Category Archives: Stephanie Y.

June 7, 2011 · 2:58 pm

PennMOVES Turned Trash into Treasures

Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08

This past Saturday, I volunteered for the morning shift at PennMOVES. The goal of PennMOVES is to help Penn students find a home for items they can’t take with them when they leave campus at the end of the school year. The program does this in a way that is socially responsible and environmentally aware. PennMOVES collects usable items, such as clothes, furniture, kitchen gear, and non-perishable food items in order to help West Philadelphians and other nearby communities in need. This year, Penn collaborated with Goodwill Industries, and all of the proceeds from the sale went to support Goodwill’s local job training programs. Since its inception in 2008, PennMOVES has collected close to 300,000 pounds of items. Imagine all that stuff in a landfill!

The sale was scheduled to begin at 10:00AM. Admission was free, but bargain hunters could pay a $5 early bird admission fee to get in between 8:00AM and 10:00AM. I arrived at 7:15AM for my 7:30AM shift, and shoppers were already lined up outside with their personal shopping carts.

At 8:10AM, we started to see some activity, but not much was happening in the checkout line (AKA my post).

A Quiet Start

By 8:36AM, it was packed.

Full House

This was the 4th year of PennMOVES. I volunteered two years ago when the sale was at the Penn Ice Rink, but this year, the sale was moved to a warehouse at 3401 Grays Ferry Avenue. Initially, I was skeptical about this new location because the Penn Ice Rink is huge and is in such a convenient location for staff, volunteers, and shoppers. However, as soon as I showed up at 3401 Grays Ferry, I knew the move was genius. One major improvement was the addition of a clothing room. The organizers did such a great job sorting all of the clothing. The room looked like it could be a real store.

The left side of the clothing room

Right side of clothing room

By 10:45AM, the main room had almost cleared out. I couldn’t believe how many items had already sold.

Quiet Once Again

I can’t wait to find out how much money PennMOVES raised for Goodwill. It’s never easy waking up early on a Saturday morning, but it was worth it to see all the happy faces leaving the sale and to see items quickly disappear from the warehouse. PennMOVES turned trash into treasures and helped the community and the environment at the same time. Now that’s what I call shopping for a great cause.

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May 24, 2011 · 2:19 pm

Penn Buttons

Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08

Alumni Weekend 2011 was a huge success! The rain held off for Saturday’s parade, and I partied the night away at the Class of 1971’s 40th reunion. I even set a personal record on Saturday: between the picnic, Taste of Penn, and the 40th reunion, I ate five types of mac ‘n cheese that day. All-around success!

As I toted around my blue and red Penn Alumni bag, I started collecting Penn Alumni buttons around campus. First, I got the “I Met My Best Friend at Penn” button. Since their debut, the “I Met My…” buttons have been a huge hit with the alumni. Everyone met a best friend at Penn, right? (Great idea, Elizabeth!)

Best Friend Button

I received two more buttons at the Penn Admissions Open House: a Button button (you know, the Button in front of Van Pelt-Dietrich Library) and a University of Pennsylvania Alumni Representative button. I started pinning the buttons to my name tag lanyard until I decided I would look silly with three buttons hanging around my neck (this coming from the same person who wore the Locust Walk Homecoming Run medal during all of Homecoming Weekend 2010. What can I say – I bleed red and blue, and I love medals). On Saturday, I picked up a Proud Penn Donor button at the picnic on Hill Field. Button count up to four.

Button Collection to Date

Now that Alumni Weekend is over, I need a creative way to display all of my Penn buttons. Any suggestions?

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May 10, 2011 · 3:38 pm

The Broad Street Run + Penn Pride

Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08

This was my first year running the 10-mile Broad Street Run. I arrived at Broad and Locust at 6:30 AM, and the street was completely deserted. Less than 12 hours ago, the street had been packed for the PIFA Street Fair.

Broad Street and City Hall at 6:30am before the Broad Street Run

Broad Street (looking southbound) at 6:30 AM before the Broad Street Run

I started the race with two of my friends, who happen to both be Penn alumni. Shortly after the starting line, we spotted Mayor Michael Nutter (W’79) on the sidelines. He was high-fiving all the runners who ran past him. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to give him a high five because I high-fived him at the beginning of the Philadelphia Rothman 8K back in November 2010. My friends and I were pumped, and we were ready to conquer 10 miles.

The Starting Line

The entire run is relatively flat (I don’t care what other people tell you – the course is NOT downhill), so we could see City Hall for the first half of the race. As we ran past Temple University, I wished the course included a loop around Penn’s campus. Before I knew it, we were already at streets I recognized: Girard, Spring Garden, and Vine. I couldn’t believe we were halfway done.

We rounded City Hall and started running down Avenue of the Arts. So far, so good. We passed The Union League of Philadelphia, The Bellevue, and The Academy of Music. There was a water station coming up around Mile 6 near The Kimmel Center, so I wasn’t surprised to see a group of people running towards the right side of the street. Then I realized Former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell (C’65) was high-fiving runners! He was wearing a blue track suit, much like the one shown in the photo (though the picture below is from the 2007 run). I was so excited about being halfway done with the run that I sprinted towards Governor Rendell to give him a high-five. As I high-fived him, I yelled, “Go Penn Alumni!” He probably didn’t hear me, but at least he was smiling.

Former Governor Ed Rendell (C65) high-fiving runners (Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwightevans/486502294/)

I finished the run 12 minutes faster than the time I signed up for, and I high-fived two of Philadelphia’s great leaders and notable Penn alumni. Success all around! I hope to see Mayor Nutter and Governor Rendell at the starting line when I run the Philadelphia Half-Marathon in November. On second thought, maybe they should stand at mile 13, so I get a surge of Penn Pride to get me through that last 0.1 mile.

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April 26, 2011 · 2:51 pm

New Eats on Penn’s Campus

Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08

May is quickly approaching, which means Alumni Weekend is right around the corner! Young alumni are always asking me why they should come back to campus for Alumni Weekend. They still keep in touch with classmates because they only recently graduated, and they most likely just came to campus during Homecoming last fall. First, I tell them about all the great events planned for Alumni Weekend, starting with the 3 P’s: parade, picnic, and parties! Then, I gush about the new restaurants and food trucks they have to try. Here are some of my new favorite food places at Penn:

Tyson Bee's Food Truck

Come back to Penn for Alumni Weekend and let us know what your favorite eats are!

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April 12, 2011 · 9:02 am

The Many Paths from a Penn Education

Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08

Have you ever heard someone talk about their job or career, and think, “Wow, that’s so interesting. I wish I could do that.” I get that feeling every time I attend a Penn Alumni speaker series event. I hear Penn’s Men’s Basketball Head Coach Jerome Allen (W’09) speak and I think, “I should have played more sports.” I hear Kristin Haskins Simms (C’93), a contestant on Project Runway’s Season 8, speak and I think, “I should really learn how to sew, or at least finish my knitting project.” The great thing about meeting Penn alumni is you realize a Penn education can lead to a successful career in any field – let it be athletics or fashion design.

Waiting for Superman movie poster

A few weeks ago,  I attended “No More Waiting: Remaking Urban Education Today, a conversation with Charles B. Adams, W’91.” The event was hosted by Penn’s Multicultural Outreach in conjunction with the Center for Africana Studies. Charles B. Adams is Head of The SEED School of Washington, D.C., and he is featured in the award-winning documentary, Waiting for Superman. He spoke about his experiences at Penn, where he studied marketing, his short-lived law career (he went to law school but never practiced law), and how he got into teaching. When the event ended, I asked Mr. Adams how Penn alumni can get involved in education to make an impact in their communities. He suggested tutoring students and providing meeting space where students can practice giving presentations in professional settings.

Penn alumni are incredibly inspiring, and it is always so nice to hear them talk about why they came to Penn and how their experiences at Penn paved the way for their successful career. They give great advice to current students and alumni who are interested in their field, and they remind us all why it is so special to be a member of the Penn community. Keep an eye out for future speaker series events. You will most likely see me there.

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Filed under Alumni Programming, Events, Multicultural Outreach, Stephanie Y.