Category Archives: Alumni Perspective

September 27, 2012 · 2:16 pm

Locust Walk Talk: Never Far Away from Penn

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

I was on vacation this September, going to Scotland and Wales, with my parents.  The idea of the trip started to form soon after my vacation with them to Ireland last year.  By June, my parents had purchased their flights into the UK via Manchester, and I sent my deposit along for the hotel rooms. Then, I needed to get my tickets to Europe.  I was planning to cash in some United Miles for the trip – all using the least amount of miles and dollar for airport and landing taxes – and I put together a trip from Newark to Manchester via Stockholm and a return trip from Dublin to Philadelphia via Boston.  I needed to buy a flight from Manchester to Dublin separately. In the end, I had one funky itinerary. However, in total, my tickets cost about $130 in fees and 60,000 frequent flyer miles. That’s the beauty of travel – what you lose in succinctness, you gain in adventure.

The ship, Vasa, in the Vasamuseet – Stockholm, Sweden.

Two weeks before my trip, an invitation to an event in Greece triggers an e-mail from Athenian alumna who has relocated to Stockholm.  She wanted to know how to start a club. Since I had a long layover at Aranda, I thought that I should at least meet her while I was in transit  (you never take a vacation from alumni relations; you just don’t answer e-mails as quickly).

Manchester City Hall – Manchester, England.

We had a lovely breakfast meeting, taking in the Swedish cinnamon rolls, kanelbullar, with coffee. We talked about the over 100 alumni in Sweden and over 50 in the greater Stockholm metropolitan area. We shared ideas about how to reach out to them and what might be of interest to the regional Penn alumni. I gave Stephanie a bag of Penn goodies to sample with her follow alumni in the city when she had her first gathering. We also talked about the Olympics, since I had mentioned that I wanted to see the Stadium from the 1912 Games.  She suggested where to go to see some of the very Swedish sites.  I ended up choosing the Vasamuseet, the Stadion and the Stadshus, and Stephanie walked me down to the Vasa Museum for an impromptu tour.

Edinburgh Castle, prepped for the Tattoo which ended a few day prior – Edinburgh, Scotland.

After Sweden, my itinerary took me to Manchester, Edinburgh, Inverness and Glasgow.  I visited the Manchester Art Gallery, the Royal Mile, Loch Ness – looking for Nessie, Urquhart Castle and the Lighthouse.  On my second morning in Glasgow, I join my parents for a Scottish Breakfast – complete with haggis.  I wore a Penn shirt and I didn’t realize it until one of our fellow diners asked if any of us were connected to Penn. For those who don’t know, my brother and I went to Penn undergraduate and my mother took classes and works for the Health System.  So, we all proudly owned up to being a Penn family (my dad chimed in that he was proud to sign the checks for my tuition).

The Glasgow Cenotaph and City Chambers at night – Glasgow, Scotland.

Maureen had just been in Philadelphia about two weeks prior dropping off her daughter for her first year at Penn – living in Harrison College House.  She was excited for her daughter and was looking forward to getting engaged in all that Penn has to offer parents.  In finding out that Maureen lives in Phoenix, I gave her my business card and let her know that there is a Penn and Wharton Club of Arizona located in Phoenix that welcomes the parents of Penn students.  As I said, you never take a vacation from alumni relations.

My dad and I in front of the Norman fortifications within the grounds of Cardiff Castle – Cardiff, Wales.

My trip continued via England into Wales, with stops in Llandudno, Cardiff, then back to Manchester and finally Dublin.  After a busy trip, I landed in Boston and walked into Logan. There, I met up with Melissa Wu, C’99, member of the Penn Alumni Regional Club Advisory Board.  We had found each other through Foursquare and Twitter. We spent just a few moments catching up before I had to run and change terminals for my trip back to Philadelphia.  We bid farewell, promising to reconnect at Homecoming.

Monument of Light (a. k. a. Spire of Dublin) as seen from Mary Street Shopping area – Dublin, Ireland.

Exhausted, I poured myself into my seat on the airplane and relived the fantastic trip in my mind – noting how many amazing Penn people I met along the way.

The dusk sky at Logan Airport – Boston, MA.

1 Comment

Filed under Alumni Perspective, Casey R., Locust Walk Talk

September 26, 2012 · 1:13 pm

Waking Up

Author: Lisa Ellen Niver, C’89

My father, who is also a Penn grad and the reason I traveled from Los Angeles to Philadelphia for college, often says, “Sleep? I can always sleep when I am dead, there is so much to do.” I recently realized that this quote actually comes from Benjamin Franklin! He said, “There will be plenty of time to sleep when you are dead, life is for living. So wake up and perform.”

Our wedding.

This year, George and I are traveling in South East Asia exploring, wandering, and waking up! This is not a year of sleeping through the same life or same job. We have been away from America for nearly three months so far. We are currently in Bangkok discovering how to acquire a visa to spend my birthday in Myanmar.

George and I met online, but we really clicked because of Myanmar and the Schwedagon Pagoda. When I mentioned to him that it was my favorite place, he was intrigued. He had to meet a fellow traveler who loved the temples and culture of Burma. And now, nearly six years after we first met, we will be there together for my 45th birthday.

Please join in my birthday celebration by donating to the Jewish World Watch Solar Cooker Project for Darfur refugees. In the 45 days before I turn 45, I am searching for 45 people to donate so that 45 families will have solar cookers and more safety in their daily lives. Together, we can help many families leave their refugee camp in search of firewood and fuel, without fearing harm.

In Mongolia.

After a long journey full of peril from Darfur in Sudan, people arrive at the camps in Chad, traumatized after losing homes, family members, and any concept of safety into a bureaucratic jungle with only tarps for creating a new shelter. Having given up my home by choice this year to travel with my husband, I hope to help others feel cared for no matter where they rest their head. Please use this link to donate . Note that your donation is in honor of me and JWW will keep track of the money we raise together. Thank you for making a difference today. More information here.

I hope that in the new school year and the Jewish year and for my 45th year, that you will not “stand idly by” or sleep your year away. Listen to Ben Franklin and wake up, perform, and participate!

Leave a comment

Filed under Alumni Perspective, Lisa Ellen Niver, Volunteering

September 21, 2012 · 12:50 pm

Still Worrying, But Less So: A Retirement Perspective from a 1967 Penn Alumnus

Author: Howard S. Freedlander, C’67

It’s now the end of year one of the rest of my life.

Mostly removed from a life filled with 10-hour work days and sporadic fits of worry during off-hours and vacations, I’m beginning to enjoy retirement. Now, I worry about not worrying—a bit strange and maybe a bit worrisome to my wife.
I have a part-time job as a consultant for a business consulting/government relations firm in Annapolis, Maryland. I even have a client, which this former bureaucrat actually brought to the firm. I work hard to bring new business to the firm through my extensive contacts. I dare say I hardly qualify as a rainmaker.

Volunteer activities have kept me busy, particularly my 45th University of Pennsylvania reunion. As class president, I approached my duties as a job, conscientiously calling and emailing classmates to attend our reunion and to contribute to our reunion gift. We exceeded expectations for a “minor” reunion like the 45th. Somehow, my job as class president seemed like more fun than my obsessive approach as a deputy treasurer in Maryland. I still worried, constructively, I believe, about meeting and hopefully surpassing goals.

Dennis Custage and I during the 2012 Commencement.

And, I did something else in my hometown that surprised me a bit. I joined a men’s club, where I eat lunch at least twice a week at a common table populated by 12 of us. At Penn, I belonged to a fraternity; for nearly 45 years I claimed no similar affiliation. Dealing with hours of leisure time, marked by several hours a day of quiet—a bit disquieting to this extrovert—I needed stimulation. And that’s exactly what happened. Political conversation can be difficult at times but bearable.

My wife continues to work. I like that. She’s earning money, and I like that too.  Sometimes my daughters call, periodically for advice, often to see how I’m doing as a mostly content retiree. I appreciate their interest. They don’t talk long, understandably. They accept questions and advice in small chunks.

I worry about my wife’s impending retirement in perhaps 18 months. My approach to chores will change dramatically: I actually will have to do more under more consistent supervision. Seriously, my wife, once unchained from her job, will change my retirement. I will have to negotiate daily and perhaps disagreeably. I worry about the new dynamic when my wife is the house boss for the entire day, not just at the end of the day. I may have to find a full-time job to avoid household responsibilities.

Overall though, since retiring, I sleep better. My temperament is more even. I listen better, though my wife might disagree. Life is pleasant, uncluttered by anxiety of work-related deadline and crises.

My transition to retirement has been easier than I would have imagined. Friends and family thought I might have trouble adjusting to free time, a life without work and its intrinsic mental intrusions on your non-office hours. I too wondered if depression would replace obsession. As I discovered, I enjoyed leisure, time alone and my hobbies such as volunteer activities. I have adjusted to the absence, for the most part, of “bold” actions and activities driven by work demands.

Don’t get me wrong. Retirement can also be a challenge. I worry about my mental acuity; my work-induced sharpness seems dulled by lack of work-related engagement, intellectual challenges. I worry about physical degradation despite my twice-weekly workouts, which, in some ways, points out problems with balance, flexibility, and strength. I worry about continued good health, due to inability or perhaps unwillingness to lose significant weight. I think about family medical history and flinch a little.

Retirement brings with it obvious worries about aging and loss. You quickly realize as you look at your friends that time is limited. As you spend increased time with grandchildren, you realize that it might be unlikely that you will attend their weddings, or observe their college years. When I look at my two daughters, both in their thirties, I realize that they will be carrying the family legacy and interpreting it however they wish. They will talk about their parents in the past tense. They will grieve as I still do my parents and grandparents.

As I view life as someone approaching his 67th birthday, at least I still have the capability to worry, hopefully in moderation, and produce results, both personally and professionally. Life moves on to a new chapter, the last part of the book. Retirement allows you to be creative and write your own narrative, without work as the major plot line. You control the outcome, in a way.

With little prodding, I realize that retirement is another challenging passage, a time to view possibilities and probabilities with a healthy combination of positive thinking and realistic expectations. While it is a time to do as you wish (dependent on good health), it also is a time to enjoy what you have, not merely your material possessions, but your relationships with family and friends. Not since my college years have I had the time and energy to focus so entirely on relationships.

With Alice Murdoch Dagit ,CW’67, Reunion Chair and Class Vice President for our reunion this past May.

4 Comments

Filed under Alumni Perspective, Alumni Profile

Tagged as

September 18, 2012 · 2:01 pm

Hello, 20-Foot Ben Franklin

Author: Stephanie Yee, C08

I have been known to see red and blue everywhere, and I am always trying to find a Penn connection. However, I am really starting to think SAP loves Penn. Back in July, the Magic Carpet food truck was at SAP’s 40th Anniversary Newtown Square Summer Picnic. Flash forward a few months, and Ben Franklin is at the SAP Active Global Support Newtown Square Summit. Granted, the event was held at the Franklin Institute, so it’s no surprise Ben Franklin was all over the place.

I had visited the Franklin Institute a number of times but always for the special exhibits. This was my first time in the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial, and wow it’s beautiful! There is nothing quite like a 20-foot statue of Ben Franklin staring down at you while you eat your taco salad and chicken fingers. Too bad we can’t borrow the statue for Homecoming and Alumni Weekend. I would love to see the 20-foot Ben Franklin wearing the foam Quaker hat or a net-hat from Penn Men’s Basketball.

A 20-foot statue of Benjamin Franklin at the SAP Active Global Support Newtown Square Summit at the Franklin Institute.

Panoramic view of the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial at the Franklin Institute.

1 Comment

Filed under Alumni Perspective, Alumni Programming, Alumni Weekend, Ben Franklin, Philadelphia, Stephanie Y.

September 17, 2012 · 12:50 pm

With Eyes Wide Open

Author: Lisa Vaccarelli, C’02, GED’10

Recently, I had the good fortune to take a tour of Penn’s campus with two lovely alumnae who had not been back to campus in over ten years.  As someone who has come to work right in the heart of campus five days a week for the past seven years, you’d think I would be an ideal candidate to lead this tour.  But as I thought more about it leading up to the alumnae’s visit, I realized that while I live and breathe Penn nearly every day, I rarely experience it as a visitor.  Instead, I run from one building to the next, one meeting to the next, with my head down, rarely slowing my pace or deviating from my normally prescribed routes.

And so I picked up the phone and called a friend and colleague from Facilities and Real Estate Services.  Surely, she would have some tips for my tour, perhaps even a few fact sheets I could look over in advance.  Instead, she put me in touch with Mark Kocent, Principle Planner in the University Architect’s Office.  Over the past ten years, Mark has had a hand in nearly every capital project – new buildings, renovations, and more – that have taken place on Penn’s campus.  As luck would have it, Mark’s was free yesterday morning and graciously agreed to join us for the tour.

It was a truly beautiful day – sunny and mild.  Beginning at the Sweeten Alumni House, we walked east to the soon-to-be opened Shoemaker Green outside the Palestra.  We stopped into the Weiss Pavilion to admire the Education Commons and Fox Fitness Center – both with beautiful views of Shoemaker Green and the city skyline.  From there, we walked over to Penn Park, admiring the tennis courts and softball field.  All along the way, Mark shared tidbits about the planning and construction of each site, as well as future development plans.  As we made our way back into the heart of campus, we visited the beautifully renovated – and LEED certified – Music Building, which juxtaposes the old and new in an incredibly seamless way.  Finally, we stopped into Fisher-Bennett Hall, where our alumnae took many classes as students.

Thanks to Mark, our alumnae – and I – walked away inspired by Penn’s beauty and growth.  Moreover, I am now determined to make the time to explore new corners of campus going forward; to pick up my head and deviate from my normal route every once in a while; and to truly appreciate this magnificent space in which I work and live.

Leave a comment

Filed under Alumni Perspective, Alumni Programming, Alumnni Education, Campus Life, Lisa V.

September 14, 2012 · 3:48 pm

Philadelphiart

Author: Nicole C. Maloy, W’95

One day, during my freshman year, I was sketching one of the beautiful trees in front of my new home, Du Bois College House. Another student saw me, stopped, looked at my sketchbook and said, “You’re an artist? I thought you were in Wharton.” This is a true story.

Me at 17 with my trusty scrunchie, and many of the jean jackets I painted for friends throughout high school. My AP Art teacher would let me work on these in the studio during study halls. Thanks, Mr. Scott!

Rather than take this moment to address our long and unfortunate history of school-based stereotyping, I will focus on my current endeavors to make art as big a part of my life as it once was. I am taking better advantage of my resources here in Philadelphia, starting with a course at Fleisher Art Memorial, which is dedicated to making art education available to anyone who wants it. My membership there comes with free admission to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which I always love to visit; each time I go, I realize that I need to go more often. Seriously, any museum that houses both French Impressionism and medieval weaponry is alright with me. I have finally visited the Barnes Foundation, and the collection there is just jaw-dropping. I was overwhelmed anew as I entered each room. And how can anyone mention Philadelphia and art without highlighting the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program? No tickets required. Just turn a corner and enjoy what you see.

If you are interested in the visual arts – making it, gazing at it, or both – are you taking advantage of what your city has to offer you? If not, it is never too late to start! Here are a few treats for those living in, or visiting, Philadelphia.

  •  The mission of the Fleisher Art Memorial is to make art accessible to everyone, regardless of economic means, background, or artistic experience. Extra incentive: tuition-free classes for kids and adults.
  • As one of the largest museums in the United States, the Philadelphia Museum of Art invites visitors from around the world to explore its renowned collections, acclaimed special exhibitions, and enriching programs, both in person and online. Extra incentive: first Sunday of each month: Pay what you wish all day (10 AM-5 PM). Museum visiting info here.
  • Celebrated for its exceptional breadth, depth, and quality, the Barnes Foundation’s art collection includes works by some of the greatest European and American masters of impressionism, post-impressionist, and early modern art, as well as African sculpture, Pennsylvania German decorative arts, Native American textiles, metalwork, and more. Extra incentive: free first Sundays 1-6 PM – registration required. Additional details here.
  • The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program unites artists and communities through a collaborative process, rooted in the traditions of mural-making, to create art that transforms public spaces and individual lives.  Since it began, the Mural Arts Program has produced over 3,000 murals which have become a cherished part of the civic landscape and a great source of inspiration to the millions of residents and visitors who encounter them each year. It’s already free to observe, so extra incentive in this case involves learning more about it. Take a tour.

I would be remiss not to include Lisa Marie’s Frankly Penn post on Penn’s own Institute of Contemporary Art, so check it out!

2 Comments

Filed under Alumni Perspective, Campus Life, Nicole M., The Arts, The Arts at Penn

September 4, 2012 · 3:21 pm

Penn Love at a Penn Wedding

Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08

Penn weddings are my favorite because they are mini Penn reunions. The guest list is full of Penn alumni (just like at Alumni Weekend), the guests reminisce about their greatest memories from Penn (just like at class reunion parties), and there is always a little red and blue to represent where the couple met and fell in love. Here are photos of the wedding cake from a recent Penn wedding.

Front view of a Penn couple’s wedding cake

And now, for a Penn surprise…

Red and blue Penn “P” hiding on the back of the cake.

Congratulations to my friends, who met on the first day of NSO (New Student Orientation) freshman year. You can’t get more Penn than that!

Leave a comment

Filed under Alumni Perspective, Events, Stephanie Y.

Tagged as

August 30, 2012 · 2:32 pm

My Top Penn List: Student Perspectives of Penn

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

Today is the Penn Traditions Move-In Lunch behind Sweeten.  Parents, proud of their kids, are spending the last possible moments together before they return for home.  They are bidding their freshman children adieu until Fall Break, Parents Weekend, Thanksgiving, or,  for some, the end of the semester. In the meantime, the students will return to their dorm room to negotiate who will take which bed, to discuss their studying habits and to learn more about this stranger cum friend whom they’ve been paired.

With the start of the academic year upon us, this inspired me to share with you my favorite student perspective blog entries from the last year, written by our Sweeten House student workers.

10. CBI? – Jonathan Cousins, Eng’14

I was amused that to this day students mock Penn’s affinity for acronyms, however in the daily life of students, one can be stumped by the appearance of a new one.  CBI is the College Basketball Invitational, a postseason tournament in which Penn competed last year.

9. My Life as a (Pretend) Wharton Student – Kayleigh Smoot, C’13

One of our work study students, majoring in psychology, made a commitment to take Wharton classes during her time on campus.

8. Top 4 Things I’m Looking Forward to Next Semester – Jonathan Cousins, Eng’14

I enjoyed this anticipatory look at the then upcoming Spring 2012 semester, full of sports, social activities and Fling!

7. State of the (Union?) School – Dan Bernick, C‘14

The first of three of Dan’s blog entries on the list, this blog focuses on student government at Penn and the State of the School in which the six branches of Penn Student Government to discuss their accomplishments and plans for the year ahead.

6. Midwestern charm meets the Ben Franklin Bridge: A Chicago Girl in Philly – Mari Meyer, GEd’12

I was charmed (pun intended) by our graduate intern’s take on her time in Philadelphia and how she drew comfortable parallels with her beloved Chicago.

5. Penn vs. Yale – The Trials of a Quaker Fan – Dan Bernick, C’14

Outside of coursework and learning, the drama of our Penn sports team provide some of the need escape from the stresses on campus.  Though we all know how this game ended, it’s still the hope of a fan that his or her team will succeed and that’s what keeps him or her coming back.

4. Fall at Penn – Sabrina Shyn, C’13

Sabrina’s photo blog entries are always poignant moments of Penn still life, and just in time for fall, I wanted to share this photo entries on my list.

3. September at Penn – Dan Bernick, SAS ’14

To balance out Jonathan’s wishful blog for the future, I wanted to share Dan’s happy reminiscent blog about a charming first month at Penn.

2. Eine schöne Sprache – John Mosley, C’14

As a linguistics major, I am always proud of students who absolutely love learning a language here at Penn, especially where there are so many different ones available to study!

1. To Sleep or Not to Sleep? – Christine Uyemera, C ’13

“To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub.” In this Hamlet allusion titled entry, Christine tackled the question student asked themselves universally in a humorous take on how the sleep deprived cope.

Leave a comment

Filed under Academics, Alumni Perspective, Campus Life, Casey R., Top Ten, Traditions

August 29, 2012 · 10:51 am

Alumna Abroad

Author: Lisa Ellen Niver, C’89

During my years at Penn, I meandered the liberal arts curriculum. I took classes in all different disciplines. My dad, who went to Penn Dental, told me, “There is always time to specialize. Learn about a lot of different things. If you are a biochem major and then go to Medical School your world will be narrower. Use this time to expand your world.” He did not realize at the time how many continents my travels would include.

My husband, George and I, left July 2012 for our second year journey in South East Asia. In 2008, we left for a year, unsure about what would happen. Over the next eleven months, we visited twelve countries. I came home sixty pounds lighter and engaged!

In June 2010, I started our blog, WeSaidGoTravel, on our way to a summer in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Well-intentioned friends cautioned, “If you only post once a week, you will never get anywhere.” I said, “I am nowhere now,” and started the blog anyway. At the end of July 2012, our site was listed in the TOP 25 Travel Blogs on Technorati.com! In early August, we joined Empire Ave. We were a top 15 Fledgling and are now a top 15 Greenhorn. Are you on the AVE? Send me your ticker! http://www.empireavenue.com/WESAIDGOTRAV
Our site is growing, by leaps and bounds with over 175,000 views since mid June 2012.

So far, our trip this year has been great. We are busy in Gili Meno, Lombok, Indonesia snorkeling with turtles, and watching dolphins jump and spin at sunset. The Penn motto, “We will find a way or we will make one,” has become our call to arms.

Leave a comment

Filed under Alumni Perspective, Lisa Ellen Niver, Travel

Tagged as ,

August 21, 2012 · 1:30 pm

Rocky Mountain National Park

Author: Stephanie Yee, C’o8

As a West Coast native, I love being surrounded by mountains. Even though I am a self-proclaimed “city girl,” there’s something special about being 11,000 feet above sea level surrounded by mountains as far as you can see. I recently visited the Rocky Mountain National Park for the first time. The trip reminded me how important it is to take a break from city life to enjoy and appreciate nature. If you are interested in visiting some National Parks this year, you are in luck. The Penn Alumni Travel Program is hosting a Southwest National Parks tour in May 2013. This tour does not include Rocky Mountain National Park since it is not in the Southwest, but you will visit Grand Canyon National Park, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Zion National Park. Sign up today!

Leave a comment

Filed under Alumni Perspective, Penn Alumni Travel, Travel