a regular at Tyson Bees and have upped my fruit intake thanks to all the fruit trucks. Aside from the trucks, the discovery of Insomnia Cookies inside Houston Hall has been an exercise in will power. On a healthier note, the farmer’s market hosted in front of the bookstore every Wednesday is just one happy benefit of working on Penn’s campus.

After eating, my second favorite pastime is reading, something I didn’t have much time for outside of the demands of grad school. With Penn’s inter-library loan system, I’ve been able to get my hands on books currently topping the bestseller’s list within a week! It’s the little things…

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October 11, 2012 · 2:02 pm

Band Together

Author: Lisa Vaccarelli, C’02, GED’10

One of my favorite things about our signature weekends here on campus – Homecoming, in the fall, and Alumni Weekend, in the spring – is how the entire Penn community comes together to create an incredible breadth of fun, interesting, educational opportunities that highlight Penn’s well known – and not so well known – treasures.  Staff, faculty, students, administrators and  – of course – alumni work collaboratively for months on end to pull these weekends off.  The result, without exception, is a campus brimming with energy and excitement.

This Homecoming, one fantastic example of this is the inaugural Blutt Band Slam.  The event, made possible by the generosity of Mitchell Blutt, C’78, M’82, WG’87, will highlight nine of campuses most talented musical performers as they compete live on College Green for cash prizes.   From rock bands to classical trios to a cappella groups, the performers will include both Penn student and alumni musicians. I hope you will meet us on College Green following the football game to support your favorite group and get in on the fun!

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October 10, 2012 · 8:00 am

A PENNefit for you . . .

The role of the Alumni Relations office is to keep you connected to Penn.  Among the many ways we try to do that is by providing alumni-only opportunities and services.   One of the most successful services we offer our alumni is our Penn Alumni Insurance Program.

For more than a decade, Penn Alumni has partnered with Meyer and Associates (M&A) to offer a suite of products that includes Auto, Home, and Renters, Health, Life, Long Term Care, and Travel insurance.  Most products are available to Penn alumni, students, faculty, and staff, as well as their spouses, domestic partners, parents, children, and siblings, and revenue generated from the program supports Alumni Relations programs.  To date, more than 38% of our alumni base has been covered through the program.

M&A seeks to inform and educate alumni—not simply sell policies. Whether you’re shopping for auto insurance, buying your first home, or just starting to think about Long Term Care coverage for yourself or your parents, we have products available for every stage of your life.  Through our co-branded web page you can learn more about the various products available, run free quotes, purchase some products online, and have access to the following:

  • CALC, a life insurance needs calculator, can help determine how much life insurance you really need.
  • Free consultations with experts who can help you choose the right coverage for your situation via Advisory Services.
  • Articles covering a variety of important insurance and affinity related topics.

I hope you’ll take advantage of this terrific program, as it’s one of the PENNefits of being a Penn alumnus!

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October 9, 2012 · 4:30 pm

Looking to Expand Your Professional Network?

Author: Emilie Kretschmar

On Tuesday, October 16th at 6:30 p.m. the Penn Alumni Club of Philadelphia is offering a speed-networking event at the Irish Pub in Center City (2007 Walnut Street, Philadelphia). This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to advance his or her career, to network with other professionals, or to explore new job opportunities.

During the event, each participant will have the chance to meet at least ten other Penn alumni for six minutes each. Your schedule of professional “dates” will depend on the preferences listed on your registration form. Take advantage of your Penn alumni status and expand your professional network.  Click here to register now.

Homecoming attendees participated in a speed-networking event last year.

If you can’t make this event or you live outside the greater Philadelphia area, great news! This event is just one of many offered by the Penn Alumni Club of Philadelphia and other Penn Alumni Clubs around the world. Check out the Penn Alumni Regional Club’s website to connect with your local club and get involved.

Meet new colleagues and explore new career paths at a Penn Alumni speed-networking event.

Meet new colleagues and explore new career paths at a Penn Alumni speed-networking event.

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October 9, 2012 · 2:39 pm

Welcome Back

Author: Dan Bernick, C’14

When the first textbook arrives in the mail, I know school is starting (and I groan). When Quakers head en masse to the football field, I know school is starting.  And when I see my friends back from summer break, I know school is starting.

But my school year does not officially begin until President Gutmann says so.

Every year, President Gutmann hosts a welcome back picnic for the sophomores and juniors. It is a great opportunity for all of us to catch up and see friends we may not have run into yet. The Class Board is always excited to see us, and President Gutmann gives us advice to make the most of our junior year.

Most importantly for a student on a budget – free food!

This year, it was better than ever with a “back-to-grade-school” theme.  Students could pack their own lunch bag full of PB&J sandwiches (crust removed!), a Mott’s apple juice box, and vegetable dippers. And, as usual, students collected Penn gear in the form of a red Penn Traditions shirt (bringing my number of Penn t-shirts to 8,665,932,441).

The only problem is my teachers. I tell them time and again I cannot do homework until school “officially” begins, but they don’t believe me…

Me with Penn President Amy Gutmann and Class Board 2014 President, Spencer Penn.
Credit: President’s Media

 

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October 8, 2012 · 7:53 pm

Engaging International Students

Author:  Rebecca Eckart, GEd’13

Last week, Dr. Altamirano, Director of International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) at Penn, was a guest speaker in one of my classes at the Graduate School of Education (GSE).  He spoke to my class about the services his office provides for international students, and how hard he has worked to make connections with offices throughout the university to make it easier to support international students.

In the discussion following his presentation, a classmate raised an interesting question.   She noted that many international students often tend to socialize with others from their own country, and that American students also tend to socialize with other Americans.

My class tried to understand why this is the case.  We talked about a number of potential factors: lack of confidence in language ability, hesitancy to step out of comfort zones, and possible misunderstandings about gestures or customs of unfamiliar cultures.  We also discussed how difficult it can be to speak with a person of another culture as an individual, rather than as a representative.  When we meet someone from another country, we’re interested in the customs and culture of their homeland, so we ask about those things.  But it’s important to keep in mind that people are individuals, and to make a relationship with someone, we need to be interested in that person’s life and interests, not just his or her culture.

Participating in part of a spring festival in Japan, 2011.

Dr. Altamirano encouraged all of us to take time to speak with international students, invite them out for a cup of coffee, and make a genuine effort to get to know them.  I completely agree with him.  I lived in Japan for five years, so I felt that I could understand well some of the things we talked about.  There were other Americans who lived near me, and it was much easier to spend time with them than to try to make Japanese friends.  Initially, I was uncomfortable with Japanese and there were so many customs that I didn’t understand.  But eventually I did make some Japanese friends, because people reached out to me.  They invited me to participate in community events, attend festivals, stay at their house, or go out to try a new food.  Because so many people were welcoming and friendly to me, I gained a perspective on a culture that was totally foreign to me.

Now that I’m back in the States, I feel the need to reach out to international students, to try to give back some of the kindness that was extended to me.  Penn is a great place to do that.  Penn has a large international student population—in the Graduate School of Education, about 29% of the student body.  There are plenty of opportunities to interact with international students at Penn, through language chats, volunteering as a language exchange partner with English Language Programs, and other avenues that I haven’t yet explored, but hope to.  But the best way, I think, is just to reach out as an individual, and strike up a conversation with someone you see in class, your dorm, or at a social event.

In closing, I’d just like to encourage you to take a chance and start talking with international students you don’t know well, even if you’re worried about a possible language barrier.  As Dr. Altamirano told my class, there is a lot we can learn from international students if we take the time to get to know them, and international students will be glad to feel included.  For those of you who are still students at Penn, take advantage of all the opportunities here to engage with international students!

Outside the Osaka Castle with the junior high school principal who generously invited me to travel to see it with him and his family.

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