Category Archives: Campus Life

January 18, 2012 · 8:05 pm

Getting Ready for Rush

Author: Christine Uyemera, SEAS ’13

Despite what the movies,  Legally Blonde and House Bunny might make you think, sororities are not all fun and games.  It takes a lot of hard work to keep an organization alive and vibrant for 150+ years. At the heart of that vibrancy are the influx of new members each year. Sorority rush, or “recruitment,” as we’re supposed to call it, is a crazy process that takes place for Penn at the very beginning of every spring semester. For four days of business casual and one day of formal attire, 500+ mostly freshmen or transfer students line up in the cold/rain/snow at each of the eight sorority houses and go through a speed dating process of girl flirting, where they are meant to make an impression in the 30/45/60 minutes they have. It’s pretty brutal on some people- many drop out and tears are shed – but, in the end, most participants find a place that is right for them.

Legally Blonde--the Hollywood version of sororites.

However, even crazier than recruitment itself is the behind the scenes preparation and processes that the current members of the sorority sisters go through. Sisters have to come back to school somewhere between four days and a week before classes start to begin workshops on how recruitment is going to be done at their house.

This was the schedule that my recruitment chair sent to us over our winter break for workshops and recruitment:

Workshops:

Day 1:  10 AM – 4 PM

Day 2:  9 AM – 2 PM

Day 3:  12  – 7 PM

Day 4:  2 -4 PM

Recruitment:

Days 1 and 2:  5 – 11:30 PM

Day 3:  9 AM – 6:30 PM

Day 4:  12 – 8 PM

Day 5:   6 – 11 PM

Bid Day: 7:30 PM onward

For fun, I totaled the time (not including Bid Day which has no end time indicated…) and that’s over 55 hours in about a week and a half dedicated to recruitment.Suddenly, I felt like I should be getting paid time and a half, not including the emotional damage I endured from missing meal times and NFL playoff games.

However, there is, in fact, a lot that needs to be done. In addition to the song-learning and decorating, figuring out how to move 40-60 girls at a time through a thin Philly townhouse that are built for 18 residents, and introduce them to some meaningful subset of girls  (about 130) is no trivial matter. There are processes, lists, numbers, strategies, formulas.

I remember when I went through recruitment, every other girl told me that our Panhellenic Council and all the sororities have it “down to a science,” and I always laughed because everyone knows sorority girls don’t do science  (I’m kidding, of course we do!). But I was so wrong.  Behind the scenes, it’s much harder to arrange it all than it looks.

So, at the beginning of second semester while everyone else is dropping in and out of all their classes, partying and just generally taking advantage of the fact that school hasn’t really started yet, sorority girls are hard at work trying to find young women that will be the future of their organization and help the chapter to prosper. Or something.

The Penn version. Rho Gammas, or recruitment guides, hand out calling cards and information packets to potential new members at the start of formal sorority recruitment, from The DP, January, 2011.

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January 16, 2012 · 9:30 am

I Remember…BYOBs

Author: Elizabeth Kimmelman-Schwartz, C’04

When I was a college student, I loved going to BYOBs in Philadelphia.  In fact, one summer when I stayed at Penn, two of my girl friends and I would go to a different BYOB every Thursday night and we would bring a bottle (or three) of the finest White Zin that the State Store had to offer.  By the end of the summer we had conducted what we considered to be a thorough taste test on all the White Zins in the liquor store and concluded that Gallo was the best.  Just FYI.

I tried almost all of the affordable BYOBs in the city when I was at Penn and I loved them.  Cheap food, good company, the ability to drink wine no matter what our IDs said*, and it got my friends and I out and exploring downtown Philly.  We loved a lot of the small Italian ones and our particular favorite was a Mexican spot that was “BYOT – Bring Your Own Tequila.” We’d always go out to a BYOB with a large group before sorority formals.  My senior year, the Greek Honor Society that I was a part of took over a downtown BYOB for our end of year dinner. Every table had it’s own box of Franzia!  (Who says Penn students aren’t classy?)

I have such wonderful memories of all of these BYOBs, and I was so excited to move back to Philly in 2007 and go to all of them again.  I soon found out that BYOBs are like a lot of college things that seem charming and fun when you are there – things like dorm rooms, sharing bathrooms, having your normal bedtime be 2 AM – that turn out to be horrible ideas in the real world.  I wouldn’t go so far as to say my memories have been tarnished, but I will say that they have suffered.

So, that Mexican BYOT place?  I last ate there in May 2009.  The food and company was great, fun times were had, although my friends and I were the oldest people there by at least five years.  I thought all was good.  Until my friend wound up in the hospital with a horrible stomach bacteria.  People had to wear hazmat suits to visit her!  When she told them where she had eaten the doctors and nurses said they were not surprised and that they see a lot of cases of this after people eat at this restaurant.  I sadly crossed that one off of my list.

Next up, those little Italian charmers.  The last time I went to one of my favorite BYOB brick oven pizza places from college, there was a sign at the entrance stating, “Bottles of wine are limited to one for every two people.”  I read this in a panic as I clutched my box of wine, waiting for two of my friends to show up (judge away, but some boxed wine really isn’t bad and it lasts longer).  I spoke to the owner and told him, “I’m really sorry but I didn’t know about this policy.  If you’d like, I can ask my friends to bring bottles instead.”  He looked at me and kindly said, “Oh, ma’am, that isn’t directed to you.  That’s directed to the crazy students who come in here.” Color me old, and appalled.

Finally, my FAVORITE Italian place from undergrad is about two blocks away from where I live now.  I was so excited to have this be my neighborhood place – you know, that spot you and your husband go to when you are out of dinner ideas or want a quick and easy date night and where the owners know you by name and greet you warmly whenever you come in. What did I find there? Fast and borderline rude service, along with big, rowdy, loud groups of Penn students. As my husband glared at them for ruining our romantic date night, I said, both proud and ashamed, “You know, that used to be me and my friends.” We have since found another neighborhood Italian spot, one that the Penn students haven’t overrun…yet.

So, yes, my Penn go-to BYOBs are now a thing of my recent past, but I do have to give a shout out in general to the BYOB culture of Philadelphia. First, now that I am a “grown up”, I’ve found other, classier BYOBs here that I love going to. I’ve had some of the best meals of my life at BYOBs.  A great BYOB is a must-eat-at destination spot for any out of town visitor.  And, I’m happy to live in a place that has something for everyone, from your loud Penn student to your almost-thirty something married couple looking for a nice date night spot.

*The former lawyer in me would like to point out three things.  One, I do not condone underage drinking. Two, I do not admit to underage drinking in this post. Three, I will not list any of these BYOBs by name so that today’s Penn students can still enjoy them.

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Campus Life, Elizabeth K., Food Fiends, Memories of Penn

January 12, 2012 · 4:24 pm

The Mungermen

Author: Richard “Dick”Rosenbleeth, Class of ’54

On October 24, 2009, the Mungermen held their annual reunion brunch before the Penn-Yale football game. More than 100 people were there; 40 Mungermen plus family and friends.  The Mungermen are those who played football under Coach George A. Munger (’33) from 1938 to 1953.  They also include those who were an integral part of the Munger teams – assistant coaches, doctors, trainers, and administrative personnel.  The reunions have taken place since 1956, always before a Penn football game.  In the beginning, there were approximately 241 Mungermen and about 100 survive today.

I went to my first Penn football game in 1940 when I was eight years old.  After that, I saw most games when I had a ticket and, later on, when I sold programs at Franklin Field.  In 1950, I came to Penn and played freshman and varsity football under George Munger, graduating in 1954.  So I have a clear picture of the Mungermen during the forties and fifties. I thought it would be timely to share the story of the Mungermen with others.  Much has been written about George Munger and rightfully so, but little about the Mungermen as such.

The Mungermen have bonded together all this time based on shared experiences and the memory of  George Munger who passed away 15 years ago.  Although the range in Classes is 1939 to 1956, the age differential is of no significance.   The idea for the reunions came from a meeting between George Munger, Jack Welch (’43), Bill Talarico (’49) and Bernie Lemonick (’51). Jack, Bill, and Bernie were Mungermen coaches and players.  Bernie is the current very dedicated leader.

George Munger is a College Football Hall of Fame coach and, as an undergraduate, was a star in football and track and field.  He was 28 years old when he became Head Coach and held that title for 16 years.  He had a record of 82 wins, 42 losses, 10 ties and a winning percentage of .649.  He left coaching in 1953 at age 44.  Penn football was in turmoil then because of the collapse of President Harold Stassen’s “Victory with Honor” Program.  He resigned because he and his long-time excellent assistant coaches Rae Crowther, Paul (PG) Riblett and Bill Talarico were blindsided by Penn’s decision to become part of the formal Ivy League. This not only impacted the coaches, but also the Mungermen Classes of 1954, 1955 and 1956.

The Ivy League Agreement banned spring practice and cut back on scholarships for football starting in 1953 and beyond.  In addition, the rules were changed in 1953 banning two-platoon football.  Games were already scheduled against the best teams in the country for the next three years.  Despite all this, Munger and his staff stayed on for the 1953 season, his first and only losing season, but that was the end of the Munger era.  After that, George Munger became Director of Physical Education and was never heard to complain about these events.  He was a loyal Penn man to the end.

A “last hurrah” dinner honoring George Munger on his 80th birthday was held on November 22, 1974.  The Dinner Program read:

“Here on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania, we, his players, are gathered tonight with George Munger to celebrate the occasion of his 80th birthday.”

Football coach, role model, advisor, and friend to us all, he keeps the memories of the days when we wore the Red and Blue under his leadership fresh in our thoughts.  Followers of Pennsylvania football will long remember his powerful single wing teams for their aggressive play and colorful performance.

During his 15 years as head coach, his teams were nationally recognized for their ability to play the best, and thousands came to Franklin Field autumn after autumn to spend an exciting afternoon of football.

We salute him in his 80th year for a job well done, for memories which are irreplaceable and for the unique pleasure of having been a “Mungerman” in a memorable era of Pennsylvania football.

This, in the main, explains why the Mungermen have stayed together all these years.  But there is more to the story.  George Munger had great affection for his players and that great affection was returned.  My own personal experience confirms this.  He was not the typical football coach.  He was quietly articulate and inspiring; and preferred to be called George, not Coach Munger.  He wanted his players to succeed as students, football players and after in their careers or professions.  More than ninety percent of them graduated.

Each year before the last game of the year against Cornell, George told the team:  “Fight like Hell, beat Cornell and no school [practice] Monday.”  He would be pleased to know that his players still have “school on Monday,” even though it is only once every year.

The Mungermen[1] during their playing days won 9 unofficial Ivy League titles (no formal Ivy League existed until after 1956); competed against the best teams and best players in the country; led the nation in attendance year after year; and achieved a winning record. The best teams were: 1940 (6-1-1), 1941 (7-1) and 1947 (7-0-1). The most memorable games were: Cornell 1940 (22-21), Duke 1944 (18-7), Navy 1946 (32-18), Princeton 1946 (14-17), Army 1947 (7-7) and 1948 (13-13), Dartmouth 1950 (42-26), Wisconsin 1950 (20-0) and California(7-14), Army 1951 (7-6), Princeton 1952 (13-7), ending Princeton’s 24 game winning streak, Navy 1953 (9-6), Notre Dame 1952 (7-7) and 1953 (20-28), and 1953 Ohio State (6-12) and Penn State (13-7).

Harlan Gustafson (’39), Ray Frick (’41), Frank Reagan (’41), Bernie Kuczyski (’42), Bob Odell (’43), George Savitsky (’48, four times), Skip Minisi (’48), Chuck Bednarik (’49, two times), Bull Schweder (’50), Reds Bagnell (’51), Bernie Lemonick (’51), Gerry Mcginley (’52), Eddie Bell (’53, two times), and Jack Shanafelt (’54)  were All-Americans.  Odell, Bednarik, and Bagnell won the Maxwell Award.  Some were All East, named to All -Opponent teams and played in post season All-Star games.  A few are in the College, Pro-Football, Pennsylvania State, and Penn Halls of Fame.  Others were good solid players, some were substitutes and some “meatballs” who came to practice every day and helped the varsity prepare, but all were important to the football program.  These were the glory years of Penn football when Franklin Field was filled to capacity every Saturday in the fall.   The Penn football games were the talk of the town and Penn was nationally recognized as a football power.

The Mungermen have served their country in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, and also served their communities. They have become successful doctors, dentists, lawyers, educators, artists, coaches, businessmen, executives and entrepreneurs. Quite a few have been active in alumni affairs as trustees and otherwise.  Some have made significant financial contributions to the University.

In 1994, the Mungermen contributed 1.5 million dollars to establish the George A. Munger Endowment for Football at Penn.  Our fine coach, Al Bagnoli, is currently the George A. Munger Head Coach for Football.  Today a statue of George Munger stands at the West end of Franklin Field, erected with funds raised by the Mungermen.  There was also a weight training room in Franklin Field funded by the Mungermen.  All of these efforts were aided by contributions of Friends of the Mungermen.

This, then, is the story of the Mungermen, who have contributed so much to Penn football and to the University.  I hope this has been a worthwhile trip down memory lane, both for those who are and are not familiar with this era of Penn football. 

 

[1]Don Rottenberg’s excellent 1985 book, Fight on Pennsylvania, was a very helpful source.

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January 11, 2012 · 4:54 pm

From the Hill to the Hub

Author: Liz Pinnie

This weekend, my grandfather took the train from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia to spend time with my family. Saturday’s agenda included a trip to Penn. As we meandered through campus, I peppered my grandfather with historical facts, updates on exciting research happening at Penn, stories about student life, and tales of the Ben Franklin statues. As we reached the car, he remarked in his deep baritone, “Why Elizabeth, it seems like you really like the place.”

Now, I should be honest.  Penn is not my Alma Mater (gasp!).  I attended a teeny, tiny Hamilton College atop a hill in Upstate New York. The entire population of the school was smaller than the freshman class at Penn.  The nearest Starbucks was forty minutes away. The average temperature in January was ten degrees. There were two dining halls on campus and two bars in town. There was no graduate school (or schools for that matter), no Ben Franklin statues, no coffee shops in the library.  If you wanted a hoagie, you had to go to Subway- which is tragic.

Hamilton's skyline at dusk

However, for all of the obvious differences between petite and rural Hamilton and grand and urban Penn, I’ve learned that these schools share some essential similarities. Both value unique experiences, a diversified education, pushing ones boundaries and learning from the people- and world- around you.*

It turns out that my grandfather is right. Whether consciously or unconsciously, in the three short months I have worked at Penn, I have become a champion of it. Every morning when I walk to work, I marvel at the gorgeous buildings, and the relative peace and quiet of this city school. In the office, I love hearing the stories of the interesting alumni I meet and reading articles about the fascinating research and projects Penn students and faculty are involved in. I can’t wait to check out the sports scores, try out new lunch spots, and send out Tweets about weekend events for alumni. Though my love for Hamilton’s Buff & Blue will never die, it seems that it might have to scoot over a bit for Penn’s Red & Blue.

My new, favorite statue

*We also share perhaps equally quirky mascots. While Penn cheers for the Quakers, Hamilton rallies around the Continental, a revolutionary soldier.  Like I said, “quirky.” 

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December 22, 2011 · 4:02 pm

Sunrise

Author: Sabrina Shyn, C’13

I’m getting ready to leave campus for winter break to visit my family in Korea.  Before I leave, I wanted to share with you all this photo I took  at daybreak on Locust Walk.

Best wishes to all my friends, teachers, and staff at Sweeten Alumni House! See you next year…

 

 

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December 12, 2011 · 8:19 pm

Feline Finds from the Fine Arts Library Image Collection

Author: Aimee LaBrie

In case you were unaware, Penn Libraries offer an unbelievable collection of digital images–from sports collections, to old covers from The Gazette—the collection has over 6,000 art images and artifacts.  I enjoy all of the archives, but my favorite is most definitely the Fine Arts Library Image Collection; a digital space  with over 180,000 images and half a million slides.  You can search for images based on the artist, the century, the title of a work, or even by geographical location.

A search under “Chestnut Hill” yields  varied images of the Esherick House, while a search of “contemporary artists” pulls up photos of Claes Oldenburg’s The Clothespin and Labyrinth by Robert Morris.

Of course, this made me immediately wish to do a search under the terms for one my favorite mammal: cats. This particular query resulted in 51 finds. Here are the top five.  You can conduct your own search for images, text, or other info by visiting this particular collection, or by going to Digital Penn today.

1. Saddest listing, except really, it’s not, because Ancient Egyptians  believed that cats were holy, which is why they were mummified. I concur:

Mummifed Cats from Egypt, circa 525-332 BC, from Paris: Louvre AF 9461

2. Least Likely Friendship to Occur in Real Life:

Monkey and Cats detail,Yi Yuanji 2nd half 11th century (Chinese), Taipei: National Palace Museum

3. Cat Torture (as drawn by da Vinci):

Sketches of a Child Holding and Playing with a Cat, a Cat (recto), Leonardo da Vinci, London, British Museum, inv# 1857-1-10-1

 

4. Cat as Meatloaf (i.e. no visible legs):

Calico Cat under Peonies, detail, Song Dynasty, Taipei: National Palace Museum

5. Cat Misbehaving:

Cat and Flowers, Eduard Manet, Paris: Bibliotheque Nationale

BONUS! Cat Showing Holiday Spirit:

LaBrie Archival Collections, circa 2011

Happy archiving!

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December 9, 2011 · 3:10 pm

My Ten Penn List: Bookstore Gifts for the Holidays

Author:  Casey Ryan, C’95

I’m assuming that most of you, like me, are in the middle of holiday shopping.  I’m busily trying to get all of my gifts sooner rather than later .  However, I eschew the malls and do most of my shopping on-line.  Usually, I get free shipping on my purchases or I find some good discount codes on Retail Me Not. When my packages arrive, our front desk receptionist will buzz me or e-mail me to let me know and it’s like I’m the one who is receiving the gift as I knock one more name off my long list.

To balance out my on-line purchases, I will venture out into our little neighborhood in West Philly and visit the nice little shopping area along Walnut Street.   There’s Douglas (for Mom), GAP (for my nephew and niece), American Apparel (for my friends) and CVS (for wrapping paper and cards!)  Lest I forget, there’s also the Penn Bookstore.  Luckily for me, my brother and sister-in-law are Proud Penn Alumni (C’99 and GEN’06, respectively) and my folks (including a CGS’97 alumna) still love wearing Penn gear.

Here are my choices for Penn-themed gifts at the bookstore. I’ve including the link to each item since you probably can’t just hop down to campus for a quick purchase.  Though, you can order it on-line and have it mailed to your office.  When your receptionist buzzes you, you can feel as good as I do when the mail comes.

Remember the Penn Bookstore Official Site is a Barnes and Noble site. Many B&N coupons, gift cards and promo codes can be applied to your purchase.

10. Alta Gracia Hoodie for $27.73
There’s nothing like a good hoodie to have around the house for a lazy day of watching movies or snuggling up with a good book.

9. Storm Duds Large Golf Umbrella for $28.98
I love a golf umbrella to keep me dry on a rainy day.  Though I don’t play, I appreciate the cover it provides.

8. Penn Gear Polar Fleece Full Zip Jacket for $33.73
A fleece is a good choice in jackets. It can be warm separately or paired up with a windbreaker or a vest when it’s colder out.

7. Penn Legacy Adjustable Twill Hat for $19.98
I love a good, simple split P hat to wear.  I wear it everywhere – to sporting functions, on road trips and out Holiday shopping when I forgot that I’m avoiding the malls.

6. Penn Men’s Wristwatch with Leather Strap (or Women’s) for $109.98
Keep the time with Penn on your wrist.  Stylish and functional, it keeps in line with Franklin’s appreciation of the most useful and the most ornamental

5. Penn Foam Basketball for $14.98
For a less serious gift, a foam basketball is a great toy for the future Penn student as well as young at heart alumnus or alumna.

4. Penn Business Card Holder for $42.98
Tasteful and reserved, this card holder exhibits Penn Pride in a confident manner.  I know there’s a Princeton joke that I could make here about how orange isn’t reserved.  However, I’ll be nice; it is the holidays.

3. Varsi-Tee Blanket for $124.98
I think that this is a great and different Penn accessory… so much so that I want this! So, Mom or Dad, if you’re reading, I would love to open this up when we exchange presents…

2. Penn Hydro Nalgene Bottle for $32.98
Be green and health-conscience in one fell swoop.  Let everyone at the gym know that you went to Penn.

1. Penn Yikes! Rolled T-Shirt for $14.99
A gift for all budgets, this Penn T-shirt is comfortable and durable.  Choose your favorite color and almost literally wear your Penn Pride on your sleeve.

So, those are my seasonal Penn-related recommendations. I would love to hear other ideas from those of you who have started your holiday shopping early this year.

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

December 8, 2011 · 3:31 pm

From PA to WY and Back Again

Author: Liz Pinnie

The last time I spent a December in Philadelphia was eight years ago.  I was seventeen, had just been accepted as an “early decision” candidate to college, and was quite frankly “over” high school and the suburban town I grew up in.  Being a teenager requires one to behave in ways that are largely dramatic.

My time at Hamilton College was the complete opposite of my four years in a suburban Philadelphian Catholic girl’s high school.  I was told to pick classes that “spoke” to me. I went backpacking for the first time. I learned how to steal (a pie from the dining hall), drank too much caffeine, played (many) lacrosse games in the snow, and studied all night.

After graduating from college, I felt good about how I had spent the past four years, but entirely uncertain about what I wanted to do in the future.  So, I moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  Slipping sideways from one cold, tiny, Northern locale to another (colder and still tiny) Northern locale seemed like a good idea and a great adventure.  And indeed it was.

With my friends

In Jackson, I delved deeper into the technical gear-wearing, back-pack-toting, mountain-skiing side of me.  I rafted and served beers to surly cowboys, bought my first mountain bike and wrestled a pig, experienced negative thirty degrees and no humidity.  It was a wild, beautiful, fantastic time.

I'm Just About to Catch Him...

Yet, after three years of this crazy adventure, the squawk of eagles reminded me of seagulls at the Jersey Shore, the sound of bluegrass made me crave The Sound of Philadelphia, and my fingers kept leading me to Google searches for jobs in Pennsylvania.  And so, much like I came, I packed up a station wagon, drove for three days, and moved back to Philadelphia.

On the surface, my transition from tiny Hamilton College and the wilds of the West to the bustling streets of Penn’s campus seems to be a mad leap: country to city, small to big, cold to warm, terrible sandwiches to mind-blowing food trucks.

Photo credit: mla.march.Penn

Yet, I find that here at Penn, I am discovering some important similarities.  Despite the sheer size, I have found that there is a strong community feeling that rivals my minute prior locales.  And even in this concrete jungle, there is a sense of exploration and adventure that matches any wild river guide or rock climber.  Though many might think that my time of exploration is behind me in the classes of college and the mountains of Wyoming, here at Penn, I feel that once again, I’m about to begin and new and thrilling adventure.

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December 7, 2011 · 3:08 pm

Hidden Rooftop Oasis

Author: Amanda D’Amico

On Sunday, I celebrated my second anniversary as a Penn staffer.  Over these two years, I feel like I’ve gotten to know Penn – the history, campus, the students, the staff, and the faculty.

But something still plagued me. I was puzzled by pictures of this location:

I’ve walked through much of the campus, but I couldn’t figure out where this area was.  The building behind these lights was clearly Jon M. Huntsman Hall, but I couldn’t find a grassy area near Huntsman, let alone one adorned with these lights.

But last week, I happened to be on the second floor of Huntsman Hall when a coworker pointed to the window.  There it was!

Koo Plaza, accessible from the second floor of Huntsman, is a tranquil and quiet area, juxtaposed to the busy hustle and bustle of Huntsman Hall.  The Plaza is complete with benches, tables and chairs, and it is an opportune space to enjoy your lunch on one of these unseasonably warm days we’ve had recently.

And, if the above picture hasn’t convinced you of the beauty of the space, here are a few more that might persuade you:

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December 2, 2011 · 9:51 pm

Top 5 Reasons to Love Penn in December

Author: Kelly Graf

There are thousands of reasons to love Penn all year long. But today, with the holiday and winter seasons upon us, I choose to focus on the best aspects of Penn during the festive month of December! Below is a list of five reasons to enjoy Penn this month. Feel free to add more to the comments (or to deride or applaud my choices as well). Happy December!

1. Locust Walk Decorations. Nothing can top the magical feeling of walking down locust walk in the evening and see the lights shine in the trees. It truly feels like you are miles away from a city and in your own Winter Penn Wonderland.

Photo Courtesy of the Wharton School

2. Holiday Garden Railway at Morris Arboretum. The Garden Railway Display is returning again this winter as the Holiday Garden Railway Display at Penn’s Morris Arboretum. Visitors of all ages will be wow-ed by a quarter mile of track featuring seven loops and tunnels with fifteen different rail lines and two cable cars, nine bridges (including a trestle bridge you can walk under), and bustling model trains, all set in the lovely winter garden of the Morris Arboretum. The buildings are all decorated for the holidays with lights that twinkle along the tracks and around the surrounding landscape.

3. Winter Break. Who doesn’t love time off? Students trudge through finals in the first two weeks of December, furiously studying for their end-of-semester exams. Then, they are set free for a full-month to vacation, visit home and take a break from studying. Their excitement can be felt across campus! Most faculty and staff also enjoy a week-long break from the campus to regroup and come back stronger than ever in the New Year.

4. Ivy Stone Society December Drive. The Penn Fund launches its 3rd Annual Ivy Stone Society December Drive this month – an initiative focused on reaching at 4,200 Ivy Stone Society members in the month of December. ISS members are undergraduate alumni who have made a gift to The Penn Fund for three or more consecutive years .These loyal donors are the backbone of Penn’s philanthropic support.

5. Amazing Resources Available at Penn. I am always amazed by the different facets of the University that offer valuable information and resources. This holiday season, for example, the Vet School offers up a four-page PDF educated pet-owners on how to keep their animals safe during the holidays.

But don’t take my word for it…Come back to campus this holiday season and see for yourself the wonders of Penn in December.

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