Nicole Svonavec , GEd ‘09
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Penn is hosting a series of special events. Faculty, staff, students, and community members will gather around Philadelphia to share in a day of service to celebrate and continue the work of Dr. Martin Luther King.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is greeted at the University Museum on “Law Day USA”, May 1, 1965. (Photo by Bernato, courtesy the University Archives)
Filed under Alumni Perspective, Campus Life, Nicole S.
Author: Casey Ryan, C’95
Happy New Year, folks.
While I’m working on my resolutions to be more productive, to be more efficient, to response to phone calls and e-mail more timely, to manage my time better, to invest in more career development activities and to drink 64 ounces of water daily, I wanted to share with you some photos of the newly-revealed Arts, Research and Culture House (ARCH) from its 18-month renovation. Locust Walk and 36th Street had been shrouded in fencing until this week.
I remember when the building housed the Palladium and the Christian Association. Now, after its renovations, it will be able to serve more of our students.
The Corner of Locust Walk and 36.
The Entrance to the Cultural Centers
Trying to sneak a peak in
Awww…. Palladium
A nice job on the windows
Come back from Alumni Weekend and you see the improvements for yourself.
Filed under Alumni Perspective, Campus Life, Casey R., Locust Walk Talk
Author: Carolyn Grace, C’16
WELCOME BACK, MY DARLING PENN QUAKERS!
Yes, second semester is finally upon us, and I am still on my winter break sleep schedule. But I’ve missed dear old Penn, and I am thrilled to be back in the bustling atmosphere of classes, activities, and friends. More importantly, I can now satisfy my strange craving for Houston Hall’s sushi.
Things certainly are busy for only the second day of school. Rush has officially begun for Sigma Kappa as well as the other Panhellenic sororities. I’m already exhausted from yesterday’s Open House, but I am even more excited to get a brand new pledge class in SK!
Counterparts is already in the midst of selecting our Spring semester repertoire, and we will soon begin rehearsals for our February performance in the ICCAs! For those of you who have seen Pitch Perfect (unlike me!), you understand that this is a pretty cool event. I don’t know much about it, but I’m always ready to be back on stage singing with CP. More details to come!
The ICCA performance in Pitch Perfect. AKA my study guide!
For today, however, what I’m most excited for has nothing to do with sorority life or a cappella. Today’s post, in addition to being my first one of the new semester, is the last post I will be writing as a teenager. At exactly 12:17 AM tomorrow morning, I will be 20 years old! I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I’m about to become a “twenty something.” I’ve seen the numerous BuzzFeed posts about this particular age group, all of them hilarious albeit slightly concerning. Technically, I am a young adult. So, how much of my life actually needs to be put together? Quite frankly, I’ve always felt the label “teenager” was like a “get out of jail free” card for behavior. Neurotic, eccentric, angsty, or overly emotional? Hey, blame it on puberty and hormones! I’m hoping I still have some of that leeway when I turn 20.
So, you can bet that I’ll be celebrating tomorrow, and you should too! Well, maybe not celebrating my birthday specifically (though I’d certainly appreciate it 🙂 ), but rather celebrating a new year, new semester, and the new opportunities that come with it all. Good luck this Spring, Quakers!
Filed under Academics, Campus Life, Carolyn G., Clubs, Photos, Student Perspective, The Arts, The Arts at Penn, Video, Videos
Author: Joshua Durando
Every year, right around this time, we are all reflective on the year we’ve had, and look forward to what’s to come. We’ve learned lessons, grown another year wiser, and made resolutions to help make this year better than the last. For me, January not only signified a new calendar year, but also marked an anniversary – 1 year at Penn. That’s right; January 7th was the one year anniversary of the man who wrote his first blog post about the pet fish he keeps on his desk. For all inquiring minds, Pippen is alive and well.
He was feeling a bit shy today.
The past year has been incredibly busy (having to keep a fish alive and all), but also incredibly rewarding. I’ve learned a lot over the last year and can honestly say Penn has come to feel like a second home. Working in Programs and Special Events (P&SE), I have the unique opportunity to meet alumni from all across the country at a host of different events. Helping to plan events like Making History at Penn Park, Penn Spectrum, or yPenn Highballs allow me the opportunity to see Penn in many different ways. After reflecting on all of the events I have worked on over the last year, I think my favorite would have to be the Time to Shine 11 city tour which took place throughout the fall. The tour, meant to celebrate the end of the campaign and the exciting new frontiers at Penn, was probably the best way to indoctrinate a new employee into Penn’s vibrant culture. How could I not fall in love with this place? In every city you, our alumni, were so excited to hear about what Penn had accomplished and where it was going. Not only that, you were also excited to hear about me. Where did I work? When did I start? How was I liking it? Everyone was so welcoming, assuring me that I was “going to love it”. You weren’t wrong. The enthusiasm for this place is contagious.
Though the tour is over, 2014 does not fall short when it comes to opportunities to engage with Penn. I know all of us in P&SE are excited to plan fabulous events that allow you to come back to campus or celebrate Penn when we come visit you in your city. There are tons of exciting new events on the horizon including Penn 2 U’s, a series of yPenn events, and of course, all of the Alumni Weekend activities. So I guess the question really is: will engaging with Penn make it on your list of resolutions for 2014? Keep your eyes peeled for invites and save the dates coming your way. And of course, always check Frankly Penn for recaps and fun pictures.
We hope to see you in 2014!
Filed under A Day in the Life - DAR, Campus Life, Josh D.
Author: Carolyn Grace, C’16
Play this and start reading:
Happy New Year, Quakers! I hope you all celebrated accordingly 🙂
Since we’re only into the second day of 2014, I don’t believe it’s unreasonable to look back on the many fond memories I had in good ol’ 2013. However, this is, after all, a Penn blog. That’s why I’m using this post for My Top 12 Penn Moments of 2013, one for each month. Enjoy, and try to think of your Top 12 Penn Moments as well!
12. JANUARY
I get invited to become a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority! I celebrated my acceptance with my new sisters all through the night, right into my 19th birthday the next morning. Talk about a great birthday present!
I finally meet my Big!
11. FEBRUARY
Big-Little Week for Sigma Kappa! (For those who are unfamiliar with the term “Big-Little Week,” click here for more info.) After a FULL WEEK of anonymously-sent baked goods, gifts, and guys, I discover who my wonderful Big is: Tara!
10. MARCH
Spring Break has arrived at Penn, and what better way to spend it than with my fellow Quakers! I take a weekend trip to Tenafly, NJ with my good friends Charlotte and Gabby, both of whom I met through the freshman seminar “Katharine Hepburn Films.” I also travel to New York City with a few members of Counterparts: Lilly, Scott, and Nina.
9. APRIL
Enjoying Fling with some SK girls and Mask & Wig guys!
CP about to take the stage
Ok, so I’m cheating a little bit here. I have two big moments from April 2013. The first, of course, is Spring Fling. I mean, how can I leave that out? It’s the largest collegiate carnival on the eastern seaboard! Not to mention, it was my first one. The second moment: Time to Shine, of course. Counterparts was one of the many student groups to perform before the Train and John Legend concert. What was even cooler was that we were the first group to sing on the same stage as these artists!
8. MAY
My freshman year at Penn finally comes to a close, but not before I start recording for the new CP album! In the midst of studying for final exams, we all come in at various times to record various songs from first and second semester.
7. JUNE
A beautiful day to see the Arc de Triomphe
Bonjour de la France! Already having departed in late May, I am entering my third week in Tours, France with the Penn-in-Tours summer abroad program. For six weeks, I study a year’s worth of French at the Université François-Rabelais with about 30 other Penn students. We all live with host families and go on weekend trips around the Loire Valley, visiting castles, exploring museums, and tasting wine! After mid-terms, we are given a three-day weekend to travel anywhere in France. I, along with my friends Rachel, Emily, Fola, and Faith, decide to spend those days roaming the magnificent city of Paris.
6. JULY
A summer is not complete without a trip to the beach. In addition to my family’s annual vacation in Strathmere, NJ, I spend a weekend in Wildwood with my good friend, Alexa. She’s one of the first friends I made at Penn!
5. AUGUST
BACK. TO. SCHOOL. After another summer of not tanning at all, I am ready for Sophomore year to begin! Before NSO even starts, however, I kick off the new school year as a student leader for the PennArts pre-orientation program. I participated in PennArts as a freshman, and it’s just as fun to experience it again as a leader. The 50-60 of us explore all the arts that both the Penn and Philadelphia communities have to offer.
The PennArts leaders are ready to welcome the freshmen!
4. SEPTEMBER
CP welcomes its newest members: David, Emily, Michael, and Andrew!
3. OCTOBER
Date Night? More like Neuro Night! A Wharton junior in SK has partnered with the drink company, Neuro, for a class project. As a thank-you for all of her hard work, Neuro brings in manicurists and hair stylists to the SK house to help the girls get ready for our Date Night downtown!
Sarah, Virginia, and I try some Neuro while we wait to get our hair done
2. NOVEMBER
After weeks and weeks of rehearsal, Counterparts performs its Fall show, “Private ‘Parts.” I sing a jazz song by Melody Gardot called “Baby, I’m a Fool.”
1. DECEMBER
I am invited to sing at the Mask & Wig Club’s annual Charity Ball! The band held auditions earlier in the Fall, and several girls (a bunch of them in CP!) were selected to perform. The guys were extremely fun to rehearse with, and the songs were so much fun! Of the three events I sang for, Charity Ball was definitely my favorite. Everyone dresses up in gowns and tuxedos for a night of great food, dancing, and music. What a classy way to close out the year!
Me and my date, Luke
And there you have it, 2013 through the eyes of a Penn Quaker. I hope 2014 brings just as many great moments like these, maybe even more! Enjoy the new year, Quakers 🙂
Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08
Happy New Year from the Penn Alumni community! We hope your holiday season was as beautiful as the December winter wonderland at Penn.
Snow on Market Street’
West Philly Winter Wonderland
Beautiful snow-covered tree in West Philly
Snow on Spruce Street
Snow-covered trees by Pennsylvania Hospital
College Green!
Filed under Alumni Perspective, Campus Life, Stephanie Y.
Author: Carlos Dos Santos, C’17
It was late, so late at night. We were sitting–he on one side of the room, and I on the other. Something was happening, something was changing. Christmas lights were hung upon the wall; they were the only lights in the room. All outside was darkness. The lights upon the wall, like creeping luminescent vines caressing the walls and roof, twinkled upon the reflection of the window glass, so that nothing outside could be seen. In that moment the outer darkness could not plague us, could not hurt or separate us. Being in that room was all that was, it was all that existed–that moment itself is all we had–it held us both, for a moment, still.
Over the course of the three-hour conversation, something had changed. The mist was gone. I could see now, not just through the air, but also through to my friend. He was, in a way, reborn among the small scintillating lights. I was reborn in his eyes, too. It was as if the questions and answers that spewed forth from our curious minds doused each of us, baptized us, gave us a sense of communion that brought us closer. It was as if those small lights were burning into me–embedding an undying, pleasant memory upon my mind.
It was, to be fair, so very cliché. I usually hate cliché, but I made an exception just this once. It was a moment of revelation, that monumental epiphany when realizing the creation of an everlasting friendship. Considering the fact that there aren’t many people who can fill that role, it was a special moment. There was finally clarity, the barriers were all gone–and was it all through a simple conversation?
So much knowledge, so much power, conveyed between us. And is this how it all goes? Is this, perhaps, the answer to so many of our troubles? We plunge ourselves, together, into the dark depths of an ocean, we morph and change, we destroy what was and create what now is, and emerge upon the shore as–as what? Different beings, but the difference is something only we can detect within each other, invisible to the outside world.
And that is the final product of these last four months–not just creating friendship, but also realizing the necessity, the importance, of taking those we do not know, removing ourselves with them from reality, from all the invisible strings that make up our world, our rules, and that hold us back, keep us from being with one another and limiting us in discovering the whole truth about each other, and define humanity. We define this humanity by breaking what we do not understand within each other, by taking the unknown in our hearts and in others’ hearts and converting it, evolving it into something new that allows us to understand those around us.
That is progress, that is good, that is knowledge– knowledge we discover from those in which we never thought we would find knowledge in the first place. It is by breaking all those strings that entangle us in a world of false reality and prejudice that we keep humanity in its purest form, how we keep each other united, and how we, as human beings, keep each other human.
That was my epiphany–three hours later as I look at the clock on my friend’s bedside table– it lasted a second, it lasted an eternity. And even though it was only one conversation, I am glad to know that the number of invisible strings–those unfortunate byproducts of a corrupt existence–has diminished by one in my world.
Filed under Campus Life, Student Perspective
Author: Carolyn Grace, C’16
In case you haven’t heard yet, Quakers, Finals Season is in full swing. This explains why I haven’t posted recently, but with 1 final and 2 papers already completed I am back in the blogging game!
I am sure many of you remember from your college days the various “study breaks” offered by different college houses and groups at Penn. Anything for free coffee and muffins, right? This year, however, I had the pleasure of taking a study break that was a bit more, well, unconventional.
Planning the College Christmas Party is a delicate art. It’s more than just ugly sweaters. One needs the perfect amount of hors d’oeuvres and refreshments, one or two competitive games, and of course a rockin’ holiday playlist. Fortunately, the lovely ladies in Harnwell Room 1712 are experts at throwing the ultimate College Christmas Party.
Alexa, Leah, Katie, and Nina have been some of my closest friends at Penn since my pre-orientation program and NSO. Last year, they planned an awesome Christmas party from Alexa’s tiny single in the Quad, and luckily they had a bit more to work with this year in their apartment. Leah baked mini quiches, Nina made latkes, Alexa and Katie ran the Post-It Note game and Christmas Bingo, and I had the honor of making the playlist.
Again, the festivities were a success! Not only because of food, games, and music, but more so because of the company. It’s very easy to get caught up in the gloom and doom of finals season. I can feel bogged down by the papers and the exams, of course. But one evening with friends is enough to remind me that I’m not in this alone. We all have crazy amounts of work, but we also have each other as study buddies or necessary distractions. Academics are an integral part of life at Penn. I’d like to argue, however, that friendships are just as – if not more – important.
Happy Holidays from Harnwell 1712!
Filed under Campus Life, Carolyn G., Events, Food Fiends, Photos, Student Perspective, Video, Videos
Author: John Mosley, C’14
Today, for the second to last time, I began finals week. Like everyone else here on campus, sleepless nights, endless papers, and drone-like cram sessions plague me. I never feel more on edge or ready to implode than on finals week. But…boy am I going to miss it. I love to learn and I love to prove that I understand what I have learned. These feelings of exhaustion, being overwhelmed, and borderline insanity are totally exhilarating to me. Overnight study sessions at Van Pelt are a natural occurrence for me in later December and early May. Also, somehow, knowing that this is one of the last round of finals I will take as an undergraduate at Penn, finals week has shown me just how much I will miss Penn.
Yes, this seems to be the theme my blogs will follow as my senior year continues to sprint towards commencement. I am really, really going to miss being a Penn undergrad. No matter how loudly I curse my professors this week, and no matter how many times I slam down a book in frustration, I rest easy knowing how fulfilling my time here has been. I have expanded not only my general knowledge, but also my ability to learn with an open mind and my ability to articulate my beliefs. And for these things, I can thank the hellacious rounds of finals Penn has thrust upon me. So, to any fellow undergrads or even potential students reading this blog, I give my sole piece of advice: Relish finals. Study as hard as you can and put as much effort as possible into this week. It will only make you a stronger intellectual and learner. Now, I’m off to read scholarly articles until my eyes bleed…
Filed under Campus Life, John Mosley, Student Perspective
Author: Rachel Stewart, C’16
It’s that time of year again: Christmas songs are on a never-ending loop in CVS, I’m bombarded with hourly emails from Crate and Barrel and Lord & Taylor about holiday sales, and… finals are rapidly approaching.
The end of the semester is always a rush, but I think it’s important to take some time and appreciate what we’ve already accomplished so far. Here are some relaxation/indulgence techniques that my friends and I have picked up:
1) Baking. Nothing is better than a freshly baked batch of cookies, or the smell of gingersnaps filling your apartment. Although I can never make them quite as good as my mom does, they’re a comforting treat on a long night of studying.
2) Secret Santa! I love Secret Santa because it makes me feel like a ten-year old again. Presents! Secrets! A guessing game! And at the great “unveiling” party, even more food and time with friends.
3) Calling my mom. It’s nice to hear how everything at home is going, if my mom’s found a gift for my dad yet, and what she’s up to this weekend. After intense hours of studying locked in Van Pelt, talking with my mom is a reminder that life exists outside of the Penn bubble.
4) Speaking of the Penn bubble… Go off campus. Mid-afternoon walks to Rittenhouse Square are relaxing and good exercise. On Saturday mornings, I love grabbing a cup of coffee and window shopping, and not letting exams or papers or projects crowd my thoughts. It’s also a nice opportunity to interact with people who haven’t been studying fourteen hours a day for the past three days.
5) Watching Netflix. Yes, TV bingeing has been recently condemned in popular media, but I think it’s a great reward at the end of a study session. Letting your mind wonder through an episode of Mad Men is probably my favorite form of late night relaxation (with a cookie in hand, of course).
So, from Quakers who are in the midst of their first finals experience, to those who are seasoned veterans… Good luck! And have a good break.
Filed under Campus Life, Rachel S., Student Perspective
Frankly Penn 