Category Archives: Casey R.

November 29, 2012 · 7:29 pm

My Top Ten Penn List: Bookstore Gifts for the Holidays 2012 Update

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

While online starting to fill orders on my own holiday “nice” or “naughty” list, I was listening to NBC’s Christmas in Rockefeller Center. The show opened with Maria Carey singing her 1994 hit, “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” The song came out the November of my senior year at Penn; I got all nostalgic for those wintery college breaks long ago with my family; knowing that those visits would become less frequent and oh too precious once I graduated and was off on my own.

Now that the 2012 holiday season is in full swing, it’s again time to share memories with loved ones and friends and to shop for presents.  As a poor college student, I could go to Steve and Barry’s and find some incredible Penn items to give as gifts. In our connected world of today, as I posted about last year, we have the Penn Bookstore to assist us in doing the shopping.

Here is my updated list of “Penn Stuff” that make great holiday gifts.

10. Penn College Vineyard Vines Tie for $65.00

While ties tend to be a traditionally male gift, for the men and women with panache, this one, dotted with the Penn shield and Dolphin makes an excellent gift.

9. Penn Pet Bandana for $7.98

Who says that Penn Pride should be limited to people? Make your cat or dog a Proud Penn Pet for the holidays.

8. Penn Metal Water Bottle for $17.98

Last year, I promoted the Penn Hydro Nalgene Bottle to be green and health-conscience. Now you can chose either a metallic blue or metallic red water bottle to hike with Penn Pride.

7. Penn Under Armour Celciis Full Zip Jacket (for men) for $109.98 or Under Armour Women’s Capture Half Zip for $64.98

These Penn performance apparel pieces will be great for the gym-goer or the soon to be gym-goer (New Year’s Eve and its resolutions will be here before we know it.)

6. Penn Quakers Legacy Adjustable Hat for $19.98

It seems that everyone loves a baseball cap! Always good for showing off your Penn pride at football games, basketball games or even family reunions with other Ivy graduates in attendance.

5. Penn All Acrylic Mug with Handle for $11.98

Some commutes are worse than others. However, armed with coffee or tea in your Penn travel mug, you have more reason to focus on Quaker and less one Fighting when stuck in traffic or on the train.

4. Penn Varisty BackSack for $35.98

Wouldn’t this be the perfect accessory, paired with either the Penn Under Armour Celciis Full Zip Jacket or the Under Armour Women’s Capture Half Zip?

3. Penn Adidas Knit Hat With Tassels for $17.98

All I have to say is: “OMG, this is too cute not to have!”

2. Penn Under Armour Impact Colorblock Polo (for men) for $64.98 or Penn Polo Ralph Lauren Women’s Big Pony Polo for $98.00

Though June is six-months away, help your favorite Penn alumnus or alumna to be fashionable for when casual Fridays are back in vogue this summer.

1. Penn Topsox Cozy Sock for $9.98

No matter what your budget, these fun Penn socks are great year round.

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November 22, 2012 · 9:49 am

Locust Walk Talk: A Tale of Two Cities – Dick Polman and the Election

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

As Dickens’s tale of London and Paris was set along a backdrop of political upheaval, our tour with Dick Polman was set against the political grumblings in the US.  With only a few weeks before the election and sandwiching the last president debate, Dick visited the UK and France to meet with our Penn alumni and friends to talk about who would win the election.

“Who Will Win… & Why?”

You’ll have to take this with a grain of salt since I’m reporting after the election, but I do have over 60 alumni and friends in the UK and France who will vouch for me. Dick analyzed the first two debates (and by Paris the third) and concluded that this upcoming election has many very similar characteristics to Bush W’s re-election against Kerry: a match up with an incumbent President with lowering approval ratings against a Massachusetts politician who is portrayed as an elitist and as out of touch with the American public.  Therefore he was willing to make the prediction that Obama would win, but he wouldn’t win the popular vote with as large of a margin as the first time.

Dick focused his discussion about the importance of the swing states.  The candidates’ battle for Ohio, Colorado, Virginia and even New Hampshire was telling about the newer nature of campaigning. In contract, Nixon campaigned in all states when he ran and now for our two candidates of 2012 it was all an all-out assault on Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Penn Alumni enjoying cocktails before the discussion.

The meat of the conversation was the questions from the audience.  While I was at the events, I tried, in 140 characters or less, to tweet some of the questions and some pictures from the evening to share with the Penn Alumni world at large.

If you are interested in getting updates from events that I attended, please feel free to follow me at www.twitter.com/CaseyJamesR.  While I was running the logistics for the event, I was able to send off a few tweets about the conversation.  Please note that my commentary in italics are from my recollection and only represent my memory of the event and not necessarily that actual comments of Dick Polman.

The Shard (a.k.a. the London Bridge Tower)

London:

Oct 22, 7:51pm: In #London with @Pennalumni in the UK for Dick Polman talking about the presidential race ow.ly/i/1337b #GOP #DEM

Oct 22, 8:22pm: Question to Dick Polman from @Pennalumni Would the #GOP position on #immigration make #Texas & #Arizona go Purple? #DEM

(DP addressed that the urban centers in Texas and Arizona definitely vote Democratic but they are small population centers relative to the exurbs and rural areas)

Parliament at night

Oct 22, 8:50pm: Question to Dick Polman from @Pennalumni Since you like to predict; who will win in 2016? (DP says Obama in 2012) #GOP #DEM

(DP declined to make a prediction that far in advance, but offered to return to Europe in 4 years to answer that question.)

Oct 22, 8:36pm: Question to Dick Polman from @Pennalumni Will issues like abortion & healthcare still be on the table in 2016? #GOP #DEM

(DP believes that the policies on abortion and healthcare will not be charged by Congress in the future, so they may still be used as part of the political platform but they will not really be effectively altered in the next few years.)

The Palais du Tokyo in the 16e arrondissement

Paris:

Oct 23, 6:57pm: reminds those @Pennalumni in London and Paris (and beyond) to visit Dick Polman’s blog whyy.org/polman

Oct 23, 7:04pm: In #Paris with @Pennalumni & Polman explains why incumbents don’t do well in their 1st debate. It’s their day job #GOP #DEM

Oct 23, 7:36pm: Question to Dick Polman from @Pennalumni What are #GOP voters in CA & #DEM voters in TX do due to the Electoral College?

(DP shared with the crowd the many movements that have tried to abolish the Electoral College, but in short many of the small states (in terms of population) wouldn’t favor losing their 3 votes and those movements probably will never pass.)

A detail of la Tour Eiffel at night

Oct 23, 7:42pm: Question to Dick Polman from @Pennalumni With the debates over what’s the game changer in the 2 weeks until the election? #GOP #DEM

(DP couldn’t specify what any game changer would be, but anything could come up and shadow the election.)

In the few hours that I had free, I was able to get some shots of London and Paris to add to this entry for your viewing pleasure.

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October 16, 2012 · 4:59 pm

My Top Penn List: Looking forward to Homecoming 2012

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

We only have a few more days to register for Homecoming, and here is a list of the top 10 things I’m looking forward to, whether or not I actually have the time to get to all of them.  (I’ll be at the last three in my list with bells on! And I have a personal plug for my event that I’m organizing too.)

10. Regional Club Member Meet Up: Saturday 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Class of 1953 Lounge
E. Craig Sweeten Alumni House
3533 Locust Walk

The Global Alumni Network staff invites alumni club presidents, leaders, members, Second School Committee Chairs, and volunteers to stop in to meet each other before the great festivities during the weekend. At the meet up, we will celebrate the Alumni Club Award of Merit winner, Penn Club of San Antonio, and achievement winner, the Penn Club of San Diego. For questions, please e-mail Casey Ryan, C’95, at cjryan@upenn.edu.

9.  California Impressionism: Masters of Light: Friday 10 AM – 5 PM & Saturday 12 PM – 5 PM

Arthur Ross Gallery
Fisher Fine Arts Library
220 South 34th Street

California Impressionism: Masters of Light presents thirty-five paintings that illuminate the exceptional natural beauty of California and its rugged coastline. While some of these late 19th and early 20th century artists are renowned, other California artists remain unknown east of the Mississippi.

In 1874, when the First Impressionist exhibition was held in Paris, French critics derided it as radical art. By 1886 an exhibition of 300 French Impressionist paintings was held at the Durand-Ruel Gallery in New York. American audiences were enthralled and embraced the artists’ use of light, color and optics. Many American artists subsequently traveled to Paris to study the style and work “en plein air”, taking their easels outside, working directly after nature.

On loan from the Irvine Museum, works by Franz Bischoff, Colin Campbell Cooper, Anna Hills, Granville Redmond, and Guy Rose are included in the exhibition among others. A series of related programs and events is planned.

8. Student Film Shorts, Presented by the Penn Alumni Film Festival: Friday 5 PM – 6 PM

Claudia Cohen Hall, Terrace Room
249 South 36th Street

Whether you believe life imitates art or vice versa, there may be no better insight into the Penn experience of today than through these selected film shorts, each written, directed and produced by current Penn students. Join fellow alumni and students for a screening of five short films, ranging in genre from drama and documentary to animation and experimental. Space is limited; advance registration is encouraged.

7.  Du Bois College House Celebrates 40 Years: Saturday 4 PM – 6 PM

Du Bois College House
3900 Walnut Street

Please join us for a kick-off reception in recognition of the 40th Anniversary of the W.E.B. Du Bois College House. This gathering, co-sponsored with the Black Alumni Society, is the place to be immediately after the game if you lived in, attended events in, or visited friends in Du Bois during your time at Penn. Live music , refreshments, memories, and conversation are all on the agenda.  Award winning poet, spoken word artist, actor, and Penn alumnus Carlos Andres Gomez, C’04 will open the event. Please share photos from your time in Du Bois for an anniversary slideshow by e-mailing them to pcw2@upenn.edu.

6. Classes without Quizzes: Frank Furness and the Evolution of the Modern Library: Saturday 9:30 AM – 11 AM

Reading Room
Anne & Jerome Fisher Fine Arts Library
220 South 34th Street

Take advantage of this unique opportunity to spend 90 minutes in the Reading Room of the Frank Furness designed Anne & Jerome Fisher Fine Arts Library with three architectural historians and one practicing architect, all closely associated with Furness’s work. The discussion will focus on the ways that Furness’s design for the Fine Arts Library profoundly influenced modern library design. Participants include Dr. James F. O’Gorman, a leading architectural historian and author of The Architecture of Frank Furness; George E. Thomas, Gr’75, noted cultural historian and author of Building America’s First University: An Historical and Architectural Guide to the University of Pennsylvania; Henry Myerberg, C’76, founder of HMA2 architects with a specialty in library design; and William Whitaker, GAr’96, curator of the University of Pennsylvania’s Architectural Archives and the Kroiz Gallery. A continental breakfast will be provided starting at 9:00 AM and an optional tour of the Library will be available following the program. Space is limited; advance registration is encouraged.

This event is co-sponsored by Penn Alumni, PennDesign and Penn Libraries

5. The Philadelphia Film Festival presents FLIGHT, presented in collaboration with the Penn Alumni Film Festival: Saturday 7 PM – 10 PM

Zellerbach Theater
Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
3680 Walnut Street

Join fellow Penn alumni and the Philadelphia film community for a sneak preview of the film FLIGHT, starring Denzel Washington, John Goodman, and Don Cheadle. Presented on the closing night of the 21st Philadelphia Film Festival, this pre-release screening will be attended by the film’s director, Robert Zemeckis, the Academy Award-winning director of Forrest Gump and Cast Away. For more information about FLIGHT, visit http://www.paramount.com/flight. An additional $15 fee applies to this event. Advance registration is required.

4. The Blutt Band Slam: Saturday 4 PM – 6 PM

College Green
(Please note: in the case of inclement weather, this event will be cancelled.)

Following the football game, make your way back to College Green to cheer on Penn student and alumni musicians as they compete for cash prizes in the Blutt Band Slam. Channel your inner rockstar with kid-friendly activities while you enjoy performances by members of the Penn community. This event is made possible by the generosity of Mitchell Blutt, C’78, M’82, WG’87. For more information about the competition, visit www.alumni.upenn.edu/bluttbandslam.

3. 78th Annual Alumni Award of Merit Gala: Friday 6 PM – 10 PM

Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
3680 Walnut Street

Join fellow alumni, friends and guests for the 78th Annual Alumni Award of Merit Gala, honoring alumni who have demonstrated a deep commitment and undying passion to make Penn a leader in the academic community. Hosted by Penn Alumni President, Lee Spelman Doty, W’76, the event will recognize the outstanding achievements of the chosen alumni honorees, as well as the class and club award recipients. Board of Trustees Chair, David L. Cohen, L’81 and President Amy Gutmann invite all alumni to participate in this splendid occasion.

Alumni Award of Merit
Dale B. Bell, MT’81
Harve D. Hnatiuk, EE’74
Paul K. Kelly, C’62, WG’64
James J. Kim, W’59, G’61, Gr’63

Young Alumni Award
Brett E. Weinheimer, W’00
Melissa Wu, C’98

Creative Spirit Award
Jennifer C. Egan, C’85

Class Award of Merit
Class of 1992

David N. Tyre Award for Excellence in Class Communication
Class of 1967

Club Award of Merit
Penn Alumni Club of San Antonio

Additional Fee: $75 General Admission, $55 Young Alumni (2002-2012)

2. Penn Football: Homecoming Game vs. Brown: Saturday 1 PM

Franklin Field
235 South 33rd Street

Cheer on the Penn Quakers as they challenge the Brown Bears in this Homecoming match-up on Franklin Field! General admission tickets are $15, or free with the purchase of a Blue Quaker Pass. Alumni in the class of 1962 and earlier will receive chairback tickets; all other seats are general admission.

1. QuakerFest:  Saturday 11 AM – 1 PM

College Green

Join fellow alumni to raise a toast to dear old Penn during this pre-game tailgate picnic. Enjoy kid-friendly activities and entertainment. Get Pennergized with performances by the band and other student groups!

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September 27, 2012 · 2:16 pm

Locust Walk Talk: Never Far Away from Penn

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

I was on vacation this September, going to Scotland and Wales, with my parents.  The idea of the trip started to form soon after my vacation with them to Ireland last year.  By June, my parents had purchased their flights into the UK via Manchester, and I sent my deposit along for the hotel rooms. Then, I needed to get my tickets to Europe.  I was planning to cash in some United Miles for the trip – all using the least amount of miles and dollar for airport and landing taxes – and I put together a trip from Newark to Manchester via Stockholm and a return trip from Dublin to Philadelphia via Boston.  I needed to buy a flight from Manchester to Dublin separately. In the end, I had one funky itinerary. However, in total, my tickets cost about $130 in fees and 60,000 frequent flyer miles. That’s the beauty of travel – what you lose in succinctness, you gain in adventure.

The ship, Vasa, in the Vasamuseet – Stockholm, Sweden.

Two weeks before my trip, an invitation to an event in Greece triggers an e-mail from Athenian alumna who has relocated to Stockholm.  She wanted to know how to start a club. Since I had a long layover at Aranda, I thought that I should at least meet her while I was in transit  (you never take a vacation from alumni relations; you just don’t answer e-mails as quickly).

Manchester City Hall – Manchester, England.

We had a lovely breakfast meeting, taking in the Swedish cinnamon rolls, kanelbullar, with coffee. We talked about the over 100 alumni in Sweden and over 50 in the greater Stockholm metropolitan area. We shared ideas about how to reach out to them and what might be of interest to the regional Penn alumni. I gave Stephanie a bag of Penn goodies to sample with her follow alumni in the city when she had her first gathering. We also talked about the Olympics, since I had mentioned that I wanted to see the Stadium from the 1912 Games.  She suggested where to go to see some of the very Swedish sites.  I ended up choosing the Vasamuseet, the Stadion and the Stadshus, and Stephanie walked me down to the Vasa Museum for an impromptu tour.

Edinburgh Castle, prepped for the Tattoo which ended a few day prior – Edinburgh, Scotland.

After Sweden, my itinerary took me to Manchester, Edinburgh, Inverness and Glasgow.  I visited the Manchester Art Gallery, the Royal Mile, Loch Ness – looking for Nessie, Urquhart Castle and the Lighthouse.  On my second morning in Glasgow, I join my parents for a Scottish Breakfast – complete with haggis.  I wore a Penn shirt and I didn’t realize it until one of our fellow diners asked if any of us were connected to Penn. For those who don’t know, my brother and I went to Penn undergraduate and my mother took classes and works for the Health System.  So, we all proudly owned up to being a Penn family (my dad chimed in that he was proud to sign the checks for my tuition).

The Glasgow Cenotaph and City Chambers at night – Glasgow, Scotland.

Maureen had just been in Philadelphia about two weeks prior dropping off her daughter for her first year at Penn – living in Harrison College House.  She was excited for her daughter and was looking forward to getting engaged in all that Penn has to offer parents.  In finding out that Maureen lives in Phoenix, I gave her my business card and let her know that there is a Penn and Wharton Club of Arizona located in Phoenix that welcomes the parents of Penn students.  As I said, you never take a vacation from alumni relations.

My dad and I in front of the Norman fortifications within the grounds of Cardiff Castle – Cardiff, Wales.

My trip continued via England into Wales, with stops in Llandudno, Cardiff, then back to Manchester and finally Dublin.  After a busy trip, I landed in Boston and walked into Logan. There, I met up with Melissa Wu, C’99, member of the Penn Alumni Regional Club Advisory Board.  We had found each other through Foursquare and Twitter. We spent just a few moments catching up before I had to run and change terminals for my trip back to Philadelphia.  We bid farewell, promising to reconnect at Homecoming.

Monument of Light (a. k. a. Spire of Dublin) as seen from Mary Street Shopping area – Dublin, Ireland.

Exhausted, I poured myself into my seat on the airplane and relived the fantastic trip in my mind – noting how many amazing Penn people I met along the way.

The dusk sky at Logan Airport – Boston, MA.

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August 30, 2012 · 2:32 pm

My Top Penn List: Student Perspectives of Penn

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

Today is the Penn Traditions Move-In Lunch behind Sweeten.  Parents, proud of their kids, are spending the last possible moments together before they return for home.  They are bidding their freshman children adieu until Fall Break, Parents Weekend, Thanksgiving, or,  for some, the end of the semester. In the meantime, the students will return to their dorm room to negotiate who will take which bed, to discuss their studying habits and to learn more about this stranger cum friend whom they’ve been paired.

With the start of the academic year upon us, this inspired me to share with you my favorite student perspective blog entries from the last year, written by our Sweeten House student workers.

10. CBI? – Jonathan Cousins, Eng’14

I was amused that to this day students mock Penn’s affinity for acronyms, however in the daily life of students, one can be stumped by the appearance of a new one.  CBI is the College Basketball Invitational, a postseason tournament in which Penn competed last year.

9. My Life as a (Pretend) Wharton Student – Kayleigh Smoot, C’13

One of our work study students, majoring in psychology, made a commitment to take Wharton classes during her time on campus.

8. Top 4 Things I’m Looking Forward to Next Semester – Jonathan Cousins, Eng’14

I enjoyed this anticipatory look at the then upcoming Spring 2012 semester, full of sports, social activities and Fling!

7. State of the (Union?) School – Dan Bernick, C‘14

The first of three of Dan’s blog entries on the list, this blog focuses on student government at Penn and the State of the School in which the six branches of Penn Student Government to discuss their accomplishments and plans for the year ahead.

6. Midwestern charm meets the Ben Franklin Bridge: A Chicago Girl in Philly – Mari Meyer, GEd’12

I was charmed (pun intended) by our graduate intern’s take on her time in Philadelphia and how she drew comfortable parallels with her beloved Chicago.

5. Penn vs. Yale – The Trials of a Quaker Fan – Dan Bernick, C’14

Outside of coursework and learning, the drama of our Penn sports team provide some of the need escape from the stresses on campus.  Though we all know how this game ended, it’s still the hope of a fan that his or her team will succeed and that’s what keeps him or her coming back.

4. Fall at Penn – Sabrina Shyn, C’13

Sabrina’s photo blog entries are always poignant moments of Penn still life, and just in time for fall, I wanted to share this photo entries on my list.

3. September at Penn – Dan Bernick, SAS ’14

To balance out Jonathan’s wishful blog for the future, I wanted to share Dan’s happy reminiscent blog about a charming first month at Penn.

2. Eine schöne Sprache – John Mosley, C’14

As a linguistics major, I am always proud of students who absolutely love learning a language here at Penn, especially where there are so many different ones available to study!

1. To Sleep or Not to Sleep? – Christine Uyemera, C ’13

“To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub.” In this Hamlet allusion titled entry, Christine tackled the question student asked themselves universally in a humorous take on how the sleep deprived cope.

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August 22, 2012 · 8:06 pm

Locust Walk Talk: Book Club

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

As a member of the Class of 1995, I am part of the inaugural Penn Reading Project (PRP) class. During the summer of 1991, I received a book in mail from Penn and I put it aside to save as the reading for my flight to San Francisco for our “last family vacation” before I left for college.  After settling into my seat for the transcontinental flight, I opened the envelope which revealed The Bacchae by Euripides.

Image

This Greek tragedy, based on the mythological story of King Pentheus of Thebes and his mother Agauë, whom god Dionysus punished for their refusal to worship him, was to be our class’s first shared educational experience in college.  This common experience did, in fact, resonate with us.  We incorporated the Greek theme into our 15th reunion party.

Image

The Class of 95’s Greek Bacchanalia 15th reunion

Now in its 21st year, the PRP returned to its roots with Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley as this year’s book.  Since 2007, The Penn Reading Project has been incorporated as part of the larger Academic Theme of the year.  This initiative is sponsored by the Provost’s office to develop a series of year-long events around a theme chosen by faculty, staff and students.  This year’s theme is the Year of Proof, which charges us to investigate how we know that what we know is true and discover our search for proof.

Image

As a nice professional development exercise, we in Sweeten attended our own private PRP discussion group at lunch.  Several of us on staff have read Doubt and eagerly talked about the play framed within the structure of the students’ PRP discussions which are facilitated by a faculty or staff member.  Our own Lisa Vaccarelli, C’02, GED’10, Director, Alumni Education, Alumni Travel & Career Networking, moderated our talk – pushing us to address both absolute proof and the varying degrees of doubt with working in tandem can either distort or illuminate the truth.

Lisa provided us with some questions in advance:

•             Did you like any of the characters in the play? If so, did your personal feelings for this character change in the course of the story?  Why?

•             Did you identify with any character in the film? If so, with whom and why? If not, why not?

•             Father Flynn said, “The truth makes for a bad sermon. It tends to be confusing and have no clear conclusion.” What do you think he meant by this? Do you agree with him?

•             Sister Aloysius remarked to Sister James, “In the pursuit of wrongdoing, one steps away from God.” What do you think she meant by this? Do you agree?

As well as creating questions on the fly:

•             In reference to the opening sermon, how is doubt isolating?  Unifying?

•             Who are the moral guardian’s in our society?

•             The subtitle for the play is “Doubt: A parable”.  How is the play a parable?

The conversation was heated and passionate; it encouraged about twenty of us to analyze and articulate our own beliefs on the actions in the play. It was invigorating to have such an exchange among a group of well-read colleagues.

Hopefully, this little exercise in our office may inspire you to seek out the current and former PRP books to add to your reading list. Or, if you are a class, club, diversity alliance leader or alumni volunteer, feel free to work with us in Alumni Relations to vet the ideas of how you can host a small book club and discussion group event for your fellow alumni on your own.

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July 25, 2012 · 9:37 am

My Top Penn List: Ten to Penn Redux

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

Last year, I wrote an entry of My Top Penn List about my daily commute to Penn in ten pictures in celebration of Penn Park.  This year, I have moved and I live in University City now, specifically Spruce Hill. I’m living 1½ blocks from where I ended my undergraduate experience and things have certainly changed in 17 years.

Most of my daily commute to work now includes US 13, a north–south highway established in 1926 that runs for 517 miles between Fayetteville, NC and Morrisville, PA. You may know the route on campus as Baltimore Avenue or for the engineering marvel, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, which carries the road between the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Hampton Roads.

10.

Just a few steps out from my door is the wonderful organic market, Milk and Honey. As you can see, they serve La Colombe coffee – which is a godsend in the morning.

9.

The neighborhood is verdant. Look at this impressive tree and the hydrangea.

8.

Welcome to Historic Clark Park. This place is a site of many outdoor plays, farmers markets, ultimate Frisbee games, and home to one of only two statues of Charles Dickens in the world.

7.

The Green Line Café, another eatery along the way to work. They serve hot and cold fair trade coffee to the uncaffeinated. (See Baltimore Avenue signed as US 13.)

6.

The #34 trolley runs up and down Baltimore Avenue, and when the trolleys divert from the 40th Street portal they turn up 42nd Street. This really hasn’t changed much over the years.

5.

The Philadelphia Veterans Comfort House provides services for veterans while they undergo treatment for serious health issues at the VA hospital – like the Ronald McDonald House in our neighborhood, but for those who served our country.

4.

The 40th Street Portal, where all but one of the subway-surface trolleys come up from underground. Beyond is the Woodlands Cemetery, where notable people like artist Thomas Eakins, Joseph A. Campbell – founder of Campbell Soup and many members of the Drexel family are buried.

3.

Across the way from the 40th Street Portal, Harrison College House (a.k.a. High Rise South) pops into view.

2.

At 40th Street, you can behold the meeting of three impressive heath care institutions: the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center (VA Hospital).

1.

The first Penn sign on my walk to work – along a stretch of Woodland Walk, announcing the Southwestern pedestrian entrance to campus. The School of Veterinary Medicine stands ahead of me. As before, I’m ready to start the workday and I check in on foursquare to see if I remain the Mayor of the University of Pennsylvania.

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June 27, 2012 · 6:44 pm

Locust Walk Talk: Dartmouth College

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

I’m going to take a different angle for Locust Walk Talk this week and share with you what we Alumni Relations professionals do to hone our craft. Annually, the Alumni Relations groups of the 8 Ivy League Universities as well as MIT and Stanford gather for the Ivy Plus Alumni Relations Conference, or Ivy+ for short.  This year, the conference was hosted by Dartmouth College.

Baker Library, quintessential Dartmouth

Nestled in the town of Hanover, NH, Dartmouth College sits as an idyllic institution of higher education. So perfect is the image, Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953 said “this is what a college is supposed to look like.” It is quite charming and, if Penn didn’t exist, I would agree with Eisenhower (for the record, I think that Brown, Cornell, Columbia, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Stanford and Yale are all what college is supposed to look like.)

Dartmouth Hall, the original college building

The Dartmouth Alumni Relations staff dazzled us with their school pride and shared with us their traditions like the Dartmouth Outing Club First-Year Trips, the Salty Dog Rag, the Winter Carnival, and Homecoming.  From D-Term to Animal House, from Sophomore Summer to Occom Pond, we were taken on a crash course of all that is Dartmouth.  By the end, several of us were seeing green – Dartmouth Green.

Christine Tempesta, Director, Strategic Initiatives, delivering her TEDx-style speech (note the ice sculpture of a beaver – MIT’s mascot)

Each of us found our specific conference track – focused on our area of expertise, including Affinity Groups and Shared Interest Groups; Alumni Education and Travel; Classes and Reunions; Clubs and Regional Associations; Marketing, Communications and Technology; Student and Young Alumni Programs; and Volunteer Management and Alumni Boards.  In these sessions, we discussed best practices and shared success stories that we can hopefully adapt at our home University. The intent is that when we return to our campus, we follow up and continue the conversations started at Ivy+.

Vijay addressing the Ivy+ crowd

Outside of our tracks of expertise, we had daily plenary sessions. Two of these featured Christopher Trimble, adjunct professor of Business Administration and Vijay Govindarajan, the Earl C. Daum 1924 Professor of International Business, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College – the authors of The Other Side of Innovation.  During Ivy+, their discussions were based on our pre-conference reading (a.k.a. homework), How Stella Saved The Farm: A Wild and Woolly Tale About Making Innovation Happen, a fable based on their business best-seller. The discussions revolved around how to change the way we think about the planning for the future (where will the firm be in 20 years and what products or services will being the firm there) and addressing the need of mutual respect for the business’s production engine and its innovation team (both of which will be in conflict with each other).

The Tower Room, in Baker Library – the statue is a tribute to the original mission of the College

The other plenary discussion was from fellow Pennsylvanian, Peter Post, C’72, Director, The Emily Post Institute who discussed the etiquette of tough situations.  Peter annually comes to Dartmouth during their sophomore summer for a lunch which pairs the current sophomore class (the Class of 2015) with the matching 50th reunion class (the Class of 1965). The lunch is a wonderful opportunity for the two classes to make connections and discover each others class, while learning (or refreshing) their table etiquette. For us, though, Peter focused on what the contemporary meaning of etiquette is while being true to his great-grandmother’s mission: etiquette is the relationship between two people that is respectful, considerate, and based in honest. In remembering these three tenets, Peter assured us that we would have proper etiquette in the business world. He finished his talk with some role play to manage some of the most challenging interactions in today’s social world.

The Steam Tunnel Tour ( (picture from the Ivy+ Facebook page)

We talked shop, but we had fun too. On Wednesday, we had the options of a tour of the Hood Museum of Art for the show – Nature Transformed: Edward Burynsky’s Vermont Quarry Photographs in Context, a walking tour of campus led by Dartmouth sophomores or underground steam tunnel tour.  On Thursday, we had a Dr. Seuss-themed Oh, the Places You’ll Go! excursion (Theodor Seuss Geisel is a Dartmouth Class of 1925 alumnus), which mirrored the Dartmouth Outing Club First-Year Trips, to the Connecticut River for either canoeing or kayaking, to King Arthur Flour Store and Bakery, to Simon Pearce – glassblowing and pottery studio, to a guided hike along the Connecticut, to the Hood Museum for the presentation “Ancient Art, New Media: Bringing the Past to Life,” or to the Harpoon Brewery. I opted for Harpoon.

I am enjoying my excursion

At the end of the three days, the conference ended with a handful of TEDx-styled talks from our peers, including our own Elise Betz. They were charming, informative, evocative and emotional.  The motivational chats moved the audience and summarized the amazing experience of getting to spend 3 days with our Ivy+ peers, sharing our skills, brainstorming ideas and meeting such impressive people who love their alma mater! Ending on a high note, we announced that Penn would be hosting Ivy+ in 2013. It’s a lot of work, but we’re looking forward to it.

For your information, Peter Post’s guidelines for good business etiquette

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June 6, 2012 · 9:00 am

My Top Penn List: How I Will Spend My Summer Vacation.

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

I can’t believe that we’ve celebrated another Alumni Weekend and we’ve enjoyed a well-earned Memorial Day vacation. It is now summertime in Philadelphia. Though school may be the furthest thing from your mind, here are some interesting Penn and West Philadelphia events that can still keep you engaged all summer long.  For the up-to-date calendar of events, please visit the Penn Current’s Featured Events Calendar.

1. Relieve Stress in the Beauty of the Arboretum

June 7: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

In the “Relieving Stress for Health and Well-Being” class, learn easy and effective bodywork and other healing tricks to relieve day-to-day stress and strain, from headaches to heartburn. Members: $40, non-members: $50.

Morris Arboretum, 100 E. Northwestern Ave.

Info: 215-247-5777 or www.morrisarboretum.org.

2. Hike the Delaware Water Gap

June 16: 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM

Join Penn Rec for a Pinnacle Day Hike. Climb up the Tammany Ridge through a lush forest of rock Oak, eastern red cedar, rhododendrons, and blueberries until you reach the famous Appalachian Trail. An hour or two of active hiking is rewarded with rest or further exploration by a beautiful high mountain lake, Sunfish Pond, with expansive views of the Delaware National Recreation Area. Once on top of the ridge, the rest is mostly downhill, but full of beautiful scenery and the chance to spot some thrilling wildlife. Register in the Membership Office or online. Info: 215-898-6100 or www.upenn.edu/recreation/. Members $35; non-members $45.

3. Meet a Debuting Author

June 21: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Christopher Beha discusses his debut novel, “What Happened to Sophie Wilder?” which explores faith, love, friendship, and the redemptive power of storytelling.

Penn Bookstore, 3601 Walnut St. Info: 215-898-7595 or www.upenn.edu/bookstore.

4. Discover More About Your Pet’s Health

June 28: 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Charles Vite, an assistant professor of neurology and neurosurgery at Penn Vet, discusses “Canine Epilepsy” for the Animal Lovers Lecture Series.
New Bolton Center, 382 West Street Road, Kennett Square, Pa. Info: 215-898-1480 or www.vet.upenn.edu.

Pre-registration is requested.

5. Take in a Film

July 7: 5:00 PM

International House presents :Directors in Focus: Nicholas Ray,” a filmmaker whose works include Johnny Guitar and Rebel Without A Cause. This bill features restored prints of We Can’t Go Home Again, Ray’s experimental masterpiece made with his students at SUNY-Binghamton, and Bigger than Life, which stars James Mason as a friendly, successful suburban father who is prescribed cortisone for a painful, possibly fatal affliction, and grows dangerously addicted to the experimental drug.

We Can’t Go Home Again screens at 5 PMN and Bigger Than Life screens at 7 PM at International House, 3701 Chestnut St. Info: 215-387-5125 or www.ihousephilly.org. $9, $7 students and seniors, free for members.

5. Tour Our Indigenous Trees

July 8: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Take a tour of the native trees at the Morris Arboretum and learn the many ways they can support increased biodiversity when planted in a variety of non-forest settings.

Morris Arboretum, 100 E. Northwestern Ave. Info: 215-247-5777 or www.morrisarboretum.org.

7. Dine Out in West Philly

July 12 through July 26

From big-name chefs such as Jose Garces to hidden gems like Elena’s Soul Lounge, University City has some of the best restaurants in Philadelphia. Dining Days is a two-week discount dinner pre-fixe special taking place at approximately 30 restaurants in the University City area. Participating eateries offer a three-course set menu for three set prices: $15, $25, or $30. For more information on Dining Days, including a complete list of participating restaurants, visit www.universitycity.org.

8. Listen to Singer-Songwriters

July 17: 8:00 PM

Eleni Mandell’s critically-acclaimed solo albums are characterized by her sultry, airy vocals, languid L.A. Noir persona, and sophisticated songwriting and arrangements. Her latest album is I Can See the Future.

World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St. Info: 215-222-1400 or www.worldcafelive.com. $10, $12.

9. Enjoy a Classic

July 22: 7:00 PM

In its eighth year of bringing free theater to the Greater Philadelphia area, Commonwealth Classics Theatre Company presents Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. Set in Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, “Our Town” uses minimal props and sets to tell the story of a small New England town between the years of 1901 and 1913. 7 PM at International House, 3701 Chestnut St. Info: 215-387-5125 or www.ihousephilly.org. Free admission. Presented in the courtyard; please bring chairs or blankets. Rain or shine.

10. Explore the Neighborhood

August 16: 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM

If you like browsing outdoors, check out the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Strolls. Every summer, more than a dozen participating University City businesses set up shop on their stoops and also offer $1 dining specials as part of Strolls. More than 2,000 people walk the streets, enjoying live music, street performances, and vendors. For more information on the Dollar Strolls, visit www.universitycity.org.

I hope to get to check off a few of these amazing events off my summer fun to do list and I hope you do, too.

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Filed under Alumni Perspective, Alumni Programming, Alumni Weekend, Casey R., Top Ten

May 28, 2012 · 1:03 pm

Locust Walk Talk: “…Our Land, Glorious and Free!”

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

My latest travels for Penn took me north to the wonderful city of Toronto for an event with Dean Furda in Admissions.  In conjunction with the Admissions Office’s “Introduction To Penn” program, the Penn and Wharton Club of Toronto had an event for their alumni to meet the Undergraduate Dean of Admissions.  As always, Eric Furda is a fantastic speaker and our alumni love to get the opportunity to hear from and speak with him.  However, the quiet star of the events was the location of the event.

Toronto, from the air.

As Penn moves forward on its own green initiatives, it was a pleasure to host an event at such an environmentally-aware locale – Evergreen Brick Works in the Don Valley, just east of Cabbagetown in Toronto. This dynamic green space started as collection of deteriorating buildings which originally formed the site of the Don Valley Brick Works, one of Canada’s pre-eminent brickyards, from its founding in 1889 to the 1980’s. Throughout its active years, more than 43 million bricks a year were manufactured for use in the construction of homes and buildings across Canada, including many of Toronto’s most prominent buildings like Old City Hall.

In the 1980s, the site was acquired for public use due to its geography – in the lower Don River Valley – and its heritage – a historic site in the growth of Canada.  However the environmental impact that the Brick Works had on its surroundings was severe.  Brick making takes a heavy toll on the land, air and residents.  Toxins and pollutants had seeped into the soil and muddled the water supply.  The City of Toronto and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority were responsible for the restoration and raised around $6 million to improve on the conditions in the quarry to share it with Torontonian as park and natural area.

CN Tower and Toronto, from the concrete parking lot.

Major work was done to contain the sites contaminations as well as freeing up soil and green area that we’re spared by pollution.  The current parking lot was constructed from concrete in order to contain contaminated subsurface soils and groundwater, which was a by-product of the industrial process of brick making. The nature of the parking lot prevents rainwater from infiltrating and becoming groundwater which would release the contaminants and it removes any human exposure to toxins.  On the other hand, area like the quarry were not affected by the contaminants and this area of the grounds was transformed into the gardens, green spaces and trails that are the hallmark of this venture.

This is has nothing to do with the story, but it’s one of Toronto’s best museums, the Royal Ontario Museum, and I wanted to give it a plug.

Today, the Evergreen Brick Works engages visitors through interactive workshops, community festivals and weekly farmers markets. In 2010, Evergreen Brick Works was named one of the top 10 geotourism destinations in the world by National Geographic.

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