Category Archives: Student Perspective

May 4, 2011 · 6:54 pm

A Real Penn Education

Author: Matt Gould, W’14

Whenever I have the opportunity to sit down with somebody new I ask them, “What do you want to accomplish while at Penn?”

I have a lot of faith in this question. It is tricky and frankly, I judge people based on their response.  In my eyes, there are multiple ways to answer the question correctly, there is only one to answer it incorrectly.

Way too often, people tell me that during their time at Penn, they hope to become knowledgeable in insert subject here.  Although I agree that at the end of our four years, we should have worked to earn a diploma, I feel that every student who believes their college experience is about that diploma is selling himself or herself short.

It is students like Megan Schoenberg and Genevieve Deutch who wanted something of their own and founded their own fraternity, Alpha Delta Phi Society at Penn or students like Chadwick Prichard who, outside of the classroom, designed his own Facebook app.

When I become a Penn alumnus, I don’t want to reminisce about what I learned in my finance courses, but rather I want to be able to look back and say, “I can’t believe I did that!” Knowledge and experience—that’s what makes a Penn education great.

P.S. My experiences at Penn includes cheering on our athletic teams to victory as the Quaker mascot…

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April 28, 2011 · 8:12 pm

Hey Day and the Final Toast: April 2011

Author: Lex Ruby Howe, C’07, GED’13

Penn students celebrated the 95th annual Hey Day yesterday, with the Class of 2012 advancing to “senior” status as the senior Class of 2011 were welcomed into the Penn Alumni community at the third annual Final Toast.

The Class of 2012 Processes Down Locust Walk

The Final Toast featured a beer-garden, food from Penn’s famous food trucks – Magic Carpet, Sugar Philly, and Guapo Taco by Jose Garces – as well as the Mask & Wig Band, the Bloomers Band, and DJ Rico.

Juniors and Seniors Converge

A special appearance by President Amy Gutmann made the event truly remarkable. Gutmann joined the Mask & Wig band on stage for a brilliant rendition of “Son of a Preacher Man.”

Final Toasters with Dr. Gutmann

Many on campus are calling this one of the cleanest and safest Hey Days they’ve seen in years – the tradition of celebration is coming back!

The Tradition Continues

You can view the latest photos from Hey Day here. Enjoy!

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April 27, 2011 · 9:05 am

Winning

Author: Dan Bernick, SAS ’14

I lost.  I ran for Vice President of the Undergraduate Assembly and lost. My team developed a platform, mobilized an army of supporters, and sent thousands of emails.  I spoke with hundreds of students and learned a ton about Penn.  But still, I lost.

I had poured my heart into the campaign.  The following week was tough, and I began to question my involvement with student government.

Fortunately, I cheered up enough to go out and support my favorite team (Penn!).  While I shouted myself hoarse for our women’s lacrosse team, someone sat down next to me.  It was Penn President Amy Gutmann, cheering twice as loud as any of us.  I soaked it all in: looking out I saw my team, fighting tooth and nail for the ball; looking left I saw my friends, covered head to toe in Red and Blue; looking right I saw my President, putting us to shame with her enthusiasm; and looking up I saw the clear sky, perfect weather for an amazing night.

That’s when it hit me: Only at Penn can you lose and still be a winner.  Not two weeks after the election, I was watching a lacrosse game with our extraordinary President, rooting for the Quakers and chatting about plans for next year.  Penn is where I want to be, what I want to do, and why I want to do it.

At the Lacrosse Game with President Amy Gutmann

I cannot wait for the fall!

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April 22, 2011 · 10:48 am

Fling Has Flung!

Author: Molly Sloss, SAS’14

That’s right, this past weekend was Penn’s most famous celebration—Spring Fling. The entire student body crowded the quad for fried Oreos and student performances. We flocked to Franklin Field to party with Fiasco and Flo Rida and on Sunday morning shared in the mournful act of putting our neon back in the closet.

Photo credit: The Daily Pennsylvanian

As a freshman, my first fling was certainly memorable. I got to wear my neon purple leggings without judgment for the first time. I took the weekend off from homework. But the most important thing about fling was that I was doing it with 10,000 other undergrads. This was the first time I’d seen Penn’s student body come together as a whole. The energy was inescapable.

There was a moment at the concert when I had to take my eyes off of Lupe Fiasco, and turn around. I looked behind me and saw 3 sections full of students, screaming an a capella version of “Superstar,” all waving their arms at the same time. All of us. Together. Of all the things we could be doing together, jammin’ to lupe fiasco isn’t the most impressive. But at that moment, I didn’t feel like a freshman, or an Urban Studies major, or a student in the College. I was just a Penn student, on equal ground with everyone else, partaking in possibly the most quintessential Quaker experience ever. And it felt fling-tastic.

Check out the fling-stivities video and slideshow to see for yourself!

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April 21, 2011 · 9:14 am

Every Step is for Owen

Rachel Marchand, C’12

April 26, 2010 will be a day that I will never forget.  I had just walked in to Van Pelt Library to escape the torrential downpour that was engulfing Philadelphia that day.  I had a 10-page final paper due the next day and had plenty of snacks from Wawa to get me through the long night that lie ahead.  Just as I was finishing my opening paragraph, my phone began to vibrate.  My little sister in my sorority had sent me a text that I will never forget, “Rach, Owen Thomas died today.”  In utter shock, I refused to believe that she was telling the truth.  She must have heard a bad rumor or I hoped it was a cruel joke, when in fact he was completely fine and alive in his Baltimore Avenue home.  I’ve never wished for someone to lie to me more than in that moment, because my little sister had in fact told me the truth. My beloved friend Owen Thomas had died that day.

I met Owen the first day of my freshman year, when I realized the red-headed football player lived two doors down from me.  He was and still is one the most amazing people I have ever met in my entire life.  Not only was he a great and loyal friend, he was captain of the Penn football team and a student in the prestigious Wharton School.  He excelled both on and off the field, and everyone that knew him loved him.  I remember having to find and tell my friend, Jackie Haas, the news of his death in the middle of the second floor lounge of the library, and both of us unable to accept the news.  We both believed that he just had to be alive.  A few minutes later, the rumors were confirmed.

The Penn community lost an amazing person last spring and every step since that day we have walked in honor of Owen.  We all hung on to each other for love and support in that difficult time.  The football team went on to win the Ivy League Championship this season in honor of #40, and my friends and I wanted to do something to honor Owen as well.  We decided to plan a commemorative walk to remember Owen and to raise money to be donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.  We had the walk this past Sunday on Franklin Field and raised over $16,000.  It was a beautiful spring day in which we all gathered together to laugh and cry about the good times and the bad.  I will never forget that day, and I hope that we made Owen proud and will continue to make him proud each day.  Knowing Owen made me a better person, and he will forever hold a place in my heart, where I carry him each day.

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April 14, 2011 · 9:01 am

Naturally, I Chose Penn

Author: John Mosley, C’14

I was born on May 2, 1992, at 9:02 A.M.  Right away, the doctors noticed that something wasn’t quite right: I was blue. They soon discovered that blood wasn’t circulating throughout my body. I was rushed into emergency heart surgery. The surgeons realized one of my pulmonary arteries had been switched with my aorta. They proceeded to switch the two back and, in doing so, saved my life.

Why am I telling you this? Because it happened at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia(CHOP)—a building I can see from my dorm room. The University of Penn has been a vital part of my life since the moment I was born. The University literally saved my life. Perhaps that is why, 18 years later, I became heart-set on being accepted to this University.

Today, I will be missing an afternoon class because I am going to CHOP for the 18th consecutive year for my annual checkup with Dr. Weinberg, my cardiologist. Dr. Weinberg has been with my almost my entire life and has been guiding me through this heart defect. At least once a year for 18 years, I have been on Penn’s campus to receive this checkup. I remember my dad showing me Franklin Field when I was 9 or 10. I remember walking by the Quad in my early adolescence. The University that has been so vital to my well-being, so it makes sense that the University continues to be where I am enriched and prepared for a career. Penn continues to have a profound influence on my life. It is only fitting that I chose Penn.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

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April 13, 2011 · 9:02 am

Life of an Engineer

Author: Jonathan C., SEAS ’14

When I joined the Engineering School, I knew there was a reason I was meant to be there.  I understood that being an engineer requires working late into the night.  While I have yet to experience an all-nighter, I had a late night a few weeks ago.  It was for my MEAM-101: Introduction to Mechanical Design class (check out the PRESS project).  The project was to make anything, as long as it used press-fits.  Short explanation: a press fit is where you have a slot and a peg out of a given material, and you make the peg slightly larger than the slot (on the order of a few thousandths of an inch).  Then, when you press the peg into the slot, the peg slightly deforms and will stay firmly fastened, creating a connection between the two parts without needing adhesive.

I decided to build a space shuttle and started with a model on the computer.  I went to the room at 10 PM thinking it would take maybe an hour to cut all the pieces out and put it together.  By the time I was cutting the last piece out, the clock read 1 AM.  Suddenly, I understood the joy of being an engineer.  There are people out there who would have meticulously watched the clock, and would have left the room with a partially-finished product with the intent to come back the next day to finish it.  But I had become so engrossed in the project that I was shocked by the amount of time that had passed.  And, when I got to the end and had a finished product, I was filled a combination of exhaustion and great satisfaction. At that moment, I knew that being an engineer was the right choice for me.

Not my project, but an example of a press-fit project

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April 11, 2011 · 4:02 pm

Student Stories

Author: Kelly G.

“Your participation matters. You can make an impact on the University and its students today. The advancement of the University relies on your support. Penn students and faculty are reaching new heights as a result of alumni giving.”

I spend my days communicating these ideas to our proud Penn alumni, parents, and friends. And I stand behind them. I truly believe in the mission of The Penn Fund in supporting the highest priorities – literally, whatever is needed most that year, from light bulbs to student financial aid – of undergraduate education at Penn. (Don’t worry, this isn’t a solicitation!) But in the midst of talking about students, we sometimes forget to learn about them. Sure, they stand next to us in line at Cosi or offer us fliers as we walk down Locust Walk, but we don’t always know their stories.

This past February, that all changed for me. As part of a direct mail campaign to alumni, I prepared five letters under the signatures of five different Penn students – all from various schools and backgrounds. I interviewed them at length, wrote letters using their voice and experiences and held photography shoots for them. In that time, I was absolutely blown away by their inspirational accomplishments at such a young age.

Rachel, C’12 participates in extensive research at the vet school and runs her own non-profit organization, Hand2Paw, dedicated to bringing together homeless teens and shelter animals within a mutually beneficial program. Since 2009, the organization has impacted the lives of over 70 homeless youth and over 1,000 homeless animals.
Matt, C’11 is the first directly-elected president of the Undergraduate Assembly at Penn. His responsibilities range from designating budgets and resources to the hundreds of student clubs and activities on campus. He also volunteers his time to One in Four, an all-male peer education group that presents programs on how men can help a sexual assault survivor, while balancing his academic research and studies as a Health and Societies major.

Kabir, W’11, C’11 moved from India to attend Penn and has since interned at Google and volunteered his business skills to organizations in Bolivia. He loves being involved in all kinds of campus activities including serving as a tour guide, a Red and Blue caller and a Daily Pennsylvanian writer. Most impressive is his desire to use his Wharton education to combine societal gain with profitable produces in the developing world through his social entrepreneurship studies.

Laura, NU’11 was introduced to nursing when she arrived at Penn and quickly realized it was her life’s calling. In her junior year, she took her passion for nursing education global when she studied abroad in London where she completed geriatrics and adult clinical rotations in a hospital there. This is something unheard of for more nursing students! After returning to Penn, Laura began groundbreaking research exploring the impact of nursing academic exchange programs.

Spencer, ENG’11 is working side-by-side with faculty from the School of Medicine on solving the mysteries of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AML is a malignant disease that, despite recent advances in treatment, claims many lives. By taking advantage of the interdisciplinary nature of Penn, Spencer is immersed in research and experiments that could one day save lives.

And these are only five of the University’s over 10,000 undergraduate students! I find them to be truly inspirational and impressive. And most of all, every single one of them are truly kind and generous students who volunteered their time and names for The Penn Fund. Thank you Rachel, Matt, Kabir, Laura and Spencer!

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April 10, 2011 · 6:59 pm

Taking Notes with Your Phone?

Author: Sabrina Shyn, C’13

In my sociology class today, a girl did a strange thing. She took a photo of the professor’s PowerPoint slide with her phone. Yes, her phone. She raised her arms, held the phone way up, and snapped a photo of the screen.

At first, I thought that was a

bit strange. Then I thought that might be genius; it gets rid of the need to quickly write the notes down while also trying to listen and write down what the professor is saying at the same time. But then I realized that it was taking technology a little too far, especially since the girl had her laptop open in front of her.

We all know technology has come a long way – even in the classroom. Gone are the legal pads and pencils that may have once been ubiquitous in lectures. Some people do still take notes in notebooks, but the majority of students today take notes on their laptops.

S

The Olden Days

Some have those smaller portable laptops just for note talking. And a few students use iPads. Of course, some don’t take notes at all. During class today, while I was furiously typing away to get all the notes down, the girl next to me was fu

riously typing away to Gchat with three different people. The guy next to her was reading a sports articles, two other guys were watching a basketball game, three girls were online shopping, and four hundred people were on Facebook.

So many of my professors comment on how technology has changed. Every week, at least one professor mentions some object or TV show prefaced with a joke of either “I don’t want to age myself but…” or “Do you guys know what [whatever the obsolete object] is?”

“We listened to records – do you know what records are?”

“I know you don’t have to memorize phone numbers these days…but in the ancient past…you had to actually remember digits.”

I bet in the ancient past they never imagined students taking notes with their phones.

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April 9, 2011 · 8:00 am

A Day in History Class

Author: John Mosley, C’14

Being a freshman at Penn is an exciting experience in many ways. I live on my own, I meet new people ll the time, and I am exposed to new ideas on a daily basis. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this college experience for me has been the opportunity to take classes that high school never offered. From my German course to my Introduction to Acting seminar, I have been given the opportunity to explore new interests and receive new perspectives on life. Perhaps the most interesting and exciting of these courses is the course titled “America in the 1960s,” which I am currently enrolled in for this Spring 2011 semester.

Taught by Professor Thomas Sugrue, this course is a comprehensive look at the decade which can be classified (arguably) as the most controversial and influential of the 20th century. Personally, I elected to take this course because of my fascination with the music of the 1960s. My favorite bands are The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and the Beatles. However, I quickly discovered that there was more to the 1960s than rock and roll and the Civil Rights movement. Many revolutions were occurring simultaneously throughout the decade, from the rise of the “New Right” (led by Conservative Barry Goldwater) to the headline-making rise of the “New Left” (led by college students across the country who belonged to the group known as the Students for a Democratic Society).

On October 22, 1967, Bernie Boston photographed his iconic, “Flower Power” photograph, which featured Vietnam War protester George Harris inserting flowers into a National Guardsmen’s rifle barrel.

“America in the 1960s” recounts the “long” 1960s (specifically the period from 1954-1974). No account of the 1960s can be complete without inclusion of the influence of the 1950s, a decade of affluence and growing discontent in the youth of the country. Professor Sugrue skillfully weaves in the 1950s as a precursor to the 1960s; the preceding decade fostered the roots of the women’s liberation movement, rock and roll music and the civil rights movement to name a few.

As the semester winds down, I look forward to the exciting conclusion of the story told by Professor Sugrue and his foray into the 1970s. However, at the same time I am saddened to see this infinitely intriguing narrative course come to an end. Every Monday and Wednesday morning at 10:00 AM, I am nearly hypnotized by Professor Sugrue’s skillful storytelling and insight into the decade that forever changed the discourse of American politics, media, fashion, music and literature. Nearly every facet of American life today can be traced back to the “long” 1960s, and by studying the decade, I am effectively enhancing my understanding of modern times.

For more information on Penn’s history department, the “America in the 1960s” course and Professor Thomas Sugrue, check out Penn’s history department website here.

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