Category Archives: Campus Life

November 19, 2012 · 12:43 pm

Running in Philly

Author:  Rebecca Eckart, GEd’13

Philadelphia and Penn have a lot of great places and opportunities for runners.   Running on the Schuylkill River Trail has been especially beautiful this month, as the reds and golds of the autumn leaves cascade over the trail and reflect in the river.  As many runners can probably attest, some days are harder than others to get out and go.  But right now, with the lovely fall colors and the cool, crisp autumn air, it’s easy.

My morning view of the Schuylkill River Trail.

Over the summer, as I was saying goodbye to friends and preparing to move to Philly, I really hoped I’d be able to find a good running group at Penn.  I started running about four years ago, and the reason I was able to keep running was that I had a close friend who ran and entered races with me.  Thankfully, when I got to Penn, finding a group wasn’t hard at all!

The second Saturday I was on campus, the Graduate Student Center (GSC), in response to student requests, held a casual run.  There was a good turnout, with close to twenty students attending, a mix of returning and first-year grad students.  We ran from the GSC down to the Schuylkill River Trail, and once there, split up according to distance and pace.  I met some other women with similar pacing and distance goals that day, and we’ve been running together on weekends since.

We’ve also entered races together at Penn and in Philly.  In October, we ran in the Penn Park Homecoming 5k.  The race was a lot of fun and we got official Homecoming 5K shirts.  For me, half the fun of running in races is collecting shirts!

With me friends…That’s me as #43.

Just yesterday, several of us ran in the Philadelphia half-marathon.  My running group and I are all first year grad students, so it was a real challenge to train for a half-marathon while trying to balance our academic, work, and personal schedules.  Some of my friends had time goals for this race, but my goal was just to finish (which I did!).

Running has been an important part of my life at Penn.  It has encouraged me to set new goals and enabled me to make friends outside of my graduate school. After our big race this Sunday, my group is planning to go out for Philly cheesesteaks, and I’m sure we will look for more events in the area to join.

Leave a comment

Filed under Athletics, Campus Life, Homecoming Weekend featuring arts and culture, Philadelphia, Rebecca E., Student Perspective

November 15, 2012 · 10:05 am

The Battle of 33rd Street

Author: Kelly O’Connor

Get ready for the Battle of 33rd Street this Saturday 11/17 at 4pm when our Penn Quakers take on our neighbors, the Drexel Dragons, at the Palestra.

See what has been happening this week between the Penn Quaker and the Drexel Dragon as they prepare for the showdown this Saturday.

http://youtu.be/vN58RZq5_80

Go Quakers!

Leave a comment

Filed under Athletics, Campus Life, Kelly P.

November 14, 2012 · 8:15 am

Penn Women Remember . . . Freshman Camp 1964

Submitted by Susan Croll, C’68, CPU’94
(Originally appeared in the Association of Alumnae fall 2012 newsletter)

At a recent meeting of the Association of Alumnae’s 100th Anniversary Planning Committee, Penn songs became a topic of conversation, as we considered having some music as part of the celebration.  This led my 1968 classmate, Barbara Russo Bravo, and me down memory lane, to Freshman Camp 1964.  Just before the beginning of our freshman fall semester, the women of the new entering class boarded buses outside of the Women’s Residence Hall (now Hill Hall), which took us to Camp Green Lane, in the Poconos.

Shortly after we boarded the buses, the two Penn juniors who were leading Freshman Camp, Judy Seitz (later University President Judith Rodin) and Prudy String, handed out documents that were to become our first Penn homework assignment.  The document included the lyrics to all of the Penn songs, including “The Red and the Blue”, “Hail Pennsylvania”, “Drink a Highball”, “Fight On Pennsylvania”, “Hang Jeff Davis”, “Cheer Pennsylvania” and a song entitled “Pennsylvania Women’s Song”.  Our job was to learn the melodies (which they sang for us) and the lyrics – and quickly – since we were to be tested on them frequently (i.e., asked to sing them) during the freshman camp experience.  Over the years, through football games, graduation, Homecoming and Alumni Weekends, we have sung most of the songs repeatedly and will always remember them.  However, subsequent to Freshman Camp 1964, I never have heard the “Pennsylvania Women’s Song” sung at any Penn event.

Barbara and I treated the other 100th Anniversary Planning Committee members to our rendition of the “Pennsylvania Women’s Song” (to the tune of “Till We Meet Again”).

Pennsylvania, here’s a toast to you.

Pennsylvania, royal red and blue.

Memories of friends and fun,

Things together we have done.

And so before our college days are through,

Let us pledge our loyalty anew.

To keep forever, sweet and true,

Pennsylvania.

The sweet melody and lyrics were enough to keep this song in Barbara’s and my memories for the past forty-eight years, along with other memories of Freshman Camp – such as sleeping in cabins on army cots; eating Rice Crispies out of paper bowls, and participating in cabin to cabin competitions to compose and select the Class of 1968 women’s class song and class cheer.  As our class approaches its 45th reunion next May, the women of the Class of 1968 can proudly  declare:  “We don’t even need a cheer.  ‘68’s the greatest year!”

Click the following link to view the Association of Alumnae Fall 2012 newsletter.

Leave a comment

Filed under Alumni Perspective, Association of Alumnae, Campus Life, Historical, Kristina C., Memories of Penn, Traditions

Tagged as , , ,

November 13, 2012 · 2:46 pm

Back at The Palestra, and It Feels So Good

Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08

The Penn Men’s Basketball season opener was last Friday night at The Palestra. After a rough first half, the Quakers pulled through to beat UMBC 80-75. Here is a photo recap of the evening.

View of The Palestra from the new Shoemaker Green.

The Penn Men’s Basketball team warming up before the season opener.

The giant video board advertises the upcoming game during the warm-ups.

The Penn Cheerleaders and the team huddle moments before the game began.

Fast forward 40 minutes of game time (I was too nervous during the game to take photos)…

Penn students celebrate the big win by showering the Quaker with red and blue streamers.

See you on Saturday, November 17 at 4 PM at The Palestra for The Battle of 33rd Street (aka Penn vs. Drexel).

Leave a comment

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

November 12, 2012 · 8:51 am

The Civic War

Author: Dan Bernick, C’14

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” began Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. In it, Lincoln spoke of the never-ending duty citizens have to strengthen our democracy. That civil war has found new life in the civic war being waged on Penn’s campus.

Enter the War Room.

This year, I had the privilege of being a volunteer for Penn Leads the Vote, a student-led, non-partisan voter mobilization organization at Penn. For months, Penn Leads the Vote helped students register to vote and encouraged all students – regardless of party – to cast a ballot.  On Tuesday, all of those efforts culminated in one final push.

More than two-dozen students spent the entire day of the election in Fox Leadership Hall; calling students and asking them if they voted. If a student had not yet voted, we made sure they knew where their polling location was. We fielded questions from confused voters, and worked to ensure every Penn student had an opportunity to have their voice heard.

Photo Credit: Ari Cohen’s Facebook page

Food was everywhere on the table, phones were out, computers were charging, the group leader was shouting names from the projector at the front of the room, and students were making calls over all the noise. It was a gory battle, but Penn won the Civic War–more than 3,500 students turned out to vote on Penn’s campus.  You can read more about it in the DP here.

Unlike some people who grew tired of the rhetoric, I cannot wait until the next election. Though I will have graduated from Penn by then, my experience with this organization has inspired me to remain an active and engaged citizen.

Leave a comment

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

October 31, 2012 · 5:49 pm

The Hurric-ation

Author: John Mosley, C’14

As many of you may already know, the University of Pennsylvania closed down operations this past Monday and Tuesday due to the impending Hurricane Sandy. I think that everybody ought to keep checking the skies to make sure there are no pigs flying around up there.

Over the course of the past few days, I remained hunkered-down in my suburban New Jersey home with plenty of junk food, DVDs, my guitar, and, of course, my never-ending supply of homework.  Over the last several days as the devastation unfolded on news forecasts and online reports, my thoughts were (and remain) with those who truly felt the disastrous effects of the hurricane, but, fortunately, my area was largely untouched and I simply received a free, long weekend, which I unknowingly and completely took for granted..  That is, until I arrived at the Sweeten Alumni House this morning and Nicole Maloy, W’95, and director of Multicultural Outreach, helped me to appreciate just how rare the closing of the University really is. She told me of the great “Ice Storm” of 1993 and another in 1995, both of which closed down the University, and I remember a great snow storm a few years ago during which the University closed down operations, but it truly is not an event that occurs often. It really takes a big storm to close this place down!

Luckily, Sandy left campus and the city of Philadelphia relatively unharmed, and the University has reopened just in time for Halloween. Alas, the long weekend for students and employees has come to an end, and I believe it bears repeating:  don’t take days off for granted!

Image Courtesy of Dueling Tampons.

Leave a comment

Filed under Campus Life, John Mosley, Student Perspective

October 29, 2012 · 4:13 pm

Rainy Days and Mondays

Author: Aimee LaBrie

I intended for today’s post to be a funny, yet poignant and insightful, photo-filled recap of the Homecoming Weekend events.  But then Hurricane Sandy arose. The name seems so benign; it makes me think of the scruffy and lovable mutt in the musical, Annie. How bad could it be? By all accounts, it’s rabid. I learned early yesterday morning that all classes were cancelled at Penn for the next two days, and that only essential staff were required to report in to work. I couldn’t decide at first–was I essential staff? I consider myself necessary in so many ways. But then I received an email from Kristina, our Alumni Relations guru to all things staff-related and realized that unless I planned on joining the facilities team, I needn’t report. I have to say that Penn’s quick and decisive response to the storm, and the numerous follow up emails we received from our VP and HR reps were very helpful and set my mind at ease.

Okay, so you’ll have to wait until Wednesday to see our Storify recap of Homecoming Weekend–we’ll give you a complete look at all of the tweets and related photos shared by alumni, friends, and staff over the last three days. Until then, here are a few tips for surviving the storm. You can trust me on these–I spent my childhood and teenage years living in Florida where hurricanes, like debutantes, have their own seasons and where one lives in a constant state of low level anxiety due to both the volatile weather and an abundance of flying Palmetto bugs.

1. If you have a patio, bring in all of the IKEA furniture and set it up in your living room so that the cats can inspect it. You should do this because the gale force winds are supposed to be at like 500 miles an hour. Strong winds can take one of these innocent looking fake plants and hurl it into your back window, shattering the glass and requiring you to spend the rest of the storm in your bathroom, which is way too small.

2. Stock up on foods that don’t require electricity to prepare  (i.e. microwave popcorn or frozen foods, particularly those delicious Amy’s spinach and feta pizzas). The alarming news stories say you should have enough food for three days to a year.  I bought a lot of cereal and snack items, along with cold cuts and bread. My still-living-in-Florida mom reminded me that if the power goes out, I should keep the refrigerator closed most of the time so that the milk doesn’t spoil. I’m glad she reminded me of this, because sometimes, instead of turning on the air conditioner, I just leave the fridge door open all day.

3. Buy batteries for that transistor radio you have or I guess, if you live in modern times, extra batteries for that smart phone thinga-ma-jig charger nonsense. As an aside, that framed photo is my mom’s high school graduation picture. I love those cat eyeglasses so much.

4. Keep matches and candles in every room, and be sure you have other activities lined up in case the power goes out and you can’t watch Bravo’s Real Housewives of Suffolk County marathon. I recommend reading actual books (your Kindle will eventually die). Currently, I’m reading a novel billed as a “haunting ghost story,” which seems a little redundant, but also perfectly suited to candle light. I can pretend I’m Jane Eyre and try very hard not to lean in too close to the flames, singeing my eyebrows.

5. Have extra everything. I spent about 45 minutes on Sunday, scouring the house for boxes of matches, and congratulating myself for finding two actual flashlights that work. I also bought 24 extra water bottles. Sorry, Liz Pinnie (our Penn Alumni Relations eco rep). They are made from 30% plants and are 100% recyclable. And I discovered taper candles–no clue where they came from. Another tip from mom: fill the bathtub or an extra watering can with water in case the toilet stops flushing. I forget why this would happen, but I listened to her because I am a good daughter. Obviously, buy more than one banana from the grocery store unless you’re taking this opportunity to start a fast.

6. Have an evacuation plan in case the worst occurs and the water rushes forward from whatever river that is to the East of me. I brought the cat carriers up from the basement because I have this fear that the entire basement will flood all the way up to the steps and I’ll need a boat to get anything out. I read Stephen King’s The Stand at a very impressionable age and so harbor this terror that the end of the world is right around the corner. This also comes from growing up in a place where cockroaches were liable to turn up just about anywhere–falling out the branches of a tree  and landing in your neckline while you were riding your bike to school, for instance, causing you to simultaneously crash your bike into a tree while screaming and ripping off your shirt in front of Bobby Bander for no apparent reason that he could see, which led to him avoiding you in the hallways ever after.

Note: cats will likely not allow themselves to be crammed into these boxes and so will have to be left to survive on their own.

7. Most importantly: take care of one another. That’s what happened early on in the storm with reassuring messages from the Penn  administration and my Alumni Relations co-workers. I felt like I was well-informed and that they’d taken into account my safety first, over and above the needs of the University’s daily operations.  So, you know, let your neighbor borrow one of your 20 boxes of matches if she needs them. We’ll all make it through just fine.

The blob that Ernesto is grooming is actually Emma Carol, made even fatter by the extra food I’ve been giving them to assuage their (my) anxieties. Stay safe!

1 Comment

Filed under Aimee L., Campus Life

October 24, 2012 · 1:51 pm

The Red & Blue

Author: Liz Pinnie

I’m not a particularly big fan of khakis.  It might have to do with the fact that from the ages of seven to seventeen my only “casual wear” pants were khakis.  Yes, I dressed like a mom.  No, it did not help my social status.  When I (read: my friends) finally forced myself to put on a pair of jeans in an attempt at social rectification, I discovered that jeans were 1. not nearly as tragically uncomfortable as previously assumed and 2. The Best Thing Ever.  Since these discoveries, I have been a practicing Non-Khaki-Wearer.

However, Penn’s Homecoming Weekend featuring arts & culture might just change all of this.

With Homecoming on the horizon, I can’t help but get a little Penn-giddy.  I’m excited for the heart thumping beats of the Penn Band, the shouts of the cheerleaders, and the vibrant crowds of alumni and their families. At the risk of sounding a bit shallow, I’m also terribly excited for the outfits.  At every Penn event I’ve attended, I’ve become more and more impressed with the massively creative Red & Blue wardrobes that our alumni pull out.

As someone who loves colors, looking up Locust Walk and seeing the rich reds and bright blues, the boaters, the madras, all surrounded by the yellows from the leaves on the trees, is a real treat.  However, it isn’t just my love of outfits, or color, or fashion blogs that makes this vision so enjoyable to me.  Rather it’s what these sometimes over the top outfits mean: our Penn Alumni are proud of Penn, and they want to show their pride in any and all ways possible.

So I’ve decided that this is my year to join in.  After work today, I’m headed on a quest for the most ridiculously vibrant red or blue pants to couple with a nice Penn rugby, which I plan on topping off with a classic Penn scarf.  Too much?  Never!  When there’s Penn Pride, you might as well show it.

Hope to see you all this weekend, for some serious Red & Blue.

1 Comment

Filed under Alumni Programming, Athletics, Campus Life, Homecoming Weekend featuring arts and culture, Liz P.

October 17, 2012 · 12:29 pm

Daily Perks of Penn Park

Author: Patrick Bredehoft

As an Admissions Officer traveling for Penn last year, I knew that I was supposed to talk about Penn Park while I was on the road. It was an easy selling-point: a new campus space that very few people had seen, a significant expansion of Penn’s athletic facilities, and a bridge between the university and the city of Philadelphia. It made for great press, as well: urban renewal, convenient access, collaboration between the university and the West Philadelphia community.

I do think Penn Park is a special part of the university’s growing identity: it boasts an underground cistern that captures excess storm water, allowing every raindrop to be reused for irrigation. It brings 500 additional trees and native grass species back to the banks of the Schuylkill. It also increases Penn’s total campus green space by 25%, while reducing the campus’s carbon footprint–and opening up opportunities to convert old campus spaces into even more greenery, as with the recently-completed Shoemaker Green. It’s entirely open to the public, but hosts advanced security systems that make it safe at all hours.

But as a Center City resident, I’ve come to realize that these aren’t the reasons that I love Penn Park. I walk to work over the South Street Bridge each day, I follow my dog through the park in the evening, and I jog along the paths to find new energy at the end of an exhausting day. Each time I pass through Penn Park, I’m struck by some new aspect of what it lends to this city: seemingly endless team and club sports practices, of course, but also hosts people from beyond Penn competing and engaging with one another, couples smiling in the grass as they bask in the sun, photographers trying to capture an ephemeral sunset on the Philadelphia skyline, children still unsteady on new bikes, baseball games, tennis matches, soccer, football, Frisbee, and perhaps even a flock of geese that have stopped to rest along a much grander journey. Each time I see the place, I feel lucky to live in Philadelphia, and glad to be part of a city that continues to rediscover itself along the banks of a winding river. Penn Park is a new link in an emerald strand connecting the River Walk, Fairmont Park, Wissahickon, and more trails than anyone could properly walk in a single season.

I’m proud to be a part of Penn not just for what it is, but also for what it will be, and for the ways in which the continually-developing campus benefits the city I live in. Penn Park is one step in the university’s grander plan to transform the surrounding landscape for the better, but mostly, I’m glad that I get to walk by it each day.

Leave a comment

Filed under Campus Life, Patrick B., Penn Park

October 16, 2012 · 12:23 pm

Look Up

Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08

I walk by this building every day, and I only recently realized it says “University of Pennsylvania Medical Center” at the top. There are so many tall buildings on Penn’s campus. I have to remind myself to “look up” every once in a while, so I don’t miss the details. Has anything on campus surprised you recently?

View of the Biomedical Research Building II/III from University Blvd and Curie Blvd.

Leave a comment

Filed under Alumni Perspective, Campus Life, Stephanie Y.