Author: Rebecca Eckart, GEd’13
Happy holidays, everyone! I hope you’re having a wonderful time with family and friends and are taking a well-deserved break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
I’m back in my hometown celebrating the holidays with my family, but I wanted to share with you some of holiday cheer I experienced in Philadelphia and elsewhere during December.
In early December, International Student Affairs in the Graduate School of Education (GSE) organized a trip for GSE students to Longwood Gardens in Kenneth Square, PA. I went with some of my classmates and was truly overwhelmed by the beauty and grandeur of the grounds, both outside and inside the conservatory. In the conservatory, because of the history and architecture of the building, I felt as though I had stepped back in time to the Gilded Age or Progressive Era. Pierre du Pont, the famous businessman who purchased the property in the early twentieth century and opened Longwood Gardens to the public, once entertained guests in the conservatory during the holiday season. Many of the decorations in the building referenced that tradition.
Penn’s campus and downtown Philadelphia also displayed a lot of holiday cheer. Below are just a few pictures for you to enjoy.
Best wishes to all of you for a happy and healthy New Year!
Frankly Penn 