Category Archives: Campus Life

February 5, 2013 · 2:49 pm

Penn Men’s Basketball Goes Big!

Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08

Sometimes the best way to show your love and support of your favorite team is by jumping around with giant heads. Check out these great photos from the Penn vs. Columbia Men’s Basketball game. Penn won 62-58. Go Quakers!

Caption: Benjamin Franklin, Darien Nelson-Henry, Fran Dougherty, and Coach Jerome Allan (AKA The Quaker, the Red and Blue Crew, and fellow Frankly Penn blogger, Jonathan Cousins).

Benjamin Franklin, Darien Nelson-Henry, Fran Dougherty, and Coach Jerome Allan (AKA The Quaker, the Red and Blue Crew, and fellow Frankly Penn blogger, Jonathan Cousins).

Nice hat, Ben!

The Quaker with a giant head of Darien Nelson-Henry. DNH! DNH! DNH!

Spotted on the Alan Aufzien Family Videoboard in The Palestra.

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Athletics, Campus Life, Penn Basketball, Stephanie Y.

January 30, 2013 · 3:02 pm

Service

Author: Patrick Bredehoft

The idea of what is true merit should also be often presented to youth, explained and impressed on their minds, as consisting in an inclination, joined with an ability, to serve mankind, one’s country, friends, and family.

~Benjamin Franklin

As the Director of the Penn Alumni Interview Program, I have the opportunity to work with over 9,000 Penn graduates from all around the world. I am continually impressed by the multiplicity of reasons that lead people to get involved as alumni volunteers, as well as by the depth of their commitment to the institution.

I’ll start this series by considering the force from which other motivations follow, the idea Ben Franklin referred to as “an inclination…to serve.”

Last night, I spent some time speaking with an interviewer in California who graduated from the College for Women in the mid-1950s. She was a trail-blazer in her own right: while at Penn, she had to petition to take Engineering and Computer Science courses, since women weren’t typically allowed to take classes in those fields at the time. In this capacity, she worked on ENIAC, the world’s first electronic general-purpose computer, and then went on to do graduate work at Harvard and MIT. For the past several decades, she has served as an alumni interviewer, and in that time, she has interviewed hundreds of prospective Penn students, many of them young women interested in the field of computer science. Thousands of hours of her life have been devoted to this voluntary effort, which translates into several waking months of service on Penn’s behalf. In our conversation last night, there was a phrase she repeated several times, and it stuck with me: “This isn’t about me,” she insisted. “It’s about the students.”

The Interview Program appeals to some volunteers because it affords them the opportunity to “give back”–not monetarily donations, but with hours invested in service to others. In some cases, this service becomes a passion, and perhaps even part of a life’s work.

The inclination to serve has been a core aspect of the Penn experience, ever since Ben Franklin penned his Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania. Franklin didn’t envision the Interview Program in those notes, but I think he would approve of its mission: sharing the experiences of our alumni with prospective students, while allowing those students to more fully represent themselves to Penn. At its root, an inclination toward service may not be teachable, but it can certainly be nurtured, modeled, and facilitated. In so doing, generations of former Penn students are embodying an ideal for generations to come: learning endows us with certain abilities and a common purpose, made all the more valuable as it is shared with others.

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Filed under Ben Franklin, Campus Life, Interview Program, Patrick B., Volunteering

January 24, 2013 · 10:12 am

Locust Walk Talk: Martin Luther King Day

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

The first national King holiday was observed in 1986, eighteen years after Dr. King’s death. By 1988, Pennsylvania Secretary of Labor and Industry Harris Wofford, and his executive assistant, Todd Bernstein realized in the two years since the national observance started, it was becoming for millions just another day off. To address the lack of commitment and understanding of Dr. Kings lifetime of service to others, these two men decided to organize a day of service- a day with the theme, “A Day On not A Day Off.”

Dr. King, delivering his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

At Penn, the African American Resource Center (AARC) hosts Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium for Social Change. Starting on January 12 and extending through February 1, there are presentations, discussions, service events and more scheduled for the Penn community.

Two highlights of the Symposium were 12th Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Lecture in Social Justice and Monday’s Day of Service.

John Legend, C ’99, (né Stephens) returned to Penn to give the Lecture in Social Justice at Irvine Auditorium as part of the University’s annual MKL commemorations on January 16. Joining him was Camille Charles, director of the Center for Africana Studies and professor of sociology at Penn.

Charles opened the conversation by asking Legend to recall his journey to Penn. He spoke about his early childhood in Springfield, OH, his travels to Penn and going to college at the precocious age of 16. He shared a humorous anecdote about whether he would finish his last year at Penn or join to Lauryn Hill’s tour – Lauryn chose someone else to play piano and he finished Penn. This story highlighted the difficult journey of breaking into the music business.

Legend also shared accounts of launching the Show Me Campaign which works to end the cycle of poverty in the United States and around the world. Impressively, he also sits on the boards of the Education Equality Project, Teach for America and the Harlem Village Academics.

John Legend (Photos by Steve Mincola.)

On Monday’s Day of Service, there were several community events:

Children’s Banner Painting: to paint commemorative posters and banners while listening to stories and songs about Dr. King’s life.
Helping Hands at Houston Hall: to create personal gifts that will be donated to West Philadelphia area shelters, homes, hospitals and charities.
MLK Mentoring Project: to mentor students from the Upward Bound Program, featuring volunteers from the Penn chapter of the National Association of Black Social Workers, BGAPSA, and interns from the Christian Association.
Philadelphia Reads: Literacy Project: to create books on tape to promote literacy for Philadelphia youth.
Community Beautification Projects: to clean, paint and organize at Martha Washington Elementary School, Sayer High School, Sayre Recreation Center, and the Community Education Center in West Philadelphia.

Though Dr. King’s birthday was January 15, there is over a week of MLK Symposium for Social Change events which are open to the Penn community should you find yourself on campus. For more information, you can visit the AARC’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium for Social Change calendar.

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Filed under Campus Life, Casey R., Locust Walk Talk

January 22, 2013 · 9:49 am

Penn Men’s Basketball Reaches 1,700 Wins

Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08

Penn beat NJIT 54-53 on Thursday night. This was no ordinary win. This was the 1,700^th win for the program. The Quakers are the 11th NCAA Division I program to achieve the milestone. You can read more about Penn Men’s Basketball milestone wins here.

The Palestra

The win was especially timely because it occurred on January 17^th, 2013, Ben Franklin’s 307^th birthday. Happy birthday, Ben!

Even “Ben on the Bench” is celebrating.

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Athletics, Campus Life, Penn Basketball, Stephanie Y.

January 18, 2013 · 8:47 pm

Sunshine Returns to Locust Walk

Autor: Kelly Porter

If you are wondering what that warm glow is between buildings and through the trees, don’t be alarmed, the sun has finally returned! It has been missing for about a week now, but it is back just in time for the long weekend. Enjoy!

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Filed under Campus Life, Kelly P., Photos

January 15, 2013 · 3:27 pm

Philly Arts and Culture Check List

Author: Lillian Gardiner, GEd’11

Since I moved to Philly two years ago, I’ve frequently found myself thinking: “I want to do that!” in reference to some cool Philly thing. But until recently, all I had to show for my enthusiasm was a night at Eastern State Penitentiary’s “Terror Behind the Walls”—which I attended for a work event.

Working at Penn, I find myself confronted often with a myriad of activities, both in and around Philadelphia. Having a job in West Philly near the trolley and El lines makes getting to these events that much easier.

I decided to make a list of these “cool things” and check them off one by one. So, I did what any Type A personality would do when setting out to achieve a goal, I created an Excel spreadsheet. Now, all of the fun places to visit are nicely laid out in columns, along with web links, price of attendance, status updates, and a rating of my level of interest in said fun thing.

The Morris Arboretum’s Summer Palace Credit: M. McClellan for GPTMC.

Many of these events have a Penn connection, such as the Morris Arboretum and the Mural Arts Tour, but others are off campus. So far, I’ve gone to the new Barnes (free because of the Free First Sunday program), toured the “American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition” at the Constitution Center (with discounted tickets as advertised through Uwishunu), and attended a Sixers game, followed by a beverage at Xfinity Live (biggest TV screen ever).

Up next, part two of the discounted tickets will be the Titanic Exhibit at the Franklin Institute. Then, a trip over to the Please Touch Museum, primarily because it’s housed in Memorial Hall, a remaining structure from the Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World’s Fair in the United States.

Image from upcoming exhibition at ICA, White Petals Surround Your Yellow Heart.

Also on the list are the Aquarium, the Kimmel Center, the ICA, and the Penn Museum. I also hope to make it to a free student rehearsal at the Curtis Institute and take a free class at Fleisher Art. Along with my cultural pursuits, I plan to include some less highbrow outings to Silk City Diner, Barcade, the Union Transfer. And maybe, if I get lucky, an Eagles game.

Feel free to post your suggestions as I’m sure there’s a lot I still don’t know about this awesome city both on and off campus!

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Campus Life, Lillian G., The Arts, The Arts at Penn

Tagged as Barnes Foundation

January 14, 2013 · 6:29 pm

Fels: Make a House a Home

Author: Dan Bernick, C’14

In December, I was invited to attend the 2012 Fels Institute of Government holiday party. The turnout was unbelievable – close to 300 registered guests (not including those, like me, who forget to register…oops!). I was amazed by how many people attended and how they all seemed to know each other. It is a small school, but a big family.

The Fels Institute of Government is Penn’s graduate school for public policy and public management. The school itself is inside a small mansion. But the school is much more than a house. It is a home.

As an undergraduate, I am privileged to have the opportunity to take courses at Fels. The graduate students all have diverse experiences in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, and they bring their knowledge to bear in the classroom. However, I do not feel out of place, because the students are so welcoming.

In fact, it’s normal for classmates to meet in the house on a Saturday morning – outside of class – to collaborate on a project. It is expected they use the kitchen to cook and store snacks, and they all have coffee mugs on the counter for morning classes. Last semester, while taking a few courses at Fels, I spent more time there than in my dorm.

The relationships one develops, the experiences and the memories are part and parcel of a Penn education. The small Fels house kitty-corner from Philly Diner (RIP) is a huge part of that, and is my home away from home.

Photo Credit: Fels (Holiday Party)

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Filed under Campus Life, Daniel B., Events, Student Perspective

Tagged as Fe

January 10, 2013 · 3:20 pm

My Top Penn List: Looking Forward to 2013

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

While we are hopeful for the year and are committing to affirm our resolutions, I wanted to share with you my top Penn list of the Penn events I’m looking forward to in 2013.

10. Ben’s Birthday Bash (January)

“Life’s Tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.”

Our founder, Benjamin Franklin, is celebrating his 307th birthday this year on January 17. In his honor, many of our Penn Alumni Regional Clubs will be hosting get-togethers during the month of January all throughout the world. Visit the Regional Club’s Ben’s Birthday Bash page to join Penn alumni in a city near you for this year’s festivities!

9. The Interview Program Training (year-round)

Each year, thousands of Penn alumni volunteers interact with tens of thousands of prospective Penn students around the world. This volunteers interviewers help high school students learn more about Penn, and they help the Admissions Office learn more about applicants to the university. As the Interview Program moves forward with the goal of being able to offer an interview to every student who applies as a prospective undergraduate, the Interview Program team will be traveling out to our alumni to help provide training and the information our alumni interviewers will need to help Penn see its goal come true. More information will be available on the Penn Alumni Interview Program page.

8. Penn Spectrum 2013 (Philadelphia: September 20 -22, 2013)

Panel discussion: Penn and the Importance of Community Involvement

In 2010, Penn Spectrum was the University’s first-ever weekend-long alumni conference devoted entirely to celebrating diversity. After three years of taking the event on the road, Penn Spectrum returns to campus, capping the momentum of our diverse alumni. All alumni are welcome. More information will be available on the Penn Spectrum page.

7. Alumni Weekend (Philadelphia: May 10-13, 2013)

Alumni Weekend is one of Penn’s two hallmark weekends which invite all alumni back to their intellectual home away from home. This year, our alumni classes – ending is threes and eights – will return for their quinquennial reunions as campus opens up its doors for all alumni to celebrate, engage and reminisce.

6. Healthy Cities: Healthy Women (Washington, DC & London, UK: October)

In 2009, Penn Nursing, The Trustee’s Council of Penn Women and Penn Alumni jointly launched a series of global Healthy Cities: Healthy Women events focused on women’s health in urban areas and the pivotal role that women play in developing and sustaining healthy lives, families and communities around the world. Other Healthy Cities: Healthy Women events in Miami, Philadelphia, New York and Los Angeles have brought together local, national and international experts coupled with leading faculty from a variety of the University of Pennsylvania’s schools and centers to focus on challenges and multi-disciplinary solutions related to urban women’s health. This year Nursing’s flagship event will be traveling to Washington, DC and London, UK.

5. Penn Alumni Volunteer Appreciation Event (Philadelphia: March 2, 2013)

Our Penn Alumni volunteers work hard year round, so once each year we throw them a party! This year’s Volunteer Appreciation Event will be held in Houston Hall. All 10,000+ Penn volunteers—including Penn parents and friends—are invited to Dr. Gutmann will attend as well to thank those present for sharing their time and talents. The reception is followed by the Penn vs. Harvard basketball game.

A full Hutchinson gym for last year’s Appreciation Event

4. Homecoming Weekend Featuring Arrts and Culture (November 8-9, 2013)

Homecoming is Penn’s other hallmark weekend. The enthusiasm of watching our Quakers take on the Tigers of Princeton spreads throughout campus as alumni return and join students in a festive weekend in West Philadelphia. Now toted as Homecoming featuring Arts and Culture as Penn, this event highlights many of the rich talents of our fellow Pennsylvanians, from their athletic prowess, their craft in film and their detail in art for all alumni to reveal in.

3. Hey Day/Final Toast (April 24, 2013)

Following a tradition that reaches back to 1916, Penn juniors celebrated Hey Day by donning red shirts, strutting along Locust Walk carrying canes and biting into straw hats. A celebration that is unique to Penn, Hey Day marks the “moving up” of juniors to the senior class. This year’s event began with a class picnic, followed by the boisterous class procession.

Penn President Amy Gutmann met the students at College Hall, where, before officially declaring the current junior class seniors, she gave them “one final test.” After the students roared out their answers, Gutmann said, “You’ve passed. Now, by the power vested in me by the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, I hereby declare you, seniors. Congratulations.”

In the meantime, the soon-to-be-graduating class celebrates the arrival of the juniors on College Green at the Final Toast. This event, sponsored by the Penn Traditions program, brings together the senior class to welcome juniors into the alumni community with great food, live music, and a toast as the class of 2013 “moves up” into their senior year on Hey Day.

2. Graduation (May 13, 2013)

The University of Pennsylvania’s 257th Commencement will be held on Monday, May 13, 2013 in Franklin Field, located at 33rd and South Streets. That morning the Class of 2013 will parade into our revered football stadium and will exit as the newest members of the Penn Alumni Network after Dr. Gutmann has “freely granted all rights, honors and privileges pertaining” their degrees to our most recent alumni.

Updated information will be provided during the year, on the Office of the University Secretary’s Commencement page, including information on the ceremony, travel and lodging, students and faculty/administration for Commencement 2013, as well as historical information on Penn’s previous commencement ceremonies.

1. Campaign Celebration (Philadelphia: April 19, 2013 and other locations this year and beyond)

The Making History Campaign ended December 31, 2012. While we don’t have final numbers yet, we are looking forward to share the outcome with the Penn community with our Campaign Celebrations.

As you know, Penn makes history by shaping the future. We started with the revolutionary ideas, passionate people, and practical pursuits that have always defined Penn and added our 18 amazing schools and centers on one compact campus, a university-wide culture of collaboration, and a genuine desire to do good, and the result is a university singularly prepared to bring new vision and fresh solutions to the most important issues of our day.

Making History Kick-off, October 2007

The University will be kicking off the Campaign Celebrations in Philadelphia in April and around the world for the next year and half. We look forward to seeing you at one of our parties soon.

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Alumni Weekend, Campus Life, Casey R., Commencement, Homecoming Weekend featuring arts and culture, Philadelphia, Reunions, Top Ten

December 11, 2012 · 9:09 am

New Penn Buses – An Inside Look

Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08

I finally rode on one of the new Penn buses I recently saw cruising around campus. When I entered the bus, I was blown away by the fancy blue leather seats.

Viole!

Close up…

I highly recommend riding the new Penn bus next time you see it. The lighting is great inside the bus, and the seats are incredibly comfortable. These new buses are certainly a huge improvement over the school bus models. Even though a free bus ride home is a free bus ride home, I would much rather ride in these new beautifully decorated buses. I got home feeling very Proudly Penn.