Author: Liz Pinnie
Summer is here and with it the bounty of our local farmers market! Every Wednesday, I like to step out of the office and head over to the corner of 36th and Walnut to see the delicious produce. Yesterday there were perfectly ripe Pennsylvania strawberries, rhubarb, greens, tiny zucchini and an abundance of mushrooms from a new vendor. Seeing this fresh local produce gets me excited to clean off the grill, step outside, and get cooking!
Greens from the Farmers Market
Filed under Campus Life, Liz P., View from Sweeten
Author: Aimee LaBrie
Did you miss Alumni Weekend this year? Never fear–we have numerous photo albums that will give you a sense of the experience. If you did attend, you might find some pictures you’d like to download for yourself. All of the general Alumni Weekend images can be found at this link and you can also look for reunion photos here.
Participants at the ever-popular Gallery Hop.
Alumni Weekend photo fun with Ben.
The parade!
Filed under Aimee L., Alumni Weekend, Campus Life, Events
Author: Josh Durando
I just reached my four month benchmark here at Penn and even though I feel like an old vet, there are still a lot of “firsts” I encounter on a day-to-day basis. Just last week I had my first “the copier hates me and I don’t see any paper jam, and it is totally doing this on purpose, and the world is going to end” melt-down since I started working here. Although for that 3 minutes it seemed like nothing else would ever matter again beyond the machine so obviously being wrong about the paper jam (it wasn’t, by the way, there was totally paper stuck in there that I practically had to use a map to find), there have been more significant “firsts” in my time at Penn. The most paramount of these “firsts”, arguably, was experiencing my first Alumni Weekend. As a recent graduate (2008) I’ll be attending my first milestone reunion at my alma mater this fall, making Penn’s Alumni Weekend quite literally my first.
Being an event planner, it is sometimes my job to envision things – see a space, understand the flow of an event, know the logistical process – even though I haven’t seen it, done it, or lived it before. With over 30 events in three days, most of which take place in a single day, I’m sure you can imagine why Alumni Weekend might be a tough thing to envision. Nevertheless, I tried to prepare myself for what was on the horizon, and make sure I had all the details in order for the reunion parties I was planning.
The 15th reunion Mardi Gras-themed party.
While it is sometimes hard to break the temptation to get caught up in the minutia of what you are doing – that centerpiece isn’t quite right, that decoration is crooked – it is important to step away and see the bigger picture. For me, it was important to have faith that the parties I planned would be fun, and go off without a hitch, and to get around campus to see if Alumni Weekend was what I envisioned it would be. It was. In fact, it was better. There is something about the delicate ballet of bringing many moving parts together that make the success of an event, or in this case a series of events, that much more rewarding and special.
I loved seeing the diversity of the events. From the beauty of the 50th reunion at the Barnes, to the fun of playing casino games at the 25th, to the playfulness of a theme party at the 15th or 5th reunions or the excitement of going to a talk by Tori Burch, Alumni Weekend covered all the bases. I think what I loved most, however, was that even if it wasn’t your reunion year, you were welcomed back to campus and still had great events you could take part in like the parade and picnic, or Franklin Fest.
Just a few of the fun giveaways available at the parade.
From one event to the next, it was smiling faces happy to be back on campus reconnecting with old friends. I loved watching it all happen and being a part of it. With the “first” now behind me, enabling my self-proclaimed ‘vet’ status, I am excited for what is to come. I look forward to more firsts, and exciting new experiences, but even more so, I’m hungry for seconds.
Filed under Alumni Weekend, Campus Life, Josh D.
Author: Rebecca Eckart, GEd’ 13
Well, I can finally say it: I’m officially a proud Penn alumna! I graduated from the Graduate School of Education this May, and as I packed up my apartment, I couldn’t help taking time out to browse through the hundreds of pictures I’ve taken of Penn this year. As I’m sure all of you would agree, Penn’s campus is incredibly beautiful. Inspired by Casey R.’s top ten posts, I’d like to share ten of my favorite places with you, in no particular order.
The Love Statue
I can’t count the number of times I’ve posed next to this statue with classmates and friends.
Graduate Student Center
The Graduate Student Center (GSC) is my favorite place on campus to study or grab lunch. Several of the friends I made outside of my cohort I met during the first few weeks of school at the GSC.
Locust Walk
Locust Walk is beautiful all year round, but especially in the spring when all the trees come back to life and form a perfect arch for graduates as they process down to Franklin Field. Walking through all the class flags with friends and classmates is definitely something I won’t forget anytime soon.
Graduate School of Education (GSE)
This is the building where I took most of my classes. I made friendships, established lifelong professional networks, and learned from some of the most innovative faculty in the field of education here. Penn GSE was founded in 1914 and will celebrate its centennial next year—hopefully I’ll be back to celebrate!
College Hall
College Hall is one of my favorite buildings on campus, especially when the sunset hits the west side of the building.
Van Pelt-Dietrich Rocking Chairs
You can find these great rocking chairs on the first floor of Van Pelt facing College Green.
Covenant
Covenant by Alexander Liberman is one of my favorite pieces of public sculpture on campus.
Penn Park
Not only is Penn Park a great place to run or take a walk, it also boasts a fantastic view of downtown Philadelphia.
Franklin Field
I took in a number of Penn traditions at Franklin Field this year, including the post-third quarter toast toss during home football games and the Penn Relays. My final trip into Franklin Field this year was for the 257th Commencement.
Sweeten Alumni House
Finally, last but no means least, Sweeten Alumni House. I was incredibly lucky this year to work as a graduate assistant in Alumni Relations. Not only did I learn a lot, I also got to work with a great staff and meet talented and proud Penn alumni from all over the country.
Filed under Alumni Perspective, Campus Life, GSE, Memories of Penn, Rebecca E., Student Perspective
Author: Jay Hansen, W’85
I met Craig during our freshman year at Penn. I lived at Hill House and Craig felt “exiled” to live at Kings Court English House. Craig had a friend, Diane, from high school who lived near me in Hill House. Diane introduced all of us. As I recall, Craig had a difficult roommate situation his freshman year. He used to complain about it all the time. Luckily for Craig and us, Craig has mellowed since those days in the early 1980s as the world was starting to change.
We are very excited to have Craig come to speak to the Penn and Wharton Alumni Association of Michigan on May 21, 2013. In his role as the chief financial and administrative officer of Penn (reporting to President Gutmann), Craig will have some unique insights into what is happening at Penn now and what has changed since we graduated or last visited campus, a glimpse into some of the challenges and complexities involved in running one of the world’s premier institutions of higher learning, as well as a preview of some of master plans for the future of the campus. In addition, Craig will talk about ties between the ground-breaking community revitalization work that Penn did with West Philly and the direct ties it has with similar work being done here in the Midtown area of Detroit.
It is truly an honor to have Craig take the time to come speak to us and we are really looking forward to it.
A photo drawing of the new plans for Hill Field starting in 2014, courtesy of Penn Facilities and Real Estate services.
Filed under Alumni Perspective, Campus Life, Clubs, Guest blogger, Memories of Penn, Penn Clubs
Authors: Nicole Svonavec, GEd’09 and Marvin Rocha, C ’06
After a great Final Toast event on Wednesday, April 24, the Class of 2013, led by Class President Jon Youshaei, has officially passed the senior torch to the Class of 2014. Pending the passing of final exams (fingers crossed!), we ecstatically welcome 2013 as our newest yPenn cohort! Here’s a small taste of the fun, but click on the photos to link to all Final Toast pics:
We had a BLAST at the event, and we’re pumped that it’s only the first of many Senior Week festivities! More information about Senior Week (including tickets to all ticketed events) will be available outside Sweeten Alumni House Monday-Wednesday (May 6-8) from 11AM – 3PM.
In the meantime, here’s the information about a few other Senior Week events we’re hosting:
yPenn Senior Leadership Reception
Monday, May 6
Hall of Flags
5:00 – 6:30 PM
Senior Resource Fair
Monday, May 6
Hall of Flags
6:30 – 8:00 PM
Association of Alumnae Wine & Cheese Reception
Tuesday, May 7
College Green
7:30 – 8:30 PM
We’ll close out Senior Week with an exclusive event on Friday, May 10. What better way to welcome the Class of 2013 into the alumni realm than by throwing them a party! We’re so excited to invite 2013 to their first official alumni event – the yPenn Highball!
yPenn Highball
Friday, May 10
Hall of Flags
9:00 PM – 12:00 AM
And to think we knew them when:
Some of our nearest and dearest members of the Class of 2013 at the end of their freshman year – my how far they’ve come!
We look forward to celebrating Senior Week and welcoming the Class of 2013 into our alumni family!
Filed under Alumni Perspective, Campus Life, Commencement, Marvin R., Nicole S., y-Penn, yPenn
By Kiera Reilly, C’93 @KieraReilly
As the Junior Class celebrates Hey Day today, the Class of 1993 is busy preparing for our 20th reunion in just a few short weeks. But it’s also a good time to think back and remember our time as students. It’s hard to believe that twenty-one years ago, on April 24, 1992, we were strutting down Locust Walk about to become Seniors and officially begin our last year at Penn.
Remember the bookstore wall? Huntsman Hall now stands where this wall was. Hey Day is coming – buy your hat, canes and shirts!
I asked my classmates to share their memories of Hey Day, but no one was willing to fess up and share anything on the record. So, here is Hey Day 1993…names withheld to protect the innocent.
Anonymous Classmate #1
OMG, Hey Day! I had 3 job offers and was deciding between them. Completely forgot that a rep from one of the 3 firms was coming to meet me that day to talk about his company. After many, many cocktails, I stumbled back to off-campus housing midday in my red t-shirt and broken hat to find him sitting on my front steps. I could hardly put 2 words together. Cheers to my housemates who saved the day and invited him into our filthy stinking apartment and got him completely wasted. Needless to say, I accepted the offer and stayed at that job for 12 years. It was so awesome. He was my first boss — we just had drinks together this past Tuesday!!
Everyone gathered in off-campus apartments and houses to start the celebration.
Anonymous Classmate #2
First of all it was one of my best days at Penn – being with all my best friends on the Junior Balcony, hugging each other and laughing, while at the same time seeing – in one place – so many of our classmates that I had met during the 3 years before.
I remember after all the festivities started to die down, standing buzzed in the lightly falling rain in the middle of College Green listening to Jerry Brown give a campaign speech for President. I remember thinking, “Boy did his campaign staff really pick the wrong day to come to campus!” Everyone in the audience was a drunk junior – barely standing, cheering and not listening to him. It was a surreal experience for sure!
We made our way from Super Block, over the 38th Street Bridge.
And then we headed to the Quad.
Anonymous Classmate #3
I remember I had a blast that day…smooched a couple people amid the hustle and bustle and had a great excuse to act silly and irresponsible all day. What I remember most though is how I ended the day…meeting class of ’92 friends on Locust Walk. One friend (Name withheld), W’92, took a bite out of my styrofoam hat and then drenched me in beer head to toe. He told me it was part of the Hey Day tradition and to this day I am not sure if his claim was true or just a sneaky opportunity to soak me 🙂
And our class board led us down Locust Walk to College Green.
L-R: Ed Miller, Elissa Laitin, Lisa Luther, Julie Berliner, Chrissy Bass, Mike Rosenband, Laurie Bieber, Brooke Hayes. Not pictured Jennifer Spadano and Doug Rosenberg.
Congratulations to the Class of 2014 – we hope you have wonderful memories of today to share twenty-one years from now!
The Penn Archives shared the history of Hey Day.
See photos from today’s Hey Day on campus by following @UofPenn on Instragram or @Penn on Twitter. Hashtag is #HeyDay.
1993 Classmates – it’s only a few weeks until our 20th reunion
We can’t wait to see you on campus May 10-11, 2013!
Filed under 20th Reunion, Alumni Perspective, Campus Life, Class of 1993, Historical, Kiera R., Memories of Penn, Photos, Reunions, Traditions
Author: Lisa Marie Patzer
Tomorrow, April 24th, is Final Toast for the Class of 2013! Final Toast, started by The Penn Traditions program in 2009, is a celebration for the seniors who are becoming Young Penn Alumni. Follow @yPennAlumni on Twitter and Penn Alumni on Instagram to see live updates. Contribute your own photos with the hashtag #yPennFinalToast.
For inspiration, here are some photos from Final Toast 2012:
Seniors sporting Final Toast t-shirts
There will be a lot of dancing.
More dancing and celebrating.
Final Toast cups
Live music by talented students.
Class of 2012 tree. Every year a new tree is dedicated at Final Toast.
Filed under Campus Life, Lisa Marie Patzer, Traditions, Uncategorized, y-Penn, yPenn
Author: Gabriela Coya, C’14
For over 125 years, the Penn Museum has been transporting people back in time through artifacts from all around the globe. From 5,000-year-old mummies from Egypt, to Mayan hieroglyphics tracing back to 600 BCE, these diverse and often-fragile artifacts need proper care if they are to be around for future visitors.
This couldn’t be done without the help of researchers and conservators, who often stay behind the scenes but will reveal their secrets at Long Live Our Treasures: The Science of Conservation and Preservation, a Philadelphia Science Festival Signature Event taking place next Wednesday, April 26.
Conservators and researchers from the Barnes Foundation, the Mütter Museum, and even our own Penn Museum will tell all about the science and art involved in preserving our most precious artifacts, such as those from In the Artifact Lab. This new exhibit, which opened last fall, allows you to speak directly to conservators about the artifacts they are working on, including a fragile coffin from 600 CE in need of repair, a complete adult mummy called PUM I, and this little (and even kind of cute) falcon mummy, which you can learn even more about from the conservators themselves on their blog.
Photo credit: Penn Museum
Among other treasures currently Penn’s campus is the Lod Mosaic, which has been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and is in its final American pit stop before heading to the Louvre in Paris. The mosaic found near Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1996 was impressive upon first glance — despite being nearly 2,000 years old, I didn’t think it looked a day over 100. The colors are vibrant and nearly each tiny cube on this huge 300-square-foot mosaic is still intact. Learn more about its discovery and conservation story in the video below:
If you’re interested in learning more about how the Penn Museum and other Philadelphia museums use science and art to keep the past alive, register for “Long Live Our Treasures” here. Go give artifacts like mummies a little love and attention; because it turns out they need it too.
Filed under Campus Life, Gabriela C., Penn Museum, Student Perspective, Video
Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08
The weather was perfect on Sunday – sunny with a slight breeze. I took advantage of the beautiful weather by taking a walk from West Philly to Center City. When I walked by Penn Park, I noticed some construction in the parking lot. I wonder if the construction has to do with the upcoming Time to Shine (#TimetoShine) celebration this Friday, April 19th. I am looking forward to seeing Penn Park during the big celebration!
What’s going on here? Construction in the Penn Park parking lot.
The bubble has been taken down thanks to the nice weather in Philly.
Filed under Alumni Perspective, Campaign, Campus Life, Stephanie Y.
Frankly Penn 