Monthly Archives: December 2013

December 6, 2013 · 9:00 am

Penn Gymnastics Did What?

By Nicole C. Maloy, W’95

Hanging out at the bar with Carissa Lim, C’16, Penn Varsity Gymnastics team member. You may notice a subtle size differential. (Side note – this is me demonstrating the full extent of my skills on this apparatus.)

Penn Gymnastics will open the season TONIGHT at Hutch! Details in red later in this post.

This past summer I was leaning forward, elbows on my knees, eyes wide, completely unaware of anything but the superhero-like feats of strength and agility executed by the spandex-clad individuals on my television screen during an elite gymnastics competition. This sport has always had this effect on me, as it has on many other fans, partially because the things that gymnasts do are simply not possible. And yet, there they are, doing them anyway.

One particularly tiny athlete on the uneven bars did not need to pike or straddle or otherwise adjust herself quite as much as the others did when swinging around the low bar. It struck me that, if the “tall” gymnasts are 5’4”, and they have to make big adjustments, what would the fantastic gymnastic life have been like for me at 5’9 ½”, hanging from arms that are disproportionately long? I had never seen uneven bars up close, and now I was curious to know how I, quite literally, measured up to them.

Enter Penn Gymnastics Assistant Coach Kimberly Parsons, who opened the doors of the team’s brand new, shiny, spectacular new training facility to me (the Nalitt Family Gymnastics Center was made possible by a gift from Penn gymnastics alumna, and proud Penn parent, Beth (Wasserstein) Nalitt, MD). The facility was dedicated last month at Homecoming 2013, after the team was honored at halftime for winning back to back Eastern conference championships in 2012 and 2013.

Wait, what?

Yes, dear alumni. Penn Gymnastics took first place at the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division I Championships twice in a row, which is a first for any school in the Ivy League. Two team members went on to win additional honors at the 2013 USA Gymnastics Collegiate Nationals.

Go Penn!

I have to draw attention to this, because, as you know, the University of Pennsylvania does not offer athletic scholarships. When one of our Varsity teams shines as brightly as this, I want the world to know! I mean, check out this hardware. Penn Quakers earned these! I feel the need to high-five someone!

Oh, these? These are just a few of their championship rings.

You must see some brief clips from the 2013 ECAC Championships this past spring. Seriously. Take a moment to watch these highlights of our Penn athletes dominating the competition on each apparatus.

Now I want you to see them in person so they can hear you cheer. If you are in Philadelphia, come support Penn Gymnastics TONIGHT, Friday, December 6 at 6PM at Hutchinson Gymnasium for the “Philadelphia Jamboree” against Temple University. Their next competition will be the GW Invitational in Washington, DC on Sunday 1/12 at 1PM, followed by one at home on Saturday 1/18 at noon against Illinois State. Check out the full 2013-2014 competition schedule to see when they might be near you so you can show your support wherever you can. And be sure to wear your red & blue! Let them know how proud you are. Mark your calendar for Saturday 3/22 at noon, when Penn Gymnastics will attempt to defend their title at the 2014 ECAC Division I Championships right here in Philadelphia at Temple University.

As for me, here I am grabbing the low bar, from my knees, arms still bent. To be fair, there is a woman on the team who is 5’7” tall, so perhaps there would have been hope for me afterall. And they can adjust the bar height a bit depending on the athlete. Still… let’s just say I’m glad I found the high jump.

For updates, you can follow Penn Gymnastics on YouTube at UPennGym, Twitter @PennGym, and Facebook at Penn Gymnastics. Special thanks to the Penn Gymnastics coaching staff for their hospitality, and I send them my very best wishes for a wonderful 2014 season!

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Filed under Athletics, Nicole M.

December 5, 2013 · 3:46 pm

Locust Walk Talk: About 20 Hours in Paris

Auteur: Casey Ryan, C’95

If you pay very close attention to my biweekly blogging, you would have anticipated a Top Penn List for this week. However, I like to switch things up. I wanted to share with you a wonderful story about the Penn Club of France.

Happy Hour in Paris

Last month, the University took Time to Shine tour to its final stop – London. The event was a huge success and our British and expat-American alumni were excited. During my time abroad, I took the Eurostar over to Paris to meet with our Penn Club of France.

Church of Saint Ferdinand des Ternes

In the middle of our planning Time to Shine in London, the Penn Club of France was preparing for their next event, a happy hour cocktail organized in partnership with the Columbia University Club of France. The alumni groups were scheduling a meet up to share a good evening and some great wine at Wine by One: Montaigne. The event was slated to start at 7:30 pm on Thursday, November 14th. The timing couldn’t have been better, Time to Shine: London was the 13th and I could head over the next morning.

What Wine By One is

Of personal note, November 14th is my mother’s birthday. Being a proud Penn Parent and an alumna herself, she understood that duty called. Meanwhile, I colluded with my father to make sure that her present from me was at the breakfast table. I also called her once from each country, naming it her “Tale of Two Cities birthday calls.”

Board members: Sarah Lynch, GCP’08 & Laurent Bonnet, C’07

Back to Paris, Wine by One is unique wine-bar founded by a Penn alumnus, Stéphane Girard, WG’06! The concept is modern and simple: purchase a rechargeable cash card, grab a glass and begin browsing. There are 100 wines “on tap,” grouped by region and flavor profile. Once you have made your selection, insert your card into the slot, select the size of your glass (a taste, a half-glass or a full glass) and fill it up! The cost is deducted from your card.

An example of a wine “on tap”

It’s a clever way to experiment with wines and to find one to enjoy. You can relax and sample many different wines. You can stick to a wine that you like and drink a glass of it. You can take a bottle home if you discover one that you love by purchasing it there. One of the biggest draws about this place is Girard’s selection of non-French wine. There was a chardonnay from Long Island (I believe it was from Bedell Cellars) which was superb. Don’t worry, I did try a handful of French wine and I reached out to taste others from Slovakia, South Africa and Spain.

Penn and Columbia Alumni enjoying some wine

After a wonderful evening chatting with many Penn alumni as well as a few of the Columbia alumni, I thanked the president of the Penn Club of France, Laurent Bonnet, C’07, for allowing me the privilege of joining the club’s event. We chatted a bit as he walked to the Metro, then we bid à bientôt. Having only a few scant hours left in Paris, I walked back to my hotel, enchanted by the City of Lights.

The site, en route to the hotel, The Arc de Triomphe and the Tour Eiffel

Currently there are two locations: Wine by One: Montaigne located 27 rue de Marignan and Wine by One: Place Vendôme located 9 Rue des Capucines.

See’s Candy Fundraiser . . .

See’s Candy is here! Each holiday season, the Association of Alumnae hosts an annual See’s Candy Fundraiser.

Fundraising profits help the Association of Alumnae to sponsor programs for women, such as the recent Colloquium in honor of the 100^th Anniversary of the Association of Alumnae. The funds also help to sponsor several awards, including the Continuing Education Award for an outstanding woman who has returned to college, the Fathers’ Trophy for a woman athlete and the Robert J. Alig Award for a student leader. In addition, the Association funds the Rosemary D. Mazzatenta Scholars Awards for women students’ internships or research during the summer, and has funded the student computer kiosks in the renovated Fisher–Bennett Hall.

If you don’t want to miss out on this delicious fundraising effort next year, send an email to alumni@ben.dev.upenn.edu and we’ll be sure to add you to the list!

Happy Holidays!

Up Close and Personal at Away Games

Author: Stephanie Yee, C08

One of the best things about attending Penn Men’s Basketball away games is getting an up close look at the team during the game. This past Saturday, we made the quick trip up to Lafayette College in Easton, PA, to watch the Quakers play. We sat right behind the Penn bench and cheered VERY loudly with the other Penn fans. Join us at the Penn @ Villanova game this Wednesday at 8pm. Let’s bring Quaker Nation to Villanova!

Penn Men’s Basketball pre-game routine at Lafayette College

Penn Serves LA Sending Holiday Warmth to Our Troops

By Kiera Reilly, C’93 @KieraReilly

Do you remember receiving that handwritten or hand crafted card and feeling special? That is exactly the sentiment Penn Serves volunteers hope to give to our troops serving overseas or those healing in hospitals this holiday season.

On November 17^th, Penn Serves LA hosted a holiday card signing at the Los Angeles American Red Cross headquarters. Every holiday season, the Red Cross hosts “Holiday Mail for Heroes” program where they organize volunteers to share their seasonal joy through greetings for veterans, military families and active duty service members at hospitals and installations around the world.

Penn volunteers received a special treat of their own, experiencing the Central Command room located at LA’s Red Cross facility. The room is specifically designed to coordinate communications in case of a crisis, disaster, or other emergency.

Penn Alumni learn about Red Cross in LA’s coveted Central Command Room.

This holiday card signing event set a Penn Serves attendance record drawing more than 70 participants – alumni, children and relatives. Proudly displaying the red and blue, Penn Serves’ participants put their Quaker creativity to work and designed cards and shared messages with our nation’s veterans. Glue sticks, scissors, stickers and markers provided both young and old the opportunity to draw and create fanciful cards. For those who were challenged by the arts and crafts, Penn Serves LA cards were available to share inspiring messages with the troops through the written word — wishing a happy and peaceful holiday season. The cards provide a welcome Penn Serves LA “touch of home” for our troops during the holiday season.

“Seeing our generous Penn alums and their families so involved in supporting our troops really put us in the holiday spirit. Thanks to everyone for helping the American Red Cross make a difference and fulfill its mission,” shares Jeff Sakaguchi, WG’89. Jeff has been actively involved with the Red Cross, serving as a board member and past Chairman of the Los Angeles Region.

“It is great to see the Penn Serves’ momentum grow with insightful events. We look forward to seeing new faces at future events,” said Denise Winner, W’83, co-founder of Penn Serves LA, who organized this event.

“I know how important these cards, these words, can be to these guys,” shares Mark Lipis, W’70, a military veteran and Wharton graduate. “I definitely wanted to be here today.”

Hard at Work, volunteers create joy through art and words.

Penn Alumni, Parents and children enjoyed sharing holiday uplifting messages for our troops.

All alumni, Penn Families and their children are invited to the next event on Friday, December 13^th for The Giving Spirit. At that event, Penn Serves will be assisting The Giving Spirit, an organization serving the homeless of Los Angeles through programs like distributing survival kits, in a critical time-sensitive mission as their supplies arrive for the holidays. Click here to sign up for this very special holiday event.

If you want to hear about more past and future events, either visit our website, like us on Facebook, or ask to be put on our mailing list by emailing pennserves@gmail.com.

Read about our past events:

August and September, 2013 – Serving the Environment and LA Leadership Academy

May, 2013 – One on One Outreach

March, 2013 – Habitat for Humanity

January, 2013 – Inner City Arts

September, 2012 – The Midnight Mission

June, 2012 – Turning Point Shelter