Monthly Archives: February 2017

February 23, 2017 · 6:48 pm

Gov. Mario Cuomo Speaks at Penn (71 Weeks To Go)

By Kiera Reilly, C’93

The weekend of December 30-31, 2016, marked 71 weeks to our 25th reunion in our #93tothe25th countdown. At that time in December, 1989, it was a break between our first and second semesters of our Freshman year at Penn. I remember returning home to Texas, and catching up with my friends from high school. All of us shared stories of our experiences at our respective colleges and universities.

One memory I remember sharing from the fall semester is going to Irvine Auditorium to hear New York Governor Mario Cuomo speak. The student groups Connaissance and the Penn Political Union brought him to campus – later in my time at Penn I became involved with both the PPU and Connaissance and was fortunate to work on bringing many high profile speakers to campus. This event was one of the first times I realized why Penn was so special. So many different academics and dignitaries came to speak on campus and we were able to hear them, meet them, and question them. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to learn and explore so much.

Looking at the two pictures I took from the event, I am reminded how different capturing images is today compared to 1989!

Governor of New York Mario Cuomo on stage at Irvine Auditorium at Penn photo by Kiera Reilly

My photo of Gov. Mario Cuomo on state at Irvine Auditorium at Penn

New York Governor Mario Cuomo speaks at the University of Pennsylvania in 1989 Irvine Auditorium

My second photo of Gov. Cuomo on stage at Irvine auditorium

NY Governor Mario Cuomo speaks at Penn in 1989. Photo by Mike Johnson, The Daily Pennsylvanian

The DP Photo editor took a much better picture of Gov. Cuomo. Credit: Mike Johnson, DP

I saved the article from The Daily Pennsylvanian in the next day’s paper and pasted it in my scrap book. You can access the article and the text of his speech (plus the entire issue from October 25, 1989) via the DP’s archives online here. I also saved my ticket from the event.

ticket to see New York Governor Mario Cuomo speak at Penn in 1989. Photo by Kiera Reilly

My ticket to see Gov. Cuomo at Irvine Auditorium on October 24, 1989

The photo caption on the front page (which is cropped in this scan below), said that Cuomo spoke to an audience of 1,400. The article said that after his 90 minute speech and 20 minute Q&A session with the audience, Cuomo received a standing ovation.

Front page of The Daily Pennsylvanian on October 25, 1989 highlights Gov. Mario Cuomo

Front page of The DP on October 25, 1989, highlighted Gov. Cuomo’s visit the night before.

Speech delivered by Gov. Mario Cuomo at Penn on October 24, 1989, credit to The DP

The lengthy front page story on Gov. Cuomo continued inside the paper with a copy of his speech.

Penn Class of 1993 Reunion Countdown

December 30-31, 2016 marked 71 weeks until the 25th Reunion of the Penn Class of 1993 (May 11 – 13, 2018)! Join us we count down the weeks to our reunion #93tothe25th:

  • Do you have old photos or mementos from our time at Penn? Photos of Spring Fling? Football at Franklin Field? Classes at DRL? We are taking a trip down memory lane and would love for you to share your memories with our class in a future post. Please email us upenn1993@gmail.com!
  • Follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.
  • Classmates are invited to join our Facebook and LinkedIn groups.
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February 11, 2017 · 7:53 am

Day Trippin’ to NYC (72 Weeks To Go)

By Kiera Reilly, C’93

The weekend of December 23 – 24, 2016, marked 72 weeks to our 25th reunion, so I thought some pictures of a December day trip to New York City would be appropriate for that week’s #93tothe25th countdown.

Freshman year, during what I assume must have been reading days, four of us took a Penn Student Agencies sponsored bus – or did we take NJ Transit – to visit New York City for the day.

I found these bus tickets and the NJ Transit ticket in my Freshman year scrapbook, so I’m not sure which mode of transit we took.  Lisa Bardfeld Shapiro, C’93, says she remembers us taking the train, so maybe I made another trip to NYC with PSA?

Penn Student Agencies bus tickets to New York City by Kiera Reilly

Penn Student Agencies’ sponsored bus to and from New York.

NJ Transit train ticket from NY Penn Station to Trenton by Kiera Reilly

NJ Transit ticket stub from December 12th (also the date on the back of my photos).

We spent a full day in the city, and Lisa says she remembers our friend Deanna Huffman being wide-eyed at everything since she had never visited New York before.

Kiera Reilly, C'93, and Deanna Hoffman, C'93, at FAO Schwartz in NYC Freshman year at Penn

Kiera Reilly, C’93, and Deanna Huffman, C’93, at FAO Schwartz in NYC Freshman year.

We stopped at FAO Schwartz and had fun looking at all of the toys on display. It’s hard to believe that the store went out of business last year.

Lisa Bardfeld Shapiro, C'93, and Regan Allan, C'93, at the Lego display in FAO Schwartz.

Lisa Bardfeld Shapiro, C’93, and Regan Allan, C’93, at the Lego display in FAO Schwartz.

A trip to New York in December is not complete unless you visit the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center!

Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center New York City December 1989 by Kiera Reilly

Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center.

Penn Class of 1993 Reunion Countdown

December 23-24, 2016 marked 72 weeks until the 25th Reunion of the Penn Class of 1993 (May 11 – 13, 2018)! Join us we count down the weeks to our reunion #93tothe25th:

  • Do you have old photos or mementos from our time at Penn? Photos of Spring Fling? Football at Franklin Field? Classes at DRL? We are taking a trip down memory lane and would love for you to share your memories with our class in a future post. Please email us upenn1993@gmail.com!
  • Follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.
  • Classmates are invited to join our Facebook and LinkedIn groups.

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February 7, 2017 · 5:56 pm

Happy 90th Birthday to The Palestra! (66 Weeks To Go)

By Kiera Reilly, C’93, and Steve Jung, C’93

We continue our #93tothe25th countdown by jumping ahead to this past weekend which marked 66 weeks until our 25th reunion. Why the jump ahead? Because it’s a special night at The Palestra.

Tonight, Penn Basketball faces off against Princeton at the Palestra. The Palestra, “The Cathedral of College Basketball,” Penn’s home court and also home of the Big Five, has been home to more college basketball games than any other venue in the country. This year, the Palestra turned 90, and tonight, Penn Athletics is celebrating the 90th year of the Palestra before the game.

We have very fond memories of attending basketball games at the Palestra. Our senior year, the Men’s Basketball team won the Ivy League title, and our Ivy Stone is located on the building’s exterior.

Classmate Steve Jung, C’93, saved some Palestra programs (the Palestra Illustrated – do you remember that?) and ticket stubs from the games he attended during our time at Penn.

Programs from The Palestra at the University of Pennsylvania for Penn Basketball programs.

The Palestra Illustrated programs courtesy of Steve Jung, C’93

Steve writes:

I think I had season tickets for just the Ivy League games. There was always a fun energy at the Palestra. Since it wasn’t a shallow bowl, even the upper level felt close to the action. One of my best memories was the Penn-Princeton game our freshmen year. Penn’s down 49-50 with 2 seconds on the clock. Paul Chambers is on the line for a one-and-one (I though it was Vince Curran until I saw video online). Chambers misses the free throw, but Hassan Duncombe swoops in for the offensive rebound and put-back. Penn 51-Princeton 50. The place went nuts. I remember throwing streamers from the stands after the first Penn basket of the game. Then there was Ivy Day, when we planted ours in the courtyard. I worked at a Med School lab for 2 years after graduation, so I caught some games then. I even saw a Penn-Princeton game at Jadwin. It wasn’t the Palestra.

Penn basketball tickets from the Palestra at the University of Pennsylvania

Tickets from Penn basketball games at the Palestra, courtesy of Steve Jung, C’93. Some are general admission, while others have assigned seats.

 

The programs for each game, The Palestra Illustrated, featured Penn Basketball team members on the cover. These two programs feature guard Jerome Allen.

The Palestra Illustrated for Penn vs Holy Cross, December, 1992 with Jerome Allen on the cover, University of Pennsylvania

The Palestra Illustrated: Penn vs Holy Cross, December 11, 1992, with sophomore Jerome Allen on the cover. Courtesy of Steve Jung, C’93.

The Palestra Illustrated, February 1993 for Ivy Weekend at the University of Pennsylvania with Jermoe Allen.

The Palestra Illustrated: Ivy Weekend with Penn vs Columbia and then Cornell. Courtesy of Steve Jung, C’93.

 

The game tickets below show, on the right, a Big 5 game against St. Joe’s on  January 25, 1993, and Penn vs. Princeton on January 30, 1993. Penn won that game 64 – 46.

Penn Basketball tickets for games at the Palestra in 1993 at the University of Pennsylvania

Penn basketball tickets from 1993. Note the one on the far right – Penn vs. Princeton on January 30, 1993. Courtesy of Steve Jung, C’93.

Tonight will be a tough match-up for the Quakers, because Princeton is always a tough opponent. Penn Athletics said that the Quakers have played the Tigers more than any other opponent in the Palestra. For more information on tonight’s match-up (and information on how to watch the game in the Philadelphia area or online click here).

I remember walking to games at the Palestra our senior year with my friend Chris Lehmann, and he would say, “It’s going to be pandemonium at the Palestra!” Attending games at the Palestra made for some of my fondest memories of my time at Penn.

Happy 90th Birthday Palestra!

We feel blessed that you serve as our home court.

Let’s Go Quakers! Beat Princeton!

 

Penn Class of 1993 Reunion Countdown

February 3-4, 2017, marked 66 weeks until the 25th Reunion of the Penn Class of 1993 (May 11 – 13, 2018)! Join us we count down the weeks to our reunion #93tothe25th:

  • Do you have old photos or mementos from our time at Penn? Photos of Spring Fling? Football at Franklin Field? Classes at DRL? We are taking a trip down memory lane and would love for you to share your memories with our class in a future post. Please email us upenn1993@gmail.com!
  • Follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.
  • Classmates are invited to join our Facebook and LinkedIn groups.

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