Category Archives: Edna G

March 7, 2014 · 1:54 pm

Spring Break in Philadelphia!!

This will be my first time in my whole academic career that I’ve never gone home for Spring Break. I’m used to running away from the cold to sunny Las Vegas’s upper 60 degree. This year, I will be staying put. I’ve survived some crazy snow storms and my master’s comprehensive exam these past few weeks. Now, I’m crossing my fingers it doesn’t snow while I’m on spring break. Although it’s only a week, it feels like I have an enormous amount of time on my hands! What should I do to fill in that time? Sleep in? Order out? Watch Netflix non-stop? Ah, that’s what the weekends are for!

I’m debating where to go and what to check out in the city. I’ve recently received 2 free tickets to the Barnes Museum which I plan on exploring. I also have a curiosity to check out the Philadelphia Flower Show currently going on. Here’s a list of possible places I might go to:

Reading Terminal – what treasures does it hold?

The Penn Museum– it’s free for Penn students!

The Edgar Allan Poe House – I hear admission is free

The Liberty Bell Center – I figure this should be on my to do list

Love Park– It’s iconic. It’s as must.

The Philadelphia Zoo– taking a break from school work and watching animals be animals sound appealing

King of Prussia Mall– because a girl’s got to do some window shopping on a graduate school budget

Attend a Pacer’s game – because I can’t live in Philly without actually experiencing a sporting event

I’m also searching for the best cheesesteak hoagie in town. This might take some in depth research. Any suggestions would be great!

If anyone is attending NASPA’s (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education) Annual Conference in Baltimore on March 17-19^th please let me know. I would love to connect with Penn Alumni.

Count Down to Graduation: 71 Days!!!

February!

Author: Edna Gonzalez-Serrano, GED’15

Well the school year was slow to start with winter storms left and right. This week has been my second full week of classes and it’s already February?!! My comp exams are in 2 weeks, spring break is 4 weeks away, and graduation is 98 days away!!! I feel as if time is on super speed. Somewhere in the middle of all that time I have to get a job, pass my classes and do an independent study with Professor Marybeth Gasman. Wish me luck!

Here’s some photos from the opening of the Arch Building yesterday.

The food was delicious! But I had to wait in a looooooooong line to get a free sampler. Which was totally worth it! Authentic Mexican hot chocolate, brownies made with Mexican chocolate, fresh guacamole, fresh drinks!

And last but not least, First Toast for the Senior Class!!!

Yours truly was at the free prize wheel at the Constitution Center.

Hanging out with Ben and his fellow colleagues, waiting to party!

And taking in the view…

The holidays in Las Vegas…

Author: Edna Gonzalez-Serrano

After a very exhausting semester, which I call Semester 1.0. I flew out Dec. 21st to Las Vegas where the median temperature has been 50+ degrees! Goodbye winter coat, hello hoodies! I immediately had to prepare for family flying in from Mexico, adjusting to a new puppy, Barnaby, at home and finishing some last minute rewrites for my History of American Higher Education course. While everyone did last minute shopping and the radio played count downs of the top 2013 songs….I forced my to work on finishing the semester so I could enjoy Christmas! Pandora kept the Christmas spirit alive and well for me.

My motto was: Ready. Set. GOOO!!!

By tradition, Mexican families celebrate Christmas Eve dinner with family and friends. There after we attend midnight mass. This year all the yummy food had most of us passed out on the couch while we pretended to watch midnight mass broadcasted from the Vatican in Rome. Here are a few pictures of the many food selections we had:

Ponche: A traditional drink made out of guava, prunes, tamarind, raisins, sugar cane, and tejocote. Served warm and sometimes with a bit of rum in it. Usually drunk during Posadas or during Christmas Eve dinner.