Monthly Archives: October 2012

October 5, 2012 · 12:41 pm

Just a Few Days Left to Register for Homecoming Weekend…

Author:  Amanda D’Amico

The air is crisp, and the leaves are starting to change color. It’s time to pull those sweaters and jackets out of your closet for fall. And while you’re digging in the back of your closet, grab your favorite Penn gear to wear at Penn’s Homecoming Weekend featuring arts & Culture, October 26 to 28, 2012.

After discussing contemporary jazz or modern libraries in our Classes without Quizzes and reconnecting with old friends at Quakerfest, you can head over to Franklin Field to watch Penn take on Brown. The weekend features social events, film screenings, other sporting events, and much more.

And, best of all, you get to add the newest Homecoming Weekend scarf (included in the cost of a Red or Blue Quaker Pass) to what I hope is a growing collection!

Here are just a few other reasons you should return to Penn for the weekend:

  1. Arts & Sciences Quizzo
  2. Beyond the Screen: Social Impact through Film
  3. California Impressionism: Masters of Light
  4. Classes without Quizzes: Arts@Homecoming Launch Party
  5. Penn Park Homecoming 5K Run
  6. PennGALA Homecoming Happy Hour
  7. Performing Arts and Children: Beyond the ‘Mozart Effect’
  8. The Philadelphia Film Festival presents Flight
  9. Rugby Alumni Social
  10. Taste of Penn Spectrum: A Celebration of Diversity

To learn more about the events at this year’s Homecoming and to register, visit www.alumni.upenn.edu/homecoming2012. See you in Philadelphia, Oct. 26 – 28!

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Filed under Alumni Programming, Alumnni Education, Amanda D., Campus Life, Homecoming Weekend featuring arts and culture, Philadelphia, The Arts, The Arts at Penn

October 4, 2012 · 10:11 pm

A Toast to Penn in Northern California

By Kiera Reilly, C’93  @KieraReilly

Schlein grapes.
Photo by Helaine Kaplan Prentice, CW’71, PAR’07, and Blair Prentice, PAR’07.

A few weekends ago, I traveled one bright sunny Saturday afternoon to the wine country north of San Francisco. There, the Penn Club of Northern California hosted a wine tasting made possible by the generosity of Phil “Spike” Schlein, C’57.

Penn Club of Northern California board members Phil Crosby, C’92, his daughter Shannon, and Beth Topor, W’80, welcome alumni and friends to Schlein Vineyards.
Photo by Kiera Reilly.

Spike opened his family vineyards and gardens in Oakville, Napa Valley, for touring and a wine tasting. The Schlein family (Spike’s children Kathy, C’83, and Ted, C’86, are also alumni) honored the club with a similar event three years ago, and were happy to welcome local alumni again.

The Schlein vineyards.
Photo by Kiera Reilly

Spike helped facilitate the wine tasting, and shared his story of becoming a winemaker, and the history of the vineyards that he’s owned for over thirty years. Everyone enjoyed the garden setting and delicious lunch buffet. Beth Topor, W’80, vice president of membership and communications for the club, shared information about upcoming events, and club co-president Tom Eliaz, ENG’02, encouraged alumni to share their ideas for future events and to get involved with activity planning. Alexandra Feinson, C’11, undergraduate admissions counselor for Northern California, attended and spoke to the group about Penn admissions. After lunch, Spike led everyone through a tour of the vineyards.

Photo by Kiera Reilly.

Photo by Kiera Reilly.

Alumni enjoying lunch and conversation.
Photo by Helaine Kaplan Prentice, CW’71, PAR’07, and Blair Prentice, PAR’07.

Club board member Phil Crosby, C’92, and his daughters Kate and Shannon give away Penn goodies.
Photo by Kiera Reilly.

The Penn Club of Northern California thanks Phil Schlein for opening up his winery and all the alumni who attended and contributed to our Club Book Scholarship Program. They raised $1,855 and with Phil’s generosity providing the food and beverages, 100% of the proceeds goes to scholarships for local Penn students! We also thank Arthur and Lindsay, two of their past scholarship recipients who spoke on the value of your donations. If you were unable to attend the event and would like to contribute to scholarships, click here, every dollar helps!

Phil “Spike” Schlein, C’57, toasts the group and Penn.
Photo by Helaine Kaplan Prentice, CW’71, PAR’07, and Blair Prentice, PAR’07.

Photo by Helaine Kaplan Prentice, CW’71, PAR’07, and Blair Prentice, PAR’07.

Phil “Spike” Schlein, C’57, leads a tour of his vineyards.
Photo by Helaine Kaplan Prencie, CW’71, PAR’07, and Blair Prentice, PAR’07.

Enjoying the vineyards.
Photo by Helaine Kaplan Prentice, CW’71, PAR’07, and Blair Prentice, PAR’07.

What a treat to enjoy a relaxing afternoon in a beautiful setting and enjoy the conversation of fellow alumni.

Here’s a toast to Penn! And a toast to Phil Schlein!

Hurrah, Hurrah!

Penn Club of Northern California board members thank Phil Schlein for hosting the club.
L-R: Phil Crosby, C’92, Beth Topor, W’80, Phil Schlein, C’57, Carine Blanchet, C’92, Tom Eliaz, ENG’02.
Photo by Kiera Reilly.

Click here to join the Penn Club of Northern California, sign up for their email newsletter and get involved with the club. You can also find the club on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter @NCPennClub.

For more information on Schlein Vineyards, click here.

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Filed under Alumni Programming, Clubs, Events, GAN, Kiera R., Penn Clubs, Photos, West Coast Regional Office

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October 3, 2012 · 9:00 am

Penn Alumni Travel: The Danube River and Habsburg Empire

Author: André Dombrowski, Assistant Professor of Art History

The Habsburg Empire once stretched over immense territories in Central Europe. The Danube was its major waterway, and there is perhaps no better means to see the beauty of the former Habsburg lands than from the slow-moving perspective of a luxury cruise ship. Traveling at a leisurely pace up this majestic river means passing the larger cities like Budapest, Bratislava, and Vienna as well as spectacularly situated sites like the Benedictine abbey of Melk in the pretty Wachau Valley.

Melk Abbey

I had the pleasure of joining such a trip as faculty host this September, accompanying 22 Penn alumni. Our 14-day trip took us through six Central European countries—Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Poland—one as beautiful and interesting as the other. We visited eleven UNESCO World Heritage sites, saw some of the best-preserved historic city centers anywhere in the world (Český Krumlov, Prague, and Kraków), visited many of the best art museums in the world (like the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna), and toured one of the most beautiful baroque structures ever built (Melk).

Walking tour of Český Krumlov in the Czech Republic

After a day of delays due to the Lufthansa strikes, I arrived in Budapest just before the ship took off for Slovakia. I was greeted warmly by our excellent tour hosts Lydian, Danuta, and Jacques (later joined by Will), and soon met my fellow Penn passengers. They came from all walks of life, with distinguished careers in many fields after degrees from Wharton, the Medical School, and the College. Some still live in and around Philadelphia or in Pennsylvania, but others came from further afield, from Savannah or Albuquerque. Everybody bonded quickly.

On my second day on the ship—moving quietly along the Danube—we had a Penn reception followed by a Penn dinner. We toured again together as a group during the bus ride from Passau to Prague and saw that beautiful city together guided by our expert local guides. Many other meals and conversations were shared while we often jumped up from our seats marveling at the lock we were just in, a famous site emerging into view, or a birthday cake being carried into the restaurant accompanied by much singing and clapping.

Penn alumni in Bratislava, Slovakia

Penn alumni on deck of the M.S. Amadeus Brilliant at Melk Abbey (in background)

What stood out for me among this extraordinary range of sites and events? I had lived in Vienna for a semester some fifteen years ago, and it was great to see the city again, and anew, together with other Penn guests. Melk was certainly a highlight—such an utterly stunning site—built to impress and bolster ecclesiastical power and cultural prestige, then and now. Prague and Kraków are both among the most beautiful cities I know. Prague especially charms with its nighttime gaslights and true historic feeling, so seamlessly blending all architectural styles into such a coherent and undisturbed whole. Our last day was the only day of continued rain, fitting weather for a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp outside Kraków where silence befell all of us at the sight of the unthinkable Nazi cruelties committed there.

Vienna city center, at St. Stephen’s Dome

Dürnstein walking tour

At Auschwitz-Birkenau

I loved sharing my knowledge of the area, gave one lecture on Baroque architecture in Austria as an introduction to our visit to Melk and one on Vienna’s Ringstrasse and early Viennese Modernism, a special favorite of mine. We later toured some turn-of-the century art and architecture in Prague, including the Mucha-Museum and the Cubist House (ending with drinks in the 1912 upstairs Grand Café Orient!), which was great fun as well. Until we meet again (perhaps on another Penn Alumni travel trip?), please stay in touch.

On Bratislava’s Primate Square

*If this post inspired you to take a trip with Penn Alumni Travel, click here to visit our 2013 trip schedule. A 2013 trip along the Danube with Penn host, Stephen Lehmann, is scheduled for late September 2013. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest travel news and tips.

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Filed under Faculty perspective, Penn Alumni Travel, Travel

October 2, 2012 · 1:55 am

Penn Pro bono Alumni Consulting (PennPAC)

Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08

When I became Chair of the Social Impact Committee of the Penn Alumni Club of Philadelphia, I made it our goal to host at least one service project per month. These monthly volunteer events have become wildly popular, and many of them sell out. We partner with a different non-profit in Philadelphia every month, and we are always looking for new ways to give back to our community. In addition to these one-day volunteer events, Penn alumni in the Philadelphia area can get involved in short-term projects through PennPAC.

Penn alumna, Jackie Einstein Astrof, C’93, founded PennPAC (Penn Pro bono Alumni Consulting) in 2010 as a way to engage Penn alumni together in rewarding, socially impactful work. As Chair of the Social Impact Committee of PennNYC, Jackie understands the importance of regional engagement and community engagement of Penn alumni. Through PennPAC, Penn alumni utilize their intellectual and professional skills to assist non-profits in their communities through short-term projects. In 2011, PennPAC joined forces with the Wharton Club of New York (WCNY), and in fall 2011, PennPAC launched its first projects in New York City.

Jackie reached out to me that fall about launching PennPAC through the Penn Alumni Club of Philadelphia, and I thought it was a brilliant idea. As External Vice President and Chair of the Social Impact Committee of the Penn Alumni Club of Philadelphia, I know there are many Penn alumni in the Philadelphia area who are always looking for new ways to give back to our community. With much excitement, I launched PennPAC Philly in spring 2012. Here is a sample of our current and past PennPAC Philly projects:

Spring 2012 Project:
Students Run Philly Style offers running training programs for youth. SRPS connects students with adult mentors who help them imagine and accomplish goals to succeed in life. Volunteers on this project will develop recommendations for SRPS to increase their visibility in the Philadelphia community.

Fall 2012 Project:
12+ is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering students in underserved communities to achieve college access and completion. Volunteers in this project will increase and improve 12+ development through strategy and outreach. Note: 12+ was founded by a Penn alumnus, and the current CEO is a Penn alumna. Talk about a Penn connection!

Even though our Penn Alumni Club of Philadelphia volunteers love one-day volunteer events, many of them have expressed interest in longer-term projects. PennPAC is the perfect way for our volunteers to work closely with a non-profit in Philadelphia for 8-10 weeks. Penn alumni can get involved in PennPAC in many ways. The first step is to apply online:

Click here for the PennPAC Philly application.

Click here for the PennPAC NYC application.

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about PennPAC Philly. You can email me at philly@pennpac.org. I look forward to growing PennPAC through the Penn Alumni Club of Philadelphia, and I hope to see PennPAC launched in more cities in the near future!

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Alumni Programming, Penn Clubs, Philadelphia, Social Networking, Stephanie Y., Volunteering

October 1, 2012 · 5:50 pm

Senioritis

Kayleigh Smoot, C’13

I’d be the first to tell you I am definitely a professional procrastinator. I try to play it off as “I just work really well under pressure” and that’s true to some extent, but sometimes, I am just straight up lazy when it comes to time management.

After three years at Penn, however, I definitely have fallen victim to a plight worse than plain procrastination: senioritis.

As I entered my senior year at Penn, I was prepared to conquer it all: a five class workload, an executive board position, my work study job, and a rigorous job search for after graduation. It turns out this is a LOT to handle, especially the job search.

Career fairs, late night info sessions, networking, resume drop deadlines – it’s overwhelming. Thankfully, I have support through my friends here at Penn. I realized going to college meant making new friends that would become study buddies, coffee pals, people to walk to class with, but I never truly realized how important they would become during times of stress, like finals week, or now during the most stressful time of senior year.

They also aid me in my procrastinating ways (clearly rewatching old Gilmore Girls episodes with your best friend on a Tuesday night is more productive than doing reading for your world music and cultures class).

So, even though I’ve been procrastinating sending those emails, searching for jobs, and putting off that last reading, I definitely get by with a little help from my friends.

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Filed under Kayleigh, Student Perspective