By Kiera Reilly, C’93
A recent post in our #93tothe25th countdown to our 25th reunion looked back at our Freshman Move-In in September, 1989. This week, we went back into our pre-digital camera archives to unearth photos of where and how we lived that first year at Penn. It is interesting to see that while everyone has their own personal style, there is a definite similarity to the rooms and the things that were in vogue in the Fall of 1989. Be sure to look closely at the photos to notice small things like original Macintosh computers, phones with cords, and the all important music posters.
Thank you to classmates Danny Bockvar, Marianne Alves Brogdale, Amy Korn Duque, Christine Lutton Foster, Brooke Hayes, Meredith Prevor-Weiss, Allison Laney Richards, and Jessica Zirkel-Rubin for sharing your photos with us!
Upper Quad
I lived on the 2nd floor of Franklin in the Upper Quad. I shared a triple with Lisa Bardfeld Shapiro and Randi Mosler, and while we were technically assigned to Franklin Hall, our triple and the one across the hall from us were separated from the rest of the Franklin rooms by fire doors. So the Brooks-Leidy Hall adopted us.
We scored a triple in the Upper Quad – room 222 Franklin! Randi, Lisa and Kiera on move-in day, 1989.
Since we had a triple room, there were two tiny single rooms and one large central room. We swapped rooms throughout the year, but for the first part of the year, I had one of the single rooms.
My bed in one of the side rooms of our triple in the Upper Quad.
The view from my bed out the window. For some reason I thought buying an ironing board was a good idea.
This photo is dark, but you can partially see the view of the Quad through the window.
Looking out into the Upper Quad.
The RA for the 2nd floor of Brooks-Leidy, Mark. Remember milk crates?
I think RA’s had a double-sized room all to themselves.
High Rises
Amy Korn Duque shares, “My freshman move-in day at Penn, I was assigned to a high rise on the 14th floor, sharing an apartment-style dorm with 2 girls from Colombia and one from Staten Island. (I am still in touch with 2 out of 3.) One of my roommates had gone to high school with a Wharton sophomore, who came over to help us move in and get settled. They were not particularly good friends, but we hit it off right away. He and I have now been married for 21 years, and this year we saw our son off to Penn for his own freshman move-in day.”
Amy Korn Duque and Alejandra Torres in High Rise South Room 1413.
Room 1413, High Rise South
Marianne Alves Brogdale also sent in a photo of her room in the High Rises, and coincidentally, she was a floor above Amy in Room 1513!
Marianne Alves Brogdale in her room, 1513 High Rise South
Bulletin board in Marianne’s room
Marianne’s desk
Lower Quad – Community House
Jessica Zirkel-Rubin sent a photo of her room, number 258 in Warwick.
Room 258 Warwick in the Lower Quad, shared by Jessica Zirkel-Rubin
Allison Laney Richards also sent photos from the 2nd floor of Warwick. Allison writes that there was a cheer for the floor, “Warwick 2nd Floor, Who could ask for more. In Volleyball we conquer all. We’ll Nail you to the floor.”
Allison and her roommate Jennifer Bloom
Allison and Jennifer’s room, 2nd floor of Warwick
Allison and Jennifer’s room, 2nd floor of Warwick
Allison and Jennifer’s room
The door to Allison and Jennifer’s room
Another photo of Allison and Jennifer. I guess plaid shirts were “in”?
Jennifer and Allison wearing what was “in” back then – plaid shirts.
Some of Allison’s 2nd floor Warwick hallmates: Neil Sheth, Mark Stern, Ed Miller , and Nick ? feast on pizza, something we all ate at least once a week!
Eating the college food staple – pizza – in the Lower Quad
Jim Fleischer and Allison in his room. Allison writes, “Jim lived across the hall from me Freshman year; Regan (Allan) was in my sorority; I introduced them and now they are married.”
Allison Laney Richards and Jim Fleischer were hallmates on the the 2nd floor of Warwick
Jim Fleischer in his room, 2nd floor Warwick.
Greg Fatzinger in his room, 2nd floor Warwick.
A photo from an “all night drink fest” (party after finals done and before flying home) in a Butcher 2nd floor dorm room. Pictured: Jeff McKibben, Samantha Leventhal, Allison Laney Richards, and Rob Hathaway.
Pictured: Jeff McKibben, Samantha Leventhal, Allison Laney Richards, and Rob Hathaway.
Kings Court – English House
Christine Lutton Foster had this photo of a sign from her dorm door.
Door sign from Kings Court – English House
Near the Mail Room in the Quad
Meredith Prevor-Weiss sent photos from EF Smith in the Quad.
Meredith Prevor-Weiss and her roommate Heather Caslow
Chris Van Reid and Paul Arrouet outside on the Junior Balcony
Bryon ? and Adam Bernstein
Kathyanne Cohen and Jennifer Friedman
Heather Caslow and Paul Arrouet
Roommates Then, Friends Now
Brooke Hayes sent a photo of him and his roommate Jason McLane sitting by Ben on the Bench freshman year. Brooke and Jason lived in Foerderer in Upper Quad. And then Brooke sent a photo with his daughter Cameron (and wife Hilary Marion Hayes, also a classmate) and Jason’s daughter Hannah in the same pose with Ben on the Bench. Cameron and Hannah entered Penn this year as Freshman and are roommates living in Speakman!
Brooke Hayes and Jason McLane as roommates in 1989 and their daughters as roommates at Penn now!
Danny Bockvar sent a photo of himself, his twin brother Johnny and his roommate Paul Altman (they lived in the Class of ’28) from Freshman year, and then a photo of the three of them today.
Danny and Johnny Bockvar with Paul Altman in Class of ’28
Danny and Johnny Bockvar with Paul Altman today
Coincidentally, while looking through the scrapbook I made from Freshman year, I found this article from the Philadelphia Inquirer about our class moving in and starting life at Penn. The best part? Paul and Johnny are quoted in the article! I wonder if Paul can tell the difference between the Bockvars now? (If you can’t read the image below, the article is online here).
Article from the Philadelphia Inquirer about the Penn Class of 1993 moving in to start their Freshman year at Penn
We received photos from rooms in the Quad and the High Rises, but we are still seeking photos from Hill House, Kings Court/English House, DuBois or other freshman dorms. And we would love to see more photos of other rooms in the Quad and High Rises. We hope to do another post on freshman dorm rooms so if you have any photos, please send them to us!
Penn Class of 1993 Reunion Countdown
The weekend of November 18-19 marked 77 weeks until the 25th Reunion of the Penn Class of 1993 (May 11 – 13, 2018)! Join us we countdown 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.
Here is a copy of Christine’s plane ticket. I share it mainly to note the cost of her ticket.
And here is a move-in card. It seems so old-school!
Wow! This is a dorm. At. Penn. (For perspective, I’m standing on the east side of 33rd and Chestnut Streets)
The entrance to Penn’s campus from the east, after walking through Drexel’s campus. This is what used to be Hill Field (you can see Hill House in the back on the left).
Walking through Hill Field on the Women’s Walkway from 33rd and Chestnut Streets. Hill House is on the left. The new College House (not pictured) is on the right of the walkway.
With the new College House opening, Hill House is undergoing renovations. I don’t know if you can tell from this photo, but from what I could see, it looks like the interior is completely gutted.
Hill House
The entrance to the new College House as seen from the walkway. There were tents set up for maintenance issues, and for residential services to assist new students.
As I continued on the walkway, I saw this table for Penn Student Agencies. I worked for PSA all four years at Penn, so I stopped to talk to this current student about the services PSA offers today.
This is when I had my, “we are in the 21st Century moment,” as I saw this student wearing a t-shirt with, “Move-in Social Media,” printed on the back.
Move-In Social Media while approaching the intersection of 34th and Walnut Streets
I walked up Walnut Street to the bookstore at 36th and Walnut. All the new Penn apparel looked pretty cool (I was glad to see there wasn’t any pink or green Penn branded items that I’ve seen displayed in recent years).
There was a large tent between Houston Hall and College Hall. There were bins for bottles of water, Tasty Kakes and soft pretzels. The Penn Band played for the families.
Inside Houston Hall was a fare of services for students.
Crossing 36th and Spruce Street to the Lower Quad
Walking west on Spruce Street, I was surprised by the Wistar Institute building. For my last few visits to campus this was covered in netting and scaffolding.
There were still some students and families moving in to the Quad.
While the carts seem nicer than when we moved in so many years ago, they seem to be the same basic structure.
The view looking east and then west at the corner of 38th and Spruce Streets.
New students and families crossing Spruce Street after exiting Upper Quad.
I walked down Locust Walk. Classes had not started yet, so it was a bit quiet.
Ben on the Bench is still on campus, but he’s moved to the corner of 36th Street and Locust Walk. He sits on 36th Street, outside of Steinberg-Dietrich Hall. I heard that it’s a right of passage now for students to pee on the bench. Was that a thing when we were students?
As I continued down Locust Walk, I saw the former home of the Palladium. It was sad that the patio isn’t full of people sitting at tables, enjoying a drink and soaking up the beautiful day.
Do you remember moving in to Penn in September 1989? Do you have pictures of your freshman dorm room or roommate? We are looking for photos of these memories or others from our time at Penn. Please email us upenn1993@gmail.com!
I know that the cost of Penn has increased, but by how much? Thanks to Google, I found the tuition for this academic year pretty easily on the 
Comparing the total cost in 1989 – 1990 ($20,850) with the total cost in 2016 – 2017 ($69,340), I wondered how that 1989-1990 academic year price tab would compare using inflation rates. According to this 
Christine Lutton Foster, C’93, shared her NSW order form.
Amy Korn Duque, C’93, G’93, found the original NSW brochure.
Amy had a copy of the campus map from 1989. Notice building number 49 circled – Logan Hall. It has since been renamed and current students know it as Claudia Cohen Hall. Number 34 Hill House is currently closed for renovation, and across “Hill Field” is the new college house that opened this week.
In contrast to these old documents, I looked for the New Student Week information for this year. It’s now called 
Things have definitely changed. It makes our New Student Week brochure look so last century (ack)!
Frankly Penn 